Modern Southern Cook

Several years ago, my husband and I discovered this local restaurant in the downtown area of Winston Salem. Just like the first time I go anywhere to eat, the menu was a little overwhelming, not because there was a huge selection, but because I always wonder what is really good. After going to the restaurant several times, I finally worked up the courage to try something that I had never  eaten before in my life --- ostrich! To say I was a little hesitant would be an understatement, however, I was ready to take it on and it was highly rated by the service crew. Additionally, the ostrich was from a local farm using spent grain from the brewery. Since I am very fond of supporting local and eating what is grown around you, that made it even more appealing. When I got this burger, I was immediately in love. It was amazing! However, like most things on menus that I come to love, after a year or so, it was discontinued because the supply could not keep up with the demand. So what was I g

It is that time of year again when I am working to develop new and interesting ways to use up all of the vegetables coming from the garden. Last year, I posted "The Best Zucchini Bread"  recipe; this is still a great recipe but this one is even better! Since entering my last trimester of pregnancy, I am craving cinnamon raisin bread. This recipe was created to help merge the two flavors while also adding in some nutrients from bananas, as I always seems to have 2 or 3 that get left over and become a little too ripe. This bread is so fragrant, moist, and delicious! If I had some walnuts in the freezer, I might even finely chop some and incorporate them into the swirl for even more texture. This bread is perfect for breakfast, afternoon snack, or even dessert. I hope you will give this recipe a try. 2 very ripe Bananas, mashed 1 cup Zucchini, grated 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil 1 Egg, beaten 1 teaspoon Vanilla 3/4 cup Sugar 1 teaspoon Baking Soda 1/2 teaspoon Bakin

With it now being summer, we are blessed enough to have a bounty of summer squash and zucchini coming from our garden. While traditional methods, i.e. fried squash, are delicious, sometimes you just want something new and a little healthier to do with your produce. While I have made zucchini bread, cakes, and even fritters, today, I decided to expand on my baked squash recipe and create a crispy zucchini fry to go with our summertime grilled burgers. Admittedly, when I first made the recipe, I was a little worried. I wasn't worried so much about the deliciousness of the meal, as I am a vegetable lover, but I was worried about how the change would be received by my husband. While he is good about serving as my taste tester, he likes his squash prepared the traditional Southern way.....fried! However, even he was surprised at the crisp texture, perfectly tender interior, and savory seasoned flavor. We will be making this again! 2 Zucchini 1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour 2 Eggs

As summer time approaches, I am thrilled to be back in the kitchen making breakfast throughout the entire week. To say that I was looking forward to my two month hiatus from work in order to focus on other personal endeavors, such as recipe development, would be an understatement. While I do make time throughout the year to make dinner almost every night, sometimes you just crave some extra time to focus on other meals and slow down to enjoy the blessings of the season. My first endeavor since starting my summer break was to get back into my muffin addiction. I, admittedly, love a delicious, homemade muffin. There is just something about the warm scents that fill the house when making breakfast breads that comforts the soul. These muffins combine my love for warm flavors, such as cinnamon and ginger, with the tastes of the season, like orange and blueberry. Even though you may be thinking that these are just your standard orange blueberry muffins, you would be very wrong. The ora

The cold, gray days of winter have set in for the long haul and are beginning to drain the color from everything around, including our food. Too often, our winter meals become very monochromatic and less appealing than their spring and summertime counterparts simply because of what is in season on the vegetable aisle. I also find that wintertime can often become a repetitive set of meals from week to week, adding to the cold weather blues. This week, we had another round of snow, like many people around the country. While snowed in, I was determined to make something warm, comforting, and flavorful without all of the heaviness of a typical wintertime meal. My favorite go to in a situation such as this is a large pot of bubbling stew. I call them stews because I prefer my soups thicker and heartier than traditional recipes. I love to see chunks of vegetables, filled with color, in a bowl with a flavorful broth. This stew was perfect. Although you may look at this recipe and think th