Such Memories!

Summer of…whenever.  Family vacation to the beach includes a day spent a bit inland at Colonial Williamsburg.  A full afternoon beneath the broiler (aka, the southern Virginia sun) spurs the appetite something fierce.  Then, from a distance, an aroma.  Faint at first, but soon it surrounds and captivates.  The beautifully transcendent scent of a wood-fired…

Bar Food

It is, if you’re in a bar (tavern) in Williamsburg, Virginia.  Of course, during the American colonial era, from which Williamsburg draws its inspiration, most taverns supplied visitors not only with libations, but also with meals and a bed to spend the night.  It was a combination of the modern-day bar, restaurant and inn. Guests…

The Gathering Harvest

Fall enrobes the land in a crisp vibrancy, the ultimate celebration of brightness that takes in the year’s final exuberance.  Amidst the fields and in the forests the land yields a summer’s bounty.  It is at just such a moment, when vines sag with plump grapes and the end of late summer’s peaches adorn the…

Colder than a Virginia Summer

Most things are, actually, as the mercury vaults beyond comprehension by late June and heat makes the roads bubble.  Add the dripping humidity especially prevalent in southern Virginia and everything becomes a sauna; it’s inescapable.  Before air conditioning, the British Foreign Service considered Washington to be a tropical posting and compensated its diplomats accordingly.  This…

Three Kinds of Comfort

What better time than Thanksgiving weekend to luxuriate in a satisfying meal’s reassuring warmth?  This week brings three more classics from Williamsburg, as featured in The Williamsburg Cookbook, Cream of Peanut Soup, Sally Lunn Bread and Indian Corn Muffins.  Each one stokes a contented glow, but their combined effect is pure bliss. Peanut Soup is…

WASP Ethnic Food, So to Speak

There’s something deeply satisfying and comforting about a piping hot, flavorful chicken pot pie.  Break into the flaky golden crust to reveal the steaming wonders beneath.  Chicken and vegetables complement each other nicely, the latter adding  distinct freshness while also taking on some of the savory chicken’s richness.  Is there any better way to fortify…

Back Home in Time for Dessert

These pages flit across the globe, exploring our shared culinary heritage in various places.  Part of that cosmopolitan approach, admittedly, reflects a desire to try something new.  Far too little is written of the cuisine enjoyed in countries like Laos, Tibet and Uruguay, so if a recipe from one of those places has potential, the…

Founders’ Dinner, Kicked Up

Today our food tour makes a couple stops in the South, bringing you Crab Cakes from coastal Virginia, along with their perfect compliment, New Orleans’ signature Remoulade Sauce.    The cakes themselves are so laden with crab, the tasty breading just barely keeps everything together.  One of the advantages of making your own, rather than relying on someone else to provide a…