The Southern Pope

Yes, the new Pope is Southern.  Well, not Alabama southern, but he is from "South" America.  And lest we question this fact, he chose to be known as Francis I after every Southern belle's favorite silver pattern.  Bless his heart!

Beans and Preserves

Several years ago we told you about a favorite recipe for tomato confiture.  Here's an idea of what to do with that jar of preserves or jam that you got as a gift and haven't a clue how to get it off the shelf. (Or, perhaps you are just an avid canner with a jar of something like tomato confiture, that needs a recipe!) 

Add it to dried beans.  We love a bit of sweetness in our beans.  On a particularly cold day last week, we found a bag of pinto beans and decided to cook them.  Instead of following a baked bean recipe calling for brown sugar, we grabbed a jar of tomato confiture and tossed it in with the beans and pork ribs. 

One year we had an abundance of apple based preserves and they were a lovely addition to beans as are pear, figs and peaches.   We haven't tried anything with berries in it but why not?


And while you are in the kitchen, back so cookies for someone you love!

Spring Makes A Valiant Attempt

Yes, yes, almost...

Yeah...Spring... sort of.

Chicken Fried Steak

 It snowed all weekend.  If it had been 5 degrees colder there would be enormous drifts of snow.  Our temperature hovered at 35, however, so the lovely large flakes the floated by the window, hit the warm, soggy ground, creating a muddy mess.

It was a great Sunday to sit around, watch television and cook comfort food.

In the "great minds think alike" vein, when I turned on my computer this morning, my first e-mail was from Saveur touting the joys of chicken fried steak.  Their chicken fried steak looked like this. 

 Not bad.  Mine, however, went the for the double comfort of fluffy mashed potatoes and a sausage gravy.

Sorry we missed you!

Happy Birthday, Lee Radziwill

Lee Radziwill was my childhood idol.  She was often called a dilettante, but I adored the fact that she did what she wanted, she tried everything that interested her and she always looked fabulous doing it.

At 80, she is still a stunner.

Recently, Radziwill was featured on the cover of T Magazine in the New York Times.  Here is a video by Sofia Coppola.

 

Florence Nightingale

Been away doing that Florence Nightingale thing... missed so much!