Nobody's Poet

2010-01-18T09:15:00.001-06:00

From now on, my weekly columns will be posted at www.robertstjohn.com .See you there.Warmly,Robert

2009-10-09T09:07:00.001-05:00

I did it. I made it 30 days without eating meat, no seafood, either. A lot of you out there didn’t think I could do it. In the beginning, I wasn’t sure if I could do it. Now it’s over and, after today, I can start writing about something other than my intimate relationship with vegetables. This navel gazing has gotten old, even for me, who has spent my entire writing career navel gazing.

2009-09-28T10:52:00.000-05:00

Remember to Eat Your Fruits and Vegetables It’s a Christmas Eve feeling, this thing I’ve got. Remember when you were seven-years old and couldn’t wait for Christmas morning— so much so, that you couldn’t sleep the night before. That type of anticipation and excitement is rare for those of us who have passed the third grade. There’s an anticipatory energy one feels at

2009-09-21T12:11:00.001-05:00

Zombies, and Skydivers, and Bears, Oh My Welcome to day 21 of my 30-day journey into vegetarianism. I have learned a lot over the last three weeks. I have learned that there are many in-the-closet vegetarians out there, and if one writes about becoming a vegetarian, they will out themselves. They’re like zombies in a low-budget horror movie. When the sun goes down the

2009-09-14T10:04:00.003-05:00

Life Through Spinach-Colored Glasses Welcome to day 14 of my 30-day excursion into vegetarianism. Here are some observations from the other side. Observation 1.) I’ve actually become a carbotarian. As long as it doesn’t have a face or a tail, I’m eating it. Pancakes, French fries, bagels, hash browns, nachos, Cap’n Crunch, and cheese pizza all have one thing in common—

2009-09-07T09:37:00.002-05:00

The Unlikeliest Vegetarian Part I Welcome to my life as a vegetarian, day seven. Strange things are happening. I am living life as a vegetarian during the entire month of September. I am eating nothing with a face or a tail, and believe it or not, I’m still alive and breathing. The following is what I have learned, so far, as a neophyte vegetarian: 1.Cinnamon rolls

2009-08-31T10:34:00.000-05:00

Vegetarian II I write this on the eve of one of the most daunting and challenging days of my life. The sword of Damocles is dangling above my head. I am encompassed by a sense of foreboding and live in fear that much wailing and gnashing of teeth is looming just around the corner. Our country might be in the worst financial straits its seen since the Great Depression,

2009-08-24T10:37:00.001-05:00

I am about to be a vegetarian. I’m not going to be one of those I-still-eat-chicken-and-fish vegetarians. I am going to be a die-hard, I-eat-nothing-with-a-face-or-a-tail vegetarian, a hardcore vegetarian, a no-turkey-with-my-tofu vegetarian. For the entire month of September, I will abstain from eating beef, pork, poultry, fish, or seafood of any kind— nothing with a face

2009-08-24T10:33:00.000-05:00

Canned Peaches My friend David invited me to lunch at his club in Jackson. The club was nicely decorated and comfortable. In one room there was an upscale buffet and in another a salad bar. I don’t eat at many buffets. Actually, since my neighborhood Thai joint changed hands, I don’t eat any buffets. I have nothing against them; it’s just a personal quirk. As I was

2009-08-10T10:26:00.003-05:00

The St.John International Culinary Field Trip of 2009 I just took a trip around the world with my family. We ate in Italy first, then Japan on the first night, followed by Mexico, India, Austria, Viet Nam, China, Cuba, Morocco, France, with a few stops in different regions of America and at friends and family’s homes along the way. We were supposed to eat in Spain and

2009-08-10T10:21:00.002-05:00

Culinary Field Trip- Day One Tuesday, July 28, 2009 at 8:42am We hit Birmingham around lunchtime. I had a quick business meeting and then we went to Bottega for lunch. I am a fan of Frank Stitt and have eaten at Highlands Bar and Grill, often. The meals have always been great. Bottega was an overall disappointment-- slow, unconcerned service, long waits from the kitchen,

2009-08-03T08:22:00.001-05:00

The Little ThingsSomeone, somewhere once said something about “the little things.” I don’t know who it was, why he said it, or what publication it was printed in after he said it. I don’t even know if it was a he. Maybe it was a she who talked about the little things in life. Nevertheless, I know that many times, the little things aren’t “little” at all. My maternal

2009-07-27T05:50:00.001-05:00

Family VacationToday I leave on a 10-day old-fashioned family road-trip vacation.We are loading up the family truckster and embarking on a 2,500 mileexcursion that will take us through Nashville, Asheville,Winston-Salem, and up to Washington D.C. with the ultimate goal oftaking my kids to see Paul McCartney in concert. We’ll spend a fewdays in our nation’s capital and then swing through

2009-07-20T12:24:00.000-05:00

The French Laundry II For years I have said that if I were ever asked to choose a “last meal,” I would select my grandmother’s leg of lamb. With all due respect to my late grandmother, I am amending my last-meal appeal. Sorry, Mam-Maw, my last meal is coming from the French Laundry The beauty of eating a last meal prepared at The French Laundry is twofold: I would be

2009-07-06T09:22:00.001-05:00

The Dinner of A Lifetime In 2006, I invited three friends to join me at The French Laundry, in Yountville, CA, for what would turn out to be the dinner of a lifetime. The French Laundry is widely considered the nation’s finest restaurant, a reputation it has earned over the course of the last 15 years. I wrote about the meal and the subsequent column turned out to be a

2009-06-30T13:45:00.002-05:00

Hunger at HomeFor over 25 years, the primary focus of my professional career has been food.In my personal life, food has played a major role, falling just behind faith, family, and friends.I create, prepare, and sell food for a living. When I’m not working, I’m traveling, eating, and writing about traveling and eating. I eat a lot. When recognized while out of town, I’m often asked, “Aren’t you

2009-06-21T20:36:00.000-05:00

Let the Riots Begin I’m no Nostradamus, but I am about to make a bold prediction: Within a matter of days this country will witness a take-it-to-the-streets rebellion and massive, frenzied uprising like we have never seen. Be warned: These riotous insurrections will occur instantly, without notice, and will quickly spread across every town and community in

2009-06-15T18:00:00.007-05:00

Tennessee Top TenMy wife and I dropped the kids off at summer camp in Arkansas and then spent a week eating our way through Tennessee (summer camp for adults). Here are the top ten culinary highlights from the journey.10.) BBQ Memphis— Actually, I had planned on eating bbq in Memphis, but we arrived too late and everything was closed. However, the night before in Hot Springs, AR, we ate at a

2009-06-07T09:55:00.001-05:00

The Piney Woods Challenge Yesterday I drove a carload of kids— under the age of 12— on a seven-hour trek that ended in Arkansas’ Ouachita National Forrest so they could attend summer camp. Early on, the van was relatively calm. Most surprising, the van was quiet. I think it’s because my wife packed the snacks. The kids were munching on pita chips, cheese crackers, and

2009-06-01T10:13:00.001-05:00

Praline BaconFor the last few months I have been hearing about a dish called “Praline Bacon.”It was popping up in conversations, in emails, on websites, and inmagazines. I had never heard of Praline Bacon, so I took these randomoccurrences as a Celestine suggestion, and made a decision to lookinto this strange new food product.Of course, it didn’t take to much inner dialogue to convince myself,as

2009-05-25T10:05:00.000-05:00

Is That A Piece of Cornbread In Your Pocket… My grandmother made the world’s best biscuits. She passed away 20 years ago and I have been trying to replicate them ever since. Her biscuits were small, light, and slightly salty with a hint buttermilk. She never followed a recipe, yet they were consistent every time she made them. I could eat a dozen over the course of a

2009-05-18T09:44:00.002-05:00

James Beard Foundation Awards A couple of weeks ago The James Beard Foundation Awards ceremony was held in New York to honor the nation’s best chefs, restaurants, cookbook authors, and food journalists.The James Beard Foundation Awards are the Academy Awards of the food business and my home state of Mississippi was represented well.John Currence, chef/owner of City Grocery in Oxford, Miss

2009-04-27T11:30:00.000-05:00

I Am Not On Al Gore’s Christmas Card List I stirred up a lot of trouble when I was a kid. Possessing an overactive imagination and a hyperactive disposition, I was responsible for a fair share of the havoc created in and around my school and neighborhood. Most of the parents in the neighborhood had, on at least one occasion, found the need to admonish my actions and

2009-04-27T11:22:00.000-05:00

Pizza Yesterday I ordered a pizza online. I didn’t get in my car, I didn’t pick up the phone, I never even spoke to anyone. I just logged onto my laptop and 30 minutes later, I was shaking crushed red pepper flakes over my thin-crust pepperoni. The ordering of the pizza and the ingredient selection was easy. Once I made my choices, the website told me that my

2009-03-30T13:10:00.003-05:00

SaladsThe weather is warming and salad sales in the restaurant are booming.I like salads, but I am not an entrée-salad eater. I like a salad as a small course or as a component or accompaniment to a main course.When I am entertaining friends at home, I rarely serve a salad. Sometimes at lunch, I might throw together something quick and uncomplicated, but mostly I opt for soup in lieu of salad.My

2009-03-30T13:10:00.001-05:00

Dinner Party ConversationWATERCOLOR, FL— The older I become the more I appreciate substantive dinner party conversation.I am on the second leg of a Spring Break sandwich that started in the rapidly melting Spring snow of Colorado and has ended on the sugar white sands of the Florida Panhandle.I am here with my family on a dual mission: First, to take the obligatory family break from school and

2009-03-30T13:09:00.002-05:00

Quiche MuffinsASPEN— The question of the day is: How far will a man travel for a Quiche Muffin from Paradise Bakery?The answer: 1,362 miles. Well, actually, I was out her on Spring Break with my family, but we’re staying in Snowmass, 12 miles away.I had a craving for a Quiche Muffin from the Paradise Bakery at 6:15 a.m. and so I hopped on a city bus and took a 25 minute ride into Aspen. Some

2009-03-30T13:09:00.001-05:00

St. Patrick’s DaySt. Patrick’s Day is a paradox. It’s an annual feast day set in the middle of a season in which people are supposed to be fasting.During my childhood in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, St. Patrick’s Day was nothing more than a small mention in my elementary school classroom and the opportunity to pinch someone if they weren’t wearing green. No parades, no green beverages, no cabbage

2009-03-30T13:08:00.000-05:00

LentThe Lenten Season has begun.In most Christian denominations, Lent is the 40-day period of fasting and prayer before Easter.Growing up, I attended church, religiously. If the doors were unlocked at Main Street United Methodist Church in my hometown of Hattiesburg, I was usually there— Sunday mornings, Sunday evenings, Wednesday evenings, Thursday night youth group, and skating in the

2009-02-16T10:50:00.000-06:00

Cocktail SauceYesterday, I was watching my 11-year old daughter eat Chargrilled Oysters at Drago’s in New Orleans while my seven year-old son ate fried shrimp.Oysters and shrimp are the foods from my youth which still lease a substantial plot of real estate in my heart.While we were sitting at the counter in Drago’s, my son said, “Daddy will you please mix up some cocktail sauce for me?” As I was

2009-02-16T10:49:00.001-06:00

Four DiamondsI am currently in my 10th year of writing this weekly column.For the last decade I have written approximately 750 words every week, 52 weeks a year, without ever missing a column.Over the course of those 520 columns, 352 recipes, and roughly 390,000 words, I have written about strange foodstuffs, quirky food news, my kids and their relationship to food, my childhood and how the foods

2009-02-02T11:42:00.000-06:00

The First Presbyterian Church in my hometown asked me to serve as a judge in their first annual chili cook-off this weekend. After some persistence, I agreed.I have tried to wean myself off of judging cooking contests. Several years ago I was asked to judge an out-of-state cooking contest where the contestants were asked to create home-cooking style dishes in several categories. The judging table

2009-01-26T13:08:00.000-06:00

What’s In A Name?Whenever I give a speech or speak to a classroom full of students, I always solicit questions. It’s my favorite part of the process. I am much more interested in responding to issues people are interested in than trying to decipher what they want to hear.One of the most common questions I receive is, “How did you come up with the name Purple Parrot Café?”I wish there was a better

2009-01-26T13:07:00.000-06:00

The 11 Worst Foods of 2008I have been told that more gym memberships are sold in January than during the other months of the year, combined.Being in the restaurant business for 28 years, I can attest that more diets are started during the first month of the year. I can personally confirm that most diets don’t make it to February.Now that we’re nearing the end of the month— as calorie counters and

2009-01-26T13:06:00.000-06:00

Culinary InfidelityI have been cheating on my wife.It's true. I've been sneaking around behind her back, and lately my rendezvous' have been getting more frequent. I feel guilty and believe it’s time to air out my dirty laundry. This might seem like an odd forum to address marital infidelity, but I am not Catholic so this medium will have to serve as my confession.Maybe I should clarify that

2009-01-08T14:41:00.005-06:00

Move Over, Ralph Lauren, The Burger King’s In TownWhen I was a young boy, a neighbor asked if Santa was going to bring me everything on my Christmas wish list. I told her, “Yes.”My mother jumped in and said, “Don’t be so sure, Robert. You know Santa keeps a naughty and nice list.”To which I replied, “Well, I acted worse than this last year and still got everything I wanted.”In 2008 I received

2008-12-29T11:30:00.006-06:00

Robert’s Top Ten 2008Each year, my final column is a list of the top ten dining experiences I enjoyed over the previous twelve months. The list is never based on price or atmosphere. I believe that good food can be served in a fine-dining environment or in a run-down diner. The only considerations are good food and good friends, which always lead to a good time.10.) Drago’s, New Orleans— Drago’s

2008-12-22T10:38:00.003-06:00

EggnogI am not a fan of eggnog.I quit drinking alcohol over two decades ago, but that has nothing to do with my dislike of eggnog. I could drink the non-alcoholic variety if I wanted to; I just never developed a taste for it.Earlier today, while watching a football game, my 11-year old daughter came to me and said, "Daddy I don't like eggnog.""I don't either, sweetie," I said. I thought her

2008-12-15T11:37:00.002-06:00

We Wish You A Figgy ChristmasA group of Christmas carolers stopped by my house last night.I like the whole caroling thing, but I often worry about the family of unsuspecting foreigners who might have just moved into the neighborhood from a faraway land with divergent customs. I wonder what they must think when they open their front door and two dozen happy people, dressed in wool sweaters in 72-

2008-12-15T11:37:00.001-06:00

Give Me Some Skin Big GannyDuring the first 20 years of my life I never encountered a boneless, skinless chicken breast.When I was a child, all chicken came under cellophane with bone and skin attached. The drumstick, the breast, the thigh, and even the wing, all had skin and bones. That’s the way God intended chicken to be sold and fried. Read it, it’s in the Bible somewhere. I think in one of

2008-12-15T11:35:00.000-06:00

Newk’s Evil Chocolate CakeI am on a diet.A diet is a serious problem for someone in the restaurant business. It also poses a predicament with my second day job— being a food writer— which requires, at a minimum, eating a lot of food and then writing about it.There are several food items I miss. Most of them have to do with bread in one way or another. I love cake. I miss cake. I especially love

2008-11-24T15:45:00.003-06:00

Three Mississippi Girls (and one man)The holiday shopping free-for-all has begun. The retail craziness used to start the day after Thanksgiving, these days shopkeepers begin gearing up the week before Halloween.No one knows what effect the economy will have on this Christmas season, but one thing is for sure: Whatever happens in 2009, we’ll still be eating.Consider this column an addendum to your

2008-11-24T15:44:00.000-06:00

Free My Fine-Feathered Friends!Tuducken… the campaign beginsThanksgiving is almost here and anyone within 100 miles of the Louisiana border will soon be hearing long-winded and glowing tributes to one of the world’s strangest culinary oddities— the turducken.A turducken is deboned turkey, which has a deboned duck stuffed inside it, and just in case that wasn’t enough poultry for one sitting, the

2008-11-11T08:23:00.005-06:00

HaggisI have often written that if I ever visited Scotland, I would eat haggis.I have never been to Scotland, but I can now say that I have eaten haggis.Yesterday, my family and I attended the 23rd Scottish Highland Games and Celtic Music Festival on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. A friend was competing in the Highland Games portion of the event, so we traveled to Gulfport looking forward to

2008-11-03T10:08:00.004-06:00

HibachiMy family eats at the neighborhood hibachi restaurant, often.Actually, what we Americans have come to know as "hibachi" is actually teppanyaki-style cooking. A hibachi is a small, portable grill like the ones I used on my apartment balcony during a very lengthy and tenuous college career.Teppanyaki-style cooking is done on a flattop griddle in front of guests who are seated around the

2008-10-27T09:38:00.004-05:00

LAS VEGAS— What is a family man who doesn't drink, doesn't gamble, and has trouble staying up to watch David Letterman doing in Las Vegas with his wife and kids? Two words: The Beatles.I have pulled my second grader and sixth grader out of school to travel to Las Vegas to see Cirque du Soleil's production "The Beatles Love." I am a huge Beatles fan and have seen "Love" twice. My kids are huge

2008-10-21T09:27:00.001-05:00

Working for the MouseORLANDO— I am in Walt Disney World as a visiting chef of the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival.Through the years I have been a frequent guest of The Mouse. I have enjoyed the parks with-and-without kids and had a great time doing the stuff one does down here since 1973. Until now I have never had such an inside view of the ins and outs of this amazingly complicated

2008-10-21T09:26:00.000-05:00

CatfishIn Sunday’s New York Times Magazine there was an extensive article on catfish. In the article I learned that the Catfish Institute, located in Jackson, Miss., has chosen a new name for the catfish— Delecata.As new made-up names for fish go, I guess “Delacata” is as good as any, though I would like to see the list of names that were eliminated. The story claimed that the Catfish Institute

2008-10-13T10:34:00.001-05:00

Doggie BagsAfter 28 years in the restaurant business, one of the most consistent customer behaviors I have observed is with doggie bags. A majority of restaurant patrons are embarrassed to ask their server for a doggie bag.I have never been able to figure out the tentativeness on the customer’s part, but it’s real. Many would rather throw away the remainder of a perfectly good pasta dish they

2008-09-29T09:55:00.004-05:00

The Mac AttackThe holy grail of kid cuisine is macaroni and cheese.When I wrote my second cookbook, Deep South Staples or How to Survive In A Southern Kitchen Without A Can of Cream of Mushroom Soup, I needed to include a macaroni and cheese recipe to complete the theme for updated home cooking. I had never eaten mac and cheese so I turned over the recipe development of that dish to my chief

2008-09-23T13:39:00.004-05:00

Stable StaplesEvery home has a stable staple.A stable staple is an item that is almost, if not always, in an individual’s home kitchen. It varies from home to home and is usually located in an heirloom cookie jar, or a favored Pyrex dish, tucked away on a special shelf in the pantry, or highlighted front and center in the refrigerator.It is the singular food item that is ever-present in that home

2008-09-15T09:24:00.001-05:00

Tailgating During Fall in MississippiIt’s mid September in Mississippi. Is it fall yet?Yesterday I was watching the Weather Channel and the announcer talked about “fall” weather in the Northeast. Fall in September? You’ve got to be kidding. Not down here.We know the word “fall,” but we never experience the actual season until mid to late October, and then only in short spurts of crisp weather.

2008-09-15T09:22:00.001-05:00

2008-09-08T14:58:00.002-05:00

The Denomination of PunchI am a Methodist because my grandfather owned a pair of shoes.My great-grandmother was a Baptist. My great-grandfather was a Methodist. My grandfather was the oldest of seven boys. His family was poor and could only afford Sunday shoes for the two oldest boys. The five younger boys stayed barefoot in the warmer months.In Brooksville, Miss., in the early 1900s, the

2008-09-01T10:14:00.000-05:00

Hurricane FoodAs I sit and write this column, I am watching the television coverage of Hurricane Gustav as it makes landfall a few hundred miles west of my breakfast room.My family hunkered down several days in advance this time, which beats the last minute scramble we endured before Hurricane Katrina.This morning I am ice rich. I am surrounded by ice chests, bottled water, and hurricane food.Ice

2008-08-25T15:03:00.004-05:00

Subway 911A man in Jacksonville, Fla. was arrested last week for making fraudulent 911 calls.He wasn’t calling the police station to ask if their “refrigerator is running?” and he wasn’t asking the dispatcher if she had “Prince Albert in a can?” The Associated Press reported that Reginald Peterson was hauled off to the pokey because he called 911 to complain that the Subway restaurant had left

911

2008-08-25T15:02:00.001-05:00

911 funny - The most amazing home videos are here

2008-08-18T10:00:00.003-05:00

Eating Ones Way Through the 100-Meter FreestyleMy wife is nuts about the Summer Olympics. Every television in our home is tuned to the games in China and she calls me hourly with details of how well the United States is doing against the Lithuanian handball team.I’m more of a Winter Olympics-type guy. I’ll take an out-of-control bobsled shooting down an icy mountain at 100-miles per hour over a

2008-08-12T06:48:00.004-05:00

PeachesOne of the unexpected benefits of writing a weekly food column which is centered mostly around food is that people always give me food. I love my job.At a book signing earlier this year a man walked up with a flat of blackberries and blueberries. “Here, check these out,” he said. An entire flat! That’s 12 pints. Did I mention that I love my job?Over a breakfast earlier in the summer my

The Hillbilly Gypsies-- Shuckin' the Corn (Live)

2008-08-04T11:47:00.001-05:00

The Hillbilly Gypsies - "Shuckin the Corn" - LIVE - Click here for the most popular videos

2008-08-04T11:11:00.004-05:00

Sweet Corn“… Pray what more can a reasonable man desire, in peaceful times, in ordinary noons, than a sufficient number of ears of green sweet corn…”—Henry David Thoreau, Walden (1854)My friend Ronnie telephoned the other day. He wanted me to check out his garden. It was nice. There were several varieties of melon, peas, and beans— the usual suspects. Its size was manageable, there weren’t too

World's Worst Music Video

2008-07-31T16:12:00.001-05:00

The World's Worst Music Video - Funny videos are here

2008-07-30T07:54:00.001-05:00

North vs South WeddingsWhile reading the July 27th edition of the New York Times I came across this wedding announcement:"Coleen Mary Jennings and Bethany Ann Mills affirmed their partnership on Wednesday night at Full Moon, a resort in Big Indian, N.Y. Tim Hughes, a friend from San Francisco, and Randy Schwartz, a friend from Manhattan, led the commitment ceremony, which included a neo-pagan

2008-07-21T11:38:00.005-05:00

We’re Number One! (Again)In junior high school pep rallies were mandatory. I never minded them because they were a legitimate excuse to get out of class and hang out in the gymnasium. I never became too lathered up during these proceedings; call it lack of school spirit, absence of general enthusiasm about which grade could yell louder than the other, or uncooperative spirit fingers.Various

2008-07-14T10:58:00.009-05:00

A Tale of Two HeavensBlackberry Farm is the most civilized 4,200 acres on the planet.I spent my 10th anniversary at Blackberry Farm a few years ago. I wrote about the visit at length, and continue to talk about it, today. Earlier this month, my wife and I dropped our kids off at summer camp in Arkansas and headed east to Blackberry Farm— summer camp for adults.Located in the foothills of the

2008-07-07T10:10:00.006-05:00

Pilgrimage Part IIIn a non-descript building, on U.S. 411 outside of Madisonville Tennessee, in the foothills of the Smokey Mountains, sits a little smokehouse. Over the past few years it has become the porcine capital of the known universe. It is a place I have wanted to visit for a long time. Last week I made my pilgrimage.Do you know the feeling of “let down” when you’ve anticipated something

2008-06-30T08:58:00.002-05:00

PilgrimagesPilgrimages are typically once-in-a-lifetime events. If one is lucky he orshe might get to make two or three pilgrimages over the course of theirlife.People from all over the world take religious pilgrimages to Israel, Mecca,the Vatican, or Nepal. Golfers live to go to where it all began- St. Andrewsin Scotland. Others would take out a second mortgage just to attend one ofthe earlier

2008-06-23T11:24:00.002-05:00

Shrimp Season 2008Mississippi’s shrimp season is open.I was eating oatmeal in my breakfast room watching WLOX’s morning show when the opening-day announcement was made. The television station cut to their on-location camera covering the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and there was one shrimp boat on the water. One boat.I can remember sitting in the same spot 10 years ago, watching that station’s

2008-06-16T09:51:00.002-05:00

What A Wonderful WorldWhat a difference a few years make.When my daughter was born— 11 years ago— my wife and I never slowed down. We ate in the same restaurants, visited the same hotels, and flew the same airlines. Other than getting to move to the front of the line when flying Southwest, our travel plans were never altered.Our daughter was the perfect restaurant customer. At 6-months old she

2008-06-09T15:17:00.000-05:00

The Meat ParadeFor years I have been hearing about Brazilian steakhouses.I have received several emails and had many discussions with numerous friends and acquaintances about the merits of restaurants that parades protein around the dining room on large metal sticks. “They’re great,” my friends say. “They come to your table with huge skewers of meat, carve it, and fill your plate. It’s a blast.”

2008-06-05T16:32:00.001-05:00

Mexican CuisineMexican is my favorite ethnic cuisine.I have vacillated through the years. As a kid, I was into Italian (if you can call spaghetti, lasagna, and pepperoni pizza Italian— and actually, you can’t). In college I was fond of Chinese food, which seemed very exotic at the time. I still like Chinese, but it’s hard to find a good Chinese restaurant in the area. Most have grown into nothing

2008-05-26T10:29:00.000-05:00

Ye Olde Foode and Gas-e CostsI paid $100 to fill my gas tank today. Actually, the pump stopped at $99.38, but I kept squeezing the handle, topping it off, and eking the last $.62 out of the pump just to see if our economy had actually reached a point where it takes a clean, crisp Benjamin Franklin to fill the tank in my vehicle.One hundred dollars. I sat there and thought about it for a minute.

2008-05-21T09:11:00.002-05:00

My friends at Turn Row Books in Greenwood, MS spent the entire weekend cooking from New South Grilling. The following is swiped from their blog at http://www.turnrowbooks.typepad.com/:A Weekend of New South GrillingNothing heralds the arrival of summer like a good barbecue. In anticipation of Thursday's event with popular Mississippi chef Robert St. John, we boned up on our grilling during a

2008-05-21T09:08:00.001-05:00

Table Fifty-TwoCHICAGO— It's mid May and the tulips are still blooming on Michigan Avenue. I'm up here for a book signing and making full use of my spare time eating my way through the Windy City.Art Smith opened his signature restaurant here a few months ago. Table Fifty-Two is a quaint little eating place tucked away on a charming tree-lined street and a breath of fresh, southern air in the

2008-05-12T11:19:00.002-05:00

Recipe Requests I receive requests for recipes all of the time.For the first 10 years I was in business at the Purple Parrot Café and Crescent City Grill, I wouldn’t give out recipes. Early on, Bon Appetit magazine and Food & Wine magazine asked repeatedly for our Corn and Crab Bisque recipe. I wouldn’t give it up. I stood my ground. It was a stupid thing to do.These days I’ll share every recipe

2008-05-05T10:56:00.003-05:00

Cookbook InterviewMy newest cookbook, New South Grilling (Hyperion, $29.95), had its national release last week. Since I am the newspaper’s food writer, the duty falls to me cover the book's release. Therefore I will interview myself.Columnist Robert: Good morning, Robert. Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to visit with me.Author

2008-04-28T16:04:00.000-05:00

Tough ChefsChefs are tough. They have to be.Cooking in a professional kitchen is one of the hardest jobs out there. The pressure is high, the heat is intense, and the skill set needed at the upper level of the restaurant business is earned more than learned.A lot of people get into the restaurant business because they cook a good steak in their backyard. This is how it happens:“Say, Joe, that’s a

2008-04-21T10:47:00.000-05:00

LeftoversI know a man who never has to eat leftovers.I grew up across the street from him. When he woke up in the morning, breakfast was waiting for his arrival to the table. In the middle of the day, he left work and drove home to enjoy a freshly prepared lunch. When he got home from work, dinner was on the table. Day in, day out, this was the routine, still is. He doesn’t eat leftovers.He is a

2008-04-14T13:25:00.003-05:00

Too Short, or Too Demented?“You’re too short for your weight,” said my doctor.“Pardon me,” I said.“I’m looking at this chart, and it says right here that you’re way too short for your weight. You’re supposed to be between six-feet five inches and six-feet seven inches tall,” he said.“But I’m five-ten.”“I know,” he said, and turned back to the chart to scribble more notes.I got the point.I

2008-04-09T15:08:00.001-05:00

You’ve Come A Long Way, MississippiIn 1987, when I opened The Purple Parrot Café in my hometown of Hattiesburg, the wine situation in Mississippi was bleak.At the time the Alcohol Beverage Control Division of the Mississippi State Tax Commission, the state agency that purchases, stocks, and distributes liquor and wine, had only been in the wine business for 20 years. During those two decades the

2008-03-31T10:40:00.000-05:00

Restaurant Bathrooms and ParentingI was having lunch with my family in a very nice restaurant on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain the other day. The dining room was packed and everyone was dressed in their Easter finest.Halfway through the appetizer course, my six-year old son came walking out of the bathroom fastening his belt and zipping up his pants. Typically, walking through a formal

2008-03-26T09:29:00.001-05:00

Spring Break 2008 Part III just finished the second half of a spring break sandwich that started in the South Louisiana swamps of Cajun country and ended in the French Quarter of New Orleans.My wife, son, daughter, and I had fun during the first leg of the vacation, but the trip to New Orleans might be my best visit to the city in 46 years. The cottage at The Soniat House provided the perfect

2008-03-17T07:31:00.002-05:00

Spring Break 2008The conversation went something like this: “Billy and his parents are going snow skiing during spring break,” said my son.“Susie’s family is going to the beach,” said my daughter. “Where are we going, again?”“To Breaux Bridge, Louisiana,” I replied.So began Spring Break 2008, the year my family chose to split from the pack and try something different.“Not only Breaux Bridge,” I

2008-03-10T10:54:00.000-05:00

48-Hour Food JournalI recently travelled to New York for a business meeting. I ate way too much. The following is my 48-hour food journalWednesday8:20 p.m.: Checked into the Soniat House hotel in the French Quarter the evening before an early-morning flight to New York. I now have a new favorite hotel in New Orleans— great courtyard, great rooms, high ceilings, and a balcony overlooking Chartres

2008-02-25T10:39:00.001-06:00

FastingI have a friend who is fasting during Lent.I’m not talking about a not-eating-meat-on-Friday fast, or an I’m-gonna-give-up-red-wine-for-40-days-but-still-drink-white-wine fast. No, he’s doing an honest-to-goodness, Mahatma Gandhi-type fast— nothing but water.Fasting is a method of religious observance, penitence, and purification which is practiced in several religious faiths. I am of the

2008-02-18T11:37:00.000-06:00

Las VegasLAS VEGAS— I am in a suite in the Venetian Hotel high above the Las Vegas Strip. I don’t gamble, I don’t drink, and I have trouble staying up until midnight. I am not in this city for most of the reasons that people come to this over-electrified desert locale. I am here for one reason: The Beatles.Anyone who knows me knows that I am a Beatles fanatic and a devout disciple in the

2008-02-11T10:59:00.001-06:00

Deer SausageI am not a deer hunter, yet I have a freezer full of deer sausage.A few weeks ago I wrote a column about the so-called Obese Bill (HB 282). In it I offered several pieces of alternative legislation to the Mississippi House of Representatives bill that proposes to ban fat people from eating in restaurants. In my haste to meet an editor’s deadline, I forgot an alternative bill that

2008-02-04T10:51:00.001-06:00

We the (Obese) PeopleMy home state has made national headlines once again.Three legislators in the Mississippi House of Representatives proposed a bill (HB 282) that would ban restaurants from serving obese people.As a restaurateur and businessman, doing business in a state where more than 30% of the populace is obese, I am adamantly opposed to this law on many levels. As one who is considered by

2008-02-04T10:50:00.003-06:00

SNOWMASS, CO.— I am on a father-son vacation with my six-year old. My family usually travels in a pack of four. This trip, prior commitments kept my wife and daughter at home and placed the two men, on their own, in a ski resort. It is the first time that he and I have ever spent any quality time away from home— just the boys. I am a happy daddy. I love and adore my wife and daughter, but there

2008-02-04T10:50:00.001-06:00

BeefamatoA physician once ordered my 90-year old grandmother to drink Beefamato. Beefamato is tomato juice with beef broth in it. Well, not “real” beef broth, the label states “dried beef broth.” I am not sure why she was ordered to drink Beefamato. Maybe it contained an obscure vitamin she wasn’t receiving in her regular diet, or an additional protein needed to preserve her 90-year old muscles.

2008-02-04T10:49:00.001-06:00

Breakfast Recently I realized that I can look back over the course of my life and track my age by what I was eating for breakfast.Some people associate songs with certain periods of their lives (I do that, too), but these days I tend to lean more towards food, especially breakfast food. When I was a small child I ate kid’s cereal for breakfast. Anything with a ton of sugar and a toy in the box

2008-02-04T10:48:00.000-06:00

All You Can Eat“Buffet Bans Fat People” was the headline I came across while surfing the Internet. O.K., I’ll bite.According to a story on Breitbart.com a man in Houma, La was charged double for making too many trips to the buffet line. Ricky Labit, a 265-pound offshore worker, said he had been frequenting the Manchuria Restaurant in Houma for several months when, on his most recent visit, a

2008-02-04T10:47:00.000-06:00

New Years Hopes and Wishes 2008In keeping with my annual tradition of not committing to anything that might make me change my eating habits, once again, I will not make New Year’s resolutions. Instead, I submit my annual list of culinary hopes and wishes for 2008. Some old, some new, all heartfelt: 1. I hope to finally be able to recreate my grandmother’s leg of lamb.2. I hope to eat a minimum of

2007-12-17T10:43:00.001-06:00

Christmas Morning ExcitementChristmas morning excitement is an emotion unmatched by any other.Adult excitement pales in comparison to the holiday-exhilaration recipe of two-parts anticipation, mixed with one part delight, a dab of enchantment, and a pinch of joy that is experienced every Christmas Eve until our pre-teen years sweep the thrills away. The excitement reaches its fever pitch just

2007-12-12T10:29:00.000-06:00

A Fruitful Day OffFor 46 years I have been blessed with excess energy.I seem to have been born with enough vitality and drive for two people. Though lately, I have been feeling my age.Sunday I experienced my first “true” day off in six weeks. I planned to stay in bed most of the afternoon and treat myself to a full day of football for the first time since September. My wife had to take my son to

2007-12-03T14:10:00.001-06:00

The Sun Will Come Out TomorrowAt a book signing on the Mississippi Gulf Coast last week, I was hit with a blinding jolt of reality. I have been a victim of out-of-sight out-of-mind Katrina apathy. My hometown of Hattiesburg was hit hard. Yet we bounced back quickly.At Pass Christian Books— a small, independent bookstore which used to overlook the Gulf of Mexico— business is not the same. As with

2007-12-03T14:07:00.000-06:00

Bizarre FoodsExactly one year ago today I was contacted by a producer of the Travel Channel television program “Bizarre Foods.” He said that they were going to be in the area and asked if I knew of anywhere in, or around, my hometown that served bizarre food. I told him that my restaurants were out. The most bizarre thing they might find there is if someone orders the wrong wine to go with the

2007-11-12T10:33:00.001-06:00

The Morning Beverage MinorityI do not drink coffee.I wish that I drank coffee. I would love to be referred to as a coffee drinker. “There goes Robert,” they would say. “He’s a coffee drinker.”I think it would be cool to sit in a coffee shop and sip some type of mocha concoction and read the New York Times. On occasion I would order an exotic frappe-something-or-other. At Christmas I would order

2007-11-05T10:14:00.001-06:00

Food Fight!In the cafeteria scene of the 1978 movie Animal House, John Belushi pops up from behind a table and yells, “Food fight!” Chaos ensues. That was my first exposure to the phenomenon of thrown food. There is a cafe near an outlet mall in Alabama where the employees of the restaurant throw yeast rolls at the customers. They don’t do this in a fit of anger, or in an inspired moment of

2007-10-29T10:26:00.000-05:00

Under the Wire and Off of the PressToday is the fifth anniversary of the release of a cookbook that almost wasn’t.Watercolor artist, Wyatt Waters, and I combined forces five years ago and published a coffee-table cookbook entitled A Southern Palate.The cookbook’s printer was located in Portland, Oregon, but the book was to be printed and bound in Asia and then shipped back to the United States.