Mountain View
Doc Lawrence
Valentine's Day: Champagne, Saint-Amour, & Charlotte Russe
Valentine's Day is a special occasion that takes on new meaning when love is celebrated with beautiful desserts and exquisite wines like Saint-Amour and Champagne. The indulgence of delectable sweets provides a sensory experience that tantalizes the taste buds and warms the heart, creating moments of pure bliss.
Super Bowl Delights: Key West Salad, Cuban Pork Roast
Super Bowl Sunday is our celebration combining sports, food and refreshments with hospitality. This gathering is much more than just a football game; it has evolved into a national holiday of sorts, where family, friends, and even casual fans gather together to enjoy the spectacle and excitement that blends so well with delicious food and drinks.
A Southern Breakfast: Eggs, Grits, & Red-Eye Gravy
A delicious, Southern breakfast sets the perfect mood for the day ahead. With homemade biscuits, fresh eggs, country ham, bacon, sausage, red-eye gravy, and stone ground grits, you can't go wrong. The aromas waft through the kitchen, tempting everyone to gather around the table and enjoy a hearty start to the morning. Flaky, buttery biscuits provide the perfect base for the savory country ham, which adds a rich and smoky flavor to each bite. The red-eye gravy, made from the flavorful remnants of the ham, adds a tangy and slightly bitter note that complements the other ingredients perfectly.
Lose Those Bad Weather Blues: Crab Bisque, Oyster Po'Boy & Trisha's Upside Down Cake
Throughout my baby days, our Atlanta inland home at dinner time regularly had fresh seafood on the table. To supplement his income, my father worked on weekends for a fish monger whose store had display counters of fresh red snapper, grouper, flounder, mackerel and mullet resting on ice. Mounds of live Gulf oysters covered a floor in the rear. Coolers were packed with wild-caught shrimp.
Dinner with Picasso: Duck, Blueberries and Red Wine
When Pablo Picasso visited Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas, a feast was held featuring good food and fine wines. Ms. Toklas prepared dinner for many literary notables including Hemingway and Fitzgerald. For Picasso, it was roast duck which he thoroughly enjoyed, remarking that it was perhaps better suited for Mattise. Many proven recipes for duck cooked in the oven are worthy and I offer a very simple but delicious one.
"Let Freedom Ring!" Honoring Dr. King's Legacy
These three words, “Let Freedom Ring,” serve as a powerful call to action, inspiring individuals to stand up for their rights and fight against injustice. Dr. King's “I Have a Dream” speech, a message of freedom with direct mention of Stone Mountain in metropolitan Atlanta, encompasses both political and social freedoms, emphasizing the need for equality and the elimination of prejudice.
Along the Gourmet Highway-Lobster Thermidor and Chocolate Pie
The Gourmet Highway is an irresistible expedition that intertwines the realms of imagination, cherished memories, and unbridled joi de vivre. With each step along this pilgrimage, we are transported to realms where flavors dance on the palate and aromas spark memories long forgotten. It beckons us to embrace the whimsical and the unexpected.
Prime Rib & Red Wine: Heritage Recipe and Wine Pairing
The holidays are wonderful memories now and many will look at January and February with dread. I learned many year’s back that good food and wine served regularly during the colder days act as a tonic for the soul, a way to overcome doldrums.
Hoppin' John & Collard Greens: Classic Recipes
January begins with a clean slate. The New Year is wide open to whatever we wish and wherever we want to go. Optimism goes hand in hand with dreams. We have the power to accomplish and gain. Why not start with a traditional dinner that incorporates our dreams and assures that this will be our greatest year?
Southern Fare for the New Year: A Lucky Meal
There are some constants in the traditional Southern family, like roses for Mother’s Day, barbecue on the Fourth of July, the Thanksgiving homecoming, Jack Daniel's for enhanced football enjoyment, church service on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day food.
Holiday Feast: Lobster Mac'nCheese, Grillades and Praline Bread Pudding (+ Recipes)
Christmas dinner has always been an elegant occasion. Celebrated on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, it is the culmination of a season of cheer, joy, hopes and prayers for peace and good will. These recipes are very American with a Southern accent.
Fruitcake Weather: A Magical Christmas Story
Years ago, I visited my favorite bookstore, The Faulkner House, a popular place in the French Quarter of New Orleans where many authors have visited and William Faulkner once lived. There are many signed first editions for sale and I purchased one I treasure dearly, “A Christmas Memory,” a masterpiece by Truman Capote. Finding this with his signature in this location was meaningful.
Georgia Christmas: Tradition & Recipes
Christmas in Georgia, like so much of the country, is a time for intimacy. Family, quiet gatherings, traditions observed like giving gifts, songs, remembrances and foods of the season. There are constants we’ve preserved that pay homage to earlier generations. These remind us through the magic of aromas, flavors, textures and good cheer that continuity has its special rewards. What is delicious then remains today.
Hemingway's Gourmet Adventures
This story is a collaboration with the late Jim O’Kon. A renowned architect and designer whose masterpieces included The Carter Presidential Library and Disney World. Jim, as a teenager, actually met Ernest Hemingway in Havana. His wonderful book, "Sitting in Hemingway’s Chair", which I edited and reviewed, is my most authoratative resource for all things about the legendary writer.
Miss Carrie's Thanksgiving Feast
Our mother was a self-taught Southern cook who did not use cookbooks but prepared feasts few could equal. Addresed as "Miss Carrie," her culinary skills were truly remarkable. She possessed an innate talent that allowed her to master the art of Southern cooking. The feasts she confidently prepared were exceptional, surpassing the caliber of many renowned restaurants that specialize in Southern food. Her dedication and commitment to the craft were evident in each and every dish she created.
A Delicious Journey: Deep South Dining
It's called The Gourmet Highway and it encompasses renowned Deep South culinary centers, including New Orleans, Memphis, Nashville, Atlanta and Charleston. Each city boasts a distinctive food tradition, making it a gastronomic delight for diverse palates.
Chefs Aboard: An Artist Salutes Fine Dining
ATLANTA-For a few hours, a culinary news item mercifully replaced war and crime stories. 45 Atlanta area restaurants are now included in the prestigous Michelin Guide Book, a coveted listing that adds even more luster to the region’s growing reputation as a fine dining force in the Southeast.
Doc Lawrence
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Veteran journalist, editor and publisher (Nationwide News), and published author specializing in food, wine, drinks, visual and performing arts, travel and cultural tourism. Screenplay creator, "Requiem for a Wine Taster," in production.
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