* * Craig Claiborne once said “Cooking is like child’s play and adult joy. And cooking done with care is an act of love”. * When the fall weather arrives our source of inspiration changes. There is a change from the light dishes of summer to the more elegant home cooked meals. Hearty dishes of slow braised fatty cuts of beef, root vegetables and simple ingredients fuel my energy to make some traditional dishes. The one dish that I prepare as soon as the cool weather sets in is slow braised short ribs. I love the methods of cooking that are needed to follow in...

Making the pasta dough. 1. On a hard surface place 2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour. 2. Make a well in the center and add 3 whole eggs. No need to add salt because you will salt the cooking water. 3. Mix slowly with a fork, using your  other hand to keep the pile together. 4. Add 3 teaspoons of whole milk. Mix together with the fork. 5. Start mixing with your hands until a nice ball forms. 6.  Sprinkle surface lightly with flour and need for 5-8 minutes. Rolling the dough. 1. Divide the dough in half. Slowly roll the dough very thin. This will take time. Remember to always roll the...

 Early in the spring I would stop by the Sandy Springs Farmers Market in hopes of finding some large, red, juicy, local tomatoes. Because of last year’s bad weather in the south good tomatoes were very hard to come by. Heavy rains, freezing weather along with an early spring snow in south Florida prevented us from getting some great tomatoes. Yeah, sure local venders had tomatoes but they were not the tomatoes I am used to.   The tomatoes were never ripe and I refused to buy and sell them at the restaurant. We went weeks without them and I probabaly pissed off some servers and  customers but I...

I really love going to the farmers markets on Saturday mornings. This week I traveled to the Sandy Springs Farmers Market. Awesome, just wonderful to see all the family’s getting out to see the vendors and their wares. The Market is opened on Saturday mornings from 8:30-12:00 May 1 through December. They have a lot to offer and I recommend you stopping by one of these markets. I actually meet a lot of people I know and enjoy making friends with the vendors. Don’t be afraid to talk to the vendors and ask them questions. There is a annual harvest calender to determine when products are...

I picked the most beautiful day to go to the Peachtree Road Farmers Market. The sun was shining early in the morning and driving down Peachtree tons of people walking around, jogging and just enjoying a cup of coffee. I have never been to this market and I will try several more in the near future. I think it is great that these vendors come together to show their fresh produce, herb plants and cheese. The location is in the parking lot of the Cathedral of St. Phillip, 2744 Peachtree Road NW. The market is opened on Saturday mornings from April 10th to December 18 and the hours are 8:30 until 12:30....