cuisine
From street-food to fine dining, traditional Italian to Asian-Fusion, being well-versed in global cuisine is the first step to culinary mastery.
"Who Made the Potato Salad?!". Runner-Up in Summer Camp Challenge.
Uncle Fred dressed in his fresh white linen pantsuit carries the scent of Issy Miyake and money as he walks across the backyard to talk to the young bouls' about the back-in-the days. Marvin Gaye plays along to a soul train line that spans generations of dance. The sound of kids chasing each other with water balloons and huge drinking cups filled to the brim are followed by someone asking what room the babies are sleeping in. Blood and play cousins set up teams for spades. Siblings take out the UNO cards and plot revenge for last week. Inside are the elders snapping green beans and sharing wise gossip around the kitchen table. Ribs. Chicken. Fried fish. Baked beans. Collard Greens. These are the smells and sounds of the summer. However, there is one quintessential dish that is always accompanied by a controversial question that can knock the world off its axis and turn any harmonious gathering into a James Cameron apocalyptic scene. Whoever dares to ask this question must understand the timing and inflection of the words that will part from their lips. And my cousin, dressed in Adidas from head to toe had no problem being the one to do it:
By Lynette Sherece4 years ago in Feast
Classic, with a Twist
If the world were to be divided between “foodies” and “non-foodies,” my husband and I would be on opposite sides. I love food. I spent most meals fantasizing about what my next snack will be. As a little girl, my first phrase was, “Out to eat!” To quote my mother, “I live to eat.” And there’s so much food to live for!
By Jordan Gilletti4 years ago in Feast
A Simple Summer
I grew up during the end of a simple time. You played all day, drank water from a hose and stopped only long enough to use the bathroom before running back out to freedom. It was a time where parents did not have to worry about their children playing outside. The only thing that mattered to the grownups was that the first streetlight did not beat the kids home. When I was a child nothing excited me more than those two months of reprieve from schoolbooks and homework. Every day of summer break I would wake up early, eat a bowl of corn flakes, watch the morning cartoons, and rush out the house to gather my friends. After the squad was assembled – with playing cards in the spokes, we rode to the woods. After finding the perfect spot, we would hide and seek in nature – unfazed by the increasing sweltering heat. Most of all it was a season of barbequed everything. From hot dogs, hamburgers, sausages, ribs- if you could grill it, it was eaten. The barbeques were a staple of summer; especially because moms and dads did not want to add extra heat to the house from cooking indoors. It was not uncommon to have one or more people cooking outside daily. The delicious smell of meat wafted through the air, making your mouth water at the thought of a hot dog nestled in a soft bun- snapping between your teeth when you took that first bite. The juicy grilled hamburger with cheese called to you- begging to be consumed and washed down with an ice-cold glass of Country Time or Red Kool Aid. Paired with the sides of summer, it complemented the decadent meat feast. To this day I am still nostalgic when I take my first bite of potato salad, baked beans, and baked macaroni and cheese when I barbeque in the summer.
By Andrea Cummings4 years ago in Feast
Mega Pretzel Fans
I think we can unanimously agree that eating snacks after a swim in the summer, just taste different. As a youngun, my brother and I would spend hours playing in the pool; jumping contests, whirlpools, pool noodle fights, and holding your breath underwater championships. We were the kids at the pool that would be there almost the entire day, went home for dinner, and came back again for a night swim. By the end of the summer, I had played mermaids with just about every girl that came through our neighborhood’s public clubhouse pool. Our searing tan lines and watery finger wrinkles were left unmatched by any of the other kids.
By Beau Green4 years ago in Feast
Summer Southern Cuisine
Food is no joke when you’re from the south. When someone asks you what’s your favorite summer food, you inevitably must explain the seriousness of the question. After all, people have been shot over less. Family members have been disowned for selecting the wrong fast food chicken sandwich. Food is synonymous with culture and one bite is instant nostalgia. Maybe in the 7th grade, you’d just garner a simple response of “pizza” or “hamburger”. As an adult, where there is a chance of potluck and barbecue invites, the answer requires thought. It’s a discussion. You must break it down. Make sure everyone agrees on all potential criteria. You have to make groups and battle them out on a bracket sheet. What is considered a summer food to one person, might not be to another person. Then, there is geography to factor in. A lobster roll in Boston may be all the rage, but in Texas, it’s the chili that may win the day. Sushi in Seattle may be the obvious choice, but New York slides in with pizza and fuhgeddaboudit. Each part of the U.S. has its hotdog style. How could you possibly choose one favorite summer food? In the southeast, there are five foods that every southern craves during the summer. Each one connects me to a special person in my life and conjures memories of the past.
By Patricia Corn4 years ago in Feast
Summer in a Jar
When I was growing up, summer wasn’t summer unless my mother was in the kitchen putting up a batch of old-fashioned bread and butter pickles. Oh how we loved eating them on a hot summer day: the sweetness of the sugar, the bite of the vinegar, the crisp of the cucumber slice, and the slippery onion strands. It was glorious summer in every forkful! We kids were happy to be pickle helpers.
By Miterra Butler4 years ago in Feast
A Three-Salad Summer
I longed for summer, dreamed of it the whole rest of the year, because the summer was free and fun. I escaped from school, and didn’t have to return for almost three months. I potted flowers with my mother and tended to the garden with my grandfather. My cousins and I spent the scorching summer days submerged in an enticingly cool backyard pool. In the evenings, we danced with sparklers and ignited small fireworks in my grandparent’s roadside mailbox, the little booms amplified and echoed by the steel. There were numerous rusted holes in the bottom of that mailbox from too many mini explosions. We compiled packing lists for our yearly camping trip and planned out menus for family gatherings.
By Rae Fairchild (MRB)4 years ago in Feast
I just want mac n' cheese so here are some fun facts about my mom's iconic summer pasta salad i guess. Runner-Up in Summer Camp Challenge. Top Story - June 2022.
Did somebody say three free boxes of mac n' cheese just for entering a Vocal challenge?!?! Oh boy! Is this Christmas or summer? I can't tell. To paraphrase Marlon Brando in The Godfather, this is a damn good offer I can't refuse. Just like Vito Corleone in the first movie of the trilogy, I want to firmly shake BOTH HANDS of the genius who thought of this brilliant idea. You've literally made me come out of a Vocal blogging hiatus just for this challenge. Thank you. Honor on you, honor on your cow, honor on the mac n' cheese company sponsoring this shindig. You've made this mac n' cheese lovin' girl very happy.
By Kathryn Milewski4 years ago in Feast
Summer Memories of a Southern Lady
When the Summertime hits, I always think of eating seafood. In addition, I like to travel to various cities that are in major ports. Seafood is best in the Summertime because it does not take long to cook. When I eat seafood, I think about how someone had to go out into the ocean or river to fish, crab, shrimp, or oysters.
By April Denise Stuart4 years ago in Feast
