Farmer Lisa....sort of

When John was in elementary school, his class planted a vegetable garden one year. He came home all excited about growing carrots and other vegetables, so we decided it would be fun to plant our own. Over the years, we have grown bell peppers, jalapenos, carrots, green beans, okra and tomatoes. My Italian heritage mandates that I grow peppers and tomatoes at least. We also grow our own herbs and we even had a small corn field in the front yard one year.

We are so ready to get this year's garden growing. This winter has been grey and gloomy and we are ready for Spring. We did our part to encourage it along by buying our seeds a week or so ago. Yesterday it was in the 40's and we had a cold rain all day, so I guess that didn't work out so well.

We'll have all the basics -- chives,

oregano, basil, rosemary and parsley (some parsley actually survived the winter in one of our beds). Fresh herbs add so much to home-cooked meals and they are really easy to grow. We have a bunch of pots on the back porch and we started a raised bed last year too. Having them so accessible helps us use them more often. In the garden, we will also have red bell peppers, Roma tomatoes (we don't have luck with larger tomatoes), carrots and green onions. We're also going to try fennel, which I just started cooking with about a year ago. It has a strong licorice flavor that really mellows out nicely when it's roasted.

I don't really eat a lot of jalapenos, but that is the plant we always have the most success with. I am still fascinated by seeing things we can eat flourishing in our yard, so we always have jalapeno plants. And this year we will try planting on a staggered schedule so that we'll have vegetables and herbs maturing more often. That's the theory anyway.

Hopefully it will be time for sowing seeds soon -- what will you be planting?

Fries cooked in duck fat? Yes please.

When we travel, we're much more likely to check out a local favorite than eat at a chain restaurant. Boy did we hit a home run when we discovered Bull City Burger and Brewery in Durham, NC.

They use local, fresh ingredients. They make everything in house, even grinding their own beef from local cows for the amazing burgers they serve. They also save the grain leftover from the brewing operation for local farmers, who use it for animal feed. The atmosphere at Bull City Burger and Brewery is relaxed and inviting and you can see the brewing operation while you're waiting in line to order.


Now on to the really important stuff -- the food. They serve french fries cooked in duck fat and served with rosemary and Fleur de Sel (a sea salt).

Go ahead and let that sink in for a minute. This is the kind of dish that has you wetting the tip of your finger to grab the tiny bits of salt, rosemary and potato crumbs after all the fries are gone. 

We found Bull City Burger and Brewery when we went to see "Mary Poppins" last year. We ate there this weekend when we went to the Durham Performing Arts Center to see "The Book of Mormon" (great show, by the way). This time, we discovered something just as good as the Duck Fries. Bacon Marmalade.

I have already searched for some recipes because we will be working to perfect our own version very soon. It's sweet and salty and is a perfect burger topping. It makes bacon spreadable, taking the concept of bacon as a condiment to a whole new level.

And of course they brew terrific beers. This time, I had the Pale Ale and Jeffrey had the Olden Horny Barley Wine. The barley wine makes your mouth tingle. 

If you find yourself in Durham, check out this place. We're already trying to figure out another reason to go ourselves, just so John can try the Duck Fries.

Writing and food....what more could I want?

I love food. I love cooking it and eating it. I love reading cookbooks and watching cooking shows.

When I am stressed, I cook to relax. There is something soothing and extremely satisfying about making a dish come together perfectly and then watching it being devoured and enjoyed. When I am happy, I cook to celebrate. When it rains, I cook a hot meal for comfort…you get the idea. I would say that I am a foodie, but I’m afraid I’m just not that hip. I’ll still be enjoying food after that word is forgotten. 

I also love to write. I've been making up stories as long as I can remember, and I begged my Mom to teach me to write before I started school so I could be just like the big kids. I studied journalism in college and took literature classes for fun. I worked for six years as a newspaper reporter for a weekly community newspaper and I loved it. It took me a while to gain confidence about writing columns, but I knew I was actually reaching people when friends and neighbors stopped me in the grocery store to share their own holiday disaster stories after I wrote about mine.

This blog is where I’ll combine all my favorite things. I’ll get to write and it will be about food and my family. I’ll share stories of what we’re cooking, new recipes I have found, reviews of meals I've had in restaurants and anything else food related.

One last note about the blog name. My son can’t stand the way some people, even Food Network chefs, pronounce Parmesan, with a soft “s.” He’s used to hearing it said with an almost “z” sound and the other way grates on his nerves. I’m happy he thinks his Mom’s way is best, and I think it’s funny that he even notices something like that. So Parmesan it is. Please enjoy!