Culinary Style:

Oh gosh!  I have to choose??  I like all (Grill Guy, Hippie Gourmet, Down-home Country, Simple Sophisticate)  I am probably best suited for Grill Guy though.

Culinary Inspiration

I grew up in the tiny town of Moultrie, GA in the 70s and 80s.  Most everyone around me had a background in farming.  Most all of my cousins and uncles were farmers.  The families grew greens such as collards and cabbage as well as peas, beans, "eatin" corn, tomatoes and cantaloupe.

In my family meals were always an event. Every Sunday the extended family gathered at my grandparents house after church.  There would be a massive meal prepared each week.  It was Slow. It was Sunday.  We typically finished the meal after an hour.  Typically dessert would be sherbet and ginger ale, ambrosia, banana pudding or fruit salad.  The adults would sip coffee and talk more.  In the summer it would be this way Monday - Friday.  The family would gather at my Aunt Pollys house at 1pm each and every day.

These meals taught me the value of food, communion, community, family and faith.  They are my favorite childhood memories.

Culinary History

As a child I learned that slow southern cooking was more lifestyle than culinary.  The food was thoughtfully prepared, homegrown and simply delicious.  However there was not a ton of variety.  During my college years I became more and more influenced by other cultures and cooking styles.

My wife comes from a family of great cooks!  Her grandmother is the best cook I have ever met.  That is saying a lot because my grandmother and Aunt Polly wrote several cook books!  My wife's family hails from Chicagoland and southern Wisconsin.  Talk about a difference in culture!  I had never heard of some of the things they prepared.  My favorite memory while we were dating was spending 8 hours on a dish of Rolladen, German potato salad and sour cabbage. These newfound dishes opened my eyes to a whole new world!

I then began to play the part of Sous Chef for my wife and the more talented cooks around me.

Favorite way to spend a meal

Oh so many as my wife is a phenomenal cook... some of my favorites - classic burgers on the grill, chicken thighs and fries, chicken enchiladas, curried chicken, homemade calzones.

Favorite Indulgence

Steak. Blue.

Top Local Restaurant

Expat has recently surpassed SeaBear