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Nearly a hundred years after the publication of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation (2001) documents a full-circle return to the horrendous conditions in the meat industry that provoked a Presidential investigation and led to congressional action on food safety in 1906. This book covers a lot of ground… and a lot of ground beef. And it confirms, with its broad, meticulous research, the biblical cliché, “…who increases knowledge increases sorrow.”

When I arrived in France, I had several goals set for my seven-month position as an English teaching assistant. Tasting as many Breton specialties as possible was a top priority on my list, and therefore, resisting my desires for American food went hand-in-hand with this ambition. My first lessons at the high school where I teach focused on this idea. I introduced myself and asked the students questions about Brittany and what local foods they deemed imperative for me to try. Knowing that French culture prides itself on its gastronomic expertise, I expected a never-ending list of specialties to arm myself with against my passion for hamburgers and fries.

My friend Des is a Southerner stuck in Chicago for twenty years now. It happens. He pines for, well, pines. Specifically the Piney Woods of Mississippi where we grew up. I periodically remind him about humidity, ... Read on →

MERIGOLD, Miss. -- “There are no inhibitions in here,” the postman shouted, gesturing at the dance floor with his Marlboro Light, the glowing tip aimed at a woman in a taut skirt. Leaning far forward, her ... Read on →

With headphones in my ears, a scarf around my neck, and hands in my pockets, I begin my daily fifteen minute walk to Lycée Professionel Jean Guehenno. It is Monday morning and the start of a ... Read on →

A good friend came for a visit last summer, and I served her a homemade lasagne quattro formaggi. It’s the sort of thing that sounds really difficult and convoluted, but really isn’t. I mean, it’s noodles ... Read on →

Years ago, I heard a lyric in a honky-tonk in Tennessee that still rings in my memory with a simple yet profound statement about life. It goes like this: There’s only two things That money can’t buy And that’s ... Read on →

There is little I enjoy more than the bounty of Georgia’s oceans, farms, dairies and vineyards.  I’m addicted to the fresh flavors and heirloom varieties of locally grown fruits and vegetables.  I could mainline Georgia peaches ... Read on →

When I accepted a position working as an English teaching assistant in Vannes, France, I dreamt of the vast gastronomic opportunity ahead of me.  After taking French classes both in high school and ... Read on →

I was born and raised in a sleepy little north Georgia town in the Atlanta suburbs. Considering the hustle and bustle of that area today, it is hard to imagine my hometown as ... Read on →

I have a confession to make. I really don’t like New Year’s. To me, it’s an artificial thing. Don’t get me  wrong, I love the IDEA of it--a new start, wipe the slate ... Read on →

People around the world are making plans for celebrating the arrival of the new year and food will play a big part in starting the year off right. From lentils and sausage in ... Read on →

It’s Christmas. It’s the time of year when retailers try to convince you that every visible structure and open patch of ground must have lights, inflatable snow globes or gaudy trees that pulse to ... Read on →

This time of year, as the holiday season approaches and the days grow short and chill, I will inevitably feel the stirrings of my ... Read on →

Decades later, I fondly recall the really fine holiday noon meals every Christmas and Thanksgiving dished out by the chow hall at Hahn Air ... Read on →

Most Christians—and all who celebrate the shop-til-you-drop version of Christmas—are in the final week of hubbub and to-do lists before the big day where ... Read on →

Movies like Holiday Inn and White Christmas have helped shape our image of an American Christmas. The truth is, most of the country rarely, ... Read on →

One summer day traveling a back road with friends I made a prediction. “When we hit the town up ahead I bet we’ll see ... Read on →

We developed an interest in herons years ago while experimenting with a koi pond. The pond was about 4 feet in diameter and 2 feet deep. The depth ... Read on →

Here they come! Probably not as many in the mail as in previous years, because there are more emails, ecards and clever links showing up. I do it ... Read on →

Confronted by a claustrophobic newcomer who wanted to "reach out and push back the mountains" in Appalachia, poet Byron Herbert Reece observed: "It depends upon whether you feel ... Read on →

What if everything we spent went to our neighbors in the city, state or country in which we live? Our coffee grinder finally broke. First I went to Target, ... Read on →

Trappeze Pub breaks the mold for college town bars. “Most people thought it was a bad idea,” Johnson said, looking back on the launch of his European-style pub. “A few ... Read on →