Get It Before It’s Gone

Apple Cider Beer Shrimp Boil

Sorry to break the news, but Summer is almost over. I agree… it went by fast. Winter seems as if it last forever. One day I was celebrating Spring at a tasting organized by Angry Orchard to introduce their seasonal Summer Honey Apple Hard Cider that is available from March into August. And, now I’m publishing a recipe using their Summer Honey into the late Summer.

Read more

Parade.com: Bryant Terry’s Fresh Remix of Soul Food

Bryant Terry’s Smashed Potatoes, Peas and Corn with Chile-Garlic Oil

A national leader for creating southern soul food with seasonal, farm-fresh ingredients, Bryant Terry uses farm fresh ingredients while honoring the cultural heritage of the African diaspora, encouraging individuals and families to buy whole foods to improve their physical and spiritual health. In the words of Alice Waters, “Bryant Terry knows that good food should be an everyday right and not a privilege.”

Terry is the author of two previously published cookbooks: The Inspired Vegan and Vegan Soul Kitchen. In his new cookbook, Afro-Vegan, he gives American southern soul food a fresh remix, with cultural influences from Africa and the Caribbean and a vegan spin. Terry introduces new flavors and provides musical soundtracks, inspiring books, and films connected to each recipe. Along the way, he traces the history of traditional southern recipes while providing relevant cultural information.

Read more

Cornbread Chili Pot Pie with Oregano Corn

Cornbread Chili Pot Pie with Oregano Corn

A season or two ago, Cornbread Chili Pot Pie was made with Oregano Corn as a side dish. Every time I tried to schedule it for publication, another recipe with an immediate seasonal ingredient became a priority. Slowly, it became a forgotten recipe, but it’s a lovely dish. When late autumn arrived, I looked at the recipe, and scheduled it for Superbowl season. Such a hearty recipe is better for extremely cold weather. How was I to know about this year’s unusually mild winter season? Read more

Saucy Enchiladas with Amaranth Greens and Corn

Saucy Enchiladas with Amaranth Greens and Corn
Saucy Enchiladas with Amaranth Greens and Corn

What smell reminds you of your mom? I have memories of spicy perfumes that linger in rooms long after mom has left for work. My love of floral scents comes from memories of her rose garden. The scent of sweet roses would drift into my childhood bedroom on a breezy, spring morning. Lastly, the smell of corn tortillas frying in oil is one of the few food memories associated with mom. Mexican dishes, especially tacos and enchiladas, are one of my comfort cuisines. When my mother moved with my father to the east coast to raise a family, they would discover Mexican food was only served at a fast food restaurant chain. Although, my father did most of the cooking in our house, he stepped away from his kitchen for mom to make her famous enchiladas. Back then; her version was stuffed with ground beef, cheddar cheese, onions, canned black olives and sour cream. The enchilada sauce would start with an envelope package of a Mexican spice mix.

If you’re familiar with My Life Runs On Food, the recipes posted are mostly from scratch. I’m familiar with both the artificial flavoring of fast food and the slow cook from scratch methods of cooking. Most people grew up with fast food, in which we now know about their unhealthy side effects. My love of cooking inspires a curiosity about authentic ingredients to avoid using artificial flavorings, pre-made spice mixes and bottled sauces. Making the Spicy Enchiladas with Corn and Amaranth Greens is a recreation of Mom’s version. They’re closer to being authentically Mexican, too. The process of making enchiladas from scratch, especially making the sauce, is a labor of love. Read more

Summertime and the Living is Easy Salad

A Summer Salad
A Summer Salad

Summertime, summertime, summertime
and the living is, living is easy
Fish are, I know the fish are jumping
and cotton is so high
Your daddy is so, so rich and your mama good-
she had to be good-looking
so hush, little baby, don’t you cry
don’t you cry, no no, don’t cry
no need to cry, don’t cry, don’t cry
summertime, summertime…
Read more