I was in the mood for some good old fashioned vegetable soup and immediately realized there was no restaurant around that served it. You know the kind mom use to make. My mother is a master vegetable soup maker. She could whip up a batch of vegetable soup on a cold Saturday afternoon, with cornbread on the side and make a dreary gray day into something spectacular, like a trip to Venice.

It is only fair to give the new foodie show “The Chew” the benefit of the doubt; and if I were not so disgusted by it, I would. According to David Hinkley, Daily News Writer, the goals of the show are a bit “ambitious.”

The fall will soon be here and colder weather brings about our desire for a hot savory breakfast; and with oatmeal making a comeback thanks to its addition to the McDonald’s menu, let’s not forget about an old Southern favorite. Grits.

There is one dish that really can make your life easier and it is the incredible edible pie. It matters not if it is sweet or savory, they are so easy to make it’s ridiculous. The key is… getting the filling right.

Jambalaya originated in southern Louisiana around the bayou where food was scarce and folks were searching for a simple inexpensive way to feed their large families.  The word origin combines Jambon from the French meaning ham, and Aya meaning rice in African, since there were many slaves in the Louisiana at the time. One popular belief is that it originated from the Spanish rice dish Paella, which has also transformed in the United States to a dish called Spanish Rice. Jambalaya is as different as the people who make up the residents  of Louisiana and is said to incorporate seafood, ham, smoked sausage rounds and chicken, although it doesn’t have to have all those ingredients.