North Carolina born and bred, I was raised in a region very similar to Hawaii in its love and affinity for family everything. With family reunions, family photos and especially family-style dining, you could say that the fondness for all…
Known for specializing in teppanyaki or hibachi cooking, Kobe Steakhouse is a surprising dichotomy of deliciousness. For while the preparation technique of each meal is traditional — you can always count on its quality and taste staying consistent — one…
Back in graduate school, my favorite course was English Literature, and one of the plays we studied that especially captured my heart was A Midsummer Night’s Dream by none other than good ole’ Bill Shakespeare. Perhaps I fancied it so…
There’s a saying in life that is often offered by those optimistically inclined. When times get tough and all seems to overwhelm, the positive Pollyannas among us pipe up with a jolly “Just roll with the punches!” cliché. Now, most…
There is such a fascination these days with amassing money and wealth. Think about it, from TV shows to workshop how-to’s, the burning quest on everyone’s mind seems to fixate around one sole mission: attaining millions. Although it may seem…
We have a lot of interesting expressions in the South, and my Great Aunt Sadie was notorious for them. One in particular, my sisters and I secretly dubbed “the Sug-ah snare” — a spine-chilling, seared-inmy-brain memory I’d still to this…
I have always known that Chinese cuisine is often associated with vegetarianism, yet it wasn’t until recently that I decided to delve deeper into this mysterious meat-abstinence evolution of the ancient East. Dating back to 507 AD, China’s Emperor Wu…
Long before Donald Trump (and his hair) began deciding who was fired and not fired on national television, the concept of The Apprentice was much more than a reality show — it was a way of life. Countless examples throughout…
I was the youngest of three girls growing up, and although my siblings were wonderful and loving, sharing wasn’t always something we were necessarily thrilled about. Many memories have I of sisterly scuffles over something or other we wanted all…
Picture this: Emerald Hollow Mine, Hiddenite, North Carolina — and one ferocious bunch of farm-raised “forty-niners.” Every spring, my school would go on a field trip to the local rock quarry, instantaneously morphing into a pack of panhandlin,’ swash bucklin,’…