Tag: Life & Tradition

Slow and Steady: Rodney Scott on Going Whole Hog

The first step of cooking a whole hog, says Rodney Scott, “is to get you some patience. Because you’re gonna need it.” Scott would know. The James Beard Award-winning pitmaster, owner of Rodney Scott’s BBQ in Charleston, Birmingham, and Atlanta, has been perfecting the art of whole-hog barbecue for nearly four decades—since he cooked his…


It’s the Perfect Time of Year for a Side of Squash

Roasting butternut squash brings out its inherent sweetness by lightly caramelizing it. I’ve served the roasted squash as is with a drizzle of balsamic syrup or a sprinkling of fresh herbs atop, but in this recipe, I decided to mash it up with a few herbs to bring the flavors together. I like to use…


Film Review: ‘The Last Duel’: Director Ridley Scott Recounts a True Medieval Scandal

R | 2h 32min | Action, Drama, History | 15 October 2021 (USA) Based on the 2004 novel “The Last Duel: A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France” by Eric Jager, “The Last Duel” is overflowing with virtually every filmmaking tool found in director Ridley Scott’s formidable creative wheelhouse.  You’ll notice nods to his debut effort “The Duellists,” as…


Readers Need to Know: Pay Down Debt or Invest? and Help! Horrible Odor in Leather Couch

I love it when readers send me their questions. Today I pulled the following letters from the EC mailbag. Dear Mary: We are better off than most. We have no credit card debt. We have several hundred dollars in cash stashed away in a safe in our house. And we have about $5,000 in savings….


Build a Lightwell Under an Attic for a Skylight

Dear James: My living room is too dark, so I want to add a skylight. My house has a pitched roof. How can I add a skylight when there is an attic above the living room?—Colleen G. Dear Colleen: Installing a large skylight will definitely bring more natural light into your living room. The basic…


Did Michelangelo Destroy His Sculpture ‘The Deposition’?

It’s the middle of the 16th century. Sparks fly every which way as Michelangelo, at around 75 years old, furiously carves Christ, Nicodemus, the Virgin Mary, and St. Mary Magdalene into a piece of marble over 7 feet tall. Michelangelo rendered Christ as he had just fallen from the cross. There’s a palpable dynamic energy…


Wild About Mushrooms: Foraging and Cooking With Fall’s Hidden Treasures

As summer’s sunny days yield to the darkened cold of autumn, forests pop with wild mushrooms. Autumn rains dampen the dense substrate of soil, spent fir needles, and fallen trees that provide the perfect environment for some of the most delicious treasures you can find. Mushrooms may look like singular bodies popping up from the…


Wild Mushroom and Bison Stew

Serve this robust and deeply flavorful mushroom stew over mashed root vegetables for a simple, warming autumn supper. While wild mushrooms, such as chanterelle and boletes, give the stew an extraordinary, rich flavor, you’ll find that it’s equally good when made with the button mushrooms you can find at your local grocery store. If you…


Wild Mushroom Butter

Wild mushrooms are delicious but can be hard to come by, and this recipe makes a little go a long way. Boletes, chanterelle, and oyster mushrooms are a natural fit, but you might also use the woodsy Hawk’s wings or vibrant red lobster mushrooms. If you can’t find wild mushrooms, cultivated varieties from any grocery…


Wild Mushroom Soup

Mushrooms have a deep savory flavor that blends beautifully with thyme and cream. If you can’t find wild mushrooms, you can use cultivated mushrooms. The trick is to use a variety of them, which gives the soup its best flavor. Serves 6 2 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 medium shallot, coarsely…