It is summertime, and with summer comes barbeques and a many variety of celebrations. I always enjoy the menu selection during this time of the year. There is nothing like charred meats on the grill, but no summer celebration is complete without the sides to accompany the barbeque. There are staples, such as, potato salad, macaroni salad, coleslaw, and a faithful toss salad. All good in a nostalgic kind of way. I like to mix it up, some staples with some surprises. This year I added my “Curry Shrimp Pasta Salad” to the repertoire. It is a sure crowd pleaser and may just...

If you grew up in a kitchen similar my Nana Edie’s, you know there are no recipes! You watch and observe. In my case, I could not just sit on the sidelines. The attraction to cooking came early and runs in my DNA. I come from a long line of amazing chefs. Yes, I used the term chef because that is exactly who they were. They cooked for the entire neighborhood daily. That sounds like a restaurant with customers to me! The difference is, it was a labor of love, and the compensation was watching others get full...

Yields 2 – 8” 1 – 10” deep dish Preheat oven to 350°F Ingredients: 8 Eggs 2 c. Heavy Cream 1 t. Salt 1 t. Pepper 12 Roasted plum tomatoes, diced – recipe on blog 4 oz. Smoked Gruyere cheese 4 oz. Colby cheese 4 oz. Jack cheese Tri-color tomatoes Fresh cracked pepper Pie crust...

Yields 2 —8” to 10” pie crust Ingredients: 3 c. flour 1 t. salt 4 oz. (1 stick) chilled butter diced into small pieces 1 ½ c. iced water Combine dry ingredients into a large bowl Add butter pieces to dry, use a pastry cutter or back of a fork to cut butter into dry...

Yields 12 Preheat oven to 325° F Ingredients: 6 Plum tomatoes, halved olive oil Balsamic vinegar Salt Fresh cracked black pepper Place tomatoes on a baking sheet lined with foil. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Place in oven for 40 min. Remove and cool.

It is always fun to take a very traditional staple and funk it up. VINCENT COUNTRY loves grits! I decided to use blue coarse grits instead of traditional grits. To me there is a nuttier flavor and they cook up smoother. They are not a typical grit found in the grocery store, at least I have not found them. I order them fresh from a milling company. It is a fairly simple recipe. My tip is to stir often. 6 c. water 1 T Salt 2 c. Blue coarse grits 8 oz. mascarpone Salt and pepper to taste Put water and salt into a saucepan, bring to a boil. Reduce water to medium, add grits while stirring constantly with a whisk. Add mascarpone to grits, continue to stir consistently. Reduce heat to low and...

Fresh corn on the cob just rings warm weather and barbeques! The weather has transitioned (fingers crossed) and it is time for outdoor entertaining. This a very simple salad power packed with flavor and vibrant colors. Ingredients: 8 Ears of corn 1 Pint grape tomatoes ¼ c. green onion, chopped 3 stems fresh oregano, remove leaves from stem 4 Fresh basil leaves 2 t. salt ½ t. pepper 2 t. Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb ½ c. Olive Oil 2 T. Balsamic vinegar Cut fresh corn off cobb, place in medium...

Fish cakes are common place in southern kitchens. If you are like our family, transplants in the north, fish cakes were a menu staple as well. Our grandparents and great-aunties & uncles continued to pass along the legacy—inspired cooking. Fishing is an enjoyable pastime and creating dishes to accommodate the buckets of fish that made it into the kitchen required thoughtfulness and ingenuity. These salmon cakes are drawn from that inspiration, coupled with finding ways to incorporate the tremendous health benefits of omega-3 fatty acid found in salmon. Yields 48 —1oz. patties 24 —2oz. patties 16 —3 oz. patties Preheat oven to 375 °F 2 lbs. Salmon filet 2 T. Butter ¼ c. Maple syrup Salt and pepper (to taste) Line a baking pan with foil. Place Salmon on pan, season with salt and pepper Cut butter into four slices and place down...

Waffles have become a menu item for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A simple addition of fruit elevates the mundane to magnificent! Blueberries are nutritious and antioxidant rich.   Yields – 12, 4×4 waffles Ingredients: 3 c. whole wheat flour (I use King Authur) 1 ½ t. baking powder 1 t. salt 2 T. sugar 3 c. milk 3 egg yolks 1 t. vanilla 1 stick of butter (melted) 3 egg whites (whipped to a soft peak) 1 pint fresh blueberries Separate egg...

Adversity is an answer to prayer. Sounds strange but it is true. Without adversity, we lack the strengthening of our ability to persevere and press our way through. By Tommi Vincent When have you ever gotten better in an area of life without challenge? Challenge is adversity, otherwise it would not be a challenge at all. Often, we avoid adversity at all cost, especially if you are not a fan of confrontation. Even when the confrontation is with ourselves. How does one be...

During NFL Draft week in Dallas, TX, we had the honor and privilege to serve the St. Philip’s School and Community Center. VINCENT COUNTRY along with our selfless sponsors and volunteers sowed intentional seeds of fun. By Tommi Vincent A child’s ability to have fun is extremely important. We must never take fun for granted. If children do not see adults having fun, what do they have to look forward to?  A child’s eyes capture their outlook on their future. Our objective was to create a carefree SAFE ZONE of activities...

Children learn how to become adults by watching adults. The greatest influence in shaping this development are the adults they spend the most time with. As parents our priority is not only to govern ourselves accordingly, but ensure the other adults we allow around our children are individuals they can model after too. It is a rarity that a community of people do not play a role in raising children. Especially when parents work and have responsibilities outside the home....

When you have multiple children, you learn quickly; parenting requires a customized approach for each child. By Tommi Vincent Of course, you have your core values. Those are the consistent threads that are woven through out every aspect of your parenting. Every day in the process requires flexibility, because no one child is the same. In VINCENT COUNTRY, our faith, rooted in Jesus Christ, is at the center of everything. It...

Providing comfort with food as the vessel is how I love people to life. Nothing says comfort like hot buttermilk biscuits. I cannot help but think about Martin and “his momma’s biscuits”!  We all have a food from our childhood that makes us hum and a do a little gig. There are not many ingredients in biscuits. However, the preparation of making the dough is where the results will bear success or failure. Whenever possible do not skimp on the quality of your ingredients. Food goes into...

By Desiré Vincent Levy. Partially excerpted from aclu.org Earlier this year, I, along with my parents and husband DeAndre, travelled to Alabama with the Faith and Politics Institute for Congressman John Lewis’ Congressional Civil Rights Pilgrimage. We visited civil rights monuments in Birmingham and Montgomery, Alabama, before heading to Selma to commemorate Bloody Sunday. As we reflected on the...