Diamond | Love Your Neighbor - River City Diner

What a blessing to have been raised in Memphis by a country cook who knew what she was doing. Good cooking was just a way of life in our household and among our extended family. My mother prepared the best fried chicken in Tipton County according to my aunts, uncles, cousins, and great aunts & uncles; I have no reason to doubt their words of praise. I saw at every family reunion whose chicken was the first to go.

And my mother wasn’t the only good cook in our house. My daddy was a master at the grill and could throw together a variety of tasty snacks inside as well. He specialized in oyster chowder & Bleu Cheese Dressing; and sitting down with Daddy as we built snacks of smoked oysters, cheeses, crackers, olives, and anything else he could scrape together was a banquet in itself.

Shrimp with Peppers and Onions

Feb 20, 2015 | Food, host, Seafood

I couldn't decide what to do with the wonderful shrimp I had on hand, so I went with a simple base of onions, and peppers; then added the shrimp at the end. Like a Chinese stir fry; but no Chinese seasonings; I used a low simmering heat for most of the process; and...

Pan Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Shrimp

Feb 17, 2015 | Food, host, Seafood

We visited my brother Dwayne's house for Christmas. While there, my lovely niece, Rebecca, and her good friend, Shelby, whipped up a Brussel sprouts side dish that hit the spot. I didn't get Becky's recipe, but I did copy and steal where I could on the internet, and...

Italian Sausage and Spinach

Feb 14, 2015 | Food, host, Meat

I made up some spaghetti sauce out of turkey Italian sausage. At the last minute, Sherry said it was okay with her if we decide not to serve it over pasta. So - I added a bag of pre-rinsed spinach right at the very end. Then I cooked it just long enough to wilt it....