Food & Drink

Finding An Organic Balance

The very day after I got my driver's license, my mother handed me the keys to her forest-green minivan and gave me a grocery list. I thought getting my license would allow me to visit the local coffee shop whenever I wanted, have Saturday lunch with friends and never have to wait three hours after ballet class for a ride. My mother, however, thought it meant her days of playing chauffeur for my numerous siblings and making grocery store runs were over.

[Lunch Lady] Self-Proclaimed Goodness

In her many years of life, Lunch Lady has learned to be wary of some things—such as entities that proclaim themselves to be something that only time and audiences should be able to decide. For example, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey's presentation of "The Greatest Show on Earth"; Michael Jackson's self-declaration as the "King of Pop"; and Fox Sports saying they have "The Best Damn Sports Show Period." They all make Lunch Lady a little nervous. If they didn't, she might have called this column "The Best, Wittiest Thing You Will Read About Food This Week." But she would never be so presumptuous.

Light Bites

Maybe you're feeling like I do—if you never see a plate of cookies, box of candy or line-up of pastries again, it'll be too soon. The holidays are about giving, and that often means edible goodies. Even beverages were on overload: eggnog, hot chocolate and mulled wine. By the time the new year began, millions of Americans had promised that this year they will lose weight, this time they will follow through on the resolution to start healthy eating habits. While I'm not making any such promise for myself or helping you keep yours, lighter food and wine pairings will help detoxify from the overindulgence that was December.

[Lunch Lady] Sandwiches Gone Global

There is an episode of "Friends" in which Ross wants Ugly Naked Guy's apartment, but doesn't know how to go about getting it. Rachel suggests he get to know him a little better, find out about his interests and use that knowledge to bond with UNG. Then comes her classic line: "Like if I wanted something from Joey, I would strike up a conversation about, say, um, sandwiches … or my underwear." Joey is instantly all ears.

Virgin Adventures

I am sunburned, exhausted and very full because I just got back from the U.S. Virgin Islands. I think the number of meals I ate was greater than the hours of sleep I got, but it's all good. That's what rum … I mean coffee … was for.

[Fly] Hail To The Pumpkin

During the holidays, treat your sweet tooth with pumpkin. Pumpkin is low in calories, and high in potassium, beta carotene, iron, fiber, and vitamins C and E. If you're feeling ambitious, ditch the canned pumpkin and cook up a fresh pumpkin from your local grocery or farmer's market. Be sure to pick a small pumpkin, since larger pumpkins are tough and generally not suitable for eating.

[Fly] The Bird and Its Sidekick

Roasted turkey and corn bread dressing are to Mississippi holidays what Brett Favre is to the Green Bay Packers.

[Fly] Setting The Table

Last year, you watched in horror as Great Aunt Petunia criticized everything about your cousin's table, from the linen to the placement of the dessert fork. Well, Petunia's on the way to your house this year, so it's time for a brief refresher course.

[Fly] Beginner's Guide To Wine

When it comes to wine, a little knowledge goes a long way. You can get a nice white for under $10, but stick to $15 an up for reds. Here are some other wine basics to get you started:

[Fly] It's The Food

Christmas dinner was the holiday event to be forgotten. Not that my mother wasn't a fabulous cook or that she didn't put out a fine spread. No, it was the event to be forgotten because of everything else that was happening. Forgotten in the awe of a tree that magically appeared on Christmas Eve, replete with silver ornaments for the look of a snow-covered pine; we'd eat our Christmas dinner faster than any other meal of the year so that we could dash back to our treasures by the magic tree.

Breaking The Fast

As luck would have it, Lunch Lady's favorite meal is, in fact, breakfast. This cruel twist of fate has unfortunately led to some problems in Jackson, where she has not been able to find the wealth of omelets, pancakes and French toast that her previous hometowns had readily available. As a result, several breakfasts have passed by unnoticed. Going to large, national chains and settling for uncreative representations of these favorite treats—plain buttermilk pancakes with dry scrambled eggs and various permutations of pork renderings—are hardly the breakfast inspiration Lunch Lady thought she'd find when she moved down South two years ago.

Have Crustaceans, Will Drink

For years, I found myself scoffing at California Chardonnay: too oaky, too buttery, too over the top. Even as I became interested in whites, the Rieslings and Sauvignon Blancs drew me in, but I always passed on the most popular of the white grapes. Perhaps it was the need to be different, ordering Petite Sirah when everyone else at the table ordered Merlot or Chardonnay. It certainly wasn't that I didn't have access. Every restaurant has a Chardonnay on its wine list. Trust me—I served plenty of it at the two where I worked, especially to women eating salads.

[Fly] How to Stock a Bar

If you have a couple of grand in disposable income, stocking a full bar can suck up all of that in a heartbeat. For most of us though, that's pretty unrealistic, and unless you're into the whole dinner-party, entertaining-the-boss scene, the "bar" usually means what our closest friends like to drink. That can mean anything from a six-pack in the fridge and vodka in the freezer, to a bottle of Jack, and some cheap tequila complete with salt for the Margarita glasses.

[Fly] The House That Maggie Built

Almost anyone can construct a graham cracker holiday home and load it with sugary frosting and candies. But if you're feeling a bit more adventurous this year, try making a gingerbread house from (almost) scratch. The preparation and construction takes a couple of hours, but when your friends and family members are salivating over the finished product, you'll be overwhelmed with pride—and hunger!

[Fly] Make Your Own Gournet Dog Treats

Most of us love our dogs enough to consider them a member of the family, so why not bake for them as if they were?

Ellington