Every year on September 21, World Alzheimer’s Day, I use my platform to do something that is deeply personal to me: raise awareness about Alzheimer’s disease. I lost my mama, Shirley Mae, to Alzheimer’s in 2021. If you’ve followed Spilling the Sweet Tea for a while, you know that so much of what I do in the kitchen is connected to her. Many of the recipes I make, the traditions I carry on, and the memories I share started in the kitchen with my mama. That’s why World Alzheimer’s Day will...

There are some dishes that just feel like the South, and shrimp and grits is definitely one of them. Creamy, cheesy grits topped with seasoned shrimp, smoky bacon, garlic, green onions, and just enough Creole seasoning? That’s Southern comfort food in a bowl. And because y’all know I believe cornbread deserves to be the main character too, I paired my shrimp and grits with Sweet Potato Hush Puppies from my new cookbook, The Cornbread Collection. The combination is SO good. You get the savory,...

If you’re from Eastern North Carolina, then you already know about a good pot of Brunswick stew! This is one of those classic Southern dishes that takes me right back home. Growing up in Eastern North Carolina, Brunswick stew was the kind of hearty, stick-to-your-ribs meal that was especially good once the weather started cooling down. It’s loaded with meat and vegetables and has that slightly smoky, tangy flavor from the barbecue sauce that brings everything together. And one thing about...