I hardly remember a time when eating fresh foods was not a part of my life. Growing up, my mother always prepared and served fresh vegetables and salads at every meal. Fresh fruit was readily available, according to the season. As a child, it was a treat to sit at the dining room table and…
From all my early memories and experiences, I gained a love of good food and good ingredients and their importance in our everyday lives. It’s no wonder that I was drawn to an amazing specialty shop, Palmetto Olive Oil Company, in Greenville, South Carolina, where I live. It was there, first as a customer, and…
Growing up, red wine vinegar was an everyday part of a meal. My mother served it on a leafy green salad and on many fresh vegetables each night at supper. The wine vinegar she used was homemade. The red wine came from a family member or friend who made wine in their basement, as was…
My grandmother believed in the miracle properties of olive oil. Many warm spring and summer days she would call my cousin and me outside to sit on folding chairs in the sun while she massaged olive oil onto our faces and into our scalps. When we protested that the olive oil was running into our…
Olive oil and I go back a long way. My earliest memories come from times spent with my mother and grandmother in the kitchen, planning and cooking meals, setting the table, and eventually sitting down to eat a delicious, satisfying meal. Those experiences have carried me into adulthood and are an important part of my…
