It's the middle of the morning on Friday and I'm still in my pajamas. Actually, it's closer to noon on Friday and I'm still in my pajamas. Vince is on his way to visit his mother in Florence for a couple of days so Belle and I are home alone having a girls weekend.

I had to bake a couple of cakes for a catering gig yesterday. At the last minute, I thought to add my Mama's secret ingredient, black walnut flavoring. That's what triggered it. As the cakes baked, my kitchen was ensconced with a lovingly familiar and kind of melancholy scent. My mind was flooded with memories. Smells do that to me more than anything else. And then, hot tears started streaming down my cheeks.

Sophisticated Cuisine from the South Carolina Lowcountry

It's getting real up in here! My new cookbook, Celebrate Beaufort, is set for release on Thursday, April 19^th and I'm so excited! The cookbook arrived just in time for Mother's Day gift giving and book signings are scheduled all over town during the next few weeks. (A current listing follows at the end of this column.) Celebrate Beaufort is a gorgeous book, full of easy-to-prepare and delicious recipes, beautiful photography, a bit of local history and folklore, and a few personal stories about some of my favorite Beaufortonians.