Kathleen Purvis

We talk a lot about barbecue in North Carolina. But as much as I value barbecue, I like to talk about grilling, too.

I feel like I’m wading in barbecue sauce this week.

It was an unconventional vacation. It involved two passports, three hotels and four towns. And we had plenty of company.

When I see the jar by my stove bristling with whisks, it’s hard to remember there was a time when a whisk wasn’t something you saw in every American kitchen.

According to Ouiser Boudreaux, I am not a Southern woman: I don’t grow tomatoes.

It’s oval and small enough to fit in your palm. A good one feels heavy for its size.

An editor who sits nearby likes to show me his lunch every day. He presents it for my approval like I'm the Mother Confessor of cooking.

A weekend that involves 60 pounds of ground beef and a boat paddle has got to be good for the soul.

The best loves are the ones that take you by surprise. You think that first encounter won't amount to much. You certainly weren't planning to make a commitment.

Do you know how much it pains a journalist to type the words "I missed it"? But I missed Kristin Davis.