Kara's Sights & Bites

Celebrate Super Bowl LX, Valentine’s with special foods By Kara Kimbrough     A few years ago, the Super Bowl did American men a favor by landing right in the middle of Valentine’s Day weekend. The excuse that there was “simply no time” to go out for a special Valentine’s meal due to the big…

By Kara Kimbrough A week in western North Carolina offered breathtaking views of the Great Smoky and Blue Ridge Mountains as well as a chance to explore charming towns like Maggie Valley, Waynesville, Lake Junaluska, Clyde and Canton, all within scenic Haywood County. Seeing the mesmerizing stacked blue layers of the Blue Ridge was an…

By Kara Kimbrough Don’t ask me why…but someone, somewhere thought it was a good idea to make Hamburger Helper relevant again. Yes, you read that right…the bright red box adorned with the animated white glove character pointing to a pan of…well, I’m not exactly sure what the dish consists of…is being touted as the new…

By Kara Kimbrough       Covered in red sauce (or gravy, as Italians lovingly call it); paired with sauteed vegetables, shrimp and more red sauce for a delicious Shrimp Creole; stirred together with chopped vegetables and pepperoni and doused in a vinaigrette dressinf for a zesty pasta salad and perhaps my favorite method, topped with meatballs…

By Kara Kimbrough   Visiting the Mississippi Gulf Coast on the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina proved to be an emotional journey. Highlights were moving commemorative ceremonies and candlelight vigils; riveting documentaries and personal stories from those who lost everything but never considered not rebuilding. I discovered a hidden gem hotel as well as restaurants…

By Kara Kimbrough    After sharing my favorite dip recipes last week as inspiration for fall football season, I was asked if I had any “new and different” recipes for cheeseballs. If it appeared that I was slighting cheeseballs in any way, I promise that’s not the case. I’ve never met a cheeseball I didn’t…

By Kara Kimbrough      It’s officially football season – time for tailgating, attending watch parties and relaxing at home in front of the television to cheer on our favorite teams. As exciting as the game may be, simultaneously munching favorite snacks is part of the fun. Last weekend as football season kicked off, friends began asking…

By Kara Kimbrough It can’t possibly be 10 years since I wrote about the revival of Gulf Coast restaurants on the 10th anniversary of the worst natural disaster ever experienced in Mississippi and neighboring states- Hurricane Katrina. I was trying to put a positive spin on the state of the Coast’s culinary scene after interviewing then-Gulfport…

By Kara Kimbrough Call me strange, but I don’t despair during the short period of time in which we experience a rare phenomenon: winter. Chilly temperatures and early nightfall provide permission to take our lives down a notch and spend cozy evenings indoors. And the other reason to savor cold weather? Savory, hearty and yes,…

By Kara Kimbrough Every now and then, I like to share some of the most interesting food finds from the internet…just things that catch my attention and make me want to create them or at the very least, tuck away in the file of “things I plan to try one day.” Here are just a…

By Kara Kimbrough    Whether you’re getting kids off to school, hurrying out the door to work or simply not in the mood to spend a lot of time cooking in the morning, finding easy-to-make, grab-and-go breakfast items are an ongoing dilemma for many. Don’t get me wrong, a stack of fluffy pancakes or crispy…

By Kara Kimbrough It’s August, which means Labor Day weekend can’t be far behind. “Summer” as we know it is officially over for those who are either in school or have children/grandchildren in attendance, but a long Labor Day weekend offers “one last chance” to host friends or simply prepare a special meal. As summer’s…

By Kara Kimbrough     No matter how positively you (or the weatherman) spin it, there’s only one way to describe the south this time of year…it’s hot. If you’re looking for an escape route from the omnipresent heat, picture a place shaded by massive trees swaying in cool breezes and plenty of cold water. Forget…

By Kara Kimbrough     Ever wonder how Americans in the old days made it through a long, hot summer without central air conditioning? According to historical records, they made ice cream. That’s right, making homemade ice cream is one of the most popular – and oldest – ways to beat the heat. President George Washington owned a…

By Kara Kimbrough      We’ve all done it…scrolled the internet late at night and watched videos of chefs of all skill levels cooking dishes that look SO delicious that we wanted to taste them at that exact moment. Obviously, that’s not always possible due to a number of factors. 1. We don’t have the…

By Kara Kimbrough I know what you’re thinking…how do you serve dinner without cooking…at least a little? I deliberately omitted the word “salad” from the headline so you’d keep reading. Believe it or not, there are salads that are substantial enough to satisfy even the pickiest (and heartiest) eaters. Salads filled with lots of crunch,…

Kara Kimbrough We’re only a little over halfway through 2025 and I’m already obsessed with a few things. I’m referring to new supermarket products I’ve discovered; restaurant meals I can’t stop dreaming about, destinations to which I must return and travel products that made my life easier during the first half of the year. In…

By Kara Kimbrough The Fourth of July is only a few days away, so the first thing I did was check the extended weather forecast. Yep…it’s going to be a scorcher.   Even though I did pick up a new charcoal grill the other day simply because it was on sale post-Memorial Day AND already…

By Kara Kimbrough It’s June, considered by many to be the perfect vacation month. And, it is technically summer, but without the oppressive heat that typically arrives next month. Even so, the thought of packing the car, unloading everything in a beach rental, then traveling to and from restaurants and entertainment can be overwhelming. Here’s…

By Kara Kimbrough I was tempted to title this column, “Dishes I wished I tried in Pensacola.” This thought is due to the fact that, although I sampled amazing cuisine during a recent short trip, I either overlooked or ran out of time to sample quite a few amazing dishes whose menu descriptions sounded divine. I’ll…

By Kara Kimbrough An eight-mile island of multi-colored water in brilliant tones of blue and emerald green surrounded by sugar-like sand beaches attracts visitors from around the globe to Pensacola. Upon arrival, most head to Pensacola Beach located on Santa Rosa Island. After settling into this true island paradise, there’s much more to enjoy in…

By Kara Kimbrough I’m stealing this phrase…”Secret’s in the sauce” from an old TV commercial and claiming it as the motto for Summer ’25. More specifically, I’ll use it anytime I’m serving burgers, steaks, pork chops or basically any type of grilled meat that need a “little something extra.” I’ll also utter it when preparing…

By Kara Kimbrough Counting the days until it’s time to pack the car and head to the beach? Nothing’s quite as therapeutic as a vacation of sun, sand, shimmering water and seafood. As much as I enjoy dining at restaurants while on vacation, taking a few ready-made meals to bake in the condo, beach house…

By Kara Kimbrough   When I say “salads are spring/summer survival food,” I’m not referring to pale leaves of iceberg lettuce topped with a few shakes of tasteless low or no-fat dressing. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think a top-heavy salad of rich ranch dressing, oil-laden croutons and salty bacon pieces on a miniscule…