The holidays are known for their abundance of festive foods—from cookies and pies baking in the oven, to perfectly prepared honey glazed ham and roasted turkey, to a variety of classic vegetable and potato side dishes. And while holiday dinners are always special and meaningful no matter what is on the table, an Italian Christmas—whether celebrated in Italy or right here in the Lowcountry—is truly something spectacular in every way.

Italians are known for their love of delicious food and festive meals with family and friends, and the Christmas holidays truly bring this to life. Most Italian families gather on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the day after Christmas, which is a national holiday in Italy, known as Saint Stephen’s Day. Celebrated as Natale, the three-day feast begins with the Christmas Eve tradition known as the Feast of the Seven Fishes. Friends and family will gather enjoy seven different seafood dishes, or one or two types of fish prepared seven different ways. This tradition’s roots can be traced back to Italy and has long been a part of many holiday culinary celebrations.

The holiday season is upon us. (Are you asking, “How did that happen?”) It’s the busiest time of year, jam-packed with family get togethers, holiday parties, cozy fires with friends, and best of all, BAKING. There’s something about the spirit of the season that begs us to preheat the oven, jump into the kitchen, get creative and fill our homes with the most delectable aromas of the year. While we enjoy many of the seasonal classics, it’s a great time to look for inspiration and try out new recipes.

There’s a lot more to pumpkin these days than the oh-so-popular pumpkin spice latte.  A longtime staple in a number of fall’s favorite breakfast foods, snacks and desserts, the distinctive taste of pumpkin (and the even more distinctive aroma and flavor of pumpkin spice) has expanded to now include delicious pumpkin-based appetizers, soups, salads and savory entrees. In fact, as you stroll down any grocery store aisle this month, you will be astounded at the incredible number of pumpkin-based and/or pumpkin-flavored foods lining the shelves, including pumpkin-flavored yogurts, cream cheese, hummus, English muffins, pretzels—and this year’s return of the limited-edition Pumpkin-Spiced Oreos (back this year after a four-year hiatus)!

Avocados are fickle. Sometimes they seem to be ready for consumption but then hard as a rock when cut into. Other times avocados look like they’ll be rotten before you get them home. This unpredictability isn’t just expensive ($1.25 each for medium, $2.50 each for large at my local supermarket, as I write); it also contributes to wasted food.

There’s no magic gadget that will tell you when an avocado has ripened fully, but there are ways to help your avocados last longer so they’re ready for guacamole or toast toppings. Depending on several factors, including how ripe your avocado is and what you plan to use it for, there are different ways to store avocados.

Fall, especially October, is filled with the sights, smells and tastes of pumpkin everything, from the iconic Pumpkin Spice Latte to fluffy pumpkin pancakes to hearty pumpkin soups and just about every pumpkin-infused food and beverage in between. Although pumpkin has become the signature fall favorite for many, there are many other great fall flavors to try, allowing you to not only enjoy the changing season and changing leaves this month, but to also change up your menus to celebrate all that October brings.

Fall is known for its harvest of healthy and delicious fruits and vegetables, and there are a lot of benefits for eating them when they are in season. Fruits and vegetables consumed during proper seasons are known for being more nutrient-dense than out-of-season produce. Plus, just-picked, ripe seasonal produce is known for having richer flavors, too.

Bold and deliciously spicy, America’s No. 1 hot sauce is a staple for fall, football and flavorful fare. Whether you’re a tried-and-true Buffalo fan, savor sweet-and-spicy, or take things mild—Frank’s RedHot has a hot sauce for you.

Frank’s RedHot is particularly popular among millennials, who are drawn to bold flavors. As you look by age group, younger consumers have an increased desire for spicy, flavorful tastes.

In 1918, Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce was created in Louisiana when Adam Estilette and Jacob Frank blended the perfectly spiced hot sauce with a rich blend of cayenne peppers. It was bottled two years later, launching the brand. And today, it is still based on the original recipe of aged cayenne red peppers, distilled vinegar, salt and garlic powder. Bless their spicy hearts.

Ah, fall. The kids are back in school, the scorching hot days of summer have turned into picture-perfect weather here in the Lowcountry, football is back … and fresh, seasonal fall produce is everywhere. After a summer filled with backyard barbecues and quick dinners on the beach or patio, fall is the perfect time to head back to the kitchen to cook up some old, and new, family favorites, as well as take advantage of the abundance of fresh seasonal produce that can take the comfort foods of fall to a whole new level.

August is prime pear picking time for the sweetest, juiciest, freshest pears of the year. When you taste a perfectly ripe pear and smell its aroma it’s easy to see why this fruit has been prized for thousands of years. As summer begins to ripen into fall the Northwest United States bursts with this flavorful fruit and harvest begins in full force.

Washington and Oregon comprise the nation’s largest pear-producing region, and they produce approximately 88-percent of all fresh pears grown in the United States. The Pear Bureau Northwest is an organization that represents nearly 900 grower families and 50 packers and shippers, all who take pride in their ability to provide top-quality fresh USA Pears for the world market. In order to educate consumers, the organization created www.usapears.org—an online world of pear perfection, which features everything you would ever want to know about pears, including nutrition facts, recipes, tips, harvest, varieties and even takes you behind the scenes with growers.

By the time August rolls around, the blistering summer heat often makes the thought of turning on the oven, or cooking over a hot stove, just about the last thing most people want to do. This year in particular, the record-setting heat throughout the South has encouraged many people to re-think summer meals and seek new ways to get creative and stay cool, while holding on to these last weeks of summer boat rides, crashing waves and family cookouts.

There are so many easy ways to incorporate the fresh foods of summer in your August menu planning and some great ways to get creative while going beyond the typical summer salads—think chicken salad. It’s easier than you think to turn up the flavor without turning up the heat. The key is to keep it simple, keep it fresh – and keep it cool – when it comes to solving that age-old dilemma throughout these dog days of summer: What to make for that poolside or patio lunch, weeknight dinner or end-of-summer backyard get-together when it’s just too hot to cook.

“You’re sweet as a Georgia peach!” It’s a compliment that has been tossed around forever, but did you know there is actually some science behind the incredible flavor and sweetness of Georgia peaches?

A fresh, juicy, sweet Georgia peach is the most flavorful peach you can eat. And that’s no accident. A lot of factors perfectly come together to give Georgia peaches their one-of-a-kind  legendary flavor. Read on to learn all about it.

Whether you’re enjoying some eagerly-awaited time off, or simply basking in the longer, more leisurely days and nights the season brings, summer is all about easy living. Without school and the chaos of after-school activities, the easy living of summer means less commitments, less stress…and, thanks to some simple recipes and cooking techniques, it can also mean less time in the kitchen!

This month, I hope you enjoy three of my favorite summer recipes that bring something special to the table whether you’re serving it as part of a weeknight family dinner, or cooking up bowlfuls to bring to a summer soirée or cookout. My fresh Fruit Salsa brings together the distinct summer tastes of sweet, ripe strawberries and fresh mangos, uniquely mingled with the flavors of avocado, jalapeño, red onion and cilantro. This refreshing salsa is delicious! I recommend taking delightful deep dips of it onto tortilla chips. Plus, everyone will claim a new favorite when you use it as the perfect topping for tacos or grilled fish, or just about anything off of the grill—even chicken will perk up!

Have you ever sat at a Japanese Hibachi table and enviously watched the chef cooking your food? Tossing and scraping on a high heat griddle creates a meal you just can’t seem to recreate at home. Well, let me tell you... I do! Every. Single. Time. Little did I know, there is a great new way we all can do it at home—the Blackstone Griddle! I was thrilled when one of my family members busted out his Blackstone Griddle one night, and now I'm eager to try it myself.

So, what exactly is it? Blackstone Griddle: A flat top made of cold-rolled steel with up to 36” of cooking space. It’s used to cook meat with steakhouse flavor, veggies, pancakes, bacon and a whole lot more. It is used in backyards, at tailgates and campsites, and in the wilderness by people worldwide. The original Blackstone team dreamed of creating the best outdoor cooking experience for large groups or families, where every single dish could be prepared outside.

Sure, everyone thinks of pies when it comes to serving up all-time favorites like warmed apple, creamy pumpkin and classic pecan at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but if you think pies are just for the holidays, think again. Not only do the summer months offer a tremendous variety of fresh flavorful fruits and vegetables that make the perfect pie filling, but a homemade pie can also be a delicious addition to backyard barbecues and picture-perfect picnics.

The best part: Not only do summer pies look (and taste) spectacular, but “the pies of summer” are all fairly easy to make, too. Whether sweet or savory, a unique entrée or a special-occasion dessert, pies are the perfect menu choice for the more relaxed, easygoing days of summer. Another perk of pies? You will spend less time in the kitchen and more time outdoors soaking up the summer sun!

As gardens everywhere are already producing early spring fresh veggies, you’re likely to find me walking around a nursery with a rolling flower cart overflowing with colorful annuals and fresh herbs. Planting an herb garden is something I enjoy each year, but it normally dwindles pretty quickly down to rosemary and basil—the heavy hitters of herbs. But what about the rest of the herbs that seem to constantly be in a death spiral, whether in your garden or the refrigerator? How many times have you looked over a new recipe, and thought, “I have everything but the cilantro; oh well, I‘ll just leave it out.”

Since discovering Gourmet Garden, I’m calling a halt to this behavior. It’s time to bring back your herb game for a home run of deliciousness. A flavor powerhouse, Gourmet Garden has everything to do with fresh flavor—and nothing to do with fuss. Garlic without garlicky fingers. Ginger sans peeling and chopping. Cilantro that lasts up to four weeks in the fridge! All pre-washed, pre-chopped and (shock!) no wilt guilt.

Are you ready to discover the wide variety of tastes and health benefits of mouthwatering fresh tuna? May 2nd is World Tuna Day, which is an official United Nations observance that was instituted in 2016 to raise awareness of the importance of sustainably managed tuna stocks. So, happy World Tuna Day! There’s no better time to think about creative ways to incorporate the light, fresh taste of tuna into your springtime menus.

Tuna, a saltwater fish, is known for being an excellent source of lean protein. In addition, it is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, which can help lower the risk of heart disease. Tuna is also a reliable source of vitamin B-12, which can help prevent the development of anemia, and vitamin D, which is important for bone health and strengthening the immune system. This lean fish also touts iron, vitamin B6, potassium, selenium and iodine in its health treasure chest. The omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins/minerals in tuna have also been associated with a positive effect on eye health and a reduced risk of cancer. And, when it comes to both eating healthy and losing weight, since tuna is a lean meat that is high in protein and low in calories, it’s known for helping to keep you full—and satisfied—longer.