Hi, I'm Sharon Rigsby, the voice behind Grits and Pinecones®. For 10 years, I've been sharing Southern comfort food made simple and shareable, easy, flavorful recipes that taste like home.
I live in Tallahassee, Florida, with my husband Terry, and I’m all about creating delicious recipes with a Southern flair that are quick, easy, and PERFECT to share with family and friends. Nothing fussy or complicated, just “go-to” dishes with everyday ingredients for the home cook.
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Culinary experience:
As the oldest of six, I started cooking at a very young age and have over 50 years of experience in the kitchen. I like nothing better than developing and reimagining recipes for my family and friends, and I love to share my culinary creations with others.
I'm proud to hold a ServSafe Food Handler Certification from the National Restaurant Association, a nationwide program that underscores my commitment to food safety and culinary standards. Combined with 50+ years of experience in the kitchen, this ensures the recipes I share are both delicious and trustworthy.
Ten years ago, I started this blog to share some of my favorite recipes with family members. Now, with over 500 recipes, I‘m excited to share them with you, along with expert tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way.
What you will find here:
If you're craving the taste of tradition, simplified for everyday cooking, you're in the right place. With over 500 tested recipes, you'll find everything from casseroles and cornbread to seafood, Southern desserts, and holiday favorites, all designed to be approachable for the everyday cook.
If you’re looking for Southern recipes, you’re in the right place. My Southern recipes run the gamut from main dishes, desserts, and appetizers to side dishes and are precisely what you need when you’re craving comfort food from the South.
Frequently asked questions:
I knew that I wanted to focus on southern foods and the kinds of dishes I grew up eating, so “grits” was an obvious choice as one of my favorite foods.
I also wanted to include hospitality and entertaining topics. In the South, “pinecones” are at the center of everything related to hospitality, including decorations, table settings, and more.
Every recipe you'll find here is developed, cooked, tested, and photographed by me in my Tallahassee kitchen. I do use AI tools responsibly for editing, SEO optimization, and staying on top of digital trends, but the heart of every recipe, the flavors, testing, and storytelling, comes directly from me. Think of AI as my "virtual assistant," while the cooking remains all mine.
Every page has a small magnifying glass 🔎 at the top right of the page. Just click on this magnifying glass, and you can search for a particular recipe by name or ingredient.
In addition, you can search my recipe index by category such as appetizers, bread, breakfast, condiments, chicken, game-day, and desserts. Additional categories include lunch, main dishes, seafood, side dishes, snacks, soup, and salads.
I also have classic recipes for holidays and special occasions, including Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Halloween, the 4th of July, Mardi Gras, and more.
*Expert cooking tips and tricks,
*Ideas for substitutions to help you avoid an extra trip to the grocery store,
*Recipe variations and serving suggestions,
*Storage and reheating suggestions for leftovers,
*Step-by-step tutorials and videos, and
*Step-by-step process photos with each recipe.
Sample reader comments:
- Marie says: “This is an excellent recipe. I love the rub, glaze, and peach salsa. Very clear steps, and it has turned out great twice. I just ate it for supper tonight. Thank you for teaching me how to grill pork tenderloin.” Grilled Pork Tenderloin
- Susan says: “This recipe is AWESOME! I’ve never cooked fresh-picked white acre peas before and was a little nervous. I’ve followed several of your recipes before and have had great success, so I figured I’d give this one a try. SUCCESS! You make this recipe so easy and so good. Thanks for the tips too. I’m now blanching the rest of the white acre peas so I can freeze them and have this awesome dish again and again. Much appreciation to you!”Southern Field Peas
- Cindy says: “I made this cake last night. I brought it to work today; OMG, this cake is awesome! I have gotten so many compliments from my co-workers on this one!!! Sharon, Thanks so much for the yummy, yummy cake recipe. I will be making this one again real soon.” Southern Pecan Praline Cake
- Martha says: “I recently made the quick and easy creamy shrimp creole. Loved it! So did my guests. Can’t wait to make it again when family visits in July.” Creamy Shrimp Creole Recipe
- Jim says: “This pork tenderloin w mustard sauce was AMAZING! We modified the cooking instructions to do it on the grill, and both the marinade and mustard sauce were incredible. Thanks for your blog- we are never disappointed when we try one of your recipes….” Oven Roasted Pork Tenderloin
Recipes featured in:
The weekly TLC Life section of the Tallahassee Democrat-USA Today Network-Florida newspaper.
Better Homes and Gardens, Good Housekeeping, Taste of Home, TODAY.com, Country Living, Country Cooking, Tallahassee.com Community Blogs, Des Moines Register, FoodGawker, Shari’s Berries, Buzzfeed, Red Tricycle, Muckrack, YouTube, Cosmopolitan and MSN
Also, my recipes have been showcased in Tailgater and Cowgirl, both print magazines.
In addition, I have been a guest presenter on the ABC affiliate WTXL-TV Sunrise Morning Show cooking segment.
My favorite recipes:
I’m taking a risk in including this section because I wouldn’t include a recipe on my blog unless I have made it several times and thoroughly tested it.
However, just as in life, it’s only natural to have favorites, and besides my Southern Potato Salad Recipe, which is my all-time favorite, as well as the other southern recipes listed above, here are eight more favorites:
I'm so glad you're here! Please don't be shy, jump over to my contact page and introduce yourself, ask questions, or let me know how a recipe turned out.
Pull up a chair, Southern comfort food is always better together.
And if you'd like even more inspiration, don't forget to check out my new sister blog, Practical Southern Cooking, where I share simple, pantry-friendly Southern meals perfect for smaller households and busy weeknights.
