Hello, I’m Sharon Rigsby, the blogger, cook, recipe developer, photographer, and videographer for Grits and Pinecones®, a southern cooking and hospitality blog.
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.
Several years ago, I started this blog to share some of my favorite recipes with family members. Now, with over 500 recipes, I’m also sharing expert tips and tricks I have learned along the way.
What you will find here:
If you are looking for southern recipes, you are 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, and in the South, “pinecones” are at the center of everything having to do with hospitality, including decorations, table decor, etc.
Every page has a small magnifying glass 🔎 at the top right of the page. Just click on this image, and you can search for a particular recipe by name or ingredient. You can also click on the three bars in the upper lefthand corner of the page and search that way.
In addition, you can search by categories 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,
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 with Peach Salsa
- 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!” Easy Peasy 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.” The Ultimate Quick and Easy 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 with Spicy Mustard Sauce
Recipes featured in:
The weekly TLC Life section of the Tallahassee Democrat-USA Today Network-Florida newspaper.
Better Homes and Gardens, 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, 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:
I am so happy that you are here! Please don’t be shy; feel free to ask questions or leave a comment to let me know what you think or how you liked a recipe.
I would also love it if you introduced yourself and let me know what recipes you want to see.
You can reach me by sending an email to sharon@gritsandpinecones.com.
