Casablanca Italian Restaurant in Beaver is a local favorite that hits all the hometown Italian restaurant marks: red, white and green theme; a variety of pasta shapes in marinara sauce; and diehard fans.



Italian is probably my most eaten cuisine. Pasta + sauce is easy, cheap and delicious. But it's always a job to enjoy it out at a restaurant, too, where it's often much more lovingly prepared than it is in my home kitchen.



Casablanca had checkerboard floors, booths and no people to speak of when I visited. During a pandemic, I'm not complaining. 



The menu is a bit all over the place. I was first greeted with hummus, kabobs and yogurt and cucumber dishes. I flipped forward to find the carbs. 



But, first, some pepperoni rolls. I really liked their version. They're rolled up, sliced and fried, plus topped with cheese and served with marinara. Traditional? No. Delicious? Absolutely. 



Next up, we have a small house salad that accompanies the entree. I was happy to have French dressing - my favorite. The rest was standard - some iceberg, shredded lettuce, green peppers and red onion. 



And then there was some garlic bread, which was not notable. But the entree was better.



The penne pasta with spicy chicken in a rose cream sauce dish was good. The herbs and cheese on top added some extra fresh flavor on top of the rich, creamy dish. I didn't love the chicken itself - a bit blah. But overall, a decent dish.



Grade: B

My latest J.Q. Dickinson Appalachian Mercantile Box is here - let's see what we got!



Appalachian Botanical Company - lavender stem bundle - Place in your fireplace, campfire, or firepit, then sit back and enjoy the relaxing fragrance of lavender. Or soak in water for two hours and then add it to your grill to infuse fish, meat, or veggies with a smoky lavender flavor.

MallyMoon Handmade - soap dish - handmade in this adorable neutral color

J&W Farm - spice cake mix - Take yourself back to when Grandma was making her famous spice cookies or cake with traditional Lemon Sauce. Now come to a time when diet choice & certain restrictions are common. They have developed a delicious Spice Cake Mix that not only tastes great but is Gluten Free & Vegan. They use naturally flavored ingredients, Grandma’s blend of spices & dry Molasses.

Scratch Pasta - spinach fusilli - These delicious pastas are made in Lynchburg, VA by Stephanie Fees of Scratch Pasta Co. The Spinach Fusilli is a amazing bright colored pasta that will brighten any meal.

ThomasWork - cherry chopsticks - These chopsticks are made of native walnut with a cherry holder/rest. Perfect for the Asian food lover. Hand wash. 9" long

Mountain Momma Organics - nut & berry trail mix - Nutty Berry Trail Mix is a refreshing mix of nuts, berries, and seeds. This mix is our own design and handmade by us. This trail mix with no preservatives just makes you feel great when you eat it.

I recently discovered a small, but mighty, group of Al's New York Pizza loyalists.



Located in a Barboursville plaza, this restaurant was hard to catch while open.



But once I did,  I knew I had to try a straight-forward pizza. With mushrooms, of course. 



I can see why folks enjoy this pizza. They're pretty thin slices, a nice sweet sauce and a generous coating of cheese. I don't love the crunchy, dry crust at the edges, but I get the appeal. Overall, a pretty decent pizza that is maybe not my top, but I wouldn't be mad at it.

Grade: A

Christy's Creative Confections, located in Mullens, is a cute bakery that also serves up creative confections and food, as well. 



The corner shop is pretty large - with a long dining table down the center of the space, cases of goodies around the perimeter and some farmhouse chic decor sprinkled throughout. 



So let's start with the food side. They have a variety of sandwiches, salads and dinners - mostly Italian-inspired meals. 



On this day, I was just on the prowl for some sweets. 



They had some really tasty-looking options, like pineapple upside down cake and vanilla cupcakes.



I went with a piece of fruit pizza - one of my all-time favorite desserts. It's a sugar cookie essentially with fruit, and I just love it. 



And, the grand finale was this strawberry cheesecake cone that had a homemade waffle one, fresh strawberries and creamy cheesecake. Talk about a sugar bomb in a delicious, delicious way. 

Grade: A

Here's my latest column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail:

The best gifts don’t come wrapped in bows or bright gift bags. They don’t come from Amazon or Target. They don’t come with batteries or an extended life warranty.

They come enveloped in wax paper. Or a tupperware container. Or, in my case, a green tin with an illustration of a moose on the top.

Inside that tin were 10 thick squares of peanut butter fudge lovingly crafted by my sweet neighbor, Veda. Peanut butter fudge, to me, is a true gift in Appalachia because it takes hard work to create and happily fills your tummy - as well as your soul.

It’s sweet and comforting and everything good that makes you feel cozy. That may be why it is a common present for holidays or birthdays (mine is in just a few days - hello fellow Capricorns!) in the mountains.

According to Mark F. Sohn in “Appalachian Home Cooking: History, Culture, & Recipes,” peanut butter fudge is one of many defining foods of Appalachia.

In his list of 100 food items that are popular, have historic roots or elicit strong emotions in Appalachia, peanut butter fudge is in the top 25.

“These foods are of Appalachia not only because the region embraces them, but, more importantly, because Appalachians prepare them and recall them with joy. Of the foods listed below, some are symbolic while others are daily fare. Although food preparations have changed dramatically over the last 50 years, some elements of taste, styles of cooking, and cooking utensils persist causing traditional mountain foods to endure,” he writes.

Here is the top of Sohn’s list, with peanut butter fudge rounding out the first quarter.

First 10: bacon, biscuits and breakfast gravy, chicken ‘n’ dumplings, cornbread, coffee, fried potatoes, green beans, soup beans, stack cakes, vegetable soup.

Next 15: apple butter, chili, coleslaw, corn on the cob, deviled eggs, dumplings, fried apples, fried chicken, gingerbread, kraut and weiners, moonshine, peanut butter fudge, pork chops, sausage gravy, sweet potatoes.

While other areas of the world certainly make and enjoy fudge of all sorts, I think the tie is strong to our region because fudge requires few ingredients and can last for quite some time - even well past the holidays.

That’s why it is special. Each time I get a craving for a sweet treat, I can dip into my moose tin stash of peanut butter fudge and think of my sweet friend who spent an evening crafting this delight just for me. Thanks, Veda.