ELEGANT BAKED TILAPIA

There is an inseparable association between eating and hospitality.....the eternal connection between food and fellowship. It need not be expensive to create a beautiful dining table when entertaining those that are special to you. Perhaps just dried florals and a few autumn gourds can make an elegant statement. 

When I was a student at Ole Miss, we gave faculty dinners and were expected to plan the menu, do the grocery shopping with an established budget, prepare and serve the dinner to the honored guests, in addition to creating our own table arrangements. Our task was to create a tablescape with whatever we could gather outside on campus and this counted toward our grade. It appears southerners will go to great links to  make visitors feel at home among them. I doubt they even teach classes on this anymore.....but how fortunate I was to have been a part of that time. 

Everyone loves fish cooked this way.

 A fabulous recipe from

 "Of Magnolia and Mesquite"

ELEGANT BAKED TILAPIA

1 1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 T. creole mustard

Juice of one fresh lemon

1 T. Tabasco

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

2 t. garlic powder

3/4 t. curry powder

8 Tilapia fillets

Ritz Crackers

Mix the first 7 ingredients well and spread over each fish fillet. Sprinkle with crushed Ritz crackers and bake at 400 degrees F. for about 20-30 minutes, uncovered.