Growing up, I was served and came to enjoy fruit as a solitary food group. In my household fruits, regardless of their color, texture or versatility, were eaten alone. Never did they mingle with other fruits or foods. There was no fruit salad, no cereal topped with fruit and no fruit-embellished dishes of any kind including desserts (well, with the exception of Banana’s Foster and Cherries Jubliee which were served only on special occasions and usually prepared by my Uncle Teddy). I never thought twice about it until I entered my late teens and began dining [ ... ]
Archive for the Category » Appetizers «
07
Jun 2013
Jun 2013
Growing up, I was served and came to enjoy fruit as a solitary food group. In my household fruits, regardless of their color, texture or versatility, were eaten alone. Never did they mingle with other fruits or foods. There was no fruit salad, no cereal topped with fruit and no fruit-embellished dishes of any kind including desserts (well, with the exception of Banana’s Foster and Cherries Jubliee which were served only on special occasions and usually prepared by my Uncle Teddy). I never thought twice about it until I entered my late teens and began dining [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Fruit, Side Dishes, Snacks
2 Comments
24
May 2013
May 2013
Welcome to the first Finger Food Friday of summer vacation! I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am that school’s out. It’s been a busy and stressful 10 months. And for the first time in their little academic careers, I must say my kids have truly earned this break! They’re all looking forward to sleeping in, lounging around and spending extra time with their buddies. Of course, that means the hubby and I will be spending extra time with our buddies too. Time to ramp up the finger food menu. [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Pork, Side Dishes, Snacks
Leave a Comment
12
Apr 2013
Apr 2013
Crab fingers are the bottom halves of blue crab claws with the outer shell removed and the pincer tips left in place. They’ve been a popular New Orleans hors d’oeuvre and menu munchie for years and years. And they’re a fun finger food to make at home. You don’t have to boil tens of dozens of crabs to enjoy them either. Because they’re such a big hit, containers (like the one below) of boiled and shelled crab fingers (also marketed as crab claws or cocktail claws) are abundantly available at seafood markets and grocery stores throughout New Orleans and South [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers
Leave a Comment
22
Mar 2013
Mar 2013
I have certain simple finger foods I adore. Simple in that they require little to no cooking. Let me tell you about three of them. The first is canned sardines on Triscuits (Garden Herb being my number one choice) with yellow mustard. Not a fan of sardines? Too bad, because these are fast food heaven. And, as far as I’m concerned, the only way to eat canned sardines. This is also a very special finger food. Special because my late maternal grandfather, Papa, introduced me to sardines (on saltines) and special because the only other person that [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Breakfast, Finger Food Fridays, Snacks
Tags: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays Leave a Comment
15
Mar 2013
Mar 2013
In New Orleans, dining out on Friday nights during Lent at any restaurant that serves seafood is, for lack of a better term, a sport. That’s because the crowds are large, the waits are long and the weather is oftentimes questionable (a big issue when you’re forced to wait out in a shell parking lot). A finely tuned playbook, complete with the abilities, expectations and limitations of each person in your party, is a must. So are sandwich bags full of Cheerios (if you have little ones), cell phones with fun games (if you have middle ones) and a padded [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Main Dishes, New Orleans Classics, Oysters, Poor Boys, Seafood
Tags: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Oysters, Seafood 2 Comments
01
Mar 2013
Mar 2013
Although the name of this recipe sounds redundant. It’s not. This finger food is one part “mixed grill” and one part “grilled provolone.” Put the two together and you’ve got an outrageously rocking herbaceously spicy, cheesy, Cajun meets Italian meets Argentinian masterpiece, if I must say so myself. Now I’m not one to toot my own horn. Really, I’m not! But if you love the fab trio of andouille, shrimp and chicken (think jambalaya and gumbo), the smoky goodness of roasted poblano peppers and grilled onions, the tang and bite of an almost-chimichurri sauce and the pronounced flavor of a [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Beef, Chicken, Finger Food Fridays, Pork, Seafood, Shrimp
Tags: andouille sausage, Appetizers, Chicken, Finger Food Fridays, Pork, Seafood Stock, Shrimp Creole, Super Bowl Leave a Comment
15
Feb 2013
Feb 2013
Frogs, those hopping, croaking creatures, creep me out. I avoid their exhibits at zoos and aquariums and can’t bear to look at them on TV or in print. When we first moved to Georgia, I was haunted by them. Literally. You see, we have this pond behind our house where, at the time, many, many, many frogs lived. I suppose several of those momma and daddy frogs were feeling a little overcrowded so they started venturing away from the busy pond with their “army” in search of more comfortable living conditions. Those improved conditions [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Main Dishes, Seafood
Tags: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Seafood Leave a Comment
08
Feb 2013
Feb 2013
Have you all been missing Finger Food Fridays? I certainly have! Food blogging events, such as the FoodBlogSouth conference in Birmingham and the “Better with M” (as in M&Ms candies) gala back home in New Orleans, have kept me away from my weekly ritual. No complaints. I had a fab time at both and met some amazing people along the way. This weekend, however, I’m glad to be back with my hubby, my three babies (okay, teen and tweens) and our Christmas cavachon!
Today, I’m getting Triple F (I hope Guy Fieri doesn’t mind [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Beef, Finger Food Fridays, Sauces
Tags: Appetizers, Beef, Finger Food Fridays, Sauces 4 Comments
22
Jan 2013
Jan 2013
It’s been said by the master of charbroiled oysters himself, Mr. Tommy Cvitanovich of Drago’s Seafood Restaurant in Metairie, that this is the simplest dish to cook at home but the most difficult to duplicate. Well, from an ingredient standpoint I get that since Drago’s has never published its exact recipe (although there are apparently some very close versions floating around). And that’s understood. But I have to say, once you nail down the cooking method I think it’s pretty darn easy to recreate those sizzling-hot, sexy restaurant oysters at home. Here’s how I make them.
I start [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, New Orleans Classics, Oysters, Sauces, Seafood
Tags: Appetizers, New Orleans Classics, Sauces, Seafood 2 Comments
11
Jan 2013
Jan 2013
One of the best ways for me to brighten up a dreary winter’s day is to grab hold of a juicy Louisiana satsuma, push my thumb through its forgiving skin, separate the skin from the flesh and plop the seedless segments into my mouth one by one. As I bite down on each section, my mouth swells with tangy sweetness and all is right with the world! At least for a little while! Citrus has that weird mood-enhancing effect on me. Even my kids recognize it! Whenever I’m grumpy, they tell me to go “cut a lime.” While that sounds [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Fish, Salad, Seafood, Shrimp
Tags: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Seafood Leave a Comment
