Have you all missed me? I’ve certainly missed you. The pass few weeks have been challenging. First there were all those renovations which, by the way, are not completely done but far enough along to bring some level of normalcy back to the Hogan residence. From there, I found myself ushering repairmen and furniture deliverers out and weekend company in for a 50th Anniversary party I was hosting for my wonderful in-laws. Then my dearest grandmother, my last living grandparent and the matriarch of our family passed away. So I dropped everything and abandoned my house guests to fly [ ... ]
Archive for the Category »Beef «
04
May 2012
May 2012
Have you all missed me? I’ve certainly missed you. The pass few weeks have been challenging. First there were all those renovations which, by the way, are not completely done but far enough along to bring some level of normalcy back to the Hogan residence. From there, I found myself ushering repairmen and furniture deliverers out and weekend company in for a 50th Anniversary party I was hosting for my wonderful in-laws. Then my dearest grandmother, my last living grandparent and the matriarch of our family passed away. So I dropped everything and abandoned my house guests to fly [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Beef, Christmas, Finger Food Fridays, Main Dishes, Po-Boys
Tags: Appetizers, Beef Stock, Finger Food Fridays, Po-Boy Leave a Comment
16
Mar 2012
Mar 2012
I recently read on NOLA.com that New Orleans ranks second in St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. This was according to Fodor’s, who sums up our week (that’s week, not day) of frolicking as “a mad mix of Mardi Gras and Irish-inspired brouhaha.” Well, I couldn’t have described it better myself! It really is a fun time to be in the City, even if you’re not Irish. And from my perspective, there are two main ways to partake in the festivities. If you’re looking to celebrate the occasion with “big people,” a block party is the way to [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Beef, Finger Food Fridays
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29
Feb 2012
Feb 2012
I spent much of my preteen years hanging out with (borderline pestering) my dear neighbors, the Broussards. They were the parents of two young children and I was an aspiring babysitter. For those two reasons and many others, our relationship flourished. Under their roof, I learned to successfully change cloth diapers (Remember those?), spoon-feed a starving baby, negotiate nap times and navigate the terrible twos. I also learned to crochet, make homemade mashed potatoes in the microwave and roll brocioloni. I was fortunate to have a second family to love and help guide me during [ ... ]
Category: Beef, Main Dishes
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03
Feb 2012
Feb 2012
Trust me on this quirky and casual reinterpretation of the classic New Orleans roast beef po-boy. I know it sounds weird and may even look a little off (there’s no French bread loaf), but it tastes familiar and is embarrassingly addictive. You see, I was looking to create a new dip with a hometown twist. And this happened. If you’re having a hard time with the whole deconstructed po-boy thing, think of this finger food as a spin on the old school chipped beef or dried beef dip. I had that once at a M*A*S*H finale party. Do any of [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Beef, Finger Food Fridays, Po-Boys, Snacks
Tags: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays One Comment
16
Dec 2011
Dec 2011
Are you all as thankful as I am today’s Friday? We’re all so busy this time of year. Yesterday for instance, I spent the entire evening preparing food for each of my kids’ holiday celebrations. These beef roll-ups are the result of leftovers from one of them. You see, my son was asked to bring a deli tray to his class party. Me and my Type A personality had a big problem with that. The thought of a bunch of fifth grade fingers reaching for a deli tray? Not good. So [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Beef, Finger Food Fridays
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02
Dec 2011
Dec 2011
I have this one uncle who’s an outrageous cook. Trouble is, he doesn’t share any of his recipes. Not even the ones he inherited from other relatives and friends. When I was learning how to cook, that used to frustrate me to no end. These days, it challenges me to create better versions of his best dishes–all in good fun of course. One of those dishes is Swedish Meatballs. My uncle used to prepare them for our family Christmas Eve parties. I haven’t eaten his in many, many years. But I remember them well. They were moist and rich [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Beef, Finger Food Fridays, Pork
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03
Nov 2011
Nov 2011
In New Orleans, there’s pot roast and then there’s Creole Daube. Creole Daube, or daube (pronounced “dohb”) for short, is what you get when you blend a French braising technique with an Italian (“red”) gravy and a roux–the typical melding of flavors, cultures and cuisines that takes place in most New Orleans family kitchens on a daily basis. Together, these three things magically transform an inexpensive cut of beef such as a rump, a shoulder or a chuck roast into deeply flavored and tender comfort food. In our family, daube was usually a Sunday supper meal served over pasta or [ ... ]
21
Sep 2011
Sep 2011
Do you come from a meatballs and spaghetti family or a meat sauce family? I’m from the meatballs side of the track. Occasionally, my family traveled to the other side. But the “grass was not greener” over there. At least not for me. You see, in our house meatballs and spaghetti dinners were an all-day, family affair. Everything was made from scratch (except the pasta) then set on the stove to simmer until all the flavors came together. That low and slow cooking would always fill the house with familiar and comforting aromas that had us relaxing [ ... ]
Category: Beef, Main Dishes, Pasta
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16
Sep 2011
Sep 2011
Back in February, I introduced you to my basic sliders. Those are the ones I throw together at least twice a month for fun dinners and last minute gatherings. The kids love them. Their friends love them. My friends love them. Everybody loves them. But here’s the downside. Those sliders are such a bit hit, that I get eye rolling and other unwelcomed gestures from my little “children-of-the-corn” (that’s a term of endearment around here) anytime I suggest creating a new recipe. I’ve tried to convince my darlings that I’m not looking to replace “their” sliders. I’m simply wanting to [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Beef, Finger Food Fridays, Main Dishes, Pork
Tags: Finger Food Friday One Comment
02
Sep 2011
Sep 2011
Labor Day is upon us. Already. There’s no pushing back the clock. It’s here. The unofficial end of summer. That’s okay by me. I’m ready for football weather and everything that goes along with it. But before I pull out the soup pot and the snuggie (don’t laugh), I would like to enjoy one last, long weekend in my “white” jeans grilling outdoors with family and friends. My contribution to the grill is going to be Skirt Steak Fajitas. I like cooking this hearty finger food when I have a lot of mouths to feed. It’s also a welcomed [ ... ]
