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Finger Food Friday: Roasted Garlic, White Bean and Artichoke Dip

This dip is the epitome of a “pantry recipe.” You know, one of those quick, easy and yummy dishes prepared on the fly with ingredients found in, well, the pantry. A last-minute meal if you will to sate eleventh hour invitees, unannounced guests or a hungry husband and three ravenous teens. Most of the time, I make a pantry recipe once and never recreate it because I fail to write down anything. And my vague recollection of what I created the first go-round never tastes the same despite repeated attempts. But fortunately with this dip, [ ... ]

Finger Food Friday: Popcorn Crawfish

Popcorn Crawfish, also known as Cajun Popcorn, is simply precooked crawfish tails that have been battered and deep-fried. At one point in time, Popcorn Crawfish dominated the appetizer section of local menus. These days, not so much. But I still enjoy them and the kids really love them. They’re the perfect fried seafood snack. Each morsel is small—like a popped kernel of corn—which makes them super fun and easy to eat. They’re also very addictive, again like popcorn. I usually serve them straight up. But they also take kindly to any number [ ... ]

Finger Food Friday: Cheesy Garlic Bread

Now that football season is here, I know many of you are searching for one or two new items to add to your game-day buffet. I think my creamy, cheesy, garlic bread would be a perfect addition because it can fill a variety of voids. Need another finger food? Cheesy Garlic Bread holds its own as a meatless French bread pizza. How about a bread side to compliment your Creole-Italian themed menu? My recipe’s a tricked out version of the traditional garlic bread accompaniment. In search of a little something to help your guests [ ... ]

Finger Food Friday: Creamy Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

A couple of weeks back, we made our annual pilgrimage to Pike’s, our local gardening center, for some colorful annuals to brighten up our patio, a wide assortment of herbs for warm-weather cooking and several vegetable and fruit plants for the kids’ garden. This springtime ritual is always an adventure. If we’d let them, the kids would spend hours and thousands of dollars filling our carts with everything edible. That sounds great, but their enthusiasm and lack of understanding of just how difficult it is for their mother–me–to successfully grow anything always leads to disappointment. One of many tough [ ... ]

Irish Coffee

Have we ever had the coffee talk? You and me? No? I didn’t think so. Well, there’s no better time than the present. So, please, indulge me. I promise to make it brief. Don’t hate me for saying this, but I’m not a fan of the whole Starbucks phenomenon. I just don’t get it. The uber-sweet, syrupy concoctions make me bloated and remorseful. The macchiato-this and frappuccino-that overwhelm me. And that size thing–grande, venti, whatever-de … really? I apologize to anyone who has ever been behind me in [ ... ]
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Raised on a Roux, the Magazine, and Other New Site Features

As you may have noticed, I’m changing things up here at Raised on a Roux all in an effort to share more New Orleans family food and culture and helpful info. For starters, I’ve added a Resources tab. I should have done this a long time ago, I know. But finally, it’s here. The Resources tab is your one stop click-to-shop for ingredients and cooking tools you may be hard-pressed to find if you live outside New Orleans or South Louisiana. All my go-to markets and online sources are listed there. Next is the addition of the Social tab. Okay, this [ ... ]
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Bourbon Balls

New Orleans is predominately a Catholic city. As such, many of us who were raised there attended Catholic school from kindergarten through twelfth. Most of the elementary schools were coed, but the majority of high schools were same sex. The boys had their schools and the girls others. Several coed Catholic high schools exist today, but they’re few and far between. My sister Giselle and I attended the same Catholic high school. It was one established by the Sisters of Mount Carmel. By the time Giselle and I were both there, only a few [ ... ]
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Finger Food Friday: Fiery Chipotle Shrimp

In New Orleans, we love our hot sauce.  The trinity of top local brands includes Tabasco, Crystal and Louisiana Hot Sauce.  Each has a loyal following.  My dad’s dad Beau, for instance, carried Tabasco everywhere he went and always had an emergency bottle stashed in his glove box.  I think he put it on everything but dessert.  The hubby is also a huge Tabasco man.  Me?  My favorites are Tabasco and Louisiana Hot Sauce with very specific uses for each.  Tabasco has more heat than Louisiana Hot Sauce and because of that it’s a must in my cocktail sauce and [ ... ]

Finger Food Friday: Cheesy Favorites and a Mixed Berry and Cabernet Granita

  I’m mixing things up today.  Instead of focusing on the food, I’m bringing the adult beverage–the item that rounds out every Finger Food Friday–front and center.  But first, have I ever told you that I used to love wine?  Yes.  Believe it or not, this craft-beer-loving hophead was once a fan of wine–especially big California reds.  Then I had kids and I couldn’t drink it anymore.  My tastes just changed.  Don’t know why.  And it doesn’t make any sense, especially considering most women drink more wine after they have kids.  Anyway, over the years I’ve tried to reacquire a taste [ ... ]