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Finger Food Friday: Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know I sound like a broken record when I talk about how I’m not a baker and don’t really enjoy the process. On the rare occasions when I do bake, however, I expect those items to be the best they can be. When it comes to chocolate chip cookies (the number one sweet finger food in this house), the best of the best in my book are ones with crispy exteriors and chewy, borderline cakey, interiors. I’ve been working on this recipe for years and I think I’ve finally got it exactly where I want it–just in time for [ ... ]
Category: Desserts, Finger Food Fridays, Snacks  Tags: , ,  Comments off

Finger Food Friday: Grilled Watermelon with Prosciutto and Feta

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 [ ... ]

Finger Food Friday: Chipotle Bacon Deviled Eggs

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  Comments off

Finger Food Friday: Fried Soft-Shell Crab Poor Boys

The hubby and I have been together almost 20 years (I was really, really young when we starting dating. Wink! Wink!). And while we’re not the perfect couple, we do pride ourselves on working hard at keeping our relationship strong. A big part of that is carving out time for each other. We frequently schedule lunch dates and sneak in the occasional night out. But all those outings combined don’t come close to measuring up to the kidless weekends we share each year at the New Orleans Jazz Fest! We’ve been enjoying these date [ ... ]

Finger Food Friday: Egg Salad Toasts

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 [ ... ]

Finger Food Friday: Fried Oysters

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 [ ... ]

Finger Food Friday: Mixed Grill Grilled Provolone

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 [ ... ]

Finger Food Friday: French Fried Frog Legs

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 [ ... ]

Finger Food Friday: Crescent City Cocktail Meatballs

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 [ ... ]

Gumbo: Pulled Duck and Sausage Gumbo (and Super Bowl)

It’s Super Bowl week guys and even though the Saints aren’t playing in the big game this year, there’s still plenty of energy and excitement in New Orleans. Hosting the event has a little something to do with that. The City’s also smack in the middle of Carnival season (as in Mardi Gras). That equates to full celebration mode from sun up to sun down. Hoorah! One of the great things about living in or visiting a host city is being able to share in the excitement surrounding the event without having to attend the event (because we all know how expensive [ ... ]