Archive for the Category » Main Dishes «
26
Sep 2012
Sep 2012
Have you ever tried to jot down a recipe while standing over the shoulder of a relative who was whipping things up at the stove? Or better yet, have you ever attempted to decode your grandmother’s shorthand from a stack of decades-old, splattered and stained recipe cards? If so, kudos to you because I know that means you’ve at least attempted to preserve a family recipe that meant something to you. Well, that’s what I do with all my spare time. I work tirelessly collecting, organizing, testing, writing, photographing and posting family recipes. It’s the easiest and most [ ... ]
Category: Crab, Main Dishes, New Orleans Classics, Seafood
2 Comments
07
Sep 2012
Sep 2012
A couple of years back, I started a fun little tradition with the hubby and our three children called “Fry Nights.” Fry Nights are dinners composed of an entire meal that is … are you sitting down? Deep fried. That’s right. A plate full of delectably crispy and crunchy foods that have been totally immersed in a “hot frying medium.” Oh yeah! About three or four times a year, this party of five throws caution to the wind, our waistlines and our heart health by eating a supper prepared entirely in a vat of peanut oil. Best part is, there’s [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Fish, Main Dishes, New Orleans Classics, Sauces, Seafood
5 Comments
04
Sep 2012
Sep 2012
If you’re a Raised on a Roux Facebook fan, you know that I spent most of last week “cooking up a storm” in case my family decided to head this way to escape the wrath of ugly Hurricane Isaac. It was part of my hurricane preparedness plan. Even though I currently live 500 miles from New Orleans and am finally outside any hurricane zone, I still plan. The plan is just different now. Instead of gassing up my car, collecting memorabilia, stuffing important documents into waterproof containers, filling the bathtub with water, duck-taping windows and tying down everything not [ ... ]
Category: Main Dishes, Pork
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23
Aug 2012
Aug 2012
Outside of New Orleans, I’m considered a bit of a rebel. For starters, I rise in opposition to fancy schmancy coffees and the joints that sell them–ordering a basic cup of joe should not be a nerve-racking experience. I also refuse to form allegiances with people who believe you shouldn’t wear white after the Labor Day holiday. If it’s perfectly acceptable to wear shorts beyond that weekend, why not white? Have you ever spent time in New Orleans during the fall and winter months? And finally, I riot against anyone who limits grilling to summer, turkey to Thanksgiving and hearty, [ ... ]
Category: Main Dishes, Vegetables
One Comment
25
Jul 2012
Jul 2012
Okay guys, this Italian Chicken recipe is an oldie but a goodie! It’s a very nostalgic dish that brings me back to when I first moved out on my own. Although I was excited to have my own place, I was not prepared for all the alone time that came with it. Having grown up with two siblings in a neighborhood full of kids with my grandparents literally around the corner and plenty of aunts, uncles and cousins within half a mile, I was used to a full house with people always coming and going. My [ ... ]
Category: Chicken, Main Dishes, Pasta
One Comment
03
Jul 2012
Jul 2012
If you’re heading to a potluck this Fourth of July or at any time this summer, break away from boring with my Muffuletta Pasta Salad. In this recipe, I’ve taken the full flavors of the iconic New Orleans muffuletta sandwich and tossed them with pasta. Those include spicy cured meats, marinated olives and lightly pickled vegetables (both of which are represented in the one and only muffuletta condiment, Italian Olive Salad), smooth provolone cheese and even toasted sesame seeds–which mimic the bite and earthiness of the round Sicilian loaf on which the sandwich is traditionally served. If you end up [ ... ]
22
Jun 2012
Jun 2012
Marinating crabs is a time-honored way to breathe new life into and extend the enjoyment of leftover boiled crabs. My grandmother’s dear friend Josie, who was like an aunt to us, began making this glorious finger food for my family decades ago. It’s a happy mess of highly seasoned boiled crabs drenched in what is best described as a chunky olive oil-based vinaigrette and eaten in the same manner as boiled crabs–with your hands. Most of us will jump at the chance to host a backyard crab boil just so we can set aside a dozen or so crabs for [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Crab, Finger Food Fridays, Main Dishes, New Orleans Classics, Seafood
Tags: Appetizers, crab, Finger Food Fridays, Seafood Comments off
14
Jun 2012
Jun 2012
Our family has a longstanding tradition of special birthday meals. On that one special day each year, we get to choose our favorite home-cooked dish for dinner. My longstanding choice for that special meal has always been my mom’s pinto beans. They are the bomb for two very good reasons. One, she cooks them down with copious amounts of roasted pork–the homey/economical cuts like a shoulder or those large, boneless country-style ribs. And two, she serves them nachos-style. She covers a dinner plate with Doritos and layers the beans and garnishes on top. We eat them with our fingers grabbing [ ... ]
24
May 2012
May 2012
Are you looking for a new crawfish recipe to add to your repetoire? If so, this Savory Cajun Crawfish Cheesecake with Roasted Red Pepper Hollandaise is sure to please. It’s a recipe I recently developed for my friends over at Cajun Crawfish–head on over to their blog and check it out. You’re gonna love it! You’re also gonna love the fact that you can order the crawfish tails you need for this recipe while you’re there! You see, Cajun Crawfish is one of the largest crawfish farmers and shippers in Louisiana. They’re also a [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Crawfish, Main Dishes, Seafood, Side Dishes
Tags: Appetizers, crawfish, Seafood 2 Comments
09
May 2012
May 2012
In the current edition of New Orleans Magazine, Dale Curry writes about “Daily Devotion[s],” those local classics that make their way onto restaurant chalk boards and family dinner tables week after week. I giggled as I read through her list, because five out of the seven dishes she mentioned were constants with my family. Like many New Orleanians, we always started the week with Red Beans and Rice usually had Meatballs and Spaghetti (or some other red gravy-based dish) on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, paneed something or other after that, seafood on Fridays and pot roasts on Sundays. I [ ... ]
Category: Chicken, Main Dishes, New Orleans Classics
4 Comments
