Prior to becoming a mom of three, a business owner and a food writer/blogger, I was a legal secretary and a paralegal. In New Orleans, I worked for a large law firm that occupied the top two levels of the One Shell Square building on the corner of Poydras Street and St. Charles Avenue. Liked the job, really liked the people I worked with and loved, loved the location. That’s because One Shell Square is situated in the New Orleans Central Business District, or what the locals call the CBD, and the CBD is sandwiched between the [ ... ]
Archive for the Category » Roux «
15
May 2013
May 2013
Prior to becoming a mom of three, a business owner and a food writer/blogger, I was a legal secretary and a paralegal. In New Orleans, I worked for a large law firm that occupied the top two levels of the One Shell Square building on the corner of Poydras Street and St. Charles Avenue. Liked the job, really liked the people I worked with and loved, loved the location. That’s because One Shell Square is situated in the New Orleans Central Business District, or what the locals call the CBD, and the CBD is sandwiched between the [ ... ]
Category: Chicken, Main Dishes, Miscellaneous, New Orleans Classics, Roux
Tags: Chicken, Roux Leave a Comment
21
Feb 2013
Feb 2013
For those of you who have bid “farewell to the flesh” for the next 40 days (or at least for the remaining Fridays between now and Easter Sunday), this dish is for you. It is my annual creation added to an ever-growing list of meatless meals I prepare during the Season of Lent. Abstaining from meat has never been a huge lesson in self-denial for me or my family. In New Orleans, where fresh seafood is abundant, it would be a stretch to consider codfish balls, fried shrimp poor boys, all-you-can-eat fried catfish, seafood gumbo, crawfish etouffee, boiled crawfish and, [ ... ]
Category: Crab, Crawfish, Main Dishes, Oysters, Pasta, Roux, Sauces, Seafood, Shrimp
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13
Feb 2013
Feb 2013
I’m preparing a special Valentine’s Day dinner for my hubby and kids influenced by childhood memories and the meals I shared with my family at Ruth’s Chris Steak House. Growing up, we didn’t have much money. But whenever my dad had a few extra bucks in his pocket, he brought us to Ruth’s Chris for an amazing steak dinner. My meal always consisted of the same thing. A petite filet, which always arrived at our table screaming in a hot bath of sizzling butter, and creamed spinach, a rich, velvety and bubbly dish of vegetable bliss. [ ... ]
Category: New Orleans Classics, Roux, Sauces, Side Dishes, Vegetables
Tags: Roux, Sauces, Vegetables, White Roux One Comment
06
Feb 2013
Feb 2013
When I prepare roast beef, I start with the largest chuck roast I can find. I look for a six or seven pounder. If I can’t get my hands on one that size, I buy two smaller roasts that total about the same. Why so much you ask for my family of five? Well, in this house, roast beef is a cook once, eat thrice proposition! No ifs, ands or buts! That first meal is always a traditional roast dinner complete with Baked Mashed Potatoes and something green. The leftovers are then repurposed–in [ ... ]
Category: Beef, New Orleans Classics, Poor Boys, Roux, Sauces
Tags: Beef Stock, Poor Boy, Roux, Sauces Leave a Comment
31
Jan 2013
Jan 2013
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 Mardi Gras Season. 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 those tickets are). [ ... ]
Category: Finger Food Fridays, Gumbo, Main Dishes, New Orleans Classics, Pork, Roux, Sauces, Soups, Stock
Tags: Gumbo, New Orleans Classics, Pork, Roux, Seafood Stock 6 Comments
21
Nov 2012
Nov 2012
Hey! Got a few minutes to talk about Black Friday? Not shopping. Cooking. I know you’re busy finishing up your Thanksgiving menu, planning that inevitable last minute grocery run and cooking make-ahead sides and sauces. And the last thing on your mind is what’s for dinner on Friday. But this is important, especially if your Turkey Day celebration extends through the weekend like ours does. If you need to plan additional meals for visiting family and want to make the most of leftovers, then save that turkey carcass (or beg the hostess for it) [ ... ]
Category: Gumbo, Pork, Roux, Soups, Stock, Thanksgiving
Tags: Finger Food Fridays, Gumbo, New Orleans Classics, New Orleans Cooking, New Orleans Recipes, Pork, Roux One Comment
13
Oct 2012
Oct 2012
According to the turn of the century cookbook, The Picayune’s Creole Cook Book, a grillade (pronounced “gree-yahd”) is a square of fried meat cooked down with onions, tomatoes, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. The cookbook indicates that plain and breaded (“Grillades Panées”) versions of this “fried meat” were served primarily as hearty breakfast items alongside things like cracked wheat, apple fritters and café au lait. Among the poorer classes of Creoles, grillades were also served at dinner “with gravy” (“Grillades à la Sauce”) and a “dish of red beans and boiled rice.” At some point between then and now, [ ... ]
Category: Beef, Breakfast, Main Dishes, New Orleans Classics, Pork, Roux
Tags: Beef, Breakfast, New Orleans Classics, Pork, Roux, Veal 3 Comments
01
Oct 2012
Oct 2012
This soup is tied to one of my earliest cooking disasters. One day while I was in the seventh grade home alone and bored, I decided to make–or attempt to make–Oyster and Artichoke Soup. I had no idea what I was doing and didn’t even think to ask for help or search for a recipe (which at that time would have been limited to my mom’s red accordion recipe file and a couple of regional cookbooks). My only points of reference were a flavor memory I had banked from a local restaurant meal and the title of that menu item. [ ... ]
Category: Main Dishes, New Orleans Classics, Roux, Seafood, Soups
2 Comments
28
Sep 2012
Sep 2012
I’ve been under the weather this week and yearning for a big bowl of warm, soothing spicy gumbo. I just couldn’t fine the time or energy to pull it together. So yesterday morning the thought came to me to prepare a knock off of my beloved Chicken and Andouille Gumbo in finger food form. And here it is! What do you think? Okay. Not a fair question since you haven’t tasted it yet. But let me say, these meatballs rock. They’re light and flavorful and perfectly seasoned, especially when partnered up with the gravy (or sauce or whatever you want [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Chicken, Finger Food Fridays, Gumbo, New Orleans Classics, Poor Boys, Pork, Roux, Sauces
One Comment
08
Aug 2012
Aug 2012
Are you into creamed vegetables? Creamed corn maybe? What about creamed carrots or creamed peas? I’ve always been a fan of canned creamed corn. And my mom stills makes the best creamed carrots this side of the Bunny Trail. But I didn’t have creamed peas until I was in my late teens. The mother of a friend made them every Thursday night to serve alongside her weekly meatloaf and mashed potatoes dinner. I shared that meal with my girlfriend’s family many of times. And although the meatloaf and mashed potatoes were divine, [ ... ]
