Archive for the Category » Sauces «
29
Jun 2014
Jun 2014
I often make big batch salads on the weekends to kick off Sunday suppers with my family and feed me lunch throughout the week. In order for these types of salads to work, they need to be made with tasty and tough ingredients. You know, foods that won’t wilt or spoil before I’ve reached the bottom of the bowl later in the week. Pastas and potatoes are obvious choices for these types of salads, but they tend to leave me sluggish–a feeling I’d rather not fight every afternoon. So I lean more towards hearty greens and [ ... ]
15
May 2014
May 2014
I wake most mornings before dawn. Four-thirty to be exact. That’s when my internal clock starts ticking. Has been that way for as long as I can remember. On those occasions when I’ve stayed up way past my eighty-thirty bedtime or have had one too many craft beers, I may force myself back to sleep for an additional hour or so. But for the most part you can bank on the fact that I’ve downed my second cup of Dark Roast Community Coffee before even the most ambitious of roosters has crowed, “Cock-a-doodle-doo.”
I love the dark stillness of those wee [ ... ]
Category: Chicken, Main Dishes, Sauces
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05
May 2014
May 2014
Have I told you how much I love Mexican food? In my world, it comes in a strong second behind my hometown favorites. I love margaritas. “Big Texas Rocks Salt” is how I order mine at our favorite neighborhood Mexican joint which I affectionately call “The Ranch” (El Ranchero). I love chips and salsa. Thin chips. Smooth and spicy salsa. The Ranch does that right too. I also adore everything on their menu. And if you ask me for recommendations, I’ll usually suggest The Ranch’s Chicken Soup if you’re looking for [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Fruit, Main Dishes, Sauces, Seafood, Shrimp, Side Dishes
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30
Apr 2014
Apr 2014
The hubby and I just returned from our annual New Orleans Jazz Fest date weekend. We had an awesome time and the weather was absolutely amazing–a far cry from last year’s cold, rainy and muddy event. We spent two glorious days frolicking around the Fair Grounds eating, drinking, craft shopping, soaking up some rays, taking in a couple of cool cooking demonstrations and–of course–enjoying some of the finest music on earth. Anyone who loves listening to live music and eating the finest fest food around in an environment enhanced by local culture and interesting people watching needs [ ... ]
31
Aug 2013
Aug 2013
I finally made mayonnaise from scratch. And let me tell you, it was an Aha! moment. If I had the time and didn’t mind uneven biceps (or could learn to master a whisk with my left hand), I’d chunk the store-bought versions for good. Until that day, I’ll reserve this delightful little condiment for special occasions (like this weekend) and humble ingredients (like potatoes) that don’t mind working in the shadows. If you’re firing up the grill to celebrate Labor Day with family and friends or tailgating in support of your favorite college football team, include this potato salad in [ ... ]
Category: Sauces, Side Dishes, Vegetables
One Comment
13
Aug 2013
Aug 2013
Back in 1991, three New Orleans chefs got together and created a unique, local restaurant chain called Semolina. Their concept paired classic New Orleans and international dishes with pasta. The original menu enticed diners with options ranging from Muffuletta Pasta and Jambalaya Pasta to Chicken Enchilada Pasta and Pad Thai Pasta. Curiosity may have lured many diners in. But it was Semolina’s delicious execution of these one-of-a-kind offerings, friendly service and pre-dinner Peach Bellinis (among other weekly drink specials) that kept them–and me–coming back. When I moved to Atlanta in ’95, there was a Semolina restaurant in every Greater New [ ... ]
Category: Chicken, Crawfish, Main Dishes, Pasta, Sauces, Seafood, Shrimp
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25
Apr 2013
Apr 2013
Time to share one of my warm weather entertaining essentials, Rémoulade Sauce. For you curious non-New Orleanians out there, Rémoulade Sauce originated in France and found its way across the pond to New Orleans via our early French inhabitants. That French version consisted of a cold white sauce of mayonnaise spiked with the likes of mustard, gherkins, capers, anchovies, hard-boiled eggs and chopped herbs. The sauce was used primarily as an accompaniment to cold meat, fish and shellfish. It was unique and tasty but, over time, was enhanced by local ingredients and emerging cooking styles. [ ... ]
17
Apr 2013
Apr 2013
It’s Burger Week over at Eater.com, the popular blog network that covers restaurant, bar and nightlife news across 15 metropolitan areas including New Orleans. And on Monday during my daily visit to the Nola.Eater page, I came across a post on Bud’s Broiler. Reading that piece had me thinking back to 1970-something and left me craving a big, juicy burger with a milkshake and fries.
Bud’s Broiler is a New Orleans institution and anyone who grew up in the City has vivid memories of meals eaten there. Whether they frequented the old Gentilly location on Pelopidas (with a not-so-memorable view of [ ... ]
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, [ ... ]
14
Feb 2013
Feb 2013
Happy Valentine’s Day! Because you all know how much I dread baking, I’m steering clear of the sweet stuff today and sharing instead my special holiday meal inspired by sumptuous steak dinners at Ruth’s Chris. The first half of the meal, creamed spinach, was posted yesterday. Here’s part deux! Pan-seared ribeyes. Pan-searing is the best way I know how to duplicate those sizzling steakhouse flavors at home.
Over the past year, I’ve done a lot of pan-searing in an effort to perfect my skills. Along the way, I’ve tried different tips and tricks for coaxing the most flavor out of the [ ... ]
