Archive for the Category » Sauces «
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
08
Feb 2013
Feb 2013
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 [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Beef, Finger Food Fridays, Sauces
Tags: Appetizers, Beef, Finger Food Fridays, Sauces 4 Comments
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 7 Comments
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 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 [ ... ]
Category: Finger Food Fridays, Gumbo, Main Dishes, New Orleans Classics, Pork, Roux, Sauces, Soups, Stock
Tags: Gumbo, New Orleans Classics, Pork, Roux, Seafood Stock 7 Comments
22
Jan 2013
Jan 2013
It’s been said by the master of chargrilled oysters himself, Mr. Tommy Cvitanovich of Drago’s Seafood Restaurant in Metairie, that this is the simplest dish to cook at home but the most difficult to duplicate. Well, from an ingredient standpoint I get that since Drago’s has never published its exact recipe (although there are apparently some very close versions floating around). And that’s understood. But I have to say, once you nail down the cooking method I think it’s pretty darn easy to recreate those sizzling-hot, sexy restaurant oysters at home. Here’s how I make them.
I start [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, New Orleans Classics, Oysters, Sauces, Seafood
Tags: Appetizers, New Orleans Classics, Sauces, Seafood 3 Comments
16
Jan 2013
Jan 2013
We spent the week after Christmas with family back home in New Orleans. Whenever we’re there, we always get some sort of boiled seafood. Sometimes we buy it already cooked. Other times, usually when the seafood that’s in season is running good, we purchase it live and boil it ourselves at my in-laws’ house. During this most recent visit, lovely Louisiana blue crabs were in season. But supplies were limited due to cold temps and rain. So we ordered several dozen boiled from my father-in-law’s buddy Captain Sid. As we pulled into the parking lot to pick them up, my [ ... ]
Category: Crawfish, Main Dishes, Pork, Sauces, Seafood
6 Comments
10
Jan 2013
Jan 2013
The hubby and I never go out for Italian, even though our friends rave about a couple of Italian restaurants right here in our neighborhood. I don’t doubt their word. It’s just that I’m used to New Orleans Italian cooking. Creole-Italian. And, unfortunately, that kind of unique Italian fare doesn’t exist here in Woodstock, Georgia. You see back home these great establishments, whether serving up Northern Italian, Tuscan or Sicilian food, all have a New Orleans spin. For the most part, their menus read like they would in other parts of the country. [ ... ]
31
Dec 2012
Dec 2012
Have you planned out or begun to prepare your “health and wealth” meal for the New Year? I made my spread last week and froze everything since I knew we’d be on the road. All I’ll have to do tomorrow is defrost a few containers and bake some rice while the hubby and I unload the car and get situated (a catch-all phrase I use quite often around here when I have plenty to do in a short time).
This year’s good fortune grub will consist of my old faithful Black-Eyed Peas with Jalapeno Oil and Cabbage Casserole. [ ... ]
Category: Beef, Main Dishes, Pork, Sauces, Side Dishes, Vegetables
Tags: Beef, Pork, Vegetables 3 Comments
13
Dec 2012
Dec 2012
Remember last week when I was talking about brown gravy and how I used to resort to the store-bought stuff when I didn’t have any pan drippings to work with and before I discovered beef base? Well, I also used to pair that store-bought gravy with, among other things, meatloaf made with a store-bought seasoning packet. Then I finally set aside the time to make a few different versions from scratch and have never looked back. Best part is, this scratch version takes only a few extra minutes to make. It all starts with equal parts ground beef, veal and [ ... ]
Category: Beef, Main Dishes, Poor Boys, Sauces
Tags: Beef Stock, Home Cooking, Homemade Stock, Sauces One Comment
06
Dec 2012
Dec 2012
Hey guys! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We had a jam-packed week back home in New Orleans. We spent the first half with my parents and my sister’s family on the Northshore and Turkey Day and the remainder of the week with the hubby’s family and some of my additional relatives on the Southshore. We brought the kids to play laser tag and to feed the animals–very large animals–at the Global Wildlife Center in Folsom (great family outing by the way), snuck in a date night at Chef Susan Spicer’s Mondo restaurant in Lakeview, spent an afternoon frolicking [ ... ]
Category: Beef, Sauces
Tags: Bechamel Sauce, Beef, Beef Stock, Chicken, Chicken Stock, Sauces 3 Comments
