Archive for the Category » Seafood «
14
Dec 2011
Dec 2011
Back in October, while scrolling through my “Who to Follow” list on Twitter, I came across this fella by the name of Andrew Evans who was tweeting all these wonderful and interesting things about New Orleans. After a couple of clicks here and there, I found out that Andrew is National Geographic Traveler magazine’s Digital Nomad who was in the Crescent City as part of a month-long exploration of South Louisiana. Throughout his trip, Evans tweeted, blogged and vlogged his travels on his Twitter account @WheresAndrew, his NationalGeographic.com’s Digital Nomad blog and his Facebook page. I was able to follow [ ... ]
Category: Chicken, Main Dishes, New Orleans Classics, Pork, Seafood, Shrimp, Side Dishes
Tags: jambalaya 3 Comments
18
Nov 2011
Nov 2011
Have you had your fill of seafood yet? I hope not because today I’ve got another one for you. My Shrimp Mold. Well, it’s not actually my Shrimp Mold. I didn’t create it but I have tweaked it. This is one of those delicious finger foods that’s been around for decades, although you may be more familiar with the pink version which is basically the same thing made with tomato soup instead of cream of mushroom. I’ve had both but prefer those made this way. The other ones are too tangy for me. Preferences aside, this is yet another [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Seafood, Shrimp
Tags: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Seafood 5 Comments
17
Nov 2011
Nov 2011
During this time of year, Louisiana Gulf oysters are at their peak with a balanced flavor of salty-sweet and a silky texture with a meaty bite. Their subtle goodness adapts well to all kinds of preparations and ingredients, which is why they’re figured into so many New Orleans holiday menus. My relatives celebrate the season with oysters eaten raw, Rockefellered, fried and even chargrilled. But the dish that reigns supreme has and always will be Oyster Dressing.
I’m the fourth or fifth generation to be making this wonderful dressing which comes together with only a handful of ingredients that enhance, and [ ... ]
11
Nov 2011
Nov 2011
During hurricane season, our house becomes a place of refuge for all of our family members under mandatory evacuation. It’s throughout these nerve-racking times that I’m truly grateful we live outside of New Orleans and are able to provide anyone willing to make the drive this far east with a safe haven. Pre-Katrina, those evacuations meant nothing more than a spontaneous party with our extended family. Post-Katrina, we hesitate using the term “Hurricane Party,” but we do continue to appreciate the fact that those tense weather events bring us all together. And regardless of the severity of the storm or [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Seafood, Shrimp
Tags: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Shrimp Creole One Comment
10
Nov 2011
Nov 2011
When you grow up in New Orleans, a city surrounded by and practically floating on water, you cut your teeth on fresh seafood. I’m talking succulent shrimp, briny oysters, meaty blue crabs and subtle, sweet crawfish (not to mention a huge variety of fish, turtle, alligator and frog legs). And when your dad’s a shrimper, like mine was, at a very young age you become intimately acquainted with the vast waterways that house those creatures … whether you like it or not!
I actually liked the whole boating, shrimping thing. During the summer months, I’d occasionally join my dad on a [ ... ]
28
Oct 2011
Oct 2011
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Sometimes I like taking elegant dishes, you know the ones that are often reserved for special occasions, and make them fun and approachable so they can be enjoyed often and in a more relaxed setting. That’s what I’ve done with Crabmeat Mornay. Instead of serving it in a fancy chafing dish or individual ramekins, I spoon the rich, cheesy mixture into mini-phyllo shells and serve them right out of the oven. By doing so, I able to turn a regal appetizer into a perfectly portioned finger food. What’s also nice is that the mornay can be made a day in [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Crab, Finger Food Fridays, Seafood
Tags: Crabmeat, Finger Food Fridays Comments off
07
Oct 2011
Oct 2011
The only thing left in our veggie garden is this crazy jalapeno plant. Crazy because it’s still thriving even though it only reached about 12-inches in height and is forever tipping over from the weight of the mass quantities of spicy-delicious peppers it continues to produce. We harvested so many jalapenos, in fact, that I’m struggling to use them up before they go bad! Which is why I decided to make Crawfish Jalapeno Poppers today. With this recipe, I can knock out 24 or more (depending on their size). That’ll leave me with a only handful. Well, at least [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Crawfish, Finger Food Fridays, Seafood, Snacks
Tags: crawfish, Finger Food Fridays One Comment
15
Sep 2011
Sep 2011
Sometimes telling someone about a recipe is not nearly as compelling as preparing it with them, especially if that person is not used to cooking with certain ingredients. Take my Bourbon Salmon for instance. One day, I was chatting it up with a friend who had never bought much less prepared salmon at home. She had never cooked with bourbon and wasn’t particularly comfortable using the broiler either. Bottom line? As delicious as the recipe sounded, she didn’t think she could pull it off at home. So I set out to prove otherwise. [ ... ]
21
Jul 2011
Jul 2011
Last weekend, we returned home from our family vacation in Destin, Florida to find a handful of summer squash (yet another family garden project) eager to be picked. They were beautiful, but in an odd way. Their pale orange color and firm, bumpy skin made we question if we had planted what I thought was yellow crooknecks. I didn’t think much more about it until I went to prepare the squash for this recipe Their usually tender skin was tough to penetrate with the knife. So I decided to peel the outer layer, which did make for easier slicing. [ ... ]
04
May 2011
May 2011
WOW! The first weekend of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival ranks up there with the best of the best. I couldn’t wait to get back in front of the computer to tell you all about it! Granted, I could have Tweeted my way through it all to keep you in “real time.” I simply chose not to. I needed to disconnect. Truly live in the moment. Besides, my hands were full. Very busy. Occupied with great food and lots of cold adult beverages. But hey, it’s all good. I’m sharing some high points right here and now!
For starters, [ ... ]
Category: Crawfish, Gumbo, New Orleans Classics, Poor Boys, Pork, Roux, Seafood
Tags: New Orleans Comments off
