Archive for the Category » Shrimp «

Chicken Roban

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 [ ... ]

Finger Food Friday: Mixed Grill Grilled Provolone

Although the name of this recipe sounds redundant. It’s not. This finger food is one part “mixed grill” and one part “grilled provolone.” Put the two together and you’ve got an outrageously rocking herbaceously spicy, cheesy, Cajun meets Italian meets Argentinian masterpiece, if I must say so myself. Now I’m not one to toot my own horn. Really, I’m not! But if you love the fab trio of andouille, shrimp and chicken (think jambalaya and gumbo), the smoky goodness of roasted poblano peppers and grilled onions, the tang and bite of an almost-chimichurri sauce and the pronounced flavor of a [ ... ]

Seafood Manicotti

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  Comments off

Finger Food Friday: Satsuma Ceviche

One of the best ways for me to brighten up a dreary winter’s day is to grab hold of a juicy Louisiana satsuma, push my thumb through its forgiving skin, separate the skin from the flesh and plop the seedless segments into my mouth one by one. As I bite down on each section, my mouth swells with tangy sweetness and all is right with the world! At least for a little while! Citrus has that weird mood-enhancing effect on me. Even my kids recognize it! Whenever I’m grumpy, they tell me to go “cut a lime.” While that sounds [ ... ]

Finger Food Friday: Fiery Chipotle Shrimp

In New Orleans, we love our hot sauce.  The trinity of top local brands includes Tabasco, Crystal and Louisiana Hot Sauce.  Each has a loyal following.  My dad’s dad Beau, for instance, carried Tabasco everywhere he went and always had an emergency bottle stashed in his glove box.  I think he put it on everything but dessert.  The hubby is also a huge Tabasco man.  Me?  My favorites are Tabasco and Louisiana Hot Sauce with very specific uses for each.  Tabasco has more heat than Louisiana Hot Sauce and because of that it’s a must in my cocktail sauce and [ ... ]

Finger Food Friday: Andouille Crusted Jumbo Louisiana Shrimp with Brown Butter Cream Sauce

In Louisiana, we define the four seasons by Crawfish, Shrimp, Crab and Oyster.  It’s a unique and appetizing way to get through the year.  As one delicious season ends, another much-anticipated one begins.  Currently, crawfish season is winding down and shrimp season is gearing up.  Plump, juicy, sweet Louisiana shrimp.  There’s nothing like them!  And this season, however young, is already proving to be grand.  I know because I had the good fortune of receiving a pound of wild jumbo Louisiana shrimp straight from the deck of the Anna Marie (a South Louisiana fishing vessel) through the efforts of the [ ... ]

Jambalaya

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 [ ... ]

Finger Food Friday: Shrimp Mold

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 [ ... ]

Finger Food Friday: Blackened Shrimp with Craisins Salsa

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 [ ... ]

Shrimp Creole

I’ve never liked Shrimp Creole.  Maybe it’s because my mom never cooked it or because the few restaurant versions that I’ve tried were disappointing.  But oddly enough, it has always been a dish that I wanted to like. I hadn’t thought much about my dysfunctional relationship with Shrimp Creole until recently while reading through a bunch of recipes and stories on roux-based dishes.  Every time a Shrimp Creole reference crossed my desk, my mouth watered.  They all sounded so rich, comforting and tasty, but my food memories recalled otherwise.  I had never eaten a bowl of Shrimp Creole that was rich, [ ... ]