Most New Orleanians are traditionalists when it comes to red beans. They fix them one way and one way only–cooked down for several hours in a large pot of water with the Holy Trinity (onions, celery and green bell pepper) and various types of pork. The beans are served over rice and the dish is usually reserved for Mondays, which long ago were wash days.
I’m all about tradition and love my Red Beans and Rice. But I’ve come to learn that there’s more than one way to cook them. My favorite, non-traditional red bean dish is this Roasted [ ... ]
Archive for the Category »Snacks «
30
Mar 2012
Mar 2012
Most New Orleanians are traditionalists when it comes to red beans. They fix them one way and one way only–cooked down for several hours in a large pot of water with the Holy Trinity (onions, celery and green bell pepper) and various types of pork. The beans are served over rice and the dish is usually reserved for Mondays, which long ago were wash days.
I’m all about tradition and love my Red Beans and Rice. But I’ve come to learn that there’s more than one way to cook them. My favorite, non-traditional red bean dish is this Roasted [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Snacks
Tags: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Snacks Leave a Comment
02
Mar 2012
Mar 2012
In New Orleans, we have this sauce called bordelaise. It bears the same name as, but is much different than the classic French sauce. The French version is all about red wine and bone marrow. Ours is garlic-centric. We like to toss it with pasta, spoon it over sizzling seafood and steaks and splash it on steamed veggies. Believe me when I say, this sauce is delicious on everything and anything … including pizza! Yes, pizza. I use it as both the sauce, in place of the traditional red gravy/marinara base, and to amp up the flavor of my mild [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, New Orleans Classics, Pasta, Snacks
Tags: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays 2 Comments
03
Feb 2012
Feb 2012
Trust me on this quirky and casual reinterpretation of the classic New Orleans roast beef po-boy. I know it sounds weird and may even look a little off (there’s no French bread loaf), but it tastes familiar and is embarrassingly addictive. You see, I was looking to create a new dip with a hometown twist. And this happened. If you’re having a hard time with the whole deconstructed po-boy thing, think of this finger food as a spin on the old school chipped beef or dried beef dip. I had that once at a M*A*S*H finale party. Do any of [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Beef, Finger Food Fridays, Po-Boys, Snacks
Tags: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays One Comment
20
Jan 2012
Jan 2012
There is no Party Cheese Ball in my recipe lineage. Lots of other wonderful family food. But no cheese ball. The only kind I ate as a kid was the prepackaged, almond coated ones from Hickory Farms. Do you remember Hickory Farms? Their stores and kiosks used to rock the malls during the holidays with all those fancy (or so I thought) summer sausage and cheese gift boxes. Maybe they still do. Just not around here. How would I know? I don’t mall shop. Anyway, growing up I never [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Snacks
Tags: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Snacks Leave a Comment
24
Dec 2011
Dec 2011
Have you ever made canned biscuit donuts? It’s a fun, semi-homemade way to make donuts. We’re planning on making them tomorrow morning for Christmas breakfast. I’ll probably set up the fryer and make the icings sometime today. So tomorrow, when the grumbling of the kids’ hungry bellies finally overcomes the excitement of Santa’s arrival, I’ll be ready to roll.
These donuts can be eaten plain or decorated any which way. I’ve included quick recipes for vanilla and chocolate icings. The donuts are also good coated in cinnamon sugar. But my youngest, Blair, and the hubby insist they’re best dusted with powdered [ ... ]
09
Dec 2011
Dec 2011
On Wednesday, the hubby and I were lucky enough to squeeze in a lunch date. I love our lunch dates. They’re spontaneous and fun and give us time to catch up mid-week without forking over a small fortune to a babysitter. This week, we headed over to Freight Kitchen & Tap, a new rustically casual restaurant and watering hole housed in the historic Woodstock train depot. The atmosphere is cozy and inviting, the menu is refreshingly familiar and the bar is impressively stocked–think small batch spirits and drool-worthy craft beers. My kind of place! Now in New Orleans, these types [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Snacks
Tags: Appetizers, Beer, Craft Beer, Finger Food Friday 2 Comments
30
Oct 2011
Oct 2011
One of my favorite Halloween traditions is bringing the kids to the pumpkin patch to pick out the one that has the best jack-o’-lantern-potential. Mind you this is no easy task, which is why we generally end up transporting three or four worthy candidates back to the house for consideration. Our pumpkin preferences read like a page out of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. My oldest daughter Chandler is always attracted to the largest pumpkin on the lot. But around here, those babies are way too big to fit in the family vehicle (thank God). [ ... ]
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 Leave a Comment
16
Feb 2011
Feb 2011
My children arrive home from school around four o’clock in the afternoon tired and famished. And every afternoon, I’m faced with the same challenges: homework (there’s way too much of it), playtime (there’s never enough of it) and snacks (there are only so many satisfying and appealing options that won’t interfere with dinner). Enter Peanut Butter Balls. While these perfectly portioned, outrageously enjoyable treats won’t lighten the heavy homework load or extend play time, they will give my kids the extra kick they need to complete their assignments and enjoy a big game of hide-and-go-seek-tag. A couple of these hearty [ ... ]
02
Aug 2010
Aug 2010
In our community, school starts today! Yes, this is quite early for some but perfect for our family. Because after eight weeks of unstructured endeavors, my kids stop appreciating their time spent with me and Dad and each other. Swimming is no longer enjoyable because the pool‘s refreshing chill has been replaced by the warm, and rather gross, feeling of bathwater. Playing outside is also a challenge because the heat index routinely hovers above 105 degrees. It’s also around this time that I realize the money tree should have been cut down a month ago!
Back-to-school prep, I’m sure, is no [ ... ]
Category: Breakfast, Snacks
4 Comments
