Archive for the Category » Snacks «
28
Dec 2012
Dec 2012
I’m counting down the days to 2013 with great anticipation. Although 2012 was a good year, there are a couple of things I’m happy to leave behind. I also love new beginnings and the prospects of better this and improved that. But what I don’t particularly care for this time of year (at least not anymore) are those big New Year’s Eve bashes that involve mass quantities of food, over-the-top drinks, glittery garments and fireworks. Maybe it’s my age or maybe it’s because by the time that event rolls around, I’m already battling [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Chicken, Finger Food Fridays, Snacks
Tags: Appetizers, Chicken, Finger Food Fridays, Snacks 3 Comments
29
Oct 2012
Oct 2012
My neighborhood rocks on Halloween. How can it not? On my street alone, which is exactly a half mile long, we have at least 30 children under 13 and a rock-band-leader teenager who lives at the top. Parents stroll along with “well-stocked” wagons in tow while live music pours onto the road. The kids, decked out in the latest costume trends, run freely from house to house racking up on what ultimately ends up being pillowcases full of treats.
When my kids were younger, I used to host a Halloween open house complete with a spooktacular spread of heavy picking food [ ... ]
19
Oct 2012
Oct 2012
It’s happening again. Another one of my dear friends is moving. Thankfully this one, Brenda, is not moving too far and will be forced to frequent our part of town for work and “major necessities” (manicures and hair cuts)! Brenda and I have been friends since I moved to Atlanta from New Orleans. Our friendship began on the tennis courts. Both of us, for that matter our entire team, were newbies. On the court, we learned the sport of tennis. Off the court, we learned how to build families out of friendships. In the early days, we spent many, many Wednesday [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Beef, Finger Food Fridays, Snacks
One Comment
15
Jun 2012
Jun 2012
Years ago, when I first started working, I used to make batches of sweet and savory nuts for my co-workers for Christmas. I’d gift them in decorative glass jars adorned with fancy holiday ribbons. It was an easy and economical way for me to give a little something to a lot people. For the life of me, I can’t find that recipe. Maybe it’s all for the better. Because, as I recall, it was edgy. The initial bite was a super-sweet sugary, cinnamon rush followed by a brief pause of plain toasted nuts and then an onslaught of extreme heat–from [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Snacks
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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 One 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 poor 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 poor 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 [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Beef, Finger Food Fridays, Poor 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
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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
