Tag-Archive for » Crabmeat «

Creole Crab and Avocado Salad

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Ours was exceptional. This year we celebrated the holiday at my sister-in-law’s house with 34 of the hubby’s closest relatives—his parents, siblings, their families and his double first cousins and their families. I think I’ve mentioned Larry’s double first cousins before. Remember? One of his dad’s brothers married one of his mom’s sisters. They had four kids who are now all grown up with kids of their own. Cool, huh? I think so. Anyway, as you might expect, this group—which currently spans three [ ... ]

Crabmeat on Toast

Preserving family recipes goes beyond collecting and deciphering faded handwritten notes or stained and splattered index cards and patching together these bits and pieces of the past into legible lists of ingredients and sensible instructions. The process also includes the more meaningful task of tracing the recipe’s origin back to a special person or place in time then tying all the elements together with a string of well-told stories punctuated with lots of passion and pride (as well as the occasional reference to a crazy relative or catastrophic kitchen mishap). It’s these associations that remind us of experiences [ ... ]

Finger Food Friday: Seafood Nachos

If you’ve tuned into the Weather Channel at all since my last post, you’re probably privy to the fact that it’s still cold up here in the Northwest Quadrant of the ATL. Yes, we were among the “lucky” ones—those above “that ridge.” So since Tuesday, we have been dealing with snow and ice and snow and ice. And although today is absolutely gorgeous and all the snow and ice has melted (at least on our side of the street), the kids are enjoying their fourth snow day this week (lest you forget, they were off ALL last [ ... ]

Crab and Corn Bisque

While a warm bowl of bisque may not appeal to many of you this time of year, I can’t think of a better way to bring together two of the summer’s most appealing ingredients, Louisiana blue crab and corn. Each serving just screams, “ Sweet sunshine!” And if you already have some rich seafood stock socked away, it will come together quickly. Like most soups, this Crab and Corn Bisque will improve in the fridge for a day or two. And because it can be successfully frozen, I highly recommend doubling the recipe so a few months down [ ... ]

Zydeco Sweet Potato Crab Chowder

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 [ ... ]
Category: Crab, Main Dishes, Seafood, Soups  Tags: ,  Comments off

Finger Food Friday: Crabmeat Mornay Tarts

< 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 [ ... ]

Finger Food Friday: Hot Crab Dip

Did you know that today is NOT the 2010 tax deadline?  Nope.  It’s been extended to Monday the 18th because of Emancipation Day. While that’s clearly an important reason for an extension, I’ll bet the true intention behind pushing the date back is that the IRS didn’t want to interfere with Finger Food Friday! I’m showing my appreciation by preparing a throw-back finger food, Hot Crab Dip. Hot Crab Dip was the it “hors d’oeuvre” of my youth.  If you grew up in New Orleans or had a relative that did, you’ll probably recall the dip being [ ... ]

Spinach, Crabmeat and Brie Soup

Just the other day, I was flipping through an old cookbook when out fell a recipe from the food section of the Times-Picayune, New Orleans’ daily newspaper.  The clipping, which obviously had a few years on it, was a recipe for Crabmeat & Brie Soup from The Dakota, a suburban New Orleans restaurant.  I had a vague recollection of that recipe and a similar one involving brie from Flagons A Wine & Bar Bistro.  (Flagons was another great New Orleans restaurant that closed many years ago.)  I remember wanting to borrow a couple of ideas from these two recipes to [ ... ]