Archive for » March, 2011 «
30
Mar 2011
Mar 2011
The first time I cooked ratatouille was on August 20, 2005. Do you want to know how I remember that date? Well, it was my son’s and brother’s birthdays. But that’s not how. It’s not because of my sharp memory either–I lost that sometime between kid number two and kid number three. I remembered that date because it was jotted down next to the recipe’s ingredient list. I scribble all over the pages of my cookbooks and recipes. My notes helps me remember if I liked a particular dish and if I made any changes to it. It’s [ ... ]
25
Mar 2011
Mar 2011
This week, Finger Food Friday is welcoming spring the best way it knows how. With crawfish! That’s right. Crawfish season has officially begun. Well, actually, there’s no “official” start to crawfish season since these dirt diggers have rather unpredictable life cycles (thanks to every extreme weather condition that affects South Louisiana). But they’re available now live or hot-from-the-pot at many grocery stores, seafood markets and restaurants. Supplies of frozen crawfish tails are also on the rise this time of year, which means they’re usually cheaper. So get them while the getting’s good. That way, you’ll be ready to cook up great [ ... ]
22
Mar 2011
Mar 2011
I was introduced to moo shu at Jade East, a friendly, neighborhood Chinese restaurant situated in New Orleans East. They closed their doors several years back; I believe it was pre-Katrina. But during their heyday, when I was in high school, my mom and stepdad would eat there once or twice a week following their “fishing dates.” There were even times when my folks would exchange their catch-of-the-day, usually croaker or drum from the brackish waters of Lake Pontchartrain, for a smorgasbord of the restaurant’s best dishes. Inevitably, they’d return home from those dinners with containers full of delicious and [ ... ]
18
Mar 2011
Mar 2011
In case you woke up in a fog today, which is normally how our first week of Daylight Savings Time ends, it’s Finger Food Friday! And since tomorrow is St. Joseph’s Day and St. Joseph is one of the most beloved saints among Italian-Americans, I’m stuffing artichokes. This peculiar looking vegetable is an integral part of the New Orleans diet thanks to the huge population of Sicilians who settled in the City many moons ago and stuffing them is one of my favorite ways to pay homage to my other roots–my Italian roots. Remember yesterday? I mentioned I was half [ ... ]
17
Mar 2011
Mar 2011
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all my Irish kith and kin and to all of you out there pretending to be Irish for a day (you’re in good company)! I don’t need to pretend, although you’d never guess I was Irish by my first name. Genêt is obviously French. But I’m at least fifty-percent Irish by blood and fifty-percent Irish by marriage. More importantly, green is my favorite color, I can down several pints of Guinness with the best of them and I have pointy ears (okay, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration–depends on who you ask). Regardless of [ ... ]
11
Mar 2011
Mar 2011
Hey guys! Welcome back to Finger Food Fridays ! I hope you had a great week. Mine was mundane. Oh, I take that back! There actually was some drama, slight family drama, this week. My 8-year-old daughter broke her arm. Nothing major. Just cracked enough to earn her a bright green cast for autographing. I’m still not sure what happened, but it involved a basketball, a basketball goal and a wooden bike ramp (thankfully, no bike). Needless to say, I’m glad it’s Friday!
Today I’m going to be chilling out with Taco Bread and a few lime-choked Dos Equis Ambers (Mexico). [ ... ]
08
Mar 2011
Mar 2011
Happy Mardi Gras everyone! I’m so bummed that we couldn’t get home this year for the parades, but the kids’ school schedule wouldn’t permit it. We’re there in spirit, however, and are celebrating in our own way by listening to some funky tunes–think Mardi Gras Mambo and Hey Pocky Away by The Meters, Carnival Time by Al Johnson, Mardi Gras in New Orleans by Professor Longhair and Second Line by Stop, Inc.–eating bowl-after-bowl of Chicken and Andouille Gumbo, over-indulging in King Cake and reminiscing over a bunch of family photos from Mardi Gras’ past. Here are several of my favorites [ ... ]
04
Mar 2011
Mar 2011
Happy Friday! I’m so excited today because I’m kicking off my very first recurring blog series: Finger Food Fridays. Through my weekly posts, I’ll be introducing you to all my favorite finger foods (which I refer to more affectionately as “picking foods”) and the TGIF liquid refreshments that accompany them. These are my go-to comfort foods–recipes that reflect what I enjoy cooking, eating and serving to my family and friends at the end of a hectic week. The spread is broad. Great fun to make. More fun to eat. Mainly simple. Occasionally ambitious. Always interesting. Best of all, each dish [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays
Tags: andouille sausage, Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Shrimp Creole 13 Comments
