Archive for » February, 2012 «
29
Feb 2012
Feb 2012
I spent much of my preteen years hanging out with (borderline pestering) my dear neighbors, the Broussards. They were the parents of two young children and I was an aspiring babysitter. For those two reasons and many others, our relationship flourished. Under their roof, I learned to successfully change cloth diapers (Remember those?), spoon-feed a starving baby, negotiate nap times and navigate the terrible twos. I also learned to crochet, make homemade mashed potatoes in the microwave and roll brucioloni. I was fortunate to have a second family to love and help guide me through [ ... ]
Category: Beef, Main Dishes
3 Comments
24
Feb 2012
Feb 2012
I’m sharing a bit of food nostalgia with you on this Friday. It centers on Mock Oyster Dip, a glorious concoction of garlicky, cheesy goodness containing chopped broccoli and mushrooms meant to imitate the flavor and texture of oysters. Mind you, this is not French-Creole haute cuisine. It’s comforting New Orleans family finger food made with processed cheese and canned soup. It’s special because each bite awakens wonderful distant memories and important milestones. Over countless servings of warm Mock Oyster Dip that my family dished up at birthday parties, graduation parties and holiday dinners, I observed the various ways food [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Vegetables
Tags: Finger Food Fridays, Vegetables 7 Comments
23
Feb 2012
Feb 2012
New Orleanians love fresh vegetables. And thanks to the City’s fertile soil and subtropical climate, there’s a huge variety of beautiful vegetables available year-round. They’re served traditionally as salads and side dishes. But they also make frequent appearances as sassy appetizers and sumputuous meat-and-seafood-stuffed entrees. Some are even cleverly transformed into dreamy desserts. Because they’re so plentiful, home cooks are always looking for new and creative ways to serve them. And it’s always a great accomplishment to prepare an otherwise frowned upon veggie in a can’t-get-enough-of-it way. That’s what happened with me and [ ... ]
17
Feb 2012
Feb 2012
Back when I was sporting my 19-year-old metabolism, fried vegetables were my go-to finger food. Almost every weekend, I’d prepare a batch of deep fried cauliflower, mushrooms or eggplant. I’d make them in much the same way I would panee (New Orleans lingo for battered and pan fried) veal or pork chops–soaked in an egg wash, rolled in Italian bread crumbs and submerged in hot oil. I could easily get an entire week’s worth of vegetable servings in one sitting with those crispy hunks of Deep South love. Now that I’m a little older and question whether I still have [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Side Dishes, Vegetables
Tags: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, New Orleans Cooking 2 Comments
14
Feb 2012
Feb 2012
I’m sharing a special love letter with you on this Valentine’s Day. This is not your typical mushy, make-you-blush kind of letter. No, the love letter I’m posting for all the world to see is actually my great-grandmother’s recipe for Turtle Soup as written by her son, my grandfather. I cherish this piece of paper like I would a love letter because it captures not only a special family recipe but a part of my Grandma Kirn who, more than anything, loved to feed us. It’s also the only item I have in my possession with [ ... ]
Category: Christmas, Main Dishes, New Orleans Classics, Roux, Seafood, Soups, Stock
Tags: New Orleans Classics, Seafood, Seafood Stock Comments off
10
Feb 2012
Feb 2012
I never met a loaf of bread I didn’t like. That’s probably because I grew up in a City whose good eating depends on it. The poor boy and muffuletta, two casual sandwiches, were made famous by their bread. As were “Lost Bread” or Pain Perdu, our version of French toast, and bread pudding in all its many incarnations. Whether it’s used as the star of a meal, a mere vehicle to test the doneness of momma’s red gravy or as a prelude to an elegant dinner at a five star restaurant bread is always a welcome, if not expected, [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Poor Boys
Tags: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays 3 Comments
08
Feb 2012
Feb 2012
Let’s talk desserts. As in classic New Orleans desserts. Two in particular: Creole Bread Pudding and King Cake. Both have storied histories, are deeply rooted in New Orleans tradition and are equally delicious. Creole Bread Pudding is what I consider an everyday, homey dessert prepared by thrifty New Orleans cooks and restaurant chefs who have plenty of day-old French bread on hand. The stale bread is given new life when soaked in a creamy, cinnamon-infused custardy bath. The pudding is then baked plain or embellished with raisins, nuts, canned fruit salad or even [ ... ]
04
Feb 2012
Feb 2012
The big game is upon us! So I’m sharing my most successful playbook from the Raised on a Roux recipes archives. These tried and true crowd-pleasing favorites are sure to have your guests cheering for more.
PREGAME
Cajun Egg Rolls and Corn Dip
FIRST HALF
Andouille Baked Brie and Crescent City Sliders
HALFTIME
Chicken Andouille Gumbo
SECOND HALF
Crawfish Baskets and Oven Roasted Boudin
POST-GAME
Brownie Trifle
Here are a few more game-worthy recipes from some other incredibly talented food bloggers:
Spicy BBQ Bacon Wrapped Chicken Tenders from Dixie Chik Cooks,
Sweet Potato Nacho Fries from Lauren’s Latest, and
Queso Fundido from Annie’s Eats.
With so many good eats, you better hope for [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Crawfish, Finger Food Fridays, Gumbo, New Orleans Classics, Roux, Seafood
Tags: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Roux, Seafood, Super Bowl One Comment
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
01
Feb 2012
Feb 2012
I’m settling back into the grove after what turned out to be a fantastic weekend in Birmingham attending the Food Blog South 2012 conference. This was my first food blog conference and one that I won’t soon forget. To be surrounded by people who eat, drink and sleep food is a wonderful thing. Their passion is undeniable, their knowledge unsurpassable and their willingness to share incredibly generous. I learned so much and made plenty of new friends. I feel refreshed, re-energized and psyched about the future and what it holds for food bloggers and anyone [ ... ]
Category: Main Dishes, New Orleans Classics, Pork, Sauces, Seafood, Vegetables
2 Comments
