Archive for » April, 2014 «
30
Apr 2014
Apr 2014
The hubby and I just returned from our annual New Orleans Jazz Fest date weekend. We had an awesome time and the weather was absolutely amazing–a far cry from last year’s cold, rainy and muddy event. We spent two glorious days frolicking around the Fair Grounds eating, drinking, craft shopping, soaking up some rays, taking in a couple of cool cooking demonstrations and–of course–enjoying some of the finest music on earth. Anyone who loves listening to live music and eating the finest fest food around in an environment enhanced by local culture and interesting people watching needs [ ... ]
22
Apr 2014
Apr 2014
While most of the country is welcoming the arrival of spring, New Orleanians are welcoming the arrival of crawfish. In my hometown, the two are a package deal. And when Mother Nature messes with the calendar and cool temps linger, both spring and crawfish season get delayed. That was the case this year (and last, if I recall correctly). Although there were a few sightings of crawfish before Mardi Gras (which was also late), the temperamental crustaceans didn’t start running consistently until a couple of weeks ago. Now everyone’s going crazy. Finally, seafood markets [ ... ]
Category: Crawfish, Main Dishes, New Orleans Classics, Seafood, Side Dishes, Soups
Tags: crawfish, Seafood, Soup 2 Comments
14
Apr 2014
Apr 2014
This is my mom’s holiday ham recipe. This amazing ham has been an important part of every Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner I’ve been fortunate enough to share with my family. So you can imagine my surprise last week when I called my mom with a recipe instruction question only to find out that she no longer prepares her ham this way (unfortunately, I haven’t had a holiday meal at mom’s house in a couple of years so I wasn’t aware of this little fact). She said more recently, she’s been buying the spiral cut hams [ ... ]
09
Apr 2014
Apr 2014
Last summer, my girls spent many mornings home alone while I travelled around the city caddying (I use that term VERY lightly) for my son in his junior golf tournaments. Although I felt bad leaving them behind, they actually enjoyed their alone time and took full advantage of having the kitchen all to themselves. While I didn’t allow them to cook on the gas stovetop while I was away, they had my blessing to microwave and bake to their hearts’ content. And bake they did! Each day, Brennan and I would return home to find mass [ ... ]
03
Apr 2014
Apr 2014
Pork chops seasoned with the perfect mix of earthy herbs and spices, browned in hot oil then slowly cooked in a roux-based sauce blessed with the Holy Trinity (and fresh mushrooms) to fork-tender perfection. Always served over white rice–my Baked Rice. Those are my Smothered Pork Chops. Smothering the pork in a rich gravy guarantees tender chops every time and cooking the meat on the bone makes them extra tasty and moist. Smothered Pork Chops make frequent appearances at the Hogan dinner table. They’re also popular among many other New Orleans families and are a highly sought-after daily lunch special [ ... ]
