Author Archive
30
Jun 2016
Jun 2016
Earlier today, I was scrolling through my Facebook feed when I came across a funny comment that my dear friend, Cindy, had posted. It read, “Here ye Here ye Casa Sanders is no longer taking reservations until September 2016!!!! Peace Out!” I laugh every time I read it because I know all too well where she’s coming from. You see, last year, Cindy and her family moved from the piney woods of Mandeville (a New Orleans suburb) to the Windy City. Since this is their first full summer in Chicago, their home has been nothing short [ ... ]
Category: Chicken, Finger Food Fridays, Main Dishes, New Orleans Classics, Sauces, Snacks
Tags: blackened, Chicken, Finger Food Fridays, New Orleans Classics, Sauces One Comment
29
May 2016
May 2016
Grilling season is officially upon us and I could not be more excited. I am a warm weather girl through and through, and I just love being outdoors messing around with my little Weber. My latest grilling obsession? Ribs. Specifically, baby back ribs. Over the past year, I think I’ve prepared well over 15 racks—all in an effort to bring you a full-flavored, fail-proof recipe. So, without further ado, here it is. Grilled Baby Back Ribs with Chipotle-Cherry Barbecue Sauce.
Before I share my cooking tips with you, let me first say [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Main Dishes, Pork
Tags: Finger Food Fridays, Grilled, Pork, Sauces, Smoked Comments off
30
Apr 2016
Apr 2016
If you spend anytime at all on social media, you’re probably familiar with the trend where someone takes a popular main course and transforms it into a soup. On any given day, you can find the likes of Cabbage Roll Soup, Cheeseburger Soup, Chicken Potpie Soup and even Lasagna Soup flooding Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram feeds. The pictures are drool-worthy and they all sound deliciously inviting. But they pale in comparison to my recent discovery of a local obsession of the same kind—Stuffed Artichoke Soup. As the name implies, this soup brings together all the garlicky, [ ... ]
Category: New Orleans Classics, Soups, Vegetables
Tags: New Orleans Classics, Soup, Vegetables 4 Comments
11
Mar 2016
Mar 2016
Over the past week or so, I’ve been searching for a fun St. Patrick’s Day recipe to create and share with y’all. Although I was initially thinking of something savory, this happened—boozy cupcakes. If you spend anytime on social media, you know that this time of year Guinness and Irish liquor inspired sweets are all the rage. So, I finally jumped on the bandwagon. Having recently fallen hard for NOLA Brewing’s Irish Channel Stout, it was tough not to. Irish Channel Stout is the Guinness of New Orleans—only better. Yes, I’m partial to [ ... ]
Category: Craft Beer, Desserts, Finger Food Fridays, Snacks
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29
Feb 2016
Feb 2016
People always joke that when you visit New Orleans your vegetable intake will be limited to the curly parsley decorating your plate or the pickled okra bobbing about in your Bloody Mary. Depending on how you choose to spend your time here, that could very well be true. But as the locals can tell you, there are plenty of beautiful, fresh vegetables to be had in these parts all year long. That’s one of the many fringe benefits of living in a subtropical environment. And because we have a great variety of veggies with extended growing seasons, [ ... ]
Category: Beef, Main Dishes, New Orleans Classics, Pork, Side Dishes, Vegetables
Tags: Beef, New Orleans Classics, Pork, Vegetables 6 Comments
30
Jan 2016
Jan 2016
Did you know that different states have different official emblems? Many extend well beyond the familiar capitals, colors and flags. And some are rather interesting. Take for example, the tartan. Considering I’m fashion-challenged, I had no clue what a tartan was but I’ve come to learn it’s a type of plaid. As in fabric. And a bunch of states, including Louisiana, have an officially designated pattern. Oh, yes. The Pelican State’s tartan is this dark green and blue number that’s rather attractive. It’s called Louisiana Tartan. Many states also identify [ ... ]
22
Dec 2015
Dec 2015
Before I decided that I didn’t like to bake, I baked a lot. Weird. I know. But true. Since I did not come from a strong line of bakers or sweets makers, it was a surefire way of finding my place in the whole family cooking hierarchy. And as a teen, I loved the attention and praise I received whenever I showed up at a family function with dessert in hand. One early success that garnered many oohs and ahhs was my Fudge Pie.
Looking back, I think the Fudge Pie was a [ ... ]
02
Dec 2015
Dec 2015
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 [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Crab, Main Dishes, Salad, Seafood
Tags: Appetizers, Crabmeat, salad, Seafood 2 Comments
18
Nov 2015
Nov 2015
Hey guys! Sorry for not posting much lately. These past few months have been very hectic for me and my family. But I do see the light at the end of the tunnel and hope to share all the particulars with you soon. For now, though, I’m focusing on Thanksgiving and am working hard to make sure it’s a fun-filled and stress-free week for my crew–Lord knows we all need one. I plan on transitioning into the holiday mode this weekend by making one of my kids’ favorite fall treats–Pecan Pie Bars (a recipe I [ ... ]
09
Oct 2015
Oct 2015
This dip is the epitome of a “pantry recipe.” You know, one of those quick, easy and yummy dishes prepared on the fly with ingredients found in, well, the pantry. A last-minute meal if you will to sate eleventh hour invitees, unannounced guests or a hungry husband and three ravenous teens. Most of the time, I make a pantry recipe once and never recreate it because I fail to write down anything. And my vague recollection of what I created the first go-round never tastes the same despite repeated attempts. But fortunately with this dip, [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Beans, Beverages, Craft Beer, Finger Food Fridays, Snacks
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