Archive for the Category » Appetizers «
14
Sep 2012
Sep 2012
I’m mixing things up today. Instead of focusing on the food, I’m bringing the adult beverage–the item that rounds out every Finger Food Friday–front and center. But first, have I ever told you that I used to love wine? Yes. Believe it or not, this craft-beer-loving hophead was once a fan of wine–especially big California reds. Then I had kids and I couldn’t drink it anymore. My tastes just changed. Don’t know why. And it doesn’t make any sense, especially considering most women drink more wine after they have kids. Anyway, over the years I’ve tried to reacquire a taste [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Beverages, Finger Food Fridays
2 Comments
07
Sep 2012
Sep 2012
A couple of years back, I started a fun little tradition with the hubby and our three children called “Fry Nights.” Fry Nights are dinners composed of an entire meal that is … are you sitting down? Deep fried. That’s right. A plate full of delectably crispy and crunchy foods that have been totally immersed in a “hot frying medium.” Oh yeah! About three or four times a year, this party of five throws caution to the wind, our waistlines and our heart health by eating a supper prepared entirely in a vat of peanut oil. Best part is, there’s [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Fish, Main Dishes, New Orleans Classics, Sauces, Seafood
5 Comments
24
Aug 2012
Aug 2012
Okra is prized in New Orleans for its ability to flavor and thicken gumbos, soups and stews. Locally, we also highly regard this fuzzy vegetable for its many other adaptations. Okra that has been pickled in a spicy brine is a common snack food eaten straight from the jar. That same pickled okra makes frequent appearances at parties as the star of the “relish tray” and as the number one garnish for Bloody Marys. We frequently stew this popular pod too with the likes of Creole tomatoes, onions and garlic. Sometimes we embellish that dish [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Salad, Side Dishes, Vegetables
2 Comments
17
Aug 2012
Aug 2012
I’ve had this blackened chicken idea in my head for sometime now. It just took me awhile to figure out the best way to pull all the pieces together into a nifty little finger food. My original thought was to wrap the ingredients in pie dough. But I just used that dough for my crawfish pies. I decided instead to finish the Blackened Chicken Bites a couple of different ways and go with whatever recipe turned out best.
My first batch of Blackened Chicken Bites involved filling Tostitos Scoops with the cream cheese mixture, placing a piece of blackened chicken on [ ... ]
03
Aug 2012
Aug 2012
Are you hungry for something rich and luscious and seafoody? Good. Because that’s exactly what I’m cooking up for today’s Happy Hour! I’m making crawfish pies which consist of sweet crawfish meat smothered in a creamy, roux-based sauce with the perfect amount of Cajun Country kick. Throughout the backroads of South Louisiana, you’ll typically find these savory pies prepared as you would a large dessert pie. The pie is sliced and served along with a green salad or some sort of stewed vegetable. But they can also be made into individual portions using mini pastry shells like these.
For years, I [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Crawfish, Finger Food Fridays, Seafood
Tags: Appetizers, crawfish, Finger Food Fridays, Seafood 16 Comments
27
Jul 2012
Jul 2012
Chips and salsa may not be the first things that come to mind when thinking about New Orleans finger food. But that dynamic duo and several other south-of-the-border snacks are party and football-watching staples in many homes and sports bars throughout the City. More importantly, I love chips and salsa. When I’m happy, I celebrate with chips and salsa. When I’m sad, I seek comfort in chips and salsa. And when I’m stressed, I relax by eating obnoxiously large quantities of chips and salsa. I truly believe I could live off of water, coffee, beer and … chips and salsa. [ ... ]
13
Jul 2012
Jul 2012
The hubby and I both come from large families. And it’s not uncommon for family visits to Atlanta to include upwards of 20 relatives at one time. So to take the stress out of feeding that many people three squares times however many days plus snacks, I prepare a lot of food in advance. One of those make-ahead items, one I’ve been making since we first moved away from home, is this Sausage in Puff Pastry. It’s two ingredients–puff pastry and sausage–that bake up into these fabulously flaky pastries. Because the recipe makes plenty plenty, [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Pork
Tags: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Pork Comments off
06
Jul 2012
Jul 2012
Do you ever notice how some of your best kitchen creations are made on the fly? Pulled together spontaneously with whatever’s lurking in the fridge or lingering in the pantry? That’s the story behind this finger food. Because I hate to waste, especially real food … good food, I was stressed out about using up some leftover boiled shrimp and ripe and ready avocados I had on hand. My initial thought was to simply toss them in a salad with greens and a lemon vinaigrette. But as I was cleaning the greens, I remembered that I had a fresh loaf [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Seafood, Vegetables
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29
Jun 2012
Jun 2012
Okay guys. It’s time to clean out your pantries. Dig deep, way in the back, and pull out one of the many jars of pepper jelly that was gifted to you back in December–six long months ago. Don’t worry. It’s still good as long as you haven’t opened it. If you don’t have any, contact your nearest relative or friend in New Orleans (or from New Orleans) and ask them for a jar–it’s quite popular in NOLA! Or pick up one from the grocery store. Because today, I’m sharing an entirely new and scrumptious way to serve that red/green gelatinous gem. [ ... ]
22
Jun 2012
Jun 2012
Marinating crabs is a time-honored way to breathe new life into and extend the enjoyment of leftover boiled crabs. My grandmother’s dear friend Josie, who was like an aunt to us, began making this glorious finger food for my family decades ago. It’s a happy mess of highly seasoned boiled crabs drenched in what is best described as a chunky olive oil-based vinaigrette and eaten in the same manner as boiled crabs–with your hands. Most of us will jump at the chance to host a backyard crab boil just so we can set aside a dozen or so crabs for [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Crab, Finger Food Fridays, Main Dishes, New Orleans Classics, Seafood
Tags: Appetizers, crab, Finger Food Fridays, Seafood Comments off
