Archive for the Category » Appetizers «
30
Mar 2012
Mar 2012
Most New Orleanians are traditionalists when it comes to red beans. They fix them one way and one way only–cooked down for several hours in a large pot of water with the Holy Trinity (onions, celery and green bell pepper) and various types of pork. The beans are served over rice and the dish is usually reserved for Mondays, which long ago were wash days.
I’m all about tradition and love my Red Beans and Rice. But I’ve come to learn that there’s more than one way to cook them. My favorite, non-traditional red bean dish is this Roasted [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Snacks
Tags: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Snacks One Comment
23
Mar 2012
Mar 2012
I’ve got a real treat for you today and it doesn’t require any cooking! Today’s finger food is all about bringing a few high-quality ingredients together to create a memorable meal–a Finger Food Friday meal. In this case, it’s blue cheese and honey. Sweet honey drizzled over a salty and tangy blue transported by nothing more than a plain, crisp cracker or toasted bread slice. Yum! Several years ago, I discovered this amazing duo and have done a lot of experimenting since with different varieties of each. What I’ve learned is the type of cheese or honey is not nearly [ ... ]
16
Mar 2012
Mar 2012
I recently read on NOLA.com that New Orleans ranks second in St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. This was according to Fodor’s, who sums up our week (that’s week, not day) of frolicking as “a mad mix of Mardi Gras and Irish-inspired brouhaha.” Well, I couldn’t have described it better myself! It really is a fun time to be in the City, even if you’re not Irish. And from my perspective, there are two main ways to partake in the festivities. If you’re looking to celebrate the occasion with “big people,” a block party is the way to go. Parasol’s and Tracey’s, [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Beef, Finger Food Fridays
Tags: Appetizers, Beef Stock, Finger Food Fridays Comments off
02
Mar 2012
Mar 2012
In New Orleans, we have this sauce called bordelaise. It bears the same name as, but is much different than the classic French sauce. The French version is all about red wine and bone marrow. Ours is garlic-centric. We like to toss it with pasta, spoon it over sizzling seafood and steaks and splash it on steamed veggies. Believe me when I say, this sauce is delicious on everything and anything … including pizza! Yes, pizza. I use it as both the sauce, in place of the traditional red gravy/marinara base, and to amp up the flavor of my mild [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, New Orleans Classics, Pasta, Snacks
Tags: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays 2 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
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
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
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
20
Jan 2012
Jan 2012
There is no Party Cheese Ball in my recipe lineage. Lots of other wonderful family food. But no cheese ball. The only kind I ate as a kid was the prepackaged, almond coated ones from Hickory Farms. Do you remember Hickory Farms? Their stores and kiosks used to rock the malls during the holidays with all those fancy (or so I thought) summer sausage and cheese gift boxes. Maybe they still do. Just not around here. How would I know? I don’t mall shop. Anyway, growing up I never [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Snacks
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