Archive for the Category » Appetizers «
13
Jan 2012
Jan 2012
I used to think Houston’s had the best spinach dip. I liked the saucy spinach with the salsa and sour cream toppings far better than the chunky, cheesy kind usually found on restaurant menus. Then, back in 2008, I met another spinach dip worthy of my affection. A creamier, more flavorful one. Hands down, it was the best spinach dip I had ever tasted. And well, I haven’t thought much about Houston’s Chicago-Style version since. My girlfriend Brenda introduced me to it at one of our sadly-long-gone neighborhood Happy Hours. She likes to entertain as much as I do so [ ... ]
06
Jan 2012
Jan 2012
I spent the better part of this week implementing my annual holiday recovery plan. That entailed purging the fridge and pantry of any lingering Christmas goodies, shopping for lots of fresh fruits and veggies and planning lighter, cleaner meals. Don’t ask me why I decided to make the transition back to normal eating this week, considering the weekend is full of family and friend birthdays (including my daughter Chandler’s today and mine on Monday) and major football games! But in any respect, I’m attempting to carry out my ambitious plan through the next few days and beyond [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Sauces, Vegetables
Tags: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays Comments off
30
Dec 2011
Dec 2011
Since today is not only Finger Food Friday but New Year’s Eve Eve, I thought I’d make something that could transition nicely between a casual Happy Hour and a fancy New Year’s Eve bash. These stuffed artichoke bottoms do just that. The filling consists of a humble combination of greens and pork, in this instance spinach and pancetta, that get dressed up with a rich-tasting (I avoid the calorie bomb here by using skim milk) Creole Bechamel thickened with Parmesan cheese. The artichoke bottoms? Yet another fun vehicle to transport all that creamy filling to your [ ... ]
23
Dec 2011
Dec 2011
‘Tis the season to share another one of my favorite holiday recipes with you, Miniature Oyster Patties. These savory little bite-size pastries have been making the rounds at New Orleans Christmas parties and weddings for as long as I can remember. And once you taste them, you’ll understand why they’re so popular. Now when you read through the ingredient list, you’ll probably notice similarities to my family’s Oyster Dressing recipe. The two are actually so close that I had to call my mom prior to making the Oyster Dressing for Thanksgiving to help me figure out which one was which. [ ... ]
16
Dec 2011
Dec 2011
Are you all as thankful as I am today’s Friday? We’re all so busy this time of year. Yesterday for instance, I spent the entire evening preparing food for each of my kids’ holiday celebrations. These beef roll-ups are the result of leftovers from one of them. You see, my son was asked to bring a deli tray to his class party. Me and my Type A personality had a big problem with that. The thought of a bunch of fifth grade fingers reaching for a deli tray? Not good. So [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Beef, Finger Food Fridays
Tags: Appetizers, Beef Stock, Finger Food Fridays Comments off
09
Dec 2011
Dec 2011
On Wednesday, the hubby and I were lucky enough to squeeze in a lunch date. I love our lunch dates. They’re spontaneous and fun and give us time to catch up mid-week without forking over a small fortune to a babysitter. This week, we headed over to Freight Kitchen & Tap, a new rustically casual restaurant and watering hole housed in the historic Woodstock train depot. The atmosphere is cozy and inviting, the menu is refreshingly familiar and the bar is impressively stocked–think small batch spirits and drool-worthy craft beers. My kind of place! Now in New Orleans, these types [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Snacks
Tags: Appetizers, Beer, Craft Beer, Finger Food Friday 2 Comments
02
Dec 2011
Dec 2011
I have this one uncle who’s an outrageous cook. Trouble is, he doesn’t share any of his recipes. Not even the ones he inherited from other relatives and friends. When I was learning how to cook, that used to frustrate me to no end. These days, it challenges me to create better versions of his best dishes–all in good fun of course. One of those dishes is Swedish Meatballs. My uncle used to prepare them for our family Christmas Eve parties. I haven’t eaten his in many, many years. But I remember them well. They were moist and rich [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Beef, Finger Food Fridays, Pork
Tags: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays Comments off
18
Nov 2011
Nov 2011
Have you had your fill of seafood yet? I hope not because today I’ve got another one for you. My Shrimp Mold. Well, it’s not actually my Shrimp Mold. I didn’t create it but I have tweaked it. This is one of those delicious finger foods that’s been around for decades, although you may be more familiar with the pink version which is basically the same thing made with tomato soup instead of cream of mushroom. I’ve had both but prefer those made this way. The other ones are too tangy for me. Preferences aside, this is yet another [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Seafood, Shrimp
Tags: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Seafood 5 Comments
11
Nov 2011
Nov 2011
During hurricane season, our house becomes a place of refuge for all of our family members under mandatory evacuation. It’s throughout these nerve-racking times that I’m truly grateful we live outside of New Orleans and are able to provide anyone willing to make the drive this far east with a safe haven. Pre-Katrina, those evacuations meant nothing more than a spontaneous party with our extended family. Post-Katrina, we hesitate using the term “Hurricane Party,” but we do continue to appreciate the fact that those tense weather events bring us all together. And regardless of the severity of the storm or [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Seafood, Shrimp
Tags: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Shrimp Creole One Comment
04
Nov 2011
Nov 2011
I just received my copy of Lost Restaurants of New Orleans, and the recipes that made them famous, by Peggy Scott Laborde and Tom Fitzmorris. Let me say, I’m having a hard time putting it down! The pictures, the recipes and the historical overviews … it’s an amazing collection of 40 years of dishing and dining in our great City. I’m only 21 turns into it and I’ve already been struck by nostalgia thanks to the pages recalling The Andrew Jackson.
Back in the day (per the book that was 1963-82, although my sister seems to think it was open longer [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Chicken, Finger Food Fridays, New Orleans Classics
Tags: Finger Food Friday 5 Comments
