Archive for the Category » Thanksgiving «
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 [ ... ]
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 [ ... ]
17
Dec 2014
Dec 2014
If you’re anything like me, you always have a couple of cans of Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup lurking in your pantry. It’s a staple that’s particularly important this time of year when many of us turn to “Umm, Umm Good” ingredients like those to complete time-honored holiday recipes. Until recently, I couldn’t imagine making Green Bean Casserole, a Shrimp Mold or Mock Oyster Dip without it. Then one day I decided, “Enough with the canned stuff!” And I began working on my own recipe. Here are three reasons why you should try it:
Making Cream of Mushroom Soup from scratch [ ... ]
21
Nov 2014
Nov 2014
Oops! I revised this recipe on 12.24.2014 to correct an error–the pie shells should remain frozen until ready to bake. Otherwise, the bottoms could end up soggy. Sorry for the oversight!
With Thanksgiving less than a week away, now is the perfect time to share this seasonal treat with you all. This is a sweet, festive finger food perfect for holiday entertaining. And, in my opinion, it’s the best way to serve pecan pie. Not only do the individual pies make everyone feel extra special, each serving has that perfect filling-to-crust ratio and the baker never has to [ ... ]
Category: Desserts, Finger Food Fridays, New Orleans Classics, Snacks, Thanksgiving
Tags: Desserts, Finger Food Fridays, pecans Comments off
17
Nov 2014
Nov 2014
Larry and I have been deep frying turkeys for as long as we’ve been together and we take great pride in sharing this family tradition with others. Over the past 19 years, we’ve converted many of our Atlanta friends (who hail from all different parts of the country) from roast turkey to fried. And we delight in the fact that several have mastered this Cajun custom and adopted it as their own. The process is not complicated, but it can be risky if you don’t plan ahead and take the necessary precautions. Unfortunately, most of what [ ... ]
Category: Main Dishes, New Orleans Classics, Thanksgiving, Turkey
Tags: New Orleans Classics, Thanksgiving 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 [ ... ]
20
Nov 2013
Nov 2013
Even during a food-centric holiday like Thanksgiving where huge platters of food are squeezed onto an already crowded table and everyone eats family-style, I think it’s nice to create one savory dish that’s individually portioned. Gratins are the perfect candidates. Baking them in single-serve ramekins or mini-pie pans ensures that each recipient gets a balance of that velvety smooth interior and cheesy, crusty exterior that defines any good gratin. If you’re stressed over washing extra dishes, you can always opt for those disposable aluminum foil cups or pans. Gratins can also be assembled a day or [ ... ]
Category: Side Dishes, Thanksgiving, Vegetables
2 Comments
05
Aug 2013
Aug 2013
Oysters Rockefeller is one of those legendary New Orleans French-Creole dishes that has wowed locals and visitors alike since 1899. The dish was created back then by chef and restaurateur Jules Alciatore of Antoine’s Restaurant to replace and somewhat mimic the restaurant’s popular Escargots a la Bourguignonne due to a shortage of French snails. The dish was named after the affluent John D. Rockefeller because of its profoundly rich sauce.
Although Antoine’s has never divulged its secret recipe, fifth-generation proprietor Roy Guste, Jr. devised a variation of the same to include in his cookbook, The 100 [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Christmas, Main Dishes, New Orleans Classics, Oysters, Seafood, Side Dishes, Thanksgiving
Tags: Appetizers, New Orleans Classics, Oysters, Seafood 3 Comments
18
Jun 2013
Jun 2013
Back in January, I had the pleasure of meeting Amy Evans at the foodblogSouth conference in Birmingham. Amy is an oral historian with the Southern Foodways Alliance, a not-for-profit institute of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi. The organization studies the diverse food cultures of the ever-changing American South and records its findings through oral histories, photographs, documentaries and various publications. It then celebrates the regions cultural “creators and keepers,” as I like to call them, by sharing their stories with anyone and everyone through various festivals, field trips and an annual symposium. [ ... ]
