Blog Archives
22
Jul 2013
Jul 2013
Pain Perdu is French for “lost bread.” In New Orleans, the two terms are used interchangeably to describe the City’s decadent take on French toast. Our version reflects one of many ways we breathe new life into stale bread, bread that would otherwise be “lost” or trashed. That new life comes by way of a custard bath and patient pan frying. Although it doesn’t look like much on paper, the ingredients and the process come together to create an extraordinary breakfast treat. When properly prepared, Lost Bread will have a creme brulee-esque bite to it. [ ... ]
Category: Breakfast, New Orleans Classics
One Comment
10
Jul 2013
Jul 2013
A Blueberry Gateau (or gâteau if you choose to write it as the French would with a circumflex accent, not unlike the one over the second “e” in my name) is simply a blueberry cake. In this instance, it’s a light sponge cake decorated with fresh blueberries and a dusting of powdered sugar. I’ve been making this delightful sweet treat, which doubles nicely as a breakfast item, for years. Unfortunately, though, I don’t know where my recipe came from. If I had to guess, I’d say I copied it many years ago from either the old food section of the [ ... ]
02
Jul 2013
Jul 2013
Some say it’s nothing more than a grilling gimmick, that beer can chicken. Those Negative Nellies complain that the beer does nothing to keep the bird moist, the can-filled cavity inhibits even cooking and a perfectly good brew goes to waste. I don’t know about all that. My beer can chicken always turns out super juicy (okay, I’m sure my herbed butter has a little something to do with that) and I’ve never had a problem with uneven cooking. I firmly believe the heat generated by the aluminum can actually helps the inside of the bird [ ... ]
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. [ ... ]
14
Jun 2013
Jun 2013
I know I sound like a broken record when I talk about how I’m not a baker and don’t really enjoy the process. On the rare occasions when I do bake, however, I expect those items to be the best they can be. When it comes to chocolate chip cookies (the number one sweet finger food in this house), the best of the best in my book are ones with crispy exteriors and chewy, borderline cakey, interiors. I’ve been working on this recipe for years and I think I’ve finally got it exactly where I want it–just in time for [ ... ]
Category: Desserts, Finger Food Fridays, Snacks
Tags: Desserts, Finger Food Fridays, Snacks Comments off
07
Jun 2013
Jun 2013
Growing up, I was served and came to enjoy fruit as a solitary food group. In my household fruits, regardless of their color, texture or versatility, were eaten alone. Never did they mingle with other fruits or foods. There was no fruit salad, no cereal topped with fruit and no fruit-embellished dishes of any kind including desserts (well, with the exception of Banana’s Foster and Cherries Jubliee which were served only on special occasions and usually prepared by my Uncle Teddy). I never thought twice about it until I entered my late teens and began dining [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Fruit, Side Dishes, Snacks
9 Comments
30
May 2013
May 2013
Creole mustard, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways:
Transformed into a Sweet and Tangy Dipping Sauce;
Stirred into a rocking Remoulade Sauce;
Tucked inside Crescent City Cocktail Meatballs;
Blended to make Better Cheddar;
Schmeared on hot dogs;
Slathered on French fries;
Elevated in Cajun Egg Rolls;
Twice Cooked with Corned Beef; and
Whipped into a delightfully tangy salad dressing (which also doubles nicely as a dashing dipping sauce for steamed veggies, especially artichokes)!
Creole Mustard Vinaigrette Recipe
1/4 cup Zatarain’s Creole Mustard
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon Lea & Perrins (Worcestershire sauce)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup extra virgin olive [ ... ]
Category: Salad
2 Comments
24
May 2013
May 2013
Welcome to the first Finger Food Friday of summer vacation! I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am that school’s out. It’s been a busy and stressful 10 months. And for the first time in their little academic careers, I must say my kids have truly earned this break! They’re all looking forward to sleeping in, lounging around and spending extra time with their buddies. Of course, that means the hubby and I will be spending extra time with our buddies too. Time to ramp up the finger food menu. [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Finger Food Fridays, Pork, Side Dishes, Snacks
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15
May 2013
May 2013
Prior to becoming a mom of three, a business owner and a food writer/blogger, I was a legal secretary and a paralegal. In New Orleans, I worked for a large law firm that occupied the top two levels of the One Shell Square building on the corner of Poydras Street and St. Charles Avenue. Loved the job, really loved the people I worked with and loved, loved the location. That’s because One Shell Square is situated in the heart of the New Orleans Central Business District, or what the locals call the CBD, and the CBD is [ ... ]
Category: Chicken, Main Dishes, Miscellaneous, New Orleans Classics, Roux
Tags: Chicken, Roux 2 Comments
03
May 2013
May 2013
The hubby and I have been together almost 20 years (I was really, really young when we starting dating. Wink! Wink!). And while we’re not the perfect couple, we do pride ourselves on working hard at keeping our relationship strong. A big part of that is carving out time for each other. We frequently schedule lunch dates and sneak in the occasional night out. But all those outings combined don’t come close to measuring up to the kidless weekends we share each year at the New Orleans Jazz Fest! We’ve been enjoying these date [ ... ]
Category: Crab, Finger Food Fridays, Main Dishes, Po-Boys, Poor Boys, Seafood
Tags: crab, Finger Food Fridays, Seafood 2 Comments
