Blog Archives
19
Oct 2012
Oct 2012
It’s happening again. Another one of my dear friends is moving. Thankfully this one, Brenda, is not moving too far and will be forced to frequent our part of town for work and “major necessities” (manicures and hair cuts)! Brenda and I have been friends since I moved to Atlanta from New Orleans. Our friendship began on the tennis courts. Both of us, for that matter our entire team, were newbies. On the court, we learned the sport of tennis. Off the court, we learned how to build families out of friendships. In the early days, we spent many, many Wednesday [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Beef, Finger Food Fridays, Snacks
One Comment
13
Oct 2012
Oct 2012
According to the turn of the century cookbook, The Picayune Creole Cook Book, a grillade (pronounced “gree-yahd”) is a square of fried meat cooked down with onions, tomatoes, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. The cookbook indicates that plain and breaded (“Grillades Panées”) versions of this “fried meat” were served primarily as hearty breakfast items alongside things like cracked wheat, apple fritters and café au lait. Among the poorer classes of Creoles, grillades were also served at dinner “with gravy” (“Grillades à la Sauce”) and a “dish of red beans and boiled rice.” At some point between then and now, [ ... ]
Category: Beef, Breakfast, Main Dishes, New Orleans Classics, Pork, Roux
Tags: Beef, Breakfast, New Orleans Classics, Pork, Roux, Veal 3 Comments
05
Oct 2012
Oct 2012
I’m having a hard time transitioning with the seasons. Not summer to fall. Crab to oyster! Just when I thought I had had my fill of those luscious Louisiana blue crabs in all their glorious incarnations, bam! I remembered this gem of a finger food that I’ve never shared with you all. Years back, this bread was the first appetizer I made for any get-together. Then, somehow, it got overshadowed by the likes of Cajun Egg Rolls, Andouille Baked Brie and Corn Dip. Today, I’m putting it back in the limelight for reasons you’ll soon understand!
This recipe deserves to be [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Crab, Finger Food Fridays, Po-Boys, Seafood
3 Comments
01
Oct 2012
Oct 2012
This soup is tied to one of my earliest cooking disasters. One day while I was in the seventh grade home alone and bored, I decided to make–or attempt to make–Oyster and Artichoke Soup. I had no idea what I was doing and didn’t even think to ask for help or search for a recipe (which at that time would have been limited to my mom’s red accordion recipe file and a couple of regional cookbooks). My only points of reference were a flavor memory I had banked from a local restaurant meal and the title of that menu item. [ ... ]
Category: Main Dishes, New Orleans Classics, Roux, Seafood, Soups
4 Comments
28
Sep 2012
Sep 2012
I’ve been under the weather this week and yearning for a big bowl of warm, soothing and spicy gumbo. I just couldn’t find the time or energy to pull it together. So yesterday morning the thought came to me to prepare a knock off of my Chicken and Andouille Gumbo in finger food form. And here it is! What do you think? Okay. Not a fair question since you haven’t tasted it yet. But let me say, these meatballs rock. They’re light and flavorful and perfectly seasoned, especially when partnered up with the gravy (or sauce or whatever you want [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Chicken, Finger Food Fridays, Gumbo, New Orleans Classics, Poor Boys, Pork, Roux, Sauces
Tags: andouille sausage, Appetizers, Chicken, Finger Food Fridays, Roux One Comment
26
Sep 2012
Sep 2012
Have you ever tried to jot down a recipe while standing over the shoulder of a relative who was whipping things up at the stove? Or better yet, have you ever attempted to decode your grandmother’s shorthand from a stack of decades-old, splattered and stained recipe cards? If so, kudos to you because I know that means you’ve at least attempted to preserve a family recipe that meant something to you. Well, that’s what I do with all my spare time. I work tirelessly collecting, organizing, testing, writing, photographing and posting family recipes. It’s the easiest and most [ ... ]
Category: Crab, Main Dishes, New Orleans Classics, Seafood
2 Comments
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
04
Sep 2012
Sep 2012
If you’re a Raised on a Roux Facebook fan, you know that I spent most of last week “cooking up a storm” in case my family decided to head this way to escape the wrath of ugly Hurricane Isaac. It was part of my hurricane preparedness plan. Even though I currently live 500 miles from New Orleans and am finally outside any hurricane zone, I still plan. The plan is just different now. Instead of gassing up my car, collecting memorabilia, stuffing important documents into waterproof containers, filling the bathtub with water, duck-taping windows and tying down everything not [ ... ]
Category: Main Dishes, Pork
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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
