Blog Archives
17
Nov 2011
Nov 2011
During this time of year, Louisiana Gulf oysters are at their peak with a balanced flavor of salty-sweet and a silky texture with a meaty bite. Their subtle goodness adapts well to all kinds of preparations and ingredients, which is why they’re figured into so many New Orleans holiday menus. My relatives celebrate the season with oysters eaten raw, Rockefellered, fried and even chargrilled. But the dish that reigns supreme has and always will be Oyster Dressing.
I’m the fourth or fifth generation to be making this wonderful dressing which comes together with only a handful of ingredients that enhance, and [ ... ]
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
10
Nov 2011
Nov 2011
When you grow up in New Orleans, a city surrounded by and practically floating on water, you cut your teeth on fresh seafood. I’m talking succulent shrimp, briny oysters, meaty blue crabs and subtle, sweet crawfish (not to mention a huge variety of fish, turtle, alligator and frog legs). And when your dad’s a shrimper, like mine was, at a very young age you become intimately acquainted with the vast waterways that house those creatures … whether you like it or not!
I actually liked the whole boating, shrimping thing. During the summer months, I’d occasionally join my dad on a [ ... ]
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
03
Nov 2011
Nov 2011
In New Orleans, there’s pot roast and then there’s Creole Daube. Creole Daube, or daube (pronounced “dohb”) for short, is what you get when you blend a French braising technique with an Italian (“red”) gravy and a roux–the typical melding of flavors, cultures and cuisines that takes place in most New Orleans family kitchens on a daily basis. Together, these three things magically transform an inexpensive cut of beef such as a rump, a shoulder or a chuck roast into deeply flavored and tender comfort food. In our family, daube was usually a Sunday supper meal served over pasta or [ ... ]
30
Oct 2011
Oct 2011
One of my favorite Halloween traditions is bringing the kids to the pumpkin patch to pick out the one that has the best jack-o’-lantern-potential. Mind you this is no easy task, which is why we generally end up transporting three or four worthy candidates back to the house for consideration. Our pumpkin preferences read like a page out of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. My oldest daughter Chandler is always attracted to the largest pumpkin on the lot. But around here, those babies are way too big to fit in the family vehicle (thank God). [ ... ]
28
Oct 2011
Oct 2011
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Sometimes I like taking elegant dishes, you know the ones that are often reserved for special occasions, and make them fun and approachable so they can be enjoyed often and in a more relaxed setting. That’s what I’ve done with Crabmeat Mornay. Instead of serving it in a fancy chafing dish or individual ramekins, I spoon the rich, cheesy mixture into mini-phyllo shells and serve them right out of the oven. By doing so, I able to turn a regal appetizer into a perfectly portioned finger food. What’s also nice is that the mornay can be made a day in [ ... ]
Category: Appetizers, Crab, Finger Food Fridays, Seafood
Tags: Crabmeat, Finger Food Fridays Comments off
21
Oct 2011
Oct 2011
South Louisiana is known for producing some really interesting and absolutely delicious food products. And while most of us New Orleanians are quick to try just about anything put in front of us, people outside the area are not so eager. Moving to North Georgia and entertaining new friends was a testament to that. But although guarded, my new buddies were genuinely interested in and enamored by our food and food culture. They just didn’t know how the heck to cook or eat half of it! Through years of entertaining New Orleans style, we’ve enjoyed teaching our “Georgia Peaches” how [ ... ]
20
Oct 2011
Oct 2011
Twice Baked Potatoes need little introduction. The basic recipe’s been around forever. But it took my youngest daughter Blair to remind me that I don’t make this straightforward and deliciously simple side often enough.
Blair is a foodie in her own right … has been ever since she took a stance against jarred baby food at the ripe old age of 9 months. She eats everything and anything and is quick to assess when too much time has passed since her last helping of a favorite dish (and there are many)! Last week while digging in the pantry for an [ ... ]
Category: Side Dishes, Vegetables
2 Comments
14
Oct 2011
Oct 2011
My kids love the white cheese dip they serve at all the Mexican restaurants around here. A couple of years ago, the son of one of those restaurant managers and my son ended up in the same class. As a Mother’s Day gift, the students made a cookbook of favorite family recipes (that were collected with help from the dads). When my son arrived home from school on that Friday before my special day, he came charging through the door waving the cookbook in his hand yelling, “I’ve got the recipe! I’ve got the recipe!” As luck would have it, [ ... ]
