Frostop and The Lot-O-Burger
Fresh hand-pressed beef griddled on the flat-top is dressed to impress on a sesame seed bun; it’s my all-time favorite fast-food burger—the Lot-O-Burger, my teenage years between two slices of bread. High school reunions come at you fast. They come in 10s and 20s and 30s as capsuled packets of time that shine light like…
Making Cherry Bounce
Deep, dark, and volatile is the most expressive way to describe this explosive elixir. It’s Cherry Bounce--a tasty combination that plays on two of my favorite themes: Kentucky bourbon and ripe cherries. Just one sip of the smoky roundness of bourbon kissed with the sweet juice of dark cherries and … [Read More...]
Ribeye Steak and Blistered Shishitos with Brown Butter
When sliced thick and pink in the center, a well-marbled ribeye steak delivers a depth of meaty flavor that can only be improved with just a dab of nutty brown butter. And when paired with grilled shishitos--a chili pepper that balances spiciness with subtlety--along with a sprinkle of flake sea … [Read More...]
Baked Flounder with Spring Onion Gratin
As the heady scent of anise releases from the fresh tarragon leaves and perfumes my cheesy cream reduction, this spring onion gratin crusts over and forms the perfect platform for saucing my freshly filleted flounder. With each bite of the rich sauce coating the tangy onions and delicate flounder, … [Read More...]
Nature’s Canvas: Spring Harvest Salad with Creole Mustard Vinaigrette
This eye-popping salad is not a recipe, but rather an individual work of art that expresses your own creative interpretation of springtime. It is as delicious to eat as it is beautiful to look at. And with fresh greens, herbs, vegetables, and Gulf shrimp layered into an edible canvas painted with a … [Read More...]
Singin’ the blues with my Blueberry Basil Pastry
Fresh blueberries rock my world. And when jammin’ with sweet basil and stuffed inside a crispy pastry, I just can’t get enough. I can assure you this Blueberry Basil Pastry will rock your world, too. You might call these turnovers, tarts, or even a hot pocket, but by any name, they are the … [Read More...]
Rack of Lamb with Blackberry Wine Sauce
Lamb chops seasoned to perfection with a crusty exterior and cooked to a rosy pink are just about as good as it gets. And with a ready supply of lamb racks at my local meat counters and supermarkets, this Rack of Lamb with Blackberry Wine Sauce is a recipe that can be served on my dinner table all … [Read More...]
A Slice of Spring: Heirloom Tomato Sandwich on Sourdough with Garlic Aioli
With the crisp snap of the first bite of grilled sourdough, I can taste the dual combination of smooth goat cheese, and creamy garlic aioli as the intense juice of the heirloom tomato flows over my tongue. My taste receptors are in overdrive as the flavors meld together into my Heirloom Tomato … [Read More...]
Two-Step Boiled Louisiana Crawfish
Just think of it: With my recipe for Two-Step Boiled Louisiana Crawfish, it's whole crawfish boiled to perfection and then drenched in a spicy cauldron of Asian flavors. Ginger, orange, garlic, peppers and lemon with a velvety cloak of rich butter sizzling in a wok filled with three pounds of boiled … [Read More...]
Risotto 101
Creamy risotto perfumed with fresh herbs, slow-simmered in wine, elevated with briny Gulf shrimp from the waters off the coast of Louisiana, and finished with Louisiana pecan oil is delicious perfection in my food world. And when you learn my simple technique for Shrimp Risotto, your risotto world … [Read More...]
Wild Catfish Fillets in Satsuma-Lemon Meunière Sauce
Taming the wild catfish is at the center of this recipe for Catfish Fillets in Satsuma-Lemon Meunière Sauce featuring a glaze of citrus butter with floral notes of white wine and rosemary along with the contrast of toasted Louisiana pecans—a classic combination. I love the challenge of taking … [Read More...]
Braised Collards in Hock Stock–The Soul of Southern Cooking
When it comes to Southern cooking, collard greens are the soul of the South, and in this recipe for Braised Collards in Hock Stock, I’m getting back to my roots. And with my step-by-step video I've included in this story, you can easily get back to your roots as well. There's history … [Read More...]
Memories on the Half Shell
My daddy was an oyster man. Oh, I don’t mean a fisherman who plies his trade harvesting sack after sack of fresh oysters from Louisiana's Gulf waters, but rather, my dad was obsessed with eating them. Baked oysters, fried oysters, oyster stew, and oyster po’boys were all part of my dad’s oyster … [Read More...]
Shrimp and Egg Stew
With its rich shrimp flavor and hard-boiled eggs soaking up all the dark juices, this is a Cajun post-Mardi Gras tradition—a Lenten dish called Shrimp and Egg Stew. Adeline Landry Gary Fontenot is my mother-in-law's nanny (godmother). She grew up in Estherwood, Louisiana and moved to … [Read More...]
Chicken Marsala
A boneless breast of chicken pounded a la scallopini, seasoned, breaded, and pan-fried in olive oil and butter is a thing of beauty. But when ignited with a splash of intense Marsala wine and infused with garlic and mushrooms, these ingredients come together in a masterful Chicken Marsala that … [Read More...]
Short Ribs with Coffee Gravy
Braised on the bone, these English-cut Short Ribs with Coffee Gravy are dripping with the dark, earthy flavors of the Louisiana terroir they come from. The thick, rich, savory gravy with the smell of dark roast coffee has a slight edge of sticky sweetness from the sugarcane molasses that balances … [Read More...]