Watermelon Bread
Watermelon stands lining the side of the rural parish roads are an especially Southern thing. Truckloads begin arriving as the temperature soars, and there is no better way to cool down than a slice of ice-cold watermelon on the back porch steps. Or maybe there is: Watermelon Bread – hot out of the oven. I’ve…
Pan-Griddled Pork Chops with Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes and Mustard Green Gravy
I never met a pork chop I didn’t like. Ok, if you’ve spent any time at my Acadiana Table you know I love pork chops, and the simpler the better. This weekend, Roxanne decided to make my favorite Cajun recipe for pan-griddled pork chops and mashed potatoes for dinner, and I decided to join in and … [Read More...]
Strawberry Shortcake Jars
In the South, strawberry shortcake and the 4th of July just go hand-in-hand. There’s no better way to top off a backyard holiday barbecue than with fresh seasonal fruit topped with whipped cream. These Strawberry Shortcake Jars are the simplest recipe that delivers crowd-pleasing results every … [Read More...]
Grilled Apricot and Herb Salad
Lazy summer days in the South are for eating light and this Grilled Apricot and Herb Salad keys on the freshest fruit and garden herbs you can source in a tasty (and healthy) combination. Time to slow down and enjoy life. Even in these stay-at-home days, life is moving fast--too fast. It’s … [Read More...]
Jockamo Chicken with Fettuccine in a Smoked Tasso Cream Reduction
Chicken just got a Cajun makeover in this Jockamo Chicken with Fettuccine in a Smoked Tasso Cream recipe featuring the malty flavor of beer in a cream reduction. Spiked with seasoned tasso ham and grated Romano cheese, we're elevating chicken to new heights. Not sure exactly how it happened, … [Read More...]
Sweet Dough. Sweet Life.
Blackberry Sweet Dough Pie with delicate pastry focuses on the burst of juicy flavor from sweet blackberries picked fresh. It is a dish that brings me back to a time long ago and the flavors I long for. Among my fondest memories of growing up in the Deep South are picking pails of fresh … [Read More...]
Who Has The Best Burger in Acadiana?
It's burger season, ya'll! National Hamburger Week and the Memorial Day holiday are all the signals South Louisiana needs to fire up the grill and break out the buns. Put away the propane crawfish boiling rigs; summertime backyard burger bashes are firing up all over Acadiana. “Who has the … [Read More...]
Fried Softshell Crab topped with Crawfish Étouffée
Lately, I’ve gotten lots of questions from folks outside of Louisiana who want to know more about the restaurant scene in South Louisiana. Well, I could write volumes on the subject and still not cover it all. The pages of Acadiana Table are a good start, but I have a continually growing backlog of … [Read More...]
Oysters Supreme
David Bertrand runs Shucks seafood house in Abbeville, Louisiana with an eye for detail. Along with his partner Bert Istre, they share a keen understanding of the tastes of their South Louisiana customers. This is not a tourist haunt, and it’s not an upscale, white-tablecloth eatery with a big-name … [Read More...]
Cajun Crawtator Casserole
Smashed Yukon Gold potatoes infused with fresh herbs, Cajun spice, and creamy Greek yogurt reaches new culinary heights with the addition of rich Louisiana crawfish tail meat. And the crunch of Zapp's Crawtator kettle-fried potato chips is the pièce de résistance. It's pure comfort in a casserole … [Read More...]
Farmhouse Frittata with Lavender Cream
My neighbor Cookie who lives across the alley is a sweet ray of sunshine that brightens my day and occasionally brings breakfast to my back door. I’m blessed to have a former caterer as my friend, and thankfully, she still delivers. She is an exceptional cook and this particular morning she … [Read More...]
I Found My Thrill: Blueberry Cream Pie
With words reminiscent of immortal Louisiana bluesman Fats Domino, I found my thrill on this hill of blueberries piled high on a mountain of cream. And one bite of this easy-to-assemble Blueberry Cream Pie will make you sing the blues, too. Who knew that a magnificent Blueberry Cream Pie … [Read More...]
Crawfish: An Industry That Needs Your Help
At the peak of what was forecast to be an “epic” crawfish season, COVID-19 has shut down channels of distribution threatening the livelihood of Louisiana crawfish farmers and the future of the industry. With closure to dine-in service, it is reported that farmers can only sell 10 to 15 … [Read More...]
Comfort in a Casserole: Seafood Mac and Cheese
There is nothing more comforting than a bowl of macaroni and cheese. Spending more time at home these days, it's time to kick back and relax. And every family loves mac and cheese; it's time to indulge that mac obsession, but with a twist. No processed and packaged noodles here, I decided to up the … [Read More...]
Gumbo Z’herbes – A Religious Experience
As in most culinary cultures, religion has an impact on the dishes of South Louisiana with gumbo z’herbes being an example. In the predominantly Catholic region of Acadiana, meat is consumed sparingly during the Lenten season leading up to Easter and this “gumbo of herbs” has become an alternative … [Read More...]
Spotlight: Pop’s Poboys
When it comes to creative interpretations of the iconic Louisiana po'boy, Chef Collin Cormier and his Pop's Poboy menu delivers every time. This small, family-owned business has been in operation in downtown Lafayette for five years, and it has only gotten better. From the culinary idea man … [Read More...]