Fried Oyster Sandwich on Brioche Bun
This sandwich is perfection on a bun. Crispy, flash-fried Louisiana oysters nestled in a soft, brioche-type bun, studded with jalapeno peppers and slathered with sauce. It is crave-worthy indeed. Rachael’s Cafe in Lafayette, Louisiana, is home to this sandwich perfection. Just off busy Kaliste Saloom Road and tucked into a nondescript strip shopping center that’s…
White Beans with Hambone: The Instant Pot Version
Smoky, meaty, warming, and filling with a depth of Cajun spice, my White Beans infused with a flavor-packed hambone is comfort in a bowl. There are times that my sole purpose for baking a whole bone-in ham is for the hambone. While I don’t profess that you go to that extreme, I do expect that … [Read More...]
Louisiana Oyster Skillet
Your taste buds light up with the first bite into a plump Louisiana oyster releasing its briny Gulf flavor and combining with a creamy, liqueur-infused sauce for a taste explosion that makes you reach for more. It’s the perfect appetizer or party dish. What’s even better is that this … [Read More...]
Teal Stuffed with Mustard Greens and Sweet Potatoes
This hunting lodge recipe for Teal Stuffed with Mustard Greens and Sweet Potatoes combines everything I love about the glorious Cajun foodways I write about. This dish takes flight in a tough wild duck stuffed with aromatics, greens, and the sweet kiss of Louisiana yams. It’s slow-simmered in a … [Read More...]
Tomato Cheese Tart
One bite of the flaky piecrust infused with herbs and cheeses and topped deliciously with ripe heirloom tomatoes will unlock your taste buds and send them to that delicious culinary hiding place in your brain. You know where I mean, and you know that you don’t visit that place as often as you like, … [Read More...]
Overstuffed Fried Crawfish Po’Boy
It’s the crispy crunch of the first bite into this sandwich that signals all the good things to come. It’s sensory overload when hot, right-out-of-the-fryer crawfish tails meet the perfectly dressed French bread loaf in the po’boy of my dreams—the Overstuffed Fried Crawfish Po’Boy. Whenever I … [Read More...]
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Sunday dinner is for basic, comfort food, and my wife, Roxanne, brought out the bells this past weekend. There is something about the sweet flavor of bell peppers stuffed with a meaty medley of pork, beef, aromatics, herbs, and spices that rings true to the culture of Cajun cooking. This is a recipe … [Read More...]
Jacked Up Short Ribs
So, here’s the long and short of it. I am short rib obsessed. There is something about this underrated cut of beef that I love. It is incredibly versatile, and I use it for everything from burgers to a center of the plate entrée like this Jacked Up Short Ribs. This recipe (he makes it with … [Read More...]
Summer Squash Soup
Slow simmered and puréed into a smooth, bisque-like creaminess, my Summer Squash Soup explodes with the fresh flavors of the season. Spiced with a light hand, I love how the vegetables shine brightly with just a hint of mint and the gentle bite of sweet onion. While I confess to eating … [Read More...]
Cajun Seafood Gumbo
The very first spoonful of this soul-satisfying brew is the essence of the fall season in Cajun country. With bold flavors of Louisiana seafood (oysters, shrimp, and crab) harvested from nearby Gulf waters and crawfish from inland ponds, it is further intensified with dark roux, smoked sausage, and … [Read More...]
Beef and Broccoli with Jasmine Rice
Chunks of ground beef and florets of perfectly cooked broccoli come to life in this sassy, saucy combination of flavors. It’s spicy, sweet, and when spooned over aromatic jasmine rice, it could be the perfect dish. Sometimes culinary inspiration is found in the simplest of places. Recently, … [Read More...]
Grilled Tuna Salad Nicoise with Creole Citrus Vinaigrette
Salty, acidic, peppery and sweet are the defining taste elements of my Grilled Tuna Salad Nicoise with Creole Citrus Vinaigrette and taking a few tricks from my Cajun playbook of culinary techniques, I think we might have just elevated this French classic to another level. During past travels … [Read More...]
Frozen Mojito
The scent of fresh mint permeates this slushy cocktail, and the squeezed lime adds a pucker to the punch of rum that defines the perfect Frozen Mojito. Time to cool down! Summer days in Louisiana can be notoriously hot; I mean sweltering, suffocating hot. Hot enough to spend half the day in … [Read More...]
Garlic Shrimp Crostini
As the Louisiana shrimp season kicks into high gear, I'm craving all things shrimp. Sometimes I feel like a character in the movie Forrest Gump as I reel off my favorite Cajun recipes: shrimp gumbo, shrimp Creole, shrimp jambalaya, fried shrimp, stuffed shrimp, oh well, you get it. My … [Read More...]
A July 4th Tradition: The Bluesiana Burger
The Fourth of July holiday is my favorite family holiday: no last-minute dash for flowers, no arduous trek to the mall for gifts, not even a holiday card. It’s just a leisurely American celebration of family and freedom. And it’s the perfect day to fire up the grill. I’ve always had a hunger for … [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...]