Grilled Tuna Salad Nicoise with Creole Citrus Vinaigrette
By George Graham
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 in southern France, Roxanne and I recall…
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...]
Fillet of Flounder with Crabmeat Dressing
Layers of flavor elevate this dish! The punch of saffron and lemon in the smooth velouté sauce contrasts the sweet blue crab and fresh Gulf fish in this Fillet of Flounder with Crabmeat Dressing. This recipe is exceptional in every way. Of all the coastal Louisiana fish species, flounder is … [Read More...]
Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic
This Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic will forever redefine the complexity of flavor that comes from these pungent little pods that tingle, tantalize, and tangle the taste buds. As the chicken roasts and releases its inner juice into the pot, it combines with the sweet scent of garlic and wine … [Read More...]
Crabmeat-Stuffed Artichoke
When I saw the large artichokes stacked high at the produce stand, I knew in an instant that crabmeat-stuffed artichoke would be the perfect dish for a summertime appetizer. It was time to get stuffing. Though hardly Cajun, globe artichokes are actually a cultivated variety of thistle. But, … [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...]
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...]
Whole Flounder stuffed with Louisiana Shrimp
To me, flounder is flat-out the most delectable of all the Gulf finfish. And for my money, a classic Cajun recipe for stuffed whole flounder with wild-caught, Gulf shrimp is the ultimate dish for someone as seafood-obsessed as me. Whenever I see it on a restaurant menu, I can’t resist. And I … [Read More...]
Strawberry Muffins
Scratch-baking a batch of strawberry muffins sounds like a lot of work for a fruit that is so easily consumed simply piled high atop a scoop of ice cream or morning bowl of cereal, but there is a reason. When baked, Louisiana strawberries take on a deeper and richer taste--a syrupy sweet depth of … [Read More...]
Peggy’s Skillet Fried Chicken
Peggy is my momma. She passed away some time ago, but not before I learned her secret to the perfect fried chicken that I affectionately call Peggy's Skillet Fried Chicken. She was a wiz in the kitchen and taught me the basics of cooking simply. She was a patient cook and knew that time was the most … [Read More...]
Hopper Poppers: Bacon-Wrapped Rabbit Poppers
This Hopper Popper might be the best single-bite appetizer you’ve ever tasted. A spicy jalapeno pepper filled with Brie cheese surrounds buttermilk-brined rabbit meat in a smoky bacon-wrapped package that is deep-fried golden brown. Oh yeah! Not quite sure when this whole “popper” thing burst … [Read More...]
Chic Steak Sandwich at the Acme Café
Ding…ding…ding! Order up! Chic Steak Sandwich, extra mayo, hold the pickle! My father, George Graham, Sr., was slinging burgers at White Tower in Michigan in the years before WW II and wound up welding aircraft parts in a factory in Detroit until war’s end. Flush with cash and a dream, he and my … [Read More...]
Crab and Avocado Napoleon with Spicy Citrus Salsa and Creole Green Goddess
More and more these days, I’m seeing traditional South Louisiana restaurants serving Cajun and Creole dishes with plate presentation techniques that impress. The days of a sprig of parsley and wedge of lemon are over. Simple things: a swish of sauce, a cedar plank fish, a scooped-out bread bowl, or … [Read More...]