The slow-simmered pork in my Peppered Pork Chops gently bubbles in a black-iron cauldron of Caribbean ingredients with aromatics, herbs, and spices delivering wave after wave of flavor. And when served over my citrusy Pineapple Jasmine Rice, you’ll be booking a flight to the islands. It was twenty-six years ago (August 8th, 1992) that Roxanne…
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…
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 crawfish just sucking up the…
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 this dish. It’s not only…
Squirrel Stew
This is camp cooking at its tastiest: meaty morsels of squirrel meat rendered fall-off-the-bone tender in a rich dark gravy with a spicy Cajun kick of seasoning. Squirrel Stew is a twice a year seasonal treat that rural folks look forward to every fall and spring. Of all the small game species, squirrel is a…
Cajun Cuban Sandwich
With the crunchy snap of your first bite into my Cajun Cuban Sandwich, you just know this one is special. With the unmistakable punch of Creole mustard and the ooze of melted pepper jack blending with all the traditional ingredients in this multi-cultural version of the famous sandwich, this recipe will up your kitchen cred…
Deer Sausage and Shrimp Jambalaya
Simmering down a black pot of rice infused with vine-ripened tomatoes, fresh aromatics, and garden-grown herbs punched with the depth of flavor of smoky sausage is about as comforting as South Louisiana food can get. But when those tomatoes are of the Creole variety, the sausage features the bold flavors of venison mixed with pork,…
Kitchen Inspiration: Fresh Summer Corn Gets a Creative Sandwich Makeover
With one bite into the crackling crisp crust of this Griddled Corn Panini, you realize that sweet summer corn is for much more than the usual vegetable side-dish recipe. Farm fresh corn combines with the smoke of Cajun tasso for a buttery and cheesy sandwich combination. If you follow Acadiana Table, you clearly understand how…
When Life Gives You Lemons, Spike It With Rum
While a big pitcher of homemade lemonade brings genteel Southern credibility to any backyard gathering, I profess that adding a splash (or two) of rum to the tall glass can only lengthen the slow drawl of the conversation. And clipping fresh sprigs of rosemary to add to the mix brings fragrance to the nose while…
Fresh Ham Roast
Ginger-kissed with a mustard-glazed sweetness, this fresh ham roast is a revelation of how juicy, flavorful, and succulent this cut of pork can be. But, the key to it is in getting to know your farmer, and learning how he cares, feeds, and humanely raises his livestock. It is the essence of sustainability in eating…