Beautifully bitter kale takes on a bright sweetness with an overnight marination in my flavor-infused vinaigrette. And when dressed with fruit, cheese, and nuts, this Kale Salad with Sweet Dijon Vinaigrette could be the perfect summertime salad. “Too tough, too bitter, overbearing,” these are the complaints I often hear about this sometimes maligned green. But…
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, or…
Southern Chicken Liver Pâté with Muscadine Wine Pepper Jelly
There’s nothing more ooh-la-la French than a delicate spread of chicken liver pâté spooned generously on a crusty baguette. Especially in Paris, chefs take great pride in their pâtés and terrines featuring the finest ingredients all served extravagantly with grandiose fanfare. Oh, please! Come on, now. Chicken liver is as down-home dining as most any…
Potato Chip-Crusted Catfish Nuggets with Creole-Spiked Sriracha Mayo
During the Lenten season, Fridays in Cajun country means “frydays” with fried catfish as the star attraction. And this recipe is a revelation on how good this Cajun recipe can be. My catfish is encased in an impenetrable wall of crispness. Every bite explodes with flavor, shatters with a crunch of spice, and gives way…
Spicy Creole Shrimp Dip
There are certain party foods that make any event special, and of course, in the Graham family, my brother’s Spicy Creole Shrimp Dip always makes an appearance. To me, this simple recipe just says “time to party” in South Louisiana, and is a sure way to spice up any gathering. My older brother Jackie Graham…
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 chef. In fact, David is quick…
Unbridled Brie Jammin’ with bacon
Crispy golden brown pastry on top, flaky piecrust on the bottom, and a velvet creaminess oozing mellow flavors spiked with the porky flavor of bacon—that’s my Bacon Jam Baked Brie — a down-on-the-bayou, French Louisiana version of a classic baked brie. Baking a round of brie cheese in pastry has been around for decades, and…