Creamy, cheesy, smoky, bacony—there aren’t enough words to describe your first bite of this Charred Brussels Au Gratin, but that’s okay; you won’t be talking anyway. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: Brussels sprouts are the most versatile vegetable in your recipe arsenal. Baked, broiled, steamed, or boiled, there are a variety of…
Eggplant Casserole with Gulf Shrimp
With fresh, farm-to-table eggplant infused with meaty pork sausage and aromatic herbs and vegetables, this dressing is the perfect backdrop for briny Gulf shrimp. I love how it all combines with Louisiana rice in a casserole that bakes up delicious every time. Make no mistake, eggplant is the star of this recipe. It is one…
Cucuzza Squash Au Gratin
Oozing with creamy cheese and baked to golden perfection, I’m a sucker for most anything done au gratin, but when I discovered a stack of locally grown cucuzza squash piled up at my green grocer, cheesy inspiration came over me. My Cucuzza Squash Au Gratin is a fresh take on the legendary potato dish, and…
The Tastiest (and easiest) Backyard Beans
One scoop of these beans begs for another. With the first bite of my Backyard Beans with tender chunks of Richard’s Pickled Pork, flavors burst and mix with red beans sweetened with the familiar taste of Louisiana sugarcane molasses. All cooked down into a thickly glazed finish, this meaty bean pot brings magical tastes to…
Baked Flounder with Spring Onion Gratin
As the heady scent of anise releases from the fresh tarragon leaves and perfumes my cheesy cream reduction, this spring onion gratin crusts over and forms the perfect platform for saucing my freshly filleted flounder. With each bite of the rich sauce coating the tangy onions and delicate flounder, this Baked Flounder with Spring Onion…
Shrimp and Mirliton Pot Pie
Every tasty recipe is like a roadmap to a new and undiscovered place. And this Shrimp and Mirliton Pot Pie is a unique combination of down-home Southern ingredients that is well worth the trip. Just think of it: Briny shrimp and farm-fresh vegetables cooked down in a thick, creamy filling and topped with a crispy…
Mushroom and Pepper Bread Pudding
Earthy flavors grab my attention and draw me into a dark and delicious place that I find spellbinding. Such is my fascination with mushrooms, and I forage for them in the wild, stalk them in the farmers markets, and am delighted when I see them in the supermarket aisles. I’ve talked before about finding the…
Jambalaya of a different color
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,…
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…
Shrimp and Tasso Mac and Cheese
This isn’t my first mac and cheese recipe, and I assure you, it won’t be my last. You see, I love how pasta noodles encased in a cheesy cream sauce is a culinary delivery for the spicy flavors of Cajun recipe ingredients like shrimp and tasso. It is this tasty combination that comes together in…