Listen up: Vegetables take center stage in this Portobello and Arugula Salad with Fried Okra Croutons. Soaked with intense flavor, pan-sautéed to perfection, and combined with fresh herbs, heirloom tomatoes, and a drizzle of pecan oil vinaigrette, these mushrooms are elevated to the center-of-the-plate star attraction. What could be better? Crown the platter with crispy…
Radish and Goat Cheese Tartine
So, what exactly is a tartine? By definition, it’s a French open-faced sandwich with sweet or savory ingredients. A rather fancy little word that conjures up snooty French folks taking dainty bites in between sips of their French 75. Not exactly down-home Cajun fare is it? Well, I beg to differ. This Radish and Goat…
Cajun Rice Bowl with Griddled Shrimp
Brown rice isn’t my thing, but my daughter Lo (remember, she moved to La La Land) recently teamed up with Roxanne to add a healthier regimen to my Acadiana Table. Ok, so roasted pork belly, bacon-wrapped meat loaf, and boudin gravy need to be brought into balance with a few healthy choices; although I don’t…
Duck and Brie Pizza
The perfect pizza has been a lifelong quest. Across the world and closer to home, I’ve visited the acclaimed chefs and prowled the back alley dives for just one bite of the perfect pie. I’m not talking about your typical red sauce-laden, mozzarella-coated, pepperoni-dotted New York pizza or even your deep-dish, lasagna-like Chicago version. No,…
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 even a “Frenched” bone exposed…
Mustard Quail Egg Potato Salad
In South Louisiana, you won’t find a fish fry, backyard barbecue, or even a steaming bowl of gumbo that doesn’t have a scoop of potato salad at the ready. It’s a Southern thing, and a familiar down-home southern Louisiana preparation is a mustard-infused potato salad. While this ubiquitous dish is expected and accepted, it is…
Cajun-Spiced Lettuce Cups with Vidalia Onion Relish
I must confess that, like many of you, I always start the year off with a goal of eating lighter, but living in Acadiana–ground zero for the most amazing food culture in America–it is a daunting task. So today I am offering a compromise of sorts: These Cajun-Spiced Lettuce Cups deliver on the spicy Cajun…
Fried Green Tomato Shrimp Rémoulade
When I glance at a menu and see anything featuring rémoulade sauce, I’m salivating. Usually, it’s a straightforward shrimp appetizer served on a bed of shredded iceberg that in the hands of a cook that has their rémoulade repertoire figured out is well worth ordering. But recently I was astounded to find a spin on shrimp rémoulade…
Kale Caesar with Grilled Shrimp
For the past few years, fresh kale has been on a run showing up on restaurant menus all over America. Even here at my Acadiana Table, I’ve tossed it into soups, braised it in stews and served it pan sautéed as a side dish. So, this weekend I stumbled on a neat trick while making…
Blackened Brussels & Kale Salad
Ever since renowned Cajun Chef Paul Prudhomme blackened his first redfish in the 1980s, you would think that all South Louisiana folks burn just about everything they cook. Not so. But just go to any wanna-be Cajun restaurant outside of Louisiana and you’ll see a menu full of these overdone dishes. Enough already. Or well,…