When it comes to bread pudding, a Louisiana boy like me is hard pressed to resist. After all, bread pudding is a tradition in these parts and who am I to break tradition? But there’s a new Cajun recipe spin on the ubiquitous dessert that’s making the rounds in local restaurant circles, and it’s a…
Sweet Potato Pie Brûlée with Bourbon Crème
If biting into a smooth and creamy slice of sweet potato pie with notes of cinnamon, and cloves, and nutmeg, and bourbon weren’t Thanksgiving enough, then pull out the blowtorch and blast away for a burnt sugar brûlée topping. This is one sweetie pie; Sweet Potato Pie Brûlée to be exact. My culinary discovery with…
I Found My Thrill: Blueberry Cream Pie
With words reminiscent of immortal Louisiana bluesman Fats Domino, I found my thrill on this hill of blueberries piled high on a mountain of cream. And one bite of this easy-to-assemble Blueberry Cream Pie will make you sing the blues, too. Who knew that a magnificent Blueberry Cream Pie recipe could be so easy? My…
Melon Ice Cream
Even at my age, summer in the South conjures up childhood memories of the many ways we fought to stay cool on those sticky hot, horrendously humid Louisiana days. It amazes me today at the simplicity of those times and how we savored the most ordinary events in our life like hand-cranked ice cream. Back…
Strawberry Shortcake Jars
In the South, strawberry shortcake and the 4th of July just go hand-in-hand. There’s no better way to top off a backyard holiday barbecue than with fresh seasonal fruit topped with whipped cream. These Strawberry Shortcake Jars are the simplest recipe that delivers crowd-pleasing results every time. So, how can we improve upon perfection? I grew…
Strawberry Cobbler with Chambord Whipped Cream
Nothing beats fresh strawberries in season, and here in South Louisiana, we are blessed with an abundance of the crop. I like them chilled over a bowl of corn flakes, crowning a big ol’ biscuit topped with ice cream, or whole berries dipped in chocolate—there’s no end to the ways I enjoy strawberries. But here…
Praline Cream Float with Spiced Rum
Ice cream floats have always been a weakness. I remember a simpler time and place sitting at the soda fountain at my neighborhood Rexall drug store sipping a root beer float and flipping the pages of the latest Archie comic. Ok, so that was a few long years ago, but the memories linger on. These…
Les Oreilles De Cochon – Pig’s Ear Pastry
I love hometown cookbooks. You know the kind I’m talking about. Not the glossy, full color, celebrity chef-endorsed titles that scream from the shelf of the big box bookstores. No, these are the quiet, little regional books–usually comb-bound with no photographs–tucked neatly in rows far from the main displays. These are the cookbooks that define…
Poached Pears in Amaretto Crème
This Poached Pears recipe brings back memories of a special vacation spent with Roxanne, and every time I make it, I relive that trip. Some years ago my wife and I made a whirlwind trip across the French countryside winding up on the Cote de Azur in the South of France. Spending a magical evening…
Watermelon Bread
Watermelon stands lining the side of the rural parish roads are an especially Southern thing. Truckloads begin arriving as the temperature soars, and there is no better way to cool down than a slice of ice-cold watermelon on the back porch steps. Or maybe there is: Watermelon Bread – hot out of the oven. I’ve…