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…
Jam Jars in July
These jam jars are Southern, and sweet, and so delicious. Jam jars make me think of all the summers of my life. Tiptoeing barefoot through my backyard with an empty quart jar in one hand and a screw-top lid in the other pursuing those big black bumblebees that buzzed around the azaleas along our fence…
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…
Figs and Fluff
Late summer figs are reason enough to put up with the long, hot summer in Louisiana. When it’s picking time and the juices are literally oozing from these sweet, meaty morsels, I’m there with bushel baskets in hand. And my recipe for Figs and Fluff is the best way I know to enjoy fresh figs….
Rum-Soaked Coconut Bread Pudding
Recipe inspiration can come from just about anywhere at any time. A long, lazy Saturday with family and friends by the pool sipping frozen pina coladas and chowing on cheeseburgers doesn’t always spark an idea. But, a stack of leftover hamburger buns, an unopened can of pina colada mix and a half spent bottle of…
Sweet Dough. Sweet Life.
Blackberry Sweet Dough Pie with delicate pastry focuses on the burst of juicy flavor from sweet blackberries picked fresh. It is a dish that brings me back to a time long ago and the flavors I long for. Among my fondest memories of growing up in the Deep South are picking pails of fresh blackberries…
Strawberry Muffins
Scratch-baking a batch of strawberry muffins sounds like a lot of work for a fruit that is so easily consumed simply piled high atop a scoop of ice cream or morning bowl of cereal, but there is a reason. When baked, Louisiana strawberries take on a deeper and richer taste – a syrupy sweet depth…
Chocolate Nests
This is a silly little recipe for Chocolate Nests that my daughter has perfected. It’s genius in its simplicity. But, leave it to me to complicate it a tad. My daughter Lauren is a sophomore at Louisiana State University and after spending her freshman year in the dorm, she is now living in her first…
Gateau Sirop
Nothing could be more pure and simple than a slice of Gateau Sirop—a Cajun syrup cake. This classic dessert is built on sugarcane, one of the iconic ingredients of Acadiana, and a staple in every bayou kitchen. And Gateau Sirop is one of the most popular menu items at one of Acadiana’s most popular eateries….