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…
Stuffed Goo-Gootz
At the first hint of cool weather, cucuzza squash starts showing up at the farmer’s markets and produce stands around Acadiana. Some folks are unfamiliar with this elongated green squash variety, but those in the know look forward to it every autumn season. Time for a Stuffed Goo-Gootz. For most of us, cucuzza is pronounced…
Scuppernong-Glazed Bourbon Beef Ribs with Tasso Potato Gratin
I am a meticulous planner by nature as well as by profession. That attention to detail has served me well these many years, but truth be told, I’ve grown tired of it. It seems that as I’ve aged, I’ve let loose of the need to fastidiously program every waking minute of my life. Empty day…
Quinoa Salad with Louisiana Shrimp
I am a Whole Foods Market fanatic. Always have been. Many years ago, I trekked all the way to Houston just to walk the aisles of this foodie fantasyland. Then later, Whole Foods moved closer with the opening of the New Orleans market, and then even closer in Baton Rouge. My wife Roxanne teases that I…
Cajun Cracklins
I admit it. Cajun cracklins are addictive, I am a recovering cracklin’ addict and am now in a 12-step program on the way to enlightenment. Okay, so I am embellishing a bit. But, just a bit. Hear my story. I was first grabbed by the demon porcine pleasure at a later stage of life when…
Rox’s Roux
Making a dark Cajun roux from scratch is a dying art. Not too many years ago, there wasn’t a Cajun or Creole household in South Louisiana that didn’t have the unmistakably intense aroma of a dark roux, in all its glory, wafting through the kitchen. Home cooks were taught basic roux-making skills early on, and…
Pork Rib Fricassée
My Pork Rib Fricassée is a tried and true French preparation that is just as popular in Acadiana. Pork ribs, cooked down in a savory fricassée, is a classic old-school Acadian stew. Dressed up with smoked sausage, fresh rosemary out of my herb garden and field okra from Gotreaux Family Farm, it is a satisfying one-dish…
Softshell Crabs Benedict
My recent discovery of Softshell Crabs Benedict – the absolutely perfect South Louisiana brunch – came by accident. I pride myself on knowing beforehand the trendy new eateries constantly springing up in Acadiana, so I was surprised to learn of a new brunch spot when my daughter Lauren called. “Brick and Spoon?” “Yeah Dad, it…
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…
Blood Orange Salad
Blood orange. I just like the sound of it. A citrus so ripe, rich and juicy it bleeds flavor. It drips intense, acidic plasma that drains the life out of the fruit. Ok, so I’m dramatizing a bit. But, just a bit. These are orgasmic oranges with a bright and biting taste that begs for…