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…
Sugarcane-Glazed Spareribs
“Low and slow, son,” that’s what my daddy always told me was the key to cooking ribs. He’d fire up the pit on a Saturday morning and by the time the afternoon sun was setting, we’d be in pig heaven. Growing up in small town Louisiana, pork ribs–especially spareribs (my father’s favorite)–was the only barbecue…
Beef and Mushroom Pot Pie
Cooking meat in a rich red wine sauce is classic French and is equally common in French Louisiana. Cajun hunting camp cooks love to braise tough cuts of wild game and infuse the pot with wine and stock. The technique works with any number of meats and around Acadiana, beef is a natural. Boeuf bourguignon,…
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. Except for…
Chicken Braised in Tarragon Cream
French tarragon is an alluring aromatic herb, and when used with subtleness, it can turn most any humble dish–chicken especially–into a showcase of sublime flavor. But, I didn’t always cook with tarragon until one night I was properly introduced to a now-favorite recipe for Chicken Braised in Tarragon Cream. I recall dining years ago at…
Heirloom Tomato Soup
You say tomato, I say soup. It goes without saying that a steaming hot bowl of tomato soup is the ultimate comfort food. You know exactly what I mean–it feels warm and cozy just like that old pair of fur-lined slippers you refuse to throw out (c’mon, admit it). Tomato soup is quite good right…
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,…
Ponce Upon A Time: Sweet Potato-Stuffed Smoked Ponce
Long ago the French came to the bayous of Louisiana and brought with them a vast wealth of recipes. Over generations of influence, the tastes and flavors of most of those Cajun recipes have evolved. These classic Cajun recipes and the artisan skills that go into Louisiana’s culinary cultural uniqueness are fascinating to me. The…
Roast Beef Po’boy
Growing up in South Louisiana, po’boys were just about as common as hamburgers are today. In small towns back then, we didn’t have a burger chain on every corner. It was mostly mom-and-pop sandwich shops and greasy spoon cafés that put out their home-cooked specialties, especially a down-home Louisiana roast beef po’boy. I grew up…
Catfish Courtbouillon
My Cajun recipe for Catfish Courtbouillon uses a pungent seafood stock (I make mine from dried shrimp) and the addition of a couple of spoonfuls of dark roux. Rather than the red gravy Creole version, in this Cajun recipe for courtbouillon I use a light hand on the tomatoes favoring canned diced tomatoes rather than…
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- Next Page »