Here’s the thing–okra is a vegetable of extremes. For the most part, folks tend to categorize okra as a “love it or hate it” relationship. It’s hard to be indifferent about okra. True Southerners, and especially good Cajun cooks, identify strongly with okra. But, even within okra circles there are those that love it in…
Boudin-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
It’s 5pm, and I’m heading home from work. I’m lucky to live just a short ten-minute drive from my office–just enough time to think about supper and I’m in the mood for something a little offbeat. Time to pull in to see Earl; it’s time for Boudin-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin. Earl’s Cajun Market is a neighborhood grocer that…
Lard of the Rings: Crazy-Crisp Cajun Onion Rings
For me, onion rings are a weakness bordering on obsession; a perfectly fried o-ring is a thing of beauty. When dining out, I order them constantly and will even pay a couple of bucks more to substitute onion rings for fries. While some are good, and others just acceptable, I am mostly disappointed. Even at…
Quail Gumbo
Try as I might, I cannot quell my passion for quail. I crave it this time of year especially, and no holiday season would be complete without a quail gumbo.. Let me explain the source of my lifelong obsession for this tasty flight of fancy. It all began when I was a kid growing up…
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…
Buttermilk Fried Frog Legs with Mustard Cream over Green Onion Corncakes
Bullfrogs are a down-home delicacy of Cajun cooking in South Louisiana much as they are in the finest French restaurants along the Champs-Elysées. The only difference is in Cajun cooking, our frogs are wild and our Cajun recipes even wilder. Now, you can have your Parisian rendition of ‘’Cuisses de Grenouille’’ while sipping a flute…
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…
White Beans Supreme with Ham Shank, Tasso and Smoked Pigs Tails over White Rice
Every once in awhile, I like to get back to basics like my recipe for White Beans Supreme. It’s a simple Cajun recipe with easy preparation and satisfying results. It’s no-fuss, home-style, comfort food that is heart-warming and sticks to your soul like white on rice. Beans and rice are a staple of every Cajun…
Coconut Shrimp with Cilantro Mango Cream and Jasmine Rice and Beans
Spending two weeks in Hawaii is good for the soul. “Recharge the batteries,” my wife Roxanne says, “reboot your operating system,” my daughter Lauren likes to call it, but my personal favorite is “clean out the cobwebs.” Whatever. As a Louisiana-based food writer covering culinary culture, I find myself on a lifelong journey of sorts. …
Peggy’s Skillet Fried Chicken
Peggy is my momma. She passed away some time ago, but not before I learned her secret to the perfect fried chicken that I affectionately call Peggy’s Skillet Fried Chicken. She was a wiz in the kitchen and taught me the basics of cooking simply. She was a patient cook and knew that time was…