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Frozen Flavor Explosions

Since ice cream knows no season, this is a good time to enjoy some of autumn’s fruits and nuts in frozen form. Pecans, persimmons and apples, three fall favorites, can be turned into delicious ice creams. There are an…

Savory Summer

The scientific name for the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) means “tasty (or savory) beautiful swimmer,” and that is a most fitting description considering how delectable crab is and how many ways it can be prepared and served. The sweet…

Quick and Cool

If ever there was an optimum time to become a vegetarian, it is now. With all the fresh local produce available this month, a person could make the change and not feel at all deprived. A visit to the farmers…

Call of the Wild

SPRING/SUMMER Spring and summer are the seasons seafood lovers look forward to during the cold, gray winter. Shrimp, crab, red snapper and redfish are some of the most longed for delicacies. Start dinner with crab cakes and then have red…

Harbingers of Spring

Other states may herald…

One Pot Dishes

Mardi Gras is early this year, which is unfortunate for bakeries since they will have a short king cake season. For celebrants, the Feb. 21 date virtually guarantees the weather will be damp and cold. In addition to booze, parade-goers…

Get Stuffed

I used to say travelers know they have reached South Louisiana when hot boudin is available at roadside gas stations. That was once a reliable indicator, but I doubt that it still is. Fields of sugar cane and crawfish ponds,…

A Kebab by Any Other Name

Kebab, kabab, kebob, shish kebob, souvlaki, shashlik or a variety of other terms refer to pieces of meat, poultry, fish or vegetables, threaded on skewers and grilled. “Jim Beard’s Barbecue Cookbook,” published in 1958, calls it skewer cookery. Whatever term…

Split Pea Soup with Ham

Makes 6 to 8 servings 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 stalk celery, diced 1 medium carrot, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 pound split peas, picked over and washed 4 cups ham or chicken stock…

Smokey Pepper and Onion Stew with Eggs and Tostados

Makes 4 servings 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 large onion, halved and sliced 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced 1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced 1 serrano pepper,…

Asparagus and Sugar Snap Frittata

Makes 4 servings 1 cup sugar snap peas 8 spears thin asparagus 6 large eggs 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1 tablespoon butter freshly ground black pepper PUT a medium-sized sauce pan of salted…

Pears Poached in Red Wine

Makes 4 servings 2 cups red wine 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 2 large Bosc pears 4 ounces sour cream COMBINE wine, sugar and cinnamon in a nonreactive pan. HALVE, core and peel pears. Add pears to pan,…

Pecan Pie

Makes 8 servings CRUST 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter 4 tablespoons ice-cold water FILLING 4 large eggs, at room temperature 1 cup light brown sugar 1/2 cup cane syrup 2 teaspoons…

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Makes 4-6 servings 2 pounds butternut squash, cubed 2 medium onions, sliced 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock coarse salt and chipotle chile pepper to taste freshly grated Parmesan cheese PREHEAT oven to 450…

Pork Stewed with Okra and Tomatoes

Makes 4 servings 1 pound boneless pork stew meat 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, chopped 1 1/2 pounds okra, topped, tailed and sliced 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice 1 cup…

Chicken and Waffles

Makes 4 waffles FOR THE CHICKEN 4 pieces of chicken 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon hot sauce 1 cup all-purpose floor cooking oil FOR THE WAFFLES 1 cup all-purpose flour…

Grilled Okra

Makes 4 or more servings 1 pound whole okra pods Extra virgin olive oil Coarse salt COAT okra with olive oil and cook on a hot grill, turning it as needed, until okra is softened and browned all over.…

Embracing Salad Season

These are the dog days of summer when appetites wane and sweating over a hot stove is the about last thing anyone wants to do. In other words, it’s salad season. Fill up the salad bowl, pour a cold beverage…

Baked Chicken Thighs with Lemon, Oregano and Potatoes

Makes 4 servings 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided 4 chicken thighs 1 cup water 2 pounds russet potatoes 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper PREHEAT oven to…

Shrimp Tacos

Makes about 16 tacos 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile pepper corn or flour tortillas shredded cabbage thinly sliced radishes lime…

Skillet Cornbread with Cane Syrup

Makes 4 or more servings 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 3/4 cup stone-ground cornmeal 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1 egg, lightly beaten 3/4 cup buttermilk butter cane…

Turnip Greens Soup with Orzo

Makes 4 servings 2 pounds turnip greens 4 cloves garlic, chopped 5 cups chicken stock 1/2 cup orzo 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to…

Shrimp Salad with Tomatoes and Pesto

SHRIMP 1 pound boiled shrimp, peeled and deveined 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice 1/2 pound cherry tomatoes, halved pesto coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper lettuce leaves PESTO 2 cups loosely packed fresh basil 1/2 clove garlic 1/4 cup…

Chicken Breasts with Caper Sauce

Makes 4 servings 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound) 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1/2 cup chicken stock 1/2 cup white wine 2 teaspoons lemon juice 2 teaspoons capers, drained 2 teaspoons…

Shrimp Salad

Serves 4 or more 1 pound small shrimp, peeled 2 tablespoons Cajun/Creole seasoning 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 1/4 teaspoon finely-grated lemon zest 2 tablespoons…

Green Pea and Lettuce Custard Recipe

Makes 4 servings 1 teaspoon butter 1/2 cup chopped romaine lettuce 3/4 cup frozen green peas 4 large eggs 2 cups whole milk 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees. Butter 4 10-ounce ramekins and place in…

Take Two

Gin & Tonic 1 slice lime 1 slice cucumber 1 large basil leaf 2 ounces gin ice cubes 4-6 ounces tonic water Place lime, cucumber and basil leaf in a tall glass or balloon glass. Add gin and press on…

Just Desserts

Open almost any Louisiana cookbook and you’ll find a big section of dessert recipes, a testament to our love of sweets. The recipes often include both traditional and modern desserts. As tastes change…

Berry Blast

Louisiana has an abundance of official symbols (the state doughnut is the beignet, the state crustacean is the crawfish and the state vegetable is the sweet potato, for example), but I only recently learned that we even have an official…

Winter Medley

Parsnips In Butter 1 pound parsnips 3 tablespoons unsalted butter coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 tablespoons chopped parsley Peel parsnips and trim ends. Cook in boiling salted water until tender. Drain. Cut the thick sections…

How Sweet It Is

It’s hard to imagine Thanksgiving and Christmas without sweet potatoes on the table. They appear in a variety of guises — candied, gussied up with marshmallows, turned into soups, casseroles, breads, puddings and pies. They marry happily with holiday dressings,…

Kitchen Gourmet: Versatile Veggie

Eggplant With Garlic, Parsley And Parmesan 2 long, thin Asian eggplants (about 4 oz. each) 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped 2 teaspoons chopped parsley ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus additional, if needed coarse salt and freshly ground…

Kitchen Gourmet: Love or Leave

Tip If your grill doesn’t have large spaces between the bars, you can cook the okra directly on the grill without fear of it falling into the fire. Otherwise, use a finer-meshed grill tray or basket on top of the…

Traveler: Pirate Tales

The town of Jean Lafitte invites you to meet its favorite pirate and explore his Barataria wetlands with dry feet. Predictably, the town holds the title of unofficial guardian of its namesake’s place in history, but local bragging rights don’t…

Neutral Strip Bicentennial

The story of Louisiana’s Neutral Strip, condoned by international agreement, was created in 1806 and ended with a treaty whose Bicentennial we celebrate this year, but the desperate decades of a “No-Man’s-Land” ruled by highwaymen and marauders had begun long…

The Little Museum That Could

Now enjoying its reputation as a major attraction for locals and visitors, the West Baton Rouge Museum (WBRM) in Port Allen was just a name in 1968 when the brand new WBR Historical Association “borrowed” a small former courthouse to…

Old Times Renewed

Much more than a conventional plantation tour, to visit Kent House in Alexandria is to see cultural conservation in action, with its proactive application of demonstration and teaching skills to preserve our collective and individual memory of traditions, folkways,…

Author: Photos by Eugenia Uhl

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