Louisiana food is naturally surf and turf. We often stuff our vegetables with seafood and sausage or ground meat. We top a steak with crab meat or crawfish. No one has to cajole us into the special flavors that form…
This can be made with frozen blackberries that have been thawed. Using frozen fruit doesn’t seem to diminish the flavor of this cordial. This drink is so right in Louisiana. Whenever I drink it, I feel…
Summer is a time when we go to the beach, take picnics on boats and in parks and above all, avoid heating the kitchen by baking or roasting! Even standing over a hot grill outside can be taxing for whoever…
As the holiday season approaches, we’ve already started making plans for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Those big family celebrations are wonderful, but we also look forward to small seasonal meals with close friends. Here’s a menu loaded…
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 infinite…
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…
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…
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…
Other states may herald…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
Sign up to receive the latest offers, stories and event updates directly to your inbox.
