THIS STORY AND scenario came to mind as I looked back on how the tricentennial of the City of New Orleans might have happened 32 years earlier. In the fall of 1996, I found myself standing on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico at Matagorda Bay. My heart raced. I took in slow deep […]
La Salle and La Belle Read More »
THERE’S USUALLY A line outside the Swan Oyster Depot restaurant on Polk St. in the tony Nob Hill neighborhood of San Francisco. And it was no different when my cab driver, Jonathan from Cameroon, dropped me curbside at 11 a.m. for lunch on a bluebird day in late winter. I was sandwiched between an auto
The Quest for Crabs Read More »
Ingredients: Directions: 1. Place whole poblanos rubbed with vegetable oil on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes in a 450 degree oven. Turn every five minutes until evenly charred. Cover with plastic wrap in a bowl for 15 minutes. Then peel, seed and chop. 2. Peel the shrimp, put tails aside in fridge
Corn, Crab, Shrimp and Poblano Bisque Read More »
MY FAMILY HAD A TRADITION of eating fresh peaches with Pet milk or evaporated milk. Peaches and cream. You know what I’m talking about if you were part of the baby boom generation. Pet milk and mushroom soup were staples in the post WWII kitchens of the 50s. Remember those canned cling peaches that we
TAKING A BITE of the “Big Apple” or 96 hours of Foodies and Friends eating their way through New York City. I bet you thought that when a group of 8 women travel to NYC all they want to do is shop. Wrong! Especially when Foodies and Friends travel together. All we want to do
MON PETIT CHOU-FLEUR, Literally translated this phrase means “my little cauliflower,” which is a French term of endearment for “my little darling.” You can use it endearingly when referring to your precious family, friends, pets, or your favorite and one of the most versatile vegetables, cauliflower. Is there anything cauliflower can’t do? Cauliflower is a
Mon Petit Chou-fleur Read More »
Seasonal Soups When the temperature dips below 50, the skies turn gray and the winter winds blow, I begin to crave warm satisfying healthy foods. If you are like me, you probably spent the last several weeks from Thanksgiving to Christmas to Kings’ Day binging on holiday foods and too many carbohydrates. The new year
It’s an “R” Month, Bring on the Oysters IN RECENT YEARS, my foodie friends and I are just seeking a little peace and quiet as we end one year and start the new year after a hectic season of overeating and overindulging at holiday parties. We traditionally end the old year with an oyster “every
It’s an “R” Month, Bring on the Oysters Read More »
Ingredients • 8 oz. fresh mushrooms • ½ tsp minced garlic • 1 bag fresh spinach, stems removed, lightly steam until wilted • Red, yellow orange peppers, sliced into strips and sautéed • Sun dried tomatoes, drained and chopped • Artichoke hearts, drained and quartered • 4 large eggs • 1 cup milk • 2
Dianne’s Fall Vegetable Frittata Read More »
From Donald Link, “Real Cajun” Ingredients: 1 pint shucked oysters 3 ounces thick sliced smoked bacon, cut into ¼ inch cubes 4 tablespoons butter 1 small onion chopped 1 bunch scallions 2 celery stalks cut into ¼ inch cubes 1 small potato diced 1 cup chopped fennel bulb 2 garlic cloves, minced 5 bay leaves
Herbsaint Infused Oyster Stew with Smoked Bacon Read More »
ONE OF THE FIRST cookbooks that my mom acquired was River Road Recipes published by the Junior League of Baton Rouge in 1959. Over 1.3 million copies of this recipe collection have been sold. I cannot imagine a Louisiana kitchen without a copy of this textbook of Creole cuisine. I recall that there was a
The Ancient Order of Southern Gourmets Read More »
Ingredients 1 cup sugar 3 cups quartered fresh strawberries 20 medium basil leaves, roughly chopped 1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice Directions Put the sugar in a heatproof bowl or cup and pour 1 cup of boiling water over it. Stir to dissolve and let cool. Combine the strawberries with the basil and 1/4
Strawberry Basil Lemonade Read More »
