The basic ingredients of a classic muffaletta sandwich – olive salad, cold cuts and cheese – lend themselves to many interpretations, like this platter salad. In fact, the idea for this started to percolate when I last made my muffaletta cheese ball. This layered dip presentation is twist to a classic spread that’s pretty impressive on the table. But it has that … [Read more...] about Muffuletta Layered Dip
Mardi Gras
Creole Daube
Creole Daube is one of those recipes I have seen in Louisiana community cookbooks for years and often marked with a little sticky note flag. Those recipes are usually the short and sweet type written by home cooks who could undoubtedly make it blindfolded. You know, a list of ingredients then directions like “brown meat, cook trinity, add tomato sauce, serve.” It’s always … [Read more...] about Creole Daube
New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp
Mardi Gras is around the corner again, believe it or not, so I am dusting off one of my favorite classic New Orleans dishes – Barbecue Shrimp. Now, as a born and bred Memphian, I am very particular about what is and is not barbecue, and by that reckoning, this is not. No slow cooking, no smoke, no grill, no tomatoes or molasses in the sauce, just juicy shrimp in a deeply rich … [Read more...] about New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp
French Quarter Breakfast Puffs
I like a little silliness in the Mardi Gras season. Lots of sprinkles and glitter and fun. I have taken a classic recipe for what I have always called French puffs (I hear they are now sometimes called duffins for donut/muffin) and added a Mardi Gras twist with colored sanding sugar. The muffin is simple, vanilla scented and not too sweet, but a dip in cinnamon sugar gives a … [Read more...] about French Quarter Breakfast Puffs
Cajun Smothered Shrimp with Green Onion Rice
I can’t get near Mardi Gras season without whipping up several Louisiana-inspired meals. Sure, I make gumbowith a roux, slow cooked red beans and rice, fabulous party food like savory crawfish king cake or crab remoulade cheesecake and desserts like tarte a la bouille and king cake bars. But it’s nice to have a simple, weeknight … [Read more...] about Cajun Smothered Shrimp with Green Onion Rice
