I am surrounded by good Louisiana cooks. My brother went to college in New Orleans, my close friend went to law school there, and many of their friends from the area have migrated up to Memphis. And they love to cook up a good bayou feast. So in all honesty, I don’t cook much Cajun or Creole food – I leave it to the experts. My brother makes a mean gumbo, so I pretty much … [Read more...] about Shrimp Creole
Holiday Cooking
Sticky Clementine Quick Bread
I love clementines. They are the perfect, bright refreshing little sunshine snack. They are so portable, you can just carry one around all day until you need a pick-me-up. But I also find clementines annoying, largely because around here they are sold almost exclusively in five to seven pound bags. I cannot eat five pounds of clementines before they start to shrivel and … [Read more...] about Sticky Clementine Quick Bread
Green Chicken Chilaquiles
There are some recipes or food ideas you come across that stick with you, who knows why. Chilaquiles is one of those ideas for me. Over the years, I have come across recipes or food travel articles about Mexico or the Southwest that talk about this dish – one that uses leftover tortillas, sauce and meat. My impression of chilaquiles came to be of a dish that Mexican … [Read more...] about Green Chicken Chilaquiles
Foldin’ Money Cabbage
So we’ve discussed that Black-Eyed Peas are good luck on New Year’s Day, representing any number of things. Greens are said to bring prosperity in the New Year, largely because they represent foldin’ money. Many people choose to cook up a mess of collards or turnip greens, but I choose cabbage, for what represents a stack of good green money more than cabbage. … [Read more...] about Foldin’ Money Cabbage
Black-Eyed Peas for Luck
I have always known that on New Year’s Day, you eat black-eyed peas for good luck in the coming year. My parents weren’t necessarily the strictest adherents to this philosophy, but some how or another, black-eyed peas generally made an appearance on January 1. We had a family friend who made Hoppin’ John, and sometimes we’d end up at their house, even just for a … [Read more...] about Black-Eyed Peas for Luck
