Poolside afternoons in the heat of summer are just begging for a fresh, fruity cocktail–ice-cold with just a hint of fragrant sweetness. I usually revert to a pitcher of margaritas or mojitos, but lately I’ve been thinking a lot about sangria; a recipe for Peach Muscadine Sangria to be exact. I’ll admit it: Sangria is…
Salt-Encrusted Red Snapper
A little-known fact is that coastal southwest Louisiana right along the southern portion of Acadiana is built on a series of natural salt domes. Avery Island (home of Tabasco), Jefferson Island and Weeks Island are all built atop geological caverns that house salt formations. Over the past century, these salt domes have been mined commercially…
Kale Caesar with Grilled Shrimp
For the past few years, fresh kale has been on a run showing up on restaurant menus all over America. Even here at my Acadiana Table, I’ve tossed it into soups, braised it in stews and served it pan sautéed as a side dish. So, this weekend I stumbled on a neat trick while making…
Cajun Pork Jambalaya
A black pot of Cajun Pork Jambalaya is a defining Cajun recipe that speaks the language of Louisiana. But as is the case with many Louisiana dishes, there are two distinctly different styles of jambalaya in Louisiana–Creole and Cajun. Perhaps, it is this Cajun recipe that most defines the two culinary cultures. The point is that…
Fig-Glazed Double-Cut Stuffed Pork Chop with Andouille Rice
A stuffed pork chop with sausage or any number of different spice-infused stuffing mixtures is a Cajun recipe that has grown in popularity. Back in the 1970s and 80s the Veron family opened a market in Lafayette that catered to local tastes with an emphasis on specialty meats. Fresh sausage was a specialty. And what…
Roast Beef Po’boy
Growing up in South Louisiana, po’boys were just about as common as hamburgers are today. In small towns back then, we didn’t have a burger chain on every corner. It was mostly mom-and-pop sandwich shops and greasy spoon cafés that put out their home-cooked specialties, especially a down-home Louisiana roast beef po’boy. I grew up…
Blackened Brussels & Kale Salad
Ever since renowned Cajun Chef Paul Prudhomme blackened his first redfish in the 1980s, you would think that all South Louisiana folks burn just about everything they cook. Not so. But just go to any wanna-be Cajun restaurant outside of Louisiana and you’ll see a menu full of these overdone dishes. Enough already. Or well,…
Crawfish Baked Potato
I know many of you will agree that nothing goes better with a thick, juicy steak than a baked potato. I’ve been to the fanciest steakhouses in all the land and when it comes to the perfect side dish, I’ll order a baked potato–loaded, for sure–every time. Oh, I’ve tried the creamed spinach, the frou-frou…
Catfish Courtbouillon
My Cajun recipe for Catfish Courtbouillon uses a pungent seafood stock (I make mine from dried shrimp) and the addition of a couple of spoonfuls of dark roux. Rather than the red gravy Creole version, in this Cajun recipe for courtbouillon I use a light hand on the tomatoes favoring canned diced tomatoes rather than…
Les Oreilles De Cochon – Pig’s Ear Pastry
I love hometown cookbooks. You know the kind I’m talking about. Not the glossy, full color, celebrity chef-endorsed titles that scream from the shelf of the big box bookstores. No, these are the quiet, little regional books–usually comb-bound with no photographs–tucked neatly in rows far from the main displays. These are the cookbooks that define…