Crispy golden brown pastry on top, flaky piecrust on the bottom, and a velvet creaminess oozing mellow flavors spiked with the porky flavor of bacon—that’s my Bacon Jam Baked Brie — a down-on-the-bayou, French Louisiana version of a classic baked brie. Baking a round of brie cheese in pastry has been around for decades, and…
Fresh Ham Roast
Ginger-kissed with a mustard-glazed sweetness, this fresh ham roast is a revelation of how juicy, flavorful, and succulent this cut of pork can be. But, the key to it is in getting to know your farmer, and learning how he cares, feeds, and humanely raises his livestock. It is the essence of sustainability in eating…
Pecan-Smoked Lamb Shanks with Sweet Potato Risotto
At the first sign of cold weather, most men instinctively crave large slabs of meat. Not sure why. Maybe the caveman in all of us, or the need to store up protein for a long winter hibernation. Or maybe I’m just overthinking this. Yes, come to think about it, I crave it year round. Lamb…
Beer-Braised Smoked Sausage Po’Boy with Griddled Vidalia Onions and Sauce Duo
Smoked sausage is a familiar food item throughout Acadiana, and not a festival goes on without a booth serving up a smoked sausage po’boy. This Cajun recipe doesn’t get any simpler and don’t look for me to complicate it…much. First, the basics: My bread is classic–a soft po’boy bun from Evangeline Maid Bread in Lafayette….
Crab and Avocado Napoleon with Spicy Citrus Salsa and Creole Green Goddess
More and more these days, I’m seeing traditional South Louisiana restaurants serving Cajun and Creole dishes with plate presentation techniques that impress. The days of a sprig of parsley and wedge of lemon are over. Simple things: a swish of sauce, a cedar plank fish, a scooped-out bread bowl, or even a “Frenched” bone exposed…
Strawberry Cobbler with Chambord Whipped Cream
Nothing beats fresh strawberries in season, and here in South Louisiana, we are blessed with an abundance of the crop. I like them chilled over a bowl of corn flakes, crowning a big ol’ biscuit topped with ice cream, or whole berries dipped in chocolate—there’s no end to the ways I enjoy strawberries. But here…
Chic Steak Sandwich at the Acme Café
Ding…ding…ding! Order up! Chic Steak Sandwich, extra mayo, hold the pickle! My father, George Graham, Sr., was slinging burgers at White Tower in Michigan in the years before WW II and wound up welding aircraft parts in a factory in Detroit until war’s end. Flush with cash and a dream, he and my mom headed…
Cajun-Spiced Lettuce Cups with Vidalia Onion Relish
I must confess that, like many of you, I always start the year off with a goal of eating lighter, but living in Acadiana–ground zero for the most amazing food culture in America–it is a daunting task. So today I am offering a compromise of sorts: These Cajun-Spiced Lettuce Cups deliver on the spicy Cajun…
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…