It’s the first bite that stops you in your tracks. With just a smidgen of sweet liqueur soaking into the spongy cake, this delicate Raspberry Trifle bursts with the flavors of fresh berries against a tangy cream filling dusted with bittersweet chocolate. Oh yeah, this is a keeper! Ok, so you’ve heard me say it…
Macadamia Nut Ice Cream Sandwich
The rich sweetened cream spiked with the saltiness of roasted macadamia nuts is a study in contrasts, and when combined between two cookies, my Macadamia Nut Ice Cream Sandwich is a study in the art of sandwich making—ice cream-style. Back when I was a kid, every neighborhood had its corner grocery. You know the kind…
Singin’ the blues with my Blueberry Basil Pastry
Fresh blueberries rock my world. And when jammin’ with sweet basil and stuffed inside a crispy pastry, I just can’t get enough. I can assure you this Blueberry Basil Pastry will rock your world, too. You might call these turnovers, tarts, or even a hot pocket, but by any name, they are the perfect breakfast…
Lo’s Apple Pie
Lo’s Apple Pie comes out of the oven and into its close-up taking on the role of an American classic with all the charm of a deep-dish Southern skillet pie. In actuality, it is closer to a rural French galette in its simple appearance. Whatever the roots, with its rough-edged and rustic outer crust baked…
Sweet Potato Shake
With all the flavors of fall, this Sweet Potato Shake is the best way I know to shake up the season. And it’s easy with just six simple ingredients. My father George Graham, Sr. opened his restaurant the Acme Café in Bogalusa, Louisiana in 1946 and for all the 40-plus years he was in business,…
Praline Pumpkin Pie
My wife Roxanne’s Praline Pumpkin Pie is a slice of the autumn season with the pungent flavors of cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and ginger wafting throughout the house. With the crunch of Louisiana pecans and the punch of praline liqueur, this is a pumpkin pie to write about. Black iron pies are a specialty of the…
A Slice of the Sweet Life
You’ve just got to smile at the thought of a bite of my sweet cherry pie balancing the flavors of fresh fruit accented with a spike of pomegranate liqueur all baked in a crisp, flaky pie crust. This is one delightful mouthful worth singing about. And if you remember the song Cherry Pie (it’s fun…
Classic French Flavors in a simple Southern Cobbler
Fresh apricots rock. At their vine-ripened peak, juices flow and the fleshy interior of these little orbs welcome you with just one bite full of flavor. Baked in a honey-kissed recipe with the crunch of pistachios, this Apricot Pistachio Cobbler is one easy summer dessert to cobble together. For me, cobbler is the official dessert of…
Donut Bread Pudding
When it comes to bread pudding, a Louisiana boy like me is hard pressed to resist. After all, bread pudding is a tradition in these parts and who am I to break tradition? But there’s a new Cajun recipe spin on the ubiquitous dessert that’s making the rounds in local restaurant circles, and it’s a…
Sweet Potato Pie Brûlée with Bourbon Crème
If biting into a smooth and creamy slice of sweet potato pie with notes of cinnamon, and cloves, and nutmeg, and bourbon weren’t Thanksgiving enough, then pull out the blowtorch and blast away for a burnt sugar brûlée topping. This is one sweetie pie; Sweet Potato Pie Brûlée to be exact. My culinary discovery with…