Oyster Dressing

Happy New Year!

I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and were able to enjoy time with family and friends.

My holiday was hectic (as usual), but it was also full of family, friends, good food and bad weather! A couple of tornados hit my neighborhood Christmas day and did a bit of damage to some local businesses and a few homes. Thankfully, they did not leave a path of utter destruction; and no one was hurt. We were left without power for a while; but nothing that a fire and a few candles couldn’t remedy. ;)

MexiCajun Shrimp Fajitas

It all started here.

Two and a half years ago I was planning to make shrimp fajitas for dinner. Elbow deep in peeling shrimp and a hot skillet ready to go, I stepped into my pantry to grab the cheap taco mix I typically kept on hand.

I was surprised to find there was no cheap taco mix in the pantry, and there was no way I was driving to the grocery store at that point. So I did what I always do: took matters into my own hands and set off on a new DIY project.

I pulled C’s big containers of various seasonings he uses for his bbq competition hobby and began mixing.

Absolutely Decadent: Bacon & Crab Cheesecake

As our Hostess with the Mostess described this entrée, “It’s Thanksgiving dinner all rolled into one dish.”

Yep, that about sums it up. Pecan crust. Enough cream and butter to make even Paula Deen blush. Crumbled bacon and lump crab meat for a gourmet meat explosion. And an over-the-top sauce that just pushes this one-dish meal into the realm of cosmic decadence.

Happy Birthday, Julia!

Two and a half years ago I watched Meryl Streep portray the incomparable Julia Child in “Julia & Julia.” I was so enamored with the story of America’s most beloved chef that I went on to read her memoir “My Life in France” and her collection of letters to and from her dear friend Avis Devoto “As Always, Julia.”

Something about Julia’s personal journey spoke to me in an intimate way. She was a pioneer and champion (perhaps accidentally) for women and women’s rights.

Southern Fried Fish

When I say we never fry our food (which is pretty unusual, immersed as we are in deep-fry country– as Louisiana is known), I mean we NEVER fry our food. So when I defrosted a 5lb bag of frozen redfish generously given to us by a fisherman friend, I thought one of the easiest ways to use up a bit of it was by having a good old fashioned fish fry.

Um… “Easy” being the operative word. Right. Did I mention we don’t typically fry our food?

First thing’s first: get set up outside, because there is no way I will be able to sleep in a house that stinks of burnt grease and reminds me of the shame I will feel after eating said fried food. :/

Lemon & Basil Orzo Salad

At April 25, 2012
By Spiceblogger
In MexiCajun Recipes, Pasta, Recipes, Seafood
16

Last week I hosted a salad party for my mardi gras krewe. It was our first meeting of the new mardi gras year, and we wanted to have an informal meet and greet poolside.

Everyone brought her favorite salad and a lawn chair, and we all had a wonderful time welcoming new members and catching up with each other. The weather was beautifully mild, the food was delicious, and we even managed to get some krewe business accomplished.

Oyster Fettucini en Provence

Last week I shared our attempt at charbroiled oysters based on the recipe from Drago’s restaurant in New Orleans. In celebration of my sister’s birthday, we cooked these again this weekend; and again, they were excellent.

We cooked nearly 150 oysters and fed about 10 people. That’s A LOT of oysters! And, of course, there were leftovers.

Since I never cook with oysters… like, NEVER… I had no idea what to do with the leftovers! But I figured since these were so good the first time around, I probably couldn’t go wrong using them in a secondary recipe.

Louisiana Crawfish Étouffée

Last weekend we finally decided to have our first batch of crawfish of the season. We had been putting off even though both Spicehubby and I have been craving them.

A couple of times we’ve even gone to one of our favorite local restaurants fully intending to get crawfish but then changed our minds at the last minute. If you’ve ever eaten boiled crawfish–or rather, if you’ve ever peeled boiled crawfish–you will understand. It’s an undertaking. It’s messy, and it’s exhausting. Not to mention the burning sensation covering your hands and the constant mental reminders to yourself to NOT TOUCH YOUR EYES! They are delicious, but sometimes it’s just too much trouble.

Bread Bowl Dip

At February 2, 2012
By Spiceblogger
In Appetizers, MexiCajun Recipes, Seafood
2

So there’s a lot happening right now. It’s Mardi Gras here in Louisiana, in case you didn’t know There are parties, formal balls, parades and lots of eating. It’s almost Valentine’s Day which calls for all manner of sweet treats and tasty temptations. And there’s some big sporting event this Sunday.

Oh…. right! It’s the SuperBowl! lol I’ll be watching, and eating, and recovering from a Mardi Gras ball from the night before.

Cooking on Himalayan Salt Slabs: Mahi Mahi

Have you ever cooked on a slab of salt? Have you ever even heard of that? I haven’t; well, at least not until now.

As it turns out, Himalayan salt is a big deal. It is supposed to be the purest form of whole salt on the planet because it’s been protected deep within the Himalayan mountains for millions of years. And there is no shortage of companies marketing it. There are plates for serving fruit or sushi, cups for shooting tequila, bowls for tossing salads or ceviché, and slabs for cooking meat or veggies.