Praline Bacon post at Nola Cuisine

I finished my Praline Bacon post at my main site Nola Cuisine last night. My version is along the lines of the original at Elizabeth's but leaves the pecan pieces a little more chunky than most other recipes. Cochon Butcher also has a wonderful Bacon Praline which is more of an actual Praline with chunks of their hose made Kurobuta Bacon inside of it. This makes a wonderful addition to any breakfast that will be sure to be a family favorite! Be sure and check out my Creole & Cajun Recipe Page as well as my Bibliography of Creole & Cajun Cookbooks!

Grilled Pork Chops with Southern Peach Salsa Recipe at Nola Cuisine

I'm making a great effort to do at least one post a week at Nola Cuisine, I kicked off my resolution with a homemade Creole Mustard Recipe last week.

The other day I came across some beautiful Southern Peaches at the grocery store, so I picked them up along with some bone in pork chops. Here are some pics of the outcome, the full recipe is at Nola Cuisine!



Grilled Pork Chops with Southern Peach Salsa Recipe at Nola Cuisine!

Be sure and check out my Creole & Cajun Recipe Page as well as my Bibliography of Creole & Cajun Cookbooks!

Creole Mustard Recipe at Nola Cuisine

I just finished my homemade Creole Mustard Recipe at Nola Cuisine, I've been working on this recipe for a long time.

I like the Zatarain's Creole Mustard, but I like my Creole Mustard with a bit more of a punch.

Be sure and check out my Creole & Cajun Recipe Page as well as my Bibliography of Creole & Cajun Cookbooks!

Cornbread and Andouille Sausage Recipe at Nola Cuisine

I made a nice batch of Cornbread and Andouille Stuffing with the last of my reserves of homemade Andouille Sausage. I stuffed it into 2 inch thick Pork Chops, grilled them and let them slow cook on the grill under smoldering Pecan wood chips. This stuffing would also be great stuffed in a Chicken, Turkey, Turducken, or Peppers. Here is a link to the recipe: Conbread and Andouille Stuffing Recipe at Nola Cuisine! Be sure and check out my Creole & Cajun Recipe Page as well as my Bibliography of Creole & Cajun Cookbooks!

Parasol's Style Roast Beef Po Boy Recipe st Nola Cuisine

I got itchy for a good Roast Beef Po Boy just like the one at Parasol’s after my trip in March, so I watched Jeff Carreras in a video there and whipped up my own version for home cooks. It’s simple, honest, and true to the neighborhood—boil a bottom round until tender, make a gravy from the reserved beef broth with flour, garlic, Kitchen Bouquet and seasoning, then oven-finish thin slices of the beef soaked in that gravy so it falls apart good. The final sandwich? Crispy french loaf, mayo, tomato, lettuce, pickles—and a messy, gravy-dripping and completely satisfying bite that takes me back right to Parasol’s in the Irish Channel.

Also check out my Parkway Bakery and Tavern Style Roast Beef Po Boy Recipe Be sure and check out my Creole & Cajun Recipe Page as well as my Bibliography of Creole & Cajun Cookbooks!

Crawfish Etouffee Recipe at Nola Cuisine

I’ve always loved Crawfish Étouffée, so after my Crawfish boil a while back, I saved all that sweet tail meat and turned it into this rich, comforting étouffée. Just like my shrimp étouffée, it leans into the homemade stock, a hearty roux, the trinity, garlic, onions, peppers,all that good stuff, but this time with crawfish tail meat in the spotlight. It simmers down until the flavors meld, finishes with green onions and parsley, and gets served over hot rice so every bite is saucy and nostalgic, the kind of dish that brings back memories of creeks, boil pots, and kitchen smells that take me right back to Louisiana. Be sure and check out my Creole & Cajun Recipe Page as well as my Bibliography of Creole & Cajun Cookbooks!

Real Cajun: Rustic Home Cooking from Donald Link’s Louisiana

Get Real Cajun Here! This book hooked me from the moment it arrived, it’s like Donald Link peeled back all the hype around Cajun food and took me straight to Grandma’s kitchen. The recipes in Real Cajun are rustic, real, and surprisingly simple, full of dishes like smothered pork roast over rice, fried catfish done in bacon fat, and chicken & dumplings that finish off in a hot oven so the dumplings puff golden. It’s not just a cookbook—it’s part memoir, part love letter to Louisiana, and every photo (by Chris Granger) makes me want to cook something hearty right now. Every recipe I’ve tried from this book turns out better than I expect; it’s the kind of cookbook that gets messy in the kitchen with butter-spattered pages and sauce drips—that’s how you know it’s good. Be sure and check out my Creole & Cajun Recipe Page as well as my Bibliography of Creole & Cajun Cookbooks!

Jacob's Andouille post at Nola Cuisine

From Jacob's Andouille

I visited Laplace Louisiana, and Jacob's Andouille on my way to the airport on my last day in New Orleans last month, and I smuggled some of their Andouille & Tasso back in my suitcase. Check out the post with lots of pics at my main site Nola Cuisine.

Jacob's Andouille post at Nola Cuisine!

Be sure and check out my ever growing Index of Creole & Cajun Recipes which links to all of the recipes featured on Nola Cuisine!

Crawfish Boil Recipe at Nola Cuisine

My Crawfish Boil Recipe post is all about gathering friends and family and cooking up a feast with Live Louisiana crawfish, red potatoes, corn, garlic, onions, lemons, and a big pot full of seasoning until everything’s spicy and steeped in flavor. I shared the steps: wash the crawfish, boil the veggies, drop in the crawfish, then let them steep so they soak up all that heat and seasoning.

It reminds me of my Shrimp Étouffée and Crawfish Étouffée recipes, in particular how I used leftover tail meat from boils to stretch the joy of the boil into another dish. The boil itself isn’t just about food, it’s about those smoky smells and laughter, the blister of spice, the mess on your hands, and the memory that stays with you from time well spent with family and friends. Be sure and check out my Creole & Cajun Recipe Page as well as my Bibliography of Creole & Cajun Cookbooks!

Cochon Butcher at Nola Cuisine

This visit to Cochon Butcher (next door to Cochon on Tchoupitoulas) reads like a love letter to in-house charcuterie: deep-smoked, beef-casing andouille; salamis, mortadella, rillettes, terrines, pickles, and Creole mustard—all made on site.

You get a behind-the-scenes peek at upstairs curing rooms (duck pastrami in progress), a shout-out to the then-new Calcasieu events space, and a memorable taste of the shop’s “bacon praline” studded with house Kurobuta bacon.

For lunch, the muffuletta—with finely chopped olive salad, perfect bread, and house meats—earns raves for flavor and value, and a lagniappe tartiflette with Reblochon seals the deal. It’s enthusiastic, photo-rich, and celebratory of Link/Stryjewski’s pork palace.

Be sure and check out my Creole & Cajun Recipe Page as well as my Bibliography of Creole & Cajun Cookbooks!

Turducken at Nola Cuisine

Elliot from Cajun Grocer asked me if I would like to review their Turducken at Nola Cuisine. At first I had apprehensions, but I eventually said what the hell, as long as I can do an unbiased review. I served the Turducken with my Maque Choux and a new one that I will be posting shortly, Praline Sweet Potatoes. Here is my Turducken Post. Be sure and check out my Creole & Cajun Recipe Page as well as my Bibliography of Creole & Cajun Cookbooks!

Pepper Jelly Recipe at Nola Cuisine

Check out my Pepper Jelly post over at Nola Cuisine. This versatile condiment is a Southern Staple with many uses that can add pizazz to many different dishes, my recipe is included in the post.

For those of you that don't know, I've switched from this site over to Nola Cuisine, same content, just a different layout. Here are some of the posts that I've covered recently:

A visit to Cochon Restaurant including a tour of the kitchen!

Lunch at Domilise's Po Boy & Bar.

Revisiting my Beignet, and Barbecue Shrimp recipes both with new pics.

Tuesday morning at the Crescent City Farmer's Market.

A recipe for the Creole-Italian staple Shrimp & Eggplant Dressing.

Be sure and check out my Creole & Cajun Recipe Page as well as my Bibliography of Creole & Cajun Cookbooks!

Shrimp Creole Recipe at Nola Cuisine

I walked back into my kitchen remembering that smile scent from the streets of New Orleans, then posted my Shrimp Creole recipe, sweating garlic, onions, bell peppers and celery into a tomato sauce so red it catches your eyes, using homemade shrimp stock made from those same shells you don’t want to waste. You toss in the seasoned shrimp just when everything else is singing together and serve it over steaming rice so it soaks up that spicy, sweet, tangy sauce. It’s the kind of dish that reminds me of my Shrimp Étouffée or Crawfish Étouffée, that Crawfish boil we had, the leftover tail meat I saved, and how it is all part of keeping those traditions alive one bite at a time. Be sure and check out my Creole & Cajun Recipe Page as well as my Bibliography of Creole & Cajun Cookbooks!

A Visit to Galatoire's at Nola Cuisine

Visiting Galatoire’s was like stepping into a living piece of New Orleans history. You leave behind the Bourbon Street raucousness and walk into something elegant, warm, steeped in tradition, yet still honest and fun.

We had Soufflé Potatoes and Shrimp Remoulade to start, drank Sazeracs, and chose Pompano with Crabmeat Yvonne, with that Meunière butter so buttery it melts in your mouth. The sides like Brabant Potatoes served in a Bordelaise sauce, the Creme Caramel for dessert, and tableside Cafe Brulot all made the night an evening of relaxed and elegant excess. Galatoire’s isn’t just a meal, it’s a reminder of what dining in New Orleans is really about: flavors, company, history, and the sort of food that lingers in your memory. Be sure and check out my Creole & Cajun Recipe Page as well as my Bibliography of Creole & Cajun Cookbooks!

Fried Soft-Shell Crabs at Nola Cuisine

I love fried seafood served with Creole Choron Sauce, especially Soft-Shell Crabs. Creole Choron is nothing more than equal parts Hollandaise and Creole Sauce, a wonderful combination of flavors. The post:

Fried Soft-Shell Crabs with Creole Choron Sauce

Be sure and check out my ever growing Be sure and check out my Creole & Cajun Recipe Page as well as my Bibliography of Creole & Cajun Cookbooks!

Redfish Courtbouillon recipe at Nola Cuisine

When making your Creole Sauce for this recipe be sure to make it extra thick, otherwise the liquid the fish lets out while cooking will make your sauce watery. Here is the post and recipe:

Redfish Courtbouillon Recipe

Be sure and check out my Creole & Cajun Recipe Page as well as my Bibliography of Creole & Cajun Cookbooks!

Maque Choux Recipe at Nola Cuisine

Maque Choux is one of those side dishes that tastes simple but holds everything, corn kernels cooked with bell peppers, onions, and a little bacon fat so you get sweat and smoky sweetness in every bite. There’s always a gentle simmer, a touch of creaminess, a little kick, and enough personality to shine with whatever you’re serving it alongside. When I made this recipe, I wanted that balance between fresh corn brightness and the comfort of soupy vegetables, something that reminds you of summer evenings in a Louisiana kitchen. The kind of dish that feels like home before you even sit down at the table. Be sure and check out my Creole & Cajun Recipe Page as well as my Bibliography of Creole & Cajun Cookbooks!

Stuffed Mirliton Recipe at Nola Cuisine

I love how this Shrimp Stuffed Mirliton recipe turns something humble into a celebration of flavor. Mirlitons, those baseball-hard squash, are boiled until tender, their pulp scooped out and mixed with andouille, onions, celery, bell pepper, garlic, and of course seasoned shrimp. Bread crumbs, green onions, Parmesan, butter, and creole seasoning build layers of texture and flavor, and the topping browns golden in the oven. The result is that crispy-on-top, moist-inside dish that fills the kitchen with aroma and feels like a gentle reminder of Louisiana cooking at its best. Be sure and check out my Creole & Cajun Recipe Page as well as my Bibliography of Creole & Cajun Cookbooks!

King Cake recipe at Nola Cuisine

I love how the King Cake recipe I shared brings Carnival season right into your kitchen, starting with a fragrant brioche dough enriched with butter, eggs, milk, sugar and orange zest so it already smells like celebration before it ever gets filled. You proof the yeast, work in all that richness, let it rise overnight, then roll it out with a sweet pecan filling and even hide a baby trinket inside so whoever gets it has to host the next party. After braiding into a ring, brushing with egg wash, baking until golden, you slather on glaze and dust with colored sugars, purple, green, and gold, so bright they make the cake look like Mardi Gras itself. Making it reminds me of gathering, tradition, and those moments when food isn’t just what you eat, it’s what you remember. Be sure and check out my Creole & Cajun Recipe Page as well as my Bibliography of Creole & Cajun Cookbooks!

Shrimp Etouffee recipe at Nola Cuisine

I shared my recipe for a classic Shrimp étouffée, starting with a homemade shrimp stock from the shells and a blonde roux, then layering in the trinity of onion, celery, and bell pepper. The aromas that fill the kitchen as it simmers—garlic, thyme, tomatoes, and a hint of hot sauce—carry a deep nostalgia for me, taking me right back to walking through the streets of New Orleans where those same smells drift out of kitchens and corner restaurants. Finished with shrimp, green onions, and parsley, and ladled over Creole-boiled rice, it’s a dish that not only satisfies the appetite but stirs the soul with memories.

Be sure and check out my Creole & Cajun Recipe Page as well as my Bibliography of Creole & Cajun Cookbooks!