Let's visit our neighbors to the south with some Mexican cuisine this week. Let's start with some Carnitas. 3-pound pork butt Salt and pepper to taste 1 teaspoon canola oil 1 1/2 cups lager-style beer (sub ginger ale for non-alcoholic version) 1 large onion, coarsely chopped 6 cloves garlic, smashed and coarsely chopped Coarsely chopped jalapeño or serrano pepper to taste 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 teaspoon cumin 3/4 cup fresh orange juice 1 long strip of orange peel, any p

If you take a stroll through the Farmer’s Market on Saturday, you will find the freshest produce available. On one of my weekly trips, I spotted a staple in Southern cooking, okra. It is found throughout the area fried as a side dish. There are many different ways you can prepare okra other than fried. It is with that in mind that I thought about the following dishes. The first is a recipe that is an ingredient in a following recipe, Spicy Pickled Okra. The recipe that follow

Bobby Flay is always cooking sticky rice during his competitions. Here's a version. 1 cup rice 1 1/2 cups water 1/8 teaspoon salt Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil until the water dips below the level of the rice, about 10 minutes; reduce the heat to low, cover , and cook until the rice is tender and water has absorbed, about 15 additional minutes. Check Out the Top 80 Chef Blogs Enjoy!!! Creole & Cajun Comfort Food is now a

Time to dive into my Asian flavors. Here's a stir-fry dish. The sticky rice recipe is coming Thursday. 1 pound peeled and deveined 16/20 shrimp 2 teaspoons soy sauce 2 teaspoons rice wine (or cane) vinegar 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger Canola oil 2 bunches green onions, white bottoms, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 red bell peppers, cut into i-inch squares 2 bunches green onion tops, cut into 1-inch pieces Hot pepper flakes (optional) Gar

I am not one who likes to start a meal with a cold dish. But with the temperatures that we are currently enduring, sometimes you just have to break the rules. Cold dishes can be very refreshing. They also are less filling as hot menu items. That doesn’t mean that they are not flavorful and delicious. With the heat in mind, I have assembled 3 appetizers that are not served warm. The first is Tomato-Shrimp Shooters, served in a spoon or shot glass. The second is Chili-Lime Crab

Mac and Cheese is a dish that most people have enjoyed since their childhood. Here is a grownup version. 1 pound dry elbow macaroni 1 stick butter 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups milk 2 cups heavy cream Hot sauce to taste (optional) 4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese 1 cup smoked meat, your choice 1 cup cheese crackers, crushed Preheat oven to 400℉. Cook macaroni in salted water until just al denté; drain into a colander. Run cold water over macaroni until cooled

Now that Mothewr Nature has decided to end the cold weather nonsense, it's time for backyard activities. This week, a couple of side dishes that are perfect for cookouts. 1/2 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen 1/2 cup diced onion 1/2 cup diced bell pepper 1 tablespoon smoked paprika 1/2 cup bacon, ham or tasso, cooked and chopped fine 1 1/2 cups cornmeal 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 large egg 1 1/4 cup buttermilk 6 tablespoons

One pot cooking is a great way for beginners to learn how to cook. While it makes for an easy cook and cleanup, you won’t be lacking in the flavor department. My favorite go-to one pot meal is a South Louisiana classic, Jambalaya. What makes jambalaya such a great meal is the various variations for the dish. You can use any protein that you like to make a jambalaya. With that in mind, today, I want to share with you two different recipes. The first contains three different me

Pork roast have always been a staple of the Centola family holiday table. Here's a different take on the traditional rotisserie prepared that we serve. 1 (6-8 pound) pork shoulder roast 6 large garlic cloves Creole seasoning 1/3 cup canola oil 2 large yellow onions, sliced thick 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 1/2 cup apple cider or apple juice 6 cups chicken stock 2 bay leaves Cut 24 (1-inch deep) slits evenly around pork roast using a sharp thin knife. Quarter each peeled garlic

Easter is this Sunday. If you're not having a crawfish boil, I thought I would share a couplle for large roast recipes that are perfect for the center on your plate. 1/3 cup kosher salt 3 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh thyme 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper 1 (10-12 pound) beef rib roast Blend salt, parsley, thyme, and black pepper. Rub mixture evenly over entire rib roast; cover and chill form up to 72 hours. Before roasting

There are four seasons in South Louisiana. I’m not talking about Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. I’m talking about Crawfish, Crab, Shrimp and Oyster seasons. Now that crawfish season has come and gone, it’s time for crab season. Unfortunately, whole crabs are hard to come by here in Arkansas. You can still satisfy your cravings with crabmeat. With that in mind, I have assembled a couple of recipes today that showcases the sweet meat of the Blue Crab. The first one can be us

Here's the filling and assembly instructions for Monday's recipe Lemon Curd 1 cup granulated sugar 3 tablespoons cornstarch Pinch of salt 6 egg yolks, beaten 2/3 cup water 4 teaspoons lemon zest 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice Mix sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a heavy saucepan. Place over medium-high heat; stir in egg yolks, water, lemon zest, and lemon juice; cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Transfer to a heatproof dish and cover with plastic wrap, pressing

Time to bring out your pastry skills. This week is a two for one group of recipes. Cream Puffs 1 cup water 1 stick butter 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 cup all-purpose flour 4 large eggs Preheat oven to 400℉. Grease a baking sheet. Crack eggs into individual prep bowls and place near cooktop. Place water, butter and salt in a heavy saucepan; bring to a boil. Add flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture forms a cohesive ball. Re

At one time, lobster was served to inmates at New England prisons. They were plentiful and not very expensive. These days, lobster is considered a delicacy. Surprisingly, I have started to find lobster in the local grocery store.  Not only frozen whole lobsters, but refrigerated lobster tails. With their availability, I decided to reach into my bag of recipes for ways to prepare lobster. The first is a fancy entree, Lobster Gnocchi with Butter Sauce. The second is the New Orl

When Emeril moved to New Orleans, he quickly started using all the local ingredients. Here's a simple but elegant pasta. 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons Emeril’s Essence (or Creole seasoning) 1 pound crawfish tails 2 tablespoons minced shallots 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon Crystal hot sauce 2 cups heavy cream Salt and pepper 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese 1/4 cup chopped green onions 1 pound fresh fettuccini, cooked a

Let's visit an old friend this week. Here's a couple of recipes from Mr BAM himself, Emeril Lagasse. 3/4 pound bacon, julienned 2 cups chopped yellow onions 1 cup chopped celery 1 cup diced carrot 1 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 bay leaves 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 10 cups chicken stock 1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, quartered 4 ears fresh sweet corn, kernels removed from the husk 1 teaspoon Crab Boil 2 cups half and half 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley 1/4

I stumbled across some raspberries at the Farmer’s market the other day. Naturally, I started thinking of different ways to serve them. Dessert was the first thing to pop into my mind. There are many ways that you can use them to end your meal. I also wanted to find a way to use them in a savory dish. With that in mind, I present to you two different dishes using raspberries. The first is a dessert, Chocolate Raspberry Napoleons. The second one is for your main course, Jalape

When you hear bread pudding, you think of a sweet dessert. Time to chage that with this savory recipe. 3 large eggs 11/2 teaspoons Creole seasoning 4 cups half & half 1 loaf soft French bread 3 tablespoons canola oil 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 1 bell pepper, chopped 2 celery stalks, chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 pound tasso, coarsely chopped 1 pound crawfish tails with fat, coarsely chopped 3 green onions, sliced Preheat oven to 325℉. In a large bowl add eggs and cr

Now that crawfish season is in full swing, this week a couple of recipes for leftover crawfish, if there is such a thing. 1 dozen large eggs 1/4 cup half & half 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, chopped 1 red bell pepper, chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 pound crawfish tails with fat 3 green onions, chopped 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 1/2 stick butter, divided 3/4 cup shredded mild Cheddar cheese Beat eggs together with half & half,

Bell peppers are part of the Holy Trinity of Creole/Cajun cooking. Since carrots were not readily available when the settlers moved to Louisiana, they used bell peppers in its place in the traditional French mirepoix. There are so many other ways to use bell peppers. With that in mind, today I have three recipes using bell peppers. The first uses one of my favorite ingredients for stuffing, Boudin-Stuffed Bell Peppers. The second is a Grilled Andouille with Grilled Pepper Rel