here are two schools of cornbread, sweet and non-sweet. My wife is firmly in the first group. For the holidays, she always ask me to make chicken cornbread dressing made with sweet cornbread. It is one of her favorite dishes. There is a lot to be said about non-sweet cornbread. I find that it lends itself to different recipes than sweet cornbread doesn’t. With that in mind, today I want to share with you two different cornbread recipes. The first one makes individual muffins,

Sauces are a great way to elevate a main dish. Some restaurants employee a saucier, who is responsible for making sauces and stocks. Given the opportunity, I will always prepare a sauce for my meals. We don’t always have the time to make a sauce. Today, I want to share a way to remedy that. One does not think of a slow cooked as a way to make sauces. They are a great way to bring the depth of flavor that good sauces contain. I am sharing two different ones. The first is a lig

It is often said that people eat with their eyes. The first view of the dish you are about to eat can definitely raise your anticipation of it’s flavor. With the advent of Instagram, people are constantly posting pictures of their meals. Many people have taken food photography to another level. You must first start with a dish that is worthy of posting. Today, I want to share with you a recipe that not only photographs well, but it is also delicious to the last bite. The visi

Arkansas is the country’s largest rice producing state in the nation. Louisiana is also in the top three. One of my favorite dishes to cook (and eat) is jambalaya. There are many other ways to bring rice to the table. With that thought in mind, I want to share with you a couple of dishes including this wonderful grain. The first contains seafood, Cajun Shrimp and Rice. The second one is paired with a different protein, Smothered Pork Chops and Rice. Both would be a highlight

One of my favorite cities to visit is San Francisco. My first impression was standing at the cable car turnaround on Market street. I was mesmerized watching the car climb up the hills of Powell St., disappearing as they started their journey towards the bay. Once we reached the bay, my thoughts turned to food. One of the local dishes was a soup/stew called Cioppino. This delicacy was created by Italian immigrant fishermen in the city. It is said that fisherman who weren’t su

Every year around Labor Day, an annual tradition takes place, the start of Football season. Whether it’s the bright Friday night lights of high school football, college game day on Saturday, or professional football on Sunday, the excitement fills the air with hope for a championship season. What makes things even more exciting is gathering with friends to watch these games. Of course, you need some good food for your viewing pleasure. I have assembled two recipes that are gr

Brisket is one of the stars of the smoker. It is my preferred smoked meat. It is not something that I cook often due to the length of time required to smoke it. I do love to eat it. It is always my first choice when I visit a BBQ restaurant. With a taste for brisket on my mind, I started searching for non-smoked ways to cook one. What follows is two different ways to cook a brisket. The first is to boil it, Boiled Brisket of Beef. The second one gives you some smoked flavor,

I think that sandwiches often get a bad rap for being so easy to make. Take two pieces of bread, put some meat and condiments on it and you have a sandwich. While this will nourish you, there are many ways you can elevate your sandwich game. With that in mind, I want to share with you a couple of sandwiches that are far from boring. The first one is a sandwich that is served warm, Toasted Hot Bacon, Cheese, Basils & Tomato Sandwiches. The second one is a zesty chicken sandwic

Today would have been my brother Lyle’s 70th birthday. Unfortunately, he passed away ten years ago. Growing up, he always included me in the grownup activities. Being the best athlete in the family, he wasn’t afraid to take the youngest brother on his team and help him shine. Like most of my brothers, Lyle was always at home in the kitchen. Our holiday gatherings featured some of the best cooks around. Since I can’t talk to him today, I want to honor him with the following re

As you are well aware, my favorite type of sausage is andouille. Truth be told, there is another type of sausage that is very close, Italian sausage. I remember my introduction to Italian sausage. My mother would always cook a few links for my father. As a child, I often wondered what was so special about them. When I first tasted it, I did not like the taste. As I grew older, I gave it another try. Too my surprise, I found that it was a great flavor, different from any other

For a person who never liked to write papers and essays in school, I have come a long way. With two cookbooks under my belt, today I am reaching another milestone. It is with great pleasure that I share with you my 400th column. When deciding on what recipes to share, I figured that I would put my two most recent new dishes I have cooked in print. A chef is only as good as his last dish. The first one is a coastal Southern staple, Peggy’s Shrimp and Grits. The second one is a

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

As you know, I always enjoy my Saturday walks through the Farmer’s market. Not only are these great fresh product and fruits, it always gives me ideas for my articles. Take today’s for example. One of the farmers were selling new potatoes. I started thinking of all the different things I could do with them. With that in mind, today I am sharing three potato recipes. The first is a perfect summer dish, Buttermilk Mustard Potato Salad. The second one is a little more fancier, C