With the opening of our Farmer's market, I often find the best fresh berries. This week, we will celebrate them witha couple of dessert recipes. 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour 1/3 cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar, divided 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided 1 teaspoon lemon zest 1/2 cup cold butter, softened 1/3 cup ice cold water 3 cups mixed fresh berries (ie. Sliced strawberries, blueberries, raspberries) 2 tablespoons cornstarch 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 1 larg

Here's a great appetizer for those who are trying rabbit for the first time. 6 (2-3-ounces) rabbit tenderloins 3 1/4 teaspoons Creole Seasoning, divided 1/2 cup all-purpose flour Canols oil for deep frying Unsalted butter for deep frying Mustard Sauce (recipe follows) Peel any sliver skin from the rabbit and discard. Sprinkle the rabbit lightly and evenly with 1/12 teaspoons of Creole seasoning and combine the remaining Creole seasoning with the flour in a medium-size bowl o

To steal a phrase from the intrepid hunter Elmer Fudd, this week "Be vewy, vewy quiet, I'm hunting wabbits." Here are a couiple of ways to prepare those wascawwy wabbits. 4 tablespoons butter 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onions, divided 1 1/2 cups finely chopped celery, divided 1 1/2 cups finely chopped bell pepper, divided 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce 1 2/3 cups chopped tasso 3/4 cup tomato sauce 2 pounds rabbit, cut in 1/4-inch pieces 2 cups uncooked r

Every time I see a blackberry, it takes me back to my childhood. My grandmother has a blackberry bush in her yard. We would often pick them for her. Here's a recipe using blackberries. 1 pound fresh blackberries 1 cup sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar In a medium saucepan, combine blackberries, sugar, and salt. Using a potato masher, gently mash until blqackberries begin to release their liquid. Stir until sugar is moistened. Bring to a boil over medium-high

This week, I am featuring a couple of recipes to help complete other dishes. Let's start with a dessert topping. 1/2 cup cold Creole cream cheese 2 1/2 tabllespoons confectioners' sugar 3/4 cup cold heavy whipping cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat cold creole cream cheese and confectioners' sugar at medium-high speed until smooth, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. With mixer on medium speed, slowly add cold cream, beating until combined

What would a brunch be without some liwuid refreshment? Here's something to wet your whistle. 12 ounces fresh raspberries 1/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 (750-ml) bottles prosecco, chilled Garnish: fresh raspberries, lemon twist In the container of a blender, combine raspberries, sugar, and lemon jice; process until smooth. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. In bottom of each oof 12 glasses, pour 2 tablespoons

Let's continue the brunch menu with this simple and refreshing salad. 3 cups orange segments 2 pounds fresh strawberries, diced (about 3 cups) 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint 1 teaspoon lime zest 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 2 tablespoons honey Garnish: fresh mint leaves In a large bowl, combine orange segments, strawberries and chopped mint. In a small bowl, combine lime zest and juice and honey. Pour over orange mixture, gently tossing until combined. Garnish with mint l

Every good breakfats/brunch deserved a potato dish. How about some Home Fries? 3 pounds baby gold potatoes 3 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided 2 1/2 cups Canola oil 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 chopped yellow onion 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon creole seasoning 1/4 cup sliced green onion In a medium saucepan, bring potatoes, 1 tablespoon salt, and enough water to cover to a boil over medium-high heat; cook until just tender, about 6 minutes. Drain potatoes

Over the next two weeks, I will be sharing with you some recipes that are great fo brunch. Let's start off with a little sweetness. 3/4 cup butter, softened and divided 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar, divided 1 tablespoon dark corn syrup 3/4 cup chopped pecans 17.3 ounce package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon 1 teaspoon orange zest 1/2 cup chopped golden raisins Preheat oven to 400℉. In a small bowl, stir

Here's a quick and flavorful dish for a weeknight meal. 2 onions 2 stalks celery 1/2 bell pepper 4 cloves garlic 3 ounces tomato paste 15 ounces tomato sauce 1 pound peeled and deveined medium raw shrimp 4 ounces canned sliced mushrooms Creole seasoning, to taste 1 quart water 1 pound spaghetti Shaved Parmesan cheese, for garnish Chop onions, celery bell pepper, and garlic; cook in a small amount of oil until wilted. Add tomato paste and tomato sauce. Cook over low fire until

This week, I am sharing a couple of pasta recipes. The first one is perfect for meatless Mondays. 1 bunch asparagus 1 bunch green onions 4 tablespoons butter 2 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste 6 ounces heavy cream 4 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish Creole seasoning, to taste 1/2 cup shelled edamame or green peas 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrot 1 pound pasta Cracked black pepper, lemon zest, sliced basil, chopped parsley, for garnish Put a large

Here's a Cajun twist on an Italian classic. Replacing the bacon with tasso gives this a unique flavor. 16 ounces penne pasta 4 egg yolks 2 large eggs 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup diced tasso 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper Garnish: fresh oregano leaves Cook pasta according to the package directions for al denté. Drain pasta. Reserving 1 1/2 cups cooking liquid. In a small bowl, whisk together eg

This week before Mother's day, how about a couple of recipes featuring pork products. Here's a galzed ham just in time for the big day. 1 cup water 8 to 10-pound spiral cut ham 10.5 ounces red pepper jelly 1/2 teaspoon orange zest 1/2 cup fresh orange juice 1/2 cup dry white wine (sub ginger ale for non-alcoholic version) 2 tablespoons Creole mustard 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves Garnish: orange slices, Fresno chili pepp

The sauce that BBQ Shrimp are prepared in is perfect for other seafoods. Here, we give crawfish tails the BBQ treatment. 1 pound of peeled crawfish tails 1/4 pound butter 1/2 cup finely chopped garlic 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper 1 tablespoon fish sauce 2 teaspoons fresh minced rosemary 1 cup seafood stock 2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste Garnish: lemon wedg

This week, I want to put a twist on traditional dishes. The first is to substitute orzo for other pasta in pastalaya. 2 tablespoons butter 12 ounces andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 cup chopped yellow onion 3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper 3/4 cup green bell pepper 1/2 cup chopped celery 2 teaspoons minced garlic 2 sprigs fresh thyme 1 bay leaf 32 ounces chicken stock 28-ounce can crushed fire-roaste

Whenever I make a Mexican dish, this is always the side dish. 3 tablespoons canola oil 1 cup uncooked long-grain rice 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 cup minced onions 1/2 cup tomato sauce 2 cups chicken stock Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until puffed and golden. While rice is cooking sprinkle with salt, garlic and cumin. Stir in onions and cook until tender. Stir in tomat

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

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

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