January 26, 2024 The weather still dominates the conversation here in New Orleans, with torrential rains and flooding this week instead of freezing temperatures. Hopefully it will clear up for the weekend's Mardi Gras festivities. It's not looking good for the first big parades next weekend, but that could change. For the recipes this week, I selected a buttermilk fried chicken cobb salad first up; we try to have an entree salad for dinner one night a week, and this one fits the bill. Next, a classic veal milanes ...Continue Reading

January 19, 2024 We're warming up briefly in New Orleans, with another freeze expected for Saturday night. We had ice on the ground for more than 24 hours Tuesday and Wednesday, something that is very unusual here. However, our pot of mustard greens made it through, and they should be better after the cold weather. My mom would never pick them until after the first frost; like collard greens, they're less bitter and sweeter after a cold spell. I must have had warmer weather on the brain when I selected the recipe ...Continue Reading

January 13, 2024 Brr! A significant portion of the US is going to suffering freezing temperatures and winter storms over the coming week--even here in balmy New Orleans, we'll have to move in plants for a few nights so they don't freeze. I intend to pick all my hot peppers over the weekend and make salsa. There's one lone tomato plant that just won't stop-- it's got several green tomatoes on it, so fried green tomatoes for dinner one night. Maybe I'll fry some eggplant to go along with it, while I've got the greas ...Continue Reading

January 5, 2024 Happy New Year! Much as I hate to rush the years, I was really happy to see the end of 2023. It was one of the toughest years I've experienced, and one I don't want to repeat. I took a much-needed two week break over Christmas and New Year. We spent Christmas with family in Los Angeles, cooking feasts for both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Back here in New Orleans, I cooked a traditional meal for New Years Day: Roasted pork, black-eye peas with smoked pork necks, and braised collard greens with ...Continue Reading

December 15, 2023 Ten days to Christmas! My sister-in-law texted me last night that I was hired to help her wrap presents next week, with the caveat of no pay but plenty of wine supplied. I'll take that! Last year I took packages of Camellia red beans, and frozen smoked sausage and tasso along with my recipe for red beans and rice for both our niece and nephew to make for their family. TSA had to inspect my bag because the dried beans looked like "pointy objects". The same thing happened a few years ...Continue Reading

December 8, 2023 I need to talk to my sister-in-law in Southern California to talk about what we're going to cook over Christmas. We always spend this holiday with Jim's family there, and I'm looking forward to seeing everyone. Stephanie always makes a big pot of split pea soup for Christmas Eve, but the rest of the menu changes from year to year. Some years it's a sit-down formal year, some years a large selection of hors d'oeuvres to nibble on.  For this week's recipes, I start with a garlic butter sh ...Continue Reading

December 1, 2023 With Thanksgiving behind (I have to admit, I was not on my A-game for the Thanksgiving meal, but the company was the best), I'll be looking ahead to holiday feasts. We always spend Christmas with family on the West Coast, and Christmas Eve is the big get-together; I'm in my sister-in-law's kitchen as sous chef. We've not talked about the menu yet, so this week I'm putting out some ideas for casual get-togethers. First, an easy but delicious cream of oyster soup, my husband's favorite. Delicious i ...Continue Reading

November 17, 2023 Thanksgiving is here!  If you don't have your menu quite set yet, I have compiled a list of suggestions here. I already cooked Thanksgiving this year, so we're going out to eat. This year I've got my family coming for a feast on Saturday; it's the day that works out best for the hectic schedules of the younger generation. It will be my first Thanksgiving without my brother in the kitchen to help out, so it's going to be a bittersweet day, to say the least. But I'm really looking forwar ...Continue Reading

November 3, 2023 The theme of this week's newsletter is "Easy". I'm taking a break from heavy-lift cooking in anticipation of what is to come later this month for Thanksgiving. I'm going to have a crowd this year, and it will be bittersweet without my brother here to help me as he has in years past. Up this week, first, a really simple but tasty shrimp and asparagus stir fry. Get your prep work done while the rice is cooking, and finish up the stir fry while it lasts. Next, a hearty beef stew that cooks ...Continue Reading

October 20, 2023 Thanksgiving is just a month away, and I'm already working on lists of ideas to go along with the roast turkey I make every year. Based on the information coming my way from our website's analytics, plenty of people are doing the same, so I've included a couple of holiday classics here this week. First up, a delicious oyster dressing from the venerable--and sorely missed-- Leah Chase. She uses the oyster liquor to soak bread cubes, so the entire dish is infused with briny flavor. Next, not h ...Continue Reading