Fruit Tray for a Party, a How To

              Tips and Pointers: Strawberries are quintessentially the center of the tray, but this doesn’t mean they have to be.  Rinse them well in advance so that they have time to dry, or you …

Farmer’s Market Find: Peaches, and How to Freeze Them.

While Louisiana grows some pretty awesome peaches, they are very hard to come by. When I was a kid, every Memorial Day weekend we’d travel from Southwest Louisiana to East Texas, traveling through the very top northwest corner if Louisiana. …

Distinctively Louisiana: Dirty Rice

A Louisiana classic and an all-time favorite.   To be honest, I don’t usually make this from scratch, but usually cheat and purchase the dressing mix from the freezer section of our local store.  It’s the livers and gizzards and …

How to get the best out of your sweet potatoes

If you love sweet potatoes, and wish that you were able to have that “just-baked” flavor year-round, there is a way which yields baked sweet potatoes that taste like they came out of the oven, year round (almost!). Although I …

Vegetable Tray for a Party, No. 2

Another wedding vegetable tray, this time for my neighbor’s youngest daughter.  She really liked the last one I did for her sister last October, and as soon as she saw that one, she asked if I would do a vegetable …

Dill Pickled Okra

Dill pickled okra: Fortunately, this recipe is by the pint, so you can make as many jars as needed. I also like the fact that the spices are going into each jar, rather than a large vat of vinegar/water mix …

Homemade Sausage: Herbes de Provence Garlic Sausage

Following a basic recipe for french garlic sausage with the classic use of herbes de provence. 4 pounds ground pork 2 tablespoons minced garlic 1 cup minced onion 1 tablespoon herbes de provence 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon …

Homemade Sausage: Chaurice, aka Green Onion Sausage

A good, basic, green onion fresh sausage. This is very similar to the recipe that Chef John Folse uses here http://www.jfolse.com/recipes/meats/pork25.htm  There are other recipes that include more red things (paprika and chili powder) which make it more similar to …

How to: Make Homemade Sausage

Making your own sausage is a rewarding experience.   Once you purchase the necessary equipment, it can also be an economical endeavour.  However, it is time consuming and we usually do it over 2 evenings or one full day off. How …

Homemade Sausage: Fresh Breakfast Sausage Patties

Breakfast sausage Ingredients: 2 lbs of ground pork 1 tablespoon of sage 2 teaspoons of thyme 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoons of red pepper flakes 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon of brown sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt 1/2 …