Native to the Iberian peninsula, and not usually associated with Louisiana's culinary heritage, gazpacho nevertheless turns up in local cookbooks, like Pirates Pantry (Quick Gazpacho Soup) and River Road Recipes (Cold Tomato Soup I & II). Not so surprising, given our Spanis... Read more

With rice, as with riffs, dirty is good! Dirty rice, a kind of Proto-jamalaya, is staple of many varieties of Southern cooking, including Creole and, of course, Cajun. It's a pretty fool proof and forgiving dish. Most recipes include a couple of varieties of meat and the f... Read more

Potatoes and leeks make for a versatile pairing of ingredients. In the three overlapping recipes below, we'll adapt a simple basic procedure to very different ends.  The simple version of potato-leek soup is a great recipe if you're trying to learn to cook -- pretty fool-p... Read more

Preserved lemons are a great, handy condiment to have on hand. While they are best known as an ingredient in North African tagines, they can give lots of dishes that little something extra. Use them in pasta, sauces, and anywhere else that calls for savory lemon flavor, lik... Read more

This month we have three recipes for preparing nuts for the holidays: a very simple procedure for simple Glazed Pecans; a somewhat more complex recipe for spicy-savory peanuts (or almonds, if you prefer); and finally, Cinnamon Pecans, which requires a bit of candy-making te... Read more

Each November, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation celebrates Louisiana's most iconic food with the Treme Creole Gumbo Festival. Emerging from 18th century Louisiana, gumbo's evolution was shaped by African, French, Spanish, Native American, Caribbean and German infl... Read more

 There are many versions of Arroz con Pollo (Chicken and Rice) around the world--it's near-universal family-friendly comfort food. This colorful Latin American version, which features saffron and lots of tomato, is a kind of country cousin of paella, though with long graine... Read more

Later summer means watermelon, and making a granita is a great way to consume fresh melon during these steamy months. A granita is kind of like a sno-ball, but made in slow motion. Unlike sorbets, making granitas doesn't require an ice cream freezer or any other special equ... Read more

High summer is blackberry season, and cobbler is an easy way to enjoy them. It's terrific by itself. With a scoop of vanilla and/or some fresh whipped cream? Crazy good!  For the filling: 3-1/2 to 4 cups fresh blackberries, rinsed and dried 1/2 cup water 2 tablespoons sugar... Read more

June means it's creole tomato season. So what are you going to do with all those tomatoes you get from your neighbor, or while making groceries or going to Creole Tomato Fest? Here's couple of recipes that fit the bill.   Stuffed Creole Tomatoes 6 large, ripe Creole tomat... Read more