It’s hard to believe that today is a milestone birthday for me. At 11:41pm, I will have made 60 trips around the sun. It’s also the last day of my wife and my birthday week. Like last week, I am sharing with you some of my favorite dishes to cook and eat. Let’s start with Andouille Sausage Balls for an appetizer. For the entree is one of my all-time favorite creations, Creole Shrimp and Grits. I can’t think of a better way to end my birthday meal than with White Chocolate Creme Brûlée. My mouth is watering, so Let’s head to the kitchen! Andouille Sausage Balls This is a Cajun twist on sausage ..read more

Here's a ceviche with a little kick to it in two ways. First, is the tequila. Second is the addition of jalapeños. 2 1/2 pounds peeled, deveined raw shrimp. Depending on the size, cut into bite sized pieces. 1/2 cup tequila 1 cup lime juice 1/4 cup finely diced red onions 1 finely diced red bell pepper 1 diced avocado 1 roasted jalapeno pepper, minced 1 bunch cilantro, minced Sea salt Combine all ingredients, except salt, in a medium bowl. Add to sit for 15 minutes. Season with salt and serve atop tortilla chips. Enjoy!!! Creole & Cajun Comfort Food is now available online. #CreoleandCajun ..read more

With the weather getting warmer, how about a cool dish to start your meal. This week, two Ceviche dishes that both contain shrimp. 1 pound red snapper fillet, cut into 3/4-inch pieces 1/2 pound extra-large cooked shrimp, cut into 1-inch pieces 3 cups minced bell pepper 2 cups minced red onion 3 avocados, halved, pitted, peeled and chopped 2 mangos, peeled, pitted and chopped 1 (16-ounce) container grape tomatoes, halved 1 cup fresh lemon juice, plus additional if needed 1/2 cup fresh orange juice 1/2 cup pineapple juice 1/2 cup chopped cilantro 1/2 cup chopped parsley 1 (1-ounce) container min ..read more

Today is a very special day for me. It’s my wife, Peggy’s, birthday. It also kicks off our birthday week. So instead of putting together a collection of recipes, I asked her what are some of her favorite ones. Obviously, not all of them made this list. Some I have shared recently. I was able to find an appetizer, entree and dessert that she ask me to cook over and over. The appetizer was created right here in Searcy, Voodoo Rolls. The entree is an old New Orleans classic, Panée Veal. For dessert, I went to my mom’s collection of recipes for Mom’s Cheesecake. These are among her favorite recipe ..read more

Here's another Andouille Rice dish. This time, Jambalaya, with chicken. 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 pound andouille sausage, sliced 3/4 pound boneless skinless chicken thing, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 cup chopped onion 1 cup chopped celery 1 cup chopped green bell pepper 1 tablespoon minced garlic 2 fresh bay leaves 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme 1 tablespoon & 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning 2 1/2 cup chicken stock 1 1/2 cup long-grain rice In a medium Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add sausage; cook, stirring frequently, until meat starts to brown, about 3 minutes. Add chicke ..read more

When most recipes call for mushrooms, it is usually button mushrooms. There are so many different varieties in the markets today. I want to explore a couple of different types today, the oyster mushroom and portobello mushroom. You get different flavors and uses for these two varieties. Our recipes today feature mushrooms as a topping and a main ingredient. The first recipe, Smothered Pork Chops with Oyster Mushrooms, showcase tender pork with a mushroom topping. Our second one, Shrimp Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms, the large mushroom is featured. Take a trip to the store, and Let’s head to the ..read more

Grits are a staple on a Southern breakfast table. No matter where or when we eat a breakfast meal, my wife will insist that it includes her favorite morning dish. These days, however, grits are being used for more than just starting the day. Grits as a dinner item gained popularity with Shrimp and Grits. Another great dish is Grillades and Grits. Since I have shared these dishes before, I wanted to share two completely different dishes. First is a cousin to Shrimp and Grits: Crawfish Smothered Grits. The second is Jambalaya Grits. This one mimics the flavors of the dish you are all familiar wi ..read more

Scampi is one of my favorite ways to cook shrimp. Here's a great recipe of your next cookout. This recipe is per serving. 1 tablespoon butter at room temperature 1 teaspoon finely grated Parmesan cheese 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic 1 teaspoon minced parsley 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest Pinch of cayenne pepper 6 jumbo unshelled, head-on shrimp Combine butter, Parmesan, garlic, parsley, lemon zest, and cayenne pepper. Rinse shrimp; using kitchen shears, make a small snip crosswise just where the head meets the body, the snip through shell down the length of the back. Devein shrimp, t ..read more

I know crawfish is the start at this time of year. However, I love to eat shrimp for a change of pace. How about 2 shrimp recipes this week? 2 gallons water 1 cup liquid crab boil 4 tablespoons kosher salt 2 tablespoons fresh black pepper 1 cup dry (powder) crab boil 6 pounds peeled U16-20 shrimp, tails on 5 pounds ice Place water in a large stock pot; add liquid crab boil, salt, pepper, and dry crab boil and bring to a boil. Add shrimp and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add enough ice to cool the pot; let soak of 10 minutes so shrimp absorb more seasoning. Drain and keep cold until ..read more

When you think of the most versatile meat, chicken is usually the first one that comes to mind. I’m one that could eat chicken every day. There is another white meat that often gets overlooked for its versatility, pork. With the many different cuts, there’s so many ways you can prepare your hog. With that in mind, I reached into my bag of recipes and found a couple of pork recipes. The first, Pork Fricassee, features one of the more popular cuts from a pig, pork chops. The second one, Seasoned Pork Tenderloin and Citrus Pecan Chutney, uses the Filet Mignon of pork, the pork tenderloin. Gather ..read more