Cooking
I've not yet made it to New Orleans, although I'm considerably closer than I used to be.
So, until I finally visit the French Quarter, I'll have to celebrate Fat Tuesday in my own home.
I found a recipe for a fairly simple Anduille and Chicken Jambalaya, and split it in half to accommodate a veg-friendly version.
Wow...that was some pretty fantastic jambalaya! It's not an obviously spicy dish; no...the kick from the cayenne comes up and grabs you from behind, after you've swallowed. Still, not so spicy that you were begging for bread.
And the rice? Perfectly cooked; not soggy, and with the best of the flavors. The onions and green pepper were so caramelized and cooked down, I didn't even notice them in the dish...and I made it!
And it makes plenty, so Matt has lunch for the week.
And to really put us in the mood, I made a King Cake.
This isn't the recipe I've used before, but it was the quickest one I could come up with at short notice ("It's Tuesday already? Crap!").
I think the biggest difference between this and the one I'd made in the past was the decorating. And the directions!
This one wanted 1/4 cup of lemon juice to 3/4 cup of powdered sugar...and an additional 36 Tbl. water...!
One, I think they made a mistake, and forgot the hyphen for the water. And b, that was the strongest lemon frosting I've ever tasted (yes, I actually tasted it!)
Still, it came out alright. I think I prefer the 'divide the icing into three bowls and tint gold, green and purple' method over the 'use color paste and dye the sugar' one.
I compromised, and did both!
And, just like the real Mardi Gras festivities, I got a bunch of shiny beads...but as a married woman, it's not quite so shocking flashing your husband, is it?
- A Renaissance Meal For My Renaissance Man
Today was Matt's birthday & for once, he didn't say "I'll just have a nice piece of beef for dinner". Instead, he wanted this dish (from James Peterson's Sauces); chicken cooked 'gently' in butter, then removed while onions get...
- A Tale Of Two Jambalayas
Every year for Mardi Gras, I make jambalaya. I've made other dishes from time to time, and usually a King Cake, too. But if nothing else, there's jambalaya. And every year, I make the same recipe. I think I started using it seven or eight years...
- Summer Jambalaya
Taking full advantage of this wonderful, miraculous 'I'll try everything' phase Alex is going through, we've been trotting out as many of our favorite dishes as we can. For a kid who wouldn't eat rice (beyond sushi) two years ago,...
- Gung Hay Fat Tuesday (again)
I should finally get some text up here. It seems like Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) & Chinese New Year land days apart, every year. We like to celebrate, but our way. With food. And ok, we might have a little fun with decorations and costumes, too...check...
- Those Ragin' Cajun...
potatoes, that is! As we get ready for Fat Tuesday, I prepared a vaguely New Orleans-ish dinner Monday night. Cajun Potatoes with Spicy Lemons and Onions, from this book; barely boiled potato wedges, roasted with red onions, garlic and lemon, tossed...
Cooking
Mardi Gras-ing with the Best of 'em
I've not yet made it to New Orleans, although I'm considerably closer than I used to be.
So, until I finally visit the French Quarter, I'll have to celebrate Fat Tuesday in my own home.
I found a recipe for a fairly simple Anduille and Chicken Jambalaya, and split it in half to accommodate a veg-friendly version.
Wow...that was some pretty fantastic jambalaya! It's not an obviously spicy dish; no...the kick from the cayenne comes up and grabs you from behind, after you've swallowed. Still, not so spicy that you were begging for bread.
And the rice? Perfectly cooked; not soggy, and with the best of the flavors. The onions and green pepper were so caramelized and cooked down, I didn't even notice them in the dish...and I made it!
And it makes plenty, so Matt has lunch for the week.
And to really put us in the mood, I made a King Cake.
This isn't the recipe I've used before, but it was the quickest one I could come up with at short notice ("It's Tuesday already? Crap!").
I think the biggest difference between this and the one I'd made in the past was the decorating. And the directions!
This one wanted 1/4 cup of lemon juice to 3/4 cup of powdered sugar...and an additional 36 Tbl. water...!
One, I think they made a mistake, and forgot the hyphen for the water. And b, that was the strongest lemon frosting I've ever tasted (yes, I actually tasted it!)
Still, it came out alright. I think I prefer the 'divide the icing into three bowls and tint gold, green and purple' method over the 'use color paste and dye the sugar' one.
I compromised, and did both!
And, just like the real Mardi Gras festivities, I got a bunch of shiny beads...but as a married woman, it's not quite so shocking flashing your husband, is it?
- A Renaissance Meal For My Renaissance Man
Today was Matt's birthday & for once, he didn't say "I'll just have a nice piece of beef for dinner". Instead, he wanted this dish (from James Peterson's Sauces); chicken cooked 'gently' in butter, then removed while onions get...
- A Tale Of Two Jambalayas
Every year for Mardi Gras, I make jambalaya. I've made other dishes from time to time, and usually a King Cake, too. But if nothing else, there's jambalaya. And every year, I make the same recipe. I think I started using it seven or eight years...
- Summer Jambalaya
Taking full advantage of this wonderful, miraculous 'I'll try everything' phase Alex is going through, we've been trotting out as many of our favorite dishes as we can. For a kid who wouldn't eat rice (beyond sushi) two years ago,...
- Gung Hay Fat Tuesday (again)
I should finally get some text up here. It seems like Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) & Chinese New Year land days apart, every year. We like to celebrate, but our way. With food. And ok, we might have a little fun with decorations and costumes, too...check...
- Those Ragin' Cajun...
potatoes, that is! As we get ready for Fat Tuesday, I prepared a vaguely New Orleans-ish dinner Monday night. Cajun Potatoes with Spicy Lemons and Onions, from this book; barely boiled potato wedges, roasted with red onions, garlic and lemon, tossed...