When I saw this month’s Daring Cooks challenge announcement, my pulse quickened and I envisioned a moist, colorful, flavorful Spanish rice. The sofregit seemed perfect for the season, with fresh tomatoes, peppers, and garlic, and this was a perfect opportunity to test out the paella pan (paellera) Michael gave me for Christmas. That I still [...]
Jambalaya with Shrimp, Chicken, Andouille, and Ham and a Giveaway
January 19, 2009 By 42 Comments
I don’t have any Creole or Cajun relatives (that I know of), so for authentic recipes I turn to some of my favorite cookbooks. Emeril calls this particular recipe his “Clean Out the Ice Box and Freezer” Jambalaya, my kind of food, particularly now because after the holidays and fall harvest we have a freezer [...]
Shrimp with Mushroom Tapas and a Cookbook Give Away
July 28, 2008 By 25 Comments
In 1985 Penelope Casas introduced U.S. diners to the world of Spanish tapas with the success of her book Tapas: The Little Dishes of Spain. Casas is a recognized authority on Spanish cuisine and has published five books on the foods of the region and writes about Spanish food and travel for several major publications. [...]
Shrimp in Garlic Tapa and a Cookbook Give Away
May 26, 2008 By 22 Comments
I wish I could have visited Spain during my jaunt through Europe in 1996, but time was short and I thought a visit to Spain would come on a later trip that has yet to materialize. One of my childhood dreams was to see the horses in Andalusia, so I must do that as well [...]
Panko-crusted Crab Cake Bites with Roasted Pepper-Chive Aioli
July 17, 2007 By 13 Comments
Michael came home from work on Monday and sniffed as soon as he got in the door. “Smells like seafood!” he said, and he was right. This is another one of those dishes that I found in a magazine or online and made it the next day because 1) it sounded good, and 2) I [...]
Empty the Freezer Gumbo
February 19, 2007 By 1 Comment
Our big plan to initiate the chocolate fondue pot this weekend was OBE. This was also the weekend before Mardi Gras and normally I make a King Cake, but that, too, died on the vine. We just have too much going on preparing for the move, which is only 10 days away, and some things [...]
Bay Scallops with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Pesto
February 2, 2007 By 3 Comments
Moving day is looming. We have an offer on our house and we’re heading up to the DC area this weekend to hopefully put in an offer on our new home, so it’s imperative that the freezer reach empty status soon. Today I wanted to use up some bay scallops we had, and I kept [...]
Shrimp Pad Thai
March 4, 2006 By Leave a Comment
I fell in love with Thai food on a trip to Koh Samui and Phuket in 1996. I had a great time visiting all of the little restaurants and some of the larger tourist-type places as well. When I came back to the U.S., I was grateful to find a good Thai restaurant in my [...]
Jambalaya
January 10, 2006 By Leave a Comment
When I first made this a few years ago, my husband had recently been to New Orleans, and said this tasted almost exactly like the great jambalaya he had on his trip. We make this jambalaya a few times a year, changing it up a little each time depending on what we have on hand. [...]
