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Panzanella Salad
It was bloody hot today. Too hot to hold hands with The Man. Too hot to walk barefoot in the grass (even the grass was hot). And def too hot to cook. AmIright? So here’s what we’re gonna do. Stay inside, strip down to our skivvies, pour some wine, turn on our favorite music (Justin Timberlake, Outkast, Beck, Nina Simone…whatever gets the hips swaying) and make Panzanella Salad. It’s a beautiful word, isn’t it? Panzanella. Pane (bread) + zanella (soup bowl) = panzanella. Saying it feels like a silky + floral Chianti is trickling down your throat. Pan-za-NEL-la! Calling it by its name— Panzanella Salad, a Tuscan bread salad—is much more…
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Blackened Shrimp Caesar Salad
When I walked outside this morning to fill the bird feeders, I withered like a delicate flower. Seeing as how I am not a flower (nor delicate), this is my poetic way of telling you it was already scorching hot at 8AM. So how does a withered flower combat a hot day that will only get hotter? Blackened Shrimp Caesar Salad, of course! This salad is 200% awesome. 50% because cool + creamy Caesar dressing 50% because piquant + spicy blackened shrimp 50% because crunchy + garlicky croutons 50% because rich + sapid Parmesan cheese Actually, it’s probably more like 300% awesome. (You’ll agree once you dive in.) It’s a…
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Crunchy + Garlicky Croutons
This is an open letter to Mrs. Kitchens, my former neighbor and babysitting employer. Dear Mrs. Kitchens, There was this one occasion when I babysat your kids that I found a container of crunchy bread chunks in the pantry. Those chunks were so savory + buttery that I started eating them–just one or two each time I walked through the kitchen. What harm was there in eating a few toasted pieces of bread? Well, I am not sure what happened next…things are a little foggy…but the next thing I remember was seeing the bottom of the container, unobstructed. I had eaten ALL the bread. So I write this open letter…
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Quick + Easy Blackened Shrimp
A gold star on my forehead. There was nothing I treasured more than that sticky foil star, smack dab between my eyes. I intended to wear it the entire day, as a trophy, a distinction. Unfortunately, within the hour my forehead was glistening with perspiration and the star lost its grip. Such is life in New Orleans where the weather is either balmy, hot, or ooh-wee chile’ scorching. What had I done to receive such a high honor? I cleaned my plate. Almost to the point of licking. I was at K-Paul’s, Paul Prudhomme’s restaurant, experiencing blackening seasoning for the first time. On redfish, I recall. Redfish seasoned and seared…
- 4th meal, appetizers + hors d'oeuvres, breakfast + brunch, comfort food, party food + snacks, sandwiches + roll-ups
Toast 6+ Ways
Toast is one of my ultimate comfort foods. When I was very little, toast was front and center of my morning routine with my father. I was his official self-appointed toast maker. Every morning, as he was shaving, I would prepare his toast. How many times had I under toasted the bread or was overzealous with the butter or the dollop of my mom’s homemade peach preserves? Who knows, because my sweet dad said it was “absolutely perfect!” every.time. Dad and I took turns fixing each others’ toast for many years. Toast was our love language. Toast was our thing. Today’s toast transcends the white bread stereotype. It is no…
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Ultimate Chicken + Avocado Caprese Salad
It’s that time of year when we are inundated with images of summer-readiness attire + activities + dietary regimen. It can be so stressful getting back on track after the holidays in preparation for the nearly naked time of year. (Seriously, have you seen how tiny bikinis are nowadays?) But there is no stress at all with preparing or eating this delightfully light yet satisfying Ultimate Chicken + Avocado Caprese Salad! I’d go so far as to say this salad is crazy easy to prepare. Simply do a sweep through the produce aisle of the market, grab a rotisserie chicken, and throw together some dressing fixins and you’re set! This…
