Appetizers/Snacks

Spicy Corn Fritters with Raita

Corn, or maize, is a traditional ingredient of comfort foods in my native American South. Although less complete nutritionally than several other grains, corn makes up for this with its versatility. Dried and milled, it’s used for our beloved cornbread, spoon bread, and hoecakes. Processed through the 3,000-year-old technique of [...]

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Cajun-Style Shrimp

Think Louisiana cuisine and what terms immediately come to mind? Cajun. Creole. Jambalaya. Gumbo. Etouffee. Shrimp remoulade. Chicory coffee. Oyster po’ boys. Andouille sausage. Barbeque shrimp. If you say “say what?” to that last item you’re not alone. Although I’ve eaten New Orleans-style barbeque shrimp many times over the years, [...]

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Parmesan Cheese Straws with Rosemary

For a native of the American South, I discovered cheese straws remarkably late in life. I was all of 18 years old when they were introduced to me, and it was love at first bite. In the decades since then, the many wonderful attributes of cheese straws have made them [...]

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Roasted Asparagus with Caesar Dressing

I do my best to eat produce grown locally and preferably sourced from my own organic garden. However, there are several temperate zone fruits and vegetables that refuse to grow in my semi-tropical part of Florida (I’ve tried) and are simply too tempting to live without. Who can resist the [...]

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Reuben “Sandwich” Bites

Grilled Reubens are my family’s idea of sandwich comfort food heaven, and it’s easy to see why. The origin of this superb sandwich is hotly contested, with some attributing it’s development to Omaha restauranteur Reuben Kulakofsky during the 1920s and others giving the nod to New York delicatessen owner Arnold [...]

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Blue Cheese Straws with Walnuts

Cheese straws are a ubiquitous Southern appetizer that somehow escaped my attention until my first year at university, when they were introduced to me by my then roommate, a dear upper-crust girl from Georgia. She and I actually had little in common. But we were as one in our enthusiasm [...]

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Baked Zucchini Sticks with Pesto Flavors

“Happiness is the longing for repetition,” or so says the author Milan Kundera, who I assume spends little time in the kitchen. I made this odd association, and laughed at myself for it, while making roasted vegetables last week in my same old way. I asked myself: isn’t it time [...]

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Cheddar and Stilton Rarebit

Homemade vegetable soup is a popular main course dinner in my family, and I frequently serve it with a rarebit side dish to make a satisfying and nutritionally complete meal. Rarebit couldn’t be simpler to make. It can be tossed together in a matter of minutes and just seems more [...]

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Smoked Sausage and Cheese Balls

If you are on a diet, I suggest you avert you eyes now and hit the back button on your computer. Other readers who know that the rich dishes on your party buffet table are often the most popular may wish to keep reading. This seriously-rich appetizer is my approximation [...]

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