There are few side dishes that work with as many mains as a delicious Russian salad. James Beard's 1954 recipe caught my eye. (He went by...

Running about drinking all day on Fat Tuesday is not for sissies. Make sure you’re fortified with my “Gumbo on the Bayou” Virgin Mary and Creole-approved “Mardi Gras in Minutes” Breakfast Casserole before you even think of leaving the house! Even if you’re NOT planning an odyssey of epic partying, it’s a terrific “taste-of-New-Orleans” way to start the day. These recipes are a website exclusive. You might see them in an upcoming cookbook. Meanwhile, there are plenty of other

All things meat, from the nice folks at Cutco. Carin' for your meat. A whole lotta braisin' goin' on. Crown roast? Don't mind if I do. 👑...

From Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Cookbook, 1968. A simple recipe featuring the Creole trinity of vegetables and a few other basic...

When it's time for a coq au vin, a boeuf bourguignon, or the many French-influenced Creole dishes I make, only one Dutch oven will do:...

Jimmy Stewart, Rear Window, 1954: "Would you fix me a sandwich, please?" Thelma, as Stella: "Yes, I will. And I'll spread a little common...

Ahoy matey! No need to walk the plank today 'cause we're cooking up the Seven Seas of gumbos, Pirate Alley! Named for the famous passage...

I re-named this popular recipe of mine "Red Dressin' Creole Cocktail Sauce" for a WWL-TV segment featuring my party food for the Red...

I titled this recipe "Red Velvet Run Cupcakes," for a WWL-TV segment featuring my party food for the Red Dress Run in New Orleans, August...

Okay y'all, it's time to ride the crimson wave and go EPIC with everyone's favorite "hair of the dog" day-drinkin' booze-fest cocktail! Go BIG on that Mary or go home! Below I've summed up some essential ingredients and prep hints, some exotic "pro" ingredients, some epic garnishes, and even the beginnings of an epic music playlist, perfect for your next Bloody Mary blowout. (BTW, some of you may be underwhelmed by this, but I am an epic VIRGIN Mary devotee — they are just as

From Talk About Good, Louisiana Lafayette Junior League, 1969. A Cajun/Creole bible of cooking, still in print today. PRO TIP: Rather...

If a Louisiana chicken andouille gumbo and Chinese-American chop suey had a baby. This is a subgum-style, vegetable-rich chop suey, which...

Tasty excerpts from "1,000 Fabulous Sandwiches Cookbook," Doris McFerran Townsend, 1965. I'd love to try this "gourmet" cheddar-herb...

I may, from time to time, enjoy some Duke's or some Kewpie, but BLUE PLATE you are the king of mayonnaise in my book! There's no other...

This Southern party classic gets a kick from dill pickle and the heat of a little jalapeño. Named for the street of my former apartment...

From the Hors d'oeuvres chapter of The Southern Cookbook, Marion Brown, 1954. Appetizers, tantalizers, and tidbits! Irma! Marguery!...

Hot Crab Canapé, from The Southern Junior League Cookbook, 1977. This is an approximation of how the finished recipe might look. The...

Presenting . . . the world premiere of my chick-o-licious Sweet 'n Sour Creole Chicken 'n Rice, also known as Elizabeth Ashley's Creole...

I was THISCLOSE to including an original oyster patty recipe in my cookbook, The Infinite Feast. You'll have to settle for this classic...

The Mardi Gras King Cake of New Orleans is descended from the "galette des rois" of France. The galette was usually made of puff pastry...