Love At First Bite

10 Months Later....

2010-07-18T22:06:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't had time to post my new recipes or drinks in such a long time. Life's been a little hectic.

I am, however, here to post links to some fabulous dishes and desserts I've collected along the way. And hopefully, I'll have a new martini recipe (or three) coming up soon.

In the desserts department, oh - you must try this Key Lime White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake. And a new favorite, Strawberry Shortcake. Finally, here's a Banana Split Cake that I made for Justin's 14th birthday*. To. Die. For.

Not to be outdone are the main courses. We loved this Shrimp Creole, and these Southern Fried Catfish Sandwiches. Also making a frequent stop on our dinner table is Chicken and Waffles, a Harlem favorite.

Give any of these - or better yet, all of them - a try. Definitely worth your time.

*Here's a tip: don't use the toffee bits on this ice cream cake. Use nuts. Why? The toffee bits are frozen, and when you take a bite, they stick to your teeth. Then you take another bite of ice cream and wowza. I about came out of my chair, my teeth hurt so much. Trust me - go with nuts.

Fabulous Food Find

2009-09-08T07:38:00.000-07:00

...or rather, Fabulous Bar Find: Crystal Head Vodka.

I saw this bottle in my new liquor store haunt, took a quick glance and walked right past it thinking it was just a fad thing.

A friend of mine, however, actually bought it and recommended it to me not long after. It is incredible - if you like a smooth vodka, this is the one for you. I took a shot of it the night I bought my bottle, and it went down like water. My typical drink is this vodka, tonic water and frozen lime wedges - the best vodka tonic I've ever had.

A little pricey, but if you prefer quality over quantity as I do, then you won't mind. And before I start getting the mass emailings about how it's a skull - let me assure you, the skull is based on a Mayan myth or something - the "13 Heads"- not mass murder or baby eating death metal rockers.

Not that I don't already have plans to use the empties for a Halloween table centerpiece...Muahahahahahahaha!

My Latest Martini Creations

2009-09-08T07:20:00.000-07:00

I've been so busy lately, I've forgotten to add my latest martini creations. Here they are, for your drinking pleasure.

The Sweet Dreams Colviez Martini

2 oz. Blue Raspberry Vodka

1 oz. Sprite

Purple grape to garnish

Simple and sweet! Shake all ingredients in iced strainer until chilly; pour into glass and enjoy. To put this over the top, sink a Hershey's Kiss into the glass, instead of the grape: a chocolate on your pillow.

The John Spence Sucks Ass Martini

(yeah, yeah, I know. I'm being mean. But you know what? Shut it - he deserves it.)

2 oz. Frigid Vodka - the colder, the better

2 oz. Sour Pucker Apple Schnapps

Drizzle of Grenadine

Sour pickle to garnish

Shake in iced strainer; pour into glass with salt covered rim. This is an unconventional combination of flavors, but it's actually drinkable. And it so perfectly conveys the meaning of the title.

Pui Cu Smantana Acra (Chicken Sour Cream)

2009-09-08T06:51:00.000-07:00

Our Romanian feast has continued through the weekend, and today, fine friends, I bring you Pui Cu Smantana Acra, or Sour Cream Chicken.

One word: YUM - this is a great meal. My friend told me the traditional way is to serve it with Sarmale, which is cabbage rolls...and which I plan to make soon. But we just went the plain Jane way - chicken alone.

Pui Cu Smantana Acra

1 lg. chicken, 5 - 6 lbs, cut into pieces

1/4 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

1 pint sour cream

1/4 lb. mushrooms, sliced thin

3 whole spring onions, chopped

1/2 bell pepper, chopped

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

3 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tsp Hungarian Paprika (I had to use regular - couldn't find Hungarian where I live)

1/4 c water

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet, brown chicken in butter. Place in casserole dish. Make roux* from butter, flour and water; stir until light brown. Cool roux; add sour cream and simmer until bubbly. (Sour cream will curdle if the roux is not cooled.) Add chopped veggies; sprinkle with spices. Cover chicken and cook until tender. Serves 6 - 8.

The only variations I made to this meal was cooking it in my big cooker, so it took much longer - approximately 4 hours or so. I also forgot to add the bell peppers, unfortunately.

Otherwise, it was a real crowd pleaser. We had it for lunch yesterday, and there is literally scraps left today. Definitely try this one - you'll be hooked!

*For all of you who do not know how to make roux: On medium to med. high heat, melt fat in pan (in this case, butter), spoon in flour and water, stirring to incorporate. Using the bent edge of the spoon, move it around slowly until the flour is cooked and the roux begins to change colors.

In New Orleans cooking, you won't use water and the roux should be the color of a brick; for this recipe's purposes, the water loosened the mixture up and I stopped when it was the color of khaki. I know, I know - that sounds goofy, but I couldn't think of an example of the light brown color other than clothes.

Broedlaewend

2009-09-06T10:40:00.000-07:00

Or Romanian Beef Soup.

Wow - this recipe was recommended by a friend, and it is to die for.

Easiest thing you'll ever make.

Broedlaewend

Ingredients

900g beef, cut into thin strips (I bought a chuck roast - it worked beautifully)
2 large onions, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
1.5l beef stock (I used two large boxes of broth - it was the perfect amount)
6 large potatoes, cubed
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
2 medium bay leaves
6 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp cream
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Preparation:

"Heat the oil in a pan and use to fry the onions for about 8 minutes, or until soft. Add the meat and fry, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes more, or until well browned. Now add the sock, bring to a simmer and cook for 1 hour before adding the potatoes and bay leaves. Season with salt and black pepper then return to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes more. Remove about 150ml of the stock from the soup and slowly whisk into the flour until smooth.

Now return the flour mixture back to the soup, stirring briskly to combine. Return to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes before taking off the heat and stirring-in the vinegar, cream and parsley. Ladle into soup bowls and serve."

I followed the recipe pretty strictly, other than not measuring my ingredients, which you already know I don't do anyway. The only small variations I made were to cook the entire thing in my big cooker, rather than a big skillet or dutch oven. Also, at the end, I turned the heat way down, added the cream and vinegar, and then allowed it to warm for about 20 more minutes.

We served it with wheat rolls, and it was absolutely a major hit with the family. Curt barely got enough for his lunch today; the J Crew actually argued to the death over who got the leftovers.

Ally's Hemingway Key Lime Pie

2009-08-11T16:12:00.000-07:00

Here's my famous (around these parts and in my mind only, I'm sure) Hemingway Key Lime Pie. I call it my "Hemingway" pie, because I always think of the Florida Keys when I make this pie...and of course, that's where my favorite author hung out quite a bit.

Ally's Hemingway Key Lime Pie

1 pkg. graham crackers

6 tbsp melted butter

1 tbsp sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In food processor, process graham crackers until fine. Add butter and sugar and process until it makes a wet dough. Press into 9" glass pie plate, bake for 20 minutes until browned, firm. Allow to cool completely. Turn heat down to 325 degrees.

2 cans sweetened condensed milk

8 egg yolks

1 - 1/3 cups key lime juice

several drops green food coloring

grated lime zest

Mix together and pour into pie crust. The pie is done when toothpick inserted in middle comes out lightly coated. The top of the pie should be custardy in appearance and stick to your fingertip when pressed lightly.

*In Wyoming, this pie takes anywhere from 35 - 45 minutes to cook. Down south, at lower elevation levels, it should only take 20 - 30 minutes.

Allow to cool; place in icebox until ready to serve.

heavy cream

sugar, to taste

lime extract, to taste

Beat all ingredients until cream is firm. Add heaping spoonful to each slice of pie; garnish with sliced lime and mint leaves.

Smothered Poke' Chops

2009-08-11T15:40:00.000-07:00

We have found the best recipe for pork chops - I kid you not. If you're a poke' chop fan (that's how we say it down south), you will love this recipe. Like Paula says, "I love anything on the pig."

Paula Dean's Smothered Poke Chops

bone-in chops

flour, to dust

seasonings - salt, pepper, garlic, etc. (whatever you like)

2-3 bell peppers, sliced

2 onions, sliced

chicken broth, approx 1 box/lg. can - enough to deglaze the skillet and pool around the chops

Butter

(Paula's not too big on using measurements, and neither am I, so you'll have to adjust to your liking.)

Melt butter in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Season flour; coat chops liberally in flour and brown in melted butter. When you have a nice color on them, remove chops and throw peppers and onions into the skillet. Allow to cook down to soft consistency; push veggies to the side of the skillet and put chops back in.

Layer veggies around/over chops, and add broth around chops - don't cover the chops with broth. If skillet has a lid, cover; if using a cast iron skillet, cover loosely with foil. Turn heat down to medium low, and let slow cook for 45 minutes or so until chops are fork tender.

The Best Salad You'll Ever Eat

2009-05-19T06:16:00.000-07:00

We had dinner with our neighbors, Dianne and Tim, this weekend. It was a fun time - as always - but the highlight of the night was definitely Tim's mom's salad, which Dianne has tweaked to make her own. It's simple, but it's packed with flavor. It's probably also not real healthy, so enjoy in moderation. =)

Dianne's Bacon Salad

3 heads of Romaine lettuce, chopped into bite size pieces

1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled

shredded parmesan, to taste

real mayo, to taste

salt & pepper, to taste

Combine lettuce in a big bowl; make a well in center to add mayo. Sprinkle the top of the lettuce with parmesan and salt and pepper. Add mayo; toss thoroughly. Keeping adding mayo and cheese until salad is wet and tastes to your liking. Serve immediately.

* The difference between Tim's mom's version and Dianne's is that Tim's mom adds less mayo, (so the salad is drier) and she adds onions...and something else - I forget. We made it this way Sunday night for supper, and loved it with the onions. I'd also like to try adding crutons, or sunflower seeds, tomatoes or chicken.

"The Darkie" Martini

2009-05-13T15:45:00.001-07:00

(pic coming soon)

I thought of another martini while I was lying and frying this afternoon at the tanning salon. (By the way, I am getting super dark! Wahoo!) I don't have any chocolate liquor on hand, but Curt's taking me up to Taylor's when he gets in tonight, so I'll snap a photo when I make the drink later.

The Darkie Martini

1 oz. Vodka

1 oz. Chocolate Liquor

Garnish with an orange wheel

Shake and pour - you know the drill.

(Ed. note: this drink blew - I'm still tweaking the recipe, but don't try as is. Awful, awful!)

Long Name, Good Drink

2009-05-13T14:00:00.000-07:00

I was just thinking of a martini recipe for one of my girls, and I remembered this awesome Bloody Mary cocktail.

The Best Damn Bloody Maria This Side of the Red River

Frigid Vodka, to taste - better be strong

In blender, combine and blend until frothy:

Fresh garden tomato puree

Red Tabasco, to taste

Green Tabasco, to taste

Garlic, minced

Balsamic vinegar, to taste

Lemon juice, to taste

Salt, Pepper, to taste

In a chilled tumbler, add two shots of Vodka and pour in mix, to your liking. Garnish with a pickled okra spear.

*Note: I forgot to add this earlier (the pic reminded me) - to put this drink over the top, garnish with Dilly Beans (pickled green beans) and spanish olives, in addition to the pickled okra. Other variations would be chilled shrimp and limes. But the pickled gig is my fav.

"Go, Little Marathoner, Go!" Martini

2009-05-13T11:46:00.000-07:00

Curt's neice, Crystal, ran in a 5k last weekend and placed 2nd (!!!!), so I felt obliged to create a martini in her honor.

Because, you know, I don't run marathons.

For any reason.

- But I really admire the determined folks among us who do. They are a special breed of crazy.

Go, Little Marathoner, Go! Martini

1 shotglass of cold Vodka, (because I'd have to be drunk to even consider this)

1 shot glass of Red Bull, plus a splash (to help drag your lazy tail off the sofa, the morning of)

splash of grenadine (for the blood you'll shed..hey, you saw "Run, Fatboy, Run", too, right?)

splash of lime juice (no reason - just tastes good)

garnish with lemon peel (the finish line)

Coat your glass in Red Bull, pour excess out. Mix all together over ice, and strain into, not a paper cup, but your martini glass.

Kick back and watch the fools.

Pecan Crusted Chicken and the Fixins'

2009-05-13T11:31:00.001-07:00

I ripped this dinner off of Food Network, and for the life of me, I can't remember who cooked it. I think it was the 5 ingredients chick, but I'm not sure. Curt says it was Guy's Big Bite, but I'm almost positive he's wrong.

It's a tasty supper, light and easy.

Pecan Crusted Chicken Breasts

boneless breasts, pounded into 1/2 inch thickness

Half n Half

roasted pecans, processed fine

bread crumbs (Panko, if you can find them - if not, just regular), processed fine

Heat a large skillet on medium, covering the bottom with olive oil. Soak the breasts in the half-in-half, then dredge through the pecan/bread crumbs mixture. Allow to sit for a few minutes.

Carefully (this crust falls off easily) lay breasts in skillet and cook for about 7 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels.

*Note: I'm a freak about raw chicken - if you've ever tasted it accidentally, believe me - you know what I'm talking about. To ensure that it's cooked fully, once it comes out of the skillet, I put it on a baking sheet and keep it in a 350 degree oven while the other breasts cook. I do this with all my chicken dishes. They don't come out dry or overdone, amazingly enough, but they do always come out fully cooked. Which is the point.

Brussel Sprouts with Bacon

Brussel Sprouts (I used 3 bags of frozen, they were awesome - we had enough for leftovers the next day, and Curt's lunch)

olive oil, to taste

salt, pepper to taste

4 slices of bacon, crumbled (save drippings)

Thaw sprouts in hot water and throw onto a baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil and bacon drippings over all; sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Put in a 400 degree oven to roast. Move them around every 10 minutes or so, until sprouts begin to caramelize. Crumble bacon over the top, and serve up to the masses.

I paired these two dishes with a simple pasta salad and got rave reviews. Thank you, Food Network!

Dragon's Breath Chili

2009-05-06T15:32:00.000-07:00

Dragon's Breath Chili, a.k.a. Jimmer's Birthday Feast

credit: Guy Fieri

"• 2 tablespoons butter

• 3 tablespoons bacon grease, or canola oil
• 2 red bell peppers, diced (about 2 cups)
• 2 jalapenos, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
• 3 Anaheim chiles, roasted, peeled, chopped
• 3 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, chopped
• 2 yellow onions, diced (about 2 cups)
• 1 head garlic, minced (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 pound boneless chuck, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 2 pounds ground beef, coarse grind
• 1 pound bulk Italian sausage
• 2 teaspoons granulated onion
• 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons hot paprika
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1 cup tomato paste
• 12 ounces lager beer
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 (15.5-ounce) cans pinto beans, with juice
• 2 (15.5-ounce) cans kidney beans, with juice
• Saltine crackers, for garnish
• 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar

Directions

In large stock pot over high heat, add butter and bacon grease. Add bell pepper, jalapeno, chiles and onion and cook until caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute a minute longer. Add chuck and brown. Add ground beef and sausage to brown and stir gently, trying not to break up the ground beef too much. Cook until meat is nicely browned and cooked through, about 7 to10 minutes. Add in granulated onions, granulated garlic, chili powder, paprika, cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add in tomato sauce and paste and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in beer and chicken stock. Add beans, lower heat and simmer for 2 hours."

I didn't use some of the ingredients. Coriander, for one, is a spice I absolutely loathe. So I ditched it. I also didn't use the hot paprika because I was too lazy to look elsewhere for it when I realized my supermarket didn't carry anything but regular paprika. I didn't go the "granulated" spices - just normal ones I had on hand, and I used a ton of Chipotle pepper spice to make up for the changes. The beer was light, the chili meat was unavailable, so I used lean ground beef, and I only used one onion because they were hot as hell and I couldn't see to chop them up.

The chili still turned out amazing. Too hot for me to eat, but I did try a bite and it was fabulous. Just really, really spicy.

Catfish Etouffee

2009-05-06T15:20:00.000-07:00

So we had some friends over last weekend for supper, and I wanted to show off.

I know. It's a sickness.

Anyway, we made Mr. Bill's Catfish Etouffee, a recipe we got from an old friend in South Texas. Here it is - enjoy.

1.) grilled catfish filets, one per serving

2.) Perry's Crawfish Etouffee Recipe, below: (p.s., note from Ally: I don't actually know Perry, but I found this recipe online and it was delicious.)

"Perry's an old friend from back home whom I've known since we were 18 and freshmen at Lye-ola. He's a fellow La.-to-L.A. expat too, and has a fine étouffée recipe himself. It's presented here, as he wrote it out for me and stuck on our refrigerator when we were college roomies, with colorful instructions and descriptions intact. :-)

1 pound crawfish tails, with fat

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter

1 medium - large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons bell pepper, minced

1/2 stalk celery, minced

Green onion tops

Fresh parsley

2 teaspoons tomato paste

Cayenne pepper

Freshly ground black pepper

Salt

2 tablespoons flour

1 - 2 cups water

Melt butter in pot, add flour and stir like hell. Add onions, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Cook until tender, and keep stirring. Add crawfish fat, if possible, and cook down 10-15 minutes. Add tails and tomato paste, then add water. Cook down for 20 minutes or so, but be careful not to overdo it. Add salt and peppers to taste. Cook a little more, then add chopped green onion tops and parsley and cook till ready.

Note: Some directions and amounts are intentionally vague ... use the challenge.

Yield: Meal for 4 men or 6 pansies."

3.) Rice

Spoon a big heaping of rice on a plate, throw on a filet, and then cover with etouffee. We served ours with warm french bread and spring onions.

Superfly.

Snow Ice Cream

2009-03-28T11:52:00.006-07:00

Oh yes, it's that time of year. Snow is piling up, and we've got a recipe to eat it.

Snow Ice Cream

Fresh snow, preferably the top layer - ewww

1 - 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla (or other extract - whatever you prefer)

Combine and eat immediately. This does not save, so get your fill.

I'm working on a red beans snow recipe, where you melt the snow down and cook your beans in it. I've had rainwater beans before, any they are awesome. So I think snowwater beans will be good, too.

Lenten Crab Alfredo

2009-03-23T20:44:00.000-07:00

It's Lent for us, so every Friday we enjoy some sort of meatless dish. Mostly, we stick to shellfish, which inspired my favorite Lenten dish...and my steady whenever I eat at any Italian restaurant.

Crab Alfredo

4 tablespoons Butter or margarine
4 tablespoons Flour
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt and pepper
8 oz. cooked snow crab meat, shredded (I use whatever good crab meat I can find, sometimes imitation, sometimes canned. Go with whatever is available and tastes good.)

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the flour, and cook briefly until the mixture forms a very light roux. The point is to cook out the flour taste, so keep it to a very light beige.

Stir in cream, and continue to stir until it thickens. Add cheese, and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the crab meat. Cook until all is heated through and serve over linguini, with additional parmesan cheese, if desired.

Fabulous Food Find

2009-03-23T20:33:00.000-07:00

Kashi's TLC Chewy Dark Chocolate Coconut bar.

They are amazing - I love them, and have one every day, during that mid-afternoon slump. If you like chewy granola bars, but could use a little something extra on yours, say, a brownie slathered on top - this is your treat.

My Birthday Martini

2009-01-19T10:53:00.000-08:00

I made up a martini recipe for my birthday, and, surprisingly, it turned out really, really good. Here it for you, from me.

Ally's Birthday Martini

Vanilla Vodka

Cranberry Raspberry Juice Cocktail

Lemon juice

Lemon peel to garnish

Per the usual martini: fill a shaker full of ice, add 2 parts vodka to 1 part cranberry raspberry juice. Squeeze in lemon juice, and shake until frothy. Pour into beautiful martini glass, and garnish with a lemon peel curl.

I know, I know. It's not incredibly elaborate or unique....but it's delicious. Try it!

My Birthday Supper

2009-01-15T09:50:00.000-08:00

Most of you who know me know by now that I love southern food. I recently saw this recipe on Food Network, but didn't pay attention to the name --- I was too in love with how delicious it looked! If I had to guess, I would've called it something more along the lines of "Gumbo and Grits" because that's what it looks like...

Anyway, I'm super excited to try it out at my birthday party this weekend - I think it's going to be a huge hit!

Shrimp & Grits

Ingredients

Grits:

4 cups chicken broth

1/2 whipping cream

1 cup quick cooking grits

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup Parmesan

Shrimp:

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 pound smoked kielbasa sausage, sliced

2 pounds uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

Chopped chives, for garnish

Directions

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the chicken stock, and whipping cream up to a low simmer. While simmering whisk in the grits and a pinch of salt. Stir constantly and return to a low simmer. Cook until thickened, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Stir in the butter and Parmesan cheese. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Heat a large saute pan over medium-heat. Melt butter and saute onion, garlic, and green bell pepper. Saute until tender and translucent, and add the sausage. When the sausage has cooked, add the shrimp and saute for about 2 minutes. Add white wine and diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve over the Parmesan cheese grits. Garnish with chopped chives.

(As soon as I'm able, I'll upload a photo of the dish)

Post-Holiday Eats

2009-01-05T05:06:00.000-08:00

I only have a couple of reasons why I look forward to the end of the holiday season, and one of those is the food.

We eat exceptionally well during the holidays, and by the end of December, it's not uncommon for Curt and I to look at one another and say something to the effect of, "I can't eat another bite..."

So when January rolls around we start a frenzy of food planning. The cleanest, lightest, and most flavorful dishes we can think of. Our choices differ from year to year, but in '09, we seem to be leaning towards big stockpots of soups, legume options, salads, and fresh breads.

Our current favorite, which we are dying to get back to starting this week, is Lima, or "Butter" bean soup with salt pork and cornbread. Lima beans are delicate yet meaty, and soak in whatever dominant flavor you have going on in your broth and seasonings. Paired with a salty meat such as bacon, ham hocks, salt pork or even leftover ham from the night before - they are incredible. Light, but filling, and packed with flavor. Pretty simple as far as preparation, too.

Butter Bean Soup

serves 4; leftovers

1 lb. dry Lima beans, soaked overnight in cold water

Water

1 tbsp. garlic powder

1 tbsp. black pepper (we're not adding salt, due to the salt pork)

1 tsp. rosemary

1 whole onion, sliced

1 stick of butter

salt pork, chopped, to taste (this can be found in the meat counters at the grocery store where hams are sold)

In a slow cooker or stock pot, add beans and cover completely with water. Add seasonings and remaining ingredients. Cook on medium to high heat until boiling, then reduce to medium low and cook, covered, checking often to add water if necessary, 6 - 8 hours until a thick broth forms and beans are tender. Serve with cornbread, and add a side salad if desired.

(This recipe can be doubled - we actually triple it at our house and put the leftovers in the freezer for quick mid-week dinners.)

Welcome to our kitchen...

2009-01-05T04:25:00.000-08:00

where good things abound!

I thought this photo would be a good starting point - what can be better than gumbo made by the entire family?

Say hey to the new site - if you're here, then you've no doubt come over from our family site, LBF. I hope you enjoy - and find useful - our new site, which is indeed a family affair. We're a family of cooks, whether it be Big Boy's "creative" creations utilizing the spice rack, or J Darling's baked sensations, or Little Boy's peanut butter sandwiches, or Curt's grilling expertise or just my weekly suppers - we do it all.

So enjoy...and as we say around our place, "Let's eat!"