My friend Sunshine and I made a date for her to serve as guest chef. Since we both hail from Louisiana, we love cooking and entertaining. Sunshine is a great cook and I love cooking with her. Our cooking sessions include stories and laughter.  In our conversations about family memories and meals, Sunshine mentioned one of her Grandmother’s favorites, Cabbage Dressing.

Is it stuffing or dressing?

Dressing as in cornbread or stuffing not salad dressing, clearly dressing is a very southern term. Have you heard of cabbage dressing? In my review of food,  I located a million cabbage dressings for coleslaw. After my research, I was ready for Sunshine to introduce me to her Grandmother’s cabbage dressing.

Sunshine’s Grandmother Iris B. Lemoine served Cabbage Dressing on her large southern antique table. You could always count on Iris’s table to include delicious food including calas. The Lemoine family home started in Cottonport Louisiana on the bayou. A southern home filled with love, antiques and a porch to host story-telling.

Iris’s family were German and migrated from Nova Scotia and settled in Louisiana. Iris married a Frenchmen, Theofield Lemoine and raised  the family in Cottonport. Sunshine speaks lovingly of Iris and Theofield captured in  memories which center around an idyllic childhood. Memories which include listening to grandparents speak in French so little ears would be protected.

Life in a small town

In Cottonport, life centered around the Catholic Church, small town events and life of the bayou. Iris shared her love and happiness with all that came into contact with her. Passing lessons of love on to her family including  manners and etiquette.

During December, Lemoine’s would host a Christmas on the Bayou. An Open House for friends, family and neighbors. Of course, tables of food, huge pot of gumbo and treats to tempt the palate. Surely, if I close my eyes, I can see the huge mimosa trees covered in moss bordering the bayou, shading the Open House.

Lush green grass filled with chairs and blankets for guests to relax and share a meal. In the background, nature, laughter and Christmas music infiltrating the southern day on the bayou.  Uniquely, if only I had a ‘back in time” button, I would press it to meet Iris B Lemoine and her Frenchmen Theofield. For certain, I would love our time together.

Family and friends called Iris “The Pink Lady”. Sunshine describes her Grandmother as a Grand Lady. Iris loved entertaining, cooking,  her family and everything pink.” Clearly Iris could share secrets of being a great host and Southern belle. I am dying to know how she introduced boots to her classmates at LSU .

After all, Iris B Lemoine’s Cabbage Dressing is an old southern rice dressing recipe. Certainly, not a recipe that I have been familiar with but I love it. Sunshine and I spent an afternoon in the kitchen  cooking during which I learned how to make Cabbage Dressing. Sunshine shared memories with me while we cooked cabbage dressing and reminisced about families.

In conclusion, whether you call it Iris’s cabbage dressing, cabbage stuffing or old southern rice dressing  this recipe will yield rave reviews from your guests. Serve as a new side dish on your holiday table and start your own tradition with family.

Alexa Shout out to Billie Holiday’s “I’ll be Seeing You”.

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There are a couple of things that I would give up before my crock pot. And it’s not because I have a fancy-smancy crock pot. Oh no, my crock pot is a hand-me-down. My last crock pot was attacked in his home on the bottom of the pantry. A high-level canned good took ‘ole crock out. Our house went into mourning, our  beloved crock pot had delivered  for a long time.

Finally, just when I thought I was going to get a high-tech crock, my bonus Mom came to the rescue with a slightly worn but loved extra. Best part about my slightly worn crock is that it is simple. No bells and whistles for me to ponder over or operating manuals to read. Besides, it’s only a matter of time before a high-level canned good takes it out.

Roasted vegetables in the oven for an hour add extra flavor to this sauce. While the vegetables are roasting, I use this time to cook the sausage. When the sausage and vegetables are cooked, its time to marry together all the ingredients in the crock pot. Set the dial of the crock pot on low and leave it for 12-16 hours.

A delicious hearty and thick sauce that will stand up to any pasta. Serve with crusty  garlic bread, salad and a glass of vino. In my research I found a great wine and food pairing site. Check out their wine suggestions for red sauce with pasta. Food and wine pairing is always an important thing to consider for a meal.

Alexa shout out to Dean Martin for “That’s Amore”.  I enjoyed watching the suave and talented men in the “Rat Pack” as a girl. Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis were witty, dancing men that could sing and make a girl swoon.

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Manchego Frittata  Mimi Style recipe is a salute to one of my favorite countries, Spain. Far too long ago, I was able to travel to Madrid and Barcelona Spain. I fell in love with Spain and everything that it had to offer. Bold colors, flamingo dancing, spicy food and passionate people who welcome you to their country.

Whether it is art, architecture, tapas, wine, water sports or shopping, Spain has a lot to offer a traveler. Food markets overseas make me long for the offerings of specialty meats, cheeses, exotic fruits and delicacies to excite your palate.  Manchego cheese is one of my favorites from Spain. Back home, we are blessed that Manchego cheese is accessible to add to a cheese platter or blend into a dish  such as Manchego Frittata Mimi Style.

Foods to try while in Spain

Travel to eat or eat to travel in Spain. I love the tapas concept when dining. It allows the diner to try a variety of items in smaller portions. Tapas in Spain will allow you to cover a broad range of offerings. Tapas are perfect to venture out and try new items outside of your typical comfort zone.  Order a bottle of wine, hot bread and try a few tapas. Here is a few items that you may see on the menu:

antipasta items
seafood cooked in many ways
meatballs served with a sauce
marinated vegetables served cold or grilled
fried vegetables at times stuffed with cheese
chorizo slowly cooked in red wine
Spanish Omelet
turnovers filled with variety of meat and vegetables
Iberico ham (cured ham from acorn fed pigs)

Paella should certainly be on your list to try while visiting Spain. You will surely find paella available to you with a ton of different ingredient options. Make sure that you try this Spanish specialty before you leave to go home, it is so worth it.

To siesta or not to siesta?

Remember to plan your day around the Spanish siesta to make the most of your day.  Shops typically close from 2pm-5pm. Restaurants and bars close from 4pm-8pm. Some locations stay closed until 9pm, check the hours of any place that you may want to visit. Dining late in Spain is part of the travelers experience.

Check with each destination prior to planing your trip to maximize your day. Remember all museum hours may not be affected by siesta closing. Plan a lunch and then siesta yourself back to the hotel to relax or read a book. While traveling in Spain a siesta is a good idea to recharge your batteries. Trust me it will make staying out late as the Spaniards possible. It will also prepare you for the routine of planning siesta’s at home.

Before leaving home, I get very excited about any trip. Discovering a new place, learning about the people and culture feed my inquisitive side. Traveling opens the door for us to try new activities, experiment with new foods, enjoy the local wines that are harvested and only sold locally.

Remember to not over plan your trip but allow time for you to discover your new travel spot organically. Make trying to lose your self in the locale and be open to change. Change is good for you and even has health benefits that will benefit you when you return home.

Near the end of a vacation, the yearning for home sets in. There is no place like home. Upon returning home after the dust settles and the laundry complete, I start reminiscing about my travel.  Photos provide visual refreshment of our trip.

Savor your trip to Spain and cook Manchego Frittata Mimi Style

My mind always wanders to the fabulous foods that I savored and possibilities for creating something similar.  Occasionally, I will plan a dinner party with friends to share and celebrate the travel experience. Manchego Frittata Mimi Style recipe is a perfect example of a new recipe.

Shout out to Alexa for Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito” or Justin Bieber’s remix. Does that put you in the mood?

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What to add in your Culinary Bag

Fresh ingredients are key to a proper start for any dish. When we have a garden, I am able to walk outside and grab a few items. I love easy access to the fresh vegetables. Coupled with it is convenient and a huge cost savings. First hand knowledge of methods used growing food is valuable and gives added peace of mind. Growing  your own vegetables makes for frequent farm to table menu options at your dinner table.

By the same token, planting in containers is an option too. Container gardening will yield a surprising amount for the space. With this type of gardening it is easier to manage the weeds. A green thumb comes in handy when growing fresh fruit and vegetables. If your minus a  farmer or green thumb, support the local farmers markets and cooperative farms in your area.

Together with fresh yellow squash and zucchini from the garden, you will have a wonderful partner for Grouper or snapper. Marry together with a bit of herbs, onion and garlic and ‘the party’s in the bag’. Fish is easy to cook. It is important that you don’t over cook.  No one wants to eat dry fish especially Grill Man. It would be better to pull out early and check than to over cook.

Additionally, cooking the fish and vegetables  in a culinary bag allows for minimal fat in this recipe. The seasonings are on the lighter side of my palate. This dish is also gluten-free if you have celiac or attempting to remove gluten from your diet. I hope that this will be dish that you will enjoy and share with others.

Alexa, Shout out to The Doobie Brothers.

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As an independent woman I must confess football and I have had our issues. They are not big issues mind you but they exist. I don’t understand the rules and game exactly but I get the overall gist. The game is complicated. It is a lot for a social football viewer to keep up with.

I am typically proud of myself if I know who’s actually playing.  I give my  Dad credit for this he wasn’t a big football fan. Football was not on the TV set playing every weekend at our house. I had to learn how  to actively participate as  a “social football fan”.

Amazingly, I have a few girlfriends that are die-hard fans. Fans that know the teams, players, coaches and stats which totally impress me with their knowledge. They know how to watch a game and call the plays before the talking heads render an opinion. I am in awe of their skills.

In our group of friends we share hosting football games so the party and our Bama Mascots move around. Everyone in our group is busy and at times our men are left to watch the game alone. This leads to a volley of texts back and forth among the group. Not to mention the occasional very loud noises heard at my house when someone misses a play. There was a particularly loud noise heard on January 9th.

These are a few of my College or NFL football highlights:

Football is a reason to have a party and socialize with friends, game on, food and beverages in abundance. Football is an event to share and watching the entire game is not mandatory.

It is a way to connect to people whether they support your team  or compete. I enjoy the camaraderie, bands and excited touchdown dances that show the joy of “Damn, I caught that!”

Football  is part of our social fabric whether you truly love football or you’re a “social football fan”. All football parties whether college or NFL must have food, required beer and mostly friends.

Game Day Creamy Chicken Dip is an easy appetizer to serve a few or double up and serve a crowd. This Dip may be made ahead and popped in the oven just before serving. It will be a good addition to your Superbowl Sunday February 5th.

Click on the link ad try these other appetizers for your Superbowl Game Day.

Tres Amigas Salsa

Crawfish Pies Down on the Bayo’

Hauntingly Delicious Shrimp Dip

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