Cooking Tip - Prepare Ingredients Before You Start

Prep for Success!

I was about to get started with making my seafood gumbo and thought about this important element involved with gumbo makin' that really translate to just about every recipe.

If you are pretty new to venturing into the kitchen, I have to say that even as long as I have been cooking, I am still a big advocate of prepping all of your ingredients ahead of time. You know how when you watch a chef on television they have everything premeasured, chopped and ready to go? Well, that's not just for television folks.

Yes, this might mean that you create more dishes to wash, but it will ensure better end results with your culinary creations because it allows you to transition smoothly from stage to stage of a recipe with no bumps in the road. There is nothing worse than to be in the midst of cooking only to find out that you needed to have something prepped that you didn't realize needed to be, while at the same time you are having to also be stirring constantly on something altogether different! Yikes! So follow these guidelines and you'll make your venture into cooking much more pleasant and successful!

1. Always, always, always read through the entire recipe before even beginning to think about starting to cook anything. You may even find that you have to read between the lines a bit. Some recipe authors do a great job of explaining things step by step and telling you exactly what you need to do and when. Others, well ... not so much. So read through the recipe from start to finish, even before you start to prep the ingredients.

2. Measure out all of your ingredients in advance. Sometimes you can even combine them - for instance, flour, baking powder and salt are often combined and then whisked to "sift." So you can combine those ahead of time and have it at the ready. I still do this when I bake.

3. Try to keep the prepped ingredients at hand in the order of use. It really just makes it easier because you are not reaching over other things and risking knocking things over and spilling them, and if you use them in order and sort of put them altogether after you use them, there's less of a chance that you won't be able to remember whether or not you've already put that one ingredient in! Believe me, even seasoned cooks go through that "did I add the [fill-in-the-blank] already???" So it helps if you sort of lay things out where you need them in order of use, then scoot them to the side all together after you have used them.

4. Chop EVERYTHING in advance and have it all ready to go. Sometimes recipes call for sauteeing things one at a time, so make note of that and be sure to keep those ingredients separated as you chop. Other times you can chop and combine the raw veggies because they will be cooked together. For instance, with my gumbo, first I have to saute the okra, by itself. So when I chop that up before I start, it'll go in its own little bowl. But when I chop the onion, celery and bell pepper, I know it will all saute together at the same time, so it can all go in one bowl as I chop it. The garlic, which can burn and get bitter if overcooked, will be chopped separately and set aside on the cutting board to be added once the all the veggies are cooked and tender.

5. Once you think that you have everything ready to go, before you get started do a quick run-through, reading over the recipe once more and checking your ingredients as you mentally prepare the dish. You will often find that you've missed something crucial!

Believe it or not, as long as I've been cooking, I still follow these basic rules of cooking. It really makes for a much more pleasant cooking experience and in my opinion, successful results!

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New Year Appetizers and Party Food Menu Ideas

Everything you need for your New Year's Eve party from beverages to dips, appetizers to seafood dishes and all the traditional New Year's Day eats, all in one place from Deep South Dish!

NEW YEAR'S EVE
MENU IDEAS and PARTY FOODS

Boiled Drinking Custard

Beverages

Holiday Sangria
Southern Mimosas
Pomegranate Cosmos
Party Punch (Alcohol Free)
Milk Punch
Hair of the Dog Classic Bloody Mary
Spiked and Spiced Hot Chocolate
Homemade Eggnog

More Beverages and Cocktails

Grape Jelly Cocktail Meatballs and Smokies Sausages

 

Grape jelly meatballs, made with homemade or frozen meatballs, chili sauce and grape jelly, are classic south and always a crowd favorite for any gathering.

Grape Jelly Cocktail Meatballs

Cocktail meatballs with grape jelly sauce. As country as that may sound to some, these little meatballs - and sometimes little smokies (or Lit'l Smokies) sausages - drenched in a sauce of grape jelly with tomato based chili sauce is just outright loved down south. I think it will always be.

Classic old fashioned sausage cheese balls made with baking mix, breakfast sausage and cheese.

Old Fashioned Sausage Cheese Balls

Old fashioned sausage cheese balls have been around for many years, and though some folks like to slam them for being unsophisticated, they have always been a good ole stand-by for any gathering or party that I've ever attended. They appeared on the tables of every single shower or wedding that Mama and her sisters ever catered. So easy to make, tasty and everybody loves them! And super simple ingredients too - in their purist form, simply baking mix (I prefer Pioneer brand buttermilk version), cheese and sausage. I've add a few seasonings, and it's always sharp cheese and Jimmy Dean hot sausage for me!

Hangover Helpers or Hair of the Dog New Years Day Cocktails

Hair of the Dog New Year's Day Cocktails and other Hangover Helpers.

New Year's.Or more specifically, the morning after. Ugh. That can be a rough, rough day, especially if you happen to have little ones and can't just veg out and let time (and a lot of quiet) reverse the effects of overindulgence.

The Cajun doesn't drink and I don't indulge much anymore myself, but let's face it. On New Year's Eve, most folks do! Just make sure you line up a reliable designated driver ahead of time, or plan to just take a cab. There are lots of free cab services on New Year's Eve - but be warned. They won't take you to another party. Only home. So make a quick phone call to your local newspaper or television station to find the number to call and plug that into your cell phone before you even leave the house.

Crockpot Ropa Vieja - Latin Style Beef

Crockpot Ropa Vieja - Latin Style Beef

 A Latin-styled braised beef, ropa vieja literally translates to "old clothes" earning that name because the meat is so tender that it literally shreds into what might look like a pile of used cloth!

The original recipe for this is from the January 2009 Good Housekeeping magazine and called for 3-1/2 pounds of flank steak.

I had just under 2 pounds of some flat iron steaks in my freezer that I needed to use up, so I substituted those and adjusted some of the ingredients. Flat iron is a cut of chuck so I thought it might benefit from the slow cooking, and it certainly did.

 

Classic spinach and artichoke dip, made with spinach, cream cheese, mayonnaise, Monterey Jack cheese, garlic, canned artichokes and Knorr seasonings is always a crowd pleaser for any gathering.

Classic Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Another long-time party favorite! You know, I actually see kids diving into this dip at parties.

I prefer to still use the old school recipe using the Knorr vegetable mix (#ad) for seasoning because I think it's the best, but for more of an Applebees copycat or other variations, be sure to check out the variation in the recipe cook's notes too

Cream Cheese and Hot Pepper Jelly Dip

Cream Cheese and Hot Pepper Jelly Dip

Cream cheese covered with hot pepper jelly, is one of those non-recipe recipes really, unless you might want to make your own hot pepper jelly, but this dip is always a big hit at parties and gatherings so give it a try at your next gathering and see how your guests react.

Now you can go and fancy it up if you want to by scooping the cream cheese into a shaped dish and maybe putting just enough pepper jelly to just dress the top, but honestly I find it works best not to dress it up at all, but to just lay that block of cream cheese out just as it is in all of it's rectangular glory, and pretty much just dump the pepper jelly over the top and let it ooze down the sides and pool up into the bowl.

Yummy banana nut bread recipe that has just a touch of citrus from lemon juice and orange zest. Makes 2 loaves.

Yummy Banana Nut Bread

Over the holidays, I had intended to make a banana pudding dessert that I really love - it's one of those layered desserts, a bit of a take on banana pudding. With all the other holiday cooking though, I just never got to it and you know what that means of course. I had a bunch of overripe bananas on my hands. And we all know what we do when we have overripe bananas, right?

Pecan and Pimento Cheese Finger Sandwiches

Pecan and Pimento Cheese Finger Sandwiches

Now I love pimiento cheese all ways - good ole basic homemade, made with roasted red peppers, and yeah, even the fluorescent orange, goopey store-bought stuff - but if you usually buy the grocery store pimiento cheese spread, then this recipe is a bit different than the spread you are accustomed to.

Much less mayonnaise than most home recipes, and an addition of cream cheese and pecans (which you can leave out if you prefer) and garlic, it's a bit of a unexpected flavor surprise to the mouth, though be sure to label it for those with nut allergies!

Basic pimento cheese spread, made with sharp cheddar cheese, chopped pimentos, mayonnaise, and for me, a little hot sauce, Cajun seasoning and Worcestershire.

Classic Pimento Cheese

Classic pimento cheese, in its purest form is simply shredded yellow, or sometimes white cheddar, anywhere from mild to extra sharp, according to personal taste, and chopped or pureed pimentos and sometimes, canned or freshly roasted red peppers instead.

Add a little pure mayonnaise, or depending on where you grew up in the South, even Miracle Whip salad dressing (but never at my house growing up). Traditionally, that'll be served up on white bread too - Bunny bread being our personal preference. That's about it, although there is many a Southern cook who is determined that she or he has that one secret ingredient they don't want to reveal to anybody.

A great Southern appetizer! Cheese straws are buttery, cheesy crisp crackers that make an appearance at parties, showers and just about any gathering in the South. 

Southern Cheese Straws

Far as I know, cheese straws are a very southern thing and so darned tasty!

Excellent finger snack for parties too. You are fairly warned though right here and now ... they are literally addictive. For a party, you'll likely want to do two batches of this recipe.

Original Ro-Tel Famous Queso Dip and Variations

Classic and always a winner, I don't think a party would be complete without a chafing dish full of cheesy Velveeta and Rotel queso dip. Pictured is the Beefy Cheeseburger Rotel variation.

Original Ro-Tel Famous Queso Dip

This classic queso dip is always an expected and welcome addition at any party. The best way to serve it is in something that will keep it warm and pliable, like a chafing dish or something like the multi-pot buffet cookers.  I sure do love this stuff!

Original Ro-Tel Famous Queso Dip

I've also included my favorite variations at the bottom of the recipe - Beefy Cheeseburger Rotel Dip (pictured up at the top) that you can bump up with a packet of taco seasoning, Spicy Sausage Rotel Dip, Chili Con Queso, Cheesy Spinach and Bacon Rotel Dip pictured here,

Cheesy Spinach and Bacon Rotel Dip

Bob Armstrong Style Southwestern Dip

Yum, y'all. Want something else, a little bit different? Check out my White Cheese Rotel Dip too!

Here's how to make them.

Honey BBQ chicken wings made in the slow cooker.

Oooey Gooey Crockpot BBQ Chicken Wings

Here's a great honey barbecue wing recipe to add to the list of party wings - Buffalo Style Hot Wings deep fried and coated with a buttery hot sauce blend, crispy Southern Fried Hot Wings, reminiscent of southern fried chicken and Sticky Sweet and Spicy Wings, made with Hoisin and Thai sweet chili sauce.

Cooking Tip - Chicken Wings and Parts

When cooking chicken wings and removing the wing tips, don't discard them!

Place them into a marked freezer storage bag and keep them handy in the freezer for the next time that you are making a chicken stock for chicken and dumplings or chicken noodle soup. Just cook them with the stock portion of the recipe, then remove and discard them. It really helps to enhance the stock.

If you use whole chickens, you can also add the necks and backs to that same freezer bag. Unless, of course, you want to go crabbin' with 'em!

A delicious hot party dip made with cream cheese, mayonnaise and fresh crab.

Hot Crab Dip

A delicious hot dip that shows up at just about every party I've ever been to here in the Deep South. It's really best when made with fresh lump crabmeat, but the pouches or cans may be substituted.

Simple, Perfect, Deep Fried Oysters

Deep fried oysters, dipped in nothing but cornmeal and quick fried in a deep fryer - simple and perfect.

Deep Fried Oysters

I can still see my Daddy sitting in the garage at the home where I grew up, planted on a chair, sack of oysters between his knees, and that blunt shucking knife in his hand. I'd go out to watch him, more out of curiosity really than anything, because I certainly had no interest in those things at all.

He'd work the knife around the edges of the shell, pop it open, tossing the shells into a bucket and adding one oyster after the other to a tall jar, along with the juices from the bottom shell. He got into an uninterrupted rhythm, and every once in awhile, he'd plop one of them right in his mouth, raw.

What exactly IS a Po'Boy Anyway?

What is a Po'boy

Generally folks who don't live in The South have no idea what a po'boy really is - though it's often entertaining to read discussion boards where they speculate about what they think it is.

Po'boys are often compared with a sub sandwich which they most certainly are not. Not that there is anything wrong with a sub - they just aren't the same animal.

Traditional Classic Southern Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are a southern staple. You'll see them everywhere, at just about every event and every holiday. I like my deviled eggs pretty traditional and basic, but you can certainly jazz them up with any number of variations.

Traditional Southern Deviled Eggs

Folks add all kinds of things to their deviled eggs and often use exotic garnishes to fancy them up these days. Me, I kinda still prefer them very basic and traditional, well, in the Southern way... humble, and I find most other folks Down South expect to find them that way too. Still, it's nice to shake things up every once in awhile I guess, so I say embellish away if ya like!

Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes for a Crowd - a variation of Big Martha's mashed potatoes, made with real butter, whole milk, heavy cream and cream cheese. These get raves from everybody.

Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes for a Crowd

When it came time for me to make mashed potatoes for our Christmas Day meal of 30 people, I knew that I wanted to make Big Martha's Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese recipe, but I also knew that essentially I was going to need triple-plus the recipe to feed that crowd, because well most everybody wants some mashed potatoes on their plate, and I wanted to be sure that there were enough for everybody!

Cookie crafting is a bit easier than it appears - it just takes preparing the cookies in steps and layers. It's fun and it's creative, not to mention beautiful, and above all, a delicious recipe!

Decorator Cut Out Sugar Cookies

Decorator cut out cookies used to scare me.

I mean look at them! They just look hard, don't they?

Well, I did it! And somehow I managed to squeeze it into the past two days of craziness. And yay, I got them done before Christmas Day too, despite the fact that I only decided to do them on Monday. I'm talking about decorating all those Christmas cookie cut outs that I rolled and baked the other day of course. I think they came out very nice, don't you? And ya know... it was really fun to do!

Cookie Craft Book - 5 Stars

Unpaid Product Endorsement

If you are looking for a definitive encyclopedia of cookie crafting, then this book is a must have. Cookie Craft: From Baking to Luster Dust, Designs and Techniques for Creative Cookie Occasions by Valerie Peterson and Janice Fryer, covers everything you need to know in cookie crafting and is an excellent resource book to add to your culinary library.

The content covers inspirations for a multitude of events and holidays, what ingredients, supplies and equipment you'll need, decorative planning and design ideas for your cookies, and there are even a few basic recipes that are included. There are all kinds of how-to techniques for prebaking, baking and after-baking decorating, different kinds of cookie construction like standups, cookie boxes and 3-D cookies, and it even covers how to freeze, store, wrap and ship cookies and how to organize cookie craft events, if you're so inclined. And with beautiful photography and drawings it just makes for a downright pretty book. If you're interested in cookies and cookie crafting - get this book! You won't be sorry. (Here's my decorator cookies inspired by Cookie Craft - check 'em out!!)

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Baking Tips - Avoid Dry Pastry & Cookie Dough

When you use bench flour to keep your cookie or pastry dough from sticking to the counter top, sometimes your dough will absorb too much of the extra flour which will over-dry the dough and toughen the cookies. Not good.

To avoid dry cookies, try rolling out your cookie dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper or wax paper. No flour needed!!

You can also do several of these sheets at once, pile them up on a cookie sheet and slip the entire stack into the fridge to chill until you are ready for them. When you are ready to bake, just pull out one parchment section at a time and cut out desired shapes. Carefully transfer cut outs to a cookie sheet and place the cookie sheet into the refrigerator to chill for another 5 minutes before baking. This will help the cookies to retain their shapes.

Gather any leftover scraps, ball them up and roll them back out again between the same sheet of parchment and return to the stack of rolled dough in the refrigerator until you are ready for them.

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Baking Tip - Cookie Cutter Care

To prevent your aluminum cookie cutters from rusting, wash them as soon as you remove the last of your cookies from the oven. Place the cookie cutters on a clean cookie sheet and set inside the turned off oven until fully dried.

Mama's Pecan Finger Cookies, Crescents and Snowball Cookies

A heritage recipe from my Mama's collection, these pecan shortbread finger cookies are known by many names. Mama's recipe is just perfect and it is the one Christmas cookie above all others in my holiday baking!

Pecan Finger Cookies

Pecan finger cookies just speak Christmas to me. My Mama passed away just before Christmas in 1997, but this is the recipe she used to make with her sisters on their big Christmas holiday cookie night. One night while browsing through Mama's old cookbooks, there it was, handwritten in the back of one of them.

My Mama's fresh apple cake, made from fresh apples, raisins, nuts, cinnamon, cloves and coffee, drizzled here with a whiskey sauce.

Mama’s Fresh Apple Cake

My Mama passed away in December of 1997, but this is the fresh apple cake she used to make at Christmas. She added a little cold coffee to her cake but I actually prefer it without, but with or without, I can tell you one thing. This is a light and tender, yummy cake full of nutty apple goodness!

Pusharatas, Prsurate, Purshunate a/k/a Croatian Deep Fried Pastries

Pusharatas - a Croatian doughnut that is fruit and citrus based, and is a traditional recipe included on the Christmas cookie trays for many Mississippi Gulf Coast families.

Pusharatas

Pusharatas were a Christmas standard around my house and if you've never had a pusharata, well, you just don't know what you're missing! Similar to a doughnut fritter, but so much better because they are stuffed with fruit and nuts and cinnamon and nutmeg (and a little whiskey, if you're so inclined). They are a tradition amongst the local community of Slovenian women in Biloxi on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Cooking Tip - Tomato Paste, Chipotle, Pesto, Broth & Juice

A clever tip for saving bits of tomato paste, canned Chipotle peppers, pesto, broth & leftover juices that you may not have thought about before.

I'll bet there have been times where you have needed only a little dab of tomato paste, instead of the whole six ounce can, but like me you don't have a store near you that sells that cutesy stuff in a tube, or you don't use it enough to buy a case from Amazon. Besides, that's some high dollar tomato paste you're paying for to have that convenience anyway!

So you open that can and fully intend to save the rest of it in the fridge thinking you'll use it up soon, only to find some dried up can of rock hard tomato goop buried in the back of the fridge, heavens knows how many weeks/months later. Or... is that just me??? Well, I admit, I've been there and done that for sure and I HATE wasting money like that. This tip is a great way to save money and have just a dab of that tomato paste on hand just like with those fancy tubes.

Spread teaspoon and/or tablespoon sized dollops of tomato paste on a waxed paper covered baking sheet and stick that in the freezer. You will get about ten tablespoon sized dollops from a small can of tomato paste.


Once the dollops of tomato paste are flash frozen solid, place them in a freezer bag, seal it up and keep the bag handy in your freezer. Next time you just need a teaspoon or tablespoon, pop one out. Works like a charm!


And you know those cans of chipotle in adobo that you only need a little bit of? And the rest seems to get shoved into the back of the fridge to become the next science experiment? Yep. Separate the peppers and sauce and freeze it in ice cube trays too! Pop out and bag.

This is also a handy method for canned or boxed broths. Usually once they are opened, they should be used within xx days. So when you only need a little bit of broth, the rest languishes in the fridge and spoils. Next time, use what you need out of the can or box and then pour the rest of the broth into ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen, pop them out, put them into a labeled freezer bag and the next time you need just a tablespoon or two of broth, just pop a cube or two out!

Overflowing with basil? Make a chiffonade and place into ice cube trays.

Cover with water, and add to any dish. The water will evaporate away and leave behind the basil.

You can also make batch of pesto and freeze in trays or even or a muffin pan for larger batches. Pesto can be used in many different dishes to add just a bit of flavor. Use it in eggs and omelets, add to soup, in salads and salad dressings, even in potato salad, toss in pasta, rice or on veggies, use on toasted baguettes or mix it with mayonnaise as a sandwich or burger spread, use it in place of pizza sauce, mix some into softened butter to use as a spread, top hummus with some or blend it in with sour cream or cream cheese dips for snacking, or use as a sauce enhancement for meats, fish and poultry. It's more versatile than you think!

Great for juices of all kinds too - I use it all the time for freshly squeezed lemon, lime and orange juice.  Just squeeze the citrus - a hand juicer makes an easy job of this - one of the handiest tools in my kitchen! Zest them first and you can also freeze the zest!

Pour the juice in ice cube trays, freeze, pop in freezer bags and you have fresh juice anytime to make drinks or use in recipes! Just thaw and use. Make sure that you save cherry juice when you make those desserts or fruit salads where you need to drain the cherries. Pour it into the trays and freeze and next time you want to make a sangria, or other beverage, use it as a cube in your beverage or melt in the microwave. Speaking of sangria, you can freeze white and red wine in the same way and the next time you need just a little bit of wine for a recipe, you'll have it without having to buy a full bottle of wine.

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Southern Style Big Batch Super Creamy Special Occasion Macaroni and Cheese

This big batch, super creamy macaroni and cheese, made with cheddar, monterey jack, and velveeta, is insanely decadent, buttery, gooey, and over the top cheesy, perfect for those special occasions.

Southern Style Big Batch Super Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

This is not a mac and cheese you want to serve once a week but more say for company, pot lucks, special occasions, birthdays, events, or holidays ... and even though it's not quite the holidays, I so wanted to make it to share with you, so you could add it to your holiday menu. Oh the sacrifice!

Glazed Doughnut Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce

A decadent bread pudding made from leftover glazed doughnuts, a custardy sauce, cinnamon and pecans and served with a nice whiskey sauce.

Glazed Doughnut Bread Pudding

I could not wait to share this recipe. Yes, it is a bit decadent, but it so good y'all. There are loads of doughnut based bread puddings across the net, but the inspiration for this one came from the first one I remembered seeing, Bill Nicholson's Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding, a recipe Paula Deen shared on her show years ago. If you're looking for a more traditional type of bread pudding using stale, leftover bread, be sure to stop by and check out my Old Fashioned Bread Pudding. Enjoy!

Delicious whiskey sauce is a great dessert sauce for a simple pound cake or as here, a perfect accent for this yummy bread pudding.

Whiskey Sauce

This is a simple, egg-less, whiskey sauce that pairs up as nicely with warm bread pudding as it does with pound cake.

 

A creamy, cheesy potato soup that gets a shortcut with cream soups.

Creamy Cheesy Potato Soup with Bacon

Okay. So yes, this is a bit of a "cheater" cheesy potato soup, but that doesn't mean it isn't good. And who needs to know but you?

There is one convenience product that I use a goodly bit and honestly, it's pretty much a staple down here in the south. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that you could open just about any pantry around town and find any number of varieties of this wonderful canned product.

Cooking Tips -Tips, Shortcuts, Substitutions & Other Helpful Things

I really love old cookbooks. But, sometimes it can be hard to decipher the ingredients list. Like when it states that you need two No. 300 cans! What exactly does that mean??

No. 300 = 14 to 16 ounces (1-3/4 cups)
No. 303 = 16 to 17 ounces (2 cups)
No. 2 = 1 pound 4 ounces (2-1/2 cups)
No. 2-1/2 = 1 pound 13 ounces (3-1/2 cup)
No. 3 = 3 pound, 3 ounces (5-3/4 cup)
No. 10 = 6-1/2 pound to 7 pounds 5 ounces (12 to 13 cups)

Honey Pecan Glaze

Excellent over fried chicken

Honey Pecan Glaze

• 2 sticks of Land O'Lakes unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup of honey
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped coarsely

Melt the butter over a medium low simmer and whisk in the honey. Add the pecans and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Basic 1-2-3-4 Yellow Birthday Cake with Chocolate Icing

An old-fashioned scratch layer cake, called 1-2-3-4 Yellow Cake because of the ingredient amounts.

Basic 1-2-3-4 Yellow Birthday Cake

I've already told ya'll that I'm not big on baking layer cakes, because well, I'm too much of a perfectionist and my cakes are always far from perfect looking - uneven layers, too much or too little filling between the layers, crumbs in the frosting,- though at least they (generally) all taste good.

As far as decorating? Pfffft. I just don't have that talent.