A mixture of long grain rice, cooked stovetop in chicken stock with green and sweet onion, garlic, parsley and a variety of seasonings with Wild American shrimp stirred in at the end.

Cajun Shrimp Bowl

I love simple, one pot meals like this, especially in the heat of the summer. And yeah, especially when my central A/C goes south and the part takes a week to get here from Houston. During the hottest month of southern summers too. 

Ugh. I am dying.

Thank goodness for backup portable air conditioners because we have several going at the moment, though they are pretty much intended for use during a hurricane power outage to be seated right in front of, so they can't really keep up and the house is at minimum in the low 80s - all day long. Better than nothing I guess.

This shrimp and sausage skillet meal, made in a flavorful buttery, garlic sauce, may be served over toast points, in baked pastry shells or with pasta or rice.

Singing Shrimp

Here's another great shrimp recipe from New Orleans!

It is said to have originated at Commander's Palace, sometime in the late 1980s, where it was prepared table-side and flamed with cognac for effect. Those table-side presentations are pretty exciting!

As far as I know this dish is no longer offered at the restaurant, although I haven't been to Commander's in too many years, so don't hold me to that!!

 

Brabant Potatoes, known as Louisiana fries, are made from peeled and cubed potatoes, first blanched, then deep fried and tossed with a rich, butter garlic sauce. A delicious side for fish, or any main dish!

Brabant Potatoes - Louisiana Fries

While still served in high end restaurants around here on the Gulf Coast, I'm afraid that Brabant Potatoes, a Louisiana style, cubed, fried potato side, has mostly fallen out of favor with home cooks in recent years - probably due to their multiple steps.

Although folks seem to be making their way back to home cooking - and often, lamenting the fact that they didn't pay more attention to their grandmother in the kitchen - I'm afraid that in this hurry up, busy world we live in, we've mostly become more of an eat out and fast food nation.

Delicious Natchitoches Meat Pies are filled with a combination of ground beef and pork and nicely seasoned with onions, sweet peppers, garlic, cayenne and pepper sauce.

Louisiana Natchitoches Meat Pies

Natchitoches, Louisiana, is the oldest town in the Louisiana Purchase and is home to the oldest and largest Creole settlement outside of New Orleans. It is the parish seat of Natchitoches Parish and has a population of 17,865 (2000 census).

Pronounced NACK-id-dush, it is also home of the famous Natchitoches Meat Pie, a popular street food since the late 1700's. A half-moon shape of pastry crust is filled with a spicy blend of beef and pork then fried golden and crispy. Seriously addictive, Natchitoches Meat Pies are a true Louisiana food.