New Orleans-Style Beignets

Back From The Big Easy
I am back from New Orleans, and it was everything I thought it would be. The weather was hot and humid. The music was loud and all around. The food was fantastic. And, the drinks were strong. I want to go back. It has only been a few days, but I am already longing to roll out of my French Quarter bed and find an early morning table for some beignets and a café au lait.

That is how we spent our first morning there. Miracle of miracles, we were able to just walk right in and sit down at a table. Mid-week is obviously the time to go to avoid the potentially long line. I knew that I would love the beignets. I mean, fried dough with copious amounts of powdered sugar? Sign me up. I was surprised though at how much I enjoyed my café au lait.

I have always liked my coffee with a lot of cream or milk. My husband has for years teased me about the coffee-flavored milk I drink each morning. He is one of those coffee purists who drinks it basically black so as not to inhibit the path of the caffeine to his bloodstream.

I will give him credit, though. He took one for the cream team that morning and sipped some rich coffee goodness while listening to the “dulcet tones” of the jazz band playing on the sidewalk. By dulcet tones, I mean loud. Really loud. Good, but any conversation was rendered impossible. But it screamed New Orleans and it was the perfect breakfast.

I made sure to buy some of the beignet mix at Café Du Monde to bring home even though I know I could get it at several places here. It just seemed wrong not to get it at the source. If you feel like you want to give them a try and make some as authentic as possible beignets from scratch, the recipe below is pretty darn close.

The reality is that they will just never taste as good as they do when you are sitting in the French Market at the Café Du Monde.

New Orleans-Style Beignets Recipe
Adapted from Baker by Nature
Yields 3 dozen beignets

The dough for these New Orleans-Style Beignets needs to be refrigerated for at least 2 hours before frying, and up to 24 hours in advance. Also, the eggs and butter need to be at room temperature to make the dough. Read more…

Angel Biscuits

Sop It Up With A Biscuit
I am a lover of biscuits with any meal. A fried chicken feast is never complete without the biscuit. Not to mention they make great slider sandwiches. Especially the cheezy kind. Breakfast is my favorite time for biscuits, though.

I will admit I am not a huge fan of biscuits and gravy. It’s just too much. Although, on rare occasions, that ridiculous amount of fat and carbs will hit the spot. I would much rather consume my biscuit-flavored carbs slathered in butter with a generous drizzle of honey or a dollop of jam and a good cup of coffee. Heaven.

Crazy thing is how many options there are for biscuits. I ran across this one recently which looked interesting mainly because it has the look of monkey bread (Yum!). I will be giving it a go this weekend…outside on the patio to enjoy the sun before it goes away…again.

Angel Biscuits Recipe
Adapted from Southern Living Magazine
Yields about 2.5 dozen biscuits

These light fluffy Angel Biscuits are as if buttermilk biscuits and Parker House rolls had a child. They are great with any meal—especially breakfast! If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you can use a baking dish or sheet. Read more…

Over-the-Top Gougères

New Year’s Nibbles
Just when you thought all of the cooking and cleaning of dishes was done, here comes New Year’s Eve. I haven’t hosted a New Year’s Eve party in quite a while. In all honesty, the older I get the more I prefer to stay home on the couch in my jammies. Yes, there may be cocktails and, of course, there will be something to eat.

I feel like the more low-key your celebration is, the more over-the-top your food should be. I mean, if you can’t eat caviar while lounging in your sweats when can you eat it? Ten points to Hufflepuff if you decide to wear your best jewelry too. But what to eat?

I have always been a big fan of gougères. I can eat them one after the other. And, they are a personal tradition to serve for New Year’s Eve. Here is my favorite gougères recipe which I posted for New Year’s in 2020.

To ring in 2023, I’m trying this recipe from Food & Wine. The addition of smoked salmon and caviar will send these over the top—which is exactly what I am looking for!

Happy New year to you all! Raise a glass to a fantastic 2023!

Over The Top Gougères
Adapted from Food & Wine
Yields four servings Read more…

Cheese Straws

Sipping Wine With A Straw
A couple weekends ago, I went wine tasting with a group of friends and had a great time. I know what you’re thinking. A day in the Napa Valley sipping fine wine and snacking on cheese can only be a good time. You are not wrong.

It is easy to take for granted that we, as residents of the Bay Area, have such easy access to a world-renown wine-growing region. I mean, I can get in the car and be in a whole different world amongst the vines in 45 minutes. It’s crazy and I know I don’t take advantage of that access nearly enough. A sentiment that was echoed by each of us while we were up there.

It’s no news that cheese pairs perfectly with wine. So, it shouldn’t be surprising that the same region that produces amazing wines also produces some amazing cheese. Imagine my surprise when snacking on a few tidbits during one of our tastings, it was the cheese straw, not the actual local cheese, that made me swoon.

Cheese straws are not a new phenomenon. Ask any true Southerner and they will tell you a thing or two about cheese straws. But, much like the Napa Valley, I had forgotten just how good they are.

Depending on the recipe you make or the brand you buy, cheese straws come in all sorts of varieties, sizes, and spice levels. I, myself, am partial to the classic cheddar and cayenne pepper combination in our recipe below. These babies are great to have on hand for the friend who drops by for an impromptu chat and can hold their own on any cocktail party hors d’oeuvre table…

Cheese Straws Recipe
Adapted from The Food Network
Yields about 4 dozen Cheese Straws

This recipe makes a lot of Cheese Straws. And, that is perfect if you are hosting a party or considering handing them out as gifts. Read more…