A to Z Recipes
Newsletter

Add the shrimp and ham. Cook for two to three minutes, or until the shrimp turn pink. Stir in the tomatoes and chicken broth. Season to taste with salt and cayenne. Add the bay leaves and the rice. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until the rice is tender and all the liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and serve. Pass the hot sauce!

Makes about 4 servings.

CRAWFISH & CORN CHOWDER

~Sent in by Jean, Syracuse, NY

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped fine
1/2 cup celery, chopped fine
2 gloves garlic, chopped fine
4 tablespoons flour
4 cups fresh or frozen corn
4 cups seafood or chicken stock
1 bunch green onions, chopped fine
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 Tbsp. Crystal Hot Sauce
1 lb. cooked crawfish tails
2 cups heavy cream

Steps:
Saut?© onions and celery in butter over medium heat until translucent or soft. Whisk in garlic and flour, stirring until well blended. Add corn and stock and stir until soup comes to a soft boil and thickens. Add green onions, parsley and Crystal Hot Sauce. Simmer 20 minutes. Add crawfish and cream. Simmer 5 minutes more. Salt and pepper to taste.

(Note: Half & half or no-fat half & half can be substituted for heavy cream. Crab meat or shrimp can be substituted for crawfish.)

Serves 8.

CRABMEAT CASSEROLE

~Sent in by Jean, Syracuse, NY

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped bell peppers
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and cayenne to taste
1/2 pound regular lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
1/2 pound claw meat
1/4 cup dried fine bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Steps:
Preheat the oven to 350?° F. Saut?© the green onions, celery, and bell peppers in the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Blend in the flour. Slowly add the milk, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick and creamy. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and cayenne. Gently stir in the crabmeat. Spoon the mixture into a lightly greased baking dish. Top with the bread crumbs and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly and lightly brown on top.

Serves 4.

SHRIMP CREOLE, MY VERSION

~Sent in by Jean, Syracuse, NY

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1-1/2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped bell peppers
3/4 cup chopped celery
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
2 cups peeled, chopped fresh tomatoes or 2 cups canned, chopped with their juice
1 cup shrimp stock or chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 teaspoons chopped parsley

Steps:
Combine the butter and the flour in a medium heavy pot over medium-high heat. Stirring constantly for about for about 10 minutes, make a blond roux. Add the onions, bell peppers, celery, and garlic. Reduce heat to medium and cook the vegetables, stirring often, for about five minutes, or until they are wilted. Add the bay leaves, tomatoes, shrimp stock, salt, and cayenne. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the shrimp and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaves. Add the parsley and serve over rice.

Serves 4 to 6.

OLD TIME PECAN PIE

~Sent in by Jean, Syracuse, NY

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 rounded tablespoon all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups dark corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pecans
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell

Steps:
Preheat the oven to 350?° F. Beat the eggs. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar and the flour. Mix well. Add the sugar mixture to the eggs. Add the corn syrup, vanilla and pecans. Stir gently to mix. Pour the mixture into the pie shell and bake for 45 minutes to one hour, or until the filling sets. Cool before slicing to serve.

Makes 1 pie.

KING CAKE

~Sent in by Jean, Syracuse, NY

3 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup water
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup nonfat dry milk
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 egg whites
Light Lemon Glaze (recipe follows)
Colored sugar crystals and drag?©es
Small china or plastic baby doll*

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease and flour a 10-inch fancy tube pan. Sift flour before measuring and combine with sugar, water, oil, dry milk, baking powder, vanilla, and salt in a bowl. Mix until smooth.

Whip the egg whites until stiff. Fold whipped egg whites into the batter until evenly blended. Spoon batter into the prepared pan. Bake 40 to 50 minutes until cake bounces back when gently touched in the center. Turn out of pan onto cake rack; cool thoroughly. Drizzle with Light Lemon Glaze and decorate with purple and green sugar crystals and gold drag?©es.

LIGHT LEMON GLAZE

Mix 1 cup sifted powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind, a dash of salt, and 2 to 3 tablespoons hot water until mixture is smooth and can be drizzled onto the cake.

* NOTE: Oven-safe doll may be inserted in batter; otherwise insert doll in cake before inverting cake out of pan.

Makes one 10-inch fancy tube cake, 20 slices.

HURRICANE DRINK

~Sent in by Jean, Syracuse, NY

2 ounces amber rum
1/4 cup passion fruit juice, or 1 tablespoon passion fruit syrup
1 teaspoon superfine sugar
1/2 teaspoon grenadine
Juice of 1/2 lime
Cherries and orange slice to garnish
Ice cubes

In a cocktail shaker mix the rum, passion fruit juice and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Add the grenadine and lemon juice and stir to combine. Add the ice cubes and shake. Strain Hurricane into a cocktail glass. Garnish with orange and cherries.

Yield: 1 serving

Interesting tidbits of the origin of this famous drink: The creation of this passion-colored relative of a Daiquiri drink is credited to Pat O'Brien. He is reported to have invented the Hurricane in the 1940s in New Orleans. Rumors say he needed to get rid of all the rum that Southern distributors forced him to buy before he could get a few cases of other spirits. He poured the concoction into hurricane-lamp-shaped glasses and gave it away to sailors. The drink caught on, and it's been part of the celebration ever since. Pat O'Brien operated a speakeasy during prohibition known as, "Mr. O'Brien's Club Tipperary". The password to get in was, "storm's brewin'". In 1933, after the repeal of prohibition, he moved across the street, opened Pat O'Briens, and later down to the present location at 718 St. Peter, in the French Quarter. During W.W.II, it was difficult to get whiskey, but rum was in ample supply. With the help of the liquor salesman, this cocktail was born. It is served in a 26 oz. Hurricane glass, which is named after the shape of a hurricane lamp and the drink.

Click here to submit an item for posting in this section.

For Two...

CAJUN CHICKEN WINGS

~Sent in by Jean, Syracuse, NY

This is a classic Cajun Chicken Wings Recipe.

2 1/2 lb Chicken wings; separated
3/4 c Plain yogurt
2/3 c Louisiana hot sauce
2 ts Garlic powder
1 c Flour
1/2 c Cajun seasoning
Oil for frying

In a bowl, mix together yogurt, hot sauce and garlic. Add chicken and marinate overnight in the refrigerator. The following day, mix together flour and Cajun seasonings in a bowl. Remove chicken from the marinade and coat evenly in flour mixture. In a wok or deep fryer, heat oil to 370F. This can be achieved by heating over medium high heat. Use enough oil to cover 4 to 5 chicken wings at a time. Deep fry wings for approximately 8 minutes. Drain on paper towel.