Cuban food in the summer, served under the shade of banana tree leaves, with the scent of magnolias. If Clue was a cookbook, that’s how each recipe would begin. I made this delicious Seafood Creole recipe from Lisa Gershman’s Cuban Flavor last night and realized that it can easily serve ten people. Luckily, I just […]
Category: Yeast Breads
Shrimp and Chorizo Paella for Espana
We have soccer fever here at the Hammer household! For the Spain game today we served up paella and Agua Valencia. Much to my chagrin, the paella was a fine consolation to Espana’s loss to Russia. But, oh, what a paella. Saffron credit goes to my neighbors Lucy and Michael who brought it all the […]
Spicy Rainbow Tofu Scramble with Toss’ables
Tofu and I have become friends over the years. Healthy friends. Not that meats are mean girls, but, I feel like tofu is the kind of friend who sends you holiday cards decades after you move away. Meats give you reflux on your birthday instead of a card, you know? Tofu is easy to toss […]
Syttende Mai Salmon Burgers with Jarlsberg
I am of the faith that one can never cook salmon burgers too frequently. We celebrated the Norwegian festival of Syttende Mai last week, and given KP’s Norse heritage, he manned the grill with gifts from Jarlsberg just in time for grilling season! Wasabi Salmon Burgers Adapted from Helen Martinson’s Cooking Skinny 2 TB […]
Easter Brioche for Bostock and Grilled Salmon Burgers
Easter will heretofore be marked by the ritual making of brioche. Tartine brioche. There was a recipe in Char Broil the Great Book of Grilling for salmon burgers and the suggested bun was a brioche roll. I walked to our local grocery on the lookout for some fresh made brioche buns and found only processed, […]
Carnival – the Big Game for New Orleans- was Poppin
The pure energy of the last three weeks in New Orleans has a hum that remains in my head, a force that pulls at the edges of my mouth to smile broad and wide again and again as I recall each costume, each band, each delicious meal, each loved one who danced in the streets […]
Enjoy Life with Valerie’s Cookies
It is important to enjoy life. Obvious, but bears daily reminder. One thing living in New Orleans has taught me is –frequent celebration is the secret of life. If you ever need a prompt to get your celebration on, check out National Today, a fantastic website that regards every day as a holiday. For example, […]
Be A Cookie Monster this Christmas with Krusteaz
In Cookie Monster’s dreams, some famous cookie company arrives on his doorstep and puts boxes of their cookie mix and sprinkles in his blue carpet palms and his eyes spin opposite on their orbs like big banged worlds going round in a blink. Well, dreams come true, Cook. Call me Cookie Monster, and thanks to […]
Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Candied Pecans Meet Hurricane Nate
As is custom in New Orleans, we prepared to meet Hurricane Nate swirl to swirl—with revelry until the lights went out. And then with candles and raincoats. But then the lights never went out. The winds came in a loud frightful gust and sailed on past and we were left with the spoils of all […]
I Love Yuzu
My Seattle in-laws are coming for a visit so I’m pulling out all my old salmon recipes to score some points! It’s still pretty summery here in New Orleans, and there is this citrus-esque stuff called yuzu really does it for me. You can blend it up as a marinade for fish, or swizzle it […]