Mardi Gras Cuisine with the 99 Cent Chef

You are in for a movable feast during this Cajun holiday called Mardi Gras. The real partying is underway and continues through Fat Tuesday, February 17. Usually, everyone lines the streets for the parades and floats with masked bead throwers. This is the time of year when New Orleans lets its freak flag fly -- almost all month long! 

Hang out and I'll show you how locals have a tasty time, even in these plague years.

Click on any photo to see larger.

Mardi Gras is more than plastic beads and King's Cake. So read on and watch my videos to see some delish Cajun recipes, plus I'll even give you a personal Po'Boy Sandwich Tour of New Orleans. So scroll on down.

King Cake is similar to a Cinnamon Roll with pecans.

Alright, let's get this party started! Walking the French Quarter in New Orleans, revelers carry drinks spiked with knee-buckling Everclear spirits. I always make a stop at the local drive-thru New Orleans Original Daiquiris for a boozy slushy beverage. 

Yep, you heard right, that's the way we roll in Cajun country. Watch the video below to see how we get away without getting a ticket for an open container violation!

                                         Daiquiri Drive-Thru - Video

Here's another of my patented GIF stories about a Cajun Happy Hour that has a chilling finale featuring my girlfriend (now, wife) Linda.

A Cajun Happy Hour

If buzzy spirits are too much for you, then settle down within view of the Mississippi River in New Orleans for a chickory-flavored cup of Joe and sugar-powdered beignets at the world-famous Cafe du Monde. After the caffeine and sugar rush, you will be ready to take in New Orleans and the outrageous French Quarter, just a few steps away.

                                                Cafe du Monde - Video

I lived in Gonzales, Louisiana, during my high school daze. I didn't know what to expect when our family moved there from Texas. I did some wild stuff over the next four years and ate a lot of down-home Cajun cooking. The video below takes place in a local flea market, so check it out to get the flavor of the place.

                                         Cajun Flea Market Eats - Video

I hitchhiked with my high school buddy Marvin (featured in the Po'boy Sandwich Tour below) to New Orleans for Mardi Gras during the school break. Back then, it was all about grabbing a Muffaletta, listening to street Brass Bands and Rock and Roll, catching some beads thrown down by inebriated revelers perched behind French Quarter iron-wrought balconies and Mardi Gras parade floats, and getting a good buzz (we were underage, so no booze, but we found other natural ways).

Chef, Marvin & Dennis - high school buddies

We knew no fear, and locals were friendly enough - even picking up a couple of hitchhiking long-haired teenagers like us. One memorable ride was in a hand-painted hippie Volkswagen van where the college-aged, tie-dye-wearing driver, and cool chicks in tight bell-bottom jeans, on the backbench seat, passed around a doobie, before dropping us off in the city.

Looks like Red State Louisiana has agreed with Blue State California in legalizing marijuana for medical use. I guess we can all get along if there's a peace pipe to share.

I've kept in touch with my high school buddy Marvin and like to look him up when I land in New Orleans. Check out the video below to see how I (dinner) roll these days, when I tour the Crescent City in search of a delicious Po'Boy Sandwich with my high school bud - all the tasty details are in my original blog post here.

You will get a street-level experience of the Big Easy and the eccentric locals from my documentary short below.

New Orleans Po'Boy Tour - Video

Recently I met up with my long-lost brother from another.....daddy, aka the Swamp Chef! He showed up on Mom's doorstep one day, and she welcomed him back into the family. I must say he's a chip off the cypress tree block. He'd fit into a rockin' Cajun ZZ Top lineup, slinging a wooden stirring spoon instead of a guitar.

99 Cent Chef, Mom, and Swamp Chef

When the Swamp Chef shows up, there is always a delicious celebration -- and this time it's a BBQ Sausage Po-Boy Party!! Here in Gonzales, Louisiana, it's all about the bread when making a Po-Boy, or as it's also known, a Poor Boy (I can't figure out how to spell Po' boy as I've seen it all kinda ways!) Just watch the video below to see how the Swamp Chef grills locally made sausages by Ivderstine Farms Butchers and stuffs them into a loaf of Reisling's French bread.

Sausage Po-Boy Recipe - Video

The Swamp Chef & Zak get gooey and spicy with Cajun Nachos.

To quote Zak: "Uncle Swamp Chef for the win, these Cajun Nachos are lit."

Swamp Chef Cajun Nachos - Video

The Swamp Chef knows the lay of the land around here, and he recommends all you Mardi Gras tourists who need a pitstop, to park here in Gonzales, Lousiana for a big lunch plate of Jambalaya. Just check out the Swamp Chef giving you the lowdown in the video below. And it's dirt(y rice) cheap of course!

Jambalaya Plate Lunch Review - Video

I know you are here for the recipes, too, and boy, do I have a pirogue boat full. Between Mom and my Cajun line-cooking nephews, Matt and Zak, I got that covered.

If you hang out in Louisiana for any amount of time, you will inevitably eat spicy steamed mudbugs, crayfish, or as the locals call them, Crawfish. 

They are milder in seafood flavor than shrimp and are about the size of a small bay shrimp. If you've never had one, then watch my video below to learn how to eat one.

How to eat a Crawfish - Video

It quickly becomes a party when I visit Gonzales, Louisiana, to see my Cajun family with nieces, nephews, and their kids galore

And this first recipe is made with a beer-flavored sauce. Warning, in the video, we had to go through a Party Pack of Abita Beer to find just the right flavor!

My nephew, Chef Matt, has been cooking for years now and has some major culinary skillz. I'll let him give you the lowdown on a Southern classic, Shrimp and Grits video recipe (click here for recipe photos and text).

Chef Matt's Shrimp & Grits - Video

The cheapest Cajun entree is Red Beans and Rice -- made by my Southern friend Miss Patti. She is a vegetarian with a menagerie of critters she keeps on her property just outside the city of New Orleans.

For real New Orleans-style Red Beans, you should use the brand of beans called Camellia. But if you can't find them, it's okay to use any cheap red kidney beans.

We always have a good time together, and you will too, watching us cook together. Recipe details are a click away, here.

Ms. Patti's Vegan Red Beans and Rice - Video

 Mom knows Cajun cuisine best. And she is here to share a few with you right now.

It's best to start at the beginning and here's the first recipe we did, Mom's Jambalaya.

I make this recipe the most. Nothing to it: just brown chicken pieces and sausage with a whole chopped onion. Finally, add rice and water to make the best comfort food ever. This is my Mom's version of Jambalaya (click here to read all about it).

                                                 Mom's Jambalaya - Video

Mom also makes a killer Chicken and Sausage Gumbo. The trick is all in the deep chocolate-colored roux - actually just flour that's slowly browned in oil.

I'll let Mom explain in the video below (the recipe text is here).

                                      Chicken and Sausage Gumbo - Video

Lately, when Mom makes hot and spicy Gumbo, she adds a scoop of cool Cajun Potato Salad. The last time she was here in Los Angeles, I got her to make some, and my cute niece Maranda dropped by to help. This recipe is a family affair, you can check out below.

                                          Mom's Cajun Potato Salad - Video

Next to Gumbo, a rich and creamy Étouffée made with local crawfish is another decadent stew. Check out local Chef Tony's take on Crawfish Étouffée.

                                    Chef Tony's Crawfish Etouffee - Video

My other line-cooking nephew, Zak, knows how to blacken fish the Cajun way. And boy does he do a skillful job at it, as my video below will attest. He also throws in a mind-blowing side of Sweet Potato Hash, and yes, it's loaded with bacon.

 Zak's recipe gets everyone in on the action, including his Mom and my sister, Brenda, who make noshing appearances. So do check out his delicious Cajun recipes below and click here for all the written details.

                           Zakk's Blackened Fish with Sweet Potato Hash - Video

The South's favorite nut, next to boiled peanuts, is the pecan. And my nephew Chef Matt has the best Pecan Crusted Fish recipe this side of the Mississippi River. And he throws in a vegan Spinach Salad with a creamy Strawberry Vinaigrette. Now that's a mouthful.

    Pecan Crusted Fish and Spinach Salad with a Strawberry Vinaigrette - Video

My most outrageous Cajun recipe is an Alligator Po'Boy sandwich made by my nephew Chef Matt. They say alligator tastes like chicken -- to me, it is close to the texture of a pork chop and tastes somewhere between chicken and shrimp. Just check out the recipe video and make sure to watch all the way to the end, where the relatives go hog wild over the Alligator Po'Boy.

                                                 Alligator Po'Boy - Video

How low can one recipe go? Well, check out the Swamp Chef and nephew Chef Matt's Deep-Fried Frog Legs...not for the faint of palate! This recipe goes from a swamp frog hunt to the deep fryer.

                                              Frog Legs Recipe - Video

If you are not in New Orleans attending the glittery and debauched Mardi Gras festivities, you can still have a tasty good time - if you remember to bookmark this page and come back to make any of my Cajun Mardi Gras meals. So laissez les bons temps rouler!

New Orleans Po'Boy Dining:
Short Stop Po-Boys - 119 Transcontinental Drive (near New Orleans Airport)
Metairie, Louisiana 70001
Phone: (504) 885-4572
Website: http://www.shortstoppoboys.com

Mother's Restaurant - 401 Poydras
New Orleans, Louisiana 70130

Phone: (504) 523-9656

Website: http://www.mothersrestaurant.net

Parasol's Bar and Restaurant - 2533 Constance Street
New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
Phone:(504) 302-1543
Website: http://www.parasolsbarandrestaurant.com

For a tasty local Los Angeles Po' Boy, try The Gumbo Pot in the Mid-City Farmer's Market. I ordered the Shrimp or Oyster Po' Boys for $16.50. For the menu, click here. Warning, the seafood Po' Boys have a sour bite because of the inserted sliced lemon -- I usually take the slices out.

Another local food find for Cajun Cuisine is a restaurant and deli store called Little Jewel, in downtown LA's Chinatown. It's the real deal, too. Listen in as you get all the tasty details in my special Restaurant Nocturne arty video below. (BTW, the chef/owner drops an F-bomb at 1:53 minutes.)

Super Bowl Recipes - Touchdown!

Head to the end zone for a long pass of recipes from The Culinary Quarterback. Are you ready for Super Bowl Sunday's Seattle Seahawks vs. New England Patriots? The Fried Pig Skin Lovin' Chef has some tasty football food from both coasts that will leave enough green in your wallet to buy an extra keg for your tailgate party.

So if you are looking for regular eats for your Super Bowl Party, I got your halfback, I mean, back. There are no fumbles in this recipe list! 99 Thanks go to my local Dollar Tree. Hey, I even find 99-cent deals at regular grocery stores and ethnic markets, so all the bases, I mean, the whole field is covered.

Just click on any recipe name below to see what I mean. There are no fumbles in this recipe list!

Next to pizza and hot dogs, Fried Chicken is a fan favorite. And I've come up with a crunchy coating that will empty the bleachers and have fans storming the kitchen! Just check out my Fried Chicken Sandwich Recipe (and substitute whole chicken pieces for skinless and boneless from my recipe, if you like.)

Fans will take a half-time break and huddle around your cast iron pot of my fragrant and spicy Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya and Cajun Gumbo. Or, go straight up the middle with a tray of BBQ Pulled Pork sammies. Weave through the living room backfield with a pile of Mexican Carnitas Tacos (slow-cooked pork), and you'll be lucky to make it through without being sacked!

Mom's Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

For my visitors who have never been to the Seattle Seahawks home field, take a few minutes to view my travelogue & wacky video diaries from my cooking episode for Seattle's Public Television -- plus, here are a couple recipes for Washington state's main seafood export: Salmon Olympia and budget Salmon Burgers.

If fish is on your mind, then hook your bleacher bums with some of my homemade Sushi Recipes. Try tackling a Spicy Tuna or California Roll. How about setting up a sideline station of chopped veggies and fresh fish, and roll your own delicious Hand Rolls? It's easier than you think, and I have simple photo-illustrated instructions a click away, here.

I have a slew of Salsas to go with your tortilla chips on game day, including Ancho Chili,  Mango, Tomatillo, and Red Chili. I like bottled salsas, but if you are going for the big win, then click on any recipe name to see the original blog post text and photo illustrations. 

I've been making fruit-based Salsas recently, including Peach, Mango, Pineapple, and Kiwi Salsas. They are sweet, cool, and spicy. I brought my Mango Salsa to a few parties, and it is always a hit and goes very fast so make plenty!

While everyone's watching the pre-game show, send in any of my delicious sideline sides, including: Bacon Wrapped Dates, Tomato & Basil Bruschetta, Deviled Eggs, Portabella Mushroom Fries, Sweet Fried Plantains, Ceviche with Avocado and Black Beans, and Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce.

East Coast revelers for the New England Patriots will eat up my riff on a Lobster Roll -- a cheaper Scallop Roll. And if their fans can't make it to Phoenix for game day, then throw another log on the fire and gather in front of the big screen with a steaming bowl of my cheap$kate Clam Chowder.

 Scallop Roll

Los Angeles locals know an LA Street Dog will not get flagged. And, everyone will huddle around sandwich plates of gooey, cheesy Patty Melts, hearty Meatball Subs, BBQ Pulled Pork sandwiches, Homemade Deli Pastrami, Falafel Pitas, and steaming Sloppy Joe's.

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich

If you're looking for one-pot meals, so you don't miss any action on the field, just check out my Pork Bourguignon, French Cassoulet, Mr. Patti's Red Beans & Rice, Baked Pasta with Cheese and Cauliflower, Chinese Fried Rice, Baked Lasagna with Ground Chicken, Shepherd's Pie, or Sausage & Sauerkraut with Beer recipes.

Baked Lasagna with Ground Chicken

 Looking for a sneak-play recipe? How about a different twist on Buffalo Wings with my African Spiced Water Buffalo Wings? This original recipe features chicken legs, but you can substitute wings. The Cheap$kate Chef's Turkey & Black Beans Chili recipe will add extra points on your scoreboard for flavor. Make it spicy, but be sure to have an ice chest full of brews for all your bench-warming guests. And don't forget to send in from The Whisk Welding Coach a most versatile of plated plays, the Pita Pizza -- a varied list of toppings you can use would fill the coach's chalkboard.

Pita Pizza

Tired of stale, soggy stadium hot dogs? I have a great and easy Corn Dog Recipe made with Vienna sausages -- but you can use regular wieners. There will be no fumbles as your hungry guests dip these crunchy coated pig skins into my tasty honey-mustard sauce. Since you have the fryer going, you might as well make a batch of my Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. They're as light and airy as the Goodyear blimp.

So get your backfield in motion and click on any of my tasty treat names above to watch an instant reply of recipes from my blog. Your guest will be cheering you on -- from their cheap seats!

🌹 Happy Birthday Mom! - Mom's Favorite Family Recipes 💖

Mom turns 91 years young on November 11.

And I owe it all to her, at least where I get my cooking chops (and any good sense I have.) Just check out our cooking videos to see what I mean.

My Mom liked my annual cute animal birthday card for her 91st.

She grew up in Texas on the Gulf Coast in a small shrimping town called Port O'Connor. There, I learned to love seafood.

Port O'Connor Slideshow

Her father was a shrimp boat captain. So, while we couldn't afford steak, we had all the fresh-caught seafood Big Daddy would bring home, including shrimp that fell off the big boat's conveyor belt while unloading his catch. 

Big Daddy & Big Mama

Mom had movie-star looks (like a young Elizabeth Taylor), smarts, and a scholarship to college if she wanted it, but had no extra help from her parents.

Mom's 90th Birthday Video 

So after high school graduation, she was soon married, and I arrived on the scene, followed by my brother and sister.

Billy, Berry, and Brenda

My Dad was in the military, so we moved around. Mom and we kids eventually settled back in Port O'Connor after a divorce. 

Dad was quite a character and the life of the party, but he was also a little too profligate in the alcohol consumption department.

Billy Doyle Robinson

Mom went back to work as a waitress, so I learned how to literally pinch pennies when she poured handfuls of customer tips on the kitchen table for us kids to separate and count.

Mom got back on her feet and found love again with this shuffleboard-playing fellow below, Ken.

Click on any photo to see larger.

After a couple of years, Mom remarried, and a final sister, Denise, was born (catch up with my youngest sister Denise's Eggplant Recipe, video here.)

Denise & Radish

We moved to neighboring Louisiana the year I enrolled in Junior High School. There, she picked up a whole other way of cooking, Cajun-style.

My high school daze were spent in Gonzales, Louisiana, the self-professed Jambalaya Capital of the World. So you know this town is serious about chow. Click here to see a culinary video tour of some local Cajun cuisine at the weekend Flea Market, including Crawfish Pie, Boudin Balls, and, of course, Jambalaya.

And, here's our first video we made together in my Los Angeles kitchen - and even my dear late wife Amy makes an appearance at the very end of the video. You'll get a kick out of Mom rockin' the cast-iron kettle. I make her Cajun  Jambalaya more than any other recipe - it's simply delicious!

Here is a link to her Jambalaya recipe with text and yummy photos.

And our latest video together is a gut-bomb Breakfast Taco with Curly Fries! Her cooking always incorporates ingredients suggested by the family, this time from her grandkids Zak & Matt (I first had frozen fries, but not Curly Fries, in an egg taco cooked by Zak). 

Mom was always popular with my high school buddies...especially during lunch or dinner time. She brought her Tex-Mex Enchiladas to Cajun Country, and my Louisiana friend Marvin ate them up!

Me, Marvin & Dennis

On a recent visit to Louisiana, I had him over when I filmed Mom making Tex-Mex Enchiladas. Marvin liked the Enchiladas so much that he had a flashback to our high school daze.

Make sure to watch my wacky recipe video to the end, that's when our flashback hijinx really gets to smoking (wink, nudge.)



Mom takes a star turn with her next video recipe, her popular Chicken and Sausage Gumbo.

It's a traditional Southern dish, and it's cheap, too. Just chicken, sausage, and the Cajun veggie trinity of bell pepper, celery, and onion. What gives Gumbo its unique taste is a dark brown roux, which is flour cooked in oil until chocolate brown.

Just check out the video below - Mom will take you through the steps. And, as an added bonus, my oldest sister Brenda makes a nagging appearance a few minutes in.



Click here to read all about making Mom's homemade Gumbo, from roux to rice!

My Mom's Cajun Potato Salad is the perfect side to her Gumbo and Jambalaya. When she visited me in Los Angeles, I got her to do it on camera. I couldn't help but give her a hard time with the recipe. I called it Cajun Mashed Potatoes, and she called it Cajun Potato Salad - well, I guess you'll have to watch the video below to see who wins that argument!

I satiate my sweet tooth during visits with Mom. And the best of her pastry delights are Mini-Pecan Pies. If I couldn't make it for the Christmas holiday, then she would send a shoe-box-sized package with a dozen of these tasty pies.

In the video below, Mom attracts a kitchen full of hungry relatives when these pies come hot out of the oven. And it's a miracle they were done right because this Chef de Shutterbug was shoving a camera in her face (and a hot oven) during the whole procedure. We butted heads a few times, but fortunately, it all turned out fine.

I even came up with a way to dodge the high prices for pecans - so check out the video below to learn my budget secrets.

And click here to see Mom's Mini-Pecan Pies recipe with text and tasty photos.

Now, Mom is no angel -- hey, who is? Recently, my brother from another daddy, the Swamp Chef, made an appearance with his Spanish moss and all.

When I asked Mom, "Who's the Swamp Chef's daddy?" Her reply was: "That's a very good question!" I guess Mom will spill the beans one day, until then, check out the video below for a dessert good enough to cajole the Swamp Chef out of the bayou!

Cherry Pie - Recipe Video

In Louisiana, there are fast-food drive-thrus serving slushy Daiquiris. I don't know how the heck they get away with it. Every time I go back to visit my Mom and Sis, I am reminded about this quirky Cajun roadside icy, thirst-quenching to-go cup.

Now, there are rules to this. Louisiana has an open container liquor law. So, when you get your Daiquiri, as both Mom and Sis reminded me several times, "Do not put the straw in!" That is a DUI violation if you are stopped. However parched you are, resist plunging the straw through the drink top -- until you get home. Fortunately, Mom's house was less than 5 minutes away.

Check out my last video below, and ride along with my sister Brenda and Mom for a cool beverage on a hot Louisiana summer day.

Happy Birthday, Mom -- I love you!