My earliest edible memories are of Shrimp. I grew up on the Gulf Coast in a small sportsman's paradise town in Texas called Port O'Connor. We would have Shimp-based meals morning, noon, and night because my grandfather (on my mother's side) was a Shrimp boat captain.
Big Daddy would bring in a box or two of fresh-caught whole Shrimp from his Gulf expeditions during Shrimp Season to eat that week or freeze for later.
We had Shrimp boiled, fried, and grilled. Looking back, I now realize how good we had it, but at the time, it was so normal that our version of a special meal was a hamburger, not seafood!
My Mom learned Tex-Mex Shrimp cooking, and the first recipe I remember was her Shrimp and Rice(click on any recipe name to see my recipe blog post),and always served with Homemade Pinto Beans.
It is a simple recipe, mainly Shrimp, rice, tomato sauce, and a few veggies like onion and garlic. Check out my Mom's recipe below and make it her way.
When I visit Port O'Connor these days, my favorite breakfast is a Shrimp Taco from a local restaurant called Josie's Mexican Food. The Shrimp Tacos are as large as a burrito and stuffed with shrimp, scrambled eggs, and jalapenos.
I highly recommend one if you are ever in the area; however, I do have a recipe so you can make your own anytime.
Large Shrimp are expensive, but lately, I can get them at my local Latin Market Superior Grocers for less than 5 bucks per pound.
I do splurge for shrimp at my local big grocery store, Ralphs. I always check their cooked and peeled shrimp cold case for reduced prices. I like to heat them up with a little olive oil and any garden herbs I have, then pour them over cooked pasta.
Our family moved to Louisiana when I started high school. Now, Louisiana has its own way of preparing a Cajun Shrimp meal. My entry entree to Louisiana cuisine was the Po'Boy Sandwich. When I visit Louisiana now, I always go to Mike's Po-boys in Gonzales, Louisiana. My favorite is a Fried Shrimp and Oyster Po'boy Sandwich.
It is similar to a deli Subway Sandwich. Basically, a French bread roll plus fried seafood, dressed with lettuce, tomato, pickle, and mayo.
Most fried seafood in the South has a cornmeal coating instead of flour, so the bites are extra crunchy. I have a Fried Catfish recipe that you can substitute with peeled Shrimp, just click here to see how we do it.
All along the U.S. coasts, most communities have Seafood Boils consisting of shellfish and veggies like corn and potatoes covered with water and flavored with a package of spicy spices.
In Louisiana, they boil crawfish and shrimp with sausage, too.
Normally, the veggies and sausage are boiled until done, then at the end add whole raw shrimp. Shrimp only takes 5 minutes to cook through. If you like your Shrimp spicy, turn off the heat and let them sit in the spicy broth for another 5 to 10 minutes.
You know how to peel a shrimp, right? Grocery stores sell their Shrimp peeled or unpeeled. Peeled shrimp are more expensive, so I usually buy shell-on and peel them myself.
If you buy shrimp with shells and heads, it's easy to pinch off the head first. Next, remove a couple of shell segments, peeling them away where the legs connect. Finally, pinch the tail and pull off the remaining shell. Your speed of peeling will get faster and easier with practice.
The dirty little secret of Shrimp is the digestive tract that runs along the back. Some Shrimp have them, and others may not show one. They taste a little like dirt. If you look along the back of a peeled shrimp, you can sometimes see the small black string of the digestive tract.
For boiled Shrimp, you obviously don't remove the digestive string. My Mom likes to remove them when she fries Shrimp. It's up to you if you want to remove it. Smaller Shrimp do not have one that you can detect.
If you peel a head-on Shrimp, look out for the sharp spine jutting from the top of the head when you go to pinch it off. It's sharp like the tip of barbed wire.
Louisiana has a couple of regional Shrimp recipes I know you will like from my nephew Matt, who cooks in Bergeron's City Market, an award-winning Baton Rouge restaurant.
Matt's recipe of Shrimp and Cheese Grits is the bomb! We always have a good time making cooking videos together, and sometimes things do get a bit out of control, as the video below will testify. I brought the beer, and Chef Matt barely got through the recipe due to my bad influence, so check it out below.
New England has Clam Chowder, and Louisiana has Shrimp and Corn Soup. Check out how Chef Matt makes this local specialty soup, so rich and creamy.
A Shrimp Slider is tiny and tasty.I used a small package of cheap cooked Bay Shrimp and mixed in mayo, bread crumbs, onion, celery, and some egg to make a Shrimp Patty. Click here to read all about it.
Shrimp frozen meals are hit or miss, but I found a couple of good ones. The following frozen meal reviews use products I found a few years ago.
My nextfrozen Deal of the Day has a very high rating. Just how high is a click away, here. Shrimp & Orzo, courtesy of Contessa, packs a lot of flavor in a small bowl.
I'll leave you with a little levity. I once took a Vegas trip years ago when they had 99-cent Shrimp Cocktails in casinos. Seeing is believing, so make sure to check out my Vegas video below. The Shrimp Cocktail scene starts a couple of minutes in.
You are in for a movable feastduring this Cajun holiday calledMardi Gras. The real partying is underway and continues throughFat 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!
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' CajunZZ 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 Butchersand 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'sJambalaya.
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.
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
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.)
Big Daddy would bring in a box or two of fresh-caught whole Shrimp from his Gulf expeditions during Shrimp Season to eat that week or freeze for later. 
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