Louisiana Vacation - Photos & Video

It's always a good time when I fly into Louisiana and visit my Cajun family.

As soon as I get to Mom's, our first Cajun meal is usually fried seafood like catfish, green beans and loaded potato salad from Cajun Catch in Gonzales, Louisiana.

Click on any photo to see larger. 

Along with a bag of Zapp's Potato Chips. They have almost have a dozen flavors now. My latest fave is Cajun Dill Gator-Tators, followed by Voodoo Heat...oh boy!

There's the usual cast of characters who swing by Mom's house including sisters Denise and Brenda, various nieces and nephews and I can't forget my high school buddy Marvin, plus the latest addition to the family, the Swamp Chef.

Speaking of a sibling born on the bayou, for the first adventure the Swamp Chef tagged along to the New Orleans Audubon Zoo with the kids of my niece Candyse and nephews Jason and Matt. Audubon Zoo is very kid and granny friendly with small cho-cho train rides and benches at every animal exhibit.

Kade with peacock

Adalyn & Ava

Lunch Break: Miles, Swampy, Adalyn & Kade.

The Swamp Chef's never meet an alligator he couldn't tame!

The next day my high school buddy Marvin swung by and took Swampy & I to his house and barn at his lake in nearby Mississippi, barely a couple hours drive along backroads.

Of course, we stopped along the way for a few photo ops.

In Prairieville, Louisiana we stopped at Hole N' Da Wall Seafood, where you can buy 30 to 40 pound bags of live crawfish for a backyard Crawfish Boil. Normally you factor about 10 pounds of crawfish per person to consume -- you only eat crawfish tail meat. Click here to see a video of how I eat a crawfish.

They say if a boiled crawfish has a straight tail, don't eat! Something about bacteria that can't be eliminated once shellfish dies and sets around too long.

Once we got to Mississippi, Marvin insisted we have lunch at a local dining destination called The Dinner Bell located in the small town of McComb. 

And boy did it ring my bell! It's a lunch-only restaurant with the most unusual tables that are giant lazy susans, seating about a dozen diners per table. You just spin the table and reach for the most heavenly Southern-style veggies, and divine fried chicken, catfish and eggplant.

Next stop was Camp Hawleywood, Marvin's lakeside home. It's quite the spread, big enough to handle his extended family including grandkids.

With a stocked pond loaded with bass and it didn't take long for the Swamp Chef to get his plastic worm wet!

It was a chill way to spend the day -- drinking a couple beers and fishing -- now that's a vacation.

But it's mainly about hanging out with Mom and doing small chores: changing light bulbs, mowing the lawn, and after several attempts, fixing her washing machine.

Oh, and doing my food blogging and video making while babysitting Ava, my niece's 5-year-old. And there are always more drop-ins and home cooking.

I guess the plate above says it all about my family these days:Texas Toast, Denise's Slaw and Cajun Crawfish Etouffee, Brenda's Vegan Mexican-style Pinto Beans -- that is, Texans, eat-anything-Cajuns, Vegans, and Mexican half-breeds. 

 Sisters Denise & Brenda

Nephews Jason & Zak

Mom & Candyse

Lacee & Mom 

Zak, Lacee, Miles & Matt

Zak at skatepark

My nieces Candyse and Maranda are always on the go, so it's nice when they drop by.

Maranda & Candyse 

Yoga with Candyse & Ava

And no vacation's complete without coming up with a recipe video. Swamp Chef Cajun Nachos anyone?

Here's a sneak peek of the recipe video intro, "Chef Zak Meets The Swamp Chef"...there's more to come!



My friend Marvin came through again by taking me to New Orleans Airport for my flight back to Los Angeles. Since it was approaching rush hour we took the old Airline Highway, instead of the 10 Interstate freeway - and I'm glad we did! On the way, we stopped at the Zapp's Potato Chips factory and for a final meal at Port Side Restaurant. What a way to go!

99 thanks to all my Cajun family and friends!

Deep Fried Frog Legs with the Swamp Chef

This outré entree is not for the faint of palate! The Swamp Chef's latest video recipe are Deep Fried Frog Legs with Remoulade Sauce.

The Louisiana recipe comes courtesy of my nephew, Cajun Chef Matt. When I visit Mom in Louisiana it's always fun to hang out with my family, where we always get busy in the kitchen.

I know you may not find Frog Legs in your local market or even to your taste, but you can substitute chicken or fish, and the creamy and spicy Remoulade Sauce is tasty on any salad, or as a dipping sauce, similar to Tarter Sauce, for your favorite fried fare.

Also, join the Swamp Chef in a bullfrog swamp hunt, but don't worry, it's all in good fun as no amphibians are harmed when the Swamp Chef goes hunting. -- the video hunting scene is more Muppets than Duck Dynasty.

So, my vegan viewers may want to bail after the Muppets-like opening scene, as real Frog Legs are on the menu! But be sure to return and watch the last minute of the recipe video to see a frog's revenge.

 While Deep Fried Frog Legs are not for everybody, it's worth a try, at least once, especially when there is a rich Cajun Remoulade Sauce to go with it.

Matt's version of a Cajun Remoulade Sauce is made with a base of mayo, and the addition of lemon juice, ketchup, mustard, horseradish, chopped green onion and capers. If you like Thousand Island Dressing then you will like a Remoulade Sauce. I easily find all the ingredients at my local Dollar Tree and 99c only Stores!

And surprisingly, Fried Frog Legs are mild in taste, having the texture of chicken with a slight fish flavor. To get a crunchy crust, Chef Matt soaked the frog legs in buttermilk then dusted the legs with flour, simply seasoned with salt and pepper.

If you have a fave fish fry coating or fried chicken batter, then use it.

So check out my latest recipe video, Fried Frog Legs with Remoulade Sauce, featuring the Swamp Chef and Chef Matt. It's all in tasty good fun.

Deep Fried Frog Leg & Remoulade Sauce - VIDEO

Play it here, video runs 9 minutes, 2 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

Ingredients for Frog Legs

• 2 frog legs - okay to substitute chicken pieces or fave fish fillets.
• 1/2 cup flour - I sometimes use half flour and half cornmeal.
• 1 cup buttermilk - to soak and flavor frog legs. For Homemade Buttermilk, just use regular milk and add a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice, then mix well.
• Salt and pepper to taste - okay to use favorite seasoned salt or spice mix. I like a bit of garlic and onion powder, too.

Ingredients for Remoulade Sauce

• 1/2cup mayo - light or regular mayonnaise.
• 1/4 onion - finely chopped.
• 1 tablespoon capers, chopped - a couple chopped green olives are a good substitute.
• 2 green onions - finely chopped.
• 1 tablespoon Creole Mustard - or any mustard. A good substitute is a whole grain mustard.
• 1 tablespoon horseradish - okay to use less to suit your taste.
• 1/4 teaspoon Louisiana Hot Sauce - okay to use any fave hot sauce -- or just leave it out.
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• Lemon juice - half a lemon or about2  tablespoons of juice.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions
I really did not hunt and skin the Frog Legs in the video above, but got them at my local Louisiana grocery.

First, add buttermilk and Frog Legs to a bowl. Keep them in the refrigerator until ready for frying.

Chef Matt has a deep fryer, so he heated it up while making the Remoulade Sauce. Okay to use a regular frying pan with enough cooking vegetable oil to half-cover a Frog Leg, or about an inch deep of oil in a frying pan or pot.

.Click on any photo to see larger.

For Remoulade Sauce, mix the ingredients listed above in a bowl, including chopped onion, green onion and capers, plus ketchup, lemon juice, hot sauce, mayo, mustard, salt and pepper.

Keep Remoulade Sauce in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Now time to fry the Frog Legs. Add flour, salt and pepper to a plate. Spread out seasoned flour and add soaking Frog Legs to plate of flour. You don't need to drain off all the buttermilk from frog legs as it will mix and make a thin batter for frying.

Cover Frog Legs with seasoned flour, on all sides. Pat and add more flour if necessary.

When cooking oil reaches 375 degrees in temperature add the flour-coated Frog Legs and deep fry them for about 4 to 5 minutes until cooked all the way through.

If you are using a frying pan heat vegetable oil over medium/high heat. Add about an inch deep of oil and heat. Cook Frog Legs about 4 minutes for each side, or until the flour crust is brown. Check doneness by slicing into thickest part of the cooked leg to check for firmness - it should be just like cooked chicken.

When Frog Legs are done cooking allow to cool for a minute or two as they will be very hot right out of oil.

Swamp Chef recommends dipping Frog Legs into Remoulade Sauce and enjoy!