Football Cuisine Battle Royale: Los Angeles Rams vs New Orleans Saints

It's the perfect culinary storm this Sunday when the Los Angeles Rams battle the New Orleans Saints in the football playoffs for a berth at the Super Bowl.

Which local cuisine will be the winner? Recipes from Los Angeles will shake and rattle your taste buds like an 8 point earthquake. Or a category 5 hurricane of spicy Cajun Cuisine swamping your tongue. Well, it's time to take sides!

I went to high school in Louisiana so grew up with the New Orlean Saints football team on the tv.  I grew to love Cajun Cuisine as it became a part of my culinary DNA. My Mom, nephews Zakk and Matt, have made a slew of video recipes with this Cheap$kate Chef. Everything from Blackened Fish to Mom's Jambalaya, I even have a Red Beans and Rice recipe from good vegan friend Miss Patti.

After graduation, I knocked around a bit then heading to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the L.A. dream machine. First off Los Angeles is the Taco Capital of America. I've eaten my way from bustling Downtown LA to scenic Santa Monica bordering the Pacific Ocean. And I have the recipes to prove it!

 So my loyalty is divided, oh boy.

Will it be an LA Street Hot Dog or deep-fried cornmeal crusted Alligator that spikes your taste buds? Well read on and cast your vote for the winning recipes and local eateries -- and go Saints, I mean go Rams!! Oh forget it!

The playoff game starts early so might as well have a Los Angeles pastry from DK's Donuts in Santa Monica. Okay, New Orleans let's see you top a Rainbow Donut!

Just as colorful, plus topped with a baby Fève figurine, is a New Orleans King Cake...hmmm I might have to have a huddle to determine the winner of this dessert scrimmage.

For the opening coin toss, heads it's a Tommy Burger from Los Angeles, and tails it's a New Orleans Shrimp and Oyster Po'Boy.

Let's hit the neon-lit streets of Los Angeles for, some would argue, the best fast food burger in town (sorry In-n-Out,) a classic Tommy Burger. It's all about the chili and a fat tomato slice. And I chow it down at one of the most visited landmarks in town, Uban Light located at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA.) Check it out and give the video extra points!



The Big Easy is all about the food and my Po'Boy Sandwich Tasting Tour is so good that even fans in the nosebleed stadium seats will get up and cheer!



Saints Purple or Rams Gold, spicy boiled orange Crayfish, or green Avocado Toast? Can you tackle peeling a Crawfish? If you have ever looked at a pileup of boiled Crawfish and wonder how to get through them, just check out the next video and you'll learn how I peel and eat 'em.



Hup one, hup two, hike a peeled avocado onto warm toast for the tastiest two-point ingredient conversion of an appetizer. Avocado Toast is my fave sack, I mean snack. It's as easy to make as a ten-yard extra point field goal.



Should I call Mom during the Sunday game? I'm sure to get my rear chewed out - nothing comes between her and her favorite football team, the New Orleans Saints - don't even think about getting her off her easy chair once the game starts.

Best to just throw in the towel when it comes to Mom's Cajun cooking. She wrote the rule book and let's see if L.A. can come back once she unloads her recipe of Jambalaya.



Whew, that recipe should be penalized for deliciousness. Well, Los Angeles has a reverse flea flicker of a recipe called, Carnitas. Hours of braising reduce a pork shoulder to a tender and succulent Mexican-style taco filling. I even throw in the pigskin for extra flavor. Carnitas are what I order for late night noshing at a taco truck.



Boy, all this tasty cuisine has me thirsty, and not for Gatorade either! But I know how to fix that - with a frosty Daiquiri from a local Louisiana Drive-Thru Daiquiri shop and make mine a White Russian! If that sounds too good to be true just take a gander here.



My recipe for a LA Street Dog is a freeway pileup of flavors that make an end run around any hot dog out there.



In Louisiana, I shop at the Dollar Tree and back home in Los Angeles I shop at 99c only Store. If you are too busy to cook then hit those dollar stores during halftime for some cheap ready-to-eat treats, like these right here.

Liver Cheese from a Los Angeles 99c only Store

Cream Puffs from a Louisiana Dollar Tree

A Los Angeles fan favorite is a California Roll. Like a stadium wave, this California spin on Japanese sushi has traveled to grocery deli cases all around the country. And it uses cheap imitation crab, so you will save big bucks on usually expensive seafood - hey, now you can afford an extra keg for your tailgate party!



New Orleans is right on the Gulf Coast so they know how to spike a seafood dish, and my nephew Zakk has a Blackened Fish recipe that will move the chain poles 10 yards for a first down!



For my vegan visitors, it's Legume Touchdown time! You'll want to pass around Gas-X or turn the fan to high in the dugout. Mexican-style Pinto Beans are stuffed into every Los Angeles Burrito and believe me I've had my share and here is how I make them out here.



Miss Patti, my good friend from New Orleans, is vegan and knows her Red Beans and Rice. She even came out to Los Angeles one time to show me how Cajuns cook them.



Okay, let's call a truce, listen up here to the menu from Little Jewel, a replica of a New Orleans deli market located right on the edge of Downtown Los Angeles, in of all places, Chinatown. You see, we can all get along after all, at least until kickoff time!

My Top 9 Recipes of 2018

As for year-end lists, my Top 9 Recipes of 2018 is one you can really sink your teeth into. And all of my top picks are deliciously cheap to make. Just click on any recipe name to see the original 2018 blogpost for tasty photos and my money-saving tips, and be sure to play any embedded video below. The ranking order is random and not by delectability, so go ahead and dig in!

1. Country Gravy with Sausage
Let's start with a Southern breakfast I had as a child, Country Gravy with Sausage. Rich creamy gravy studded with breakfast sausage over hot biscuits are a heavy lift, but oh so satisfying. I also add eggs over-easy to mine.



2. Cherry Pancakes
On the flip side fresh fruit for breakfast is my preferred start of the day. I can't wait for cherry season and when it comes I slice and pit fresh ones for Yogurt with Cherries and Cherry Pancakes.



3. Spinach and Cheese Omelet
It only takes an extra minute of sauteing spinach and you have the makings of a delicious Omelet. I take it a bit over the top with the addition of cheese.



4. Avocado Toast
Here in California avocados are everywhere, even drooping from neighborhood trees. And while Avocado Toast has been played to death on local menus, there is a reason...it's freaking good! Nothing to this recipe, the hard part is picking an avocado that will turn rich and creamy. Click on the recipe name for my avocado picking tips.



5. Mom's Shrimp and Rice
If you are a frequent visitor to my food blog, you know when Mom is in the kitchen the sparks will fly and a delicious homemade recipe is always the result. I grew up in a small town where my grandfather worked as a shrimp boat captain, so you know Mom's Shrimp and Rice is the real thing and deserves to be a Top 9 Recipe every year!



6. Chicken & Tuna Salads
This is a 2fer Top 9 Recipe using canned tuna or poached chicken to make mayo-creamy salads. I like my Loaded Tuna Salad with the addition of sliced green olives and a chopped boiled egg, I think you will too.



I enjoy a bit of crunch with my Chicken Salad. Fresh chopped celery is added along with typical mayo and mustard, pickle relish and chopped onion. And I like to serve it between a sliced toasted bagel -- soooo goooood!



7. Mushroom Cream Soup
Cold days and nights are perfect for my Mushroom Cream Soup. I use heavy cream for the recipe, but if you want a lighter vegan version just click here to see it. I'm not sure why, but all kinds of mushrooms have been showing up at my local 99c only Stores, including Shiitake, Portabella, and Oyster mushrooms. You can use any local shrooms you get on sale with my recipe, even plain white button mushrooms.



8. Lamb Curry with Vegetables
This Top 9 Recipe is not for the faint of palate. Pungent lamb is combined with a spicy curry sauce, but with my addition of fresh veggies, the strong flavors are softened. So I think anyone can enjoy the recipe.



9. Turkey Carnitas
Mexican Pork Carnitas are the norm, but lately, I've noticed a Turkey version at my local Latin Market, made with turkey thighs and legs, and I thought to make my own version. Carnitas are for tacos and burritos, and this recipe is a tasty take on my local taco truck favorite. If you have pork dietary restrictions, then this recipe is for you. Serve it at your next party and it will be a favorite for your guests, too.



It has been a fruitfully abundant year of recipes here at the Cheap$kate Chateau. I did the heavy lifting for you, so now all you have to do is pick a recipe link and save yourself some hard-earned cash by trying out any of the above. And if you have a favorite recipe of mine, then leave a comment to share.

And make sure to keep checking in here from time to time. I create yummy-looking blog posts with a dollop of humor, and while my tastes are cheap, my recipe flavors are top shelf !

Best Avocado Toast - Recipe Video

Here's one way to start your day: Avocado Toast. Check out my recipe video below to see how quick and easy it is to make.

Avocado Toast - Video

Play it here. Video runs 58 seconds.

You can also have Avocado Toast for a light lunch or as a snack anytime of day. If you eat out in LA it's de rigueur, and fast becoming cliché in menus all over town. But good is good, and it's the right price for this Cheap$kate Gourmand.

I make my creamy and crunchy Avocado Toast simply, just mash ripe avocado and add salt and pepper. When a couple slices of bread are toasted and warm, I slather on the avocado - that's it.

Sometimes I don't even mash them in a bowl, I just scoop out some ripe avocado and smear it right on the toast, without salt or pepper.

You can dress it up with smokey crumbled bacon, a runny fried egg, chopped tomato, sliced cucumber, fruit, sauteed veggies -- the additions go on and on, just Google Avocado Toast sometime.

I am lucky to live in the Avocado Capital City of America. We get them year around. Well, I'm sure some other California cities would make the same claim. One extra source in Los Angeles are a plethora of Latin grocery stores that stock avocados from Mexico..

And we get them cheap here is Los Angeles. I like to use smaller ones, just because I hate waste, and a small size is perfect for a serving or two.

And the creamiest and richest avocado, the Haas, was first grafted from a single tree here in La Habra Heights in Los Angeles county almost 100 years ago. Read about the origin story here or a shorter version here.

I've been burned many times picking out avocados. Smooth skin types are not as rich and creamy as the bumpy skin Haas Avocado, but I will take any type rather than go without.

An avocado is ripe when slightly soft to the touch. Mushy brown spots are a warning. You never know if the flesh will be stringy and bland, or soft and rich.  But most times it all works out. Click here for a few tips on when an avocado is ready to eat.

I like to use bread with flavor for my Avocado Toast. Since avocados are expensive for most of us, you might as well splurge on the bread, too. If you have a favorite baker, give them a visit. Or stroll through the bread section of your local grocery and try a pungent sourdough, nutty multi-grain, or local specialty.

One small avocado, when mashed, is enough for two slices of Avocado Toast. To spread the joy at a party, set out a bowl of mashed avocado with your fave crackers or toasted bread pieces and let your guest help themselves. Avocado removed from the skin will begin to turn brown quickly, but I bet your guest won't let that happen - just stand back and watch it quickly disappear.

You might as well get in line with  hipster diners who have made Avocado Toast the most popular of appetizers in Los Angeles eateries.  Go ahead, join us, this is one foodie trend that deserves to keep on, keepin' on.

Ingredients (2 servings)

• 1 small ripe avocado - I find that a small avocado will be enough for a couple of servings
• 2-4 slices of bread - toasted. I used sourdough. Okay to use any favorite bread including wheat and multigrain. How much bread you use depends how much avocado you spread on each slice.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions

Simple as can be. Start toasting a couple slices of bread.

Just slice avocado in half and remove seed.

Scoop out ripe avocado flesh into a bowl and mash. You can mash until creamy or keep it chunky.

Salt and pepper to taste.

For a single serving I use half an avocado. I leave the seed in the unused avocado half, cover it with the leftover avocado peel and store it in the refrigerator. Refrigerated, it  will last a few days.

Sometimes I just scoop out avocado flesh and smear it right on the toast.

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