And the Best Oscar Entree goes to...YOU! Come and accept your award-winning chow and pass it around to your party guests so everyone has a taste of Oscar. Sit back and watch the Best Picture Oscar-nominated movie trailers below, paired with my Best Oscar Entrée, which is a feast for your eyes.
And click on any Best Oscar Entree nomineenames to be directed to the original blog post for all the award-winning recipe prose and cinematic culinary imagery.
The first Best Oscar Entree nominee is deliciously gruesome. The movie stars actress Demi Moore, who has never exposed so much of herself, and I don't mean just her acting chops. This body-horror flick is gross to the max and not for the faint-of-heart or, in my recipe's case, palate. Check out the trailer below.
1. "The Substance" Pork Carnitas- are made from a pork shoulder, which I skin, then slice and dice the flesh, then drench in Mexican Cola. Kind of appalling, but oh so tasty.
The second Best Oscar Entree is a brickhouse of a recipe. A Holocaust survivor architect, played by always captivating Adrien Brody, rebuilds his life with a move to Philadelphia and is given a second chance by renovating a library in neighboring Bucks County.
2. "The Brutalist" Hoagie- I was introduced to theHoagie Sandwich by my wife, Linda, who was raised in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. A Hoagie is a towering multi-level sandwich of cheese, deli meats, lettuce, onion, and tomato with an oil and vinegar dressing.
The third Best Oscar Entree pairs with a 1970's Brazilian political drama of a family's search for answers when their father is "disappeared" during a military dictatorship.
- Brazil is renowned for its cattle industry, and my Ribeye Steak & Potatoes answers the question "Where's the Beef?"
The fourth Best Oscar Entree featuring my cheap$kate Pasta recipe is as controversial as the selection process of a new Pope in this pulpy Papal feature.
4. "Conclave" Pasta alla Carbonara with Bacon Bits - will set Italian chef tongues wagging. Loaded with Papal intrigue after the Pope dies, finding a successor stirs up controversy, like my Italian recipe made with Bacon Bits, instead of guanciale, a rich, fatty cured pork jowl or cheek.
The fifth Best Oscar Entree is emblematic of NYC, and pizza is the right price for struggling artists, like Mr. Tambourine Man, making musical poetry in the Big Apple.
5. "A Complete Unknown" Anchovy Pizza - Down and out in NYC, the bio-film introduces a struggling Bob Dylan, couch-surfing and surviving on scraps, while ascending from coffehouse folk singer to electrified troubadour and voice of his generation.
The sixth Best Oscar Entree will have you clicking your shoe heels together and chanting, "There's no recipe like Homemade Chili and a Cinnamon Roll." A musical reimagining of the Wizard of Oz featuring the good and bad witches. You can call it a prequel before Dorothy leaves Kansas for Oz.
6. "Wicked" Chili with Beans- Kansas is known for Chili with Beans served with a Cinnamon Roll. Well, I have theHomemade Chili recipe covered; you'll have to come up with the Cinnamon Roll!
The seventh Best Oscar Entree could be served in the cafeteria of an oppressive reformatory school, like the one depicted below.
7. "Nickel Boys" Black-eyed Peas with Ham - Based on the 2019 novel by Colson Whitehead, the film takes place in a Jim Crow-era Florida reform school. Nickel Academy is outed for its cruelty to the main character, a studious African-American high school student.
The eighth Best Oscar Entree, Cajun Nachos, combines French Cajun Red Beans and Crawfish, with Mexican tortilla chips and cheese. This recipe co-production will be hard to beat in this Oscar race.
8. "Emelia Perez" Cajun Nachos - A dark and twisted Mexican musical, made by a French Director, is both praised and panned. Boorish tweets on X by one of the leads may sink the chances of bringing home more awards.
The ninth Best Oscar Entree recipe is hot and steamy like Anora, a stripper on the make with the son of a Russian oligarch.
9. "Anora" Rachel Sandwich - The sandwich is made with Russian Dressing. Winner of the Palm d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in France last year, this randy romance will have you eating out of their hands, feasting on my sexy pastrami Rachel Sandwich with Coleslaw, that is.
The final Best Oscar Entree is based on the movie Dune: Part Two. This sci-fi literary classic adaptation is a hero's journey on a desert planet full of sandstorms and fury.
10. "Dune: Part Two" Flying Burrito - Joshua Tree, a local desert, inspired my own tall tale that ends with the sighting of a Flying Burrito!
Do try any of my Oscar Party Entrees - you're sure to get a Standing O. So have your acceptance speech ready because the golden statuette for Best Entree at an Oscar Party belongs to you, the host with the most.
I'll leave you with a video I made a while ago when the Academy of Motion Pictures had an exhibit with a podium on which a real Oscar stood. All you had to do was stand in line and take a picture with it -- well, you can be sure I showed up for that! Just check out the video below:
You are in for a movable feastduring this Cajun holiday calledMardi Gras. The real partying is underway and continues throughFat Tuesday, March 4th. 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. And click on any recipe name to see my original blog post for all the delicious details.
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. For a boozy slushy beverage, our local drive-thru is New Orleans Original Daiquiris.
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 aCajun Happy Hour that has a chilling finale featuring my wifeLinda.
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' 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 tim,e 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 them, 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
Shrimp and Corn Soup is a tasty spin on an East Coast Clam Chowder. Chef Matt has the recipe down pat, so check out how he does it, Cajun-style. Be sure to watch my video to the end to see my Cajun family put in their two cents.
Chef Matt's Shrimp & Corn Soup - 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 to,o 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 it 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 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
Seafood is king in Louisiana, and that includes sweet crabmeat. My nephew Matt is at the helm again, steering you through a cool and fresh Crab Salad recipe. His version uses fresh, peeled-and-picked crab clusters, but you can use a shortcut with a jar of lump crab meat. Hey, go the cheap$kate 99 Cent Chef way and substitute real crab meat with imitation Krab. Get out your favorite crackers and dig in!
Chef Matt's Crab Salad - 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 about $15. 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.)
And now for a brief moment of levity with a tasty recipe, of course. With the Super Bowl right around the corner, you'll want to try my latest Outre Entree, Swamp Chef Nachos!
My nephew Zak lives in Gonzales, Louisiana where my Mom is, too. He has worked in the restaurant business off and on since high school, so he has good taste and he approved my latest recipe, especially after indulging in a bit of puffery, of the cannabis variety...hmmm, maybe that had a bit of influence?
And Swamp Chef Nachos? It is a similar recipe to regular Nachos, with the main difference of adding Crawfish Tails!
This seafood spin is easy enough to substitute with cheaper small bay shrimp if you don't have access to a one-pound package of cooked Crawfish Tails.
Click on any photo or GIF to see larger.
This recipe video starts simply enough, just a walk in the neighborhood and a chance meeting.
And who should the Swamp Chef run into but his nephew Zak and his English Mastiff and Lab mix, Marshall. I bet you can't guess what I'm walking...well you'll have to watch the video!
If you have been following my food blog then you may remember my nephew Zak. We have collaborated on a couple of recipe videos when I visited him in Louisiana. Click on the recipe names to see our earlier collaborations. Chef Zak's Cajun Style Tuscan Primavera Pasta and Blackened Fish with Sweet Potato Hash(his Mom Brenda, my sister, makes a nagging appearance at the end of the video.)
To quote Zak : "Uncle Swamp Chef for the win, these Cajun Nachos are lit."
You know what Nachos are, right? Happy Hour food at its best. Usually, Nachos are tortilla chips covered in melty cheese, pinto beans, and sometimes taco-style ground beef. A final topping is chopped onion and tomato, or chunky salsa.
My Cajun Nachos are seafood briny and cheesy. I also use a can of Cajun Red Beans.
The overall flavor is like a gooey seafood enchilada, with more crunch from the tortilla chips.
The Red Beans are a tasty touch and add extra heft to fill you up with veggie protein. Red Beans are a nice substitution for typical Mexican-style Pinto Beans. I picked a local Gonzales, Louisiana brand that has a creamy bean sauce.
But you can get the same result by heating up regular Red Beans from the can. Add half of the bean broth and as it gets warm just crush a dozen beans or so. Stir with the bean liquid to make a thick sauce, kinda like Mexican refried beans. You can add more or less bean liquid until you reach the desired creaminess. Of course, just whole beans from the can without a creamy sauce will work as well.
Canned beans are easy to find, even Red Beans. If you want to experiment try Black Beans. Regular Pinto Beans are cheap everywhere. Chili With Beans are second best!
I used a mild shredded white queso or cheese. Any favorite cheese is fine, like cheddar, mozzarella, or Monterrey Jack. I get mine cheap at Dollar Tree and 99c only Stores. I start with a pound of shredded cheese but add as much cheese as you like.
Regular corn Tortilla Chips are cheap enough and you can get hefty servings with just one 8-ounce bag.
Of course, the hardest thing to find is a one-pound package of cooked Crawfish Tails. And while not cheap I gotta break my 99-cent rules sometimes. It's okay to use cheaper small cooked Bay Shrimp. Since you are just heating up Nachos, everything is cooked.
I finally top Cajun Nachos with Creole Seasoning and Louisiana Hot Sauce. These last ingredients are optional and it's okay to use any Hot Sauce if you can take the heat!
As the oven heats up add tortilla chips to a baking pan or dish and layer on the goodies. Pop it in the oven and when the cheese is melty then my Cajun Nachos are ready to eat! Since all the ingredients are cooked you are just heating it up.
My Swamp Chef Cajun Nachos has it all, maybe too much of a good thing, well it's up to you to decide if it's all too much.
12 ounces to 1 pound of peeled Crawfish - Small bay shrimp are an easy substitution. Of course, you can add any cooked protein like ground chicken or beef.
1 can Red Beans - about 16 ounce can. Mash some beans for a creamy sauce.
1 pound Cheese - I used white "quesadilla" shredded cheese. Okay to use any melty type like yellow cheddar or white Monterey Jack cheese, even Velvetta.
1 package of Tortilla Chips - about 8 ounces. I used half-yellow and blue chips for color. Add enough to make 2 or 3 layers of chips in the baking dish or tray, kinda like a lasagna.
2 Green Onions chopped - optional for a colorful garnish and extra flavor.
Louisiana Hot Sauce - optional. To taste, okay to use any favorite hot sauce. Add as little or as much as you can handle.
1 teaspoon Cajun Seasoning - optional, and okay to add less, as it's quite salty, like tortilla chips.
Directions
Layer chips on a wide baking dish or pan. I pile on enough for 2 or 3 layers.
Next top with red beans and half the cheese.
Add a layer of crawfish tails or bay shrimp...and more cheese!
Finally, sprinkle on Cajun Seasoning, and drizzle a little Hot Sauce (these steps are optional.)
I add extra cheese on top to keep the crawfish tail meat from drying out. I used white shredded cheese, but okay to use easy-to-get cheddar cheese. You can shred or just slice it, or break it into smallish chunks. Add as much cheese as you can afford, it's up to you.
Bake in a 350-degree oven for 10-15 minutes until cheese is bubbly. Since crawfish are cooked (or almost cooked,) all you are doing is heating up the beans and melting the cheese.
When the cheese is melted and beans heated through, remove from oven and top with chopped green onions, this gives the dish a vibrant green and white color with a little extra veggie crunch. I've had this without green onion, too.
