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

Mom turns 90 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.

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.

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!

Easy Roast Turkey Breast - Video Recipe

Roast a whole turkey for Thanksgiving? No thanks!! I'll go the easy route and just roast a turkey breast - it's quick and easy to do my way. Take the pressure off and keep it simply delicious.

And as a bonus, I add Stuffing under the flap of the breast wishbone skin and I add an extra mound of Stuffing that the turkey breast rests on. So you get it all with my Easy Roast Turkey Breast recipe.

The advantage of only cooking a Turkey Breast is that you don't have to worry about dark meat when cooking a whole turkey. Usually, dark meat takes longer to cook than white meat, so often the white meat will dry out even when covered with aluminum foil to help keep it moist.

I don't know about you, but I like a succulent slice of turkey breast, not a dry bite of bird. 

Of course, you have to be a "white meat" person for this recipe, I like both white and dark...can't we all get along?

Turkey breast comes in many sizes/ weights starting at about 5 pounds, so you will serve 3 or 4 guests easily and there's little waste, without a lot of carcass bones and skin to throw out.

You could just buy a whole Turkey on sale and break it down. Practice on a whole chicken first. It's economical and you can make separate meals with dark meat and wings later. Defrost a frozen turkey in the refrigerator so it stays cold. It may take 3 to 4 days until the whole turkey is soft enough to slice apart.

The trick to breaking down a chicken or turkey is to slice into where the poultry leg and wing connect to the main body until you see bone. Next, grab the leg or wing and pull away from the body until you hear a crack - that is the joint separating. Finally, just slice around the round joint and continue slicing until the part is free. You can try to cut through bone, but you need a saw or cleaver for hacking. For a whole breast, I slice easily through the rib cage and break apart the joints just underneath the breastbone.

Refreeze the dark meat legs, thighs, and wings. The backbone is great for a veggie-loaded Turkey Soup. Of course, you can roast a breast and a leg or thigh together if you are feeding a few.

Usually, figure about 15 minutes of roasting per pound of the breast at 350 degrees. My (about) 5-pound Turkey Breast cooked in an hour and a half - that's half the time of roasting a whole turkey!

 The skin gets crackly, and the meat stays moist. Always allow a few minutes of resting time once the Roasted Breast is out of the oven, while setting the table and finishing side dishes.

I can't resist Bread Stuffing with Roast Turkey Breast, and I'm not particular. I use a typical boxed stuffing from my local Dollar Tree and add a few sauteed veggies for good measure. I like cornbread or plain white bread stuffing. 

A chopped stalk of celery and some chopped onion, mushrooms, and garlic all sauteed together, are what I add, then follow the box directions. If I have a small package of breakfast sausage, I'll saute that too and mix it all together. My Easy Stuffing Recipe is a click away here. 

Almost everything in the grocery store is on sale this time of year, so keep a lookout and click here to see some of my yummy side dishes -- Bacon Wrapped Brussels Sprouts or a Green Bean Casserole with French Fried Onions, anyone?

You don't need the whole bird to make a satisfying Thanksgiving meal; my Easy Roast Turkey Breast will do the job!

Easy Roast Turkey Breast - Video

Play it here. The video runs 1 minute, 38 seconds.

Ingredients (serves 3-4)

4-6 pound turkey breast - It comes in various sizes, so cooking time will vary. But in general, it's about 15 minutes per pound at 350 degrees -- the internal temperature of the thickest part of the breast should be 150-155 degrees. My turkey breast took an hour and a half at 350 degrees. 

Salt and pepper to taste - just sprinkle on as much or as little as you like, about a teaspoon total.

Optional - a box of favorite Stuffing. Follow the box directions or see my recipe by clicking here.

Directions

Nothing to this recipe really, just preheat the oven to 350 degrees and sprinkle on some salt and pepper. Okay to put some fresh or dried herbs under the breast skin if you like. Rosemary is a pungent herb, or sage and rosemary, too. 

Place the turkey breast skin side up and let it roast until done, about an hour and a half or until the juices run clear when sliced, or the internal temperature is 150-155 degrees in the thickest part of the breast.

If you are a stuffing fanatic, then add some to the turkey breast before roasting. I like to stuff the wishbone area, which usually has a large flap of skin to enclose the stuffing. 

Turn the breast cavity facing up and lay in the stuffing against the wishbone. Raise up the skin and fasten with a couple of toothpicks. Finally, make a mound of stuffing in your roasting pan and place the breast right on top of it, covering it with the breast cavity.

The turkey juices will flavor the stuffing perfectly. And you get a little crunchy layer of stuffing that cooks against the pan.

If you are looking for a few side dishes to go along with the plump roasted breast, then click here to see what I recommend.

Whether you roast the breast with stuffing or without, try my Easy Roasted Turkey Breast for Thanksgiving, or anytime.

National Candy Day - From Amsterdam Licorice to Poisonous Scorpion Lollipops

Halloween was only 4 days ago and I can't eat any more candy...NOT! I have a sweet tooth that will not be satisfied, I'll admit it. So join me in celebrating National Candy Day.

As kids we did not have the selection of chocolate bars they do now. There used to be a Hershey Bar and foil-wrapped Kisses and that was about it. Chocolate with peanuts are always a welcome crunchy bite.

Sugar Free candy is everywhere and I can't taste the difference from old-school sugar candy.

A sweet-on-sweet I do like are old school Milk Chocolate Cordial Cherries, that is, Chocolate Covered Cherries. I get mine from the Dollar Tree. Click on the video below to see my yummy review.

You can always find holiday-themed Chocolates, thank god, and amen. 

They are often a hand, a religious symbol, or a hollow-shaped animal like a bunny for Easter, and a jolly Santa Claus for Christmas.

As soon as Halloween is over, in comes Candy Canes, chocolate-covered Santas, and Reindeer.

On Valentine's Day, you will see Chocolate Roses with plastic leaves and stems in a long thin box, sappy but kinda fun. My funnily romantic Valentine's Day slide show below includes a Chocolate Rose, check out "The 99 Cent Lover."

I am lucky to live right down the street from a See's Candies Factory on La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles. 

A famous "I Love Lucy" scene was shot there. In a hilarious segment, on her 1960's TV show, she and her best friend, Ethel, work the assembly line wrapping Chocolates until it all goes haywire. Check it out.

It can drive you crazy if you are stopped in traffic in front of the See's Candies building. The thick sweet smell of Chocolate is in the air, sometimes I have to leave the windows rolled up when I drive by, it's too much! There's always a long line snaking out the door during Mother's Day and Valentine's Day. 

When L.A. opened the Expo Line metro train stop, half a block from See's Candies, I made a video about all the good eats along the train route and had to include getting free samples from See's. Do check out the fun video.

The most outrageous candy I've ever licked is a Scorpion Lollipop. Yeah, that's right, a real scorpion encased in hard candy..Whoa! 

It was during a trip with my now wife, Linda, from Colorado back to Los Angeles. We had a bathroom break at Papa Joes Stop & Go in Cresent City, Utah. At the cash register, they had a row of Insect Lollipops and I picked the Scorpion, of course.

Check out my slideshow below, for our strange trip after taking a few licks. 

When California became the first state to legalize marijuana use, it was only a matter of time before Cannabis Candy Edibles were introduced. You can call this Candy for Adults, or in my case, Candy for Seniors.

The manufacturers definitely have a sense of humor, just look at the classic candy names they goof on like Starburst Candy. I'm sure this type of Candy is not what National Candy Day has in mind.

I feel conflicted about having Candy Marijuana Edibles on the market, similar to Nicotine Vape Pen Cartridges that are fruit-flavored. It may be confusing to teens and young adults as to the potency and ease of abuse.  

But I do like my Cannabis Edibles from time to time, as I came of age in the late 1960s and have done my share of mind-expanding. I am glad they are legal though, I think being jailed for the personal use of drugs is the real crime.

I grew up with Candy Cigarettes. I'm surprised they are still legal. These Candy Cigarettes were in Gonzales, Louisiana on a gas station checkout counter right by the Lotto tickets. 

I seem to remember they had red tips like they were burning. We would puff on the sugar sticks like our parents smoking cigarettes. I should have asked the cashier if you have to be 18 or 21 years old to buy these?

The cheapest Licorice is from my local Dollar Tree. They have some sweet flavors that I can handle like  Green Apple and Blueberry/Pomegranate

While Chocolate is my favorite type of Candy, I rediscovered regular sweets in Amsterdam, Netherlands this summer while on my Honeymoon. 

I indulged in some unusual types of Candy from Kruidvat, a retail, pharmacy, and drugstore chain.

I became addicted to Licorice (or Liquorice), especially when intertwined with molasses and having a cream center. This Licorice is called Trollendrop.

I was never a Licorice fan as a kid, but now I like the addictive savory taste which reminds me of anise or fennel, with added sweetness. And Amsterdam locals are definitely hooked. Just go to the candy aisle of any grocer and you will see a dozen brands and flavors. 

There are typical fruit flavor candies like Banana. I liked Cola flavored, It's The Real Thing.

On National Candy Day, if you can handle it, revisit your childhood and grab a bar of Chocolate, some Candy Corn, or just lookie-loo at my sweet imagery, that way you stay tooth cavity-free!