Well as promised I am publishing the "Candy Apple" recipe. This is the red hard candy apple. Not the Carmel which is what you see more often now a days. In the Grocery store around this time of the year you will see a Kraft display of their bagged caramels by the apple in the produce department. The recipe for caramel apples is on the Kraft bag. We have all made those apples, and while they are good...they are not the "State Fair" kind of candy apple. That is what mak... Read Full Story

With Halloween approaching I remember back to some of my favorite times of "trick or treating",  and they all revolved around getting the best candy.  Of course back then when things were safe, and everyone was trusted, we preferred homemade candy to the store bought.We could get Snicker Bars and Baby Ruths all through out the year...but homemade candy and treats were reserved for holidays with Halloween being the King of Get Candy days.  It was the only day that you could eat all t... Read Full Story

A couple of weeks ago, I had dinner with some new friends that had moved from Chicago. As we looked over the menu, I realized that not everyone is as taken with rice, as people from Louisiana are. In fact, my friends thought the stuff was awful, since where they come from; it is served as a hot cereal. Naturally, you can't expect them to think of rice with gravy, or beans and rice, as edible. All they can think, is breakfast cereal should not have gravy on it. In fact, they weren't... Read Full Story

USA Rice Federation: About USA Rice: Production Read Full Story

Keeping with recipes from stand alone products such as the Jell-o mold below, I wanted to use another favorite product from my childhood, and even now. The only difference is that I drink Diet Coke, instead of the traditional Coke. This name is known around the world, and why someone felt the need to add it to a recipe, I will never know….but it is really good. Southern Cooks are always adding a "little of this" and a " little of that". Someone decide to add the Coke to th... Read Full Story

How many of you remember your first Jell-O? Was strawberry your favorite, or was it orange?In the South Jell-O was the dessert of choice for kids. Sometimes there was fruit in it. But mostly it was just the wriggle alone, that we loved. I wanted to give you something different in recipes, which led me to look through my Mothers notes in her cookbook, and I found a whole section, hand written mind you, of recipes for Jell-O salads, desserts, and even party Punches.It made me want to know more ... Read Full Story

Creole cooking is different from Cajun cooking. It has influences from Haiti, Spain, and France., and was actually developed in New Orleans from 1st generation of European descent. Creole cooking [KREE-ohl] In the 18Th century, the Spaniards governing New Orleans named all residents of European heritage Criollo. The name, which later became Creole , soon began to imply one of refined cultural background with an appreciation for an elegant lifestyle. Today, Creole cookery reflects the full-fla... Read Full Story

For those of you who are not fond of eggplant, which by the way is really good for you, I suggest this recipe, since the eggplant is disguised. It is a hardy dish that my Mother served with her "pecan onion green beans," I will blog that recipe later").This is a fairly easy recipe to make, just a little preparation time. I usually cook my eggplant one day, and put the casserole together the next day. This really makes it a quick dish. It is a good dish to take to covered dinner... Read Full Story

Everyone is Louisiana has a special way they cook their red beans and rice. This is a classic dish that is eaten on a regular basis in Southern Louisiana. This is the way Helon cooked the beans and I continue to cook the same way.This is a dish I served many times on Super Bowl Sunday. It is easy to cook, you don't have to hang in the kitchen, and it feeds extra people that drop by.I serve my beans and rice with a green salad and french bread. Sometimes I make cornbread to go with the bea... Read Full Story

Since Valentines Day is approaching, and I have posted my "Be My Valentine Cake" I wanted to post this "Heart Cake" recipe, which also uses the 2 pan system to make a heart. This was the cake that I got the idea from for the "Be my Valentine Cake" .. The recipe makes a yellow cake, which is very moist and buttery. If you don't have the time....use a good cake mix, a white one would be nice. The yellow cake mix can be use for many cakes. All Southern cooks had... Read Full Story