Ben Starr

The Ultimate Food Geek

Tag: cajun

  • A FRANK Tale: New Orleans

    Jennie and I both love New Orleans.  We’ve never been there together, unfortunately.  But we’ve each enjoyed some potently inspirational trips there separately, and when it came to deciding this March’s FRANK theme, it was a no-brainer.  Normally we fight for a few days to come up with the theme, but this one transpired effortlessly…

  • Calas (Creole sweet rice fritters)

    At our last FRANK, we wanted to serve a few Creole and Cajun classics that would be unfamiliar to the majority of our diners.  After all, everyone knows beignets, etouffee, gumbo, jambalaya, and boudin.  Calas (pronounced cah-LAHS)  turned out to be a perfect option.  These lovely little yeast-risen rice fritters were typically eaten at breakfast…

  • Sourdough Buttermilk Beignets

    Ah, beignets!  France’s answer to a donut, only without a hole, and rarely round.  Single-handedly made famous in the U.S. by Cafe du Monde, steps from the cathedral of St. Louis in the heart of the French Quarter in New Orleans…though certainly not perfected by them.  I actually grumble and groan anytime I take someone…

  • Ben’s Life-Altering Cajun Turkey

    The Cajun-spiced deep-fried turkey has become very popular since Emeril introduced it on Food Network several years ago.  Most of us don’t have a fryer large enough for a turkey, nor do we want to spend $50 on a fryer and another $50 on peanut oil, so an alternative is to “brine” the turkey from…