Gumbo Poutine

I feel like this recipe will serve a very specific population: those of us who love gumbo but aren’t glued to a specific perspective or tradition with our food. It boggles my mind that anyone wouldn’t love gumbo, but I remember a number of colleagues returning from a trip to New Orleans and reporting that, to them, gumbo tasted like “burnt soup.” So, obviously…

Sister Carm’s Carrot Cake

Sister Carm is a family friend that my mother met through church and subsequently traveled with to Africa and parts of Europe. Her carrot cake is famous in our family – when I was searching for the recipe in my e-mail inbox, I found at least three separate messages with my mom, cousins, and friends all asking for copies of it. When I asked…

Honey Bun Cake

As a child of the 80s and 90s, I developed a taste for sugary breakfasts early in life. This might be a trip to One Little Donuts (no, that’s not a misspelling, just a poorly named restaurant) with my grandmother before school. It might also be a batch of Grand’s Orange Cinnamon Rolls if there was time or, most commonly, a quick Honey Bun,…

Dad’s Spaghetti

Trying to get details about recipes from my dad is like trying to herd cats—nearly impossible. This isn’t because he’s trying to keep secrets—more that he doesn’t measure anything. He’s a free spirit in the kitchen (and in life). As a child, I remember he caused a stir when he made the executive decision to wear pajama pants to choir practice on Wednesday nights….

roux(less) gumbo for halloween

Halloween has always been synonymous with gumbo in my mind, because we usually ate it on Halloween – and many other cool nights during the fall season. This version comes from Melissa M. Martin’s Mosquito Supper Club cookbook. I was intrigued by the recipe because it doesn’t use a roux (sacrilege!), but she says this is common in parts of Louisiana, like her hometown…