Taking a closer look, it revealed the tiniest puppy I’ve ever seen. I just remembered my neighbour promised my son a puppy. I had to pry and pluck it out of the bush as it clung  for dear life. My son was already jumping up and down  with excitement  that it was startling the poor rodent looking mutt.

It’s really a cute precious puppy though, don’t get me wrong. I call it a wonder mutt.  It makes you wonder what it is and where on earth it is! It’s so small it can just disappear in a heap of shoes. I was looking at it from afar and I swear, I thought it was a pootie tat, I did …I did see a pootie tat!  I picked it up and it looked like a guinea pig. I gave it  a bath and it turned into a rat. Then again, it has such pointy ears… it now looks like a bat! Haha…

Now, that night … I was making chowder with corn salsa for dinner and my son declares the puppy’s name as Chowder. I was thinking more of Salsa, but my son has the last word. I may just have to try some jedi mind tricks to convince him change its name. Wish me luck on that!

The chowder turned out so good, I have to thank Bobby Flay for suggesting chowder topped with corn salsa! It was absolutely delish. I had it with some crackers, a salad and chilli feta cheese.  Chowder, the puppy, is whining and whimpering at the moment. She wants to play out in the garden and chase some grass! It is half past 1o’clock in the morning and I wish she would just go nap!

CREAMIEST CORN CHOWDER WITH CORN SALSA

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup finely chopped green onion
3/4 cup diced red bell pepper
3/4 cup chopped celery
1 pound potatoes (about 3 medium), peeled and diced into 1/2-inch-thick pieces
4 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 8 ears)
1 bay leaf
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups whole milk
Salt and pepper
Sour cream for garnish (optional)

1 can whole kernel corn

1 small green bell pepper

½ c chopped cilantro

Dash of cumin

Dried red chilli flakes or 1 jalapeno chile finely chopped and seeded

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the green onions, bell pepper, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, about 10 minutes. Stir in the potatoes, 2 cups of the corn, the bay leaf, and the broth.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and keep it at a simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Puree the remaining 2 cups of corn and the milk in a blender or food processor, then stir it into the soup. Simmer the soup until it thickens slightly, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and add salt and pepper to taste. Top each serving with a dollop of sour cream, if desired. Serves 4 to 6. Tips: Choose ears of corn with bright green husks that are tightly closed. The ends of the corn silk should be golden brown, not pale — an indication that the corn was picked too early.
4. To easily remove corn silk from the kernels, hold the ear in one hand and rub downward with a wet paper towel.
5. To remove corn kernels for a salad or salsa, stand an uncooked ear in a shallow bowl and use a sharp, thin-bladed knife. For chowder, add another step: reverse the knife and run the dull side down the ear to press out the rest of the corn and its milk.

Photo Credit: Wheels and Lollipops

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There are quite a number ways to make wings.  Some are crispy fried in a spicy flour and cornstarch blend, while others use a variety of marinades to stamp their own signature flavour. You may opt to deep fry , oven roast/bake and grill the chicken wings, and serve it with at least a tub of ranch dressing.  Oh yeah, that tub of ranch dressing goes a long way!  Not only does it marry the marinating flavours in the meat, but it helps douse that fiery red pepper goodness of what makes a real Buffalo recipe.

Since a couple of our friends are not that keen on hot and spicy food, our wings night usually calls for two different recipes.  For the brave ones, there’s the Tapatio and cayenne pepper marinade and for our lovable Dutch buddy who can’t seem to handle spicy food well,  he’s got his name written all over the Jack Daniel’s barbecue sauce.  There is an endless variety of sauces and marinades you can make into your own wing night recipe. All it takes is some creativity and a bunch of really good friends to share it with.

Southern Hot Wings

Ingredients:

Marinade:

2 tsp ground cayenne pepper , or chilli powder
2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp dried red chilli flakes
1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
60 g dried onion flakes
25 g dried mixed herbs
1 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
50 g salt

Breading:

200 g plain flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Wing Sauce:

1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup red pepper sauce
3/4 cup tomato sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

1 litres vegetable oil , for deep frying

Ranch Dressing:

250 ml soured cream
50 ml lemon juice
3 spring onions , sliced
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
50 g fresh coriander , finely chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Combine all the Cajun seasoning ingredients, season well with salt, and Leave on one side.  Halve chicken wings at the joint and put in a bowl. Sprinkle over one tablespoon of the Cajun seasoning, rubbing it over the chicken with your fingers. Set aside for 10-15 minutes.
2. Put the flour, salt, black pepper and remaining Cajun seasoning into a large plastic bag – preferable one that seals with a zip. Add the wings, close the bag, and shake to coat the wings in the seasoning mixture. Remove from the bag and dust off any excess coating.
3. Heat the vegetable oil to in a deep fat fryer or large pan until hot but not smoking. Fry the chicken wings, a few at a time, for 5-6 minutes, until crisp and cooked through. Drain on kitchen paper.
4. In a deep bowl, mix together all Wing sauce ingredients and dump fried wings into the bowl.  Toss the wings in the sauce to coat each piece generously. Transfer to serving dish.
5. For the sour cream dressing: mix all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl until well combined.
6. Serve the chicken wings with the sour cream dressing, and accompany with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing if you so desire.

Photo Credit: Jenisse Decker

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Definitely, anything that says Cajun or Creole always requires the spicy goodness of cayenne peppers and the inclusion of the “holy trinity” in most of their dishes. The holy trinity being, chopped onion, celery and green peppers. As it is with their French origin, where a mirepoix calls for onions, celery and carrots … Creoles have adapted the same but omitting carrots and replacing it with peppers , tomatoes and okra as these vegetables were all contributed by historic influences during the French quarter in New Orleans.

Gumbo is purely traditional Louisiana Creole cuisine that is basically a stew based on seafood, sausages and chicken. It’s name is taken from the word Gombo, which is a word used in West and Central Africa for okra. The French made their own version of the word and turned it into Gumbo as it was how they heard it from the Africans. Gombo is a shortened version of Kilogombo or kigambo. It’s close cousin, the Jambalaya comes from the Spanish influence of the paella in New Orleans.

Today, gumbo has become a signature dish to Louisiana French Creoles. It’s rich texture is thickened by the combination of a proper roux and that of the okra vegetable. It is traditionally served with a side of potato salad. But over the years it has become a norm to serve gumbo with buttered French bread or with steamed rice.

The colourful beginnings of this southern US state has a lot to do with the complex flavours of their dishes. Any stew hits familiar notes of home, but a Creole gumbo brings your palette to a delightful adventure filled with a rich mix of soul and tradition.

CREOLE SHRIMP GUMBO

Ingredients:

1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/4 inch rounds
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 (4 pound) chicken, cut into parts
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2/3 cup green bell pepper, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 pounds medium shrimp – peeled and deveined
3 cups okra, sliced and fried
8 cups water
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
file powder

Instructions:

1. In a medium skillet, brown the sausage over medium heat. Remove from pan, and drain on paper towels to remove some of the fat. Discard fat in pan.

2. In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil over high heat. Brown chicken pieces in hot oil. Turn frequently until golden brown on all sides. Transfer chicken to a dish, leaving oil in pan. Set chicken aside, but keep warm.

3. Make a roux by whisking flour into the hot vegetable oil. Turn heat down to low. Continue cooking flour and oil mixture, stirring constantly, until it reaches a dark brown color. This may take 30 to 45 minutes; the darker the roux, the better the final gumbo.

4. When the roux is a dark brown color, quickly add the sausage, onion, green onion tops, green pepper, fried okra slices, parsley, and garlic. Cook over low heat until the vegetables are wilted, about 10 minutes, stirring constantly.

5. Stir in 2 cups water and spices. Add chicken parts. Add rest of the water slowly. Bring mixture to a boil, and reduce heat. Simmer for about 45 minutes, until chicken is done and tender.

6. Remove chicken pieces, and save for another use. Add shrimp to gumbo; cook for about 8 to 10 minutes more. Remove bay leaves. Taste, and adjust seasoning. Serve gumbo in deep bowls. Sprinkle file powder over individual servings, and stir in.

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Moon pies are traditionally made with 2 graham cracker cookies made into a sandwich with marshmallow crème filling, and dipped in chocolate fudge. From then, it has since evolved into a variety of moon pie flavours and fillings but remains a definite heart melting snack cake to this day.

You can easily make a batch at home with just a few instant ingredients, but if you’d rather do it the old-fashioned way, try this recipe below and get flown off to the moon with delight!

Moon Pie

Ingredients:

Cookie:

Round Graham Crackers ( if you’re not up to baking )
Any cookie dough recipe of your choice or you can even just use ready baked cookies

Marshmallows filling:

• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tablespoon powdered unflavored gelatin
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Coating:
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Instructions:

• To make the Marshmallow filling: Combine the 1/4 cup water, the corn syrup, and the sugar in a saucepan fitted with a candythermometer. Bring to a boil and cook to “soft-ball” stage, or about 235 degrees F.

• Meanwhile, in a standing mixer fitted with a whisk, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Sprinkle the gelatin over the 2 tablespoons water and let dissolve. When the syrup reaches 235 degrees F, remove it from the heat, add the gelatin, and mix. Pour the syrup into the whipped egg whites. Add the vanilla and continue whipping until stiff.

• Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe marshmallow filling onto half of the cookies, and top with the rest to make sandwiches. Let set at room temperature for 2 hours.

Chocolate Coating: Melt the ingredients together in the top of a double boiler stirring occasionally. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. One at a time, gently drop the marshmallow-filled cookies into the hot chocolate. Lift out with a fork and let the excess chocolate drip back into the bowl. Place on the cookie sheet and let set at room temperature until the coating is firm, about 1 to 2 hours.

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Creole cuisine originated from Louisiana in New Orleans. It is a mix of Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, Greek and Native American flavors. It focuses on a combination of spices to give more life to simple dishes.

Here is a quick and easy recipe that is best eaten with salad or even rice. You can also serve it with salsa, preferably mango salsa. If you are not fond of fried dishes, you can bake the fish instead.

Ingredients:

4 pieces catfish fillets

5 tablespoons creole seasoning

1 ounce cornflakes, crushed

Cooking oil for frying

In a bowl, combine the crushed cornflakes and creole seasoning.

Pat-dry the fish fillets using a paper towel. Coat it in the cornflakes and spices mixture.

In a skillet, heat some oil over medium heat. Fry the fish for 3-5 minutes on each side or when it is golden brown.  Drain the excess oil using paper towels or place the fillets in a strainer for a few minutes. Serve warm with fries or vegetables.

Photo Courtesy Of: arnold | inuyaki