Hi, y'all! I'm honored to present Linda Joyce, a sister writer and foodie. So wonderful to meet friends who enjoy some of my favorite things -- good food and good books!
I’m
excited to spend time with Rashda and the good readers of Hot Curries and Cold Beer. Thank you for having me as a guest.
And
no good guest comes present-less to a party, therefore I’m offering a giveaway.
For everyone who leaves a message here, their name will be entered into a
drawing for a goodie bag from me. The delights of the prize are related to
cooking, things I picked up when in New Orleans for Mardi Gras.
Remember,
you must leave a message along with your email address to be entered to win.
In
Rashda’s post Finger Lickin’ Good Curried
Ribs on 2/8/13, she mentioned Mardi Gras. Well, Rashda is to Food and Texas
what I am to Southern cooking and Mardi Gras. And one cannot possibly be from
The Big Easy, Baby! without having a love of food. However, I got a double
whammy. I’m an Irish/Cajun New Orleanian and half Japanese, too. Isn’t that a
culinary treat! *grins*
Per
the definition of Foodie from the Urban Dictionary
My
interest in food fits definition #1.
A person that
spends a keen amount of attention and energy on knowing the ingredients of
food, the proper preparation of food, and finds great enjoyment in top-notch
ingredients and exemplary preparation...
I
enjoy simple food, for example, oysters. They’re luscious when raw on the half
shell or roasted with drizzled garlic butter or in seafood gumbo or just deep-fried.
A most versatile frutti di mare.
Now,
my gumbo recipe is a closely guarded secret. However, if you come to my house,
you know you’re really special if I make Crab Stuffed Okra Poppers. Of course,
okra has to be in season—I pick it from my husband’s organic garden. Here’s the
recipe:
Crab Stuffed Okra Poppers
Begin by making the
dipping sauce: Remoulade sauce. It
needs to chill while making the Okra Poppers.
Mix together in a glass
bowl:
1 c. mayonnaise
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
3 tsp. chopped parsley
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. sweet pickle
relish
1/2 c. ketchup
1 tsp. horseradish (or
to taste)
1 tbsp. Worcestershire
sauce
Dash paprika
Now for the Poppers
Heat oil to 375 degrees
in a large deep pot when ready for deep frying poppers.
1) Start with about 20
fresh, young okra, about the size of your middle finger.
Wash, dry, and cut long
ways.
It helps if the cut is a
1/3 to 2/3 split so the smaller part will become the “hat,” so to speak, of the
okra pod. Keep both pieces together until stuffing.
Remove seeds.
2) Make Dredge: Combine in a flat pan (I use a pie pan)
1 c. Panko
1 c Bread crumbs
¼ tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper
½ tsp. cayenne pepper if
you like a little bite.
3) Dredge: Beat together
in bowl
1 large egg (or 2 small)
½ c dry white wine.
(wine can be omitted. May have to add another egg)
Dash of salt
4) Make Crab Stuffing:
1 cup crabmeat
½ c. bread crumbs, or panko
2 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. mustard (I prefer a Dijon)
1 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
1 egg, beaten
5 tbsp. real mayonnaise
½ c. bread crumbs, or panko
2 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. mustard (I prefer a Dijon)
1 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
1 egg, beaten
5 tbsp. real mayonnaise
Salt to taste.
Gently combine all ingredients in a
bowl.
5) A - Stuff okra with crab. Pack
gently. Replace “hat” so pod looks whole again.
B - Dip stuffed okra pod into Drench
C - Dip pod into Dredge
D - Deep fry 4 to 6 for about 1-2 minutes,
until golden brown.
E - Remove from oil and drain on plate with
paper towel.
Serve warm Okra
Poppers with chilled Remoulade Sauce. Bon Appetite!
Yes,
I am a foodie and it’s part of my heritage and culture. I’m also a writer, and
there’s no better way to immerse a reader in setting and culture than by
including food in my story.
In
my novel, Bayou Born, Branna is
having lunch for the first time with James, and this is what ensues:
“I’ll have the side salad, the garden-salad
sandwich and lemonade. Fresh squeezed lemonade. You don’t find that every day.”
She looked up into the waitress’ plastic smile, then handed over the menu.
“Garden sandwich?” James asked. “Not the
special? Don’t tell me you’re one of those women who only eats rabbit food. Or
don’t you eat southern?”
What did he mean by that? “Of course I eat
southern cooking. I’m from Mississippi. My daddy’s family is from Loosy-ana. My
comfort food may be different than yours—there was no seafood gumbo or
jambalaya or stuffed mirlitons on the menu—but I promise you my comfort food is
southern. I happen to like what the menu says about the specialty sandwich.”
She cocked her head, daring him to challenge her decision.
“Mur-la what?” the waitress asked.
“Chayote squash or vegetable pear at the
grocery store,” James answered. “I want the fried grouper sandwich with fries,
please.”
If
you want to know more about Branna and James in Bayou Born, the book is available for Kindle now. It will be
available in print at Amazon and The Wild Rose Press in mid-April, and Barnes and
Noble mid-May.
I
invite you over to my place at http://www.linda-joyce.com and please join me at Linda
Joyce Contemplates where I blog. http://lindajoycecontemplates.wordpress.com
Twitter:
@LJWriter
