These are seriously addictive. Roast them a couple batches at a time and they won't last more than a day. Raw pepitas are easy to find at Whole Foods and Mexican markets.


These are also excellent on salads and other meals. I typically keep them as a snack - especially if I plan to be cooking with anyone waiting around the kitchen. [More]

There are some fantastic recipes out there for XLB, but they tend to have one thing in common - preparation time. Remember that the last step of the recipe for these little packages in the bundling, folding and sealing of the dumplings themselves. That is going to take you some time and test your patience. You really might want to consider whether you're up for the long cooking process followed by some precision dumpling assembly.


Typically the dumplings are made with chicken broth paired with a pork ball. I modified the pork ball a bit and used bulk chorizo, in part because I can get it. It made the dumplings considerably spicier than what rolls by on a cart.


The best way to make these (or at least my favorite) is to stand around the kitchen with guests or family bundling the dumplings and chatting while they are steaming. They get perfectly fresh dumplings and you get good company. [More]

Prejean's Restaurant serves an excellent gumbo at the Jazz & Heritage Festival. This is not their gumbo, but it’s a good one. Its simple and it never fails. The only trick to this recipe is that you'll need a whole smoked chicken - easy where I live, perhaps not everywhere. There are ways to smoke a chicken yourself, but when I realized how fantastic the local version was, I quit doing it myself.


I serve large bowls of gumbo with a lump of packed rice dropped on top. The heat of this gumbo is heavily dependent on the sausage, so pay attention to what you decide to use. [More]

The vast majority of the time, the stock I make is chicken. For the most part, its what I have the building blocks to do. If I have a serious chili day coming up I might make some beef stock, but its rare.



The only variation I make is the chicken. If I need a rich stock, I keep some frozen chicken wings on hand to add to the chicken - that really takes it over the top.



Stock freezes. When I thaw it, I generally boil/simmer it for 10-15 minutes before using it. [More]

I just love buckwheat soba noodles. Besides coming in great packages with perfect little wrappers, they are hearty and go well with just about everything except the lightest broths. This is a quick recipe that makes for a terrific bowl of noodles. If you have the chicken already cooked, its takes less than 10 minutes to cook this perfect bowl of noodles. [More]