Saditty Cooks

So I don’t just try to feed ya’ll, I like ya’ll to get lit to the high heavens too. You probably heard about this in Luda’s “Pimpin’ All Over The World” song. No, this is NOT my original recipe, but I be damn if it doesn’t get your cap peeled. When you’re in New Orleans and you want the real deal, hit up Tropical Isle on Bourbon Street and get your life!

Laissez le Bon Temp Rouler! That’s “Let the good times roll” for you slow folks…I’ll drink to that!!! 

Ingredients  

• 1 part gin
• 1 part vodka
• 1 part rum 
• 1 part melon liqueur
• 1 part grain alcohol (EVERCLEAR)

Directions

Mix all the ingredients and add water/ice as needed. If it’s not sweet enough add some sugar, 1/2 teaspoon at a time for desired sweetness (before adding ice of course). I personally drink mine after putting it in the blender and making it slushy, but you can do it over ice with no problems. 

Don’t drink too many, because it will sneak up on you and have you on your ass. You’ve been warned. 

Happy King’s Day ya’ll!! Oh, what’s King’s Day? Naw, it has nothing to do with MLK, but it’s marks the feast of the Epiphany in the Catholic church, or the appearance of the wise men at the manger side of our Sweet Little Jesus Boy. That’s the short version, but in the city of New Orleans, it marks the beginning of MARDI GRAS SEASON (*insert second line music here*)! 

So during this time we eat on this delectable ass cake treat we call King Cake. What kinda royal cake is this you ask? It’s just a fancy cinnamon roll-esque cake with icing, sprinkled with sugars in Mardi Gras colors (purple, green and gold), sometimes stuffed with fruit or cream cheese and the very special BABY inside (no worries, it’s plastic). Click this link to get information on the culture and significance of it, I’m just here to make sure you taste this sweet taste of cajun love. I’m making mine tomorrow (my dough is resting) and will post a pic, but I’m attaching a picture of how it should look for visual purposes. 

 Ingredients (King Cake) 

• 2 1/4 teaspoon yeast
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 eggs
• 4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, grated

Ingredients (Filling, TOTALLY OPTIONAL)

• 6 oz cherry, apple or peach pie filling
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoon flour
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 pecan or dried bean (optional)
• yellow, green purple sugars (You can color regular with food coloring to achieve this)

Ingredients (ICING)

1. 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2. 1/4 cup lemon juice
3. 2 tablespoons milk

Directions 

Mix the yeast with the warm water. Stir 1 teaspoon of the sugar and 1 teaspoon of the flour into the yeast and set aside. By the time you have measured the other ingredients, the yeast should start bubbling. 

Bring the milk to a boil and stir in the butter and the sugar. Pour into a large bowl; the mixture should be lukewarm. Beat in the egg yolks, whole eggs and the yeast. 

Beat in approximately 2 cups of flour with your your cinnamon and nutmeg, until the dough is fairly smooth, then gradually add enough additional flour to make a soft dough that you can form into a ball. Knead it, until smooth and elastic. Lightly oil a bowl, turn the dough once or twice in it to grease it lightly all over, cover with a cloth and leave to rise in a warm spot until it doubles in size (about an hour and a half) 

Pat dough down and cover the bowl with a damp towel, plastic film over that and refrigerate until the next day. This recipe makes enough dough for two king cakes. You can make one for your house and one for the office or wherever. If you just want to make one, cut the ingredients in half and you’ll be good. 

Remove dough with floured hands, while it’s firm and cold, shape into a long sausage shape. Using a floured roller on a floured surface, roll out the dough into a 30X9 rectangle about as thick as pie crust. Let the dough rest. 

Drain extra juice from pie filling. Mix the cream cheese with the sugar, flour, egg yolks and vanilla. Spoon an inch wide strip of fruit filling the length of the dough, about 3 inches from the edge. Spoon the cream cheese mixture alongside the fruit, about 3 inches from the other edge. Brush both sides of dough with egg wash. (Insert the pecan here if you want one)

Fold one edge of dough over the cream cheese and fruit, then the other edge over. Gently place one end of the filled roll onto a large greased cookie sheet. Ease the rest of the roll onto the pan, joining the ends to form a circle or oval. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350F. Brush again with egg wash and cut deep vents into the cake. Sprinkle with colored sugars. 

Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or cake is well risen and golden. Cool before icing and while icing is still wet on cake, sprinkle with sugars tinted purple, green and gold. ENJOY! 

*To make icing, combine confectioners sugar, lemon juice and milk and whip until smooth. Spread onto cake. 

In addition, if you aren’t making a filling for it, you can make it just like a cinnamon roll. 

• 1/2 cup butter, softened 
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• Mix all these ingredients together and spread it across your dough before rolling. There you have it. 

Hush puppies are little deep fried cornbread balls that serve as great sides to seafood dishes, breads, and operate as wonderful finger food appetizers. Try this recipe out and I guarantee you’ll like it (and your mouth and belly will thank you).

Ingredients (Hush Puppies) 

4 cups vegetable oil
2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups milk
1 cup water

 Ingredients (Raspberry Jalapeño Sauce)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil 
1/2 medium red onion, chopped 
2 to 3 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped finely
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 
1 tablespoon sugar 
2 teaspoons orange zest 
1/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves 
1 pack frozen raspberries, thawed out and coarsely chopped 
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions (Hush Puppies)

In a big mixing bowl, combine your flour, corn meal, salt and baking soda (mix well with a whisk). Add the milk, egg and water and beat until smooth and has no lumps whatsoever. Your batter should be stiff at this point. If it’s too dry, add milk a teaspoon at a time. If it’s too thin, add cornmeal a teaspoon at a time. 

Using two spoons and push a small amount of batter into hot oil. After about 10 seconds, hushpuppies will float to the top and begin to brown. Fry for about 5 minutes or until golden brown. You should be turning them to insure that they are browned on all sides. 

Remove the hush puppies from the oil and drain on rack or paper towels. Continue to cook the rest of the batter the same as you did the first batch, 4-6 hush puppies at a time. You can warm them in the oven until they are all done at 200F until you are ready to serve them. These are best served HOT, fresh up out the grease if possible. 

Directions (Raspberry Jalapeño Sauce)

Heat your oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for like 2 minutes until soft. Add your jalapeños and continue cooking for an additional minute. Add the balsamic vinegar, sugar and orange zest. Cook for about 2-4 minutes, then add the raspberry preserves and thawed raspberries. Continue cooking until the sauce is kind of thick for about 5-7 minutes. Add your salt and pepper to your taste. 

At this point, if you want a true SAUCE, you can pureé the mixture in your blender or food processor. I kind of like mine with a little texture so I don’t puree it. 

When your sauce is done, you can put it on your hush puppies kind of like a jelly on a roll or what have you. ENJOY!!! 

Lately I’m on a breakfast kick and sweets kick. With that being said, I love banana bread and I love cinnamon rolls even more than that. Why not combine the two (and who DOESN’T love Nutella?)?! Here we go. 

Ingredients (Dough) 

I had a dream about this and woke up, ran to the store and got what I needed. 30 minutes later, magic. Let me know how ya’ll like it! 

Ingredients (French Toast)

1 cup of flour 

1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup of sugar 

1/2 cup light brown sugar 

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ginger 

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 

1 cup evaporated milk 

2 eggs, beaten well 

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla 

10 slices of potato bread or Hawaiian bread  (or bread of your choice)

Directions 

Mix dry ingredients together first. Then add your eggs, evaporated milk and vanilla. Beat all of your ingredients together, mixing thoroughly. Dip your bread into the batter, making sure to coat both sides well and then fry in 1/2 inches of oil of your choice until bread is light brown. Serve with syrup of your choice, cover with powdered sugar OR serve with this here creme anglaise I’m about to post. 

Ingredients (Irish Creme Anglaise)

4 large egg yolks

1 cup of heavy whipping cream 

1/3 cup evaporated milk

2/3 cup milk 

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar 

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 

1 teaspoon pure vanilla 

1/4 cup Bailey’s Irish Cream (Or Michael’s Celtic Cream or Amaretto)

Directions

Scald (not boil) cream and milk with vanilla in heavy medium saucepan. Meanwhile, whisk yolks, sugar and spices in medium bowl to blend. Slowly whisk in scalded mixture. Return custard to saucepan and stir over low heat until mixture thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, usually about 5-7 minutes. DO NOT BRING THE MIXTURE TO A BOIL OR IT WILL CURDLE. This is not what you want to happen. Strain into medium bowl. Stir into the liqueur of your choice. You can either cover it and chill it or serve it warm. You can make this the day before if you like and if you have some left over you can save it, although you’ll probably want to drink it (don’t do that though).  Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

**IF YOU DON’T WANT YOUR FRENCH TOAST DEEP FRIED, JUST ELIMINATE THE FLOUR, BAKING POWDER, AND SALT FROM THE BATTER MIX. YOU CAN PAN FRY IN REGULAR BUTTER, NO NEED TO DEEP FRY IT AT ALL!**

You can also top this with some roasted pecans, chopped up nicely as photographed below and sprinkle a little powdered sugar on it to be fancy. Hope you enjoy!!! 

This is like my favorite salad. My waistline is evident of this fact because it loves all these carbs. I grew up eating it and my mama used to put chopped aromatics in it (bell pepper, celery, green onion). I however, can’t STAND any of that in my potato salad. This is the recipe based on what I like. Feel free to add the seasoning if that what you’re into. It’s gonna be good either way. 

I don’t like chunky potato salad, that’s kind of a regional type deal. Down here in the gulf states, we like it kind of smooth. Here’s my spin. 

Ingredients

3-4 medium sized potatoes (peeled, boiled until tender and diced) 

5 eggs (peeled, hard boiled and diced)

1/2 cup of mayonaise (add more BY THE TABLESPOON if it’s not saturated well)

1 1/2 tablespoons of yellow mustard 

2 1/2 tablespoons of sweet or dill relish (your preference, more or less to taste)

1  1/2 teaspoon of fresh parsley, finely chopped 

1 teaspoon italian dressing (shaken)

1 1/2 teaspoon of salt 

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

Paprika to garnish 

Directions 

Combine your potatoes and eggs (which should already be diced and chopped up finely) in a large bowl. Add you mayonaise GRADUALLY while mixing. If you find the consistency to be too thick, add additional mayo, a tablespoon at a time until it is a little thicker than mashed potatoes. Add your mustard, relish and italian dressing and mix throughly until the entire mixture is well blended. 

At this point you can add your chopped parsley and dry seasonings and mix it thoroughly just like you did everything else. You can either serve it from this bowl, or transfer it to another serving bowl. You’ll want to clean it up a bit smooth it out and then garnish it with ground paprika all nicely across the top. It can be served as is or chilled. ENJOY!! 

I have several recipes for mac and cheese. One is REALLY rich and complex, so I won’t post it. This one is the first one that I learned how to make and it’s fairly simple but tastes GREAT. I usually eat my mac and cheese with fried chicken or fried fish/seafood, pot roast, roasted chicken, hell pretty much anything. It’s is THEE perfect comfort food and side for anything not tomato based. Enjoy! 

Ingredients 

8 tablespoons (1 stick) of unsalted butter 

2 1/4 cups of whole milk 

2 1/4 cups of buttermilk

1/2 cup of all-purpose flour 

2 teaspoons kosher salt 

1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg 

1/4 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper 

 4 1/2 cups of grated sharp cheddar (white or yellow)

 2 cups of grated Gruyere cheese or 1 1/4 cups of Pecorino Romano 

 1 pound (16 ounces) of elbow macaroni 

Directions

In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. In a separate pan, melt 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Slowly pour hot milk into flour-butter mixture while whisking. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere or 1 cup pecorino Romano. Set cheese sauce aside. 

Fill a large saucepan with water. Bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 fewer minutes than manufacturer’s directions, until outside of pasta is cooked and inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates so be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

Use the remaining two tablespoons of butter to grease your casserole dish. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar and 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup pecorino Romano over the top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes and serve.

Okay look, everybody can’t make good fried chicken, and that’s perfectly fine. This is a recipe that is so damn good that if it comes out wrong I just don’t know what to tell you. Follow the directs to the letter though, no shortcuts with fried chicken!! 

Ingredients 

1 quart buttermilk
1/2 cup Creole seasoning (I PREFER TONY CHACHERE’S OR ZATARAIN’S)
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 head garlic, cloves peeled and crushed
2 (3 1/2 to 4-pound) skin-on chickens, cut into 8 pieces each
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cayenne
Peanut or canola oil for frying

DIRECTIONS

Combine the buttermilk, 1/4 cup of the creole seasoning, the salt, sugar, and garlic in a large non-reactive bowl (glass or plastic, not metal). Stir to blend. Immerse the chicken in the mixture and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and for up to 24 hours.

Combine the flour, remaining 1/4 cup creole seasoning , and the cayenne in a large doubled brown paper bag or heavy plastic freezer bag and shake to blend. Drop the chicken, a few pieces at a time, into the flour mixture and shake thoroughly to completely coat. Remove the chicken and shake off the excess flour. Repeat the coating process with the remaining chicken pieces. Place the coated chicken on a large wire rack set over a sheet pan and let rest until ready to fry, at least 20 minutes.

In a medium Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat enough oil to come 4 inches up the sides to 300 degrees F over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in batches, skin side down, and fry undisturbed until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Turn and fry until golden brown on the second side, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the chicken and drain on paper towels. (Note: An even oil temperature is the key to successfully frying chicken; a clip-on candy or deep-fry thermometer should be kept in the pot at all times. The temperature should remain between 280 degrees F and 300 degrees F during cooking.)

Allow the chicken to rest at least 5 minutes before serving.

*For frying chicken and other fried foods, as stated before, I SERIOUSLY suggest that you invest in a thermometer so that you can monitor the temperature of your grease. Remember, to maintain a nice crunch on your chicken NEVER turn the flame down. The end result will be soggy, greasy chicken…DO NOT WANT. Enjoy!!

I guess ya’ll say “Damn, she cooks a lot of sweet stuff!”, but I can’t help it. I love sweets and if you don’t then you’re most likely a terrorist. This recipe is super easy to make as an finger desert for a party or just to have because it’s a day ending in ‘Y’. It’s a shortbread-like cookie with a great chocolate topping! Enjoy! 

TURTLE COOKIES

1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup light brown sugar – packed
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
1 egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon maple flavoring
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda 
pecan halves 

FROSTING

2 ounces solid baking chocolate
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound (16 ounces) powdered sugar. 

Cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, egg yolk, vanilla and maple flavoring. Set aside. Sift together flour, salt and baking soda. Add dry ingredients gradually to the creamed mixture until you have smooth dough and then chill 2 hours. Shape 1 tablespoon of dough into balls. Dip bottoms into little of egg white. Press slightly onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until set and when cool, frost. 

Melt chocolate, milk and butter. Beat in the powdered sugar until smooth. 

You can drizzle this with caramel for a little extra special love if you like. Nothing like it! 

So listen, in New Orleans there was a bakery that had THEE best donuts in all of creation, only they weren’t quite donuts. The were more like a really dense donut ball that taste like sweet, fried orgasms. You can make these for breakfast or dessert, but I promise you won’t be disappointed. Enjoy! 

BUTTERMILK DROPS

Peanut or vegetable oil for deep frying. 
1 cup all purpose flour 
2 teaspoon sugar 
1 teaspoon baking powder 
1/4 teaspoon baking soda 
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 
1 egg 
1/2 cup buttermilk
Vanilla glaze for coating. 

Heat three inches of oil in a deep skillet or electric fryer to 350. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, ginger and nutmeg in large bowl to blend; make a well in the center. 
When the oil is hot, whisk egg and buttermilk in separate bowl, then pour into the well in the dry mix, stirring gently till blended.Drop the batter by rounded teaspoons into the hot oil without crowding.. Fry till golden on all sides, ( they should turn over by themselves as they cook), two or three minutes. Drain on paper towels, then roll in cinnamon sugar or cover in vanilla glaze. 

GLAZE

2 cups confectioners sugar 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
2-4 tablespoon milk, more if needed.Put buttermilk drops on rack. Stir together all the ingredients, add milk till its the consistency of heavy cream. Drizzle glaze over hot doughnuts.