Cinnamon Cookies

A perfect recipe for those, like my dear Grandmother, who like "just a little something sweet to have with coffee."


Cinnamon Cookies


1 stick butter, softened 1 cup each white and brown sugar (turbinado or demerara is lovely)
1 tsp. each salt and soda
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tbs. cinnamon
2 eggs
3 cups flour
4 tbs. water


Cream butter and sugars. Stir in salt, soda, flavor, cinnamon, and eggs. Stir in flour and add as much water as you need to make a workable dough. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 (always preheat) for 9-10 minutes till just brown at the edges. Let cool on the pan.


For a special treat, add a little nutmeg and/or mace, perhaps a half teaspoon all told, and a cup or so of raisins.

Chicken Croquettes

There are some foods which I believe we as a culture do not eat enough of. Croquettes are one of those. Anything breaded and fried is going to be near and dear to a Southerner's heart, and something that is tasty, inexpensive, and easily prepared even more so.

In European cuisine, a croquette is a paste of finely chopped food with some sort of binding agent that has been coated in breadcrumbs and deep fried. The typical binding agent is a thick white sauce. These croquettes are more in keeping with those I grew up with, minced whatever held together with egg and breadcrumbs (much like meatloaf actually) and pan fried.

These chicken croquettes are a delicious dainty for lunch, an excellent snack, and just plain good eating. Enjoy.

Begin with a quantity of chicken breast meat and run it through a food processor till very finely minced. Add 2 eggs and 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs for every pound of chicken paste. Season to taste. Form into flat patties 1/4 inch thick, dredge in breadcrumbs and pan-fry till brown on both sides.

That's really all there is to it. You can sauce them any way you like, tying it in with the seasoning. Curry powder in the croquettes with a nice makhani gravy is delightful. Italian breadcrumbs with a pomodoro sauce is excellent.

Boudin Rice One Pot Dinner

I love boudin, but boudin is hard to find outside of Louisiana. The following is a recipe inspired by boudin. Normally I hate recipes like this, the Rachael Ray "I'm not a real chef so I cook recipes "inspired" by recipes cooked by real chefs" crap that offends every gastronomic sensibility I have. Nonetheless, this is easy and quite tasty.

1 lb. good smoked sausage, finely chopped. Saute for several minutes, add a cup or so of chopped green onions, add a little salt and the cajun/creole seasoning of your choice. (I'll give mine below.) Let that cook for about ten minutes. Add 2 cups converted rice and 1 quart chicken broth, with a little more salt and seasoning. Let simmer till rice in tender. Add one more pinch of seasoning and serve with chopped parsley sprinkled on top.

My own cajun/creole file mix

1 part red pepper

2 parts black pepper

3 parts paprika (sweet spanish, not smoked or hot)

3 parts granulated garlic (not garlic powder)

1 part each: sage, oregano, thyme