Trying Out a Cajun Creole Spot

After a morning of hiking through the redwoods at Nisene Marks, I loaded up the kiddos and headed to a new (to-us) Cajun Creole restaurant in Capitola. It was named one of the best new restaurants of 2014, so I was intrigued.

We ordered several different dishes to share...

Crawfish Chili

This dish, of all that we tried, was a favorite for all four of us! Smoky and toothsome. I could have eaten this entire serving by myself. But, alas, there were three enthusiatic eaters with dueling spoons that I had to battle. I will definitely be experimenting with this recipe.

Gator Po'Boy

I wasn't sure that the kiddos would actually want to try alligator, but they were all game. And this ranked second of the favorites. "Does it taste like chicken?" I asked them. No, it just tastes good...and crunchy.

They didn't care for the catfish po'boy though. I tried not to sway them; catfish isn't my favorite. But when S commented that it was muddy, I just smiled and nodded. It actually wasn't as muddy as I've had in the past, but I still wouldn't pick that if I had other choices.

Beignets

"Is it a special occasion?" queried R. Why? Because you are letting us get dessert before we go to Penny. No, I just thought we should try them. Beignets are a New Orleans institution after all. They still aren't my favorite, but the kids enjoyed them.

Café au Lait

And you really can't have beignets without Café au Lait, right? I loved seeing those goldenrod canisters of Café du Monde - coffee mixed with chicory. And this cupful was tasty.

Yep, their 'best new restaurant 2014' designation is well-deserved. And we will be back to try more dishes!

Roux Dat

on the Web & on Facebook

Comments

Quick Pickled Red Onions and Radishes

If you've been reading my blog for even a short amount of time, you probably know how much I love to pickle things. I was just telling a friend you can pickle - with vinegar - or you can ferment - with salt - for similar delicious effect. The latter has digestive benefits and I love to do that, but when I need that pop of sour flavor quickly, I whip up quick pickles that are ready in as little as a day or two. I've Pickled Blueberries , Pickled Asparagus , Pickled Cranberries , Pickled Pumpkin , and even Pickled Chard Stems ! This I did last night for an upcoming recipe challenge that requires I include radishes. Ummmm...of course I'm pickling them! Ingredients makes 1 quart jar radishes, trimmed and sliced organic red onions, peeled and thinly sliced (I used a mandolin slicer) 3/4 C vinegar (I used white distilled vinegar) 3/4 C water 3 T organic granulated sugar 1 T salt (I used some grey sea salt) 6 to 8 grinds of black pepper Proce

Aloo Tiki {Pakistan}

To start off our Pakistani culinary adventure, I started us off with aloo tiki - potato cutlets. I'm always game for tasty street food. I found a couple of different recipes and incorporated those together for this version. Ingredients 6-8 small red potatoes, scrubbed 1 T cumin seeds 1 T fresh chopped parsley 1/2 t ground coriander 1 t minced garlic Procedure Boil the potatoes until they are tender. Drain and let cool. Mash the potatoes. Traditionally they are mashed without their skins. I left the skins on. In a small pan, toast the cumin seeds on high heat until the begin to give off an aroma and begin to darken. Remove from heat and transfer to a plate to keep them from cooking any more. Blend all of the spices into the mashed potatoes, then shape into small patties. If you wet your hands, the potato mixture won't stick to them. Heat a splash of oil in a large, flat-bottom pan. Dip each patty into beaten egg and carefully place in the oil. P

Meyer Lemon Custard-Filled Matcha Turtles #BreadBakers

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated after each event on the Bread Bakers home page . We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. This month Stacy of Food Lust People Love is hosting and she wrote: "Your bread can be large, as in one big animal, or small - animal-shaped rolls. Use your imagination! Points for flavor and shape!" If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL to Stacy at foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com. Here's the animal-shaped bread basket from the #BreadBakers... Beef and Sweet Onion Dim Sum Pandas from Karen's Kitchen Stories Bird Bread Rolls from Ambrosia Easter Bunny Buns from Cook with Renu Ham and Cheese Elephant Rolls from Food Lust People Love Hedgehog Bread from Making Mir

Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Search This Blog