Yada Yada Yada -The Crab Bisque

For those of you who are Seinfeld fans you will know what I mean. I couldn't resist when I found this delicious looking recipe in the African-American Heritage Cookbook. It sounds wonderful, especially the small amount of whisky that is added for flavoring. It might calm the kids right down. I have added the recipe for Seafood Seasoning, also from the same cookbook. This makes 4 to 6 servings.


2 Tablespoons butter
1-1/4 cups finely chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 small bay leaf
1-1/2 teaspoons Seafood Seasoning (recipe follows)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
4 cups clam juice
1/2 cup peeled and diced russet potato
3/4 cup light cream
2 Tablespoons Scotch Whisky
1 lb. lump crabmeat
salt & pepper
chopped chives for garnish


Over medium heat, melt butter in a heavy medium-size pot. Add onion, red bell pepper, bay leaf, celery, and seasonings. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Stir a couple of times to prevent sticking. Add clam juice and diced potato; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, partially cover pot, and simmer until the potato is very tender. Puree soup in blender until smooth (or use a wand blender in the pot) Return to pot; add cream, scotch, and crabmeat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish individual servings with chopped chives.




Seafood Seasoning


This makes about 1/2 cup of seasoning.


2 Tablespoons celery salt
1 Tablespoon ground bay leaves
1 Tablespoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground thyme
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Mix all ingredients and store in an airtight container until ready for use.

Sausage, Red Beans and Rice

I just got home from a 5 day motorcycle trip so I had to get creative until I felt like going to the grocery store. I made up this concoction and it was perfect. I didn't add any more spice to this, but would if I made it again. I like to add several dashes of my favorite hot sauce to most anything. I served this along with corn. Here is what I did:

1/2 chopped bell pepper

1/2 chopped onion

1/2 lb. Hot Jimmy Dean Bulk Sausage

1 pkg. Zateran's Red Beans & Rice Mix

black pepper

olive oil

Brown the sausage on Med. Hi heat, stirring and crumbling in the pan. Add onions and bell pepper and saute all until soft. Add 2 Tablespoons olive oil, 3-1/4 cup water, and the Bean & Rice mix. Season with black pepper or hot sauce. Bring to a boil, stir, then add lid and turn down to Low heat. Cook for 25 minutes. If it is too runny for your taste, remove the lid and cook on Med. heat for a few minutes. Stir often so it doesn't stick, and reduce until you like it.

This dish would serve 4 people, along with a nice tossed salad. It was very satisfying.

Jalapeno Poppers

These poppers are not the deep fried type. They are completely low carb, and they're fresh and great for barbeques. I do them in the oven in the winter time.

8 oz. softened cream cheese
1 package real bacon bits (the soft kind)
a squeeze of lime juice (optional)
8 or 10 fresh jalapeno peppers--larger ones are milder than small ones

Put on rubber gloves if you need to. Slice the jalapeno peppers in half lengthwise. Carefully scrape out all the membranes and seeds. I try to do this with a small knife so my hands don't burn. Be very careful not to touch your face or eyes for several hours after doing this, if you don't use gloves. Once the jalapenos are prepared, mix together the other ingrediants until creamy. Stuff the peppers with the cheese mixture, slightly mounding.

If you are grilling, place on the hot grid. As they warm, they will start to 'pop' and dance around on the grill. They are done when the pepper is a little blackened and the cheese is starting to come out of the peppers. Take them off the heat and eat while warm.

If you do them in the oven, heat to 450 degrees. Place poppers on a sheet pan. After 10 minutes check them. They may take about 15 minutes, but keep watching and remove when the cheese starts coming out. They should be a little black on the bottom of the peppers. Enjoy!

Lemon Chess Pie

My mother cut out this recipe from Country Magazine. It turns out it is the same recipe my Great-grandmother made often in the 1930s and 1940s. It is a basic recipe with minimal ingredients but turns out to be a wonderfully creamy and delicious pie. She always served it at room temperature with whipped cream on top.


1 sheet of refrigerated pie pastry
4 eggs
1-1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 Tablespoon cornmeal
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt

Unroll the pastry on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to a 9 in. pie plate. Trim pastry to within 1/2 inch beyond the edge of plate; flute edges.

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs for 3 minutes. Gradually add sugar; beat for 2 minutes or until mixture becomes thick and lemon-colored. Beat in the lemon juice, butter, cornmeal, flour and salt.

Pour into pastry shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until a knife insterted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. Makes 6 servings.