Norm and Lyman were here before 6 this morning to fire up the pit.

By the time most of us got to work at 8 am, we were greeted with the wonderful smell of chicken on the grill. (I bet you wish you had a scratch and sniff monitor right about now!)

At 11:00 everything was ready and we started fixing our plates. We have all of the good stuff: barbecued chicken and sausage, creole mashed potatoes (recipe below), baked beans, salad, and garlic bread.

And the day wouldn’t be complete without some ice cream!

Now for Creole Mashed Potatoes seasoned with Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning.

This is a very simple and tasty recipe that will wow your family. You can make as much or as little as you need and add all of the extras to taste.

Start by making your preferred brand of instant mashed potatoes as directed on the box, just omit the salt. Now add as much or as little as you would like of the following:

• Sour Cream
• Bacon bits
• Swiss Cheese
• Onion tops
• Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning
• Mix well and enjoy!

I hope you all have a very safe and happy Independence Day and just want to close with a few words from the great men who fought so hard to make this a free country:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” — The Declaration of Independence

Samantha

Sales and Marketing Assistant

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After a little research and asking for suggestions on the Tony Chachere’s Facebook, we decided the first cake should be chocolate. The recent trends in combining peppers and chocolate were not lost on this chocolate fanatic! I searched through my many recipe books and online sources, but found no cake that I thought would do justice until I went back to old trusty – Red Velvet.  I do have to give credit where it is due and this recipe was not my own, but from a co-worker’s mother. Obviously, there need to be changes to turn the cake from “Red Velvet Cake” to “Tony’s Velvet Cake” but the only change in this recipe was to take out the salt and replace it with Tony Chachere’s More Spice Seasoning.

Here is the recipe:

1 1/2 cups sugar, 1/2 cup butter, 2 eggs, 2 cups flour, 1 1/2 tsp More Spice Seasoning, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tbs cocoa, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 cup buttermilk

Cream sugar and shortening, add eggs and beat well. Sift flour, Tony Chachere’s More Spice, soda, powder and cocoa 3 times and add alternately to creamed mixture with buttermilk. Add vanilla and coloring. Bake in 3 pans at 350 for about 25 minutes. Let cool and frost with the icing of your choice (we used butter-cream).

Finished and decorated Tony's Velvet Cake

Now, the cake alone (without the icing) started out sweet and amazing, like you would expect of any Red Velvet Cake, but the surprise came just as you were about to swallow…. there it is, the spicy kick of Tony’s! Me and my husband loved it! So I iced it and brought it to work for testing. Celeste liked it and we decided to make the cake again and decorated it for presentation to you guys.

I brought all of my supplies to the office and started baking in our break room, then assembling, and decorating. We cut the cake and tasted. We were disappointed to not have the same cascade of flavors as before. The best we can figure is that the contrast in icing was too much. Next time I think I would do a 2 layer cake and spread the icing a little thinner, but otherwise it was a decent first attempt at the Tony’s Cake.

I had a lot of fun with this cake and hope to continue the fun with other varieties of sweets and Tony’s. Don’t be afraid to try this at home, have fun with it and let us know what you think. We are anxious to hear your thoughts and suggestions on our first attempt.

Samantha
Sales and Marketing Assistant

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Chris Ardoin at the 2009 Opelousas Spice & Music Festival

The Opelousas Spice & Music Festival is held the first weekend of June with a full schedule of music, food, arts and crafts and cultural activities. All of the live music is homegrown with names like Chris Ardoin and Keith Frank who are from Opelousas and the surrounding area. With all of the live music, you can’t help but dance, so why not have a dance contest? The Zydeco Dance contest takes place on Saturday night about an hour after the Creole Cooking Demonstrations. Lets not forget the Fiddle Jam Workshop with local legend Hadley Castille.

Keith Frank at the 2009 Opelousas Spice & Music Festival

With so much to do, see, and enjoy; you can see why the Opelousas Spice & Music Festival is growing. So, if you are looking for something to do this weekend, why not dance over and check it out? You might win the Zydeco Dance Contest!

Samantha Moreau

Sales & Marketing Assistant

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Christopher

While cooking for Great Strides, Kayla and I were able to spend time with a wonderful little boy named Anthony. Anthony is 2 1/2 years old and was diagnosed with CF in infancy. He is a very short boy for 2 1/2 but that is one of the symptoms of CF and his body not being able to digest what he eats without the help of enzymes. He was like any other 2 year old in some ways; full of energy, sweet as can be, and even said “cheese” to take a picture with us. According to his grandmother, Denise, Anthony is continually surprising his doctors and they are learning so much about CF from his case.

Anthony

Christopher, Anthony, and many babies like them have helped with the research on CF and how to treat it. CF is a genetic disorder where thick mucus is found in the lungs and digestive tract. This disease is fatal with a maximum life expectancy of 37.2 years (an improvement over years past). Children and young adults with CF have delayed growth, belly pain from severe constipation, and recurring pneumonia as just a few of the symptoms. their daily life includes inhaled medicines to open their airways, enzymes to help with digestion, and chest percussions and drainage up to 4 times a day. This is not the life you think of for a young child.

Kayla, Anthony and Samantha

Great Strides is a fundraiser put on by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in an effort to educate and raise money for CF research. The event is a 6.2 mile walk (so that you can feel what CF child’s every breath is like) followed by children’s activites, food and festivities. It was a great crowd for a great cause and we hope to be invited back next year.

Samantha Moreau
Sales & Marketing Assistant

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Every April, just before inventory, we shut down the plant and office at 1 and let everyone enjoy the fruits of a hard year of work. Christy, the office purchasing manager, always does an amazing job of organizing the seafood boil and ensuring that we have enough to eat. This year she had to order:  450lbs. boiled select crawfish, 300lbs. boiled select shrimp, 35 dozen boiled select crabs, 80lbs. fried select shrimp, 60lbs. fried catfish, 5 gallons fried oysters, 30lbs. french fries. Lets just say no one went hungry that day!

Part of the fun is also the   Foosball Tournament. Everyone in the plant knows the times of day that the “usual guys” play here on a typical day, but the Tournament is a chance to split them up and let everyone else join in. With 13 teams and cash prizes on the line, the competition was fierce and fun to watch!

At the end of the day we were all full and worn out and in dire need of a nap, so we cleaned up and did just that… Napped!

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So you are not a culinary master?  Well, you don’t have to be with this recipe.  Who doesn’t like fried rice these days?  Having trouble getting the kids and/or adults to eat their veggies?  By roasting them in the oven, they become sweet and toasty.  Start with some basic favorites like potato and then start adding in one new veggie at a time and watch their palate grow…and maybe yours at the same time.   Enjoy this easy rice dish at your table today!

Tony’s Creole Roasted Vegetables

Veggies, Tony's and a little olive oil, GREAT combo!

1 yellow squash, chunked

1 zucchini, chunked

1/2 red onion, chunked

1/2 bunch of asparagus, chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning

Beautiful veggies are ready for a little roast

Heat oven to 450.  Toss vegetables in olive oil and seasoning.  On a cookie sheet, sprayed w/ non stick spray, spread out vegetables.  Place in oven for 20 minutes. Give vegetables a good toss and return to the oven to finish browning up, about 10 more minutes.

veggies cook up tender and sweet with a little Tony's kick!

Chicken Fried Rice

By the looks of this, you know its gonna be good!

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 lb. chicken breast, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

1 (8 oz.) box Tony Chachere’s Chicken Rice

2 1/4 cups water

2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

1/3 cup frozen peas and carrots, thawed

3 eggs, cooked scrambled soft

2 tablespoons chopped green onions

In a large skillet, heat oil.  Cook onion until edges start to brown.  Add chicken and cook until chicken is cooked through.

keep cooking the chicken until lightly brown

Add butter and rice mix, toss until rice is coated.  Add water, soy sauce and water.  Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.  Add peas and carrots, stir gently and recover.  Continue to cook for 10 minutes.  Add eggs and green onions, stir well.  Serve warm with roasted vegetables for a well rounded meal.

Such a comforting bowl of yumminess!

Cindy Adams-Ardoin

Food Scientist

Tony Chachere’s

We are often asked to donate product to non-profit organizations, and we almost always do; but every so often we are able to go the extra mile. This was one of those situations. I quickly typed up a short email and asked for approval to go out and cook for the Camp and help them in their mission to make everyone feel special. With no hesitation I got my answer, approved.

Camp Cajun was great! We cooked Jambalaya and Creole Fries, both a huge hit! The Camp also included face painting, a band, sno-balls and a petting zoo (complete with ponies and baby tortoises).

We want to thank Julie and the Pre-Professional Society of ULL for inviting us to participate in Camp Cajun. We had a great time with everyone. The opportunity also opened the door for us to do more in our community and we are very excited to announce that we will be the Food Sponsor for the Great Strides walk in our area on May 1st. We are excited to be included and can’t wait to tell you all about it.

Samantha Moreau

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Another cool twist with this recipe is you can choose your protein.  Today, I will be using shrimp because I have some available.  However, ALWAYS keep in mind a recipe is a “guide” (unless baking!).  If you have crawfish available, please use in this recipe.  If not making a “Lent friendly” recipe, left over chicken works awesome in this recipe as well.  Always adjust to your taste and those for whom you are cooking.

Shrimp Etouffee Twice Stuffed Baked Potatoes

Etouffee stuffing ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, chopped

2 1/2 cups cold milk

1 (2.75 oz.) Tony Chachere’s Etouffee Mix

1 lb. Tony Chachere’s Wild Caught Shrimp or choice of seafood, precooked meat (chicken or sausage)

3 tablespoons chopped green onions

6 medium pre-baked potatoes or 3 large cut in half

1 cup shredded cheese of choice

In a large skillet melt butter.  Add onions and saute until tender and transparent.  Add milk, etouffee mix, and meat. Stir gently while mixture comes up to a boil.  Reduce heat and cook about 5 minutes.  Add green  onions and remove from heat.  Gently scoop out pulp of potatoes, keeping skins in tact and placing on cookie sheet.  Mix potato pulp into skillet.  Stir well to combine.

Take mixture and fill potato skins.  Top with grated cheese.  Place in a 350 oven for about 10 minutes to warm through and melt cheese.

Serve these potatoes warm as a main dish or cut in half as a side dish.  This is a no fail one your family will enjoy!

Cindy Adams-Ardoin

Food Scientist

Tony Chachere’s

First up is  Tony’s Crawfish Etouffee.  I recently fixed a large helping of etouffee for some friends in Florida.  Many people were quite amazed at just how easy and simple it is to make etouffee.  Etouffee literally means “to smoother.”  Take it from this Cajun girl, don’t complicate it with a bunch of crazy ingredients, just stick to the basics, sometimes perfection is simple!

Now, let’s talk some crab recipes.  If you are thinking breakfast or brunch, you need to try this Crab and Mushroom Omelet.  What a great way to introduce crab to your kids by incorporating it with scrambled eggs.  Of course, no adult in their right mind would need any convincing.   Did you say you need a Cajun friendly appetizer?  Do not think twice and try out our Crab Meat Dip for your next gathering…Lent or not!

If shrimp is your favorite seafood of choice (as is mine!), I just love a comforting bowl of Shrimp and Corn Soup to warm my heart and soul.  Young and old love this filling dish that may be served as either an appetizer or main dish with a salad and warm French bread.  Combining two Louisiana classics or making each separately, Shimp and Crawfish Fettucine fuses Cajun and Italian culinary delights.  This hearty, rich dish is a favorite of my stepkids.

Luckily, catfish is now available to almost all markets.  For a special treat or date night, try out this Crawfish Palmetto recipe.  If you do not have access to crawfish, shrimp or bay scallops can easily be substituted.

These are just a few of my seafood favorites available at the Tony Chachere’s recipe section of our website.  I thank all of you for stopping by my blog, being fans of Tony Chachere’s, and taking time out of your day to read my little stories.  Take time this Lenten season to reflect on sacrifices others have made for you and try to give back a little to those less fortunate.

Cindy Adams-Ardoin

Food Scientist

Tony Chachere’s

So if you are looking for some Lenten meals to add to your collection, I am here to help.  It does not matter to me whether you are Catholic or not, please try these delightful seafood meals with your family!

Fried Catfish

Fresh Louisiana Catfish

2 1/2 lbs. fresh fillets

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1 tablespoon Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning

1 (10 oz.) box Tony Chachere’s Seasoned Fish Fry

Marinating thinly sliced catfish

To prepare your fillets, rinse well and pat dry.  I like my catfish thinly sliced.  Feel free to cut into nuggets or keep in whole fillets.  No matter how you cut your fish, please make sure to remove any blood line that remains on the fish.  Beat your eggs in a large bowl.  Add milk and seasoning and combine.  Add fish and cover.  Refrigerate for up to 4 hours.  When ready to fry, preheat oil to 350. Coat fish in fish fry evenly.  Gently add to hot oil.  When fish floats to the top and is light brown it is ready.  Usually about 4-5 minutes.  Serve with French fries seasoned with Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning.

Simple Tartar Sauce

2 cups mayo

2 tsp. mustard

1/3 cup sweet pickle relish

1/4 of a medium onion, grated

1/2 tablespoon Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning

In a bowl, combine all ingredients.  Cover and refrigerate. Will remain good for about 4 days.

Why buy it pre-made, this is too easy!

I know this is suppose to be a sacrifice on all our parts, but you will hear no complaints from me. Gotta go folks, I’m hungry and there is hot fish.  Check back with me over these 40 days of Lent for some more seafood specialities of our area.

Could you ask for more? I think NOT!

Cindy Adams-Ardoin

Food Scientist

Tony Chachere’s