Author Archives: Lynda Mahana
Sazarac Cocktail
My drink of choice if I have my druthers is a Sazerac Cocktail. My friend Joe Ann would say it was a Sweet Old Fashion; but I am saving that one for another post. As a teenager I loved Vodka Gimlets. I know, I know teenagers aren’t allowed to drink; but when you are raised in New Orleans, it’s a different story. I don’t drink to excess and luckily I can count the number of times that I have. Well……Jay […]
Maggie’s Cookies
I have a new granddaughter. Her name is Maggie and two weeks ago she was named in the synagogue. She is the first child of my oldest son, Benjamin and his beautiful wife Beth. In the Jewish faith, if your ancestors were from Eastern Europe a child is usually named after a deceased member of your family. It is said, “that the soul is not at rest, until it is named.” My son and daughter- in -law so honored my […]
Mediterranean Pizza
Tonight is pizza night. Any time we want a simple meal that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg we make pizza. Every member of the family has their favorite and because we are all cooks we get to show off our creative side. Benjamin makes a killer barbecued chicken pizza. Blaiss puts shrimp on his and Lilly is a pepperoni kinda girl. Rose likes a white cheese pizza and I like the one pictured, which is so delicious. Steve […]
Yellow and Green Squash Soufflé
Many of my friends ask me for suggestions for sides to go with their meals. Almost everyone has a squash recipe; but this one is a wee bit different from the older ones and can complement either a dinner meal or go with egg dishes for a brunch. My mother-in-law originally gave me the recipe thirty years ago and it was a favorite when I was in the catering business. Spinach works really well as a substitute for squash: just […]
Sweet Banana Walnut Bread Pudding and Savory Mushroom Bread Pudding
My brother –in- law, Morris used to own a really unique coffee shop. The shop was known for excellent coffee and teas and the breakfast and lunch menus were different and delicious. He had adapted many of the foods his Mother and grandmother had made in his youth and every time I was in, he would serve me one of his new creations. This recipe is truly one of my favorites. It is comforting and delicious. Banana Walnut Bread Pudding […]
Sambusak
It has been over thirty years since my mother-in-law taught me how to make these wonderful savory pastries. Although labor intensive, when you gather family or friends for a morning of coffee and schmoozing, the process goes very quickly and the effort produces a delicious end product. A delicate pastry, this recipe calls for a savory filling and are called by a myriad of different names. The name usually depends on what country the pastry originated and what filling is used with […]
Almond Heaven
As a young adult, I couldn’t wait until the meal was over to have this delicious dessert at a restaurant that went out of business long ago. It doesn’t look like a traditional tort, but its name is indelibly blazoned in my brain as an “almond tort” I have renamed it Almond Heaven. When I married and started cooking in my own home, I experimented with different sugars and came up with this no bake dessert, which is very close […]
Stuffed Italian Artichoke
It seems a lot of my taste in food comes from my New Orleans upbringing. My family didn’t move to Atlanta until I was in my forties, so my Southern ways are strictly New Orleans sophisticated. I don’t mean to sound snobbish; but the quality of the food I was raised with was first rate and its recipes, way above a casserole made with mushroom soup. After moving to […]
Marinated Shrimp
Growing up in New Orleans, seafood was a staple in our household. The city is surrounded by water as everyone knows after Katrina, so fresh seafood is always abundant. Not only are there fresh seafood stores all over the city; but trucks filled with shrimp and crawfish (New Orleans spelling) dot many corners of the city. Just pull your car over to the curb and buy whatever you need. It was disappointing, moving to landlocked Atlanta, where the grocery store […]
The Classic Burger Improved to a Benjamin/burger
After a 10 mile bike ride I got home to a Benjamin/burger that had been fired up on the grill. Ground beef, cheddar cheese, thinly sliced red onion, tomatoes, arugula, sweet relish with a light amount of light mayo and bbq sauce. Yummy! Recipe 1/3 lb. ground chuck (80/20 beef mix) 1/4 inch slice of sharp cheddar cheese 1 slice ripe tomato springs of arugula slice of red onion 1 t. light Hellman’s Mayonnaise 1 t. barbecue sauce onion roll […]