Happy Fat Tuesday Everyone!

Mardi Gras has begun and the week long celebration in New Orleans represents total debauchery before the holy time of lent leading up to Easter. I have been to New Orleans and let me tell you this place is rockin' on any given Tuesday night, let alone Fat Tuesday. The music plays out of every bar and venue, the drinks are poured with a loose hand, the people love to smile and share and the food is second to none. This recipe for Shrimp Etouffee was inspired by Chef Emeril Lagasse who I had the pleasure to work with a couple of your ago. I worked with the chef while he was filming his show "Emeril Green" at a Whole Foods Market in Virginia. He was gracious to everyone he met and a real professional. As an aspiring TV host he was great example of how it's done. I even got several on air opportunities with him, which was a dream come true.

Back to the food, the word "Etouffee" actually means "to smother" and is generally a thick, spiced gravy with shellfish and served over rice. As with most Louisiana cuisine this recipe has been influenced by the French, Spanish, Native American and West Indian Cultures. If you are thinking of making this at home, you need to give yourself some time, trust me it is definitely worth it. Below is a great recipe for etouffee as well as a dry Creole spice mix that can be used in gumbos and to spice chicken, pork, beef and fish.

Now Get Crackin'! Chef Egg

Emeril's Shrimp Etouffee Courtesy of Foodnetwork.com

6 t Unsalted Butter

1/2 C all-purpose flour

4 C chopped onions

2 C chopped green bell peppers

2 C chopped celery

2 T minced garlic

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

2 bay leaves

2 t salt

1/2 t cayenne pepper

2 T Essence, recipe follows

1 qt. seafood stock

3 lbs medium shrimp (21 to 25 count per pound), peeled and deveined

1/4 C chopped parsley leaves

Steamed white rice, for serving

1/2 C thinly sliced green onion tops, for garnish

First you have to make a roux. This is a mixture of fat and flower that helps to thicken, flavor and add color to the dish. Take your time with this step because it is the base for the whole dish. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven set over medium/low heat. Add the flour and stir continuously over medium heat until the roux is the color of peanut butter, about 45 minutes.

Next, add the onions, bell peppers, celery, and garlic to the roux, and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes to the pot and season with the bay leaves, salt, cayenne, and 1 tablespoon of the Essence. Cook the tomatoes for 2 to 3 minutes and then whisk in the cold shrimp stock.

Bring the mixture to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Cook the etouffee, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes. Season the shrimp with the remaining tablespoon of Essence and add them to the pot, stirring to evenly distribute. Cook the shrimp for 5 to 7 minutes, or until they are cooked through. Add the chopped parsley to the pot and stir to combine.

Serve immediately over steamed white rice and garnish with sliced green onion tops.

Creole Seasoning

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

Place the ingredients into a bowl and mix to combine. Store the seasoning in an airtight container.

Make your own Taco and Chili Seasoning

I recently taught a cooking class about the magic art of making chili. We talked about all of the regional specialties and the combinations that you can make at home. You can do the easy "open the can and dump" quick cooking recipes or you can labor over the chili pot browning chunks of meat and cooking dried beans for days. I also explained that you can use pre packaged chili seasonings or you can make your own. Both options have their merits and are totally acceptable. Packaged chili mixtures are inexpensive and easy to use. The only drawback is that the seasonings can have a dull flavor and contain fillers like flour and potato starch.

Making homemade chili and taco seasoning is easy to make and has big full flavor that will be great for most styles of chili. Look in your spice cabinet and you will find that you probably have most of the ingredient already. You can add anything you like to your chili, just remember that every spice has a job and will create different flavors to your recipe.

To start out you want to get some basic ground chili pepper. This will add an overall "chili pepper" flavor to the seasoning without adding much heat. The next ingredient will be cumin. This will add the classic "taco flavor" to your spice mix. Ground onion and garlic are base spices that will enhance the overall flavor of your mix.

Let's say you want to heat up your chili; you can do this with a little cayenne pepper, but remember to handled with care because a little goes a long way. Oregano will add some herbal flavor while a little salt will enhance the flavor of the spice mixture and the dish as a whole. Black pepper will add a little spiciness on your tongue and a nice pepper flavor. Lastly, you should add a little sweet paprika. This will add a little smoky action to your recipe.

You can experiment with your spice mixture by using different chili peppers and warm spices to make your chili recipe one of a kind. Remember to keep your spice mixture fresh by storing it in an airtight container and enjoy!

Homemade Taco and Chili Seasoning

4T Chili Powder

3T Ground Cumin 1t Onion Powder

1t Garlic Powder

½ t Cayenne Chili Powder

2 t Oregano

1T Salt

2t Black Pepper

2t Paprika

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and store in an airtight container in your spice cabinet.

Look in your spice rack, you probably see an unorganized mess of old bottles, dull flavors and seasonings you never knew you had. These kinds of seasonings get passed on by family and friends and cleared out during a big move. Sometimes you buy special spices for a recipe and then never use them again, forgotten, only to be found again when you move or finally clean up the spice rack and let's get real; that never happens.

Seasonings like salt (sodium chloride), spices (ground seeds and pods) and herbs (plant leaves and buds) are a great way to get funky in the kitchen and explore the wide world of international flavors. As a new cook, you're looking to expand your culinary horizons, your flavor palette if you will. Well, there is lot's to choose from in the world of spices, herbs and seasonings. I am going tell you how to set up an inexpensive spice rack for an unlimited combination of flavors and experiences.

Out with the Old

The first step is to organize and clean out what you currently have. Trash all empty, old and duplicate spices. If you haven't used the seasoning in over a year, chuck it, then wash, rinse and dry the bottle to use later. Seasoning that you do keep should be kept airtight and in the dark to preserve freshness.

Get Salty

The next step in creating a simple and inexpensive spice rack is getting some good salt. A pinch of salt is the perfect amount to bring out the natural flavors in your food. Kosher salt is must for most cooking. It has good flavor, course crystals for searing and creating a tasty crust on meat, it is also very inexpensive. Kosher salt is a chef and home cooks best friend.

Iodized salt is a finer grained table salt, inexpensive, good for baking recipes, seasoning dressings and dry rubs. However it's not good at all for creating a good searing crust on steaks, chicken, pork chops and seafood. Iodized salt also has iodine in it which is important for our bodies and not really found in other foods.

Pepper in the Flavor

After you have picked out your salt, you are going to need some pepper. Ground pepper is great for mixing with other spices but I don't really like it for everyday use. The story is that ground pepper by law, is allowed to have a certain amount of fillers and foreign objects like metal shavings and rat poop from the processing plant, WOW!, I know. I like to use whole black peppercorns when I cook at home and at work. These can be put into grinders and used give a fresh peppery kick to meat, vegetables and sauces and dressings. Any grocery store these days will have a full selection of low cost plastic pepper grinders and peppercorns for filling grinders at home.

Stoke the Fire!

Now its time to bring the FIRE! Hot spices are good way to bring the heat in your kitchen. Chili powder will bring a nice bold flavor to your food where cayenne will truly bring the flames. Remember a little goes a long way and too much will ruin your day. I also like to have cumin and paprika on hand. Cumin and paprika mixed with onion and garlic powder are great for making tacos and other "exotic" cuisines from India, Morocco and Thailand.

Warm and Cozy

Warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, anise, and allspice are used in baked goods, dry rubs for meats and creating flavorful curries. I like to buy pumpkin pie spice (a mix of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg) which is available all year long is a great all in one option for warm spices. I even like to put a little dash in my coffee grinds before I brew a fresh pot. My friends love this because they think I bought really expensive coffee, when all I did is throw a dash of pumpkin pie spice in the mix.

If you really want to get in the mix with warm spices, try Chinese 5 Spice. It has a mixture of cinnamon, anise, fennel, cloves and Szechwan pepper. You can spice chicken, pork ribs and tofu with this mixture for a warm, spicy effect.

Spicy and warm spices are very cool for experimenting in the kitchen and you can buy them in small portions at a cheap price.

Sugar and Spice

Now you need something sweet in your spice rack and white and brown sugar will do the trick. Adding little sugar to your spice rub will intensify salty and spicy flavors and help create a crackling sweet crust on your food.

Dried Green Herbs

I like to use dried and fresh herbs in my cooking but the selection can be intimidating. Buying herb mixes like Herbs de Province and Italian Herbs is a great way to include new flavors into your daily cooking without any of the work. Herbs de Province is a mix of French herbs like sage, savory, fennel, basil, thyme, lavender and rosemary. This is a good mix to bake a chicken, herbed potato and to season soups and stews. Italian herb mixes can be used on pizza, garlic bread, pasta, meats, seafood and vegetables. It will have basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, sage and marjoram. Buying these herb mixes will save you time, money and space.

Lastly get yourself some bay leaves. These dried broad leaves are like good luck in a pot of soup. It adds an herbal quality that brings all of the flavors together. Pop a few when you are making soups, gumbos, stews and sauces. Remember, if you get a bay leaf in your bowl, you have to clean the dishes.

Below is list of seasoning that will really get you moving and shaking in the kitchen. This simple investment will put you on the path to culinary exploration and success.

Now Get Cracking'! Chef Egg

My First Spice Rack - Kosher Salt, Ground Pepper or Peppercorns, Chili Powder, Paprika, Cumin, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Chinese 5 Spice, Pumpkin Pie Spice, Herbs de Province, Italian Herbs, Bay Leaves, Sugar