Sources - Blogs and pages I like.

Southern Food. This is my first go to place for recipes basics. I can finding the ratios of meat and vegetables to liquids, and ideas for what seasonings to use.

The other "about.com" cooking sites are not nearly as good. I pass on a lot of the recipes here, especially anything that calls for a can of soda.

http://southernfood.about.com/ - edited by Diana Rattray

I just found this site, looking for a use for an abundance of tomatoes. A well designed blog, well written and illustrated with recipes that sound like my kind of cooking. Coming soon, home made marina sauce.

http://www.formerchef.com/

I also just found this, looking for a jambalaya recipe. It appears to be a lot of work to make it the old fashioned way. Another well written website, with lots of interesting information.

http://www.gumbopages.com/recipe-page.html - Chuck Taggart

Jambalaya - more uses for tomatoes

1.5 LBS Chicken
1/2 LB Andouille sausage (1)
1/2 - 1 LB Shrimp, cooked, peeled, deveined (2)
2 TBS Butter
2 TBS Olive Oil
3 C Trinity: Onion, Celery, Pepper abt 2:1:1 Diced
3 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
1 QT Chicken Stock
1 - 1.5 C long grain Rice (I use Basmati)
3-4 Large fresh tomatoes (3)
Essence of Emril / Cajun Seasoning (4)
Paprika

Cut up Chicken to bite size pieces, coat in sweet Paprika (5)
Slice up sausage in bite size pieces (1)
Heat Butter, brown chicken and sausage in dutch oven set aside meat
sautee trinity in oils for about 8 minutes, add garlic sautee another 3 min
Add broth, tomatoes, meat, bay leaves and seasoning
simmer for 30 minutes
Add shrimp, simmer 3-5 min more and serve


(1) Many recipes call for smoked sausage, do not brown, add with garlic.
(2) have shrimp steamed at the store, without seasoning.
I spent 20 minutes cooking, peeling and deveining the shrimp myself.
(3) Trying to use up garden tomatoes. Had already peeled and seeded them.
Recipe should work with 1.5 or 2 x 14.5 oz cans
(4) http://www.gumbopages.com/food/creole.html
(5) Limit use of paprika to 3 TBS or less - sweet and overpowering otherwise.

Creamy Cheddar Zucchini

Zuchhini everywhere. Must find a way to overcome them...

1 Large Zuchinni, sliced if gone to seed, scoop and toss.
1 Large Tomato or two regular, sliced
2 Eggs
1 C. Sour Cream
1/2 Stick (4 oz. abt 1.5 cups) Grated cheddar cheese
2 cloves garlic
tsp salt
1/2 Tsp pepper
handful of fresh basil chopped
breadcrumbs

Slice the zuke into thin slices
grease a casserole dish
layer to about 1/2 full with sliced zukes
layer tomatoes
mix Sour cream, eggs, 3/4 of cheddar, spices (but not basil)
pour about 1/2 mixture over 1st layer
layer with basil
continue layering zukes
cover with rest of mixture
sprinkle breadcrumbs and reserved cheddar over top

preheat oven and bake at 350 for 45 min.


I forgot to add onion. Probably should have been sliced and layered at the bottom.