Thanksgiving this year was a NOLA theme, and we had some fairly specific requirements in terms of food preferences and seasonal availablity (especially after the California crab harvest was delayed).  So I borrowed all of the Cajun and Creole cookbooks the San Francisco Public Library had available and went through them.  Here's a series of one-paragraph reviews of various New Orleans cookbooks, so that you'll know what you want for yourself.  Click on through ...

Cajuns make a type of fried rice they call "Dirty Rice".  It consists of cooked rice, fried with chicken gizzards & livers, sausage, peppers, onions and spices.  Since I avoid meat, I developed a version which uses no meat products and, while not authentic, is still quite tasty.  We call it "PG-13 Rice" since it's not quite "dirty".

Click through for recipe.

I don't much like turkey, and neither do my in-laws.  So for the last several years we've been doing something else entirely for American Thanksgiving ... and because I do most of the cooking, without meat.   Usually I do something around a specific ethnic theme.  Past Thanksgivings have included: Turkish food, Austrian food, and Cioppino. 

This year, it was time for Cajun/Creole.  Accordingly we requested every New Orleans cookbook available at the San Francisco Public Library, and I went browsing for recipes.  I'll have cookbook reviews later; in the meantime, click through for pictures.

Best restaurant for the Chicago Greektown experience

• Overall: 4
• Food: 4.5
• Service: 3.5
• Atmosphere: 3.5
• Wine List: 4 (see below)
• Authenticity: 4
• Noise: @@@
• Price: $$
• Paid: $50ea (see below)
• Location: Chicago, Greek Town
• Genre: Greek Traditional

I seldom get a chance to eat brussels sprouts because my sweetie doesn't like them.  So for this recipe I sliced them thin and hid them within the dough of a calzone.   The results were surprisingly delicious.  And high in vitamins!

Click through for recipe.