The Fuzzy Chef & Friends

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.

Brenda's French Soul Food

Good Cajun/Creole breakfast in the 'Loin.  Expect long waits.

• Overall: 3.0
• Food: 3.5
• Service: 3.0
• Noise: @@@
• Coffee: 4
• Vegetarian: 2.5
• Expense: $$
• Type: Cajun/Creole
• San Francisco, Tenderloin
• Breakfast & Lunch only