Leave it to my 12-year-old niece to introduce me to something really cool—customized M&M’s. Yep, you can get those favorite chocolate candies in pre-printed blends. For example, there is the wedding blend for bridal showers and other wedding parties with the candies featuring icons of wedding bells, the word “love” and a wedding cake. I particularly like the birthday blend. You can also get the candies in the colors of your favorite team or your corporation! Or what about a color blend for a baby shower and a black tie event! Go to http://shop.mms.com/customized/printing/step1.asp for more.

Before I put away my hefty volume of LaRouuse Gastronomique, I couldn’t help but look up more information about the great French Chef Antonin Careme. He was born in Paris in 1783 and died there in 1833. He was born into a large and very poor family and was put on the streets at the age of 10. He was taken in my a low-end restaurant where he learned the rudiments of cookery.
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Whenever I unscrew a jar of mayonnaise I can’t help but take a small bit on the end of a spoon to savor in my mouth. I love the stuff but I never gave much thought to how it came to be. According to Larousse Gastronomique, some souces attribute the name to the Duke of Richelieu, who captured Port Mahon on the island of Minorica in June 1756. Either the duke himself or his chef created the sauce during this period and named it mayhonnaise. Others believe the sauce was originally a speciality of Bayonne, known as bayonnaise sauce, which has since become modified to mayonnaise.
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Regular prepared mustard, Dijon-style, Creole (or whole-grain) or hot English mustard can add a little zip to salads, fish, and steaks. Add a bit of Dijon to your regular vinaigrette dressing, add fresh lime juice and the mustard of your choice to mayonnaise to serve with boiled or fried seafood, or how about combining Creole mustard with olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper to toss with boiled new potatoes?

Every so often I enjoy a totally vegetarian meal. I checked out some of Emeril’s vegetarian offerings and found one for Farro Vegetarian Jambalaya. Being a true south Louisianian, the word jambalaya jumped out at me. Skimming down the list of ingredients, I could not find any rice, which is the primary ingredient in this classic dish. Aha, farro (or spelt) takes the place of the rice in this recipe.
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Around this time of year in Louisiana the festival season begins and while I’m looking forward to attending the annual Shrimp Festival in Delcambre, I’m also going to try to scoot over to Opelousas, La. where the “Just Smoking” Barbecue Challange will be held. I noticed that the categories are listed: poultry, pork and “surprise me.” People in south Louisiana surely know how to have fun. It reminded me of the time I was invited to judge a gumbo contest years ago. The categories were: seafood gumbo, chicken and sausage gumbo and “other.” In the “other” category I tasted gumbos of rabbit, alligator, squirrel and something I could never figure out. Probably best I didn’t.

The Delcambre (a small town about 20 miles southwest of Lafayette, la.) hosts its annual shrimp festival on the third week of August. I went to their site (www.shrimpfestival.net) today to get the schedule and list of what shrimp delights will be served and I almost jumped out of my desk chair! The music was so great I did a little Cajun two-step around my office. Got me in the mood to visit the small town to enjoy good LIVE Cajun music while I chomp down on boiled shrimp, fried shrimp, shrimp sauce piquante and other shrimp dishes! Allons!

Recently I noticed a recipe (in the Washington Post) for a warm-weather cocktail, which was a favorite of the late Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. I gave it a try: pour 2 ounces of Beefeater Gin into 2 ounces of Dubonnet Rouge. Stir (or shake) then together and add fresh lemon peel. Serve over ice in a highball glass. I tried it and I liked it. Evidently the Royals know how to enjoy a good cocktail.

I have so much mint I don’t know what to do! Well, I do know. I made a batch of mint jelly to keep in the pantry for later use. I put mint leaves in my ice cube trays, filled them with water, and voila! they can be added to ice tea, lemonade, or gin and tonic. Put a handfull of mint springs in a pot with equal parts of sugar and water, bring to a boil, remove it from the heat, then let it steep. Strain out the mint leaves and store the mint-flavored sugar water in clean, airtight containers in the ‘fridge. Great to use to make mint juleps. A few snipped mint leaves sprinkled on sliced tomatoes—very refreshing!

A friend who has the proverbial green thumb has grown several types of salad greens in his greenhouse and he brought me a bowl-full! Red oak leaf lettuce, chicory, arugula and garden cress—tossed together with vinaigrette dressing that went well with my grilled speckled trout last night. How lucky I am my friends are so generous.