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Cajun Seasoning--make your own!Caj shares with us his famous recipe for making your own cajun seasoning. Here's a mix of spices that add zest--translated: taste great--to fish, chops, steak, ribs, chicken, beef jerky, even hamburger. And for you veggie proponents, you should give your favorite beans, greens, peas and steamed cabbage a shot, make that a shake or two. Works wonders on the taste buds; unless you over do it, get carried away, forget what you have in your hand. shake...Shake. . .SHAKE! Before you start mixing, playing like you're in the high school chemistry lab, you need to make a decision: Are you going to use teaspoons, tablespoons, cups, pints, quarts, gallons as your measuring stick, your measuring device? Regardless of which one you choose, just make sure you use the same one from start to finish. Also, when you've created this excellent seasoning mix, make sure you store it in an airtight container. Empty plastic spice containers work great. Oh, one last thing: mix ingredients thoroughly; give the container you're using a couple of good shakes. Now, open your spice cupboard, get ready to pull out the spices you'll need, and start measuring: 2 1/2 paprika 2 salt 2 garlic powder, granules or minced 1 black pepper 1 onion powder or granules 1 cayenne red pepper 1 1/4 dried leaf oregano 1 1/4 dried leaf thyme 1/2 crushed red pepper, optional Good, you're done, ready to enjoy some added zest to your menu. But, before you go runnin' off, please understand one fact: Recipes aren't set in concrete, in stone, you make the changes you deem warranted by your own experience. Cooking for many, including da ol' mon Caj, is a feeling-kind-of-thing. Go by the recipe the first time, then make adjustments to suit your taste. Caj's Seasoned Pepper In nearly every bread machine recipe book there's one for pepper bread, which is really good, tasty, great for ham sandwiches. But there's a hitch--relax, you knew there would be--the recipe calls for unsalted, no salt, seasoned pepper. Now maybe for those of you in close proximity to major well stocked supermarkets it's no big deal, but you can rest assured it is when you have to go to the big city, miles and miles away, to search their shelves. And then... When you start reading the labels you find that salt is one of the ingredients. Hmmm..... If you found that to be the case at the general store, and you found it a real needle-in-the-haystack search for unsalted, no salt, seasoned pepper at the "big" store, what's the answer? Read on... Here's the answer to that rhetorical question: concoct your own seasoned pepper mix; play scientist, a little of this a little of that. And presto, you have no salt, seasoned pepper ready to go when called on. Now that's not all bad, the price is "right" too. Again use the same measure for each (teaspoon, tablespoon, cup, etc.) 2 black pepper 2 cayenne pepper 1 garlic powder or granules 1/2 onion powder or granules Have fun. Now... Let's carry this "ATTITUDE" to it's logical conclusion. Which is? If you happen to be a creative, no-nonsense cook, which we all are given the chance, and you've created your own seasoned pepper, what about those other special seasonings? Like garlic pepper, garlic salt, seasoned salt, to name a few. Again, the answer's easy: you get out the spices, your measuring tools, and mix your own. True, you'll have to experiment some, but that's what makes it fun. Eventually, you'll get it right according to your taste. And that's all that really matters anyway, isn't it? Finally, don't forget these benefits: when you run out you mix another batch; you save money due to the lower cost of the spices you use; and, here's a biggie, there are no preservatives. Period. Uh oh, it's time for another detour. Open the Can Salsa Let's say you've decided you simply gotta have some salsa, your taste buds are driving you crazy. There's none in the pantry or the fridge, so you're going to make some. You have either from the can or fresh chopped or diced tomatoes. You've chopped an onion or decided to use dried onion flakes. And you've done the same with bell pepper, which is optional. You've even opened a can of chopped or minced green chilies, again optional. You've dumped it all in a bowl, mixed it around a little, and now you need to... SEASON to TASTE. Translation: Select one or more of the following spices: oregano, cilantro, crushed red pepper, garlic, salt, maybe some basil or thyme. Then you have to experiment. Here's how: First, taste each spice to determine flavor and strength. Second, decide which spices you are going to use. Third, take a small amount of your unseasoned salsa, then add a minimum amount of those spices you've selected. Mix. Taste. Now ask yourself, what's missing? what does it need more of? Fourth, add "the more of," mix, taste. Fifth, do it again if needed. Sixth, write down the amount of each spice you used for your entire batch; and type of veggie and the number of cans or fresh you used. Seventh, call it good and enjoy. About the Author This article was originally written in 2003. Cajun Clark was (Jan. 1, 1939 - August 26, 2006) a world renowned writer of one-of-a-kind cookbooks. His first was "Cajun Clark's Cookbook: One Inch From the Top -- The Only Way to Cook!", a monster filled with over 1,100 favorite recipes he had collected over the years. That was quickly followed by Cajun Clark’s "Sweet & Sassy!", which was full of mouth-watering dessert recipes. And later, "Cajun Clark Cooks Chicken, Pork, Fish & Small Wild Game". In addition, Caj wrote articles covering topics ranging from cooking to web site development and marketing to customer service and customer care. His articles are published on the WWW, and have an extensive following due to his unique writing style, “down home” humor and “common sense” approach to life. His cookbooks display this same style and are sprinkled with delightful stories, sage advice and his own “irreverent” comments, making them different from any other cookbook you are likely to find. Although Caj's cookbooks are no longer sold (I am proud to say that I am an owner of each and every one, including his book "My Life With What's His Name? by Spotless, Queensland Heeler, Cleaner Upper Extraordinaire, as told to Cajun Clark" and "Shamblin' Down a Dead End Road: Remembrances Real(?) and Imagined(?)"), you can still view his wonderful free recipes at his websites for the time being until further notice: www.cajunclarkssweetandsassy.com and www.cajunclarkcooks.com, as well as recipes and anecdotes on his message board. Caj...we'll miss you! |
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