Kaya's Fort Clatsop Salmon Chowder & Sourdough Biscuits

Recipes inspired by a long winter of sitting around waiting for the snow to melt!

So, does anyone remember how back when I started this blog, I said I was going to work my way through The Food Journal of Lewis and Clark? I really did intend on that being a regular feature, but then life happened and I got a job, and then a better job, and so on and so forth, and the cast and crew of the blog kind of... exploded. Which made doing a monthly or even a bimonthly feature on one character kind of impossible.

But I didn't forget about the cookbook, or my intentions to do more of the recipes in it! Actually, the ones I'm about to share with you today I've been wanting to do for a long, long time. When I first got the cookbook and flipped through it, they stood out to me and I always meant to set some time aside to try them out. And then kept putting it off, and putting it off, and putting it off...

Until now!

Marie-Grace's Shrimp Creole

Spicy, warm, and perfect for the middle of winter!

I think it's pretty safe to say that spicy food can be the perfect thing to eat year round. Sure, I like variety too, but spicy food is (perhaps surprisingly for some people) good to eat in hot weather, and nothing hits the spot like a good bowl of chili on a cold day.

But if you're tired of chili (as one of my frequent taste testers apparently is), I've definitely got a dish for you to try. Although it's not quite a one pot meal, it's close to it, and it doesn't take too much time or finesse to get right. It's also a dish with roots back to the early, early days of New Orleans, and it's definitely something Marie-Grace could have enjoyed with her father after a long day of volunteering at an orphanage, or exploring the city with Cécile.

Kailey's Box Lunch Tuna Rollwich

Trying to recapture one of my favorite parts of summers past!

When I was a kid, I had the good fortune of visiting my grandparents and other extended family up on Cape Cod. We'd go up for at least a few days every summer and enjoy the beaches, hiking trails, mini golf, local shops and - especially - the food. There's nothing like getting some fried fish after a day on the beach, or going to a lobster pool on the water where you can watch the sun go down over the marshes!

Unfortunately, my grandma sold the Cape house after my grandfather passed away, and it's been a while since I've gotten to enjoy some of my favorite Cape Cod treats. But as much as I miss the ice cream and fried shrimp, there's one thing I crave over everything else, and any attempts at recreating it just don't do it justice.

I'm speaking, of course, about the wraps at Box Lunch.

Julie's Shrimp and Pineapple Skewers

A fun new addition to any cookout!

Today is Father's Day! Since the weather's finally decent, we've been making good use of the grill, and that meant that I got to have my first lesson on how to use it from - you guessed it - my dad! Grilling is a family pass time passed down from my dad's dad to him, and I've been very interested in learning how to do it myself. Since the shrimp and pineapple kebabs featured in Julie and the Eagles and represented in her birthday lunch accessory set sounded tasty and seemed simple, I figured it was as good a place as any to start off. My dad also loves pineapple, so everything about this just seemed sort of perfect.

Besides, I'm still a little intimidated by cooking steaks, despite my more successful attempts in that arena so far.

Marie-Grace's Shrimp and Grits

We've found a tasty new way to change up fish night!

As I've mentioned many a time before, I am definitely north of the Mason-Dixon line. I hesitate to self identify as a yankee because I root for their arch rivals, but let's be honest, it's true. Because of that and the fact that before starting this blog, I wasn't a very adventurous eater, I haven't had a ton of exposure to southern food and somehow, I've lived my entire life without ever seeing grits in person, let alone actually trying them.

I know, I know. Crazy, right?

But Marie-Grace and Cécile have been helping me overcome my fear of preparing French food and expand my relatively limited knowledge of southern food. Since you can't get much more southern than grits, I figured this was a pretty good place to dive right in.