Sensation Salad Dressing--the Sequel p. 24

Here's a further note on the doctored dressing...I used what was left to marinate some salmon fillets for the grill. It complemented the salmon with its lemony, cheesy goodness!

Chicken Etouffee p.123

I thought this would be a good make-ahead main dish on the day I picked my parents up at the airport. Knew they would be hungry as soon as we got to the house, so this was ready in the oven (Sophie was home keeping an eye on it).

Instead of 2 large fryers I used 1 cut-up chicken and an extra package of 6 chicken legs. Wasn't sure 2 entire chickens would fit in my biggest baking dish.

The seasoning directions are vague--no amounts given. Salt, red and black pepper...I went too heavy on the red (cayenne) pepper but it certainly wasn't bland!

It takes a while to brown all the chicken pieces but the rest goes pretty quickly...saute the onions, celery, and chopped bell pepper and spread on top. Cover and bake. I baked it for a loooong time, maybe 2 and 1/2 hours. It was fine; very tender and not dried out.

However, the rice was a near disaster. Why am I having these recurrent problems cooking rice?! I've cooked rice for years and thought I was pretty good at it. My first batch was glutinous on the outside and still rock-hard inside. We dumped that and Sophie made a second batch while Randy and I drove to the airport. It was better, but still pretty sticky...maybe it's the brand I'm buying. We had leftovers the next day with Minute brown rice (my favorite--quick and foolproof!) and it was good.

I just love cooking for Mom and Dad. They're sooo appreciative and always say everything tastes good! They're not at all picky.