Our friend James Cullen was classically trained at the French Culinary Institute in New York and for years cooked at some of New York’s most popular restaurants, including the renowned Pearl Oyster Bar. During this time he met his future wife, a New Orleans native, and the first time she took him home to New Orleans, he says, “it was all over.” He ditched his NYC gig and now happily raises his son, cooks Louisiana-style food, and travels often to and writes about the state he fell in love with at first sight.  Through his popular blog,  “The Accidental Cajun,” he brings a refreshing “outsider’s” perspective on and appreciation for Louisiana’s unique culinary culture and cuisine. James shared a recent post from his blog with us. Here he shares the secrets to the perfect bird

With the holiday season fast approaching here are some quick reminders regarding handling turkey. Easy to remember facts on safe turkey preparation, cooking, stuffing and leftovers.

Turkey Basics - Safe Thawing
Turkey Basics - Safe Cooking
Turkey Basics - Safe Stuffing
Turkey Basics - Storing Leftover Turkey

Chef Chuck Subra is lengendary for renditions of the dishes his family shared when he was growing up in Lafayette.

I took so many things for granted growing up in New Orleans, among them Southern Fried Shrimp or Stuffed Crabs and Brabant Potatoes for dinner on Fridays, beans or vegetables stewed with smoked or picked meats, leftovers magically reinvented as gumbo, and Pecan Pie on the Thanksgiving sideboard. I simply assumed everyone everywhere ate as we did in Louisiana.

With the Holiday Season upon us we'll all be out shopping for the ingredients, spices and produce to help us make those enjoyable family meals memorable. Here's a holiday(and all year) reminder, try to shop at your local farmer's market whenever you can. Wondering where the closest one is to you - you're in luck. We have compiled a list of many Louisiana Farmer's Markets.

View the complete list of Louisiana Farmer's Markets here.

I nag endlessly at my 14-year old daughter, Cecilia, to observe closely and learn to cook at least a handful of dishes native to Louisiana, lest she end up like my 32-year old niece, whose mother turned her out upon the world without so much as the ability to throw together a decent pot of red beans or a respectable gumbo.

I firmly believe everyone should have at least a handful of go-to recipes upon which to fall back when an impromptu dinner party emergency strikes. I’ll admit I fear being judged as I am judging my sister-in-law, judged as my mother would have been judged had my father not stepped in to take over my kitchen training.

With Susan no longer at Louisiana Cookin', it was clear that it was time for me to move on as well.

“Let’s focus on growing Kitchen and Culture (our new media,consultancy firm)!” we chirped at one another. We started K&C two summers ago with the intention of exploring, through various media platforms and outreach, the ties between the world’s cuisines and the cultures that birthed them. The obvious place to start was Louisiana. This is also the only place we can start: New businesses are slow going and they require gobs of money, a resource that’s in pitifully limited supply right about now. Europe and its tempting cultural environs will simply have to wait, but we'll get there.