Dennys Food and Recipes: Labor Day, Football Tailgating: Check Out Some New Drinks, Appetizer Cheesy Zucchini No-Fry Fries with Smoked Paprika Dip Sauce

Photo:  Matthew Mead/AP

Dennys Food and Recipes: Labor Day, Football Tailgating: Check Out Some New Drinks, Appetizer Cheesy Zucchini No-Fry Fries with Smoked Paprika Dip Sauce: From Denny:  Ready to try something new for the Labor Day weekend and tailgating season?  Audition it on Labor Day and check out your reviews, and, if all goes well, you have some winners for the tailgating season.  I know.  I know.  The conventional wisdom is that you are not supposed to audition something new on your guests but my crowd likes to review.  Come on; put a little risk into your life!

I usually cook up standards I know most people enjoy and then introduce a couple of new things for review and comment.  It's a conversation starter and since my friends tend to be as opinionated as myself, well, they enjoy weighing in.  They even make suggestions to kick it up, tone it down or variations that I might not have considered.  Since I value their input it's all done in good fun.  For my guests to take home I also make copies of the new recipes with space for them to make notes while we discuss the food.

The first two drinks up for consideration are old standards with new twists:  a Planter's Punch and a Bloody Mary.  The new twist for the Planter's Punch is that it has some added Camus Cognac with the apple cider, apple juice and pineapple juice.  The new twist for the Bloody Mary is the addition of Lucid Absinthe with the spicy bloody mary mix, worchestershire sauce, horseradish, black pepper, celery salt and garlic salt.  These two drinks come from  Niccole Trzaska at The Liberty Bar in New York City.

This appetizer recipe is from Chef Sara Moulton, one of the busiest TV chefs.  Check out this link to her site for online cooking classes, links to her TV shows and awesome easy recipes.  Sara has enjoyed a long career:  a 25-year stint at Gourmet magazine (which had a run from 1941 - 2009), hosted several Food Network shows for a decade, hosts public TV's "Sara's Weeknight Meals" and has written three cookbooks, one of which is "Sara Moulton's Everyday Family Dinners."  Whew! All while raising her own family.  It's no wonder she specializes in quick and easy food...


Dennys Food and Recipes: Labor Day, Football Tailgating: Check Out Some New Drinks, Appetizer Cheesy Zucchini No-Fry Fries with Smoked Paprika Dip Sauce

Louisiana Seafood Reusable Shopping Bag

Check out awesome Louisiana eating: oysters, shrimp, crawfish, gumbo, jambalaya

Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new! 

Recent related articles:

BBQ Grilling: Red Onions, Shishito Peppers with Peanut Sauce

BBQ Grilling: Grilled Puttanesca Gazpacho

BBQ Grilling: Tasty Compound Butters To Compliment Your Recipes

BBQ Grilling: Goat Cheese Stuffed Grilled Sweet Potatoes

Summer Food: Blueberry Lemonade To Beat The Heat

Summer Food:  Easy Blueberry Heaven Trifle

Summer Food:  Deliciously Easy Small Blueberry Cake

Summer Food: Cream Cheese Pastry Blueberry-Apple Cobbler and Traditional Blueberry Cobbler

Summer Food: Blueberry Yum Yum Cake Says It All

Summer Food: Raspberry Almond Cheesecake Tartlets

Breakfast: Easy Simple French Toast Casserole

Funny Coffee Cats Shower Curtain

Not ready for the world before your cup of joe? Quit hissing, COFFEE's brewing!

Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!  

Comfort Food From Louisiana: New Orleans Chef Recipe: Crabmeat-Shrimp Fritters, Creole Tomato Dressing

Comfort Food From Louisiana: New Orleans Chef Recipe: Crabmeat-Shrimp Fritters, Creole Tomato Dressing: From Denny:  Like to make easy fritters for the family for a quick meal?  I sure remember those yummy clam or corn fritters my mother used to make on Saturdays when I was a kid.  Apple fritters are equally tasty, especially when dusted with some cinnamon and sugar.  So, when I run across yet another variation to The Fritter Family then I'm game to try it.

This new fritter recipe comes from New Orleans Chef John Besh and Zatarain's.  Claw crabmeat, corn and small shrimp are featured in this recipe along with its own special tomato creole dressing.  Pull out your food processor to make this easy tasty dressing of Creole seasoning, garlic, Creole mustard (like stone ground mustard) and tomato.  Chill for an hour and then you are off to the dinner races!

Funny Friday Weekend iPhone 5 Case

Tell the world how you really feel about coming back to work!

* * *  Support Warriors Pearl Foundation - contributing to fund efforts to help homeless female military veterans come home.  Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!  

Dennys Food and Recipes: Appetizer: Berried Brie

Dennys Food and Recipes: Appetizer: Berried Brie: From Denny: Need a simple appetizer during the holiday season and you don't want to stand over it to practically hatch it? This is so simple you will fall over laughing! It's so easy your children can make it for you.

All you need is a round of brie cheese, some canned cranberry sauce and fresh pecans. Throw it into a slow cooker for a couple of hours over low heat and you have instant magic without a lot of fuss. It will leave you time for wrapping all those gifts and giggling with the kids.