Ninja's blog: "Cooking with Ninja"

So I've been getting a lot of requests for recipes and such from a lot of people looking to learn how to cook, or improve their skills. To this, I will happily oblige! I LOVE to cook! I was born and raised in New Orleans, and in my momma's kitchen. She's an amazing cook, and I have learned many things from her, and many more on my own. In this blog I'll share some of my favorites, and let you know where and how you can tweak them for your own desired taste. Some things are not changeable, as they will change the consistency of the sauce or meal.

If you have a certain request, just let me know!

First thing you will find in almost every recipe that I make is chopped seasoning (onion, celery, green onion, bell pepper). I absolutely cook with this RELIGIOUSLY. It is the base of almost everything I cook, and the flavor you get from using fresh chopped seasoning can't be duplicated in any jarred/canned food or sauce. Almost every grocery store sells fresh chopped seasoning already mixed. None of them ever contain enough bell pepper. Always pick up and extra small bell pepper to chop and add to it, depending on what you are cooking.

Second thing, I never cook with salt. Salt is something that can be added to taste at the time the plate is served. It is not a necessary ingredient unless you are adding it to water to boil potatoes in.

Third, it's all about seasoning properly. Yes, I am from New Orleans and my tolerance for pepper is probably more than yours. So if the recipe calls for Cayene pepper, use SPARINGLY and add in very small sprinkled increments, let cook down for 15 to 20 minutes, then taste before you add more. The biggest problem most people have with food is that they fail to taste as they go along. When you do this, you can tell if something is off.

Finally, if the recipe calls for butter, use it. If a substitution can be made, I've made it already. Certain things will not taste right if you do not use butter, such as Shrimp Scampi. Also remember when cooking with butter or olive oil, they burn quickly. Do not try to cook these on a high heat unless you know what you're doing and you are attentively cooking.

I'll start recipes in the next blog. I will get to special requests as they are asked for.

Things to always keep stocked in your kitchen:

Onion powder

Garlic poweder

italian seasoning blend (basil, oregano, thyme)

bay leaves

parsley flakes

cayene pepper

black or white ground pepper

salt

poultry seasoning

kitchen bouquet

liquid smoke

worchestershire sauce

IF YOU CAN FIND THEM AT YOUR LOCAL GROCERY:

Concentrated liquid crab boil (Zatarain's)

Creole seasoning (Zatarain's, Tony Cachere's, Slap Ya Mama, etc. These might be hard to find on your own.)

Please feel free to try the recipes out for yourself. Comment on them and let me know how it turned out for you, and what, if any, tweaks you did to it.