“Frankly if you are looking for 30 minute or 10 dollar meals, you won’t find many here.”

Being born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana (just and hour or so from New Orleans), I was exposed to many great cooks, great restaurants, and wonderful French, Spanish and Italian influenced cuisines. It seemed like every weekend someone was throwing a Fais Do Do, Crawfish Boil or Cochon De Lait. People found any reason to eat well and party hard.

Frankly if you are looking for 30 minute or $10 meals, you won’t find many here. I don’t cook everyday but when I do, it’s all out and all about bold, spicy, rich food. Not that anyone should eat like this way everyday but these recipes are for times when you want to indulge and prepare food that will carpet bomb your and your guests’ taste buds.

Cajun and Creole cuisine is near and dear and you will find it here but I hope to share much more. My aim is to meander through culturally classic Gulf Coast cuisine and knit together strands of Louisianan, Southern, Mexican, Texan, Caribbean inspired recipes with a few Asian and Pacific Rim diversions here and there. Oh and don’t forget Bar and Dive food. Hells yeah!

“Why the name Chili Cheese Fries?” Well even with all of my culinary misadventures over the years, a big sloppy plate of chili cheese fries is still one of my favorite dishes. It is definitely one of my guilty pleasures and very representative of the tone of my recipes shared here. If it is spicy, bold, rich and satisfying, I am cooking it.

All of the recipes on this site are either my own or my versions of classic or popular dishes. Basically that means that I have tried and tested all of them and only the best make this site. That said, even when I think I have nailed a dish, many times you guys make a suggestion and instantly improve it. So feel free to comment and share your experiences as well. Let me know if I got it right and especially if I got it wrong.

One last thing. At the bottom of each recipe post is a “Heat Factor” rating from 0 – 4. The higher the Heat Factor, the spicier the dish will be. If you see one you like but the Heat Factor is too high for you, just reduce the ingredients causing the heat (usually chile peppers). The ratings are as follows.

NONE: Mild enough for a baby.

MILD: Just a hint of spice.

MEDIUM: Now we might get your taste buds’ attention.

MEDIUM HOT: You will notice the heat.

HOT: You may need a glass of milk if you eat a large portion.

VERY HOT: Oh! That will leave a mark.

Contact me via email at rmartone133[AT]hotmail[DOT]com.