Cajun Vegetables at Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen by Ruth Paget

Cajun Vegetables at Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen by Ruth Paget 

Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen is most famous for its deep-fried chicken sandwich combination meals, but I sometimes like going to Popeye’s for a spicy Cajun vegetable meal. 

Louisiana vegetable sides often feature an addition of spicy andouille sausage, whose ancestor is a mild andouille sausage from France. Andouille sausage from Louisiana is made with pork butt, garlic, salt, black pepper, and spicy cayenne pepper according to the Taste of Artisan website. 

This type of andouille sausage is added to a sauté of onions, green bell pepper, celery, tomato paste, garlic, cooked red beans, chicken stock and hot sauce to make a stew according to the Damn Delicious website. Once the stew is cooked, these beans are served alongside cooked white rice. 

Red beans and rice is a Cajun comfort food from the Louisiana countryside. I like to order it with a chilled coleslaw, a chopped salad made with cabbage, carrots, and onions with a cream dressing. 

Popeye’s also offers Cajun fries with cayenne-heavy Cajun seasoning and mashed potatoes with spicy Cajun gravy. 

Monterey County does not have a Popeye’s as of August 2024, but there are two locations within the Congressional district: 

-Watsonville Auto Mall outside Santa Cruz 

-Gilroy Cross Mall by Barnes and Noble outside San Jose 

I like exotic fast food at a reasonable price, and Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen is just perfect for this. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Calamari Steak and Sand Dabs at Woody's at the Monterey-Salinas (California) Airport by Ruth Paget

Calamari Steak and Sand Dabs Combo at Woody’s at the Monterey-Salinas Airport (CA) by Ruth Paget 

Woody’s Restaurant and Bar at the Monterey-Salinas Airport in California is one of my go-to restaurants for delicious and unpretentious food in Monterey, California. 

In August 2024, my family went to Woody’s and sat outside on top of the airport roof and watched planes come and go as Laurent ate the homemade pasta of the day, Florence Paget ate prime rib, and I ate calamari (squid) steak and sand dabs with thick cut fries doused in black truffle oil. 

Black truffle oil has a powerful aroma, which coupled with warm olive oil make heads turn to see who has ordered the French Mediterranean Diet dish. The grand arrival of my combo dinner merited lingering over each delectable fry. 

Sand dabs are the West Coast equivalent of Atlantic sole. The sand dabs are lightly browned in garlicky butter with a dusting of freshly cut Italian parsley. They come with a yogurt sauce and a tartar sauce for dipping. 

Both of these savory sauces taste good with the calamari steak as well. I read in Claudia Roden’s Mediterranean Cookery cookbook that Greek cooks slap squid against a wall for almost an hour to tenderize it. I do not know what Woody’s does to tenderize its calamari steak, but the result is tender and oozy with garlicky olive oil. 

The calamari steak and sand dabs combo with extra black truffle oil fries is a signature dish for Monterey and Salinas, because restaurants can easily obtain these high quality ingredients. 

This combo at Woody’s at the Monterey-Salinas (California) Airport will surely please seafood and fish lovers. 

By Ruth Paget, Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Malai Kofta Dumplings at Avatar Indian Grill in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget

Malai Kofta at Avatar Indian Grill in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget 

I tried potato-cheese dumplings with creamy tomato curry sauce at Avatar Indian Grill in Salinas, California and loved saying their exotic name “malai kofta.” 

According to Swasthi’s Kitchen website, malai kofta can also be called “paneer kofta curry.” Paneer is Indian white cheese. Kofta are paneer balls made into oblong dumplings at Avatar Indian Grill. Malai Kofta is a vegetarian dish served in a thick, creamy sauce called a curry. 

Malai kofta is from Northern India and belongs to a family of dumpling dishes common in Central Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and Balkan cuisines according to Swasthi’s Kitchen website. 

The paneer dumplings are made with boiled potatoes, crumbled Indian paneer white cheese, spices, and herbs. Once the dumplings are made, they are served in a curry made of boiled onions, cashews, and tomatoes that is blended to make a purée and cooked further with heavy cream to thicken. The curry is seasoned with cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves. 

The curry tastes fine with plain white rice. I also ordered butter naan, Indian flatbread to go with my meal. For an exotic and tasty lunch, malai kofta from Avatar Indian Grill in Salinas, California is an excellent choice. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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