Johnny Blaze Cakes: Yield 12 cakes

These cispy corn cakes are all-purpose. Although traditionally eaten at breakfast, I sometimes serve them as an appetizer topped with Chowchow, or as a main dish with my "Smoky Citrus Shrimp with Parsley" heaped on top. Of course, you can't go wrong serving these drowned in pure maple syrup. And if you really want to be indulgent, bring out the butter. In terms of blaze. . . It's more like a subtle kick that comes from the cayenne and jalapeños. I just want to give props to circa 1994-Method Man.

1 ½ cups stone-ground cornmeal

½ cup whole wheat pastry flour1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 ½ cups boiling rice milk (or whole milk)

2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced

Extra-virgin olive oil

· In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and cayenne. Set aside.

· In a small saucepan, bring the rice milk to a boil then slowly pour it over the cornmeal mixture, stirring as you pour. Add the jalapeños to the batter, mix well and refrigerate the batter for 20 minutes.

· Preheat the oven to 250°F.

· Warm a large, nonstick skillet or a griddle over medium-high heat. Grease well with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add 3 tablespoons of batter to the skillet to make 1 cake. A large skillet should comfortably fit 3. Cook the cakes for 8 to 10 minutes per side, until they are golden brown and crispy on the outside (do this in several batches to avoid overcrowding the pan, adding more oil when necessary.) Transfer the cooked cakes from the skillet to a baking sheet and hold them in the oven until all the cakes are cooked.

Cajun-Creole-Spiced Frittata: Yield 4 Servings

In my best Sadat X impression to the melody of "Wild Cowboys":

Now, should I clear myself for samples?

Or make cats example?

Yeah, I think I need to do it.

Word to Edna Lewis

This recipe is a remix of a dish that I created for the August 2006 issue of Food and Wine Magazine. The chile powder, paprika, crushed red chile pepper, garlic, onion, and fresh herbs coalesce to give this open-faced omelet an unmistakable New Orleans zest. Asparagus, the harbinger of spring, makes its appearance at the farmer's market around April, so get it there if you can. If not, choose asparagus spears at your grocery store that are bright green with compact tips. Use asparagus soon after harvesting or purchasing it to get as many of the vitamins and minerals as possible (vitamin C, potassium, B vitamins, copper, vitamin A, iron, phosphorus and zinc), since asparagus (as all vegetables) starts loosing nutrients soon after harvesting.

Coarse sea salt

1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed, and cut into 1-inch diagonal slices

2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, very finely diced

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 /4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/8 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, plus 1 teaspoon thyme leaves for garnishing

1/2 teaspoon coarsely chopped fresh oregano leaves

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

6 large eggs

1/2 cup whole milk

2 1/2 ounces Manchego Cheese, coarsely shredded with a box grater (3/4 cup)

Freshly ground white pepper

Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot over high heat and add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the asparagus and cook, uncovered for 1 1/2 minutes.

· While the asparagus is cooking, prepare a large bowl of ice water.

· Remove the asparagus from the heat, drain, and plunge them into the ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.

· In a 10-inch, ovenproof nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the diced onion, crushed red pepper, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder and a large pinch of salt and cook over moderately low heat, stirring a few times, until the onion is browned, about 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir the chopped thyme, oregano and lemon zest into the onion mixture.

· Preheat the broiler. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs well. Whisk in the whole milk and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Stir in the blanched asparagus. Return the skillet to moderately low heat and stir in the shredded Manchego cheese. Pour in the beaten eggs and asparagus and stir lightly to mix the vegetables and eggs. Season with black pepper, cover the skillet and cook until the eggs pull away from the side of the skillet, about 8 minutes.

Uncover the frittata and place under the broiler until just set and lightly browned, about 2 minutes.

Hoppin' Jean (zhahn) Yield: 4-6 servings

Although Hoppin' John is associated with the Carolinas, this dish is eaten throughout the South. It is one of the New Year's Day staples for many a Southerner, as it is believed that eating lots of black-eyed peas will bring good luck in the coming year.

After returning to New Orleans from a semester abroad in France, Hoppin' John was the first meal I ate. It was the perfect dish to ground me back in "The Big Easy." Here, I reinterpret this dish giving a nod to the "Afro-Euro-Creole flavors that curry favor" in Louisiana Creole cuisine.* With all the post-Katrina politricks taking place in New Orleans, the city needs all the good luck it can get.

3/4 cup black-eyed peas, sorted, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed

cup long-grain brown rice, rinsed, and soaked overnight

Olive Oil

Coarse sea salt

cup finely diced Spanish onion

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon red chile flakes

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

1/8 teaspoon dried oregano

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 cups vegetable stock

One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained

· Combine the black-eyed peas with 4 cups water and teaspoon of the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.

· Drain the rice. Warm a saucepan over medium heat. Add the rice and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the water has evaporated and the rice starts smelling nutty. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and continue cooking until the rice starts browning, about 2 minutes.

· Add the onion, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, red chile flakes, cayenne pepper, thyme, oregano, and 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Transfer this mixture to a bowl and set aside.

· Over medium heat in the saucepan used to cook the rice, combine the vegetable stock, the tomatoes, and 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Add the rice mixture and the black-eyed peas to the broth, and stir well.

. Bring back to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 50 minutes, until most of the water has evaporated.

· Remove from heat and steam with cover on for at least 10 minutes.

· Serve hot.

Potato and Sweet Potato Pancakes

Yield: about 8 to 12 pancakes

3 tablespoons rice milk (or whole milk)

¼ banana, chopped

pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated

pound sweet potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated

¼ cup grated red onion

3 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Coarse sea salt

Freshly ground white pepper

Extra-virgin olive oil

Applesauce, for serving

· In a blender, purée the rice milk and the banana. Set aside.

· Preheat the oven to 200°F.

· Drain the potatoes and onions by wrapping them in a clean dishtowel and wringing out excess liquid. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, onions, flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon white pepper, the paprika and the banana-rice milk mixture. Warm the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches of 4, spoon 2 tablespoons of the potato mixture into the oil and flatten to about 2 1/2-inch diameter with a slotted spatula. Cook until golden brown on both sides, about 7 minutes total. Transfer the pancakes with a spatula to paper towels to drain. Repeat with the remaining potato mixture, adding more oil to the skillet as necessary.

· Place the pancakes on a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven until you're ready to serve. Serve with applesauce.

Memphis native Bryant Terry is an eco chef, author and food justice activist based in Oakland, Calif. His second book will be published by Da Capo/Perseus in 2009. The following are two of Terry's recipes for Pan-Fried Grit Cakes and Citrus Collards. Enjoy!