Well, isn’t this yummy

WARNING: Do not consume unless you plan on drinking six glasses of water with one cup of soup. ;)

Kyle and I are a bit masochistic, sometimes unintentionally. We moved to New Orleans a month before Katrina. We both are working on our Ph.D. degrees (Have I mentioned that? Yep, hubby’s just started his classes!). And we both really, REALLY love spicy foods. How spicy? So spicy that tears spring up in your eyes and your nose starts running. THAT spicy.

What can I say? We’re south Louisianans born in north Louisiana.

So I found this recipe online for a crawfish and corn soup that I adapted to fit our spice needs. The great thing about this recipe (other than it’s mouth-watering taste) is that you can make it as spicy as you want – just depends on what you like! Seriously, you've got to try it. It was immediately designated a staple in our household after one spicy bite.

First off, the grocery list:

2 TBS butter

1 bell pepper

¼ cup of frozen seasoning mix (because the bell pepper just isn’t enough)

1 can rotel (I used the hot rotel, of course)

Tony’s (naturally)

Old Bay seasoning (again, naturally)

Dash of pepper

2 cans corn

1 can creamed corn

1 pound crawfish

1 can evaporated milk

Now…time for magic!

Start by sautéing the bell pepper in the butter.

While I was sautéing, I decided that one bell pepper wasn’t enough, so I pulled out our frozen seasoning mix and tossed somewhere between ¼ of a cup to ½ of a cup in. I added Tony’s and Old Bay and let the ingredients sizzle and tossed in the rotel.

By this point, the kitchen smelled magnificent. My stomach began to growl, and Kyle called from upstairs, “Is it ready yet?” Oh, no. Sadly, no. This is a quick soup to make, but, unfortunately, it’s not ready in 10 minutes. Takes more like 20.

After about five minutes after adding the rotel, I tossed in the corn, crawfish, and evaporated milk. And some more Tony’s and Old Bay. Right here, let me go ahead and add that if you're going to buy crawfish, PLEASE buy Louisiana crawfish, not China crawfish. Yes, it is more expensive, but it's fresher and supports our state economy. Help out a Cajun, y'all.

After adding the remaining ingredients, I let the soup come to a boil and kept it there for about 10 minutes. Then, frankly, I couldn’t wait any longer. It was time for dinner.

So for those of you hunkered down for Isaac (or for those of you in north La or higher who are anticipating rains and cooler weather), this is a great warm-up soup. Again, prepare for the heat. It’s coming.