Innholdsfortegnelse for November - December 2014 i Louisiana Cookin'

THE HOLIDAY SEASON’S RICH FLAVORS— from savory to baked goods—fill kitchens everywhere with wonderful aromas. For a seasonal standout this year, try this fruity citrus Orange Marmalade Bundt Cake. Break out your most festive Bundt pans, and this simple cake turns into a holiday showstopper that looks as good as it tastes. You could serve one at the end of a holiday meal, but how about this: make several to give as gift s. Bundt cakes also freeze well for an easy make-ahead dessert. Just make sure you use fresh zest; it really brings out the cake’s yummy citrus flavor. With more than one million cookbooks sold, Holly Clegg, author of the best-selling trim & TERRIFIC® cookbook series, has appeared on numerous national television programs. Check out her new book,…

LOUISIANA HAS TWO DISTINCT COFFEE PREFERENCES: dark roast coffee and coffee with chicory. There is some controversy about why and when New Orleanians added chicory to their coffee. It was a common practice in Europe to stretch expensive coffee by adding toasted chicory. Aft er coffee was introduced into the Western Hemisphere, coffee plantations spread throughout the Caribbean, starting in Martinique in the 18th century, and New Orleans was a natural port for coffee. There was plenty of coffee here, but chicory had to be imported from Europe. During the Civil War, chicory was used to extend coffee during times of coffee privation in the South. What we don’t know is whether the European practice was brought to New Orleans by French settlers and was embraced by the next generation…

"WE MANAGED TO COMPILE A GO-TO ARSENAL OF EASY, LOWMAINTENANCE ADAPTATIONS OF CHERISHED NEW ORLEANS RECIPES … WITH A LITTLE LAGNIAPPE, OF COURSE!” —PATRICE KELLER KONONCHEK AND LAUREN MALONE KELLER WHEN IT COMES TO CONVENIENCE, nothing beats the ease and practicality of the slow cooker. WiThever-busier schedules, sometimes it feels as though we have less time to create the delicious dishes we crave. The desire for cherished New Orleans meals prepared in a quick and stress-free manner was the inspiration behind In a While, Crocodile (Pelican Publishing Company, 2014), a collection of low-maintenance Creole recipes (and lagniappe) that can all be prepared ahead of time in a slow cooker. When authors Patrice Keller Kononchek and Lauren Malone Keller found themselves in the all-too-familiar time-crunch of working and raising a family,…

TRADITION REIGNS SUPREME in Louisiana, and the holidays are festive proof of our dedication to our heritage. From the Festival of the Bonfires in St. James Parish to the Festival of Lights in Natchitoches to the Louisiana Trail of Lights in northern Louisiana, this is our time of the year. You can work your way across the state and attend one holiday spectacular aft er another, but as you know, if I’m going to cross the state I’m going to eat. Hey, don’t judge me—just jump on board and join me! Congratulations are in order for Chef Toby Rodriguez of Lafayette, whose roving butchery operation, Lâche Pas Boucherie et Cuisine, is introducing the country to Cajun-style whole-hog boucherie. In fact, he has recently traveled and demonstrated in Vermont, South Carolina,…

ANDOUILLE, a smoked sausage made with coarselyground pork and seasoned with garlic, salt, and peppers, is traditionally used to flavor many Louisiana dishes such as gumbo, jambalaya, and red beans. However, due to its highly seasoned taste, creative cooks have come to use it in myriad preparations. Hot off the grill, it can be cut into bite-size chunks and dipped in Creole mustard for a quick appetizer. Removed from the casing, the sausage can be finely chopped and combined with onion, garlic, and cream cheese and used to stuff jalapeños or banana peppers before deep-frying. If you haven’t noticed, deviled eggs have made a comeback and are more than just picnic food. They have become center-stage stars. The mashed hard-boiled egg yolks are now being paired with pimiento cheese,…

DURING THE EARLY WINTER MONTHS when the weather starts to cool off and Louisiana seafood is plentiful, nothing is more satisfying than a bowl of bouillabaisse, a traditional Mediterranean fish stew that was reimagined by early Creole settlers to take advantage of the local bounty. Longtime reader Hazel Gill of Baton Rouge sent us her recipe, which uses redfish, drum, shrimp, crabmeat, and oysters. She regularly serves it during the holidays, much to the delight of her family and friends. HOLIDAY BOUILLABAISSE MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS Courtesy of Hazel Gill, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 1 pound redfish fillets, skin removed* 1 pound drum fillets, skin removed* 3 teaspoons salt, divided 1½ teaspoons cayenne pepper, divided 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes 3 cups coarsely chopped yellow onion 2 cups coarsely chopped…

NOVEMBER DECEMBER Going with the Grain We would like to thank everyone who attended the Going with the Grain Pop-up Dinner that we hosted with Cajun Country Rice at the historic Falcon Rice Mill in April. Louisiana Cookin’ 2013 Chef to Watch Justin Girouard, of The French Press in Lafayette, served a delightful menu that showcased the Cajun grain’s versatility, including Coriander Seared Gulf Tuna with Coconut Lobster Fried Rice, and a remarkable rice pudding. With Cajun music as a backdrop, the party lasted well into the evening. For more event photos, visit louisianacookin.com, and for rice recipes visit Cajun Country Rice at cajuncountryrice.com.…

UPON THE WOODLAND BANKS of the Red River in Avoyelles Parish, I spent my childhood without a care in the world, hunting squirrels and whitetail deer. Every February, like a campfire doused with rain, the hunting season would cease, creating a void that could be filled only with spicy boiled crawfish and Mardi Gras beads—that is, until the shotguns came back out of their cases for turkey season. The thick forests of Louisiana create difficult terrain for hunting wild turkeys, but I knew turkeys were out there. As soon as I heard them gobbling in the distance, my plan was hatched. Stealth tracking downwind of the turkeys is paramount because of their acute hearing and heightened sense of smell. Excitement filled my lungs, and I held my breath. Finally, I…

MENU CHAMPAGNE-CHARTREUSE COCKTAIL CITRUS SALAD WITH CREAMY CHAMPAGNE-ORANGE VINAIGRETTE OYSTER ROAST WITH SPICY COCKTAIL SAUCE, GARLIC-BUTTER SAUCE, AND TARRAGON-BLACK PEPPER SAUCE SIMPLE YEAST ROLLS WITH HERB BUTTER WINTER FARRO W hether raw, baked, fried, or in a stew, there’s no shortage of ways to enjoy Louisiana oysters. As the temperature dips and outdoor events become more palatable, hosting an oyster roast is a fine way to spend an aft ernoon. Rather than buying oysters individually for an event like this, it can be more convenient to buy them by the sack. Each burlap bag comes with one and one-half bushels of oysters—80 to 100 oysters, depending on their size. And while some guests may be content to eat their oysters au natural or lightly dressed with lemon juice and hot…

Since 2005, Louisiana Cookin’ and the Louisiana Sweet Potato Commission have hosted the Louisiana Yam Recipe Contest to highlight the many ways folks can prepare this delicious root vegetable. Over the years, we’ve seen thousands of entries from around the United States ranging from simple baked sweet potatoes and home-style casseroles to elegant chef-inspired creations. It’s the versatility of the sweet potato that makes it such an exciting ingredient. It pairs well with not only sweet flavors—cane syrup, marshmallow, and brown sugar—but can take the heat of East Asian cuisines. This year’s crop of winning recipes covers a wide range of flavor profiles and preparations. The Grand Prize-winning dish, B.L.T. Sweet Potato Hash from Peter Crouth in Plantsville, Connecticut, combines sweet and savory elements to make it an unbeatable addition…

IN THE SOUTH, we eat grits. Beautiful stone ground corn grits have long been a breakfast staple that has more recently found a comfortable spot on the plate at lunch and dinner, too. There are grits fries at Boucherie in Uptown New Orleans and grits cakes covered in classic Louisiana Shrimp Etouff ée at Tujague’s in the French Quarter. But Louisiana grows rice, and so smart rice farmers Karen and Kurt Unkel of Cajun Grain came up with the “grits-like” Brown Jasmine Cracked Rice. Cooked similarly to corn grits, though more quickly, these rice grits have a fine texture and gentle flavor bolstered by nutty aromatics. Applications are obvious: at breakfast with cream, cane sugar (or syrup), and some crushed Louisiana pecans; mid-day, cooked, cooled on a sheet pan, cut…