Innholdsfortegnelse for November - December 2012 i Louisiana Cookin'

So. You’re telling me the spicy red liquid in this shampoo bottle is crab boil?” asks every Transportation Security Administration worker who screens my carry-on luggage around the holidays. Th e looks I get for traveling with andouille aren’t much diff erent, but I don’t mess around when authentic flavors are involved. Earlier this year, I flew up to Vermont to visit an old friend. He has a quaint hundredyear- old home on the river in Waterbury, and I looked forward catching up with him. Daylong hikes and sampling local beers and cheeses were on the itinerary, and I asked him to have a few people over one day so I could treat them to classic New Orleans red beans and rice. Louisiana’s unique flavors give us a sense of…

Ginger-Molasses Sweet Potato Mousse MAKES 4 SERVINGS Courtesy of Arlene Erlbach, Morton Grove, Illinois 2 cups heavy whipping cream, divided 1 (5.1-ounce) package cook-and-serve vanilla-flavored pudding mix ¾ cup whole milk 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice ½ teaspoon ground ginger 1 (15-ounce) can sweet potato pureé 2 tablespoons unsulphured molasses Garnish: chopped salted peanuts and gingersnap cookies In a medium bowl, beat 1 cup cream with a mixer at medium-high speed until stiff peaks form; cover and chill. In a large bowl, combine pudding mix, milk, pumpkin pie spice, and ginger. Beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add sweet potatoes and molasses, and beat at medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add reserved whipped cream, and beat on medium speed until…

Marcelle Bienvenu was born into a large Acadian family for which good cooking is an article of faith. She is a chef–instructor at the John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University and a prolific cookbook author. Visit her online at marcellebienvenu.com. Rat-a-tat-tat. Th e intermittent sound of pecans falling onto the tin roof of my office building is almost deafening. From my window, I see my neighbor on her hands and knees, scrambling to pick up newly fallen nuts. Squirrels are foraging for them as well in the shallow ditch along the lane that leads to my house. It’s nearing the end of pecan season, and everyone wants to build up his stash for the winter. I remember my mother handing paper sacks and baskets to my siblings and…

Main to Main — November 1–30, Statewide Th is statewide collection of fairs, festivals, and events began in northern Louisiana as Main to Main Trade Days, a street fair focusing on communities along the 50 miles between Minden and Springhill. Aft er its success, the state’s Office of Cultural Development took notice and sought to bring the program to other Main Street communities around Louisiana. Now in its seventh year, more than 50 Main to Main events will take place in 29 communities and five historic commercial districts in New Orleans. “Each town that we work with is diff erent and unique,” says Louisiana Main Street Director Ray W. Scriber. “Each has its own culture, and they all contribute to the sense of place that we have here in Louisiana…

Mimi’s Dressing MAKES 12 SERVINGS Courtesy of Inge Jepsen, Mandeville, Louisiana, and Greta Fry, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 1 (1.25-ounce) envelope onion soup mix 1 pound ground pork 1 pound ground beef 1 pound pork sausage, such as Jimmy Dean 3 tablespoons olive oil 4 ribs celery, chopped 1 onion, chopped 2 bunches green onions, chopped 1 bunch fresh parsley, trimmed and chopped 3 cups herb-seasoned bread crumbs 1 cup dried cranberries 1 large egg, lightly beaten Preheat oven to 350º. Prepare soup mix according to package directions. Set aside to cool. In a large skillet, cook ground pork over medium-high heat until browned and crumbled, about 7 minutes; transfer to a large bowl. Repeat procedure with ground beef and sausage. Drain any excess oil from the pan. Add olive oil…

Baton Rouge L’Auberge Casino Hotel Baton Rouge 18 Steak serves prime cuts of beef and perfectly paired wine. In the bar, burned scotch and whiskey barrels adorn the ceiling. Reservations recommended. Bossier City/Shreveport Boomtown Casino Bossier City Sundance Cantina is a bright Mexicanthemed spot with sizzling fajitas and big, lime-loving, cool margaritas. 1800 Prime Steakhouse, their fine-dining option, is also a winner. Lake Charles L’Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles Ember Grille & Wine Bar is a modern American steakhouse featuring signature wood-fired entrées in the lodgelike dining room with its expansive stone fireplaces. Sip a well-crafted cocktail while noshing on gourmet tapas in the inviting piano lounge. The restaurant Asia features Asian-fusion cuisine and authentic Vietnamese selections, as well as fresh hand-rolled sushi and sashimi that take center stage at…

Canadian Bacon Cocktail MAKES 1 SERVING 1½ ounces Canadian whisky, such as Rich & Rare Reserve ¼ ounce butterscotch liqueur ¼ ounce maple syrup 2 ounces half-and-half Garnish: freshly grated nutmeg and Brown Sugar Bacon (recipe follows) In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add whisky, liqueur, syrup, and half-and-half; shake vigorously. Strain into a small rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with nutmeg and Brown Sugar Bacon. Serve immediately. Brown Sugar Bacon MAKES 6 SERVINGS Preheat oven to 400°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set a cooling rack inside prepared pan. Sprinkle ?⁄? cup firmly packed light brown sugar over 6 slices bacon, pressing gently to adhere to bacon. Place bacon on rack, and bake until crisp, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely.…

If you want to make a statement, this Chocolate Peanut Butter Trifle, with its pretty presentation, is the way to go. And who doesn’t like chocolate and peanut butter?! Th e best things about this trifle are that it will feed a crowd and is a time-saver since this delicious dessert can be whipped up in advance. Th is is one of the many simple, showstopping dishes from my new cookbook, Kitchen 101: Secrets to Cooking Confidence, which takes the guesswork out of meal planning with complete dinner and party menus—no crazy ingredients, just healthy, mouthwatering food. Chocolate Peanut Butter Trifle MAKES 20 SERVINGS 2 (3.9-ounce) packages instant chocolate fudge-flavored pudding mix 3½cups skim milk 1 (16-ounce) prepared angel food cake, cut into cubes Peanut Butter Filling, recipe follows 12…

For a heartwarming story of two chefs told through their cuisine, turn to Southern Comfort (Ten Speed Press, 2012). Authors Allison Vines-Rushing and Slade Rushing met working in a New Orleans kitchen and soon headed north to New York City. Th ere, they honed their skills at preparing modern New Orleans-style food in a fine-dining atmosphere. As their collective stars began rising, they returned to the Bayou State to open their first restaurants, Longbranch in Abita Springs and then MiLa in New Orleans a year and a half later. Southern Comfort collects the recipes they’ve created and developed along the way, including Deconstructed Oysters Rockefeller, Sweet-Tea Roasted Duck in Date Sauce, and Hush Puppies with Caviar, as well as some family favorites. Black-Eyed Pea and Barley Broth MAKES 4 SERVINGS…

Orange juice, it seems, runs in our veins. Th e enduring cultivation of the satsuma throughout Louisiana is a mom-and-pop industry, characterized by backyard groves, family farms, and farmers’ market stalls. Satsumas are known for their thin, easy-peeling skin and sweet, seedless flesh. Th e fruit was first brought to America during the late 1870s, and many of the original groves planted in Plaquemines Parish remain to this day Kenneth Savastano tends 800 citrus trees at A&K Citrus in Braithwaite, Louisiana, on the northeastern edge of Plaquemines Parish. He shed some light on why the area was fertile ground for citrus: Farmers planted citrus groves throughout Louisiana, concentrating in Plaquemines Parish because of its access to the fresh water of the Mississippi River and the warmth of area water sources…

In 1986, when Bernard and Ceci Johnson welcomed their fourth child in seven years, the couple had an epiphany of sorts. Dad needed to take over more of the household chores. “I knew I had to step up to the plate, and I wasn’t interested in or particularly good at doing the laundry,” says Bernard, a busy Shreveport attorney. So Bernard volunteered to become the family’s head chef. He started simple, with recipes like vegetable soup, but as his culinary skills grew, Bernard found that cooking was something he thoroughly enjoyed. Th e holidays bring out the best in Bernard as a chef and as the chief organizer of a big Christmas Day feast for more than 20 family members and friends. “For years, we had the same exact meal…