Innholdsfortegnelse for July - August 2013 i Louisiana Cookin'

For Cajun and Creole cuisine to thrive and continue to evolve, it needs people with strong voices and excellent skills helping to spread the word beyond the Bayou State’s borders. Th ere is a certain magic in Louisiana cooking. Something in the rich gravies, brown roux, and spice m ixes that makes folks want to share what generations of cooks have created here. In this issue, we feature Chef Keith Kornfeld (page 51), a New Orleans native with an insatiable wanderlust who spent years in Asia and then brought those influences back to Louisiana with him, adding to the state’s distinct gumbo of international flavors. A few months ago, Chef Peter Sclafani of Ruffino’s in Baton Rouge, and now Ruffino’s on the River in Lafayette, went to New York City…

Just because quiche has become a perennial brunch standard doesn’t mean it has to be predictable. It’s quick to prepare and is a wonderful way to serve up what’s hanging around in your pantry and fridge. Individual quiches made in miniature muffin tins with frozen puff pastry are a great way to add a bit of pizazz. Your brunch guests will love these smoky and savory beauties, and if there happens to be left overs, they’ll taste just as good reheated for a fast weekday breakfast. CREOLE MINI QUICHES MAKES 2 DOZEN 1 (17.3-ounce) box frozen puff pastry, thawed (2 sheets) 1 cup finely chopped andouille sausage 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese ½ cup finely chopped red bell pepper ¼ cup finely chopped green onion 1 cup half-and-half 3…

An old-fashioned barbecue is a perfect way to relax with your family and enjoy a beautiful summer aft ernoon. Most people can grill a hamburger or chicken without too much trouble, but it can be hard thinking outside the box for interesting sides. A meal is not complete without sides, and these two dishes pair perfectly with any barbecue style while reflecting the fresh ingredients of the season. Th is oh-so-refreshing Cucumber, Mint, and Feta Salad is light, savory, and positively bursting with flavor. And green thumb or not, anyone can grow mint! I make sure to keep a few pots of live mint in my yard since those little leaves brighten up many summer dishes. Cornbread, one of the classic Southern barbecue accompaniments, can be upgraded with Louisiana yams…

One of my favorite approaches to cooking is variations on a theme, particularly when working with the same ingredients to create distinct dishes. With summer’s bounty at hand, I couldn’t resist combining two of my favorite shellfish—incredibly versatile Louisiana blue crab and shrimp—with earthy artichokes in a couple of recipes that can readily double as appetizers or sides. Include some juicy ripe heirloom tomatoes, and you’re in summer-food heaven. Let your taste and budget decide whether to choose claw, lump, or jumbo lump crabmeat. While the lump and jumbo lump taste similar, the claw meat has a more pronounced flavor. For the casserole, use artichoke hearts packed in water or, better yet, look for frozen hearts whose pure flavor is unchanged by packing liquids. Marinated artichokes, on the other hand,…

“I am not normally inspired while I am cooking,” says Chef Tory McPhail, executive chef of Commander’s Palace in New Orleans. “When I am preparing something, I’m really just finishing the idea. Th e creative process is in the fine tuning that comes at the end of hand-craft ing a brand new dish.” Tory, a 2013 James Beard Foundation Award winner and 2009 Louisiana Cookin’ Chef to Watch, credits his inspiration to several factors, but it doesn’t necessarily happen while he’s working in the kitchen. He compares cooking to solving a mathematical equation. It’s the collaborations, legendary chefs who preceded him, and New Orleans itself that he owes his vision to. He explains that he is never in a rut or at a loss for ideas. Always anxious to try…

We have so enjoyed our gift subscription to Louisiana Cookin’ from our favorite Cajun friends, and the May/ June issue was no exception. Virginia Willis’s recipe for Coff ee-Crusted Pork Loin [page 75] was fabulous and so easy to prepare. We would like to caution folks who have trouble with caff eine aft er a certain hour of the day. Th ey may want to use decaf coff ee instead of regular in this recipe. We laughed about it later, but the caff eine in the rub kept us up all night! —Ann and Jack DiPalma Mobile, Alabama FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM Last year, Louisiana Cookin’ joined Instagram, a free photo-sharing social network. For more images from our kitchen and travels, follow us at @louisianacookin and share your photos with…

When the dog days of summer arrive in south Louisiana, there isn’t much to do but to endure and make the best of it. With that in mind, I plan to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible and accept the challenge of preparing tasty and satisfying meals. Sometimes I pull out a quart or two of crawfish étouff ée I’d stashed in the freezer during springtime. All that is needed is some rice and a cool tossed green salad for a relaxing supper on the patio watching the sun slip down over the horizon. I’ve also collected some ideas for very simple meals for which cooking is kept to a minimum. Although our Creole tomatoes are usually on their last legs by this part of the summer,…

New Orleans is knee-deep in booze. Th e city that brought the world the Sazerac, the Ramos Gin Fizz, and, depending on whose story you believe, even coined the term “cocktail,” has rarely run dry. However, the city’s long and storied cocktail past has recently been overshadowed by a tidal wave of neon libations poured freely for tourists on Bourbon Street. Th e story of New Orleans’s cocktail culture is an old and oft -told tale by now. For years, the stalwart Grande Dames of the French Quarter kept the candle burning. Tujague’s, Arnaud’s French 75, and the like poured the classics: venerable drinks such as Vieux Carres, Sazeracs, and the arm-burning Ramos Gin Fizz (which is shaken up to 12 minutes) for anyone in search of something more refined.…

THE VEXIN MAKES 1 SERVING Courtesy of Anthony White The Village Café, Lafayette, Louisiana 1½ ounces American dry gin, such as Blue Coat ¾ ounce elderflower liqueur, such as St-Germain 1 ounce fresh grapefruit juice 1 ounce cranberry juice 3 drops lemon or orange bitters Brut rosé Champagne Garnish: lemon twist, edible flower 1. In an ice-filled cocktail shaker, combine gin, elderflower liqueur, juices, and bitters. Shake vigorously, and strain into a chilled martini glass. Pour Champagne on top. Garnish with lemon twist and edible flower, if desired.…

Pork shoulder is one of the foundations of barbecue. It’s hard not to love this large hunk of meat as it slowly smokes over flavorful woods until tender enough to pull apart. I’ve dabbled in competitive barbecue in my day, but I also like trying out nontraditional flavors when it comes to creating excellence in the smoker. Pig always pairs well with two other amazing ingredients: fruit and booze. For a contest in 2010, I combined them all, coming up with my Blackberry-Bourbon Boston Butt. A pork shoulder is injected with a mixture of jam, spirits, and honey, and then rubbed with nothing more than Cajun seasoning and brown sugar. It leaves the interior moist and flavorful while creating a sweet and spicy crust on the outside. Smoke it for…

Besides language, one of the indicators of the strong connection between New Orleans and Paris is absinthe. Th e ritual, the association with la vie bohème (the bohemian life), and the consumption of spirits are all links between the two cities. Absinthe, the anise-flavored spirit enjoyed in glorious excess by Edgar Degas, a visitor to New Orleans, Arthur Rimbaud, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and so many other members of the demimonde in Paris, was also quite popular in New Orleans. Absinthe is said to have been invented in Switzerland at the turn of the 19th century. It was an eau de vie flavored with herbs and spices including green anise, star anise, cardamom, and the most important botanical: Artemesia absinthium, commonly known as grand wormwood. When it was first formulated, absinthe…

Historic Covington, Louisiana, is laced with charm and bowing oak trees. Nestled in the corner of downtown, untrammeled by New Orleans tourists, resides Ristorante Del Porto. Soft ly lit iron pendants glimmer from above, and glasses clink in the background as the sound of jazz and the buzz of charismatic conversation fill every nook and cranny of this beautiful, lively Italian restaurant. David and Torre Solazzo are the husband-and-wife proprietors and chefs at Ristorante Del Porto. Th e two met and trained in the kitchen of the renowned Tra Vigne restaurant in Napa Valley, where the light West Coast fare became one of the greatest inspirations for the vibrant Italian cuisine that makes up their menu. In 2000, the duo relocated to Torre’s hometown of New Orleans and established roots…