Louisiana Cookin' November - December 2017

I REMEMBER MY FIRST CUP of café au lait like it was yesterday. It was a steamy October morning, and the French Quarter streets were just starting to wake up. The combination of the hot, slightly bitter coffee with the sweet, tender beignets made a lasting impression on me and were definitely part of the magic that drew me to New Orleans. Back then, I was just getting excited about coffee. I was learning my preference for lightly roasted chocolaty beans from Central and South America and trying different brewing methods. Around the same time, a coffee renaissance was taking place in Louisiana. Chefs and culinary professionals were looking toward those humble cherries to find the best ways to coax new and interesting flavors out of them. Whether you’re a…

I HAVE A FEELING I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE who has a Louisiana bucket list. The difference is that mine is probably more food-obsessed than some others’. Around this time of the year, I start thinking about fulfilling some of my annual holiday fantasies. OK, full disclosure: I eat a LOT during the holidays. I’d start with Thanksgiving dinner at Mariner’s in Natchitoches, sitting at one of their outdoor tables overlooking the water, although I think my eyes would be more focused on my plate of Crab and Shrimp Oscar in béarnaise sauce. Hey, this is my fantasy, and yes, I want seafood for Thanksgiving. Please don’t judge. If I couldn’t get to Natchitoches, then I’d fantasize about a bountiful Thanksgiving dinner in Old-World elegant surroundings at The Roosevelt…

Are you hungry for Louisiana? Baton Rouge-based freelance journalist Maggie Heyn Richardson sure is. You may already have her book, Hungry for Louisiana: An Omnivore’s Journey (LSU Press, 2015), but have you visited her blog? Check out hungryforlouisiana.com for Richardson’s recipes, musings on indigenous Louisiana foods, nostalgic moments about food, and really beautiful photographs. One of our favorite New Orleans chefs, James Beard-award-winner Alon Shaya, will release his book, Shaya: An Odyssey of Food, My Journey Back to Israel (Knopf, 2018) in March. This is Shaya’s cookbook, but it is also his personal life story. Finally, a little something sweet just for you. Baker and all-around sweet provider Robyn Selders has opened Cupcake Junkie in Baton Rouge. (She had me at “cupcake.”) Insider’s tip: try the “Denial,” chocolate cake with…

I recently had the honor of speaking with the 2017 Queen of Louisiana Seafood, Chef Bonnie Breaux of St. John Restaurant in St. Martinville. In June, she competed in a field of 12 Louisiana chefs (including past Chefs to Watch Ryan André, Lyle Broussard, and Nathan Richard) and took home the crown with her Cracklin’ Crusted Black Drum with Fennel and Bacon Marmalade. What is your background as a chef? Well, I am not culinary trained. Basically, I taught myself and learned the basics from my mother and father. I was always interested in cooking, but I didn’t start cooking professionally until age 39. I opened my own restaurant after a divorce, and then I went to Clementine’s in New Iberia as executive chef. Then I went to Tampa, Florida,…

FALL BRINGS MANY OF MY FAVORITE SEASONS in Louisiana, most notably football and hunting. When the air begins to get crisp, it brings flocks of migratory waterfowl. From rice fields in southwest Louisiana to flooded timber in the piney woods, duck hunting is a rite of passage for many of us. My father’s 12-gauge shotgun filled with steel shot would sit across my lap as day broke on the horizon. I’d be listening to the sounds of nature while bunkered down in a trench with family and friends and usually somebody’s trusty black Lab or golden retriever. As the sun rose, the birds would start flying and the steel would start singing. Wild duck meat makes for a great gumbo. I remember duck and andouille gumbos being a staple meal…

WITH LAVISH CAKES AND COOKIES, bold milk punches, and more at every turn throughout the holidays, it can be a relief to find a light and bright dessert. This classic angel food cake highlights Louisiana’s first-of-the-season strawberries as well as zippy lemon zest. You could save a few calories by leaving off the Lemon-Thyme Whipped Cream, but you only live once, right? ANGEL FOOD CAKE WITH LEMON-THYME WHIPPED CREAM MAKES ABOUT 12 SERVINGS 2 cups egg whites (12 to 14 large egg whites), room temperature ¾ teaspoon cream of tartar ½ teaspoon kosher salt 2 cups granulated sugar, divided 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon almond extract 1½ cups cake flour 1 cup heavy whipping cream ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar 1½ teaspoons chopped fresh thyme ½ teaspoon lemon zest Garnish:…