Innholdsfortegnelse for January - February 2018 i Louisiana Cookin'

MORE THAN COSTUMES AND PARADES, more than king cake and brimming bowls of milk punch, Carnival is about embracing tradition and spending time with family and friends. As my family has grown over the last few years, that has become even more true. Throughout the season, the four of us like to take time between parades to soak in the French Quarter joie de vivre and, sometimes, share a meal with friends. One of the family traditions we’ve started is Bananas Foster at Brennan’s on Royal Street in New Orleans. While the girls are a still a little young at this point to really get the whole picture of what’s going on, their eyes light up at the sight of the flambéed bananas (just like everybody else in the room).…

It can be a challenge staying fit with the way Louisiana’s homegrown foods so often compel us to eat rich, creamy dishes. But do we have to sacrifice flavor and tradition to eat well? No! Don’t take my word for it. I sat down with Ochsner Eat Fit NOLA founder, registered dietitian Molly Kimball . The Eat Fit NOLA program pairs dietitians and local chefs in hopes of coming up with healthier menu items that taste great. Tell us more about Eat Fit NOLA. It’s a nonprofit. We are registered dietitians, and we work with chefs or anywhere food and drink is sold to help them incorporate healthier options on their menus. We started in New Orleans, and in 2018, we’ll launch Eat Fit Northshore. Later, we hope to expand…

Whether you’re at work, your breakfast table, parties, or waiting at your car dealership, king cakes are almost literally everywhere during Carnival season. And for good reason: they’re delicious. While it may be difficult to admit, it’s OK to want desserts other than king cake. Here, we took the flavor profiles and festive colors of the king cake and transformed it into five to-die-for dishes you and your family will love. BOUDIN KING CAKE MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS 1¼ cups warm milk (105° to 110°), divided 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast ½ cup sugar, divided ½ cup unsalted butter, softened 2 teaspoons kosher salt 4 large eggs, divided 4½ cups all-purpose flour 1 pound cooked boudin sausage, casings removed, crumbled 1 teaspoon water Cane syrup* 1. In a 1-cup…

Though Louisiana is one of the top sugarcane-producing states in the country, it wasn’t until relatively recently that we were able to enjoy homegrown rums. This Carnival season, try out some of these twists on Louisiana classics that we made with Bayou Rum spirits. The Apothecary Cocktail was inspired by the venerable New Orleans Sazerac, and the Spiced Rum Milk Punch will warm up any chilly day. And if you’re looking to serve your guests an interesting cocktail without the fuss of shaking drinks to order, try the bright and spicy Ginger-Citrus Rum Punch. GINGER-CITRUS RUM P PUNCH MAKES ABOUT 12 SERVINGS 2 (12-ounce) bottles Swamp Pop Jean Lafitte Ginger Ale 2 cups fresh grapefruit juice 1 cup Bayou Silver Rum ¾ cup Bayou Satsuma Rum Liqueur* 1 (750-ml) bottle…

“[RIVER ROAD RECIPES] IS MORE THAN A COMPILATION OF 650 RECIPES—IT REFLECTS WHO WE ARE AND WHERE WE COME FROM.”—REBECCA KLAR, JUNIOR LEAGUE OF BATON ROUGE NO COOKBOOK LIBRARY IS COMPLETE without at least one community cookbook. These treasured tomes are typically compiled as a way to both celebrate regional food cultures and support community outreach efforts. For the past 59 years, River Road Recipes: The Textbook of Louisiana Cuisine (The Junior League of Baton Rouge, Inc., 2016) has graced many a bookshelf across the Bayou State. In 2016, River Road Recipes celebrated its 80th printing, proving the lasting power of this community cookbook, which has sold more than 1.4 million copies since it was first published. This collection of more than 600 recipes from the Junior League of Baton…

BAL MASQUÉ New Orleans, January 19–20 Kick off Carnival season in style at the Link Stryjewski Foundation’s third annual Bal Masqué. The major fund-raising event includes a formal masked ball complete with food and drinks from the country’s top chefs and mixologists as well as entertainment from local and international artists. Haitian band RAM will headline the 2018 gala, which will be held at The Sugar Mill in New Orleans. Louisiana acts will include Lost Bayou Ramblers, Cha Wa, and The Roots of Music. This year’s event also features a special four-course Chefs’ Dinner prepared by Mario Batali the night before the gala. The 2018 ticket options are more affordable than in previous years, with general admission tickets going for $300 each. VIP reserved seating, group seating, and weekend packages…

IT MAY SURPRISE YOU THAT CITIES from San Diego, California, to Deadwood, South Dakota, to Washington, D.C., are gearing up for their annual Mardi Gras celebrations. (Yes, I promise that Deadwood, South Dakota, population 1,270, does indeed celebrate Mardi Gras.) But let’s be real—this time of year, Louisiana is Mardi Gras, and that is probably why you are searching for your glue gun, more sequins, and whatever else it takes to get your costume together. And me? Well, I’m just working my way through as many king cakes as I can. No surprise there, right? This year, Fat Tuesday falls on February 13, which incidentally just happens to be the day I will polish off my 47th king cake of the season, most likely stuffed with cream cheese and blueberries.…

NEW ORLEANS’ OBSESSION WITH COFFEE is no secret. From the traditional café au lait at Café du Monde to the flaming Café Brûlot at Arnaud’s and brews from the dozens of third-wave micro-roasters that have cropped up in recent years, there is no shortage of great coffee in the Crescent City. Ask any java-loving New Orleanian what makes the city’s coffee so special, and they’ll tell you it all comes down to chicory, the bitter root of the endive plant, which is roasted, ground, and blended with dark-roast coffee for a distinct taste that many New Orleans natives have come to favor. Coffee itself has maintained a presence in the city since the 1700s. By the 19th century, New Orleans grew to become the second-largest port in the country. Over…

DON’T GET US WRONG: even at it’s most complicated, jambalaya is a straightforward dish that incorporates some of the best flavors in Louisiana. During Carnival, when parties, parades, and general revelry are around every bend, we’re always looking to make everything a little easier. This recipe makes use of one of our new favorite kitchen appliances: the multi-cooker. It is basically a range, slow cooker, pressure cooker, and rice cooker all in one, so it makes preparing this jambalaya a snap. If you have a rice cooker, this recipe will work just fine; you just won’t get the browning you’d see on a multi-cooker. CHICKEN AND ANDOUILLE JAMBALAYA MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 8 ounces andouille sausage, sliced 2 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size…

WHEN 2006 CHEF TO WATCH SLADE RUSHING was named executive chef at Brennan’s, which reopened after an extensive renovation in 2014, he was faced with a unique dilemma: how to maintain the integrity of the historic French Quarter restaurant’s menu while updating it for the modern palate. He set about refining some of its classic dishes with his fresh, lighter approach to cooking while retaining those familiar flavors that diners have come to know and love. One traditional Brennan’s favorite that Slade has left his mark on is the Filet Stanley, which he has put his own twist on by replacing certain elements of the dish with elevated components. Q What can you tell us about the history of Filet Stanley? This dish was created by Owen Brennan and Chef…

We begin this year without two of our favorite decades-old New Orleans restaurants. Both Vega Tapas Café and Café Giovanni closed late last year. Thanks to both for all those years of great dining and good times. It was our pleasure. Talk about working your way up the corporate ladder—New Orleans native Chef Douglas Braselman started with the Emeril’s organization at Emeril’s New Orleans , working under the guidance of Chef David Slater . He later moved to become chef de cuisine at Emeril’s Orlando at Universal’s CityWalk in Florida. But now, Douglas has been promoted to chef de cuisine at Emeril’s New Orleans, the company’s flagship restaurant. As for David, he has been promoted to director of culinary development at Chef Emeril Lagasse’s corporate headquarters in New Orleans. Hearty…

IN LOUISIANA, THE HOLIDAY SEASON starts with Thanksgiving and continues all the way through Mardi Gras Day, so every once in a while, we need to treat ourselves to something a little lighter. Here, we lightened up a decadent oyster stew and got to use one of our favorite time-saving tricks: freshly shucked Louisiana oysters. PERNOD-POACHED OYSTER STEW MAKES 6 SERVINGS 2 russet potatoes, peeled and quartered 2 cups whole milk 2 cups seafood stock 1 tablespoon Pernod Ricard* 1 pint fresh oysters, drained (reserve oyster liquor) ¼ cup unsalted butter 1 shallot, minced 1 clove garlic, minced ½ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce ¼ teaspoon celery salt Garnish: hot sauce, chopped fresh thyme 1. In a medium saucepan,…

ALONG THE BAYOU TECHE in the small city of St. Martinville, you’ll find The St. John Restaurant, where 2017 Queen of Louisiana Seafood, Bonnie Breaux, reigns over the kitchen. There, she cooks up beloved Cajun classics and new favorites to the delight of locals and tourists alike. Last June, the Lafayette native became the first woman to ever win the Louisiana Seafood Cook-Off, competing against 11 other Bayou State chefs to earn the crown. She impressed the judges with her Crackling-Crusted Black Drum and butter-poached jumbo lump crabmeat, served over Abita Amber-infused Brabant potatoes and haricot vert. “I couldn’t believe that I did it,” Bonnie says. “I knew that I could do it, but the reality was shocking. It’s been a wonderful experience…. I’ve met so many talented chefs, and…

In Louisiana, king cake is more than just dessert—it’s an entire season. From the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6 until Fat Tuesday (which falls on February 13 this year), these traditional Carnival treats can be found in nearly every bakery and grocery store in the state. A standard New Orleans-style king cake consists of cinnamon-swirled brioche dough topped with icing and Mardi Gras-colored sugar or sprinkles: purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power. A small plastic baby or other trinket is baked or placed into the cake, and the person who gets the piece with the baby is expected to provide the king cake for the next party. While the cinnamon-filled versions are most traditional, cream cheese and fruit fillings are common additions. What’s more,…

LOUISIANA HAS LONG BEEN RECOGNIZED for the quality of its seafood. The nutrient-rich waters of its estuaries contribute to the fresh flavor that makes our seafood special, so it comes as no surprise that Louisiana fish are now being used to produce Cajun Caviar, a brand of bowfin caviar that’s popping up on menus across New Orleans and the Gulf South. Cajun Caviar was introduced in 1986 by the Louisiana Caviar Co., and since 2016, it has been owned and operated by Alden Lagasse, Alison Vega-Knoll, and Amy Wilson. Alison owns Bucktown seafood restaurant Station 6 with her husband, Drew Knoll. Alden is married to celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse, whose restaurant company is based in New Orleans. Amy is married to Chris Wilson, who is the culinary director for Emeril’s…

TWELFTH NIGHT IS SIGNIFICANT in Louisiana because it signifies the beginning of Carnival season, which starts with smaller parties and gatherings and then gradually progresses to the big show that is the last two weeks leading up to Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras Day. I came up with this punch a few years ago when I had friends over to celebrate Twelfth Night with our first king cakes of the season. Obviously, Twelfth Night has religious significance, and has had for centuries before we hijacked it as one of our own traditions more than a hundred years ago. It’s the day of Epiphany, the end of Christmastide (the Twelve Days of Christmas), when Christian religions commemorate the visit of the Three Wise Men to the infant Christ. This Twelfth Night Punch…