Innholdsfortegnelse for March - April 2017 i Taste of the South

when I was barely 12 years old, and that glorious spring day still shines brightly in my memory. It was a school field trip, and even though we were supervised, we felt like we’d been released into the wild. We skipped down cobblestone streets, wandered the stalls of the French Market, and laughed ourselves silly as we ate beignets, making a royal mess as we blew powdered sugar all over the place. As fun as that first trip was, every visit takes my love for New Orleans up a notch. Having grown up eating classic Southern fare, the robust, spice-packed Creole and Cajun cuisine always takes me by surprise in the best possible way, awakening my taste buds with its layers of boisterous flavor. If you don’t have a trip…

BLACK PEPPER BUTTERMILK BISCUITS Makes about 10 Black pepper adds a little bite to these traditional buttermilk biscuits. 2½ cups self-rising flour* 2 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons ground black pepper ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed 1 cup cold whole buttermilk 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1. Preheat oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, and pepper. Using a pastry blender or 2 forks, cut in cold butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir in buttermilk just until combined. 3. Turn out dough onto a heavily floured surface. Fold dough in half until it becomes comes together, 5 to 6 times. Pat or roll dough ½ inch thick. Using a 2½-inch round cutter dipped in flour, cut dough, without…

A sandwich with as much history as the city that created it, the po’boy found its start in the 1920s during a streetcar conductor strike. These sandwiches left the conductors’ (called “poor boys” back then) empty stomachs full all day. These days, chefs all over the South are stuffing their po’boys with all manner of delicious fillings. No matter which you choose, just be sure you’ve got New Orleans po’boy bread and a cold bottle of root beer in hand, and you’ll have a lunch that’ll keep you going all day long. Adele’s on Canton ROSWELL, GEORGIA He may live in Georgia now, but chef and owner Marc Wegman is no stranger to New Orleans cuisine. Born and raised in the Big Easy, Marc worked for New Orleans royalty, the…

After realizing his passion lay in cooking and not in the biology degree he had earned, Alex Harrell took his talents to New Orleans, where he spent nearly 20 years honing his craft in some of the city’s most-renowned restaurants. In 2015, Alex opened his own New Orleans restaurant, Angeline, where his clean, sophisticated style of Southern cooking shines on every plate. Spring ingredients you look forward to cooking with? Fava beans, fennel, and crawfish Biggest cooking influence? My grandmother, and New Orleans-based chef Gerard Maras Three ingredients you always keep in your kitchen? Domestic olive oil, sea salt, and a great vinegar are essential. One thing people would be surprised to find in your home kitchen? French’s yellow mustard—I really like it on my sandwiches. Favorite classic New Orleans…

Where to Stay ST. JAMES HOTEL This Central Business District hotel is within walking distance to the French Quarter, renowned for its good eats. When you’re ready for a break from all the deliciousness, you can relax in your opulent West Indies-style room, decorated in homage to the building’s Caribbean sugar and coffee trade history. saintjameshotel.com NEW ORLEANS 1 Southern-fried chicken DOOKY CHASE’S Now known for the delicious Creole dishes of Leah Chase, this corner building started as a small sandwich shop. Featuring African-American and Creole cuisine, Dooky Chase is a favorite lunch spot for the famous buffet, and a must-stop for some of the best fried chicken around. dookychaserestaurant.com 2 Cookies & Milk WILLA JEAN BAKERY Pastry chefs Kelly Fields and Lisa White are the inventive pair behind this…

SKILLET BISCUITS WITH CANE SYRUP Makes about 6 With a more subtle flavor than molasses, cane syrup is the perfect partner for biscuits. 3 cups self-rising flour ¾ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed 1 cup whole milk, chilled 2 teaspoons vegetable oil Cane syrup and butter, to serve 1. Preheat oven to 450°. In a large bowl, place flour. Using a pastry blender or 2 forks, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Gradually add milk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. 2. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough 4 times. Roll dough ¾ inch thick. Fold dough in half. Using a 3-inch round cutter dipped in flour, cut dough, rerolling scraps once. 3. Wipe bottom and sides of an 8-inch cast-iron skillet with oil. Place pan in…

Nestled among streets lined with intricate balconies or Spanish moss–adorned live oaks are the Grande Dames of the New Orleans dining scene. These genteel ladies celebrate dining as an art form, where not only the chef’s creations, but the movements of the wait staff and even the building’s decor denote grandeur, opulence, and expertise. They remind us of a time when diners didn’t show up merely to sate their daily need for bread, but to become part of an awed audience waiting with bated breath for each new act in the performance. What makes the show so enticing? Is the food that good? Is the history that rich? Yes, and well, yes. These Grande Dames have laid the foundation for the cuisine of New Orleans—the Creole and Cajun dishes that…

MAKES ABOUT 12 SERVINGS 32 pounds live crawfish 6 cups kosher salt, divided 1 4lb. bag Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seafood Boil 10 lemons, halved 10 pounds red potatoes, quartered 8 pounds corn on the cob, shucked and halved 16 heads garlic, halved crosswise 8 pounds andouille sausage, cut into thirds Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning, optional 1. In a large bucket or cooler filled with live crawfish, add 3 cups salt and water to cover. Let stand 30 minutes, discarding any crawfish that float to the top, which indicates the crawfish are dead. Rinse crawfish thoroughly with cold water. 2. In a large outdoor 60-gallon pot with a crawfish basket, add ¾ bag of Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seafood Boil, remaining 3 cups salt, and lemons, squeezing the juices.…

THE FRENCH MARKET REBIRTH | New Orleans, LA Originally a Native American trading post, the French Market has been a New Orleans landmark since 1791. America’s oldest public market represents some of the best of the Big Easy, with classics like Café du Monde. But don’t miss new favorites such as Continental Provisions, where you can pick up fresh Bellegarde bread and artisanal cheeses (or grab one of their decadent sandwiches, like their housemade Pimiento Cheese with Edward’s Country Ham), and The Crepe Cart, which serves authentic French crepes with a twist, like the Bacon and Nutella Crepe. frenchmarket.org ONE FIFTH | Houston, TX This innovative new restaurant located in the heart of Houston will be open for only five years, but each year will usher in an entirely new…

TIPS SHOP SMART Choose firm, plump berries with a bright red color. Strawberries do not ripen after they are picked. STORE SMART Strawberries are highly perishable, so store them promptly in the fridge. Don’t wash them until just before eating, within three or four days of purchase. STRAWBERRY BREAD PUDDING Makes 8 servings Strawberries and custard turn leftover croissants into a divine treat. 8 cups (1-inch) day-old croissant pieces 1½ cups whole milk ½ cup heavy whipping cream ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 large eggs ¾ cup quartered fresh strawberries Garnish: confectioners’ sugar 1. Place croissant pieces in a 2-quart baking dish. 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, cream, sugars, vanilla, and eggs. Pour milk mixture over…

CRAWFISH CORNBREAD Makes 8 to 10 servings How do you jazz up traditional Southern cornbread? With crawfish tails and spicy Creole flavors, of course! 6 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion ½ green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced 1 cup plain yellow cornmeal 1½ teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning ¼ teaspoon baking soda 2 large eggs, lightly beaten ½ cup whole milk 1 (8.5-ounce) can cream-style corn ½ pound cooked crawfish tails, drained ¾ cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, plus more for sprinkling 1. Preheat oven to 400°. 2. In an 8-inch cast-iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are…

The Flaming French Quarter Favorite Daily in New Orleans, many a pan of sliced bananas, brown sugar, butter, and rum burst into bright flame to the delight of the audience of diners. No, the city is not plagued by an overabundance of combustible ingredients—Bananas Foster, the saucy, sweet, rum- and liqueur-drenched dessert of tableside flambéed fame, is purposely set ablaze to create its perfectly caramelized flavor. This lauded dish was created by Brennan's Restaurant chef Paul Blangé to incorporate the ingredient of the day: bananas. The new and exotic fruit had taken hold of the public’s interest, and Chef Blangé’s new creation, flambéed before diners’ very eyes, was a huge hit. Owner Owen Brennan named the new dish after his friend, Richard Foster, whose civic efforts had helped encourage visitors…

This tale of sea and marsh and bay and bayou and the fishermen they call to is the latest in a series of publisher and editor Susan Schadt’s explorations of outdoor sport and culinary convergence. She asked eight Southern chefs to share their favorite fishing spots along the Gulf Coast and the Eastern Seaboard. With each chapter narrated by a different chef, the book conveys the stories and passions that accompany true fishermen, and shows the beauty and grandeur of the waterways that help sustain the Southern way of life. How did you “catch” these particular Southern chef-fishermen? I depended on chefs I had worked with before, who I knew to be avid fishermen with a strong connection to the waterways and who were interested in the sustainability of fisheries.…