Mardi Gras

We had a big crawfish boil at the restaurant for Mardi Gras. Also made Gumbo, jambalaya, bread pudding, Hurricanes etc. I made the Paul Prudhome recipe for Cajun Shepherd's pie for the first time. It was from his first cookbook backin the 1980's. It consists of a deliciously spiced meat loaf, topped with sauteed vegetable (with another set of spices, frosted with mashed potatoes, and a spicy brown sauce on the side. It was delicious and reminded me of how much I loved that book when it was first published.

It is always a treat to eat in his restaurant in New Orleans named the same as his book "K Paul's Lousiana Kitchen". There is always a line to get in, and they have a community seating policy, so a couple of times, I have shared dinner with absolute strangers. It seems a bit strange, but it was not unpleasant or uncomfortable at all, I remember meeting some lovely people and engaging interesting conversation.

Lemon Souffle

I woke up craving lemon souffle for some reason. Unfortunately there weren't enough eggs in the house, so after a quick trip to the market, inbetween my Sunday political shows, I whipped this up for breakfast. I added a couple rashers of bacon and toast. It might seem like a silly breakfast, but it definitely hit the spot for me.

Lobster Ravioli

My employer Susie Gallagher was telling me about this ravioli dish she had once eaten, and she asked me to come up with something similar for a special. This is a combination I would never have put together because it had a Gorgonzola sauce-fish and cheese just don't go together in my book. But I have to say it was quite delicious. The salty pungent blue cheese only enhanced the briny sweetness of the lobster and cream-when I suspected the cheese would completely take over the dish-it did not. I added some sauteed spinach, which was a beautiful color contrast with the coral colors of the lobster sauce and was also marvelous when it mixed into the sauce.

Early St Patty's Day

General Manager James Gallagher is getting his St Patty's Day "look" a headstart.

Farewell Lunch

It's official-we are not serving lunch starting February 1st. It has been a long and labored decision, but with no lunch we are extending the Sunday hours until 8 PM in the evening. There have been many times when we've turned away lots of diners because they arrived late, not realizing we close at 5 PM. We are also opening at 4 Pm on Saturday evenings. Again there is always a waiting line at the front door when we open at 5. This should ease openings, so that the servers aren't hit with several tables all at one time-each wanting their water, their bread, their drink all at the same time-sometimes the first 20 minutes are the most frantic for the servers until everyone hits their stride. This will also allow my kitchen to be more focused and organised. Darrell Logan who headed up the lunch since opening will be joining the evening crew. Here is one of Darrell's last lunch special, a lovely shrimp taco salad.

Last Holiday Party

Since I work in the restaurant industry, I seldom have time between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve to cook for my family and friends at home. Consequently most of my things are post holiday at best. We had one last dinner yesterday and now the holiday decor can be packed away until next year.

Yesterday I made an extravagant Spanish lunch. We started with Chilled shrimp and bacon wrapped dates. On my buffet I had my favorite salad of oranges, red onion, radish, fresh fennel, nicoise olives, dressed with a cilantro-orange vinagrette. I had another salad of fingerling potatoes, grape tomatoes, asparagus, and green beans dress with whole grain mustard vinaigrette. I made Potatas Brava again. This time with more chili-they were better than my last attempt, but they weren't very popular-I think I'll give up on this dish if I can't get it right in two attempts.

The centerpiece was an extravagant Paella Valencia. The photo doesn't do the dish justice, because I placed it on top of my stove and too much sunlight floods in and washes out all the color. I used arborio rice and Mexican Chorizo (which is markedly different from Spanish Chorizo), but the flavors were excellent if not quite authentic. I cooked it in my large copper roasting pan which is deeper than a paella pan, but everyone really enjoyed it and went back for extras. It was filled with lobster tails, shrimp, clams, mussels, chicken, and of course the chorizo. I used a tomato-lobster stock flavored with Saffron to cook the rice.

Spit Roasted Cornish Hens

This was simple and good after all the rich holiday dinners and hors de ouevres. I brined the birds for a couple of hours then roasted them in the counter-top rotisserie while glazing them with smoked paprika, sherry, lemon, and honey. I also made some potatas brava. I placed fresh hot and dried chilis in my mortar with garlic, cumin, and olive oil and mashed them with the pestle. I added some cauliflour to this typical Spanish dish. I had been thinking of making one of my favorite potato and cauliflour dishes from Madhur Jaffrey's "Indian Cooking". The recipes are quite similar. Potatas Brava, named because only the brave eat them-they are so firey. Mine turned out a bit wimpy-next time I will up up the hot peppers a bit and transform it into a proper manly Potatas Brava

Lost Camera

I misplaced my camera for several weeks, so most of December's food didn't get blogged. I did get a picture of a beautiful salad I made for Christmas dinner. I roasted beets, peeled, chilled, and sliced them. I peeled a couple of ripe persimmons and cut them into slices, and I added the seeds of one pomegranate. I layered these ingredients over field greens and drizzled the salad with fresh lemon juice and olive oil. I find the colors compelling, but the flavors and textures were just as dazzling, I'm sure I will be using this trilogy of ingredients again.

We started with Champangoes (champagne and mango nectar) garnished with star fruit.

Up first were oysters "Bonne Femme" which I thought meant "pretty woman". Most Bonne Femme dishes also include potatoes-this one doesn't-just a rich bechamel flavored with sherry. Crab and sauteed peppers and shallot are folded into the bechamel before being spooned onto oysters resting in their half shells. They are quickly run under a hot broiler until they are bubbling and slightly browned.

I also roasted a tenderloin and sauced it with Morel-Onion Marmalade-sorry no pictures, I hope I can get back into the habit of carrying my camera again and taking better care of it. I did manage to get a couple of pictures of my festive dining room with its vintage Santa collection

Smoked Trout

I got some beautiful smoked trout recently. I think smoked trout always makes a delicious appetizer. I sort of dress out the plate as I would for smoked salmon. I grilled some baguette slices, made a cucumber-sour cream-dill relish, chopped egg, onion, and tomato with some horseradish sauce on the side.

Cider Braised Pot Roast

This was labeled an English Arm Roast at the butcher shop, but most English arm roasts on the net are described as boneless. This one had a chunk of bone at the top as well as some short ribs attached. It was held together with a thick wooden skewer. I always the pick the roasts with alot of big bones because they taste better and make better sauces and gravies, eventhough they are more difficult to carve in any kind of orderly fashion. I browned the roast, then added some hard apple cider mixed with some beef broth and vegetables and braised it in a 300 degree oven for 3 hours. It was tender and juicy, and made a delicious gravy. I roasted some carrots, fingerling potatoes, parsnips, brussels sprouts, and pearl onions alongside.

Grilled Marlin with Roasted Sweet Pepper Sauce

First I marinated the fish steaks in a little white wine, garlic, rosemary, and olive oil, before grilling. For the sauce I roasted some sweet red peppers and then cooked them with some shallot and garlic in chicken stock. I added a tablespoon of sugar and red wine vinegar to pick up the flavors a bit. I pureed the pepper-stock mixture, which created this beautiful sauce-no further thickening required. Next I topped the steak with a touch of lobster butter to melt across the top before serving.

Turban Squash Stuffed with Curried Pork and Rice

Start by cutting off the top of a Turban Squash, scrape out the seeds and strings. Brush the inside of the squash with melted butted and brown sugar-up the side as well, and roast at 375 degrees until the squash is tender, but not collapsing.

While the squash is roasting, saute some curry spices in clarified butter, add garlic, onion, celery, and carrots. Just wilt the vegetable slightly and let the spice aroma develop and add ground pork, brown slightly and add rice. Cook the rice briefly until it becomes opaque-like preparing a pilaf. Add raisins and chicken stock and bring to the boil. Simmer until rice is almost done-al dente. Add some nuts if you like them.

Fill the squash with the pork mixture, and return it to the oven for 30 minutes for a final cooking stage and to let all the marvelous flavors marry. Cut into pie wedges and serve a slice of squash with some of the stuffing.

Seafood Pasta

I bought this ridiculously expensive pasta a farmer's market-lemon and spinach. I thought the ruffled edges looked like they might hold sauce well. I sauteed shellfish in garlic butter (U10 shrimp, little necks, cherry stones, mussels, and U10 sea scallops, I added a splash of white wine and a cup of marinara to the pan drippings and tossed in the cooked pasta-very tasty-also added fresh basil, oregano, and thyme.

Potato encrusted Mahi Mahi on Pineapple Linguini

This is a quick trick for tweaking fish fillets. First soak the fillets in a spiced buttermilk (I like garlic, paprika, cayenne), then dredge them in potato flakes and simply sautee in clarified butter. They are surprisingly tasty and pair well with creamy sauces. For this dish we used mahi mahi fillets, and made a creamy vegetabe sauce for linguini with some pineapple chunks and orange zest for a bit of a surprise. It sells pretty well, garnished with some additional sauteed shrimp and fresh basil, it also has eye appeal

PUMPKINS AND PUMPKIN SOUP WITH WILD MUSHROOMS

Some of the kids carved pumpkins for the restaurant last week. On Halloween, all the customers voted and the winner got $50 plus some ghoulish gifts. While they were carving pumpkins, I was making soup. I think I got this recipe from an old Gourmet magazine-I've been making several years, so I'm not sure where I got it. I sauteed some curry powder, shallot, garlic, and mushrooms briefly in butter. Add pumpkin puree and thin with chicken stock until it has your desired consistency and simmer a few minutes-it's a very quick soup-once you have the pumpkin puree (you can also use canned). Taste for salt and pepper, and add a couple tablespoons of honey, if you like your pumpkin a little sweet, plus the sweetness is a great counterpoint to curry. Stir in a couple tablespoons of cream to round the flavor and serve with additional sauteed wild mushrooms to garnish.

Roasted Autumn Vegetables

I've been sending out platters of roasted fall vegetables. Here I have used butternut and acorn squash, sweet potatoes, red peppers, purple onion, and parsnips. You have to roast everything separately because they all have different cooking times, and by roasting everything separately and then combining them at the end for a final communal roasting they each retain their individual characteristics. Glazed with butter and brown sugar, they are irresistible.

Strip Steaks with Devils on Horseback

Angels on Horseback is an appetizer often associated with New Orleans. It is a plump oyster wrapped in bacon and broiled or grilled-either on a skewer, a toothpik, on on the half shell. They are, by legend, called Angels on Horseback because the oysters curl at the edges as they cook and look like angel wings-whatever, I doubt most people have seen actual angel wings, but it is a rather poetic title. To make their evil twin, the Devil on Horseback, you must douse the oysters with hot sauce before cooking them. I skewered my devils, doused them with "Cajun Sunshine" and grilled them along side the strip steaks.

It turns out oysters with bacon and beef actually date back to Victorian England-yawn-New Orleans seems more exciting-and in England and Ireland they make their Devils on Horseback with prunes wrapped in bacon-at least that's what I read on the internet. I'll stick with my version-rich, seductive, and a little bit noughty.

Moules Marinier

Means mussels mariner style, or mussels with white wine and herbs. These were wild harvested mussels and they were plump and delicious. Because they were wild, there is always the possibility of grit, so I cleaned them well and pulled the little mass that attaches the mussels to their underwater home. I then let them sit in a strong vinegar-water solution which helps them expell any grit inside the shells. For this batch I took 1/4 cup butter and briefly sauteed garlic, shallot, and a mixture of herbs (all things still growing in my garden-oregano, basil, mint, sage, thyme, chive), I added 1/2 cup white wine and brought it to the boil. Next add the mussels and cover and simmer over medium heat for a couple minutes until the mussels open. Discard any that do not open. Add some lemon squeezes, if you like, and eat with lots of crusty bread to sop up the the incredible broth.

Grilled Radicchio, Rooasted Pears and Shrimp

This is a recipe I'm working on for some classes in January. I roasted the pears with a little honey, I quartered the heads of Radicchio, brushed them with olive oil and grilled them. I sauteed the shrimp in garlic butter, but I think I will change the shrimp to seared sea scallops for the final recipe. I next made a vinaigrette with Balsamic vinegar mixed with the juices left from the roasting pears. The honey was a nice counter balance to the bitter Radicchio. The flavors worked beautifully, but I think the sea scallops might make a more appealing plate.

It's still Summer

Usually the trees are gold and red, and the temperatures are lowering and approaching frost levels in the mornings around here, but not this year. It is still sunny and in the 90's. I did add an apple salad to the summer menu-so I guess that makes it sort of a fall menu. I used Fuji apples with some grapes, celery, and peanuts. The only other unusual thing I did was to brine the ribs witin an apple juice brine. I did the ribs very slowly over almost dead coals for over 2 hours.

Delmonicos with Tapenade Butter and Roasted Squash

Fall is here and the sweet fall vegetables are so appealing. I roasted this squash, I can't recall the name-Sugar Baby-or something like that, that I got at Soulard Farmer's market. I roasted the squash cut in half with the flesh side up. Many recipes will direct you to place them on a baking sheet with the flesh side down with a bit of water on the bottom of the pan. This steams them. I prefer my way as the flesh will carmelize and brown and be sweeter. I rubbed the steaks with garlic and olive oil before grilling them ove charcoal. I made a steak butter with a tapenade which I incorporated with butter. All was delicious. The tapenade butter is a wonderful little addition to many things. It is marvelous over steamed cauliflour and tops a tuna steak just as tastily as a beef steak.

Tuscan Pork Stew over Polenta

I tried this recipe out of last month's Food and Wine Magazine-it just sounded so good to me. However it must not have sounded good to the guests, because practically no one ordered it. The dish was savorous and marvelous so it was disappointing that it wouldn't sell. It is an easy recipe, but of course takes quite a long time simmering. Some famous Italian chef's aunt makes it nightly in her Tuscan restaurant, other than that it is just a very straightforward braise. I used large chunks of boneless pork shoulder-not alot of vegetables-some onions, carrots, and tomato. I made a creamy polenta using half milk and half water. Most of the waiters didn't know what polenta was, so we ended up with "a creamy Italian corn meal" as the description they could use at table, probably not a delicious enough description.

Commercial State Bank Anniversary Celebration

CSB celebrated 125 years in business last week (one of those lucky banks that remained open during the depression). They handle most of the restaurant's financials, and they are also our next door neighbor. They asked us to provide some refreshments for about 300 guests. We laid out platters of ante pasto, crudites, and fruit and cheese. The bank employees passed trays of pork skewers with peach glaze and mini Beef Wellingtons. It was one of the easiest catering job I've even done, considering their back door is right next to our back door-easy set up and easy clean up. They had a harpist perform which is always rather elegant.

Barramundi

The past couple of weeks we have been preparing Barramundi. It is a fish native to Australia. We have been getting it fresh, and it is just marvelous. It is a mildly sweet fish with snow white flesh. We bread crumb it lightly and put it on the grill. The first weekend I sauced it with a Champagne veloute, but last weekend I changed the sauce to one flavored with sesame oil, fresh ginger, soy, sherry, and black and white sesame seeds.

A Small Intimate, and Lovely Wedding

A wedding took place Sunday afternoon on the third floor. 30 guests, with six of them children. It was an older couple, with mostly their children and grandchildren in attendance. They were a beautiful older couple, but I won't publish their pictures or names for privacy reasons. The bride chose simplicity and understatement, and it was quite striking. Mini potted yellow roses adorned the dining table, which was one large U shape. The bride and her attendant carried yellow rose and white orchid bouquets, which later became centerpieces. The couple promised their vows between yellow rose standards. It was a sweet scenario.

Their lunch was served at 2:45 PM after the ceremony. They served Caesar salad, Prime Rib with cheese crusted potatoes in ramekins and hoisin glazed green beans with black sesame seeds. The wedding cake was cut ans served as dessert.