tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92208485591878210962024-03-14T03:09:35.392-07:00CulinaryTour Creolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10882256215757551262noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9220848559187821096.post-26009275356546317172018-01-06T05:53:00.000-08:002019-01-06T04:05:20.668-08:00King Cake Recipe<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Welllllll.......</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">This is the King Cake recipe that I have been using for over two decades now. It was <b><i>very difficult</i></b> to master - as anyone who ever tasted my earlier efforts will attest. But from years and years of trial and error I finally have it down and now people practically demand that I make a King Cake for my parties -- and theirs! (Even people who say they hate King Cake clamor for home made.) My problem was that this was from an 1880-something recipe (I regret that I did not make note of the exact date) and I didn't know then what I now know about vintage recipes. The biggest problem was that the recipe required you to make three strands, braid them and then bake them in a "moderate oven" for an hour.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>AN HOUR!</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I've learned that 12 minutes or less is all you need. So, here is the recipe with the benefit of my expertise. I will warn you - it is complicated to make in that there are a lot of steps, but they are not difficult steps. </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">It is a <i>bread</i>...not a cake....and I will say I tried to make the dough in a bread machine (and a food processor too, for that matter) and my notes say that it was a disaster. Do this by hand. </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">There are many who will look at this and say "Sheesh! That's way too much work! It's just easier to buy one!" Well, that's very true...but one bite of home made King Cake still warm from the oven will convince you that it's so worth the effort and you'll do it year after year. </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Now, if you're ready - here we go...</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">KING CAKE</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">4 cups flour
1 cup warm, whole milk</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">2 pkgs yeast
1 tsp salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1/3 cup sugar
1 egg (room temperature)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1 stick butter, melted
1 egg yolk beaten with</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> (<b><i>NOT</i></b> margarine!!! And don't let
1 tsp milk</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> the butter
be hot.) cinnamon</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> plastic
baby</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> white
icing</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> purple, green & gold sanding sugars</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> or
any kind of festive decoration</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sift 3 cups of flour into bowl</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> - Make a well in the center</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> - Add yeast & 1 tsp sugar in well</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> (Hint: check
the expiration date on your yeast - make sure
it's still good.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> - Add warm milk and stir to dissolve
yeast</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> - Sprinkle a little flour over yeast
mix</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> - Cover with a cloth or towel and let
stand 10 minutes</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">2.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Beat melted butter, remaining sugar, salt & egg
until thoroughly blended. (This is why
you don't want your butter hot - if it's too hot it will cook the egg.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">3.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">After yeast mix has sat for 10 minutes, remove the
towel. It should be very foamy. If it is not, your yeast is no good and you'll need to
start that part over with fresher yeast.
However, if you've checked your expiration date and the yeast hasn't expired,
you'll be fine. Carry on....</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> - Stir butter/egg mixture into the
yeast mixture and incorporate the rest of the flour to make a soft dough, stir in more flour a little
at a time as needed to make the dough soft
but firm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> - Knead until
smooth and elastic. (8 – 10 minutes)</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uXgM1gl1oho/WlDOgfnnaUI/AAAAAAAAAtw/jf7HFvXirJA7QPiiWb_u4rY2ojaKwIIGwCEwYBhgL/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="541" data-original-width="960" height="112" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uXgM1gl1oho/WlDOgfnnaUI/AAAAAAAAAtw/jf7HFvXirJA7QPiiWb_u4rY2ojaKwIIGwCEwYBhgL/s200/3.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">4.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Place in a greased bowl, turn to coat all sides, cover bowl with a towel/cloth and let rise in a </span><b style="font-size: x-large;"><i>warm place</i></b><span style="font-size: large;"> 1 – ½ hours.</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jfz4t7HikbI/WlDPXRkdtFI/AAAAAAAAAt4/2wod8-p8boAKSbJdSj3twf-3ibn77130gCEwYBhgL/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="541" data-original-width="960" height="112" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jfz4t7HikbI/WlDPXRkdtFI/AAAAAAAAAt4/2wod8-p8boAKSbJdSj3twf-3ibn77130gCEwYBhgL/s200/5.jpg" width="200" /> </span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">5.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> - Punch dough down and divide in three
equal parts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> - Sprinkle each part liberally with cinnamon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> - Roll and stretch each piece into 40
inch strands.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> - Pinch them all together on one end
and braid.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> - Place the braid on a greased baking sheet (I also line the sheet with foil) forming an oval</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> - Place the baby somewhere in the dough
and pinch dough over it to hide it well.</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Oke4a5Wg7ZA/WlDQH9K8CAI/AAAAAAAAAuA/qu1kR7liGNcY1q-M2YwazxtBy5x-wQXswCEwYBhgL/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="541" data-original-width="960" height="112" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Oke4a5Wg7ZA/WlDQH9K8CAI/AAAAAAAAAuA/qu1kR7liGNcY1q-M2YwazxtBy5x-wQXswCEwYBhgL/s200/6.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> - Cover and let rise 30 minutes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">6.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Bake at 325⁰ for 10 – 12 minutes until golden brown.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">7.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Frost while warm and decorate.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fckeIktwXy8/WlDQIb_1wyI/AAAAAAAAAuE/HVP71G6kME0LJgHW-kkCwRGVXPJLPvHQACEwYBhgL/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="541" data-original-width="960" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fckeIktwXy8/WlDQIb_1wyI/AAAAAAAAAuE/HVP71G6kME0LJgHW-kkCwRGVXPJLPvHQACEwYBhgL/s320/7.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">8.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Save a piece for me!</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yh6b76l0whI/WlDQIaNbQiI/AAAAAAAAAuI/KRHjtYZn8bwtw_fmzFHJYTG-_tPkc7XtgCEwYBhgL/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="541" data-original-width="960" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yh6b76l0whI/WlDQIaNbQiI/AAAAAAAAAuI/KRHjtYZn8bwtw_fmzFHJYTG-_tPkc7XtgCEwYBhgL/s320/8.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">OK, its time to give you some of my expertise. This is <b><i>extremely</i></b> easy to mess up and I spent years making notes of my successes and failures. I won't bore you with all of them but I will tell you that I have learned to use an instant read thermometer and after ten minutes at </span><span style="font-size: large;">325⁰ check it - the cake is done when the thermometer reads between 176</span><span style="font-size: large;">⁰ and 179</span><span style="font-size: large;">⁰. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I know that sounds weird - why not 175</span><span style="font-size: large;">⁰</span><span style="font-size: large;"> - 180</span><span style="font-size: large;">⁰ ? I don't know - but trust me on this.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Bake the baby in the dough - the dough will not get hot enough to melt the plastic. Make sure you hide the baby well in the dough - if something happens that the head or a foot or arm is sticking out after the baking, slather icing on it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">HAPPY CARNIVAL! </span></div>
Tour Creolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10882256215757551262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9220848559187821096.post-21088081100297080892016-04-28T05:44:00.001-07:002016-04-28T05:57:34.932-07:00CRAWFISH!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8a7rUiz03Is/VyIGudySLGI/AAAAAAAAAcA/D_GkEQo-7u4q7QLQjDyxvN4JUp5Zq4AKACLcB/s1600/1a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8a7rUiz03Is/VyIGudySLGI/AAAAAAAAAcA/D_GkEQo-7u4q7QLQjDyxvN4JUp5Zq4AKACLcB/s320/1a.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
With crawfish season in full tilt the obsession with the crawfish boil is raging as fiercely as the boil water. However, in the old days crawfish (while certainly available to those that wanted it) was not necessarily a springtime staple in the New Orleans diet and there are no recipes or directions in vintage cookbooks for what we now know as a crawfish boil until much later. (In fact, until more recently, the crab boil was more typical in the New Orleans area than was crawfish.)<br />
<br />
However, there are vintage crawfish recipes in older cookbooks - some of them are pretty creative. I would encourage those who follow this blog to give other options a try. Here are two from 1941. (The Tomato Cheese Sauce is a tomato soup based shortcut - homemade cream of tomato soup or a basic Creole sauce with a cup of grated cheese added and melted in will work if one prefers.)<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
from <b><i>MY PRIZE WINNING RECIPES</i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by <b>Mrs. Geo. A. Chehardy (New Orleans)</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>CRAWFISH DUMPLINGS</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b> With Tomato Cheese Sauce</b></div>
<br />
<b>Filling for Dumplings:</b><br />
<br />
2 cups boiled, minced crawfish mixed with 1 tablespoon each minced onion, parsley, green pepper and celery. Season highly and moisten with melted butter.<br />
<br />
<b>Dumplings:</b><br />
<br />
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</xml><![endif]-->Sift together 2 cups flour, 3 teaspoons baking powder and 1/8 tsp. salt. Cut in 2 tablespoons shortening and 1 beaten egg. Add enough milk (about 3/4 cup) to make a moderately firm dough. Roll thin; cut in large rounds. Place a generous amount of the crawfish mixture on each and fold the edges of the dough to the center. Arrange in a buttered pan; bake in a hot oven.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">[1]</span></span></span></span> <span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Delicious. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<br /></div>
<br />
<b>Tomato Cheese Sauce:</b><br />
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This is a quick method
sauce that is excellent. and when hot Heat 1 can of cream of tomato soup<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9220848559187821096#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""></a><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">[2] </span></span></span></span></span>and when hot stir in 1 cup of grated yello cheese. Cook long enough to melt cheese. Serve on the dumplings.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>CRAWFISH WITH BANANA</b></div>
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<b></b></div>
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<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 221.4pt;" valign="top" width="295"><div class="MsoNormal">
2 ½ tablespoons butter</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
½ onion</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1/8 teaspoon pepper</div>
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2 cups hot milk</div>
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2 hard boiled eggs</div>
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2 ½ tablespoons flour </div>
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<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 221.4pt;" valign="top" width="295"><div class="MsoNormal">
1 teaspoon salt</div>
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¾ cup chopped celery</div>
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1 cup boiled, chopped crawfish</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Steamed rice</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 teaspoon curry</div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Melt butter; add onion and cook until onion is tender. Stir in the flour; add milk; cook 10 minutes. Add all ingredients (except the rice). Cook over hot water 15 minutes. To serve arrange mounds or rice, then a border of the curried crawfish. Surround with a border of panéed bananas. To pané bananas dip in egg, then in crumbs and fry<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">.[3]</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="mso-element: footnote-list;">
<br />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="ftn1" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">[1] 350</span></span></span></span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">º for 15 - 25 minutes or until golden brown.</span></span></span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="mso-element: footnote-list;">
<div id="ftn1" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">[2] 1 can tomato soup diluted with 1 can milk.</span></span></span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="mso-element: footnote-list;">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">[3] Use fairly green bananas; quarter by cutting in half lengthwise then widthwise; deep fry in oil or in a skillet with a a generous layer of oil until golden brown.</span></span></span></span></div>
Tour Creolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10882256215757551262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9220848559187821096.post-71506905755581446172016-04-12T05:06:00.002-07:002016-04-12T05:06:20.662-07:00Rice PuddingWhen people think of pudding in New Orleans, most often bread pudding leaps to mind. While it's true that bread pudding has been a Creole favorite for time immemorial, rice pudding was right up there on the top shelf. Three things the Creole cook sought - 1.) no waste, 2.) economy and 3.) loads of flavor! Here are two 19th century recipes for rice pudding - both from 1885 and both delicious!<br />
<br />
********************<br />
<br />
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<br />
from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Creole Cookery</i>, 1885<br />
<br />
Rice Pudding<br />
<br />
4 tablespoons of soft, boiled rice,<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9220848559187821096#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[1]</span></span></span></span></a>
¼ lb. of butter, 1 quart of milk, 8 eggs;<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9220848559187821096#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[2]</span></span></span></span></a>
Scald the milk; add a few sticks of cinnamon, and while warm, stir<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>into it the rice, butter, and eggs, which
must be first beaten;<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9220848559187821096#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[3]</span></span></span></span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>sweeten to the taste, and bake in a dish.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9220848559187821096#_ftn4" name="_ftnref4" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn4;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[4]</span></span></span></span></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
******************** </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">La Cuisine Creole</i>,
1885</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rice Meringue Pudding</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Boil ½ cup of rice<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9220848559187821096#_ftn5" name="_ftnref5" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn5;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[5]</span></span></span></span></a> in
a quart of milk until it is thoroughly done. Sweeten to taste and let it
cool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beat in the yolks of 4 eggs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Flavor with lemon rind<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9220848559187821096#_ftn6" name="_ftnref6" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn6;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[6]</span></span></span></span></a> or
essence and nutmeg.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9220848559187821096#_ftn7" name="_ftnref7" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn7;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[7]</span></span></span></span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bake in a pudding dish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When cool, pour over it the whites of your
eggs beaten with a cup of white sifted sugar.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9220848559187821096#_ftn8" name="_ftnref8" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn8;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[8]</span></span></span></span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bake light brown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Season to taste with lemon, rose or vanilla.</div>
<div style="mso-element: footnote-list;">
<br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="ftn1" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9220848559187821096#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[1]</span></span></span></span></a> A
tablespoon meaning a serving spoon -<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>about ¾ to 1 cup of rice</div>
</div>
<div id="ftn2" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9220848559187821096#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[2]</span></span></span></span></a> Eggs
were smaller then – 4 large eggs will do</div>
</div>
<div id="ftn3" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9220848559187821096#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[3]</span></span></span></span></a> Beat the
butter and eggs together first, stir it into the rice, then fold in the other
ingredients.</div>
</div>
<div id="ftn4" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9220848559187821096#_ftnref4" name="_ftn4" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn4;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[4]</span></span></span></span></a> Butter a
baking dish – I’ve made this in a square 9x9x2 inch pan – bake at 350° for 45
minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. </div>
</div>
<div id="ftn5" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9220848559187821096#_ftnref5" name="_ftn5" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn5;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[5]</span></span></span></span></a> Uncooked
rice – you’re cooking it in the milk; also, a cup back then meant a teacup –
about ¼ cup in today’s measure</div>
</div>
<div id="ftn6" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9220848559187821096#_ftnref6" name="_ftn6" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn6;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[6]</span></span></span></span></a> Lemon
Zest</div>
</div>
<div id="ftn7" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9220848559187821096#_ftnref7" name="_ftn7" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn7;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[7]</span></span></span></span></a> Meaning
vanilla extract and nutmeg</div>
</div>
<div id="ftn8" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9220848559187821096#_ftnref8" name="_ftn8" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn8;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[8]</span></span></span></span></a> about ½ cup
powdered sugar, beaten into a stiff meringue.</div>
</div>
</div>
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<![endif]-->Tour Creolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10882256215757551262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9220848559187821096.post-39186358342313462122015-07-01T04:31:00.001-07:002015-07-01T04:31:07.779-07:00Creole Red Beans & Rice<div class="MsoNormal">
Creole Red Beans and Rice</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bEVEd470aR4/VZPOWiDjxpI/AAAAAAAAAYg/aIVJJYrI1C4/s1600/beans.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bEVEd470aR4/VZPOWiDjxpI/AAAAAAAAAYg/aIVJJYrI1C4/s320/beans.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Beans & Rice*</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 lb dry kidney beans</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 lb. ham or a really flavorful smoked sausage</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 tblsn butter (if needed)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 medium onion, chopped</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 bell pepper, chopped</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2 ribs of celery, chopped</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 clove garlic, minced</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Water</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Salt/Pepper, to taste</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
~ Place dry beans in a large bowl or plastic container;
cover with 3 times as much water as beans and leave to soak overnight.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
~ In a skillet, brown the ham or sausage; remove to large
pot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reserve meat drippings – if there
are none (or not much), melt butter in skillet</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
~ Sauté onion, bell pepper, celery & garlic in drippings
until tender; add to meat in pot</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
~ Take a little water and deglaze the skillet; add to pot</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
~ Drain beans; add to pot; cover beans with water, filling
to approx 2 inches over top of beans</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
~ Bring beans to boil and then reduce heat to a low simmer;
cook for 2 – 3 hours, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender and have
made a rich gravy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If beans seem to be
drying out a little, add a little water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Gravy should be nice and rich – not thin and watery – you want a stew consistency,
not a soup</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
~ Serve over fluffy white rice with French bread and butter.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Crock pot not recommended for cooking beans; great for reheating and serving, though.</span> </div>
Tour Creolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10882256215757551262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9220848559187821096.post-90543392801617524702015-06-28T05:36:00.001-07:002018-05-21T05:38:55.723-07:00REALLY???<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8aRn6O9Wdg/VY_sMX5UAEI/AAAAAAAAAX8/53EPOwuk8m0/s1600/a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8aRn6O9Wdg/VY_sMX5UAEI/AAAAAAAAAX8/53EPOwuk8m0/s1600/a.jpg" /></a></div>
June 27<sup>th</sup>, 2015 I was doing a ghost tour in the French Quarter
and brought my group to the building that used be O’Flaherty’s Irish Pub at 508 Toulouse St.,
now a restaurant known as Creole Cookery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As we stood across the street and I was telling my story, a woman in my
group grew faint from the heat and collapsed into a doorway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Naturally, we all rushed to offer her our
assistance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She came to fairly quickly
and people offered her water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked if
there was anything I could do, her friend said they wanted a cab.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I started calling for a cab (got busy signals but kept trying) and watching
the traffic on Toulouse Street
to see if I could hail a taxi.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
As we were dealing with this, the barker from Creole Cookery
(whose name is Solomon) came across the street toward us with a pleasant smile
and started trying to hand out menus and invite us all to come over to eat. I told
him “Solomon, right now we’re dealing with a bit of an emergency.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He continued to try to give a sales pitch to
my group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I came over and said “Solomon,
this is not an appropriate time to be handing out menus, we are dealing with a
bit of a crisis.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, he went away and
shortly afterward a young woman came over with menus, smiling, and started
trying to hand them out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told her the
same thing, in a stern voice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said she
had a right to hand out menus and that I shouldn’t speak to her that way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I said “We’re dealing with an issue now, you
need to go.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Mind you, I have a woman sitting in a doorway with a
group
around her, I have others trying me help me hail a cab while I’m waiting
for a cab company to answer the phone and here is Creole Cookery trying
to make a
sale without offering any assistance – just a sales pitch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually A. J., the owner of the joint, comes over and rudely tells me that they can <i>AND WILL</i> offer menus to these
people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I said “Look, we’re in the
middle of a health issue here – this is not an appropriate time.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His response was “Bring her over into the air
conditioning and you all can have a drink until she feels better." He said this despite the fact that she was sitting in an open shop
doorway and the air conditioning was blasting out from the shop where we were.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
One of my guests said “Really?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
THEN --- A.J. (who was still trying to force menus into my
guests' hands) said “Keep us in mind for breakfast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re open for breakfast.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one in my group accepted a menu and pretty
much everyone was offended that Creole Cookery saw this as an opportunity to
make a sale. Eventually a taxicab came along, the woman’s friend helped
her to the cab and they went back to their hotel. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I finished my story and
quickly moved along.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I just want everyone to know about this – here the people of Creole Cookery had an
opportunity to say “Let me help you get a cab” – or to come over with a bottle of
water – or offer to call an ambulance or…<i><b>ANYTHING!</b></i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of offering assistance they tried to shove menus into the
hands of a group of people who were concerned for this woman and said “Come and
have dinner here!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come have a drink
here!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come have breakfast here!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That tells you the kind of place Creole
Cookery is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> As for me, </span>I will choose
another route and tell a different ghost story and I will not stop in front of Creole
Cookery ever again.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Tell everyone you know.</div>
Tour Creolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10882256215757551262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9220848559187821096.post-27482901060780305352015-05-28T06:07:00.004-07:002015-05-28T06:36:11.704-07:00The Bloody Mary<br />
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People are often amazed to find that the Bloody Mary
cocktail – so popular at New Orleans brunches,
lunches, teas, dinners, midnight
snacks, parades, kindergarten graduations and funeral services – was not developed here and is not a New Orleans drink.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The origins of the Bloody Mary can be traced
to a Parisian bartender (and notorious name dropper) by the name of <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Fernand Petiot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>He made many claims to have originated the drink, however in the two stories between which he most often vacillated famous names, such as Ernest Hemingway and the “Toastmaster General” George Jessel, found their way into the mix.</div>
<br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PNsZU1kgaok/VWcR4-lFOgI/AAAAAAAAAWg/pWpATtFHOek/s1600/Fernand_Petiot_20110604-1142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PNsZU1kgaok/VWcR4-lFOgI/AAAAAAAAAWg/pWpATtFHOek/s200/Fernand_Petiot_20110604-1142.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fernand Petiot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U29dQWzVqS8/VWcSGrgbTtI/AAAAAAAAAWo/Sp0BkpgmXNw/s1600/Jessel.G_PD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U29dQWzVqS8/VWcSGrgbTtI/AAAAAAAAAWo/Sp0BkpgmXNw/s200/Jessel.G_PD.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">George Jessel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">In one version of
his story, Petiot claimed to have created the drink in the Roaring 20’s at
Harry’s New York Bar in Paris
where Ernest Hemingway hung out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
couple of customers from Chicago
said the drink reminded them of a waitress back home named Bloody Mary and
the drink was so christened. Later, his story
changed when he brought George Jessel into the picture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1925 Petiot moved to the United States and he served libations at the King Cole Bar in the St.
Regis Hotel
from 1934 to 1966.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1964 he told </span><i>The
New Yorker</i> “I initiated the Bloody Mary of today…George Jessel said he
created it, but it was really nothing but vodka and tomato juice when I took it
over.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this version, Jessel’s drink
was nothing more than equal parts tomato juice and vodka.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Petiot claimed to have taken it further by adding
salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to Petiot, “We serve a hundred to a
hundred and fifty Bloody Marys a day here in the King Cole Room and in the other restaurants and
the banquet rooms.”</div>
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</div>
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<br /></div>
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Whether the drink was created in Paris
or New York, it made its way to New Orleans where it
slipped right in with its jazzy Creole sass and, certainly, oysters manage to
slip down very easily when chased with a Bloody Mary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is my favorite recipe for the mix; it
comes from Emeril Lagasse and, while you will notice it contains no cayenne or Tabasco sauce, the
Worcestershire sauce gives it just the right kick.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9pZZlKFJyK8/VWcSuOQ1OEI/AAAAAAAAAWw/qqj7Wg-_NbI/s1600/cocktail-BloodyMary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9pZZlKFJyK8/VWcSuOQ1OEI/AAAAAAAAAWw/qqj7Wg-_NbI/s200/cocktail-BloodyMary.jpg" width="200" /></a> </div>
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BLOODY MARY MIX</div>
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<br /></div>
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1 lg can tomato juice*</div>
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1 cup beef bouillon</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
½ tsp black pepper</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
½ tsp celery seed</div>
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1 oz. lemon juice</div>
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1 oz. lime juice</div>
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5 oz. Worcestershire sauce</div>
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<br /></div>
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Mix well; chill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Makes
32 oz. (Double the recipe for a gallon.) Best when made a day or two in
advance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For cocktail, mix 4 parts mix
to 1 part vodka.</div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">* I’ve also tried V8 but it doesn’t make enough
difference in flavor to warrant substituting it.</span>Tour Creolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10882256215757551262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9220848559187821096.post-54584687665798350242013-10-01T18:55:00.000-07:002013-10-01T19:33:05.115-07:00Layered Flavors in Creole Cuisine<span style="font-family: inherit;">It is said by many of the Creole professionals that the layering of flavors is an African technique. While it's true that foods from France, Spain, Germany, Italy and elsewhere formed the basis of Creole Cuisine, it was the African cooks who took their own know-how and made it happen. It's the extraction of all possible flavor and then the expert layering of them that is all important in all Creole dishes. Here in this video is a recipe for stewed okra from which our gumbo evolved. (The word "gumbo" is from the West African word GOMBO - okra.) In it we see how one layer is created, then another is created and added and another is added and another. The video is in French as it is from the French speaking West African coast, so if you don't speak African-French you'll just have to watch and learn. (Watch how the okra is prepared - fascinating!) A few things that'll help:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Totogboè - sardines</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Maquereau Fumé - smoked mackerel</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Huile de palma Zomi (<span class="notranslate" style="background-color: white;"><span class="PBLongTxt" itemprop="description" style="text-align: justify;">Red palm oil) an oil produced exclusively from palm nuts and spices.</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span class="notranslate" style="background-color: white;"><span class="PBLongTxt" itemprop="description" style="text-align: justify;">All Africa is present in this product, with its intense red color and its unique and spicy taste.</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Gingembre Mix<span style="font-size: 12pt;">é - Ginger root, grated, mixed with a little water and allowed to steep. It is used ginger, water and all.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12pt;">Morceau de potasse - an edible potash used in West African cooking.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ewo - Corn meal.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As you can see from the ingredients, this is a very different dish from the gumbo we know in New Orleans today, but here we clearly see the genesis of it. Notice how nothing is wasted - the byproducts of the fish are boiled to make a stock - the first layer - the okra comes next - the crab layer is created and added - and so on. Imagine how skilled enslaved African cooks took this expertise and incorporated the resources available in the Colony - adding roux - adding the Creole trinity (a mire poix of bell pepper, celery and onion) - adding shrimp and oysters - and created that most Creole of Creole dishes - GUMBO - from this, its mother dish!</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/VuLt8GwrrK8" width="640"></iframe>Tour Creolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10882256215757551262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9220848559187821096.post-65317419347933950662013-08-28T04:41:00.002-07:002018-04-06T10:44:52.897-07:00The Original Creole Beignet <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m0YnLhyWzSQ/UhiuP76TaDI/AAAAAAAAALU/p3LCGoLKFrQ/s1600/cdm+doughnuts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" qsa="true" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m0YnLhyWzSQ/UhiuP76TaDI/AAAAAAAAALU/p3LCGoLKFrQ/s320/cdm+doughnuts.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cafe du Monde, late 1960's</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The beignet (pronounced BEN-yay) is one of those Creole delicacies that has been so radically altered thanks to commercialism that the original is long lost except by the most devoted of Creole gourmands. The beignet we know today is a 20th century pastry and actually is not even a true beignet at all. New Orleanians went to the Cafe du Monde and other such places for what they simply called "doughnuts." In fact, the Cafe du Monde, themselves, referred to them as "doughnuts" until the 1980's.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sYyTD0Z0tds/Uh3brM40KaI/AAAAAAAAALo/8ajV9Pbb-s8/s1600/dumonde75.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="273" osa="true" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sYyTD0Z0tds/Uh3brM40KaI/AAAAAAAAALo/8ajV9Pbb-s8/s640/dumonde75.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A 1975 tourist pamphlet (showing a photo from the 1950's)<br />
identifies beignets as "hot crullers and doughnuts."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So, what happened that "doughnuts" became "beignets?" The 1984 World's Fair radically altered New Orleans culture. In an effort to make New Orleans even more unique than it already is, "Creole" became Cajun", the Pete Fountains and Al Hirts of New Orleans Jazz were pushed aside by the Dr. Johns and Beausoleils, civilized cocktails and tasteful sipping turned into high potency guzzling. Although there were some who called doughnuts "beignets" the name was solidified and the "Doughnut" sign came off the roof. A true beignet is actually a fried batter, not a dough.<br />
<br />
Tour guides all over the city find many ways to define the word "beignet" - often claiming it's from the French for "pillow." (French for pillow is <em><strong>oreiller</strong></em>.) Beignet actually means "fritter" and that's exactly what it was; a fried batter, kind of like a funnel cake is a fried batter. It was spooned onto the hot grease and served hot. But what made the beignet special was the addition of whipped egg whites folded into the batter. They came out very light and airy. It's a shame that no one makes them today, but the process of making them is too involved. (See recipe, below.) Fried breads (doughnuts) have been served in coffee stands since the mid-1800's and they were identified as breads or doughnuts. But with the 1984 World's Fair and the push to make New Orleans more unique, Cafe du Monde menus which used to read "doughnuts" now read "beignets - French doughnuts." As for the original and true beignet, a vintage recipe gives us a light and airy treat. This recipe is from the 1901 Picayune Creole Cookbook.<br />
<br />
<strong><em>Beignets de Pâte</em></strong><br />
<strong><em>(Plain Fritters)</em></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><em>1 pint of flour (2 cups)</em></strong><br />
<strong><em>1 pint of milk</em></strong><br />
<strong><em>1 teaspoon of baking powder</em></strong><br />
<strong><em>4 eggs</em></strong><br />
<strong><em>The zest of 1/2 a lemon</em></strong><br />
<strong><em>1/4 cup sugar</em></strong><br />
<strong><em>1/2 teaspoon of salt</em></strong><br />
<strong><em>Flavoring to taste</em></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><em>Beat the yolks of the eggs and the whites seperate. Sift the baking powder into the flour, and add the yolks of the eggs, well beaten. Beat well, and add the milk, and flavoring of orange, vanilla or brandy to taste. (May be omitted altogether.) Add the lemon zest, grated very fine, and salt in quantity given above. Lastly, add the whites, beaten to a stiff froth, and have the batter so it will drop from the spoon. Drop in it boiling lard (oil) by large kitchen spoonfuls and let it fry to a golden yellow. Lift out with a skimmer, and drain and place on a heated dish, and sprinkle with powdered white sugar, and serve hot.</em></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><em>In arranging them in the dish, make the fritters rise into a pretty pyramid and sprinkle with the sugar. Never pierce fritters with a fork, as that will cause steam to evaporate and make the fritters heavy. A fritter that is well made should be light and puffy.</em></strong><br />
<br />
Here is another recipe from the Le Courrier <span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Français, August 22, 1862. Note that this is four months after the Union has captured New Orleans and food is kind of scarce - interesting that it should mention the need for frugality:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Beignets à la Créole<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">1 tasse de farine<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">2 oeufs, séparés<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">1 soupçon de sel<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">1 soupçon de cognac<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">1 noix de beurre, fondu<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">eau froide<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Battre les jaunes d'oeufs et ajouter la farine un peu à la fois, en battant bien jusqu'à ce que tout bien mélangé. Ajouter le brandy et le beurre fondu et suffisant d'eau froide pour faire une pâte ferme. Battre les blancs d'œufs en une mousse rigide et fold, doucement, dans la pâte. </i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Déposer la pâte par cuillerées à soupe de saindoux en ébullition et faire frire jusqu'à coloration dorée.<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Égoutter sur du papier et servir chaud, saupoudré de sucre en poudre. Ces pâtisseries sont la solution idéale quand il faut être économe.</span></i></b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Translation:</span><br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></i></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Creole Beignets<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></i></b></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt;">
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">1 cup flour<br />2 eggs, separated<br />1 dash of salt<br />1 dash of cognac<br />butter size of a walnut, melted<br />cold water<br /><br />Beat egg yolks and add the flour a little at a time, beating well until all blended. Add brandy and melted butter and enough cold water to make a stiff dough. Beat the egg whites in a rigid foam and fold gently in the dough. Drop dough by spoonfuls into boiling lard and fry until golden brown.<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></i></b></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Drain on paper and serve hot, sprinkled with powdered sugar. These pastries are the perfect solution when you need to be frugal.</span></i></b></span></i></b>
Tour Creolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10882256215757551262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9220848559187821096.post-61598541692470888912013-08-21T05:21:00.001-07:002013-08-21T05:30:06.253-07:00Creole Cafe Au Lait<div style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
Nothing says "Morning" in New Orleans like cafe au lait. A cup of strong coffee mixed with hot, steaming milk has been treasured in New Orleans since the beginning. Making it correctly is not difficult but it is also not as simple as brewing coffee in your coffee maker, nuking some milk and calling it a day. Here, then, is everything you need to know for making authentic Creole Cafe au Lait:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HNmSZOvSQME/UhN3HtG2ioI/AAAAAAAAAJw/WgtiE2lo_D8/s1600/PotComplete.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" qsa="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HNmSZOvSQME/UhN3HtG2ioI/AAAAAAAAAJw/WgtiE2lo_D8/s200/PotComplete.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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<br />
<br />
First, you will need a French drip coffee pot. (See right.)</div>
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You can purchase them new (they're not cheap!) or very often</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
you can find used ones online that won't put a dent in your pocket book.</div>
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<br />
<br />
<br />
</div>
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Let's have a look at the parts. (See below.)</div>
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From left to right you have:</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jvvJfRmTTbA/UhN3a2ywRSI/AAAAAAAAAKI/7nF9HHERkO4/s1600/parts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" qsa="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jvvJfRmTTbA/UhN3a2ywRSI/AAAAAAAAAKI/7nF9HHERkO4/s200/parts.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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1.) The lid</div>
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2.) The dripper</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
3.) The basket</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
4.) The pot.</div>
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You'll want to start by putting water on the stove to boil. The amount depends upon the size of your pot. The easiest way to measure is to fill your pot with water and pour it into your pot, pan or kettle. In seperate pot or pan place a quantity of milk - the amount depends on how much coffee you're making - and put it on a medium flame to start heating. While the milk is heating and the water is coming to the boil prepare your coffee pot</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--LG_sCNOSA4/UhN3OownJXI/AAAAAAAAAKA/DUL_uoj-nOE/s1600/basket+and+dripper+assembled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" qsa="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--LG_sCNOSA4/UhN3OownJXI/AAAAAAAAAKA/DUL_uoj-nOE/s200/basket+and+dripper+assembled.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Start by placing ground coffee in the basket. You can use plain coffee, New Orleans style coffee and chicory or you can purchase the chicory seperately and put it in yourself. This is the preference of many natives since it's easier to add more or less chicory to taste. The best is to use coffee with a coarse ground for dripping, but not essential. You may end up with a tiny bit of sludge at the bottom of the cup, but so what? It, too, is an old Creole tradition! Use a rounded tablespoon of ground coffee per cup - more or less, according to taste. After placing the grounds in the basket place the dripper on top.</div>
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The basket with the dripper goes into the pot. Once the water on the stove has come to a full, rolling boil you are ready to start dripping. And here is the secret to making the real deal:</div>
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Pour the water in a little at a time - start with a very small splash and give it a second to allow it to saturate the grounds; then pour in a small splash; let it drip completely down; wait a second for it to drip through the grounds; then another small splash; let it drip down; wait; another splash... etc., etc until the water is gone and the smell of coffee is steaming from the spout.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zjf-0zGY9vY/UhSvnf0AoJI/AAAAAAAAAKg/gV_Fk5cbZZA/s1600/CAM00404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" qsa="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zjf-0zGY9vY/UhSvnf0AoJI/AAAAAAAAAKg/gV_Fk5cbZZA/s200/CAM00404.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
Cafe au lait is properly served in demitasse cups but this is not crucial. Fill the cup half full of coffee and half full of the hot milk that's been simmering on the stove. When you serve a second cup the coffee in the pot will have cooled slightly. NEVER REHEAT IT! You can reheat the milk so it's nice and hot and it will bring the coffee back up to delicious steaminess but, if you want to take it an extra step, you can place the pot in a pan of hot water or turn your oven onto the lowest setting and keep it hot in there. (Be sure to use a hot pad when serving again - it's a metal pot with a metal handle!)<br />
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Serve with hot biscuits, cinnamon rolls or...better yet...fresh beignets! (YUM!)</div>
Tour Creolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10882256215757551262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9220848559187821096.post-64843858720231175642013-07-05T06:14:00.001-07:002017-10-15T06:37:25.926-07:00West African Influence On Creole Cuisine<div align="center" id="ctrl-7787743">
<span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: small;"><i><b>I would be very interested in hearing your thoughts about this!</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="color: #ed1c24;">Comments are invited and encouraged.</span></b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Jambalaya is often associated with the Spanish paella - many authorities on Creole cuisine frequently say so. But looking at jambalaya and paella one finds them to be very different dishes. We must remember that cooking was done by enslaved Africans from the western Senegambia region. While in Louisiana they certainly were taught French techniques, much of their West African heritage lived on to help create the magic of Creole cuisine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Here is a video shot in Gambia of a woman named Awa making a classic West African dish called Benachin. In it we find a startling number of similarities between their techniques and ours. The Africans introduced many things into Louisiana cuisine, but two of the most important were a.) slow cooking and b.) extracting and preserving as much flavor as possible. Much flavor in European cooking is lost as juices are permitted to turn into steam, rising and dissipating away into the air. Awa takes great care to create what looks like an amazing broth full of the flavors of the chicken and vegetables, preserved into the broth, in which she boils the rice. (Among the vegetables she uses are onion and garlic - sound familiar? All we need is the bell pepper!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Notice, too,</span><span style="font-size: small;"> she is cooking over an open fire. Imagine an enslaved cook preparing dishes over just such fires. (Frequently over an open hearth but just as frequently, on hot days, out in the patio over a fire, precisely as Awa is doing in 21st century Gambia.) Let me also point out that, even though she is pre-steaming the rice <b><i>before</i></b> cooking and we steam <b><i>after</i></b>, seeing her place the rice in a colander over the pot is startlingly similar to the way we do it today.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Interesting that she browns the chicken, removes it, sautes the vegetables and then adds water, making a broth and then replaces the chicken to finish the cooking process in the broth. (Does that ring a bell, Gumbo Makers?)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">She also uses (instant) boullion. Some Creole cooks call that a cardinal sin. Awa has no problem with it. I don't either, me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">One important difference is that after the meat and veggies are cooked, she removes them and puts the pre-steamed rice in the broth to boil seperately, where we would just put the rice in with the meat and veggies and let it all cook together.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">She also makes a side dish that has mustard but she calls it "moutarde" - French for mustard. The ingredient she calls "dahar" is tamarind.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">She also says she's going to put in some beans. I looked at other recipes for benachin that do not use beans, so this is apparently a variation that she enjoys. Obviously, we don't put in beans, but in true jambalaya form, a little of this and a little of that....</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">...for that's what this is - JAMBALAYA! It is a precious gift from West Africa.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hagJKnTHtZk" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Enjoy the video!</span></a></div>
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Tour Creolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10882256215757551262noreply@blogger.com0