Crispy Pepper and Parmesan Pork Cutlets

Uh OH! I think I just found another recipe to add to my top five... Crispy Pepper and Parmesan Pork Cutlets from our new America's Test Kitchen: 30-Minute Suppers. Easy dish:

Set up three stations - (#1) 1/2 cup flour, (#2) 2 eggs beaten, and (#3) 1 cup Panko bread crumbs, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Rinse and pat dry your 6 thin boneless pork chops. Put 1/4 cup olive oil and an additional 2 teaspoons of pepper on medium heat. Lastly, drag the chops through the four, egg, and Panko - then in to the pan. Three minutes on each side! Let drip onto a paper towel, clean out the pan, and repeat for second batch. Crispy yet juicy... and next time I'll remember to season the meat. Doh.

after and before

dredging stations

Angela supplied the sides: mashed potato and Brussels sprouts

Ham and Swiss Mini Quiches

Tonight's dinner was Ham and Swiss Mini Quiches from our new America's Test Kitchen: 30-Minute Suppers. This quiche is unique in that the crust is not made from pastry dough, but by flattening slices of plain old white bread. Bake the bread for about 10 minutes in a muffin tin, add egg mixture, and bake again for 15 minutes. Voila, mini quiches. Next time, I'll probably grease my pan more thoroughly. It almost took as long to get the quiches out as it did to make them! Tasty.

flattened slices of bread in the muffin tin

adding ham and cheese

adding the egg mixture

ready for the oven

Ham and Cheese Mini Quiches

Perfect Lemon Bars

Lemon Bars sounded like a great Christmas gift for my grandma and her sister - both love lemon. Angela found a great recipe in Cook's Illustrated and we spent a few Christmas Eve hours baking "Perfect Lemon Bars."

grating butter for the crust

ready for the oven

dusted with confectioner sugar

What Egg is This?

Fried a few eggs this morning, and one came out funny. What do ya'll think this egg looks like?

Mirliton Festival 2010

The 21st annual Mirliton Festival, hosted by the Bywater Neighborhood Association, took place this weekend. A block from our house we enjoyed the sounds of two great bands: Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue, and Hurray for the Riff Raff. As we listened to tunes, we feasted on Stuffed Mirliton (via Jack Dempsey's) and Maque Choux Mirliton (via The Country Club) - both delicious!

Stuffed Mirliton from Jack Dempsey's

Maque Choux Mirliton from The Country Club

Alynda Lee Segarra and Horray for the Riff Raff

Corn and Potato Chowder

Great soup recipe for these wintry days that are finally upon us! Originally from Foy Update and adapted by These Peas are Hollow. Enjoy!

Corn and Potato Chowder

10 ears sweet corn
1 large vidalia onion, diced
1 1/2 lbs baby red potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
6 oz pancetta, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4-5 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cups chicken stock
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons minced parsley
2 teaspoons minced thyme
1 bay leaf
1 heaping tablespoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the corn first. Using a sharp knife, cut the kernels off the cobs and place in a bowl. Be sure not to cut too close to the cob, you want just the soft crisp nuggets of corn. Then you want to "milk" the corn cobs. This basically means you want to squeeze all the pulp and juice out of the cob, this will help make the soup nice and creamy. I used my microplane to gently grate the cobs of corn over a bowl. After I went over the entire cob with the microplane, I quickly ran the back of my knife down each cob to squish out the rest of the juice. This can get a bit messy, so use a large bowl and wear an apron.

In a large stock pot or dutch oven, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Add the pancetta and saute until most of the fat has rendered off and it is starting to get crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Remove the pancetta and set aside. Reduce heat to low and add the onions and butter. Cover and cook until onions have softened, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes.

Add the garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes. Make a roux by sprinkling the flour over the onions and whisk for a minute or two until the flour has heated and is combined with the butter and onions. Slowly whisk in the stock and bring to a simmer.

Add the potatoes, bay leaf, thyme, corn pulp/juice, whole milk, and the cooked pancetta. Bring back to a simmer and cook over low heat for about 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are nice and tender. Add the corn and heavy cream, bring to a simmer again, and cook until corn kernels are tender but still crisp, about 10-15 minutes. Take out the bay leaf and serve topped with the chopped parsley and even some grated parmigiano reggiano.

The French Press - Lafayette, LA

We went to a wedding this weekend in Lafayette, LA and were looking for a great breakfast spot to hit on the way out of town. A spot-on recommendation from our friend Drew Zeigler landed us at The French Press in downtown Lafayette (214 E Vermilion St, Lafayette, LA / 337-233-9449). Here's what he had to say:

Sunday morning brunch/breakfast in Lafayette right now is all about The French Press. It's not a pastry place, but it's the best Sunday morning meal you'll get. The Chef moved here last year from NOLA and was the sous chef at Stella previously. They have a FB page with the breakfast menu. It's affordable and unbeatable. And, you can guess from the name, they have very good coffee, esp if you ask for the french press. Oh, and if you go to the French Press, you must beat the church crowd. I usually try to arrive by 10 am. They also have live jazz or local music on Sunday mornings.  If you're feeling very Cajun at the FP, try the Cajun Benedict. It has gumbo and boudin in it. It's crazy, but GOOD!

Drew nailed it! We beat the church crowd and ordered the French Press coffee, Cajun Benedict, and the Carolina Breakfast - split the two entrees. I think this was my first time having gumbo for breakfast, and I must say that it's got me wondering about poached eggs in gumbo??   

French Press Coffee

Cajun Benedict: French bread topped with a layer of boudin,

poached eggs, and topped with a healthy serving of gumbo!   

Carolina Breakfast: BBQ pulled pork and biscuit sliders,

chipotle-cheddar cheese grits, and a poached egg

mint press in the John

Pot-Luck Wedding Pumpkin Pie

Angela and I were recently invited to a pot-luck wedding in Audubon Park (a fantastic idea that was a lot of fun to be part of). For our dish we decided on pumpkin pie.

The recipe for this delicious fall treat was adapted by our friend Marisha Simons and then passed down to Angela, who in turn changed a few things... so here's the recipe in its current incarnation:


Crust
- 1 and 1/2 cups flour
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in butter until it has the texture of corn meal. Add water slowly (about 1/4 cup) until dough comes together. Don't overwork. Roll out and place in pie dish. Crimp edges. Place in freezer until custard is mixed.


Custard Filling


- 3 eggs left over from crust
- a little less than 3/4 cup evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3/4 cup pure grade B maple syrup
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/4 + tsp nutmeg
- pinch of cardamom 
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups pumpkin or other winter squash (acorn is good)


Bake the pumpkin face down in shallow water in the oven. Scoop and lit sit a while to drain. If you leave it in the fridge over night, the water separates out a bit and you can pour it off. Mix it all up. Pour into pie shell and excess into baking dish. Bake for 50 minutes at 350 degrees. Mix with a whisk after mashing with a fork. Do not blend - making it too smooth.

 

Ma's Gumbo - Spring 2001

In the Spring of 2001, I was assigned a video project in my University of New Orleans Food and Culture Anthropology class. The result is this video of my grandmother, Anna Belle Sandras, cooking her Gumbo as she narrates instructions in Cajun French. Again, special thanks to Jerry & Charlotte Cannon and Angela Driscoll.

Chef John Folse's Barbecued Shrimp Tangipahoa with Bread Pudding

BBQ SHRIMP

Angela and I united to concoct a delicious meal last weekend - BBQ Shrimp and Bread Pudding! The BBQ shrimp came from Folse's Encyclopedia of Cajun & Creole Cuisine while the bread pudding was found in Best of the Best Louisiana Cookbook - La Bonne Louisiane. Folse's book explains:

"Barbecued shrimp first made its debut at Pascal Manale Restaurant on Napoleon Avenue in New Orleans. The original owner of this restaurant served this wonderful garlic and herb shrimp to his friends who would visit the restaurant each week to participate in a poker game."

ingredients

jumbo shrimp

herbed-butter sauce

soaking jumbo shrimp

Barbecued Shrimp Tangipahoa

BREAD PUDDING

This yummy bread pudding only lasted a few days in our kitchen.

before

after

Houston Cross-Cultural Eating Spree

Angela and I visited friends in Houston on the weekend of September 5th, 2010. In our time there, we sampled three very different Houston's eateries. 

Before touring the Museum of Fine Arts, we stopped in at the Black Labrador for fish and chips followed by a swill of 12-year-old Zhoghland, Dalmore Single Malt Scotch. Excellent!

Fish and Chips

12-year-old Zhoghland, Dalmore Single Malt Scotch















On our way out of the city, we stopped for breakfast tacos at, Taqueria Los Comales Taco Truck. The gentleman behind the sliding glass door of the truck happily explained how he came from Vera Cruz, where you can find a different style taco in each neighborhood - probably much like our po-boy situation in New Orleans. 

Taqueria Los Comales Taco Truck

Breakfast Tacos

















Also on our way out, we sampled the Eastern European side of Houston (who knew?) at the Kolache Factory. Kolache are pastries stuffed with sweet or savory fillings. We sampled Jalapeno, Potato and Egg, Ham, and several others whose names now escape me. We also sampled two sweet Kolache.

Kolache

Kolache Cross-Section

Sweet Kolache

Chorizo Tamale Poboy and a home-made Hefeweizen!

Tamales have been on my to-do list for quite some time. Now, they are a mere notch in my culinary belt. The research stage of the project revealed that there are many different kinds of tamales - name a meat product, and there is probably a tamale recipe featuring it. On top of that, there are different styles of tamales. I ruled out the first choice right away - the New Orleans style tamale, made famous by the renowned Manuel's Tamales. This establishment, washed away by Katrina, served piping-hot, greasy, cigarillo-sized, tubes of meat wrapped in newspaper - sometimes parchment paper - at all hours of the day and night. Fans of the traditional corn husk wrapped tamales of Mesoamerican origin, dating back to 8,000 BC, may scoff at Manuel's take on the tamale. With that said, Manuel's was beloved in New Orleans, and many were saddened by the abrupt end of its reign as king of the New Orleans tamale. Since Katrina, with the influx of scores of Latino workers, the tamale and many other delicious treats typically only found south of the border, have surfaced. Grab them while you can. Who knows how long they'll be around.

In the end, I not only chose to go the more traditional route - steamed chunky tubes of masa harina in corn husks - but it also struck me that tamales might be quite delicious on a po-boy. Once I had that thought, there was no getting it out of my mind. I Googled "tamale po-boy" and was actually shocked to find that one local south Louisiana establishment was way ahead of me. Mo's Hot Tamale Cafe in Covington, LA serves up plate lunches and specializes in the Southern Tamale, also known as the Mississippi Delta Tamale. More akin to the New Orleans Tamale than the Mesoamerican variety, Delta Tamales are smaller, tighter, sometimes parchment wrapped instead of corn husk wrapped, greasy, and are sometimes bundled in threes - a far cry from the larger, doughier, traditional tamale.

I went the traditional route, sort of, by gathering authentic corn husks, masa harina, and peppers at La Placita Market. La Placita Market, only a few blocks from my Bywater apartment, is a relatively new addition to the growing selection of Latino markets in New Orleans. If you want to make your own tamales, or buy hot exotic plate lunch, check them out - right next door to Quintron's Spellcaster Lounge on St. Claude Avenue. I combined these customary ingredients with Vietnamese French Bread (if that makes any sense to anyone) from Dong Phuong Oriental Bakery at 14207 Chef Menteur Highway in New Orleans East. If you're in the area, and interested in this delicious, soft loaf, please know that it can be purchased at Jazmine Cafe - 614 South Carrollton Avenue.

The process of prepping the husks, cooking the meat, filling the husks, and steaming it all up took over three hours. Put it this way, I listened to all five of the following albums all the way through: Putumayo Presents Mexico, Afro-Latino, Cuba, Republica Dominicana, and Puerto Rico! 


The end product was very delicious. Every bite was a little fiesta in my mouth, with a well balanced medley of spices. We paired this flavorful po-boy with my friend Kyle's home-brewed Hefeweizen. This recipe for Chorizo Tamales is an adaptation of the Emeril Lagasse recipe found here. 


corn husks

corn husks soaking

masa mixture

Chorizo filling

black bean and roasted red pepper salsa for topping

rolling the tamale

ready for the steamer

notice the varying filling techniques...

steaming with extra basket filling the empty space in the pot

steamed tamales

 

tamales for the foundation

 

Chorizo Tamale Po-Boy 

with Black Bean Salsa, Jalapenos, Colby Jack, and Cilantro

Kyle's Home-Brewed Hefeweizen