Cook Club: Cooking Up a Storm

TOTAL SCORE: 3.717

Highest Scoring Dishes:  Crab Bisque (above), Bon Ton Bread Pudding, and Warm Potato Salad

Lowest Scoring Dish: Baked Rice Pudding  

In celebration of Mardi Gras (and as it so happened, the celebration of the New Orleans Saints Superbowl win!), January/February Cook Club focused on the cookbook COOKING UP A STORM: Recipes Lost and Found from the Times-Picayune of New Orleans.  Our Cook Club NOLA-alum, Anjali, selected this cookbook for us this round and it promised to be a good one.  This cookbook, chockful of recipes for nearly any occasion, was created after Hurricane Katrina as New Orleans residents began rebuilding their lives.  The Times-Picayune of New Orleans became a "post-hurricane swapping place for old recipes that were washed away in the storm."  I was so excited about this cookbook that I actually bought one for myself -- and I'm glad I did.  All the recipes come with an anecdote, giving you an insider glimpse into the back story of each recipe -- who requested it, who had it, where it came from, and so forth.

Below are all of our reviews of our dishes!  This is only a small subset of the over 250 recipes in the cookbook, so I hope this encourages you to try it out for yourself.

Appetizers

Amanda's Crab Bisque

Score: 4.8

I made the bisque the night before, (despite the fact that the recipe recommended serving it immediately) which turned out to be a good decision. What was a bland, so-so soup turned out to be a very flavorful, nicely spiced starter to our meal. The recipe was very easy to follow and make. There was relatively little chopping and prep work, which was nice. I was also excited to make a roux for the first time ever! The only thing that I changed was the amount of black pepper and Tabasco...it needed a lot more in my opinion! This was a crowd favorite at the dinner party. I saved the leftovers for my friend Tiffany, who could not be there...she said it best: "I was going to eat some for dinner, and save the rest for the next day, but before I realized it, the soup was all gone!" A definite success, in my opinion...I will be making this recipe again in the near future.

Amanda's Cafe Degas Stuffed Peppers

Score: 4.25 (Amanda's Score = 4.5, Anjali's Score = 4.0)

Anjali, Lisa H, and I threw our dinner party on a Friday night, which was a good idea in theory, but meant that I was extremely tired from the week, and also explains why I chose to cut the peppers in half instead of leaving them whole for stuffing...duh! I very diligently cut and seeded all of the red peppers that evening, then realized my goof. I had no time to get more peppers, and had no idea what to do with nine pepper halves, so I worked with what I had. This silly mistake turned out to be a good decision, as the peppers were quite large, and probably would have been too much to eat whole with all of the other yummy food we had. The stuffing was fairly easy to assemble and had several of my favorite things...goat cheese, spinach, and walnuts, not to mention other tasty ingredients! The recipe also called for kale, which I was not able to find at the Tom Thumb I frequent, so I decided to wing it with extra fresh spinach instead of making trips to other stores. Despite the last minute modifications, the peppers turned out great, and were a hit at the dinner party. This recipe is a keeper! (Anjali also rated this dish with a 4.0)

Jackie's Blue-Cheese Puffs
Score: 4 

The blue cheesy puffs were certainly a popular selection!  I managed to lock them up though and was excited to try these.  In the past year, I've been making quite a few dishes out of blue cheese (a certain blue cheese souffle comes to mind, mmmm.), so I was excited to try these out.  The little story that went along with it recommended doubling the batch if you're throwing a party because these would surely fly off the plate.  And even though there were only two of us eating them, they did fly ... into our mouths.  I've actually tried to make cheese puffs before and failed miserably -- those puffs deflated and basically tasted rubbery.  But these were light and airy -- the blue cheese wasn't too overpowering (although our house did smell like blue cheese for awhile afterwards) and reminded me of gougeres that I've had at restaurants.  We paired the last several blue cheese puffs with hot sauce -- reminded us of buffalo wings with blue cheese...but without the chicken of course :).  Definitely will make these again!

Lisa H's Artichoke and Oyster Casserole

Score: 3.625 (Lisa's Score = 3, Anjali's Score = 4.25)

For our party (thrown by Anjali, Amanda, and I), we actually made the appetizer of the casserole. I used phyllo shells and the crispy/flaky was good. I used two cans of artichokes and took off the leaves then put them in the food processor instead of fresh. I have never cooked with oysters and didn't realize they come in different sizes (something important to know prior to cooking with oysters;-).  The recipe called for 6 dozen oysters, I used 20 large oysters and cut them up. When making the recipe you need to look at the size of the oysters or I think you might get too much oyster.

I would rate this recipe 3/5, because of the large amount of anxiety I had prior to and while making this recipe. As a side note, I don't know that I have ever had anxiety prior to making anything. The appetizers had a great flavor and everyone seemed to like them. I would make this again. (Miss Anjali also scored this one!  This one for her got a 4.25)

 

Entrees


Anjali's Shrimp Creole

Score: 3.75 (Day of results = 3.5; Next day results = 4.0)

So this was pretty much the cookbook's version of a tomato-based shrimp etoufee (check out my Where in the World Wednesday NOLA edition here for more info!).  While I prefer the cream-based etoufee, I wanted to try the healthier kind! The recipe was very straightforward and easy to understand. My critique? Make this the night before!  I made the base several hours before my guests arrived and put the shrimp in just before serving, to avoid them getting tough.  The results were good. BUT, the leftovers the next day were amazing! Serve over rice and with an Abita. ;)

Becca's Meaty Gumbo Over Warm Potato Salad

Meaty Gumbo Score = 3.5

Warm Potato Salad = 5

I made the meaty gumbo over warm potato salad.  The gumbo contained lots of yummy (and hearty) ingredients, including ham, chicken, andouille sausage and pork sausage.  The original recipe called for a whole chicken to be split into cooking pieces, but I am not that savvy so I bought a split breast and two bone-in skin on chicken thighs.  The cooking process wasn't terribly complicated, but there were a lot of steps.  I had to brown the chicken in batches because my dutch oven wasn't big enough for a whole bird, so I just chopped up the veggies while that was cooking.  Once everything was in the pot, all I had to do was let it sit (and fill the house with yummy smells).

The potato salad was also pretty simple.  I had a hard time finding creole seasoning in my grocery store, so I made my own based on a recipe I found online (from Emeril Lagasse I believe).  Though I must confess I didn't write it down, I can say it was basically paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper, cayenne, thyme and oregano.  I didn't have any onion powder on hand, but I don't think the dish suffered.  The genius thing is, you boil the potatoes in the creole seasoning (I cut them into bite size pieces first, though I think the recipe calls for boiling them whole - I like my way, maximum seasoning!).  After that just add celery, celery salt, a little mayo, grainy mustard and eggs.  The potato salad was really yummy on its own, nice and spicy, and when mixed with the gumbo, added a nice creaminess.

I would recommend giving this dish a shot, especially if you're, say, snowed in when DC is randomly getting 3 feet of snow...  I don't know if I would bother with the whole chicken (or the bone in parts even) because the gumbo is rich enough with all the other meats I don't think the chicken skin & bones add much other than the need to pull out skin & bones before you serve it.  This would be great for a non-vegetarian winter gathering.

Jackie's Shrimp & Grits
Score: 3.5

I was at a bit of a loss when I saw all the wonderfully tasty sounding dishes up for grabs in this cookbook.  So I put together a list of dishes that I wanted to make and sent them to Mr. J for him to pick out a dish for us ... and his selection was shrimp & grits!  I was excited to try this out because I loooove shrimp and grits, but have never made it myself.  This was quite easy to make, but took some time.  I wasn't expecting to put this dish in the oven, almost like a rectangular casserole --  the grits reminded me of sliced polenta instead of the creamy grits I've had in previous shrimp & grits dishes.  I really enjoyed the flavor of the grits though -- made simply with chicken broth and Parmesan cheese, they were savory but not overpowering.  The shrimp had a great flavor too, although I think next time, I would try to make more of a sauce to pour over the shrimp and the grits as they are baking together.

Sides

Anjali's "Jerry's Crawfish Bread"

Score: 4.5

I have had my share of crawfish bread when I lived in NOLA, and I always loved it, so I thought having this in my arsenal would be a good idea. Unfortunately, I am not a baker, so it made me very nervous!  The base of this dish was again very straightforward.  It was the construction, with putting the filling into the bread and then carefully closing it and putting it into the oven that was a little difficult! The dish calls for cream cheese, presumably to make the filling thicker, but I think the water from the vegetables still made it runny. Plus, I used a more natural version of cream cheese, so maybe this affected the texture?  Either way, once this finally came out of the oven, it smelled amazing and was a hit at the party! Add a little extra hot sauce for a nice little kick. :)

Dessert

Amanda's Praline Cookies

Score: 3.65 (Amanda's Score = 3.8 and Anjali's Score = 3.5)

I'm not sure where my thought processes were when I was grocery shopping for this cook club, but they were clearly absent (see stuffed pepper review). The recipe called for pecans, which I quickly grabbed while shopping a few nights before our dinner party. I got home and realized that yes, I purchased pecans, but they were olive oil and sea salt roasted (quite yummy, but not for pralines). Yikes! I called Anjali in a panic, and she saved the day with regular pecans. Once my pecan issue was solved, I quickly assembled the cookies. The recipe was very simple, and required few ingredients. The final product was good, but I was expecting the cookies to be a little more...something. Sweeter maybe? Perhaps I had higher expectations because I love pralines, so I wanted these to be similar. As a cookie lover, I'm sure I will make these again in the future.  (Miss Anjali also scored this dish with a 3.5)

Bana's Baked Rice Pudding
Score: 1

Can I give this recipe a negative score?  Because, truly, this was the saddest excuse for a rice pudding recipe I've ever encountered.  Rice pudding is one of my favorite desserts and there are two basic ways to make it - baking or boiling.  As it turns out, I much prefer the boiling method (the only way I've made it up until this failed experiment).  The flavor itself was lacking and the pudding never really set, resulting in a semi-sweet rice soup, as opposed to a creamy custard.  For the first time in a long time (maybe ever?), I can say that I definitely won't be trying this recipe again.

Elaine's Eggnog Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce 
Score: 2

I am used to bread puddings that are much thicker than this recipe (maybe it's English Bread Pudding vs American? not sure) so I would definitely double the recipe next time but use the same size dish. I soaked the raisins before baking in the hopes that they wouldn't dry out like rocks in the oven (this usually works when I make oatmeal raisin cookies) but that didn't work. The flavor of the pudding was good and not too sweet but there just wasn't enough of the pudding to have a creamy bottom and a crusty top. Next time, I would also maybe try cutting the bread up in smaller chunks instead of just halving the bread slices and overlapping them according to recipe. For the rum sauce, the recipe called for corn syrup but in the UK they have golden syrup so I used that instead. The resulting sauce wasn't very rummy but very sweet so maybe next time I'll use one big glug of rum instead of 2 tbsps!

Lisa H's Bon Ton Bread Pudding

Score: 4.75 (Lisa's score = 4.5; Anjali's score = 5)

I changed some things in this recipe as well. I added an additional two egg yolks and combined all of the wet ingredients together. I combined the wet ingredients because I was worried the milk and egg solution would not combine. I also added an additional 2 cups of bread. When making bread pudding I think it should be soupy, but not all custard and there was a little too much wet so I added the extra bread. So, I would 'eye' it. The pudding baked up well with crispy on the top and soft on the bottom.

Moving on to the Whiskey Sauce. I made the sugar/butter mixture three times because the sugar would not dissolve as the recipe instructed.   I totally abandon the double boiler, because it didn't seem to get warm enough. The third attempt I decided to try to go ahead with the recipe and see how that went and...it was perfect.

I would rate this a 4.5/5. I liked this and I think everyone else did too. I would make this again. (Miss Anjali also rated this dish and gave it a big 5 (with lots of exclamation points, hee hee))

New Orleans! Where in the World Wednesday

Crawfish Boil!

After a brief sojourn, this week's Where in the World Wednesday brings us to delicious New Orleans. Miss Anjali is our foodie tour guide and she certainly has lots to share with us! Anjali lived in New Orleans for three years... it would have been four, but she had to move to Houston when Hurricane Katrina hit. First, she lived in the Warehouse District, then after the hurricane she lived in the Lower Garden District in New Orleans, right off St. Charles. She's lived in TN, which makes her an expert on biscuits, gravy, and jack daniels, and MD, which makes me an expert on crabcakes. :)

Get ready to get hungry... :)

WHERE IN THE WORLD WEDNESDAY: NEW ORLEANS

(1) Are there any dishes that you think are traditionally “New Orleans”? Do you have a favorite (include a recipe if you'd like!)

Oh my, that's a big question. Most people know about gumbo and jambalaya, but the list extends past that. Red beans and rice are eaten every Monday, because historically, Monday was laundry day and housewives put on the pot of rice and red beans to cook the whole day.

Po' boys were created years ago to feed the "poor boys" of the Great Depression. They started as a hollowed baguette filled with fried shrimp, but have now progressed to all sorts! Everyone in NOLA loves to discuss where their favorite po' boy is. (Mine - Domilise's for fried shrimp, Parkway Bakery for alligator sausage, Crabby Jacks for fried green tomato, and Parasol's for everything else!)

One of my favorite NOLA foods is crawfish etoufee. There are two different types here: Cream based and tomato based. I love both! And finally, New Orleans to me is a good crawfish boil. Huge boiling pots of crawfish with TONS of spice, along with whole garlic blubs, artichokes, potatoes, and corn. Then you pour it all over a table covered with newspaper and everyone gathers around to enjoy. The spice, the garlic smashed on crackers, and the friends (and beer, preferable Abita), make it my absolute favorite NOLA good experience.

(2) Do you find that the food in New Orleans has been greatly influenced by certain ethnicities? If so, which ones?

One of my favorite things about New Orleans is the history and culture the city holds. Most people know of the French influence here, creating the Cajun cuisine, but there is more. The Spanish and African cultures have also had their hand in shaping our history, creating the Creole culture. Though not part of "traditional" NOLA cuisine, New Orleans has a large Vietnamese population, especially in the Eastern suburbs near the water, and tasty Vietnamese food can be found all around town.

(3) If you were putting together a food gift basket representative of New Orleans for a friend that was visiting you from somewhere else, what would you include in it?

A one way ticket to New Orleans. ;) Ok, fine, one basket, let's see. Cafe du Monde chickory coffee, a king cake from Carnival season, Abita beer, Zapp's potato chips in all flavors (Creole Tomato is the best), a Central Grocery muffaletta (the original muffaletta), praline candy, bananas foster, Creole cream cheese, ice cream from Creole Creamery, turtle soup, hot sauce, and crab boil.

(4) Was there anything that surprised you about NOLA eats when you first moved there?

I think what surprised me is how easily I became obsessed with it. I spent a large part of my life as a vegetarian and am famous for eating salads 24/7, but moving to New Orleans, I very quickly became a fan of butter, cream, meat, and dessert! I must say, I do absolutely love the respect NOLA has for food.

Beignets :)

(5) Say that you’re taking me around NOLA, where would we go for breakfast and what would we have? Where would we go to cap off the night for late night eats and what would we have?

The most obvious of breakfasts is beignets and coffee or a cafe au lait at Cafe du Monde. The French doughnuts with copious amounts of powdered sugar are divine and can also work as a midnight snack, since Cafe du Monde's original French Quarter location is open 24 hours a day. While there, you can enjoy the inevitable jazz band that will be playing on the street, the sight of St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square, and the smell of the Mississippi flowing past. Other tasty options for breakfast at Dante's Kitchen, Surrey's, which has amazing BBQ shrimp and grits and a fantastic take on eggs Benedict that has crab cakes and cilantro hollandaise, and Camelia Grille. Camelia is a small diner where you sit at the counter and watch the world's fastest short order cooks. The line is never less that around the corner. Before Katrina, this was open 24/7 and a popular late night spot, but one of the tragedies is the abridged hours post-K.

(6) When many people think of New Orleans, they think of Mardi Gras – are there any foods you can get only during Mardi Gras?

King cake is a traditional Carnival food. It is a sour dough cake that can be as simple as cinnamon flavored or filled with jelly/cream. It is always dusted purple, yellow, and green, the New Orleans/Mardi Gras colors. In every king cake is a small plastic baby, representing Baby Jesus, and the person who finds the baby has to buy the next King Cake! Abita beer makes a seasonal beer called Mardi Gras Bock for the season which is one of my favorites. Otherwise, it's standard NOLA food, and lots of it. ;) Mardi Gras means lots of parties at houses that are along parade routes and crawfish boils around town.

(7) How did Hurricane Katrina affect the food generally/ community/industry in NOLA?

Hurricane Katrina definitely hit the city hard, including the restaurant industry. Water and wind damage, along with looting, left these restaurants in shambles. The loss of power meant expensive ingredients and stellar wine cellars were lots. I came back months after and still many restaurants were making repairs. Wine lists suffered greatly, with the variety and quality slightly lacking. That said, the community came together, and there in addition to New Orleans institutions reopening, there were several new gems that opened, most notably, Cochon, a Donald Link creation, St. James Cheese Company, and several ice cream shops, such as La Divina Gelateria (featured on Food Network) and Sucre.

8) Where was your last amazing meal in NOLA and what was in it?

Fine dining - lunch at Cochon. My friend Amanda and I split the fried alligator with chilli garlic aioli, deviled crab and cheddar thyme crackers, spicy grilled pork ribs with watermelon rind pickle, eggplant and shrimp dressing, and washed it all down with Strawberry beer.

Casual - After grabbing a Bloody Mary from Igor's on St. Charles, we made it over to the French Quarter and got muffalettas and Barq's root beer from Central Grocery, then ate at the park in Jackson Sqaure while enjoying the sights and sounds of French Quarter Fest. Priceless.

(9) Where could you get a good meal and a drink for $20 and what would you get? (Given the current economic times!)

THIS IS HARD. NOLA does two things well. Cheap and fast (Po' boys, Fried anything) or Fine dining (Commander's, Galatoire's). The in between places are often mediocre. That being said, there are a few places where the food and atmosphere meet these criteria. NOLA loves its Lebanese/Mediterranean/Middle Eastern food, with Mona's and Byblos both offering hummus, chicken schwarma, and other delicadies for an affordable price. Ignatius, on Magazine, offers Cajun food in a very unpretentious environment - think brown paper table cloth and baguette on the table, but the atmosphere, food, and Abita beer do not disappoint. Slice Pizzeria never disappoints with it's salads and pizzas, and often has wine specials and tasting menus. Finally, St. James Cheese company is a fun place to grab a good lunch. BYO from The Wine Cellar next door and grab a charcuterie plate or one of their creative salads or sandwiches, sit on the porch, and enjoy.

(10) If you could pick one food item that you had in NOLA that you could have with you always, what would it be?

My pantry always has Abita beer (Amber, Strawberry Harvest, and Restoration Ale are my favorites), Tabasco, and Zapp's Creole Tomato chips. The one thing I don't have that I crave is good crawfish. People don't truly understand spice outside of NOLA.

(11) Any summer drinks?

Mint Julep on the porch of the Columns. Strawberry Harvest Abita. Pmm's Cup, Sazerac, and Rum Punch. And non-alcoholic - Abita root beer is actually the best I have ever had.

Thanks Anj ... so let's go to NOLA ASAP, k? :)