Almost Like Thanksgiving Soup

When you have leftover chicken or turkey, or just love the flavors of Thanksgiving, this soup is like a Thanksgiving dinner in a bowl.  The stuffing dumplings and soup go together so well.  I used a bag of cornbread stuffing mix to make my dumplings and I'm sure they would have been better with leftover Thanksgiving stuffing but we ate all of that a long time ago!

Almost Like Thanksgiving Soup

1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 cups sliced mushrooms (optional)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup dry sherry (optional)
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups cooked turkey, cubed  (ok to substitute cooked chicken)
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt to taste
garnish with fresh parsley

Saute onions, carrots, and celery in 2 T unsalted butter (or olive oil) over medium heat until soft (5 minutes) Increase heat to medium high and add mushrooms and garlic.  Saute 3 minutes, stirring often.  Sprinkle flour, thyme, nutmeg and pepper over vegetables; cook for 1 minutes, stirring constantly.
Deglaze with sherry, simmer until nearly evaporated, then stir in stock, turkey, and cream.  Bring to a boil and reduce to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.  Season with salt.  Garnish with parsley and serve with stuffing dumplings.

Stuffing Dumplings

3/4 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups bread, diced, crisped in 400 degree oven for 8-10 minutes (or use cornbread, cornbread stuffing mix, or any stuffing mix)
2 strips bacon, diced
4 ounces crumbled cooked breakfast sausage (optional)
1 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 T minced fresh sage
2 T minced fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Combine milk and eggs in a large bowl.  Add bread and soak until all liquid is absorbed.  Set aside.
Saute bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove and set aside on paper towel.  Saute onion and celery in drippings until soft, then fold in bread mixture with reserved bacon and remaining ingredients.  Form dumplings using small scoop or spoon.  Bake until brown, 20 minutes.

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Favorite Thanksgiving 2013 Recipes



People have been requesting my recipe for Crawfish Crab Cornbread Dressing so I'm finally getting around to writing on my neglected blog. 

Between making gourmet brownies (think peanut butter crunch topped Belgian chocolate, German chocolate, or pecan pie) and holiday food I have been very busy in the kitchen.  I have not been making too many healthy dishes though.  This time of year I get a little carried away, but right after Thanksgiving Day I went back to eating the lighter, more plant based foods I enjoy.  Thinking about what I made for Thanksgiving, by far the most popular dish was my Crawfish Crab Cornbread dressing.  I had tasted a similar dressing at a work luncheon a couple years ago and knew I needed to make it one day.   I took my already popular and loved family favorite cornbread dressing and added a few things such as crawfish, crab, and Creole seasoning.  People couldn’t get enough of it, including Jason’s (my future son in law) son, Joe.  Apparently that was the only leftover he wanted to eat for days.  The other dish that was well liked was my grandmother, Elton Hollar’s, creamed corn.  During my November visit to Blowing Rock, North Carolina, I asked my aunt Mabel to give me the exact instructions on how it was made.  It’s very simple but much, much better than corn casserole or canned creamed corn, in my opinion.

I also smoked a fresh turkey after brining it for 24 hours.  It was really moist and delicious!  I have a secret technique now, thanks to my friend, Lisa Wright, which gave it the most amazing golden brown skin.  I put some cheesecloth in melted butter and Creole seasoning and wrapped the turkey in cheesecloth before putting it in the smoker. 

Crawfish and Crab Cornbread Dressing

Chef Julia Dunaway

Makes 10 servings

4 T butter

8 ounces spicy pork sausage, removed from casing, browned and drained (I used Jimmy Dean’s.)

 

1 medium onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, diced

½ green bell pepper, diced

½ red bell pepper, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 cups frozen Louisiana crawfish tails, thawed and squeezed dry

1 cup lump crab meat

2 scallions, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped

1 tsp fresh thyme

2 T Creole seasoning

6 cups crumbled cornbread (I use Central Market cornbread or make my own from scratch—don’t use Jiffy box mix—too sweet.)

2 cups chicken stock

½ cup heavy cream

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Melt the butter in a large skillet and cook the onion, celery, peppers and garlic until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add the crawfish and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the sausage and mix well.  Place all ingredients in a large bowl and add the seasonings, cornbread, stock, cream and eggs.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Dressing may be covered and refrigerated for  up to 1 day or freeze for several weeks.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.  Add more stock if you like a moister dressing.  Serve immediately with Louisiana hot sauce or Sriracha.

 

 

 

Creamed Corn

 

 

 

Creamed corn

Elton Hollar (Zack Steele’s mother)

5-6 ears fresh corn, cut from the cob and corn juices scraped off

2 pieces bacon, cut into pieces and fat rendered

2 T unsalted butter

Add corn and 1 cup of water and butter to the bacon drippings.  Bring to boil, reduce to simmer and cook for approximately 5 minutes.

Mix 2 T flour into ¼ cup water and add to corn mixture.

Add ½ cup half and half or cream.

Season with salt and pepper.

 Add ins:  green chile, jalapeno pepper, chopped bacon, cheese

 

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Yakitori and Onigiri for Tanabata Luncheon

We had a Fort Worth Japanese Society luncheon recently celebrating Tanabata. Tanabata is traditionally celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh month.  Also known as the Star Festival,  Tanabata has its roots in a Chinese legend about the love between a young princess, Orihime, who was a weaver, and a handsome young cowherd named Kengyu (represented by the stars Vega and Altair). As a result of their great love for each other, the weaver neglected her work weaving cloth for the gods and the herdsman neglected his cattle.  In punishment, Orihime’s father, the emperor of the heavens, moved the star-lovers to opposite sides of the Milky Way and stated that they would only be allowed to meet once a year: on the seventh day of the seventh month. On this night a flock of heavenly magpies use their wings to form a bridge that the weaver can cross to join her lover. The magpies will only make the bridge if July 7 is a clear night; if it rains, the lovers must wait another year. One popular Tanabata custom is to write one's wishes on a piece of paper, and hang that piece of paper on a specially erected bamboo tree, in the hope that the wishes become true.  Colorful Tanabata festivals are held across Japan in early July and August. Among the biggest and most famous ones are the Tanabata Festivals of Sendai in August and Hiratsuka near Tokyo in July.

I coordinated the food which included takoyaki by the Japanese language teachers, Akiko and Mikako, cold zaru soba noodles by Harvey Yamagata,  my chicken yakitori, a classic Japanese festival food and some onigiri, traditional rice balls. 

 

The smell of yakitori reminds me of my recent trips to Tokyo, Japan where we walked by “yakitori alley” every day.  Businessmen in their expensive suits sat on milk crate chairs at tiny outdoor tables munching on freshly grilled yakitori.  The smell was irresistible.  I found the best yakitori recipe in my Hiroko Shimbo cookbook, The Japanese Kitchen, which comes very close to the authentic Japanese yakitori where the cook dips the skewered chicken into the tare (sauce) until the sauce tastes like chicken. I stood outside grilling the chicken under the covered overhang while it rained.  People arriving at the Japanese Society were excited to smell the festival food and couldn’t wait to taste it.

The onigiri was a good compliment to the flavorful chicken and other foods and it tickled me to see the young children eating one after another.

 

RECIPES:

Yakitori or Chicken on Skewers

Adapted from The Japanese Kitchen, by Hiroko Shimbo

Yakitori is a dish of chicken cut into bite-sized pieces, threaded on skewers and cooked over a charcoal fire.  During the cooking, the chicken is either salted or basted with a sweet sauce.  Use the best chicken you can find—free range, organic, local for the best taste!

 

Sauce:  Tare

 8 chicken wings

¼ cup sake

1 1/3 c Mirin (sweet cooking wine)

3 T sugar

1 1/3 c soy sauce

 On a grill or in a broiler, cook the chicken wings until they are charred over about half their surfaces.

In medium pot, bring the sake and Mirin to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium and add the sugar and cook until the sugar is dissolved, stirring.  Add the soy sauce and the chicken wings, and bring mixture to a boil.  Cook over low heat for 30 minutes.  Strain sauce through a strainer lined with cheese cloth or a fine metal strainer will work fine.  Cool to room temperature.  Refrigerate and use within a month.  Reheat the tare before using, and once a week between uses.

 

Chicken thigh or breast with onions on skewers

 1 chicken thigh, boned, with or without skin

1 chicken breast, boned, with or without skin

1 bunch of scallions, or young leeks, white parts only

Soak 12 , 6 inch bamboo skewers at least 1 hour

Cut chicken into 1 X 1 ¼ inch pieces.

Cut onions into 1 ¼ inch lengths.  Thread two pieces chicken and three pieces of onion alternately on skewer.  If using skin, fold in the edges of skin and tuck between the chicken meat and onion to prevent sin from burning.

Cook the skewered chicken for 4 minutes, turning several times.  Remove from heat and brush with tare.  Return to heat 2 minutes, turning several times.  Remove from heat and baste with sauce again.  Return to heat and cook 2 more minutes.  Remove and baste with sauce before serving.

Take care not to burn the yakitori.  Use medium heat and cook for at least 4 minutes with no sauce.  As soon as you put the sauce on it watch for burning and reduce heat immediately and remove all the skewers until the grill cools a little.  Don’t overcrowd the grill or the skewers will not cook inside.  This dish is best for a small group and eaten as soon as it comes off the grill.

 

Make ahead instructions:  Since I had to make enough yakitori for 40 people and knew there was no large grill available at the FWJS I grilled the chicken (not on skewers), then soaked it in the yakitori sauce for an hour, drained the sauce, then chilled the chicken until the next morning.  I cut the cold chicken into pieces and threaded it on the soaked skewers along with the scallions at the FWJS building.  I had a small charcoal grill fired up and ready to go, grilled the skewers and basted them with more sauce.  Since they were fully cooked it was easy to get them hot in a short time and they were ready to serve.

At home, when it's more relaxed, I like to sit on the patio next to the grill and cook the yakitori a few at a time and serve them as they cook. 

Onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls)

 

4 cups of freshly cooked Japanese-style rice

2 sheets of nori seaweed, cut into/2 inch wide strips

Salt

Fillings:  Some classic fillings are pickled plum (umeboshi), bonito flakes just moistened with soy sauce (okaka), bonito flakes mixed with pickled plum (umekaka), flaked cooked salted salmon (shake or shiozake), cooked salty cod roe (tarako), chopped up pickles (tsukemono), and tsukudani, various tidbits - bonito cubes, tiny clams, etc. - cooked and preserved in a strong soy-sugar-sauce.

The key to making good onigiri is to have freshly cooked, hot rice. You can't make good onigiri with cold rice.

Wet your clean hands with cold water, and sprinkle them with salt. Take 1/4th of the rice and place on one hand. Make a dent in the middle of the rice with your other hand. Put in about 1 tsp or so worth of filling in the dent.

Working rapidly, wrap the rice around the filling, and form into a ball. To make the traditional triangular shape, cup your hand sharply to form each corner, and keep turning it until you are happy with the shape.  You can also use a plastic onigiri mold.

Wrap the rice ball with 1-2 strips of nori seaweed, or sprinkle with furikake (seaweed flakes) or sesames seeds.

Repeat for the rest of the rice.

To bring along on picnic, wrap in plastic film.  Some people prefer to carry the nori strips separately, and to wrap them around the onigiri when eating, to preserve the crisp texture of the seaweed.

Takoyaki--octopus balls made of savory pancake batter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Mexican Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Pecan Glaze

I first tasted this cake at the Rather Sweet Bakery in Fredericksburg, Texas.  When I got one of my all time favorite cookbooks, The Pastry Queen, by Rebecca Rather, I was excited to make the cake.  I have since made it many, many times. The extra vanilla and cinnamon give it a special taste.  I like the fact that you don't have to get out the mixer or a bunch of bowls to make it and it always turns out perfect.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mexican Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Pecan Glaze

Chef Julia Dunaway

Adapted from The Pastry Queen

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Ghirardelli is what I use.)

3/4 cup water

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

 

Chocolate Pecan Glaze

1 cup pecans

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/4 cup whole milk

1/2 cup cocoa powder

2 cups sifted powdered sugar (sift, then measure)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 12 cup Bundt pan generously with Baker's Joy or grease and flour it well.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium low heat.  Add the cocoa and whisk until smooth.  Add the water and whisk until smooth.  Do not let the mixture boil.  Remove from heat and add the sugar, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla all at once.  Whisk until smooth.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and whisk together.  Add the dry ingredients to the saucepan and whisk until incorporated with the chocolate mixture.  There may be small lumps, but that's ok.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake for 40-45 minutes; the cake is done when it has pulled away slightly from the sides of the pan and feels firm to the touch.

 Glaze

Arrange pecan in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Toast at 350 degrees for 5 minutes.  Chop the pecans into large pieces.

Melt the butter over low heat in a medium saucepan.  Add the milk, cocoa, and powdered sugar and whisk until glossy.  Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the vanilla, salt, and pecans.

Loosen the cake with a knife or spatula and turn the pan onto a serving plate or foil covered 10 inch cake board.  Spoon the glaze onto the cooled cake.  The cake will keep up to 3 days, covered, at room temperature. 

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Coconut Cake

Chef Julia Dunaway

I've had many requests for this cake recipe.  It makes a very light, flavorful cake people have described as having layers of flavors.  I think the coconut milk and the lighter version of cream cheese frosting makes a big difference.  The original recipe comes from Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes, by Alisa Huntsman.

Makes an 8-inch triple layer cake

For the cake:
5 large egg whites
½ cup of milk
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
3 cups of cake flour
2 and 1/3 cup sugar
4 ½ teaspoons of baking powder
½ teaspoon of salt
2 sticks of unsalted butter (8oz.) at warm room temperature
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 ½ cups of sweetened flaked coconut for garnishing cake

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Butter the bottoms of three 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with a parchment circle and butter the circle.

Put the egg whites in a bowl and whisk slightly. Add the ½ cup of milk and the vanilla and whisk to mix thoroughly; set aside.

In a large mixer bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, beat dry ingredients well in order to break up any lumps. Add the butter and coconut milk on low speed and beat just to combine. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy about 2 minutes.

Add the egg white mixture in 2 or 3 additions, scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition. Divide the batter among the pans.

Bake for 30 minutes or until a cake taster inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for 10 minutes. Then turn the cakes out and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

To assemble the cake, place one layer, flat side up, on an 8-inch cake round. Cover this layer with 1 cup of the buttercream frosting. Spread it evenly all the way to edge of the cake. Then sprinkle ½ cup of shredded coconut on top. Add the second layer and repeat the process. Top with the final layer of cake and frost the top and sides of the cake.

Place the remaining 1 ½ cups shredded coconut on a large baking tray. Pick up the cake and hold it on the palm of one hand over the tray. Using the other hand scoop up the coconut and press it to the sides of the cake. Continue with this process until the sides of the cake are covered. Set the cake on a serving plate and sprinkle any remaining coconut on top of cake. Chill cake for at least one hour to allow frosting to firm up a bit.

Cream cheese buttercream frosting

12 ounces of cream cheese, slightly chilled
1 stick of butter plus 6 tablespoons of butter (7 ounces) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup of confectioner's sugar, sifted after measuring
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup of water
3 egg whites

Place the cream cheese in the bowl of a mixer and beat on medium speed until slightly fluffy and smooth. Add the butter 1-2 tablespoons at a time, mixing until smooth. Add the confectioner’s sugar and vanilla and mix until fluffy. Set aside at room temperature while buttercream is made.

Combine the granulated sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Continue to cook without stirring until the syrup reaches the softball stage 228 degrees F on a candy thermometer.

Meanwhile, place the egg whites in mixer bowl and have the mixer ready to go. When the syrup is ready, turn the mixer on med-low and begin mixing the egg whites. Slowly add the hot syrup to the whites taking care not to pour onto the beaters, it may splash. When all the syrup is incorporated, raise the speed on the mixer to med-high and beat the egg whites until mixture has cooled and stiff meringue forms.

With the mixer on low, begin adding the cream cheese mixture by the spoonful. When all is incorporated, raise the speed to medium and whip until frosting is smooth and fluffy.  If frosting seems too soft, chill until it sets up a little more.  Don't be tempted to add more contectioner's sugar or it will be too sweet.

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Korean Beef Bowl from Azle Taste Tour 2013

Chef Julia Dunaway

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 cups organic baby spring mix, shredded into strips with a knife

1 pound grilled marinated beef (recipe below)

4 cups cooked short grain Japanese rice (or cooked brown rice)

1/2 cup spicy aioli

½ cup pickled carrots (recipe below)

½ cup cucumbers, sliced into julienne strips (1/8 x 1/8 x 2.5 inches)

¼ cup scallions, cut into fine strips

Roasted sesame seeds for garnish

Sriracha, as needed

Reduced sodium soy sauce, as needed

 

Marinated Beef

 

1 pound thinly sliced beef (rib eye is recommended)

Ask the butcher to slice it paper thin.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 tablespoons sugar—white, brown, organic cane, honey, agave, or sweetener of your choice

4 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon regular soy sauce

2 scallions, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, chipped

1 tablespoon roasted white sesame seeds

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 whole onion, sliced

 

Place meat in a large plastic bag.  Mix marinade ingredients together and pour over beef.   Marinate at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.  Cook on grill over medium high heat very quickly and remove.

Slice into strips.  Saute onion slices in skillet sprayed with non-stick spray for approximately 5 minutes or until soft.  Mix with meat strips.

 

Rice

 

Cook 2 cups short grain sushi or Japanese rice following rice cooker instructions or instructions on package.  Keep warm.

 

Spicy Aioli

 

¼ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup sour cream

2 tablespoons Sriracha

 

Mix together and place in a squeeze bottle.

 

Pickled Carrots

 

2 cups julienned carrots

¼ tsp salt

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon mirin

 

Combine vinegar, sugar, salt and Mirin, stirring until sugar dissolves.  Add to carrots.  Cover and chill.  Makes 8 servings

 

Assembly

 

Select a medium size bowl, not too deep, and place a handful of shredded spring mix.  Top with ½ cup cooked rice and 3-4 ounces grilled beef.  Squeeze small amount of spicy aioli on top.  Place a pinch of carrots, cucumbers, and scallions on top.  Finish with a pinch of roasted sesame seeds.  Add Sriracha for extra heat and a splash of soy sauce, if desired.

 

Other options:

 

Top beef bowl with a fried egg or sprinkle of cheese, crushed sesame chips or tortilla chips, cilantro, basil, and thinly sliced jalapeno peppers.  You can also add sautéed shiitake or cremini mushrooms, lightly sautéed spinach, or any vegetable you like.  Raw daikon radish or other pickled Asian vegetables can also be added.

 

2013 Taste Tour Chefs

 



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Spicy Curry Rice Omelet

Every now and then I like to have a couple eggs.  I get the best ones I can find—organic and all that—and enjoy them in dishes such as the omelet muffin or this one, a version of the Japanese “omelet rice”.  This dish is versatile because you can use any type of vegetable you have on hand.  If you don’t like onions, skip them, or omit the mushrooms.  Use whatever you like, even leftover meat or ham.  When I was growing up, in the age of bologna sandwiches as a staple, we used to have “bologna fried rice” with fried bologna, onions, scrambled egg and rice!  Yes, that sounds kind of gross now, but at the time I thought it was pretty good.  This combination of onions, mushrooms, small amount of oil, and healthy curry powder—which contains ingredients which are good for brain health—is a healthier dish.  Go easy on the oil, use brown rice and even egg whites only if you want an even lighter dish.  This is a humble meal but I was amazed at how wonderful it tasted when it took so little effort to make.  With a bowl of miso soup this would make a great dinner.

Spicy Curry Rice Omelet

Makes 1 omelet

1 tsp canola oil

½ cup sweet yellow onion, chopped

1-2 crimini mushrooms, sliced (optional)

½ tsp curry powder (Pioneer Brand Organic Curry Powder if available)

1 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce

1 cup cooked brown or white rice

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 eggs, beaten

Sriracha, for serving

Several small sheets roasted seaweed

 

Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat.  Add the onion and mushrooms and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the curry and soy sauce and stir to mix. Add the rice and season it with salt and pepper to taste, and stir to mix.  Set the seasoned rice aside, but keep it warm.

Spray skillet with non-stick spray.  Add the beaten eggs, quickly spreading them to make an omelet.  Place the rice mixture in the center of the omelet and fold the sides over the rice.  Place the serving place over the rice and flip the omelet onto the serving plate. 

Squeeze desired amount of Sriracha on top and serve with additional soy sauce and roasted seaweed.

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New Orleans 2013

Steve wanted to take a trip to New Orleans to celebrate his birthday so here we are, staying at the Marriott on Canal Street.  We arrived yesterday afternoon and met up with our friends, Mary Ann and Larry Nelon for drinks at 55 Farenheit.  Mary Ann ordered the classic Sazerac made with rye whiskey.  I tasted it and much preferred my cosmo.  Steve's hurricane was a little too sweet.Mary Ann and I walked for about an hour to catch up and get a little exercise in before the evening meal.  We had reservations at NOLA for the kitchen bar.  NOLA is one of Emeril's restaurants and is located on St. Louis Street.  We had a front row seat to the small kitchen and pizza oven where we watched the food being prepared and expedited by the Chef de cuisine Joshua Laskay.  The chef manning the pizza oven, a friendly young woman, was also using the wood burning oven to roast the drum and accompanying potatoes, the entree Steve ordered.  I wanted to try a pizza made in the oven as well, so I ordered an appetizer veggie pizza with the roasted squash, housemade ricotta cheese, curry oil and cilantro.  It was kind of bland.  Steve's barbequed shrimp was a little too sweet, but the NOLA caesar with dijon anchovy vinaigrette was outstanding. Larry had the gumbo of the day--seafood with okra, and it was not as good as the gumbo back home at Gogo Gumbo in Boyd, Texas.   Mary Ann's beet salad looked very appetizing but I didn't try it. For the entree I ordered shrimp and grits (sauteed gulf shrimp, grilled green onions, smoked cheddar grits, apple smoked bacon, crimini mushrooms and red chili-abita butter sauce).

Barbequed Shrimp

Veggie Pizza with House Ricotta

 Steve ordered the Garlic Crusted Drum cooked in the wood burning oven with Brabant potatoes, crimini mushrooms, bacon and sauce beurre rouge.  Larry had the Grilled Pork Chop and Mary Ann had Prince Edward Island Black Mussels in Garlic-Chardonnay Broth with Focaccia Bread.  My shrimp and grits was fair, a little too sweet for my tastes, however the grits were well prepared.  Steve's drum was really the star.  The fish was flaky and flavorful, with crispy potatoes and wine sauce and the wood flavor was subtle. 

Gumbo

Beet Salad

NOLA Caesar Salad

Mussels

 The time spent in the wood burning oven kept the fish extra piping hot the entire time he was eating it.  I had plate envy.  Mary Ann's mussels were in a broth filled with corn, bacon, and herbs and tasted really fresh.

Shrimp and Grits

Garlic Crusted Drum

Watching all the orders coming out was so interesting!  For dessert we had the Creme Brulee trio, vanilla bean with fresh berries, coconut with coconut truffle, mocha with chocolate almond biscotti.

Creme Brulee Trio

All three were equally delicious, a wonderful finish to an enjoyable dinner with friends.
We walked over to Frenchmen Street, an area known for good music, and heard some street music.  I heard some singing from Vaso, a small club.  We enjoyed a few songs there before heading back to the hotel.

Mary Ann and Larry were done for the night, but we decided to visit Bourbon Street.  Our favorite club from our last visit, Fat Catz, had a lively band playing "Carry on My Wayward Son" so we stopped in for a bit.  We stood around for awhile in the courtyard of Cafe Beignet and listened to some music, but there were no tables so we didn't hang around.  The usual rowdy crowd was staggering down the street with their giant fish aquarium drinks in hand, so we got out of there pretty quickly and back to the hotel.
Our plan for Saturday morning was a trip to Cafe Du Monde for beignets and Cafe Au Lait.  When we got there we waited a few minutes before getting a table.  Our beignets and coffee were welcome after the long walk.  As we left the line for a table stretched out quite a long way--always a good idea to get there early.

Cafe Au Lait and Beignets!

We met up with our friends again and wandered over to Royal Street.   That has to be my favorite street in New Orleans.  Lots of beautiful old buildings, art galleries, shops, and musicians always.

Mary Ann wanted us to see the gallery featuring the artist who paints the blue dog, George Rodrigue.   Imagine, you can get a simple painting of a blue dog for thousands of dollars.  Even a little print will set you back at least $800.00.  I will go back tomorrow to do some more shopping in the little kitchen stores.

Lunch at Central Grocery was a treat.  The famous muffaletta was just as good as I remembered from our last trip.  We ordered one sandwich and shared it, but it was still way more than we could finish.

The "whole" muffuletta is big enough for 4

 We walked over to the French Market, an outdoor market filled with vendors selling mostly cheap gifts.  The food stalls were popular, selling everything from alligator to classic Creole and Cajun dishes, pralines, and local products.  The Cupcake Fairies were there selling their plastic cups of layered cupcakes with fillings meant to be eaten with a fork.  I wanted to try one but I resisted.
We did try a local pecan praline though.  Although it was good I prefer my recipe for pecan brittle.
We walked for another hour enjoying the sunshine on a cold day and finally made it back to the hotel.
This is a vacation so a little resting was in order.  There is something about walking for hours in the cold that really makes you tired!
We didn't have solid dinner plans other than stopping at Acme Oyster House to try the famous oysters. Acme Oyster House has been open since 1910 and is known for its oyster challenges.  The top winner put away 43 dozen oysters!  I noticed long lines everytime we walked by the place on the last trip and this one so I figured it was either a good restaurant or just popular because of so much exposure on Travel Channel with Man Vs. Food, etc.

 We walked over to Iberville St. to stand in line.  Fortunately, our wait was over in less than an hour. It was a lot larger inside than I thought it would be and seating was communal.  We were seated next to strangers in a table for eight.  I can't remember where I read about chargrilled oysters but they were on my list of dishes to try on the trip so we ordered a half dozen.  We also ordered a fried seafood platter with catfish, shrimp, and oysters to share.  I don't usually eat fried seafood but I'm pretty sure that Acme is not known for healthy grilled seafood.  The fried catfish was really better than any I've had in a long time and the shrimp and oysters were quite tasty too.  Nothing was greasy.  There were plenty of lemons, spicy, spicy cocktail sauce and tartar sauce.

 The oysters were something else!  So hot you can barely touch them, bubbling with some type of buttery sauce, sprinkled with parmesan cheese and delicious with a squeeze of lemon and dash of Tabasco sauce with some crusty French bread.  We ended up ordering another half dozen.  Now I know why the long lines are there!

We waddled out of there full of fried food and rich oysters and I did not even want to think about the number of calories I consumed. I usually avoid all fried foods so when I posted a photo of our fried seafood on Facebook my daughter asked Steve, "Did mom eat really eat that?"  The bill for this meal was $58.00, about a hundred dollars less than our NOLA dinner! We walked out and noticed the line was stretched down to the next block, but I can understand now that people want their oysters!

Line waiting to get in Acme Oyster House

A trip to the Harrah's casino for a few minutes sounded like a good end to the evening.  The smoke filled place was a little off putting so I knew we would be out of there quickly.  I put $20 in a quarter slot machine and figured it would be gone in minutes, as usually is the case.  The machine malfunctioned and a technician came over to fix it.  After he left the machine started paying off constantly.  Within a short time I had $200 in credit.  I cashed out when it went back down to $150 and gave the credit receipt to Steve to cash in.  After all, it's his birthday trip.
I was just glad to get out of the smoke filled noisy casino.

Sunday morning arrived and our plan to walk to Sucre, at 3025 Magazine St., was still on.  I added another stop to this plan, breakfast at the Surrey Juice Bar and Cafe at 1418 Magazine, about half way.  I read about the Surrey Juice Bar and Cafe in Yelp or Trip Advisor when looking for good breakfast spots.

Way too many things I would like to try

on our way out--line has formed

There was a clip on Youtube where it was visited by DDD that showed how they make their own bagels in house and cure their own salmon.  After all the local fare a bagels and lox breakfast sounded really good.  Our entire walk would be over six miles, but after all the heavy eating I was all for extra walking.  We set out about 8:00 and enjoyed our walked down Magazine Street.  This is an area in which old homes are being restored so there were some really cute two story traditional New Orleans style houses along the way as well as little shops and businesses.  We noticed azaleas and other flowers already blooming, early to us.  The Surrey Juice Bar and Cafe is a small building that looks like an old house.  Fortunately there was only a brief wait and we were seated.  A very quirky place with lots of art work on the falls and decoupaged table tops.  Ours happened to be covered with Bible verses.

The menu had a nice selection of organic vegetables and fruit juices--now this was my kind of place, finally!  I enjoyed a tall glass of freshly squeezed orange, apple, and carrot juice.  Steve had orange juice. All was very sweet and fresh.  My bagel and lox arrived and was just as good as I hoped.  The bagel was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside and the salmon was thinly sliced and flavorful.  I made little bagel/cream cheese/red onion/caper bites and savored each bite.  Steve had a huge bagel, egg, bacon, and cheese sandwich along with a big bowl of cheese grits.  The grits were made with stone ground grits and had a wonderful texture and taste, nothing like the instant grits usually served.

Looking at the menu I wished I lived in New Orleans so I could come back and try other items like the Costa Rican Breakfast with black beans, brown rice and avocado slices.

House made bagel and lox

We continued our walk on to Sucre.  A little rest was in order and a nice cup of dark hot chocolate was all I needed.  We selected a couple of gift boxes of authentic macarons, French style, to take back to Fort Worth.  Letty Thome from GoGo Gumbo told us about Sucre so we are taking a box to her and our daughter, Alexandra, requested some as well.

The walk back was very long and tiring.  We took a different street, a big mistake, and ended up on

Tchoupitoulas St., a busy, loud, industrial road which made it seem even longer.  Back at the room we had to collapse for awhile to recover from the cold, wind, and long, long walk at a brisk pace.

After a little rest we headed out to Royal Street to do a little shopping and just to enjoy the street music.

The weather had warmed up and we didn't have to bundle up with so many layers.  There were street performers all along Royal Street including an excellent violin player, bluegrass, country and others.

I really enjoy this aspect of New Orleans and it's one of the reasons we wanted to come back.

Smiling and trying not to think about the weight I've gained so far on this trip

Luke Dining Room

We had dinner reservations for 7:00 at August, a John Besh restaurant.  We had been there before and Steve wanted to return for his birthday.  We were seated in a rather dark section of the restaurant, so dark Steve couldn't read the menu even with his bifocals.  I had to switch seats with him and then he was able to see better.

Amuse Bouche

  We started with a champagne cocktail, and had appetizers of blue crab and black truffle hand-made potato gnocchi for Steve and the Plaquemines's parish citrus and jumbo lump crab salad with Benton's bacon, fennel and blood orange vinaigrette for me.

Jumbo lumb crab salad

Gnocchi

  Steve selected the Breaded Trout Pontchartrain with  lump crabmeat, wild mushrooms, and sauce hollandaise for his entree.  I had the Rebessa Lirette's Berkshire Duroc Pork, slow cooked belly, crispy pied, and tenderloin crepinette.  

Berkshire Duroc Pork

Trout Ponchartrain

We had Sauvingnon Blanc and Cabernet blend from Stag's Leap for wines.  Each of our entrees was small, plated beautifully, and a taste explosion unlike anything else we ever try.  For dessert Steve selected the dessert that won the Southern Living best dessert of the south award, Banana pudding with peanut butter, marshmallow and "nilla wafer" ice cream.  I had the Napoleon of nougatine with Valrhona chocolate bavarois, and salted toffee ice cream.  The desserts were out of this world, each taste bursting with unique flavors.

Nougatine

Banana Pudding

Complimentary truffles

We were tired of walking so after dinner we went to the Canal Street movie tavern and saw the movie, Side Effects.

Our last meal in New Orleans, Luke, another John Besh Restaurant.  It was a short walk from the hotel on St. Charles Ave.  I had planned to have the "eggs in a jar", soft shell crab with poached eggs and cheese grits but they were "out" of that item.  Steve ordered the fried chicken biscuit ($14.00) and I ordered the omelet of local crab ($22.00).  Rather expensive breakfast items, particularly the chicken biscuit, since a really good chicken biscuit at Chick Fil A costs about $3.00.  We had freshly squeezed orange juice which was great but when the food arrived after a really long wait Steve's chicken was cold and my omelet was barely warm. 



I don't enjoy cold eggs so I sent it back and asked for it to be brought to me hot.  The manager came over to our table to apologize and said she would take care of the meal.

 

Not expected, but that was fine.  My next omelet was piping hot and tasted OK, but really nothing more than pale eggs with pieces of crab inside.

 I could not detect the house made fromage blanc.  The "herb pistou" was nothing more than a few pieces of spring mix.  Steve's McEwen grits were quite good, though.  I'm tempted to look on line and order some.  Luke was a beautiful place, lots of hype, but the food did not live up to the descriptions and it was overpriced.  I am not thinking we will come back here on our next visit.  Breakfast at Brennan's may be the choice.

Back to the room to pack and on to the airport.  We'll probably grab something to eat on the plane, but not New Orleans fare.

Back at home we celebrated again at Gogo Gumbo--where we had better gumbo than New Orleans and Steve was treated with their famous banana cream pie.

 

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