Nola Cuisine

On our most recent trip to New Orleans in February, I stopped by the uptown Crescent City Farmer’s Market on a Tuesday morning. It felt wonderful to casually stroll the market with just a light jacket, basking in the sunlight, knowing that back in Michigan folks were still weathering the worst winter I can remember to date.

I love Farmer’s Markets and this winter has made me long for mornings like the one that I had in New Orleans. Alas, here in Michigan spring has finally sprung, and I can finally go check out some of our own local goodies without 4 layers of clothing and snow shoes. Here are some pics from my visit to the Crescent City Farmers Market in New Orleans.

Crescent City Farmer’s Market

Ponchatoula Strawberries, blood red straight to the center, and sweet as can be, probably the best strawberries I can remember.

Nola Bean! was there with a menu of dishes created from some of the local ingredients.

After getting a look at those delicious strawberries, I couldn’t pass up a chance at the Ponchatoula Strawberry Shortcake on a Satsuma drop biscuit with Vanilla Bean whipped cream. Wow, I can still taste it. It tasted even better than it sounds, pure heaven.

Fresh fish and shrimp.

Local smoked meats, sausages, tasso.

Fresh flowers, herbs, plants, and trees.

Louisiana citrus, Satsumas, kumquats, navel oranges.

Louisiana Tomatoes and Cucumbers.

The Crescent City Farmers Market is open on Tuesday in Uptown New Orleans from 9 am to 1 pm River Road at Uptown Square. Directions

The Saturday market is located in Downtown New Orleans from 8 am to 12 noon on the corner of Magazine and Girod Street. Directions

Be sure and check out my ever growing Index of Creole & Cajun Recipes which links to all of the recipes featured on this site!

We had a very aggressive dining schedule on our most recent trip to New Orleans last month, the finale being dinner at Galatoire’s on our last night in the city.

Galatoire’s Restaurant
209 Bourbon Street
New Orleans , LA 70130

Galtoire’s is a legendary restaurant, right on Bourbon street, surrounded by strip clubs, bars and even sharing a wall with a sex shop. It’s odd to step from the raucousness of Bourbon Street into a restaurant which has seen over 100 years of history, elegance and tradition, and still manages to be unpretentious and a hell of a lot of fun. Jean Galatoire opened the restaurants doors in 1905, and it has remained in the family ever since, they’re on their fourth generation of family ownership. In November of 2005 the family also opened Galatoire’s Bistro in Baton Rouge. Richard at Appetites gives a good comparison of the two restaurants here.

After all of my trips to New Orleans over the years, I finally made it to Galatoire’s, and it was well worth the wait.

In addition to wonderfully prepared French Creole Cuisine, the highlight of a visit to Galatoire’s will most likely be your waiter, probably one of the most knowledgeable in the city. Our waiter was Tony, an excellent waiter, friendly, jovial, and just one hell of a nice guy.

We started off with Souffle Potatoes and Shrimp Remoulade, I had a Sazerac, which Galatoire’s serves on the rocks, unless specified otherwise. Hey, when in Rome, right?

The Souffle Potatoes are a lost art, except in the old line Creole restaurants of New Orleans, those being Antoine’s, Arnaud’s, and Galatoire’s. They were easily my favorite part of the whole meal, out of sheer respect for the stalwart adherence to tradition and quality. Not to mention they are just a delicious and addicting appetizer. Little edible zeppelins as crispy as a potato chip with a perfect Bearnaise Sauce for dipping.

The Shrimp Remoulade was also fantastic, and my favorite Remoulade Sauce that I’ve had in the city thus far. In my opinion a perfect balance of flavors. (Galatoire’s Shrimp Remoulade Recipe)

Next I selected a nice French White Burgundy for the meal, and Tony brought us a staple for any great dining experience in New Orleans, a loaf of New Orleans French Bread, soft in the center with a flaky crust that keeps the busboys busy with their crumbers.

The fish selections were Pompano, Flounder, and Cobia. My wife asked if the Flounder would be good Amandine style and Tony kind of swayed and suggested it broiled with Jumbo Lump Crabmeat and Lemon. As I told my wife, trust your waiter. Listen to him. As a matter of fact, many regulars of Galatoire’s will let their waiter order for them. It basically goes like this…What would you like today? Lunch please.

I ordered Pompano with Crabmeat Yvonne and had my first taste of true Meuniere butter, Galatoire’s style, I fell in love with it and it’s now part of my repertoire. The Pompano was everything it should be, buttery flesh that melts in your mouth. The Crabmeat Yvonne topping is sauteed Mushrooms, Artichoke bottoms, Jumbo Lump Crabmeat with Meuniere butter. It is named for the Granddaughter of Jean Galatoire and daughter of Justin Galatoire. She worked in the restaurant starting as cashier in 1938. She managed from 1964 until 1997 when she retired and she was president of the business from 1984 until her death in 2000.

Our side dish was Brabant Potatoes, so named for their square shape. They were crispy and deliciously tossed in a New Orleans Bordelaise which is kind of a garlic butter.

Dessert was a creamy Creme Carmel which is a must at Galtoire’s…

…as is Cafe Brulot, flamed tableside. Brandy and Orange Liqeur are flamed in a Brulot bowl with Orange and lemon peels, cinnamon sticks, and cloves…

Tony ladles the flambe for flourish…

The flambe is extinguished with good strong Cafe Noir.

The finished product is ladled into coffee cups.

A perfect end to an extraordinary evening at Galatoire’s. Tony introduced us to one of the Galatoire family members who manages the restaurant, a delightful gentleman who thanked us for our patronage, and even took our picture in front of the restaurant.

By the way Galatoire’s also has a phenomenal Galatoire’s Cookbook that came out shortly before the storm, it’s a keeper. Great pics, recipes, and history.

Be sure and check out my ever growing Index of Creole & Cajun Recipes!

Related Recipes:

Pan Fried Pomfret with Galatoire’s Style Meuniere Butter
Sazerac Recipe
Bearnaise Sauce Recipe
New Orleans Style Bordelaise
Shrimp Remoulade Recipe
Brabant Potatoes Recipe

Happy Mardi Gras everyone! I wish I was down there today having a raucous time with the rest of the revelers, have a great one!

Mardi Gras related posts:

King Cake Recipe

I received an email from Kristen Browning-Blas, food editor for The Denver Post, the other day asking permission to use my Muffuletta recipe at the Denver Post website, I said of course. Here is the article about Serio’s Po-Boys & Deli.

As I browsed through the pics and recipes I realized I needed to have a Muffuletta as soon as possible, so Anna and I headed over to Ventimiglia’s Italian Market, here in the Detroit area, to gather the necessary ingredients.

But of course, as I’ve mentioned in the past, Muffuletta Bread is not to be found here in the Detroit area, so that had to be made as well.

I used my Muffuletta Bread recipe, Olive Salad recipe , my Muffuletta sandwich recipe, which I altered slightly by doubling the amount of meat and cheese, I figured what the hell, I’m going to all of this trouble, why not go the full 9.

By the way for a great Italian Market in the Detroit area check out:

Ventimiglia’s Italian Foods
35197 Dodge Park
Sterling Heights, MI 48312

Related Posts:

Be sure and check out Jason Perlow’s post on The Muffuletta at Off the Broiler!

Muffuletta Bread recipe
Muffuletta Sandwich Recipe
Muffuletta Olive Salad Recipe
Shrimp Po’ Boy Recipe
Roast Beef Po Boy Recipe

Well it’s Fall again, and in my house that means it’s time to fire up the smoker and start bulking up the freezer with Andouille, Tasso, and other seasoning meats for Gumbo, soup and stew season. I love the smell of the crisp fall air, mixed with the smell of rich pecan smoke. It reminds me of campfires from my childhood, and unless you have fallen into one, I’m sure those are good memories for you as well.

I finished a fresh batch of Andouille on Sunday, and I’m thrilled with the results, so thrilled in fact that I had to whip up a batch of Chicken & Andouille Gumbo for dinner last night. Here is a pic of last night’s Gumbo.

For my last batch of Andouille I experimented with the smoking technique, doing a longer cold smoke which resulted in a denser more cured finished product. For this batch I hot smoked at a temperature of 160-180 degrees for about 3 1/2 hours with Pecan wood, which is in the Hickory family. Both techniques were successful, but I have to say I prefer the hot smoked product. I used the same recipe for both (My Andouille Recipe). Some details in the production of this batch that I think make it superior are the following:

* Instead of grinding the meat, I hand cut all of the meat into 1/4″ - 1/2″ cubes. I think this produces a much better texture.

* I poked the sausages all over with a toothpick. This allows for easy smoke absorption, and you can also get rid of any air pockets that are there from the stuffing process.

* I completely let the casings dry out before smoking. I cannot stress how important this step is. I wiped the casings dry with paper towel, then let the sausages hang in the refrigerator overnight. You will know that the sausages are ready for the smoker when you can see the meat clearly through the casing.

To see a real Louisiana professional make Andouille, check out Jason Perlow’s Wayne Jacob’s Andouille post at Off The Broiler. Jason is doing God’s work over there, or the Devil’s work if you happen to be on a diet.

Be sure and check out my ever growing Index of Creole & Cajun Recipes!

Related Posts:

Andouille Sausage Recipe
Chaurice Sausage Recipe
Tasso Recipe
How to link Sausage Recipe

One of my very favorite spots for a drink or lunch in New Orleans is Napoleon House. It is everything you could wish for in a New Orleans cafe; decadent, dimly lit with paint blistering from the artwork and photo adorned walls, and of course great food and drinks.

A must on every visit to Napoleon House, especially in the stifling summer months, is the Pimm’s Cup. Their version of this English classic is made with Pimm’s No. 1, lemonade, then topped with 7-Up and garnished with a slice of cucumber.

My wife and I both had the Roast Beef Po Boy and shared a large plate of Red Beans & Rice (being Monday and all), which also came with a small side salad and Creole Hot Sausage. The Po Boys were dressed with a wonderful and rich gravy; delicious. The red beans were very good as well, and left us as the gentleman who was our waiter promised, “As full as ticks”. (I loved that!)

I judge a Roast Beef Po Boy by the number of napkins needed to complete the meal, the larger the stack the better the dining experience, this one earned a large stack of napkins. The highest rating of course has no napkins, just a hose and a bucket of soapy water.

Napoleon House is a must stop for your trip to New Orleans if even for just a drink. They also have an excellent warm Muffuletta, which is very well respected by Muffuletta afficionados.

Naopleon House is located:

Napoleon House
500 Chartres Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
504-524-9752

Map

Related posts on Nola Cuisine:

Roast Beef Po Boy Recipe
Red Beans & Rice Recipes
Muffuletta Recipe

Be sure and visit my ever growing Index of Creole & Cajun Recipes!

The French Quarter is filled with amazing little shops to suit anyone’s taste, I found mine on Toulouse Street between Chartres and Royal, just a couple of blocks from Jackson Square.

Anyone that knows me knows my love for cookbooks of all kinds, but especially Creole & Cajun Cookbooks. Imagine my joy when I stumbled upon a sign that simply read Cook Books when walking down Toulouse Street in the French Quarter during our recent trip to New Orleans.

A wonderful shop with vibrant art work on the walls, various kitchen related items lovingly placed around the store, and lots of used and new cook books seperated by category, a cook’s dream!

The proprietors Debbie Lindsey and Philipe LaMancusa are among the many friendly faces we encountered in the city on our trip, and Debbie was quick with some favorite dining suggestions when I asked for some recommendations.

The real treat for me was located in the back of the store, the Creole & Cajun section, as well as a large collection of vintage LPs.

They have a very nice selection of used and new Creole & Cajun cook books and a glass case that contains some more rare items, such as the Buster Holmes Restaurant Cookbook.

Another thing that really caught my eye was a Chez Helene t-shirt under glass, Chez Helene of course being the long lost restaurant of the late Austin Leslie who passed away shortly after being trapped in his attic during Katrina.

Debbie & Philipe also ship so give them a call at (504) 528-8382 or email at kwitchen1@aol.com if you’re looking for that hard to find cook book that you lost years back.

Kitchen Witch Cookbooks, Music, and Art is located on Toulouse Street between Royal & Chartres in the French Quarter (MAP):

Kitchen Witch
631 Toulouse Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
631 Toulouse
kwitchen1@aol.com

Click here for information on visiting New Orleans and Louisiana!

Be sure and check out my ever growing Index of Creole & Cajun Recipes which lists all of the recipes featured on Nola Cuisine.

We had breakfast at the recently reopened Camellia Grill during our trip to New Orleans. Camellia Grill is a beautiful old style diner inside of a Greek Revival home with a lively staff who clearly enjoy working there. Seats are all at the counter with the old fashioned bolted down swivel stools, white cloth napkins are a very nice touch.

For breakfast I had a Ham & Cheese Omelette which was easily the largest omelette I have ever seen. It was browned on the outside and soft and delicious on the inside, loaded with finely chopped ham.

My wife had waffles, not nearly as large of a portion as my omelette but delicious.

For dessert we both had a piece of pie, my wife Banana Cream, or as our friendly waiter corrected us, BO-nana pie, and I had the Pecan pie with Vanilla Ice Cream on top, easily my favorite part of the meal.

Our waiter warmed my Pecan Pie on the flat top grill with a lot of clarified butter.

Camellia Grill is an excellent stop for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It’s located just before the end of the St. Charles Streetcar line (when it’s running, it is currently under construction). Here is the address:

The Camellia Grill
626 S Carrollton Ave
New Orleans, LA 70118
(504) 866-9573

Be sure and check out my ever growing Index of Creole & Cajun Recipes which links to all recipes posted on Nola Cuisine!

We arrived home from New Orleans late Friday night, we had a wonderful trip filled with lots of good food, friendly faces, plantation houses, live oaks, live music, and of course, being summer in New Orleans, some very hot weather.

I will be sharing some of the highlights of our trip over the next few weeks, including some of our dining experiences. The only bad part about our trip was that I physically couldn’t eat more meals a day. We had an aggressive dining agenda that we sadly didn’t even come close to completing.

For those that may be apprehensive about visiting New Orleans because CNN keeps scaring tourists away, don’t be. CNN’s job is to scare you. New Orleans is rebuilding, there is a lot of work to do, but the city is on the rise and it is was wonderful to see the French Quarter bustling with tourists during what is essentially the off season. It’s also good to know that there is still a guy on a street corner in the French Quarter who knows where I got my shoes. Visit New Orleans and fall in love…or maybe just rekindle the flame.

Click here for more information on traveling to Louisiana.

I purchased some Soft-Shell Crabs today which I will prepare for dinner tonight, and of course feature as a recipe later tonight or early tomorrow. I only buy soft-shells fresh when they’re in season, I don’t believe in frozen soft-shells personally, it leaves me something to look forward to in the spring.

Soft-Shell Crabs are not a different species of crab as some may believe but simply a Blue Crab, Callinectes sapidus, which has molted. Like many other crustaceans, crabs outgrow their shells and grow new ones. The prime soft-shells are called busters, as they have just busted from their shells and are at peak softness. Not long after the crabs have busted from their shells, the new shells will start to form and have more of a leathery texture.

Soft-shells can be fried, sauteed, broiled, grilled, you name it. Later I will share one of my favorite ways to prepare and serve them, I’m really looking forward to it.

Soft-shell crabs should not be cleaned until shortly before you’re ready to cook them as they will spoil faster.

To clean a Soft-Shell Crab cut off the eyes and nose portion of the front of the crab with kitchen shears. Next, lift the corners of the top shell and remove the inedible gills. Lastly, turn the crab over and remove the Apron which is a soft way of saying the genitals. Sorry, but it is what it is…just remove it.

Your soft-shells are now ready to be cooked, and so are mine…until later today.

Update - Here is my recipe for Fried Soft-Shell Crabs with Creole Choron Sauce.

Be sure and check out my ever growing Index of Creole & Cajun Recipes which features all of the recipes featured on this site.