Rustic Gumbo • Dish of the Month - June

Rustic Chicken and Andouille Gumbo.

I call this a "rustic" gumbo because it is made in the old style of using whole pieces of chicken, bones, skin, and all. The chicken is fried in the traditional way after being dusted with flour. The rest is pretty much the same. Of course you do have to watch out for bones, but the flavor this chicken imparts to the dish is great.

I made a really dark brown roux for this as well, it took a while. As you can see in the picture the gumbo is thick and luxurious. I normally serve it with rice. I really recommend you get a cast iron Dutch Oven, this recipe made just under 7 qts., plus cast iron cooks so well. I use a Lodge Dutch Oven.

I am posting the recipe HERE. This is my own recipe, but I was inspired by Chef Donald Link from his new book "Real Cajun: Rustic Home Cooking from Donald Link's Louisiana" He had a recipe he calls Fried Chicken and Andouille Gumbo. I add a few things he doesn't and vice versa. You should try this recipe, it is awesome. This gumbo is the Dish of the Month for June.

RouxBDoo

Chefs and Restaurant Friends to aid Chef Matthew Murphy

Chef Matthew Murphy, the executive Chef of the Ritz Carlton Hotel in New Orleans, had a bad fall on May 19. The next day, after continued complications and swelling, he went to the emergency room and from there was taken directly into surgery. He was diagnosed as having a group-A Streptococcus infection, toxic shock syndrome, and disseminated intravascular-coagulation. In other words he was a very sick man. He was given a 25% chance of surviving.

Now, as of June 2nd his wife Alicia reported he is breathing on his own, and on the 4th that he was talking. The couple have quadruplets and are expecting another child. The financial burden is tremendous, but some help is on its way. On June 14th between 4pm - 8pm, 45 area chefs, including Paul Prudhomme, John Besh, Donald Link, and Tory McPhail, among others, will convene at the Ritz Carlton for a fund raiser to help Matthew toward his medical bills. The price is $65.00 and reservations may be made by calling 504-670-2828. For more progress about Matthew go HERE. Our prayers are with him and his family.

Crab Cakes Extraordinaire!

Crab cakes are my favorites, and I thought I'd share my recipe with you, my fearless readers, and encourage you to make your own.

For Starters, I know crabmeat is expensive. I usually get the Special, it is a step under the Lump, and two under the Jumbo Lump. It works fine, yes you don't get the huge bites of crabmeat, but it tastes great. I use a cast iron skillet and a mixture of butter and oil to fry it in. I don't use very much, I like a nice sear on the outside, and too much oil or butter makes that difficult.

Here is the recipe...

1 lb. special crabmeat
1 egg (beaten)
3 tbs. mayonnaise
1 ½ tbs worcestershire sauce
12 Ritz crackers (crushed fine)
½ tbs tabasco
½ tbs Tony Chachere's (Creole Spice Mix)
½ tbs garlic (minced)
2 tbs onion (minced)
½ tbs vinegar (or lemon juice)
1 tbs fresh parsley (minced)

Place onion and garlic in a bowl with 1 tbs butter and ¼ cup of water. Place in a microwave for 2 mins. This will wilt them and take some of the bite out of them. Mix all ingredients, except the crab into a bowl and combine. Add crabmeat, scoop into balls and flatten into patties. Place on a plate lined with wax paper and place in the fridge for about an hour, let them firm up.

Fry in a cast iron, or similar, skillet or sauté pan, with 1 tbs of butter and 1 tbs of vegetable oil. Let them go on one side until it is nice and brown, then turn them and do the same on the other side. Serve with tarter or remoulade sauce. For an easy sauce, see the recipe below, it'll do in a pinch. This crab cake recipe should make about six good sized crab cakes, serving about 2 per person.

For my Easy Faux-moulade sauce, mix...

1 cup mayonnaise
¼ cup cocktail sauce
1 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs creole mustard
1 tbs tabasco sauce

RouxBDoo

Server Change Problems

If you have been having trouble downloading recipes, or have seen some graphics missing, it is because my server is changing over and it might be a couple of days before we're up and running. Also it has been a while since you've had a post. I hope to get back to New Orleans in two weeks and start back writing good food posts. Hang in there. Until then, I will leave you a post about crab cakes.

RouxBDoo

A Low Country Intermission

Anyone that knows me, knows I dearly love Cajun and Creole Cuisine, but I also love the food and flavor of South Carolina and Georgia's Low Country Cooking. Cities like Savannah Georgia, Charleston, and Hilton Head, South Carolina are just some of the places you can get good Low Country fare. The dishes, in a way, and very similar to Cajun and Creole cooking. Lot's of seafood, rice, pork, okra, and slow-cooked specialties. This area was populated by the Gullah, African people who maintained their language and food culture more than any other African immigrants. These free-people-of-color made their home in the tidal basin there at the border between the two states. Because it is below sea-level, it got its name "The Low Country." This culture is still vibrant and flourishing today.

Some of their more popular dishes include Shrimp and Grits, She Crab Soup, Frogmore Stew (a Southern-style clambake), Hoppin' John (a black eyed peas and rice dish), Perloo (similar to Jambalaya) and my all time favorite, Backbones and Rice. The "backbones" are sometimes called Country Style Ribs. These are braised in a stock and cooked with rice until they absolutely fall apart. The rice is so savory and tasty it is a meal in itself. For more information on the Gullah Cuisine, go to Chef Rick's Site, it's a great blog about Low Country and Cajun food as well.

So, I decided to make Backbones and Rice today and thought I'd include them in this blog. OK, I know they're not Cajun, but the style is so similar, I know you'll love this dish if you make it. I have the recipe for you HERE. Just click on this link and you can download the recipe as a PDF document. If you'd like, all my Low Country Recipes are HERE. Give it a try and let me know. This week I am hopefully getting back to New Orleans and to our favorite foods to eat and talk about. Enjoy!

RouxBDoo

New Orleans Bicycling

I am very sorry for not having written a blog in the last couple of weeks. I have been very busy working and since the Swine Flu came along, my schedule has been very erratic. Alright, for starters, you cannot get Swine Flu from eating pork. Now, that's all you really need to know. If you're feeling ill, take two pork rinds and call Jimmy Dean.

As for the subject of this post, I saw something really funny in New Orleans on Saturday, well funny to me but not to the bicyclist. My friend Sergey, the Doctor on board, saw this and he snapped a picture of it and e-mailed it to me. Evidently, the cyclist locked his bike up and removed the seat to keep someone from stealing his bicycle. Apparently that mattered not to this Crescent City thief. Everything BUT the frame was stolen from the bike, leaving it for the owner to wonder why he bothered.

Saturday in New Orleans was tremendous. Great weather, great food and a walk around town. Crawfish Po-Boys and smoked Boudin at NOLA Grocery, some Calabrese Salami from Cochon Butcher, and some Southern Candymakers Pecan Pralines for dessert. Lunch was washed down with some Abita Root Beers. Sergey also sent me this great shot of some shucked oysters he had for breakfast. Any day in Nawlins' is a good day.

RouxBDoo

Chef Donald Link article

Here's a nice little article on Chef Donald Link in New Orleans. The article is from Delta's Sky Magazine by Chef Andrew Zimmern of Bizarre Foods. I scanned it, I hope you can read it OK. Link is one of my favorites, met him last month. He is probably the fastest rising chef in New Orleans. He, along with Chef Stephen Stryjewski, owns Cochon and Butcher, he also owns Herbsaint Restaurant, and Calcasieu Private Dining Room. He is a man of pork, a swinetologist. As you can read by my previous post HERE, Butcher is awesome. Try the Calabrese Salami if you go there. Odd name for a sausage maker, Link. Hmmmm. Click on the picture to enlarge the article.

RouxBDoo

Bud’s Broiler on City Park Ave re-opening!

Well, I had almost forgotten about Bud's Broiler. Now, I realize this is a Cajun and Creole food blog, but Bud’s Broiler is a New Orleans institution. My friend Doug Ferguson used to pick me up downtown and we'd sometimes go to Bud’s Broiler in Kenner, near the airport (pictured on left). If you've never had a Bud's burger, the are char-broiled, dipped in a barbecue sauce they call "hickory sauce", slapped on a warm bun and topped with a huge mound of shredded cheddar cheese.

Listen kids, there ain't much better burgers out there than Bud's Broiler. If you click HERE you can not only find their location but also see their menu and pics of all the tasty burgers and other food items. Billy and Shannon Wright are re-opening the City Park Avenue location on April 20. This location, the first Bud's Broiler, opened in 1952, has been closed since Katrina. They have bought the location and franchised the business from Bud's owner Joe Catalano, who took over the chain in 1980 from the widow of founder Alfred J. "Bud" Saunders.

If you'd like to read the entire story at NOLA.com click HERE. If you want an incredible burger, much, much better than what the McClown or the King are trowelling out, go to any Bud's location. If you click HERE you can find a location near you. Be sure to tell them you read about it here at RouxBDoo's Cajun and Creole Food Blog. Tell 'em RouxBDoo sent you!

Happy Burgering!

Big Easy Pork Terrine

I was home a few extra days this week and being back on my Low-Carb diet, (since the last post) I needed some protein. I first thought about meatloaf, but then I found I had some Brawnschweiger (liver spread) in the fridge, so I decided to make a terrine. Pretty much the same as a meatloaf, only fancier name.

It was very simple, dice up some onion, mix all the ingredients together, then let it cook forever. HERE is a link to the recipe. You can cut it in half if you'd like. I call it the "Big Easy Terrine" not for New Orleans (The Big Easy) necessairily, but because it's really easy and it's FRIGGIN' HUGE.

Enjoy!

RouxBDoo

The Best Pralines at Southern Candymakers

Well, after a big lunch at Deanie's, in the French Quarter on Saturday, I was walking back to the Trolly stop at Bienville St., and I happened to walk by Southern Candymakers on the corner of North Peters where it runs into Decatur St. My senses were immediately assaulted by the mystical smell of sugars caramelizing in cream and butter. They were making Pralines!

Against my better judgment I walked into the store and saw the new batch of Pecan Pralines (pronounced prah-leens) being spooned out onto a marble slab to cool. A gentleman was scooping up the delicacies and offered me a sample bite. Now, I've eaten pralines before but never fresh from the kettle while still hot. These were the best pralines I have ever eaten. Honestly, they were the creamiest, with whole pecans, all warm and mellow… words cannot describe them. Even after they had cooled, they were still the best I'd eaten.

It turns out the friendly gentleman serving me was Peter Tompkins, one of the owners of Southern Candymakers. He told me their business, at 334 Decatur, had been in the French Quarter for 18 years making a vast array of delicious candies, in addition to the pralines. They have two locations, the second being further down in the French Market at 1010 Decatur.

This is a locally owned business, that also does mail order if you can't be in New Orleans to get them yourself. You can order them by calling 504-523-5544 or toll free at 800-344-9773. Their great website can be accessed by clicking Southern Candymakers. Oh yeah, here's also a short video about Southern Candymakers.



Meanwhile, I will give you my recipe for pralines. This is not the recipe from Southern Candymakers, but it is the best I've found. This might tide you over. Be sure to buy a candy thermometer to make it easier on yourself.

RouxBDoo's Pecan Pralines

1 1⁄2 cups white sugar
3⁄4 cups brown sugar
3⁄4 cup Half & Half
1⁄2 stick butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1⁄2 cups pecan halves

Combine first four ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, then turn down a cook the mixture on MED until it reaches 240º with a candy thermometer, or forms a soft ball. As the mixture cooks, don’t stir it to death, this will make it grainy. Stir it only occasionally, while spooning the mixture up on the side of the saucepan, to wash the sugar crystals off the sides.

Remove from the heat and add the pecans and vanilla. Stir the mixture until it starts to cool and gets cloudy. It is then ready to spoon out onto wax paper or a Teflon pan. Don’t let it get too thick or it won’t drop properly. If it does, add some warm water to it, only about a tablespoon. Let them cool and serve.

Enjoy

RouxBDoo

Owner of Rouse's Grocery Dies at 79

Anthony J. Rouse, owner of the Rouse's grocery chain, died Thursday, March 5th. He was 79. Rouse had opened his first store in Houma and the stores proliferated in the Houma and Thibodaux area. After Hurricane Katrina he bought all the Sav-A-Center and A&P stores. The chain now incloudes 35 stores and employs 4,700 people, and is the largest, local owned, grocery chain in South Louisiana. He did this in the face of many businesses leaving the New Orleans area.

Rouse was born in Marrero but later moved with his family to Thibodaux. In 1960, he opened a 7,000-square-foot grocery store in Houma with his cousin, Ciro DiMarco. DiMarco retired in 1975, and Rouse's son Donald became manager of the store, which was renamed Rouses.

I love the little French Quarter location (above), it is handy, small, and carries nearly everything. It's nice to see a local chain do well in this economy, or any economy.

RouxBDoo

Deanie's in the French Quarter

I finally made it over to Deanie's Seafood Restaurant, after watching Adam Richmond tackle the monstrous BBQ Shrimp on Man vs Food. Deanie's Bucktown originally opened in 1961. Their current location, at 1713 Lake Avenue in Metairie, has been serving folks great seafood for years. The good news is they also have a French Quarter location. It has been there for 8 years, according to our waiter, and is located on the corner of Iberville and Dauphine, just a block off Bourbon St.

I arrived with one of my shipmates. Our friendly waiter offered us a small plate of red potatoes that had been cooked in Old Bay seasoning, or at least tasted like it. They were wonderful! My friend ordered berl'd crawfish and I got the BBQ Shrimp appetizer. I also got "Busters" for my entrée. Busters are softshell crabs and they're my favorites. They were wonderful, lightly battered and fried, with a tasty slaw as well.

The shrimp were just amazing. Like the ones in the Man vs Food video clip below, they were HUGE! They looked like dolphin. They were served with a small individual baguette of french bread to sop up all that wonderful buttery sauce they're cooked in. Their prices are comparable to lower than most of their nearby competition. I heartily recommend them.

They have an informative website HERE. Make sure your trip to the French Quarter includes a trip to Deanie's. Great food and excellent service, at moderate prices.

RouxBDoo

Danno's Return to NOLA

My blogging buddy Danno, whom I've never met before, made it into town last week for a few days of trying out new restaurants and reconnecting with old ones. We tried to meet but we weren't in town on the same day. He did make it by one of my favorites, Cochon Butcher. He has some wonderful pictures of his trip on his blog NOLA Cuisine, be sure to check them out.

We see Danno in the above picture, standing in jackson Square, in front of the St. Louis Cathedral. He also made it to several other places, like Casamento’s Restaurant, to sample some of their fine cuisine. He makes it into town periodically and is a true connoisseur of Cajun and Creole food. His blog has been an inspiration to me. I hope someday we can meet and have a meal together. Be sure to check out his extensive recipe collection HERE!

-RouxBDoo

Zagat Launches 2009 New Orleans Guide

Here's a quote from their press release...

Winners: Since 28% of surveyors in New Orleans named Creole and Cajun as their favorite cuisines, it is no surprise that Brigtsen's (Contemp. Louisiana) won Top Food and Top Service; while Commander's Palace (Creole) was voted Most Popular restaurant (as it has been every time it's surveyed) and Top Decor to boot. Best Bets for a bite at top value are at Hansen's Sno-Bliz, Angelo Brocato and Morning Call. Other food and popularity winners are:

August
Bayona
Cafe Du Monde
Dakota
Galatoire's
Stella!

If you'd like to read the entire press release, click HERE!

Enjoy

RouxBDoo

New Orleans Jazz Great Pete Fountain

In honor of Mardi-Gras, I am posting my favorite video of the "wonnerful" Pete Fountain, doing his duty on the Lawrence Welk Show playing Tiger Rag. This was in '58 and you can hear Lawrence say…"Ready boyce, a one ana two" Enjoy Pete here, sorry I hadn't posted it sooner. Enjoy Mardi Gras!!! Just look at Mr. Pinchy over to the left, snapping his pincers and dancing to the music!

Cochon Butcher

The owners of Cochon, Chef Donald Link and Chef Stephen Stryjewski, have opened a new "swine bar" in New Orleans on Andrew Higgins St. It is an upscale boucherie called simply "Butcher." I was like a kid in a candy store drooling over the pretty foods in the display cases. Wonderful Cajun and Creole delicacies like their in-house made Andouille, Boudin, Tasso, as well as international favorites like Soprasetta and Genoa salamis.

I could barely contain my excitement enough to soak-in all the sights and smells in the trendy, bistro-like cafe. Such items like Duck Pastrami, Head Cheese, and Stuffed Chickens were some of the other foods that were also available. I took home the awesome soprasetta, homemade andouille, and the aforementioned head cheese. All were awesome. Surprisingly, the andouille was nearly the size of a Coke can. It was my first encounter with head cheese. I took some back to the ship to Chef Jorg Schneider, who said it was the closest he'd had to that made in his homeland of Germany.

I believe, though the most unusual item was something I had only dreamed about, something that I thought would only exist in some mystical, wonderful, fairy-tale land, and what is this food that gives me cold chills, and turns my knees to custard at the same time??? Ready??? BACON PRALINES. Yes, you heard me. Lovely brown sugar carmelized with cream, butter, and pecans. Then, the magic happens. Huge chunks of cooked, smokey, bacon. Not flavored bacon bits, but respectable chunks of fried, savory bacon. It was poured into a 3/4 inch thick slab, which the counter person would break off to sell. I broke my low-carb diet for the day to have this bacon-y treat. I highly recommend it.

I also got to meet Chef Link. To me it's like meeting a celebrity or sports star. Link (on left) and his partner Stryjewski (on right) are two of the top super chefs in town. Their Cochon Restaurant is remarkable and is in MY top 3 in town. Link was very friendly and must be working very hard to keep all his businesses on top. Be sure to check out Cochon and Butcher while in New Orleans. They are near the Convention Center on Andrew Higgins near NOLA Grocery, one of my other favorites. Cochon is on the corner at Tchopotulous, Butcher is directly behind it.

RouxBDoo

Leo's Cajun Corner

OK, I know most, if not all, of my posts on this blog are about food from Louisiana, specifically New Orleans, or the Cajun country of South Louisiana. I felt though this place really deserved my attention since I really LOVE this place.

Leo's Cajun Corner is located on the lovely island of Galveston, Texas. I met Leo Marcantel on my last visit there having lunch in the dining room of his brand new location on Broadway, (the one pictured is their old one, now torn down). Leo is, at first glance, a friendly fellow that seems to have a happy staff serving wonderful food. We spoke about his new restaurant, which he'd begun building before Hurricane Ike devastated the area.

Their speciality is their smoked foods. They have a butcher's display case full of many smoked meats that you can eat there or take home. My favorite are the rib blade tips, smoked to perfection giving them a reddish-brown hue and infusing them with a wonderful flavor. No sauce is slathered on them like some places do… they don't need anything, they are perfect! The same goes for their chicken and porkchops as well. My friend AJ ordered a chicken beast that looked more like a turkey breast. it was HUGE, as were the porkchops, some the size of a dinner plate.

I have had their gumbo and jambalaya as well, their gumbo is a chicken and andouille which is very simple but flavorful, the same with their gambalaya which was flavored with andouille as well. I am yet to try their crawfish or shrimp etouffée, but I am sure it is tasty.

One of my favorites is their smoked boudin. Now all y'all know I love boudin, and their's is really good. The rich mixture of pork, rice, and spices. The carry plain, smoked, and crawfish boudin. They also make their own andouille, tasso, bacon, ham hocks, beef jerky, and a few other smoked sausages.

Now the best part… their prices. They have the best prices anywhere. I cannot get over how inexpensive the food is. About half the cost of most New Orleans or even Galveston prices. Example: their boudin is $3.89 a lb., A small gumbo, (the size of most large in NOLA) is $1.99. A large etouffée is only $5.25. They can smoke any meat you bring by as well as making custom items like Deer sausage.

Amazingly they don't have a website yet, of course when you see the crowds eating there you wonder if they need one. They do have a mySpace page that is listed HERE. Please, if you are in Houston, run down to Galveston and leave some tourist dollars to help them recover, and also run by a get some great cajun and smoked foods with Leo's Cajun Corner. Tell Leo you read about them here!

RouxBDoo

This months recipe Red Beans for Valentine's Day

I am reminded of the old poem...
"Beans, beans, the musical fruit,
the more you eat... you remember it.

Well I thought we'd make red beans the recipe of the month. I love red kidney beans seasoned with a lttle onion, celery, garlic, and smoked ham or sausage. Since red is a Valentine's Day color, and I don't know many pink Cajun foods, OK shrimp maybe, I felt that beans would be the food that provides the music of Love, well not quite. You know what I mean. HERE is my recipe. Enjoy

RouxBDoo

The Chicken Butt

OK, we were having a discussion on a message board about the tail of the chicken. You know, the little lump of skin with a few tiny bones, and a scant morsel of meat? Yes, that one. One lady had heard it called the Pope's Nose. Well I did some checking and I found a list of the Top Ten alternate names for the chicken's tail. I hope you enjoy them.




The Colonel's Knob
El Pollo Asso Bucco Holo
The Outback Backside
Roy Rodger's Chicken Dodgers
The Nagin
The Judas Piece
Anusette
MacNugget (well they come from somewhere)
Uday or Qussay (your choice)
Da Wagon dat Chicken be Draggin'

My Cajun friend and fellow food blogger, Arthur Hebert, reminded me that Justin Wilson called the chicken butt "the part that goes over the fence last." Click Here

Finally a NEW POST

Sorry, sorry, sorry my friends that actually do stop by and check this blog out from time to time. I have been swamped at work and home very little. But I wanted to tell you of my new out-of-the-way food find. It is right in the NOLA Airport. The ACME Oyster House is of course a venerable old restaurant in the French Quarter on Iberville since 1910, but if you are flying out of New Orleans in the morning, and are hungry? Take your self, and "rat now," over to the ACME "Erster" House in the airport and order the andouille and egg Po-Boy. Oh Man, was it good.

Now, I have been on a low carbohydrate diet since the first of the year, and I believe this was the first bread I've eaten, but it was worth it, with that great old french bread, sauteed onions and peppers, andouille sausage, all stirred up into real eggs. No egg substitute here. OK their prices are ridiculous, but you actually get near what you pay for unlike alot of the airport reataurants. Get 'en to smear a little mayo on it too! Give it a try if your out that way.

RouxBDoo

Salmon Crochets, Croquets, or Croquettes?

A restaurant website had a plethora of misspellings, one being "Salmon Crochets." After a little fun with PhotoShop, I imagined what the alternatives might be. The first photo of my great grandmother back in the old country making the "Salmon Crochet" by hand. The second is a photo of two old gals playing a thrilling game of "Salmon Croquet."As you can see I have way too much time on my hands. Actually I don't, but I love doing little fun projects like this using the magic of PhotoShop.

My brother Chef Phil Harkleroad

My brother has always had the same passion for food and cooking as I have. After looking for a job during this economic sowdown, he got one cooking and working in food service. I am so happy and proud for him, he really loves it and likes the people he works with. My kids and I went to where he works and visited with him for a bit. I love my brother and hope he continues to enjoy his job, finally, in a profession he really enjoys. Good luck Phil, I am happy for you.

RouxBDoo

This Month's Recipe Etouffée

Here is a shrimp etouffée I made in '08. There is a recipe HERE. I am now making it without a roux. Some use a roux and some don't. Send me your etouffée recipes and I'll post them. The picture is a bit odd, it was taken at night out on our porch table. The lighting wasn't the best. By the way, Etouffée means "smothered" yes, smothered by a velvety, tasty sauce.

RouxBDoo

Arnaud's Restaurant Owner Archie Casbarian Dies

Archie Casbarian, owner of Arnaud's Restaurant, died in a Metarie hospice center on Saturday at the age of 72. Casbarian and his wife Jane took over the legendary French Quarter restaurant in 1978 and in the last 30 years have restored it to it's former glory.

They hosted every president since Richard Nixon, along with countless others seeking out some of New Orlean's finest Creole foods. Casbarian felt keeping menu items like Oysters Bienville and Shrimp Remoulade, was important since they were among some of the original recipes from when the restaurant was opened in 1918 by Arnaud Cazenave.

Casbarian survived by his wife, a son, a daughter, a grandson and two brothers. For more information about Arnaud's go HERE. Thank you Archie for your hard work and contributions to New Orleans' wonderful cuisine. God Bless You.

RouxBDoo

A New Year and New Foods

Well 2009 is here and some of you celebrated it in the traditional way by eating black-eyed peas and cabbage and blowing yourselves into the new year. I started a diet. I am cutting carbs out of my diet which means no rice, bread, pasta, etc., at least for a while. There are lots of foods that I can eat, I love meats, cheeses, and some vegetables, which makes this diet easier for me than most traditional diets.

Let's say you want to fry some shrimp but don't need the breading. Drop a bag of barbecue pork rinds into a food processor and PULVERIZE them. Dip your peeled shrimp into a milk/egg wash, and then into the pork rind dust. Make sure you get the shrimp covered properly. Deep fry them and enjoy.

For a sweet snack, add a pack of Splenda to about 4 ounces of cream cheese, spread an even layer onto a slice of muenster or mozzarella cheese. Then spread a thin layer of low sugar/carb peanut butter. Roll the cheese up and slice it into pinwheels. Go an extra step and melt some low carb chocolate and dip the pinwheels into it. Let them cool in the fridge. Have fun with these.

If you are starting a diet this new year, good luck and hang in there. It's not easy but it's worth it. Good Health!

RouxBDoo

A post from my iPod Touch

I got a wonderful iPod for Christmas. It's the iPod Touch and allows me to post to my RouxBDoo Blog. It is time consuming with my big-ass fingers, but It's nice to know I can use it for that purpose.

I hope everyone had a great holiday

Timmy

-- Post From My iPod Touch

Here's a Justin Wilson Christmas Story

Away in a Manger - My Favorite Christmas Recording

Here is Jerry Douglas playing his amazing Dobro on Away in a Manger. This is a excerpt from Sugar Plums - Holiday Treats From Sugar Hill Records. Merry Christmas my friends.
Buy the Sugar Plums CD, CLICK HERE!

Sorry for not posting sooner!

Well, it's Christmas Eve and I haven't been able to post hardly anything. I have been swamped at work and have been out of the country for most of the month. I just returned home and am going to bed. I have to run out in the morning and do some last minute shopping, little bits and candy-making supplies.

I am making Pralines tomorrow for Christmas, it will be my first time, wish me luck. I will try and post something tomorrow before the big day. Love to all my friends reading this. Be back soon. Until I get a picture of this year's tree, here's last year's.

RouxBDoo

Thanksgiving onboard the MS Fantasy

What a great meal Chef Jorg Schneider and Sous Chef Martin Miles made for the Staff and Crew on the ship last week. Not to mention the 110 turkeys they made for the guests. They fixed about 12 for the staff and crew and they were the best I've eaten. Chef also made a HUGE pumpkin Pie for the crew. They measured out the oven and had a metal disk made to the specifications to create the largest pumpkin pie they could fit in it.

I helped in the staff dining room to carve the 4 turkeys we went through. These had been de-boned and expertly roasted by Chef Martin. Brown and crispy on the outside and moist and flavorful on the inside. I even enjoyed the dark meat, which I usually avoid. It was a great Thanksgiving on the ship, and I truly have a lot to be thankful for. Having a job for starters! I am also thankful for my two friends Chef Jorg and Chef Martin, they are truly remarkable. I am pictured with Master Chef Jorg Schneider.

Getting ready for Christmas!

RouxBDoo

Tim's Turkey Tips

Alright, while some folks are out nearly burning their houses down trying to deep-fry a turkey, I am using more civilized methods to prepare the Thanksgiving bird. Years ago, while I was a cruise director, I used to have my meals in the Officer's Mess on board. They used to fix incredible turkeys that were seasoned with fresh garlic and olive oil.

I experimented at home with cooking turkeys and finally came down to a great recipe that, not only makes a tasty turkey but, makes a moist and tender turkey as well. You'll need the following items.

Turkey (thawed, giblets removed)
2 onions
2 apples
2 oranges
1 whole bulb of garllic
1 cup olive oil
kosher salt
black pepper
1 stick butter
¼ cup soy sauce (optional)
several sprigs of fresh thyme (optional)

You might want to have a pair of disposable plastic server's gloves (like they use at Subway)

Make sure the turkey is thawed and the cavity is cleared out of the giblets and the neck. You can use the neck for stock, do not use the liver, etc. for stock. Rinse the turkey off, inside and out and pat dry.

Cut your onions, apples, and oranges in half and stuff them into the cavity of the turkey trying to position the cut side out against the inside of the cavity. You can peel a few cloves of garlic and add to the cavity, as well as lodge the stick of butter and fresh thyme up in there. Try to gather the skin around the turkey's backside, pull it together, and secure with a toothpick or skewer.

Now for the outside. If using soy sauce, give the turkey a rubdown all over with the soy sauce, (you can use low sodium). Smash and mince the remaining cloves of garlic, and mix them with the olive oil and rub this over the turkey's surface. You might want to tuck some garlic up under the wings and legs. Once you have covered and rubbed-in the garlic and olive oil, give the bird a light coat of salt and pepper. NEVER pierce the skin! This allows moisture to escape.

Place the turkey in the oven uncovered, and bake at 450º for the first hour. Then cover with foil, turn down the heat to 325º, and bake for approximately 15 - 20 minutes per pound. Use a meat thermometer and let it go to a 170º internal temperature. You can also check the turkey provider's chart for cooking time and add about an additional 10% in time.

Remove the foil for the last hour and baste every 15 mins. When the time is up, turn oven off and allow turkey to relax in the oven for about 15 mins. and outside the oven for 20 mins. before slicing. Although it is difficult lifting the foil and replacing it, it doesn't hurt to baste the turkey earlier in the baking process every half hour or so. Bottom line, don't be in a hurry. Better to let it cook longer at slower temp, and keep it moist. Some folks even braise it in a few inches of stock.

Either way, Happy Thanksgiving!

RouxBDoo

The Napolean House

Thursday Nov. 20 I was back in NOLA for the day. We actually didn't go to NOLA Grocery as we usually do. My friends couldn't make lunch today, so my friend from Mexico City, Eric and I went to a restaurant in one of the oldest buildings in town, The Napoleon House.

Very reasonable, (as a matter of fact downright inexpensive, comparatively) and great service. We ate out in the courtyard of this building built in 1821 for Mayor Girod, by his brother. The mayor offered it as sanctuary for Napoleon Bonapart, if he had gone into exile. Evidently it survived both great fires, (I believe they were after this) and has been a thriving restaurant for some time.

Eric had a roast beast Po-Boy with gravy, I had gumbo and Jambalaya. Both were good, the gumbo being the better of the two, had a nice flavor, the jambo was the Creole Red variety, I prefer brown, and it was a little tomato-ey for my taste. It could've cooked more, but all in all, it was a nice meal. The waiter was attentive and the place was very relaxing. Everything else I saw looked great and as I said earlier, it was very reasonable, maybe the best meal deal in the French Quarter.

Timmy
RouxBDoo

Grits… boilt', fried, and cherished!

I love grits. Always have, even before snooty people started eating them. I bought some coarse stone gound, grits from Parks Mill in Abingdon, VA. They make great corn meal, grits and other items. I am including their recipes for grits and cornbread here. It might not seem like alot of grits in the recipe, but it made a whole bowlful. I added a bit more water.

After you make your grits, try this… put them in the fridge overnight, dump them out and slice them about half and inch thick. Dredge each grit plank in seasoned flour (flour, Tony C's Cajun Mix, black pepper) and fry it in a skillet with, I use margarine when I fry mine. Let them get brown and crispy on the outside. Oh man are they good. Check out Parks Mill for great products.

RouxBDoo

Sorry About Thanksgiving!

OK, OK, I am the one that fusses the most about early Christmas content, but I love Christmas and wanted to get my Christmas recipes on the ol' blog. I also changed my logo on top. The mansion in the picture is Kinnity Castle in Ireland, (I love this picture) I really hope you try and enjoy these Christmas Recipes.

The shortbread recipe is simply awesome, as well as my Dad's Peanut Butter recipe. My father W.J.Harkleroad Jr. was an wonderful father and a really good cook. He left me this recipe for his candy. It is similar to a fudge, but so much better. The last is my sweet wife's sugar cookies with buttercream icing. Enjoy these and look in the future for more fun during Christmas.

RouxBDoo

Joe the NOLA Cat

Well, Thursday lunch was at our current favorite NOLA Grocery with Murray, and then a stop off to see Joe the Cat. Joe is a fixture at "The Foundry," a catering facility a few blocks over. Joe can be found sleeping most of the time. His friend Robin informed us that, amazingly, he HAD BEEN SLEEPING before we got there. Whew, that's a relief!

Joe and I took to being friends immediately, I guess since I am a confirmed cat-person and Joe smelled the smokiness on my boudin-stained fingers. At the NOLA Grocery I had a Ferdi special Po-Boy, this is roast beef debris with Chisesi ham. MMMmm, I loved it. Can't wait to go back for it and that lovely boudin. Oh, Murray is the only person I know that has Mexican imported Fresca to drink. It is a grapefruit flavored drink. I know there is an American version but it is awful in comparison.

Seeya next week!

Chicken Fricassée

Well, I delved into the dish Chicken Fricassée this weekend. I got it a bit confused with something else and added tomatoes. Now it wasn't bad, but it did over cook a bit, and all those little bones in the wing-tips, etc. became a real nuisance. I got a recipe from fellow blogger Arthur Hebert at The Bear Growls. He reviews restaurants around the Lake Charles, LA area.

Hopefully with this truly Cajun version it will turn out better next time. I also mede some great cornbread and pinto beans this weekend. Cornbread is one of my favorites, but DO NOT PUT SUGAR IN IT!!!! It's a bread not a cake.

Here is the Chicken Fricassée recipe…

4 to 5 lb hen cut into serving pieces
salt and cayenne to taste
6 tbs oil
6 tbs flour
2 large onions
4 cups hot water.

Season meat and brown in oil. Remove and add flour stirring to make a dark roux ( some recipes call for flouring the chicken pieces and going from there)

Add onions and cook until transparent. return hen to pot add water and cook on low for about 2 hours or until tender. (some recipes call for the trinity and garlic and sauteing them in oil then adding the flour) Serve over rice. Slow cooking is the key!

Mmmmmm Good! Thanks Arthur!

New Season, new posts

I am getting ready for the Thanksgiving season, and hope you are too! I don't know about the Cajun craze of TurDuckEn. I just don't know about foods that begin with the word Turd. Anyway, we will feature some new recipes and possibly some restaurant suggestions for those of you spending the holiday in New Orleans or SoLa. (that's South Louisiana)

I hope all have a great season, it's a beautiful time of the year. Get out and see the pretty colors, and if your area doesn't have them, go somewhere that does.

Happy Halloween Everyone!

This is just a post to remind everyone to make sure you got candy for the kiddies. Go out and find a haunted attraction to get a good scare this Halloween. Many haunted houses donate to a charity, our raised over $5,000.00 for Make A Wish over the past few years. Next week we start on our Cajun Thanksgiving! Until then, stay spooky!
RouxBDoo

How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds are one of my absoloute favorite things in the world to eat, and make. I thought I'd give you an easy recipe. You can substitute Tony C's for the salt.

1. Rinse pumpkin seeds under cold water and pick out the pulp and strings.
2. Dry and place the pumpkin seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet, coat the seeds and baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Sprinkle with salt, or season salt, and bake at 325º until toasted, about 25 minutes, checking and stirring after 10 minutes.
4. Enjoy! BTW, you could experiment with different flavors, garlic powder, dill, etc.

NOLA Grocery again!

Here is Murray, the owner of NOLA Grocery back in their small but effective kitchen. He is working on an awesome beef debris Po-Boy for me. I met MrsFury and Henry (yes I'm not sure if I can use her real name or not) for lunch there on Thursday. The boudin was also incredible as usual. If you are in the area, go by there, we are still after Murray about doing gumbo. Hope he starts soon. Just thought I'd post the pics Beth made. (Ooops I used her name)

Halloween Food Special - "Boo - dan"

I love boudin (pronounced boo-dan), it is one of my favorite foods in the Cajun/Creole cuisine. I had some great boudin at NOLA Grocery, (previous post) and also had some at Leo's Cajun Corner in Galveston. I hope they are back up and running. Boudin is a sausage made with spiced pork, pork liver (just a wee bit), and rice. Stuffed into a natural casing and sometimes smoked, (my favorite) it is a staple in Cajun fare. I hope you get to try some soon. If you are in Lafayette Louisiana on October 25th you can attend the Boudin Cookoff. This sounds like awful fun. I hate I can't be there to declare the winner. They're all winners. Go to The Boudin Link for more info on BOUDIN. Here's a recipe. (Boudin pictured from LeBlanc's Cajun Boudin located in St. Amant, LA.)

Here is a link to a video of Dwayne and Shannon fron Bourques Boudin and Cajun Specialities making their world famous Boudin.

RouxBDoo returns to NOLA

Well friends, my triumphal return to the Crescent City was marked by a wonderful lunch with my pals Beth, Henry, and Kelly from the NOLA food forum. I finally got over to NOLA Grocery to have a wonderful roast beef debris Po-Boy and some tasty smoked Boudin. What looks like a tiny garage where someone has built a convenience store, actually contains a small kitchen that puts out some great food. It's impossible to try to calculate how those guys all maneuver in that kitchen.


We ordered and sat down at one of the two tables provided. Our "sammiches" were soon delivered and mine was great. The Boudin was smoked and spectacular. I love Boudin, as you guys might well know, and this was spiced just right and the smoky flavor was perfect. The owner came out bringing a pumpkin bundt cake with a butter cream icing. This was a nice complimentary dessert or "Lagniappe" as the owner called it. Lagniappe, loosely translated, is "a little something extra" and is a common local expression.


They just got a new snowball machine, and will be adding gumbo to their fall and winter menu. The owner told me it was just too hot to make it in the summer, back in that tiny kitchen. They have most kinds of Po-Boys, fried shrimp, oysters, andouille, etc. and several other great items on the menu. Local favorite like Zapps Chips, Hubig's Pies, and all type of soft drinks round out the inventory, along with the usual convenience store items. NOLA Grocery is handy and serves tasty food, so when in New Orleans be sure to pay them a visit. It's located on Andrew Higgins about a block and a half off of Convention Boulevard, right behind the restaurant Cochon.

New Orleans Restaurant Recommendations

OK friends, I have to admit there are a lot of places I haven't eaten in New Orleans, but I do have my favorites, and some are my least favorites. Rather than hurt someone's business because they might have had a bad day, I will restrict this post to those eateries I do really like, rather than those I don't.

For starters, I will give you my top three.

!. Galatoire's (French Quarter)
2. Commander's Palace (Garden District)
3. Cochon (Warehouse District)

Here are some of my other favorites to check out while in New Orleans or surrounding area. These are not in any sort of order.

Coop's Place (Decatur St.) Lil' Dizzy's (Esplanade) Grand Isle (Convention Blvd.) The Dry Dock (Algier's Point) Mother's (Poydras) The Old Coffee Pot (714 St. Peter St.) Creole Skillet (Julia St.) Brennan's (French Quarter) Don's Seafood (Metairie) Gumbo Shop (St. Peter's) Copelands (Various Locations) Café Du Monde (Various Locations) Central Grocery (Decatur) Bud's Broiler (Various Locations) NOLA Grocery (Andrew Higgins Dr.) Hana Sushi (Hampson) Desire Oyster Bar (in Royal Sonesta Hotel)

There are many more I have eaten there, like the pizza place on Decatur, the seafood place in Riverwalk, etc. Some of them had good food but I can't remember their names. I also spent many meals at the Cajun Cookin' store in Riverwalk, and had some of the best food ever in New Orleans. Unfortunately they are gone from that location. Their other location is in the Quarter, but they don't serve food. One place that I loved was the Diplomat on Tchopotulous, again it has now closed, I guess due to low tourist numbers.

I might also mention that Whole Foods Gourmet Stores have cooking stations, and it was there I had some of the best scallops I've ever eaten. The buffet at Harrah's is a great bargain, and the food is better than most buffets. You can find great food all over town, if you just look.

There are some other restaurants in New Orleans where I've eaten but some were disappointing, this is very rare though. Some other places are no longer open, as some of the previous ones I've listed. I hope you try some of these on your visit, and maybe try something new you can tell me about.

Robert Guthrie: New Orleans Artist

Although this blog is primarily about food from New Orleans and South Louisiana. I also like to feature people and items that are unique to the area. Here is a post about Robert Guthrie. Robert is a New Orleans artist with a fresh look at its historic architecture. In 1992 Robert was selected as the artist for the Official New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Poster.

He finds the fluid radiance of watercolor well suited to the charismatic wash of lines and light intrinsic to the French Quarter. His creations appear throughout New Orleans on canvases, posters, walls, banners, and murals. Click HERE to see his website and view all his wonderful paintings of the French Quarter and New Orleans.

I really appreciate Robert giving me permission to display a few of his pieces. The uppermost painting is of one of my favorite restaurants Galatoire's. If you love New Orleans, Robert's work will take you back there, right to the heart of the French Quarter! Be sure to go to this site and buy something original for your home, and if you own a restaurant you could feature these beautiful works in your dining area.

CLICK HERE!

Timmy

Haunted New Orleans Restaurants

I found a really neat website of not only fine restaurants in New Orleans, but the ones that are haunted. I have the list here, but you need to go HERE to read the stories. This is the site for Haunted New Orleans Tours. Check the site out, or when in New Orleans you can take one of the great tours.

Here's the list...

1. Arnaud's Restaurant
The spirit of Germaine Cazenave is said to haunt the museum.

2. Brennan’s Restaurant
It is said to the be ghost of the late Chel Paul Blange, among others. The Red Room is an active spot.

3. Antoine's Restaurant
Make sure to tell the Ghost of Antoine hello.

4. La Louisiane Restaurant
Louis Bézaudun and his wife Ann's ghosts are said to be seen walking in and out of the building.

5. Muriel’s Restaurant
There are at least three known actual ghosts at Muriel’s, and maybe more.

6. Cafe Du Monde
Many of the locals swear of a ghost waiter that takes your order and dissapears.

7. Pat O'Brien's
The two most haunted areas of Pat's are the Piano Bar and the upstairs Ladies Room.

8. The Bombay Club Restaurant and Martini Bistro
The ghost of a Storyville Madame is sighted often.

9. Louis XVI Restaurant
Many of the ghost ofen are sighted in ghost photos taken at wedding receptions and around the Mardi Gras Season.

10. Court of Two Sisters 

Many locals tell haunted Tales of the Two Sisters ghosts watching over them as they enjoy their wonderful meals.

Many other Haunted Restaurant in New Orleans have had reported ghostly encounters. Next time in New Orleans and you are thinking of having spirits while dining, you might better specify.

Halloween Season is Creeping up!

Well, you might have noticed a slight change in the appearance of my blog. You might or might not know, I am a big Halloween fan and haunted attraction aficionado. So what can I write about in this post? Well, two of my good friends Ross Karpleman and Steve Jay, own and operate the House of Shock in New Orleans. The House of Shock is a gigantic haunted house/horror show located in Clearview.

Ross and Jay started the attraction years ago in Jay Gracionette's grandfather's back yard. Jay is a also a business partner. Their 4th partner in the venture was Phil Anselmo of the band Pantera. The attraction grew, achieving massive success after several years, becoming one of the largest and most prolific dark attractions in the country. The show draws up to and sometimes over 40,000 attendees.

They have been featured in several network and cable Halloween specials, as well as articles in various media including Playboy and USAToday. I have visited the House of Shock several times and have jumped into costume and character in for some of the fun, scaring the patrons that line up by the thousands to experience one of the most intensely terrifying horror shows anywhere.

On a culinary point, (since this is a foodie blog) Phil Anselmo's family owns Anselmo's, a fine Italian restaurant in Metairie. My son Martin is a heavy metal guitarist, as well as a big fan of Phil's newest band, Down. My pal Ross plays keyboards and also appeared on Down's last CD. Ross is a longtime friend who was nearly washed out by Katrina. He is restoring his house in Lakeview with plans to move back in soon. I am sure though, the House of Shock has his full attention these days.

If you'd like to know more about the House of Shock you can click HERE. For information about my Halloween activities go HERE. To locate a Halloween Haunted Attraction in your area, go HERE or HERE. Check back by during October for more fun seasonal posts.

Brian Landry Cookin' Busters @ Galatoire's

Here's Chef Brian Landry of Galatoire's frying up some soft shell crabs. This looks so good you can smell them!
You can find more incredible videos of the great New Orleans chefs at… www.NOLA.com

Zapp's Chips

In my never ending effort to bring you great products of New Orleans and South Louisiana, I bring you Zapps Chips.   A truly unique and wonderful potato chip selection that includes PLAIN, CAJUN CRAWTATOR, MESQUITE BBQ, NO SALT, HOTTER 'N HOT JALAPENO, CAJUN DILL, CREOLE TOMATO, SOUR CREAM & CREOLE ONION, SALT & VINEGAR.  Check out these great potato chips when  in New Orleans or order them from their website.

Poor Galveston

My beautiful Galveston was shattered last weekend by Hurricane Ike.  I had prayed it would veer off, but no it went in with full force and did millions maybe billions in damage.  I have called friends that evacuated and they're OK.  Galveston will return, but it will be a while.  Houston will also need much repair.

I have worked in and out of Galveston for many years now, I hope Sharon and Paul at the bookstore are OK, as well as my friends at Galveston Limo.  I look forward to seeing the gang at Leo's Cajun Corner and hope their new dining room was spared.  I will be back soon for some boudin.  Good luck friends in Texas, God bless you!