cape chef's mardi gras party

[momoreg]

What I mean by neutral are your collards, maybe the slaw, shroomgirl's oysters, maybe fried okra or something. Not that the spicy foods aren't great, it's just something to accompany them.

OMG, for beignets, you could do a beignet bar with various sauces, or you could individually flavor a bunch of beignets. Mind you, I've never been to NO, so my idea of what is traditional is probably quite different from what actually is. That is why I asked how close you want to be to the real thing.

Beignet flavors could be: pecan, banana, bourbon...y'know typical dessert flavors of NO, but would you want to stray from that and do things like blueberry, with lavendar honey syrup, for example?

[shroomgirl]

I hate AOL they keep turning off my machine "from lack of use" while I'm typing.

Creole cream cheese ice cream with strawberry sauce and praline cookie cone

Callas...sweet rice balls..topped with powdered sugar are REALLLLLL OLLLLLDDDDD New Orleans.

Stuffed seafood bites....

Eggplant (fried) with crab and a creole hollandaise

Or roll you eggplant slices around a spicy seafood mix.

HMMMMMM red beans and rice salad

Grit cake crisped and topped with shrimp stew
or Crawfish Pie

[shroomgirl]

Natichodes meat pies...spicy yummy great hdo

Abita beers...watch out for that Turbo Dog he bites.
NO Rum drinks
Sazeracs
Mimosas
glup....bleck....hurricanes

[momoreg]

How 'bout some other beignet ideas:


Peach melba (pretty self explanatory)

Sour cherry with brown sugar whipped cream

Chocolate nib beignets with chicory coffee ganache

Sweet cornmeal beignets w/ orange reduction.

Hmm...This could go on and on. I want to try some of these myself!!

Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! Beignets are simple fritters served with powdered sugar. You can do anything you want with this simple recipe but don't call it New Orleans. A proper beignet is as good as it gets -- why mess with it?

New Orleans is my home. My family has been in south Louisiana since the 1700's. There are things we eat and that's that. There are wonderful new culinary delights at grand restaurants (we love them and eat them at restaurants) but when we hit Mardi Gras or other traditional festivals, we revert to the classics. For Mardi Gras you need a great jambalaya, great red bean (preferably Camellia) and rice. Grillades and grits is a fabulous brunch staple. Daube is great if you can do it.
Mostly, stop screwing around with tradition! The real stuff is so good and so hard to do right that I ask you not to get fancy with the real, last true cuisine in America.

[Greg]

If French cuisine (which much of the cuisine of Louisiana derives from) can handle the existence of noveau French cuisine, why can't there be noveau Cajun? The old, traditional dishes will still be there even if there are new "fancy" ones.

[This message has been edited by Greg (edited 01-25-2001).]

[momoreg]

margaret, please forgive me for messing with ttradition, but please note, that I mentioned it may not be tradtional, I was trying to be creative with a traditional idea, and also note that I asked how authentic he wanted his food, because if that's the case, then it's quite easy to come up with dessert ideas, isn't it? Of course a simple beignet is fine and delicious, but there's nothing wrong with tweeking tradition, the same way we do with all cuisines.

[shroomgirl]

yeow!!! Actually Creole is a gumbo of fooods not just French. Tried and true are phenmonial, but there are some that are doing great stuff that doesn't seem too far off the path...Bayonas, Artesia, Hersaint...they still use indigenous foods and make wonderful New Orleans foods....ie roasted garlic soup, shrimp stew on grit cake.... I really do not see the classics dying down there. Bon temp Roule just is too strong. NOW my personal pet peeve is the weirdness going on with blackening...what is that messssss people are calling blackened, seems a far cry from what Paul Prudhomme started.
**Margaret where would you place Commander Palace's bread pudding souffle? or the twists Mr. B and Paul Pruddhomme made????


[This message has been edited by shroomgirl (edited 01-25-2001).]

I am at work so I do not have a lot of time,
First I want to thank everyone involved with helping me create a fun and "Tradiction" ? menu.
I have so many idea's and I know all of you do. I love the passion behind all of your post and I do respect all of you very much.I consider myself very creative,I have been called obsessed. Margaret... I fully understand what you are saying about tradition,however I am so appreciative of the insight momoreg and shroomgirl shed on this thread. I read a lot and will go bye the "book" when I really want to make sure something is as it should be,but to build upon tradition is a way to develop new tradition's without ever loosing sight of where they came from. I want this to be a creative thread,just to get people thinking and feel excited about sharing there ideas.
I have never been to N.O. But I hope to go some day and experience all the wonderful culture and traditions of our neighbors down south. Margaret...If I ever make it down to your home state I hope I can count on you for some guidence.Once again thank you for all your help,and enjoy each others knowledge.
cape chef
cc

I am sorry that my posting late last night seemed so didactic. I am a purist about the classics whether it be shoo-fly pie or Texas barbecue brisket. I love new takes on tradition but it frightens me some time that the old ways will be lost.
Greg, I know what you mean about nouveau Cajun. I do it myself and my Cajun Daddy loves it. Much less fat, more veggies, different cooking times. But still the traditional combinations of flavor and textures.
Shroomgirl, the recipe for bread pudding doesn't exist. Everyone does it differently and Commanders bread pudding souffle is just like my Tante Mae has made for 60 years.
Please forgive my prejudice, everyone. I love the classics of every region of the US and the rest of the world as well and, although I love and understand innovation and creativity, I fear the loss of the old ways. An indefensible position is some ways because my cuisine (Creole and Cajun) is such a blend of techniques and local ingredients tempered by the origins of the cook. New Orleans would have no cuisine without the wonderful emigrees from Africa, the Caribbean, Spain, Latin America, France, Germany, Italy, etc., etc., etc.
By the way, my favorite Mardi Gras dish is still grillades with grits! For dessert, stage planks.
Laissez les bons temps rouler!

[shroomgirl]

***Louisiana gossip~ Margaret did you read about Edwin Edwards being sent to prison by Palazzola for 10 years?????Finally caught.
What an amazing man.
**For those not familiar with Louisiana politics Edwin is a 73 year old man that has the libido of an 17 year old and a silver tongue, he was gov for 4 (yes four) terms.
Huge crook indicted 20 times in as many years but never sent to prison. He was a living soap opera. Cajun boy that could slip from english to cajun french with no break. Where's the entertainment going to come from now?

Shroomgirl, Edwin ain't in jail yet! Terrible crook but what entertainment! Makes Clinton look like an amateur. Remember when he said the only way he'd lose that election is if they "caught him in bed with a dead girl or a live boy"? He has really pushed his luck now however. The Feds just couldn't let him keep getting away with it.
Going to NOLA on Sunday for Mardi Gras. Can't wait! Where do you buy your seafood near the airport in Kenner? I always travel with an ice chest to keep the freezer full. This trip's shopping list includes turtle meat for soup and Camellia red beans. Crawfish tails with fat for Spring etouffes. And I want head-on shrimp. I'm taking food with me -- lots of wild ducks and some venison for Daddy. He calls every couple of days to check on what I'm bring down with me. Tomorrow I'm making venison heart terrine and a pheasant terrine for him to enjoy. Already done the rillette du porc which he adores.
Any new and interesting places to eat? I think after Mardi Gras I'll go back to Galatoire's for a loooong lunch of real classics. And of course a great burger at Camellia Grill. Or maybe Bud's Broiler. Or a roast beef po-boy at Parasol's. Then there's always Casamento's.
So few days, so many great meals.

[shroomgirl]

The CBD farmer's Market on Julia Sat AM...guess it still goes during Mardi Gras
OH man you said Sun....too bad they have seafood guys that catch it themselves...headon shrimp, live crabs, fresh fish and des allemdes catfish (too fine)
Kenner go under the hwy on Williams and it's at the light on the left just 1/4mile or so from the expressway ....seafood wrapped to go, they have a great selection and it's always been fresh. they have a restaurant connected that has pretty good po boys.
Boiled seafood in season too.
I'm green!!!! Check out Fancy food show in Chicago Mar 23may try to get up there....if you've not been it's wonderful!!!
restaurants look under KyleW thread in restaurant raves it has my NO selections.
The quarter is going to be packed....

Do you have any idea of the name of the seafood store? If not I'll just follow your directions and give it a try.
I always have to do a lot of cooking when I'm in New Orleans so I don't get to eat out as often as I would like. My parents are in their 80's and in pretty good health, thank God! I cook huge vats of things that freeze well in two portion containers. Lots of soups and stews. They eat for months by defrosting the main course, adding rice, salad, etc. But I always try to do some treats -- fresh seafood, etc. We do go out a bit but they are slowing down and their tastes are pretty much old Creole. Some of this new-fangled "invented food" just doesn't do it for them so I miss out on a lot of the new cool restaurants.
They did adore Delmonico's when I took them there last year. Must admit I was nervous because we always ate there when I was a child. They knew the owners before Emeril and I was scared that they would be snotty about the new boy. But it was great and the service was wonderful. Not cheap but absolutely worth it.
I'm hoping I can get them to Galatoire's this trip and also up to Folse's place in Donaldsonville.

[shroomgirl]

Don't remember the name of the seafood shop but not hard to find....it's at the corner of Williams before turning into the mall.

John Folse's Lafitte Landing burned down, probably the ghosts did it....he has a new place, just thought I'd mention that so you don't drive to Donaldsonville and not find it.

Wow, Dominics huh....I remember that place from my St. Mary's Dominican days...before they sold to Loyola....