Onion-Braised Beef Brisket

Here is a fabulous dish just in time for your Easter Feast. This is a reprint from Cook's Illustrated

Serves 6-8.

This recipe requires a few hours of unattended cooking. It also requires advance preparation. After cooking, the brisket must stand overnight in the braising liquid that later becomes the sauce; this helps to keep the brisket moist and flavorful. Defatting the sauce is essential. If the fat has congealed into a layer on top of the sauce, it can be easily removed while cold. Sometimes, however, fragments of solid fat are dispersed throughout the sauce; in this case, the sauce should be skimmed of fat after reheating. If you prefer a spicy sauce, increase the amount of cayenne to 1/4 teaspoon. You will need 18-inch-wide heavy-duty foil for this recipe. If you own an electric knife, it will make easy work of slicing the cold brisket. Good accompaniments to braised brisket include mashed potatoes and egg noodles. For a Passover menu, substitute matzah meal or potato starch for the flour.

Ingredients

1	beef brisket , 4 to 5 pounds, flat cut preferred salt and ground black pepper
	vegetable oil
3	large onions (about 2 1/2 pounds), halved and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1	tablespoon brown sugar
3	medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1	tablespoon tomato paste
1	tablespoon paprika
1/8	teaspoon cayenne pepper
2	tablespoons all-purpose flour
1	cup chicken broth *
1	cup dry red wine *
3	bay leaves
3	sprigs fresh thyme
2	teaspoons cider vinegar (to season sauce before serving)

Instructions

1. 1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 300 degrees. Line 13 by 9-inch baking dish with two 24-inch-long sheets of 18-inch-wide heavy-duty foil, positioning sheets perpendicular to each other and allowing excess foil to extend beyond edges of pan. Pat brisket dry with paper towels. Place brisket fat side up on cutting board; using dinner fork, poke holes in meat through fat layer about 1 inch apart. Season both sides of brisket liberally with salt and pepper.

2. 2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until oil just begins to smoke. Place brisket fat side up in skillet (brisket may climb up sides of skillet); weight brisket with heavy Dutch oven or cast-iron skillet and cook until well browned, about 7 minutes. Remove Dutch oven; using tongs, flip brisket and cook on second side without weight until well browned, about 7 minutes longer. Transfer brisket to platter.

3. 3. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pan (or, if brisket was lean, add enough oil to fat in skillet to equal 1 tablespoon); stir in onions, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute; add tomato paste and cook, stirring to combine, until paste darkens, about 2 minutes. Add paprika and cayenne and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Sprinkle flour over onions and cook, stirring constantly, until well combined, about 2 minutes. Add broth, wine, bay, and thyme, stirring to scrape up browned bits from pan; bring to simmer and simmer about 5 minutes to fully thicken.

4. 4. Pour sauce and onions into foil-lined baking dish. Nestle brisket, fat side up, in sauce and onions. Fold foil extensions over and seal (do not tightly crimp foil because foil must later be opened to test for doneness). Place in oven and cook until fork can be inserted into and removed from center of brisket with no resistance, 3 1/2 to 4 hours (when testing for doneness, open foil with caution as contents will be steaming). Carefully open foil and let brisket cool at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes.

5. 5. Transfer brisket to large bowl; set mesh strainer over bowl and strain sauce over brisket. Discard bay and thyme from onions and transfer onions to small bowl. Cover both bowls with plastic wrap, cut vents in plastic with paring knife, and refrigerate overnight.

6. 6. About 45 minutes before serving, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. While oven heats, transfer cold brisket to cutting board. Scrape off and discard any congealed fat from sauce, then transfer sauce to medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until warm, skimming any fat on surface with wide shallow spoon (you should have about 2 cups sauce without onions; if necessary, simmer sauce over medium-high heat until reduced to 2 cups). While sauce heats, use chef's or carving knife to slice brisket against grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices, trimming and discarding any excess fat, if desired; place slices in 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Stir reserved onions and vinegar into warmed sauce and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over brisket slices, cover baking dish with foil, and bake until heated through, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

7. To Make and Serve the Brisket on the Same Day
   If you would like to make and serve the brisket on the same day, after removing the brisket from the oven in step 4, reseal the foil and let the brisket stand at room temperature for an hour. Then transfer the brisket to a cutting board and continue with the recipe to strain, defat, and reheat the sauce and slice the meat; because the brisket will still be hot, there will be no need to put it back into the oven once the reheated sauce is poured over it.

* Available soon at FoodieAffair.com

Bleu Cheese Dressing

Serves 8

1/2 Cup Sour Cream
7/8 Cup Mayonnaise
2/3 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1/3 Teaspoon Dry Mustard *
1/3 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/3 Teaspoon Salt
1/3 Teaspoon Black Pepper
2 2/3 Ounces Gorgonzola Cheese, Crumbles (regular Bleu Cheese can be used)

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayo, and Worcestershire sauce.
2. Season with mustard, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
3. Stir in Gorgonzola cheese.
4. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours before serving.

* Available soon at FoodieAffair.com

Butter-Baked Chicken and Gravy

Serves 4-6

This ooey, gooey baked chicken from Emily York of Pocatello, Idaho, is packed with flavor. Pile it on top of rice to soak up all that wonderful gravy and goodness. Any green vegetable will round out the meal.

1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can evaporated milk, divided
1 (4 1/2-pound) chicken, cut into pieces
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup water
hot cooked rice (optional)
Asparagus (optional)

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Pour melted butter into a 13x9-inch baking dish.
• In a shallow dish, combine flour, salt, and pepper.
• In a separate shallow dish, add 1/2 cup evaporated milk. Coat chicken pieces with evaporated milk; dredge each in flour mixture. Place chicken, skin side up, in prepared baking dish. Bake, uncovered, for 35 minutes. Remove from oven, and turn chicken.
• In a small bowl, combine soup, water, and remaining evaporated milk; pour over chicken. Return chicken to oven, and bake for 35 minutes longer. Remove chicken from baking dish; whisk gravy in baking dish until smooth. Serve chicken and gravy with rice and asparagus, if desired.

TIP: Egg Whites

• Tightly covered egg whites can be refrigerated for up to 4 days, frozen for up to 6 months.
• An easy way to freeze extra egg whites is to place one in each section of an ice-cube tray. Freeze, then pop the egg-white cubes out into a freezer weight plastic bag. Thaw what you need overnight in the refrigerator.
• Eggs separate more easily when they are cold, but you'll get more volume when beating egg whites if you wait until they are room temperature.
• To safely separate eggs, crack one at a time, placing each white in a custard cup before transferring it to the mixing bowl. This prevents accidentally getting any broken yolk into a bowl of whites. A drop of egg yolk, which contains fat, will prevent egg whites from reaching their full volume.
• If a speck or two of yolk gets into the whites, use the corner tip of a paper towel to blot it up. A cotton-tipped swab works well, too.
• To quickly warm cold egg whites for eating, set the bowl of whites in a larger bowl of warm water. Stir occasionally until whites have reached room temperature.
• For beating egg whites until stiff, use a small, deep bowl with a rounded bottom for 4 to 5 egg whites; a large, deep bowl for more.
• The composition of the bowl in which you beat egg whites can make a big difference. Copper bowls react chemically with egg whites to form fluffy, high-rise whites. The same result can be obtained using stainless steel or glass bowls with the addition of cream of tartar. The naturally slick surface of a glass bowl does not give as much traction for the egg whites to climb the sides. Never use aluminum (which can cause egg whites to turn slightly gray) or plastic or wooden bowls, which are hard to clean well enough to be fat-free.
• Adding a small amount of acid, such as cream of tartar, lemon juice or vinegar, stabilizes egg whites and allows them to reach their full volume and stiffness. The natural acid on the surface of a copper bowl achieves the same result. Use 1/8 teaspoon of the acid ingredient per egg white, except for meringues, where 1/8 teaspoon is sufficient for 2 egg whites. Add the acid to the whites just as they begin to become frothy during beating.
• When beating whites with an electric mixer, start at medium-low speed and gradually increase to high.
• Egg whites beaten without sugar will not peak as firmly as those with sugar.
• It's very important to beat egg whites only until they are stiff, but not dry. Over beaten egg whites will collapse and begin to reliquify.
• If you accidentally over beat egg whites, gently stir in another egg white that's been beaten by hand just until frothy. Once the mixture is combined and the whites are again shiny and moist, remove about 1/4 cup to bring the volume back into balance.
• To prevent loss of volume, use egg whites as soon as they are beaten.
• Folding stiffly beaten egg whites into another mixture must be done by hand. Using a large rubber spatula, quickly but gently cut into the middle of the mixture. Bring the bottom of the batter up and over the remaining mixture. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn with each folding motion. Fold gently to retain as much air as possible. Stop folding when no white streaks remain.
• If folding stiffly beaten egg whites into a very thick or heavy mixture, first stir in about a quarter of the whites. This will loosen the mixture and enable the remainder of the beaten whites to be folded in with ease.

TIP: Whipping Egg Whites

• For beating egg whites until stiff, use a small, deep bowl with a rounded bottom for 4 to 5 egg whites; a large, deep bowl for more.
• The composition of the bowl in which you beat egg whites can make a big difference. Copper bowls react chemically with egg whites to form fluffy, high-rise whites. The same result can be obtained using stainless steel or glass bowls with the addition of cream of tartar. The naturally slick surface of a glass bowl does not give as much traction for the egg whites to climb the sides. Never use aluminum (which can cause egg whites to turn slightly gray) or plastic or wooden bowls, which are hard to clean well enough to be fat-free.
• Adding a small amount of acid, such as cream of tartar, lemon juice or vinegar, stabilizes egg whites and allows them to reach their full volume and stiffness. The natural acid on the surface of a copper bowl achieves the same result. Use 1/8 teaspoon of the acid ingredient per egg white, except for meringues, where 1/8 teaspoon is sufficient for 2 egg whites. Add the acid to the whites just as they begin to become frothy during beating.
• When beating whites with an electric mixer, start at medium-low speed and gradually increase to high.
• Egg whites beaten without sugar will not peak as firmly as those with sugar.
• It's very important to beat egg whites only until they are stiff, but not dry. Over beaten egg whites will collapse and begin to reliquify.
• If you accidentally over beat egg whites, gently stir in another egg white that's been beaten by hand just until frothy. Once the mixture is combined and the whites are again shiny and moist, remove about 1/4 cup to bring the volume back into balance.
• To prevent loss of volume, use egg whites as soon as they are beaten.
• Folding stiffly beaten egg whites into another mixture must be done by hand. Using a large rubber spatula, quickly but gently cut into the middle of the mixture. Bring the bottom of the batter up and over the remaining mixture. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn with each folding motion. Fold gently to retain as much air as possible. Stop folding when no white streaks remain.
• If folding stiffly beaten egg whites into a very thick or heavy mixture, first stir in about a quarter of the whites. This will loosen the mixture and enable the remainder of the beaten whites to be folded in with ease.

TIP: Remedy for Salty Soup

• Add salt to your soups at the end of cooking. As soups simmer and reduce, the flavors concentrate. What was not salty in the beginning can end up being salty.
• The old adage of removing salt from soup with a potato just does not work.
• The only way to reduce salt in soup is to add volume to dilute the salt.
• Add salt-free broth or other ingredients to add volume.

TIP: All About Sour Cream Including Substitute

• Regular commercial sour cream contains from 18-20% fat. There are also light (30-50% less fat than regular) and nonfat versions.
• Store sour cream in its carton in the refrigerator for up to 1 week after the pull date on the carton.
• Substitutions for 1 cup sour cream for use in cooking or baking: 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt; 3/4 cup sour milk, buttermilk or low-fat plain yogurt plus 1/4 cup butter; 1 tablespoon lemon juice plus evaporated whole milk to equal 1 cup.
• Bring sour cream to room temperature before adding to a hot mixture.
• Always stir sour cream into a hot soup or sauce just before serving. Heat it gently and only until the mixture is warmed through. Allowing the mixture to boil will cause curdling. Milk products won't separate as easily in flour-based mixtures.
• For a low-calorie sour cream substitute, try Quark, a soft, unripened cheese with a texture and flavor close to sour cream. It comes in two versions; low-fat and nonfat - and its texture is richer than low-fat sour cream or yogurt.

Chicken Divan Casserole

I always keep an eye on the classics. This Chicken Divan Casserole is certainly a classic and certainly should not be ignored. It's a wonderful dish that can be made quickly, inexpensively, and is oh so satisfying. This recipe is courtesy of Emily Butler of Franklin, Tennessee as printed in the March/April 2009 issue of Cooking with Paula Deen

Serves 6-8

1/4 cup butter
1 onion, chopped
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 cups broccoli florets, steamed until crisp-tender and drained well
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of celery soup
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup prepared stuffing mix
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 11x7-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook for 5 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt and pepper; add to skillet, and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until chicken is cooked through. Place chicken mixture into prepared baking dish. Top evenly with steamed broccoli.

In a medium bowl, combine soups, cheese, and sour cream. Pour mixture evenly over broccoli.

In a small bowl, combine stuffing mix and melted butter; sprinkle evenly over soup mixture. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve immediately.

Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Oh my, how luscious the simple potato can be! Here's a great way to make those simple potatoes stand up and be noticed!

Serves 8-10

2 head of fresh garlic, oven roasted
2 teaspoons olive oil
5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered
1 tablespoon granulated chicken bouillon or 1 large cube
3/4 sour cream, at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup milk
1/4 pound butter (1 stick)
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Parsley and or paprika for garnish, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. cut off top inch of each garlic head horizontally. Pour a teaspoon of olive oil on each. Wrap both heads in a piece of aluminum foil and seal. Roast in oven for about an hour or until lightly browned.

In a large Dutch oven, combine potatoes, chicken bouillon, and enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes or until a knife slides in an out of the potatoes easily. While potatoes are cooking heat cream cheese, milk, and butter over low heat till cream cheese is dissolved, then add the sour cream and turn off heat. Whisk milk mixture until smooth and keep warm until potatoes are ready.

When potatoes are cooked, drain and return to pot. Place pot back on hot burner and toss potatoes to eliminate some of the moisture. Don't overdue this process. You don't want any of the potatoes to stick to the bottom of the pot. When potatoes are done, slip the garlic from their paper enclosures and add to the potatoes. Now you are ready to mash. It is best to use a potato ricer. If you don't have one, the next best method is to mash with a hand potato masher. Try to avoid the electric mixer as this makes them a bit pasty. After the potatoes are riced or mashed, add the warm milk mixture, Cajun seasoning and pepper and mix well. Taste and check the seasoning. Add more if necessary.

Garnish with parsley and or paprika for a nice presentation.
Check out my tips for Sour Cream

Ultra Quick: Cream of Tomato Soup

Here is an ultra quick soup you can get on the table in 15-20 minutes with ingredients you probably have on hand.

Serves 2

1 tablespoon fresh basil *
1 teaspoon fresh oregano *
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme *
1 tablespoon butter
1 small jar of your favorite pasta sauce
2 cups of water
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream ** (substitute below)
a pinch of nutmeg

Saute fresh herbs in butter; add small jar of pasta sauce; 2 cups of water; 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream; and a pinch of nutmeg. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

* If fresh herbs are not available, substitute dried herbs by using 1/2 the amounts indicated for fresh. Do not saute the dried. Simply add them to the soup mix. The tablespoon of butter indicated in the recipe to saute the fresh herbs can be eliminated or can be added to the soup at serving time for added richness.
** Heavy Whipping Cream Substitute: Add 1/4 cup of melted butter to 1/2 cup of whole milk. By the way, this substitute cannot be whipped. It can only be used in cooked foods.

TIP: How I Keep Salad Cold on a Buffet Table

It's difficult to keep hot things hot and cold things cold on a buffet table without catering equipment. Here is a method I have used on occasion to keep salads cold on my catering buffet tables. I happened across this illustration in the May/June issue of Cook's Illustrated which explains it far better than I can. Of course, I will give it a shot anyway.

1. Fill appropriate size zip top bag for the bowl you are using with ice, add 3 tablespoons of table salt to ice and mix well. The ice helps the ice stay cold longer.
2. Place the closed zip bag in the bottom of your bowl, top ice with decorative lettuce and then top lettuce with your salad. The salad will stay cold for at least an hour.

Hollandaise Sauce from Antoine's Restaurant

Yield: 2 cups

2 cups melted butter, warm
8 egg yolks
2 tablespoons lemon juie
2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar
3/4 teaspoon paprica
salt and cayenne pepper to taste

Beat the egg yolks together with the lemon juice and vinegar and pour the mixture into the top of a double boiler. Cook on a low heat stirring constantly, never letting the water in the double boiler come to a boil. Continue cooking until the mixture thickens. Remove from the fire and beat in the warm melted butter, a little at a time. Keep warm, but not hot.

Seafood Cocktail Sauce from Antoine's Restaurant

Here's the sauce we use for boiled crawfish, shrimp, crab, and oysters on the half shell.

Yield: 3 cups

4 tablespoons horseradish
3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry powdered mustard
1/3 cup vinegar
1 cup olive oil
2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup lemon juice

Blend all ingredients together and chill.

Origin of the Fabulous "Bloody Mary"

From The "How Did We Miss This" File...

Posted by Big Red Cotton December 01, 2008 on Nola.com

Today is the 75th anniversary of the Bloody Mary and I've not heard a peep about New Orleans honoring this fabulous and valuable contribution to society.

This is a serious oversight on our part considering:

a) New Orleans is widely recognized as the originator of the cocktail and we've done more than the lion's share in keeping our country's alcohol industry in muscular form.

b) Our very own Avery Island, Louisiana's 'Tabasco' hot sauce is an essential ingredient in the original Bloody Mary recipe

c) The family of the drink's creator recently came out publicly about their growing resentment towards the Tabasco company for using the family name and recipe in their marketing for the past 40+ years without compensation.

Back in the 1930's, a Frenchie named Ferdinand Petiot invented the Sunday-brunch concoction by combining vodka with tomato juice, salt, lemon and Tabasco sauce. The drink eventually found its celebrity status in New York's St. Regis Hotel after Petiot was hired there as head bartender.

Recently, his granddaughter Carol Bradley has come out publicly against the Tabasco company, saying that the company has "been taking advantage" of her family's legacy by using Petiot's name on its own Bloody Mary Mix without compensation.

"The giant company of Tabasco has been using my grandfather's name on all their Tabasco jars since the 1960s...without asking or even conferring with my grandmother or anyone in the family. It's bothered me for all these years. I e-mailed them about a year or year and a half ago and got no response back... It's a matter of principle. My grandfather even said when he was alive that he wished he had a penny for every time Tabasco used his name."

Fortunately there are some out there who are showing the Petiot family the proper honor they deserve on this very momentous occasion. Georgi Vodka and Murphy's Bloody Mary Mix are flying Bradley, who's in her 60s, from Ohio to our sister city in disaster New York for Bloody Mary's 75th anniversary. A special toast was held in Times Square this morning and several Manhattan bars are giving out free Bloody Marys.

New Orleans better get its alcoholic act together - Attention must be paid!

IMO, Crescent City Brewhouse on Decatur has THE BEST Bloody Marys in the city. Spicy, in-house crafted Bloody Mary Mix, not too much/too little vodka, the rim covered in spicy Tony Chachere's, mmmmm... Delicious! Go on over, tell 'em to make you one in honor of Mary's anniversary, and pour a little out for our dead homie Petiot.

Happy Birthday Mare! Sunday mornings wouldn't be the same without you, doll.

Here is a recipe I found on eons.com that sound pretty darn good to me!

SHARKEY’S CAJUN BLOODY MARYS

Ingredients:
Clamato Juice (this is key……only use this type of juice) 1 quart (32 oz) size
Cajun/Creole Seasoning (Tony Chacherie, Zataran, Konriko)
Granulated Garlic
Celery Salt
Black Pepper
Worcestershire Sauce
Tabasco or some other red hot sauce
Fresh squeezed Lime and Lemon juice
Vodka (it doesn’t have to be expensive vodka as all the seasoning will render that useless)
Jalapeño Stuffed Olives

You are going to be mixing all of these ingredients in the CJ bottle except the olives. Pour out enough juice to do this into a glass. This will be down to place where the bottle reaches its widest width.

In a small dish mix the rest of the dry ingredients. About a teaspoon of each Cajun Seasoning, Granulated Garlic, Celery Salt, and Black Pepper. You might want to use a funnel to pour this into the CJ bottle.

Next juice one lemon and one lime. Remove seeds, unless of course you like this. Pour the juice into the CJ bottle.

Pour about 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire Sauce into the CJ Bottle.

Now, put Tabasco into the CJ bottle to your level of desired heat. About 10 drops is a good place to start, but I personally like more.

Pour in vodka to fill the remainder of the CJ bottle. Put a little vodka in the glass with extra CJ juice.

Put top on the CJ bottle and shake vigorously. Now pour some of this mix into the glass to mix with the mixture in the glass. Pour this back a forth a few times to mix this amount in.

You now have a bottle of CJ filled with Bloody Marys and glass for you to start with. I will tell you that this is best if it is made the night or a few days before and put in the frig to let all the seasonings fully get into the mixture, but it is good from the get go.

Serve over a glass full of ice with a straw. Garnish with a couple of Jalapeño Stuffed Olives on a toothpick.

*This is really good with a beer chaser for those that are so inclined.

Peach Melba

Here's a classic dessert from Antoine's Restaurant in New Orleans that will dazzle your guests. It does not get any easier than this one.

Serves 6

6 slices pound cake
3 cups vanilla ice cream
6 peach halves
1 cup grenadine syrup
2/3 cup chopped roasted almonds

Place a slice of pound cake in the bottom of each of six dessert bowls. top each with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (about 1/2 cup) and then a peach half, cut side down, on the ice cream. Pour over some grenadine syrup and sprinkle with chopped, roasted almonds.

Shrimp Creole from Antoine's Restaurant

Here I share with you the best and easiest recipe for Shrimp Creole I have ever encountered. It is straight out of Antoine's Restaurant Since 1840 Cookbook. I have been using this exact recipe for many, many years. Enjoy.

Serves 6

3 pounds raw shrimp, peeled
1 stick butter
salt and cayenne pepper, to taste
3 cups Creole Sauce (recipe follows)
3 cups hot cooked rice

Heat butter and saute shrimp with a little salt and cayenne pepper until the shrimp become firm. Add the Creole Sauce and simmer together for 20 minutes.

Serve the shrimp and sauce with 1/2 cup hot cooked rice on each plate.

Creole Sauce
Yield: 3 cups

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup bell pepper, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
3 cups tomato pulp, chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons parsley, minced
1 teaspoon paprika
salt and cayenne pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Melt butter and saute the onions and bell pepper until they become limp. Add all the remaining ingredients except the cornstarch, and season to taste with salt and cayenne pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Mix the cornstarch with a litte water and blend into the sauce. Cook for a few minutes more to thicken.

NOTE: I toss a tablespoon of butter and 1/8 cup of chopped parsley into the hot rice. This makes quite a difference in taste and appearance.

First Crawfish Boil of the Season! OhYeah!

We had a great time at our first crawfish boil of the season yesterday. It was so great having our friends and family over to enjoy this wonderful crustacean.

You can do it too!
Here's what you'll need for about 10 people...

• 35-40 pounds of crawfish
• a big pot with a basket inside
• an outdoor propane burner
• 4 1/2-pound bag of Louisiana Crawfish, Crab, and Shrimp Boil Seasoning Blend
• 3/4 box of table salt
• 6 large onions (quartered)
• 6 lemons cut in half (squeeze the juice and put it in there too)
• 5 pounds small red potaotes
• 12 shortie ears of corn
• 4 pounds of the largest mushrooms you can find
• 8 heads of fresh garlic sliced in half horizontally, divided
  

The method...

• Fill the pot about half full of water
• Add 3/4 box of table salt
• Add entire 4 1/2 lb-bag of Louisiana Crawfish, Crab, and Shrimp Boil Seasoning Blend

Let this brew come to a boil.
Then add the following and bring to a boil (do not put basket in pot yet):

• 6 large onions (quartered)
• 4 heads of fresh garlic sliced in half horizontally for seasoning the water
  
• 6 lemons cut in half (squeeze the juice and put it in there too)

Insert basket in water and add:

• 5 pounds small red potaotes
  

Let this come back to a boil and cook potatoes about ten minutes.

Then add the following in the basket:

• 12 shortie ears of corn
• 4 heads of fresh garlic sliced in half horizontally for eating

Continue cooking for about 5 minutes. Leaving everything in the basket, then add:

• 4 pounds of the largest mushrooms you can find

Turn the flame off immediately and let everything soak for 10-15 minutes.
After soak time, remove all from the water and set aside in an ice chest to keep warm.

Return water to a boil. Now add all the crawfish into the basket in the same water. Cook for 15 minutes, turn off flame and soak for 15 minutes.

Ray is giving you a peak inside the pot!

For all of you folks that do not have all the fixins available to you, stay tuned. We will be launching a new website soon with everything you need.

The History of New Orleans Oldest and Most Famous Restaurant...Antoines in the Vieux Carre

Antoine Alciatore was born in Marseilles, France in 1824. At a very young age, he apprenticed to the owner of the Hotel de Noailles and began working in the kitchen. During his time there, he became a qualified chef and learned the secret of Pommes de Terre Soufflees from the great chef Collinet. As a lot of young men of his time, he became restless in Marseilles. At the tender age of 16, alone he boarded a ship and headed off to the the United States and landed in New York. Aboard the ship, Antoine met and fell in love with Julie Freyss, who was coming to the United States with her parents to settle in New York. He told her that he was going to New Orleans to find his fortune, and that as soon as he had established himself he would send for her and they would be married.

Once in New Orleans, Antoine thrived in the new era of opportunity. As a bonus, the citizens of New Orleans spoke French. Antoine rented a building at 50 Rue Louis and opened a small pension or boarding house. This is now the 600 block of St. Louis Street and is occupied by the Old Civil Court House. For the next five years, Antoine dazzled travelers and New Orleans locals with his knowledge of La Cuisine Francaise, La Cuisine Provencal and his own ability to create and adapt the rich local products...his reputation grew. It was then that he sent for Julie. She traveled to New Orleans and they were married as promised. Together they worked in the small pension, which was now becoming more restaurant than boarding house, and soon outgrew this location. In 1860 they moved the business to a larger building, the Lacoul residence, located at what is now 714 St. Peter Street.

By 1868 Julie and Antoine had seven children; both family and business had outgrown their St. Peter Street residence. Antoine had for some time been planning to build his own place and had acquired a piece of land from the Miltenberger family. Antoine and Julie built themselves a building grand enough for a larger restaurant, for the family residence, and for some guest rooms for friends and discerning travelers.

In 1877 Antoine was diagnosed with tuberculosis and told he had but a few months to live. He put his affairs in order and told his loving wife and their children that he wanted to be buried in Marseilles. "I do not wish you to accompany me, for it would only prolong any sorrow you might feel, were you to watch me fail, day by day, as I neared the grave. Just think of me as though I had already died, for when we part, as I take the boat for Marseilles, we will not meet again on earth." Within three months of his arrival in Marseilles, Antoine died in his mother's home at the age of 52.

Julie Freyss Alciatore (Mme Antoine) carried on the operation after her husband's death. It was her son Jules, who was only eleven years old, who began to show the most intense interest in the restaurant. For the next six years Mme Antoine took young Jules as an apprentice and taught him all she had to teach. At seventeen Jules was sent abroad to France to work in some of the greatest kitchens in Strasbourg, Paris, and Marseilles. He even went to London for awhile.

Antoine's Menu from 1910-1940

After four years abroad, Jules returned to New Orleans, but his mother was still not ready to give him full control of the restaurant. She wanted him to work for awhile as manager of another restaurant, to prove he was ready. Jules became the chef of the famous Pickwick Club in New Orleans. In 1887 his mother asked him to take over the operation of Antoine's.
Some time later, Pierre Bienvenu Roy, a planter from Youngsville in the Parish of Lafayette, Louisiana who used to stay at the pension in earlier days, came into the city to do some business and to stay with his dear friend, Mme Antoine. He brought with him his daughter Althea, who won the attention of Jules. Some weeks later Jules was off to Lafayette, to the plantation of the Roys, to meet Althea's entire family and woo her into becoming his wife. Jules was successful in his mission and soon they were married.

It was not long before Althea gave birth to a daughter Marie Louise, then a son, Jules, and then another son, Roy.

Jules was a master of his art and brought the name of Antoine's to international fame. He was responsible for a major part in the growth of the restaurant. He created many dishes, the most famous being Oysters Rockefeller.

The third Jules found his passion not in cuisine, but rather in romance languages and became a distinguished professor of language. It was Roy who was to carry on the house of Antoine, and he set to work learning the business under his father's careful tutelage.

In 1923, father Jules took Roy to France and to the great kitchens there, so that Roy might observe and remember all that he saw and tasted. Jules gradually handed over the responsibilities of the operation to Roy, so that in 1934, when Jules died, there was an easy transition of proprietorship from father to son.

Roy Alciatore, 1902-1972

Roy continued the operation, expanding and improving through the years. He added the 1840 Room, a small private room designed to honor the year Antoine's was founded, and the Rex Room, decorated to honor the society and past kings of the Krewe of Rex of Mardi Gras.
Roy also created and added many dishes to the menu such as Pigeonneaux Royaux Sauce Paradis.

Pigeonneaux Paradis (Squabs with Paradise Sauce)
Serves 6

6 squabs
salt and ground white pepper
1/2 tick butter
3 cups Paradise Sauce (recipe below)

Wash and dry the squabs. Rub inside and out with salt, pepper, and butter. Place in a shallow baking pan and cook in a preheated 325 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until done. Place the squabs in a deep casserole with 3 cups Paradise Sauce and simmer gently for 20 minutes.

Paradise Sauce
Yield: 3 cups

1/3 pound bacon cut in julienne strips
3/4 cup green onions cut in julienne strips
3/4 cup celery in julienne strips
3 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons currant jelly
1 cup canned seedless white grapes
1/2 cup of juice in which grapes are packed
1 cup thick Chicken Veloute Sauce (recipe below)

Fry the bacon, discard the grease and set aside. Sauté the celery and onions in the butter until limp. Add the bacon, currant jelly and the juice from the grapes. Bring to a boil, add the Veloute Sauce and the grapes. Simmer for 45 minutes.


Chicken Veloute Sauce
Yield: 1 1/2 cups

2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
salt and ground white pepper
1 1/2 cups warm Chicken Stock (recipe below)

Melt the butter and stir in the flour. Stir and cook until the mixture becomes foamy. Add the warm stock and bring to a boil. Turn fire down to a simmer and add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the fire and dot top of sauce with a few pieces of butter to prevent a film from forming.

Chicken Stock
Yield: 2 quarts

10 pounds chicken scraps and bones
3 onions, sliced
3 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery
1 bell pepper, quartered
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs parsley
2 Tablespoons salt
3 quarts water

Add all ingredients including the water to a large soup pot. Simmer for 4 hours skimming the fat off the top from time to time. Strain.

This is an excerpt from Antoine's Restaurant Since 1840 Cookbook. It is available on Amazon.

Stay tuned....many more recipes from the infamous Antoine's Restaurant to come

Jalapeno Popper Cups

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Tracy Schuhmacher Penfield, NY Bake-Off® Contest 43, 2008

Three simple steps, and you're ready to serve sassy appetizers with a real kick.

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Total Time: 40 Minutes
Yeild: 20 appetizers

• 1 can (12 oz) Pillsbury® Golden Layers® refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (10 biscuits)
• 1 can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso® chopped green chiles, drained
• ½ cup shredded Sharp Cheddar cheese (2 oz)
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
• 2 tablespoons cooked real bacon pieces (from 3- to 4.3-oz jar or package)
• 1 teaspoon dried minced onion
• 20 Old El Paso® pickled jalapeño slices (from 12-oz jar), drained

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Separate each biscuit into 2 rounds. Press 1 round in bottom and up side of each of 20 ungreased mini muffin cups.
2. In small bowl, mix remaining ingredients except jalapeño slices. Spoon heaping 1 teaspoon mixture into each cup; top each with 1 jalapeño slice.
3. Bake 13 to 19 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove from pan to serving platter; let stand 5 minutes. Serve warm.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Bake 16 to 22 minutes.

Comments: These little guys are good, but for added flavor try using a mix of cream cheese and sour cream seasoned with taco seasoning and Tabasco instead of mayo or salad dressing.

Original Recipe Source: http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/showrecipe.aspx?rid=45032&WT.ac=AFR-Finalist-List-1-11-08

Andouille Rice Cakes

• 3 ¼ tablespoons vegetable oil
• ½ cup chopped onions
• ½ cup chopped bell peppers
• 1 rib celery, chopped
• 4 ounces andouille, chopped
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Hot sauce to taste
• 1 ¼ tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups cooked long-grain rice
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• Seasoned flour for dredging
• Vegetable oil for frying

Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, bell peppers and celery and cook, stirring, until they are soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the andouille and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The mixture will become brown. Add the chicken stock, salt and hot sauce and bring to a boil.

In a small skillet, combine the remaining 1¼ tablespoons of vegetable oil and the unseasoned flour over medium heat and make a blond roux. Add this roux to the andouille mixture and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring until the mixture thickens.

Remove from heat. Cool, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes. Once the mixture has cooled down, add the rice, green onions and parsley. Mix well.

Cover and refrigerate until the mixture has cooled completely. Form the rice mixture into 2-inch patties (about l4 patties). Lightly dredge or sprinkle lightly with the seasoned flour.

In a nonstick skillet, heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of the vegetable oil over medium-high heat and pan-fry 2 to 3 patties at a time, for several minutes on each side until lightly browned. Repeat the process until all of the patties are cooked.

Any Time Brisket

The brisket is sliced and then put back together in its original shape, piled high with onions cooked in the barbecue sauce that coats the meat. The recipe freezes well and can be thawed, then reheated at the last minute, and cooking it ahead also allows the cook to skim fat from the chilled gravy's surface.

Makes 8 to 10 servings

1 (5-to-6 pound) well-trimmed brisket

2 large onions, thinly sliced

1 (1-ounce) envelope dried onion soup mix

½ cup dark brown sugar, packed

½ cup tomato ketchup

½ cup chili sauce

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spray a large roasting pan with vegetable spray. Rinse the brisket well under cool running water and pat dry with a paper towel. Position brisket in baking pan, fatty side up, and scatter the onions over the top.

In a medium-size mixing bowl, thoroughly combine the soup mix, sugar, ketchup and chili sauce. Drizzle mixture evenly over the brisket and onions. Bake uncovered for 1 hour, basting once or twice. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil and continue cooking until tender, 2 to 2 ½ hours more, basting occasionally.

Remove brisket from pan and let sit about 20 minutes before slicing. Use as a main course with the slices repositioned into a roast shape and the onions on top; or use for making warm sandwiches. Serve the pan gravy on the side, defatted if desired.

Getcha Goin' Grits

Recipe Source: FoodTV Aaron McCargo, Jr.

Prep Time:10 min
Inactive Prep Time:hr min
Cook Time:15 min
Level: Easy
Serves:4 to 6 servings

• 1/2 cup bacon, diced
• 1/4 cup onions, diced
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• Salt
• 1 1/2 cups quick grits
• 6 ounces American cheese
• 1/4 cup scallions

In a large skillet over high heat, add bacon, onion and a pinch of pepper. Cook until bacon is crispy, about 5 minutes.

In a medium pot, add water, milk and a pinch of salt. Place lid on top and allow to come to a full boil. Add grits. Stir. When grits have almost absorbed all the water add cheese. Mix to allow cheese to melt and become creamy. Add bacon and onions and top with half of the scallions. Mix thoroughly.

Serve in a bowl and garnish with remaining scallions.