On our menu was; Slammin' Shrimp Remoulade, Hoppin Hushpuppies, Pipin Hot Pistolettes, Lillian's Jammin Jambalaya, Lavona's Pontchatrian Gumbo, Charlotte's Big Easy Dirty Rice, Groovin Grillades and; Cheese Grits, Lillian Lee's MeMe's Potato Salad, French Quarter Garlic Bread, Julia's Captivating Caesar Salad, Julia's Simply Divine Bread Pudding with Bodacious Bourbon Sauce, The Hot Mama's Blazin Bananas Foster, Vieux Carre Pralines, Dawlin' Dobere Cake and Kathy O's Crazy O King Cake. For similar recipes, see my blog on "Baton Rouge and Cajun Food".
Our friend Doug, singer/songwriter was there with his guitar and played some of his original music, as well as foot stomping Cajun music.
Note: Grillades are prounced (GREE yahds)
Even though Caesar Salad is not a dish traditionally of Louisiana it has it's own interesting background. The keys to a perfect traditional Caesar are crisp romaine lettuce, combined with the hint of anchovy and garlic, topped off by the savor of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and the crunch of perfect croutons. Each significant ingredient, properly delivered makes the mouth "explode with delight". I happen to have a minor vexation (which I've had for years) and that is having the perfect Caesar, which most restaurants don't even know how to make. It was one of the first things I taught my students in culinary school to master.
This culinary masterpiece was created in Tijuana, Mexico on July 4, 1924. Caesar Cardini, an Italian was running low on food and his dining room was filling up fast from the holiday revelers. So he improvised from his pantry, coating chilled romaine with garlic-flavored olive oil, then tossing in fresh lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, coddled eggs, freshly grated Parmesan and croutons. The salad was an instant success. Unfortunately, raw eggs are now considered a health risk, so it's advisable to use coddled eggs or no eggs at all.
The Perfect Caesar Salad
3 garlic cloves, very finely minced (my husband likes more than 3 cloves)
8 anchovy fillets, drained and cut or you can use anchovy paste
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
freshly ground black pepper
1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
2 Tbl. fresh lemon juice
1 cup homemade croutons
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1 egg, boiled 1 minute (optional)
In a large bowl whisk olive oil, anchovies, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, salt, pepper, mustard, garlic and egg (optional). Add Parmesan cheese. Just before serving toss with romaine until leaves glisten. Add croutons and shaved Parmesan on top. Note: It's traditionally correct to rub a wooden bowl with whole garlic, but most of us don't have big wooden bowls so I use minced garlic.
Bananas Foster - was created in 1951 by Chef Paul of Brennan's restaurant in New Orleans. Here is the original recipe.
¼ cup (½ stick) butter
1 cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup banana liqueur
4 bananas, cut in half lengthwise, then halved
¼ cup dark rum
4 scoops vanilla ice cream
Combine the butter, sugar, and cinnamon in a flambé pan or skillet. Place the pan over low heat either on an alcohol burner or on top of the stove, and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the banana liqueur, then place the bananas in the pan. When the banana sections soften and begin to brown, carefully add the rum. Continue to cook the sauce until the rum is hot, then tip the pan slightly to ignite the rum. When the flames subside, lift the bananas out of the pan and place four pieces over each portion of ice cream. Generously spoon warm sauce over the top of the ice cream and serve immediately.
Lillian's Pralines
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup half-and-half
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
Butter sides of a heavy saucepan (2-quart size). Add sugars, half-and-half, and salt to saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Raise heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Reduce heat and continue cooking to soft ball stage*, about 234° on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat. Add butter and vanilla, but do not stir. Cool for 5 minutes; stir in nuts. Beat with wooden spoon until candy is no longer glossy and is thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Quickly spoon candy onto buttered baking sheets or waxed paper. If mixture becomes to thick to drop from a spoon, add a little hot water, no more than half a teaspoon at a time. Makes about 36 pralines.
I guess finding the rolls to make the pistolettes is not an easy task in Texas, unless you live on the border of Texas and Louisiana so I'm assuming they won't be too easy to find elsewhere. This is why I won't be giving the recipe. Pistolettes are made with a small football shaped roll that you remove some of the dough from and stuff with crawfish or shrimp mixture which has the holy trinity (celery, onions and green bell pepper) mushroom sauce, hot sauce, etc., then baked.
The King Cake - The king cake of the New Orleans Mardi Gras tradition comes in a number of styles. The most simple, said to be the most traditional, is a ring of twisted bread similar to that used in brioche and topped with icing or sugar, usually colored purple, green, and gold (the traditional Carnival colors) with food coloring. There are many variants, some with a filling, the most common being cream cheese and praline. It has become customary in the New Orleans culture that whoever finds the trinket usually a tiny plastic baby must provide the next king cake. At our party, Doug got that honor.
Next year when Mardi Gras comes around I hope you try some of the recipes and have a fun-filled, festive Mardi Gras party. Laissez les bon temps rouler - Let the good times roll!!
Bon Appetit
"Be still and know that I am God"
Psalm 46:10
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