Monthly Archives

February 2016

Healthy, Hungry for Louisiana, One Pot, Soups, Vegetables

Down to the Bones: Which ones are best for great soup?

I thought I’d squeeze in one more hot soup blog before the weather gets toasty and our thoughts turn elsewhere.

Lately, I’ve been making a big pot of vegetable soup on the weekends, starting with homemade beef stock. I went through a phase when I bought beef stock from the store – there are so many good quality ones these days, and it definitely saves time – but honestly, nothing compares to the real thing. And last year, I got inspired to return to homemade stock after we did a fun 225 Magazine story on great local soups. I had the best time picking the brains of local chefs on what makes their signature soups so delicious. Some soups were cream-based, and their success turned on straightforward decadence. But others, like Dang’s pho, MJ’s Café’s black bean and Galatoire’s Bistro’s turtle, were soups that rose and fell on house-made stocks. No surprise, they were tended for many hours at a time.

Chef Kelley McCann at Galatoire’s Bistro told me about roasting a medley of veal bones, including lots of gelatinous joints, before simmering them for hours in order to make a super rich reduction for the restaurant’s signature turtle soup. Even Maureen Joyce’s vegetable stock, used in her black bean soup at MJ’s, called for overnight slow-roasting of multiple root vegetables. Soup seems so simple, but a really good soup requires some behind-the-scenes work.

I’m not sure I have that much time to devote, but I can certainly muster a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon while I’m hanging out with my family and doing loads (…and loads…) of laundry.

So, the question is, which bones are best for creating a stock that makes your soup sing?

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Chicken, Citrus, Hungry for Louisiana, Soups

Greek Chicken Soup (Avgolemono) with Lemon Just Right for Spring

I lovvvvvee the flavor of lemon.

And I know I sound like dorky Food Network obsessive when I make the very predictable claim that it adds a necessary note of freshness. But it’s so true! Lemon rocks. That citrusy punch is perfect in so many sweet and savory dishes.

We still have fresh lemons on our backyard tree, and I’ve been furiously finding ways to use the last of the crop before I have to start paying for them at the grocery store. One of my favorite uses has been in a version of avgolemono, the sumptuous Greek lemon chicken soup with rice or orzo. I remember noshing on this light but hardy dish at the old Zorba’s on Perkins Road here in Baton Rouge (where Louisiana Lagniappe is located now). The restaurant reopened last year on Essen Lane, and it still serves this traditional starter.

There are lots of interesting recipes out there for avgolemono, but the defining feature is that beaten eggs are incorporated into the broth, providing unexpected richness……

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Fish, Fresh from the Gulf, Hungry for Louisiana, Lent

Fridays are getting’ fishy: succulent salmon en papillote for Lent

Lent in the Bayou State cracks me up.

Here in heavily Catholic south Louisiana, there’s a rush to self-sacrifice every Ash Wednesday, the day after Fat Tuesday. Lots of people give stuff up — from chocolate to gossip to alcohol — to signify their piety and, for sure, to make up for the sins of Carnival. And the other big part of the Lenten experience is the Friday meat fast, when burgers and pepperoni pizza are out, and fish of all sorts is the seasonal rockstar.

What this means for all of us, Catholic or not, is that Friday restaurant menus are dripping in delicious, creative and indulgent seafood dishes using local crawfish, crab, seafood and fin fish.

What sacrifice. Poor us.

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Appetizers, Hungry for Louisiana, Latin American Cuisine, Super Bowl

Super Bowl Snacking: Pulled Pork Tostadas with Chipotle Crema

Ahh, the pork butt.

Few cuts of meat are as reasonably priced and versatile, and cooking it to fork tender perfection requires almost no culinary skills. Sure, you can show off your grill prowess and smoke it low and slow, painting on a tangy baste until the butt falls off the bone. Or, you can get smart and lazy and lock it the oven overnight at 250 degrees. While you’re sleeping, the fat-strapped butt is agreeably roasting away, preparing to fall apart in the morning as you carve it with eager forks. Your stupid-easy pulled pork is perfect for all sorts of applications, including barbecue sandwiches, pulled pork pizza, spicy pork wontons, the pork stew posole and these super delicious pulled pork tostadas with chipotle crema. I’ll be posting additional pulled pork recipes soon. Meanwhile, enjoy this hearty game day dish.

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