Mouth Brothels

Hot Mulled Apple Cider

2012-02-11T08:47:00.000-08:00

When the Mardi Gras season is chilly and damp, I make a crock pot full of hot apple cider, mulled with spices and citrus zest. My crock pots holds three quarts so I usually buy a quart and a half of unfiltered apple juice and then make up the remainder with the cheapest apple juice I can buy. Make sure you're buying 100% apple juice and not a blend.

Per one quart of apple juice:
One stick of cinnamon
Twenty whole black peppercorns
Three whole cloves
Two tablespoons honey (or brown sugar)

In addition to these four ingredients, use the zest from half a lemon, lime, or lemon-sized orange for each quart of apple juice.

Toast the cinnamon, peppercorns and cloves in a saucepan. It will only take a couple of minutes for them to release the oils. Pour in apple juice and the sweetener to dissolve. Bring it to a boil over high heat. Pour through a strainer into the crock pot and simmer for 1 hour. Turn low and it will be good all day.

To adultify—add a half ounce of blood orange liquor or limoncello to the mug. Stir with a cinnamon stick.

Pizza Tonight!

2012-02-03T15:33:00.000-08:00

I love pizza and I always keep the ingredients for it on hand for those nights when I have a craving. My personal favorite is pepperoni, mushroom, artichoke hearts. I use frozen artichoke hearts rather than canned, as they don't taste quite so citrusy from the anti-browning agents. While you can buy ready to go pizza dough from the grocery store and even some pizza parlors, for this quick pizza I use a tube of pizza dough.

Skillet Pizza
1 tube pizza dough
1 can tomato sauce
2 tsp dried sweet basil
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1 small can button mushroom, sliced
1/2 package of pepperoni slices
6 or so artichoke halves, chopped
2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Put a 12 inch cast iron into the oven during the preheat.

Heat the tomato sauce in a small saucepan. Add in the seasonings and heat over a small flame. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Take the pizza dough and roll out on a lightly floured surface until it is about 12 inches round.

Pull the skillet out of the oven and drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom to coat. Lightly sprinkle in some corn meal.

Place the pizza crust into the skillet and build up the edges. Brush with a little more olive oil and bake for 3 to 5 minutes.

Remove skillet from oven and put on sauce, meat, veggies. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes. Put on cheese and slide back into the oven for about 5 minutes more--pizza is done with cheese is golden and bubbly.

Let pizza stand for 3 to 5 minutes to keep from burning the roof of your mouth with that first bite. Cut and serve with a nice, full bodied red wine.

Venison Ragout

2012-01-26T16:00:00.000-08:00

Both ragu (Italian) and ragout (French) are meat stews with a name derived from the root ragouter which means "to stimulate the appetite." The Italian version is usually made with white wine and is served over pasta. The French version uses red wine and is typically served with potatoes.

My version of Ragoo use vension roast for the meat. I served it over mashed potatoes. I also make my own Creole seasoning for reduction of salt and better flavor.

Venison Ragout

Makes 6 servings 
2 pounds venison roast (or 2 lbs lean beef) cut into 2-inch cubes 
½ cup flour
1 T Creole Seasoning  (recipe below)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil 
2 tablespoons butter 
1 medium-size onion, chopped 
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced 
1 cups beef broth or stock 
1 cups dry red wine 
1 cup canned diced tomatoes, with juices 
1 bay leaves 
1 T dried parsley flakes
 
Sprinkle the flour with the seasoning and stir to combine. Dredge the meat. Reserve the flour. Heat the oil and butter in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the meat evenly on all sides. Remove meat from pan. Reduce the heat to medium and add the chopped onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft and golden, 8 to 10 minutes.

Stir in the reserved flour and cook 5 minutes to start the roux. Gradually stir in the broth and red wine, and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves. Return the meat to the pan. Cover and cook over low heat for 1 ½ hours.

Add the parsley and serve over mashed or roasted potatoes.

Creole Seasoning Recipe

1/3 Cup Kosher Salt 
1/3 Cup Paprika 
1/4 Cup Granulated Garlic 
4 Tbsp Onion Powder 
1/3 Cup Freshly Ground Black Pepper 
3 Tbsp White Pepper 
2 Tbsp Cayenne Pepper 
2 Tbsp Dried Thyme 
2 Tbsp Dried Basil 
1 Tbsp Dried Oregano

Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight jar or plastic container.

The Company Burger

2012-01-13T11:04:00.000-08:00

I'm continuing my food adventures down Freret Street. This time was a stop at The Company Burger. It is a pretty spartan place, with minimalist decor and concrete floors but they grind their meat and make their own pickles, so I was ready to be impressed.

I ordered the single cheeseburger that comes with bread and butter pickles and red onions. The bun was warm and toasty and the burger was very flavorful, although the slice of American cheese was almost too small. I tried my friend's turkey burger and it was astonishingly good.

We split onion rings (thin sliced and perfectly salted), French fries (crisp outside, soft interior) and sweet potato fries (yummy). I found out their bottle Cokes come from Mexico (where they still use real sugar) and ordered two. Very refreshing!

The ordering line is smooth but the wait at lunch for a table can be long and cut-throat. We finished our meal and had to endure the stink eye from several hunger diners as we wrapped up our conversation. Worth returning to but maybe I'll go next time outside of the lunch rush.

Drago's for Lunch

2012-01-11T11:51:00.000-08:00

I met up with some friends at Drago's Seafood Restaurant in Metairie. I personally prefer that location over the one at the New Orleans' Hilton but I was also meeting up with people who were driving in from Lafayette, LA and, after lunch, catching a flight to Atlanta.

We started with a dozen charbroiled oysters that tasted a lot like more, so we followed them up with another half dozen.

I settled on the fried shrimp plate for my main course. While the side salad that came with it was mainly iceberg lettuce, the plate came with over a dozen lightly battered and delicious fried shrimp and a whole lot of French fries. I quite enjoyed my meal. My companions enjoyed their lump crab meat salads. They did say that the cup of gumbo they shared lost a bit in comparison to the version they had after their swamp tour in Cajun country.

All in all a fine dining experience, with the waiter checking in regularly and making sure drinks were quickly refilled.

Circles and Squares

2012-01-06T11:20:00.000-08:00

This is a big football weekend here in New Orleans. The beloved Saints play the Detroit Lions on Saturday for the NFL playoff game and then the BCS Championship game between Alabama's Crimson Tide and Tigers of Louisiana State University is played on Monday. The city is filled with rapid football fans. It is also the beginning of Carnival Season (kicks off on Twelfth Night - January 6-- and runs until Mardi Gras - February 21).

In preparation, I made a big batch of my version of Chex Mix which I call Circles and Squares. I'm not a fan of the peanuts and pretzels, so mine is all Crispex and Cheerios.

Here is the recipe:

Circles and Squares

1 box Crispex cereal (15 oz) about 12 cups
1 box Cheerios cereal (8.9 oz) about 6 cups
6 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ teaspoons seasoned salt
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder

Stir cereal in a large roasting pan to mix. Combine rest of the ingredients together and pour over the cereal, stirring well to coat evenly. Bake 1 hour in a 250 degree oven, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. Store in airtight container.

Mint Limoncello Champagne Cocktail

2011-12-31T19:14:00.000-08:00

Ringing in the New Year with a new drink:

Mint Limoncello Campagne Cocktail

½ cup fresh mint leaves
¼ cup limoncello
2 T sugar, plus more for dipping
lemon peel strips from 1 lemon
4 tsp fresh lemon juice plus lemon wedge
1 cup champagne

Place mint, limoncello, 2 T sugar and lemon strips in blender. Blend until mint is finely chopped, about 10 seconds. Strain into a jar. Refrigerate until midnight.

Run lemon wedge around rim of champagne flutes. Dip into sugar. Divide limoncello mixture between flutes. Top with champagne.

Toast!

Dove for Dinner

2011-12-30T15:17:00.000-08:00

We come to the end of 2011 and enjoyed a dinner of dove that were shot over the course of the year by my father.

To prepare, wash dove very clean and sprinkle with Creole seasoning. Melt 1 stick of butter in 1 cup of water or chicken broth. Bring to a boil and toss in dove. Steam for thirty minutes. Remove dove from pan. Add to broth 2 Tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, 1 lb of mushrooms, 1/2 cup of sherry. Serve as is or thicken with flour. We served the dove with a wild rice blend.

We had eight people to dinner, so we tripled the recipe. We also had to remind everyone to not bite down too hard--there is always the chance that there will be buckshot in the bird. At the end of the night, we just had over 30 dove carcasses to dispose of:

Mama's Red Beans

2011-12-22T10:20:00.001-08:00

When my Mama makes red beans and rice, she doesn't fool around!

Here is her recipe (the batch from the picture above was a doubling of this double recipe)

2 lb dried red kidney beans
8 quarts water
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cup chopped celery
1 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
4 tsp minced garlic
4 bay leaves
4 tsp salt
4 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp dried whole thyme
1 tsp ground red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried whole oregano
1 lb andouille sausage
1 lb bulk sausage (if you like hot red beans, use hot, otherwise use mild)
1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Wash beans then place in a large pot. Cover with water 2 inches above beans and let soak overnight. Drain Beans and return to pot. Add 8 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook, uncovered, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Melt butter in a large skillet. Add onion, celery, green bell pepper and garlic. Saute until tender. Stir sauted vegetables and spices into beans. Cook, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add additional water if necessary.

Bake sausages at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, drain well. stir sausages into bean mixture. Cook, uncovered, 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaves and stir in chopped parsley. Serve over rice.

Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

2011-12-22T08:15:00.000-08:00

I'm not usually a fan of using box cake mixes; at least not for their intended purpose. Here is a recipe for Red Velvet Crinkle cookies that start with a box of Red Velvet Cake mix.

1 Box Red Velvet Cake Mix
6 T unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp corn starch

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the melted butter, cake mix, eggs & vanilla until fluffy & smooth.

In a shallow bowl, sift together 1/2 cup powdered sugar & 1/2 tsp. corn starch. Roll cookie dough into 1 inch balls and then roll in the powdered sugar mixture. (If you run out of powdered sugar, sift together an additional 1/2 cup powdered sugar & 1/2 tsp. corn starch).

Place cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, space them about 2 to 3 inches apart as the cookies spread out quite a bit.

Bake for 9 minutes exactly. The cookies will not look done, but they will set up more as they cool. Remove from oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheets for 1 minute and then place cookies on a cookie sheet to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Ancora Pizzeria and Salumeria

2011-12-15T15:01:00.000-08:00

Ancora Pizzeria and Salumeria is part of the Freret Street resurgence. Located just a block or so off Napoleon, they serve authentic Neapolitan pizzas. What does that mean? These pizza's are cooked in a wood fired pizza oven imported from Naples that gets up to 850 degrees and cooks the pizza in 45 to 80 seconds. With that fast of a bake, the toppings have to be minimal and crust super thin. That also means that every item must be at the peak of flavor. What is so good about Ancora is that they are.

We started with drinks (Charlotte had an adult root beer float and I had an Italian sidecar) and a meat plate with a mix of house-made cured meats. While I'm not a fan of headcheese, everything else on the board was delicious and almost too rich. I could have used a piece of bread with the slices but, as the pizza was coming, I just enjoyed the meat.

We ordered the Margherita pizza with tomato, fior di latte and basil. The tomato was bright, the cheese was in slices, so it didn't cover quite enough but was perfectly melted and the basil added a terrific flavor. I really enjoyed the crust--lightly chewy and puffed on the edges. Because the pizza's are so thin and only about 11 inches, had there been any more of us at the table, we would have needed to order a second pizza.

We had glasses of Italian wine with the meal--Charlotte with a rose and me with a Feudi di San Gregorio red. The wine list is set up with pairs for each pizza and her choice was good and the waiter steered me well on his recommendation.

We missed out on the chocolate dessert and ended up just getting the cookie plate. All right but nothing particularly noteworthy (although I'll skip the anise flavored one next time).

There weren't that many other folks in the place but there was a bit of ambient noise. It would probably be pretty loud on a busier night. The bartender and both waiters swung by the table regularly to check in and refill the water. Everyone was friendly and quick with suggestions, especially when we told them that we hadn't ever been in before.

Salu - small plates and wine bar

2011-12-09T14:20:00.011-08:00

I was among the ladies who lunch today or, more accurately, lesbians who lunch. We went to Salu, the newest restaurant to take over the corner at Magazine and Pleasant Street.

I started with a very delicious margarita and then moved on to applewood smoked bacon wrapped dates. Frankly, the sauce was a little much and nearly hid the bacon but the marscapone cheese was a lovely touch. My lunch came with a Cesar salad and it was pretty good--grilling half a head of romaine gave it a slightly nutty flavor and the roasted garlic-anchovy vinaigrette was pretty tasty without an overpowering fishy taste.

For the entre, I had BBQ pulled pork. The corn fritters they came with had no flavor, so I had them bring a second loaf of fresh bread and I made myself a sandwich. I also had the patatas americanas (fried potatoes) with garlic aioli that were a highlight of the meal.

As I was out with good friends, I also ate off of all their plates. The seared tuna with papaya salsa was decent, the smoked ham and manchego croquettes had a delicious smokiness, and, unfortunately, the duck and manchego flautas with salsa fesca, smahed avocado and cumin creme fraiche were just a few too many flavors at once.

The wait staff was friendly and quick with refills and extra Splenda and patient as we waited for all the people in our party to join us. As we left, the floor manager asked about our meal and experience. With that sort of care, I believe that this place might have a future at this location.

I want to thank again my friend, Mickie, who bought my lunch as a celebration of my winning the Rainbow Awards for Debut Lesbian Novel. You rock!

2011 Rainbow Awards: Best Lesbian Debut Novel

2011-12-08T08:52:00.000-08:00

Taking a breather to talk about my other writing. I won Best Lesbian Debut Novel Rainbow Award for my romance novel, Unbroken Circle.

Link: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1466724.html

Mary Griggs - Unbroken Circle
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Bella Books; 1 edition (June 14, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1594932433
ISBN-13: 978-1594932434
Bella Books: Unbroken Circle
Amazon: Unbroken Circle

Sallie Lee Hybart doesn’t see many strangers at her diner counter. Pennington, Alabama, is a town the interstate passed by, so newcomers are rare. But this one looks familiar. Janet Bouton has nothing and no one. Her life has been stripped down to the clothing on her back. Counting out her meager change to pay for a stick-to-the-ribs meal, she is hoping to escape the diner unrecognized. She shouldn’t have come back...but no place else on earth was familiar. An act of kindness sets a chain of events in motion and pulls Sallie Lee and Janet together, but the past has the power to tear them apart. There are still people in Pennington who remember Janet too well. Small town memories have had a lot of years to simmer, and love may not be the recipe for happiness. Mary Griggs’ debut romance novel unites a lost soul and a determined survivor to create a passionate story that readers will remember long after the final page.

Breesy Cheesy Bambi Mac

2011-11-29T16:38:00.001-08:00

As any self-respecting member of the Who Dat Nation knows, Drew Brees gets his super powers from eating macaroni and cheese before a game. I'm sure he was able to make this dive into the end zone on Monday Night because he followed his well known pre-game carb loading routine.

He led the Saints to a 49-24 win over the New York Giants, so there must be something to it!

While I won't directly compete with the Breesy Beefy Mac put out by the Ritz-Carlton's M Bistro's Emily Dillport, I do put my version of Breesy Cheesy Bambi Mac forward for your consideration. If you don't happen to have ground venison, substitute ground beef or turkey. Or, leave out the meat entirely!

Breesy Cheesy Bambi Mac

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni  
1 lb ground venison
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided  
1/4 cup all-purpose flour  
1 yellow onion, finely chopped  
1/2 teaspoon dried mustard  
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning  
2 1/2 cups milk  
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese  
1 cup shredded smoked Gouda
1/2 cup bread crumbs lightly buttered and toasted

Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and set aside.

Brown venison; drain off fat and set aside

In a medium Dutch oven over medium heat, melt one tablespoon of butter and cook onion until softened, about four minutes. Add remaining butter. When melted, add flour forming a roux. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring constantly, to remove the flour taste. Do not allow roux to darken. Stir in Cajun seasoning and mustard. Gradually stir in milk until blended. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture has thickened, about five minutes. Add cheese in handfuls and stir until melted. Remove from heat.

Combine mixture with venison and macaroni in a large buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle seasoned bread crumbs over casserole and cook at 350° F for 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Cranberries and the use thereof

2011-11-25T10:35:00.000-08:00

The best use of leftover cranberry sauce is to make muffins out of it. I'm going to post here the recipe I use for cranberry sauce and my recipe for cranberry muffins.

Candied Satsumas with Cranberries

10 or so satsumas (can use mandarian oranges, tangerines, etc)
3 cups sugar
3 cups water
3 T Triple Sec
1 12-oz package fresh cranberries

Using a paring knife, slice tops and bottoms from satsumas. Cut off peel and white pith. If the pith is tough, consider segmenting the satsuma.

Bring sugar and water to a boil in a large saucepan, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the Triple Sec and satsumas. Remove from heat, cover and let stand overnight at room temperature.

Transfer satsumas to broiler pan. Broil oranges for 3 to 4 minutes or until brown spots of carmelization begin to form.

Bring reserved sauce to a boil. Put cranberries into saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer until berries all burst, about 10 minutes. Continue to simmer until the sauce cooks down a little.

Put oranges in a bowl and pour cranberries and sauce over. Can be served warm or at room temperature.

Cranberry Sauce Muffins

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups cranberry sauce (recipe above)
2 cups flour
1/2 cup whole, 2 percent fat, or 1 percent fat milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a muffin tin or line the cups with paper liners.

In a mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add sugar and mix. Add the eggs, vanilla, baking powder, and salt and mix. Add the cranberry sauce to the batter and mix.

With the mixer running at low speed, add 1/2 of the flour, then 1/2 of the milk, and mix. Repeat with remaining flour and milk.

In a separate small bowl, mix the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar with the cinnamon.

Use a ladle to fill the muffin cups 3/4 full. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar over the muffins and bake until golden brown and risen, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan at least 30 minutes before turning out.

Shrimp Chipolte Scampi

2011-11-23T18:18:00.000-08:00

We were in the mood for garlic and butter with our shrimp tonight and I wanted to try my recipe for Chipolte Scampi. I used the larger of Mom's cast iron skillets--as you can see from the above picture, she has quite a selection to choose from.

Cooks notes: I picked out most of the jalapeno seeds from the Chipolte in Adobo sauce to reduce the heat while keeping the depth of flavor. If you want more heat, leave in the seeds. I also doubled the sauce ingredients, as I like to dip my bread into it. Yeah, two sticks of butter seems like a lot but the mouth feel of the finished sauce is incredible.

Shrimp Chipolte Scampi

1-1/2 lbs peeled, deveined medium-size fresh shrimp
1-2 T chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (approx 1 large pepper)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used Sauvingon Blanc)
1 T prepared mustard
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 tsp salt
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 lb angel hair pasta, cooked to tender (about 3-4 minutes)

Saute peppers and garlic in hot oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until thoroughly heated.

Add shrimp and cook, stirring constantly, 2-3 minutes or just until shrimp turns pink. Remove shrimp and set aside.

Whisk in white wine, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce, cook for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and stir in butter, salt, lemon juice, cook 10 minutes or until slightly reduced. Add shrimp back to the pan and cook through.

Place pasta in a large serving dish, toss with shrimp and sauce. Serve with french bread and a Cesar salad.

Biscuits and Gravy

2011-11-10T17:35:00.001-08:00

There is something enormously satisfying about eating biscuits and gravy on a chilly Fall evening. My Mom says that that gravy is the mortar that holds the food pyramid together but all I know is that it is an essential comfort food.

Here is a basic recipe for chicken gravy. As a hint when making gravy, always use tablespoons of butter/flour equal to the amount you want to end with--this recipe makes two cups, so we start with two tablespoons each. If you need to make turkey gravy for Thanksgiving, just substitute turkey broth for the chicken broth.

Chicken Gravy

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ½ cup chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
pepper
salt

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 2 to 5 minutes. Whisk in broth and seasoning. Simmer, stirring regularly, for 15 or 20 minutes or until mixture thickens. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Bon appetit, y'all!

Pierre Masperos

2011-11-01T18:37:00.000-07:00

The National Orientation Directors Association (NODA) came to New Orleans for their annual conference this week. As Chair of the LGBT Community Center, I worked with the GLBTA Network Chair to make sure that they were made welcome in the city and provided them with information on things to do while here. Of course, it was Halloween weekend, so they had plenty of events to choose from.

On their last night in town, I met up with the GLBTA Network for dinner at Pierre Masperos there at Chartres and St. Louis in the heart of the French Quarter. The building is quite historic as it is where the pirate Jean Lafitte met with Andrew Jackson to strategize the defense for the Battle of New Orleans. It was a large group, so I only got to talk with the guys at my end of the table but we had an enjoyable conversation about advocacy and education and community engagement.

I started with a chocolate martini while I waited for the group to arrive and then had the Barbecued Shrimp PoBoy. While the shrimp were small, the sauce was tasty. It was served with Cajun French fries, basically fries with cheese and a light seasoning. I also tasted the fried alligator and found it remarkably tasty and tender.

The place is good for tourists located in and around the Vieux Carré. The prices are pretty decent and it is worth going for the casual dining of local fare.

Halloween Drinks

2011-10-31T10:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

I'm enjoying a Bee's Knees on my front porch while I wait for the Trick or Treaters to arrive.

Halloween candy is good and all but the holiday isn't complete without an adult beverage!

Candy Corn Martinis

For the infused vodka:
1/2 cup candy corn
1 1/2 cups vodka

Drink recipe
2 ounces orange liqueur like Triple Sec
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Candy corn, for garnish

Infuse the vodka: Combine the candy corn and vodka in an airtight container; set aside for at least 3 hours, then strain. Store in the refrigerator.

Make the Candy Corn Martinis: Add 4 ounces of the candy corn vodka, the orange liqueur and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into 2 chilled martini glasses and garnish with candy corn.

Bee's Knees

2 oz gin
1 oz honey syrup
1 oz fresh lemon juice

Make honey syrup by putting 1 cup of honey in a saucepan over medium heat. Slowly stir in 1 cup of water. Let come to a boil, stirring regularly. Store in the refrigerator.

Make the Bee's Knees: Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

If you're making a pitcher of drinks or filling a punch bowl, consider tossing in a few dismembered hands:

Ghostly Floating Hands

To make ghostly hands that float, fill surgical gloves (or rubber gloves) with plain or colored water and tie at the opening. Freeze. Cut off gloves from ghost hands and place in filled punch bowl.

Feelings Cafe

2011-10-16T15:24:00.000-07:00

I went out for brunch today in honor of Terry O'Neill's (current president of the National Organization for Women) visit to New Orleans to speak on "Women Need Jobs, Not Cuts." We went out to Feelings Cafe, a lovely restaurant in the Bywater area.

Feelings Cafe does a lot of Clemenceau dishes--a Creole style of cooking that generally includes peas and potatoes. While I love brabant potatoes (typically boiled then fried in butter and garlic), I really can't stand peas. Therefore, I had the grillades and grits. The veal was tender but there was hardly any grits with the dish and hardly any cheese on what was supposed to be cheese grits.

I ended the meal with the French Silk pie. Rich but it had the mouth feel that the sugar hadn't been completed combined before setting. I also had a bite of the combo peanut butter/chocolate pie that was quite delicious.

The service was very good and I definitely can see why the courtyard dining area gets consistently listed as one of the most romantic places to eat in the city.

cafe b

2011-10-09T11:20:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine had her birthday dinner at cafe b, one of Ralph Brennan's restaurants.

I arrived a few minutes before the rest of the group and sat at the bar. Eric made me a very tasty margarita and we were able to chat at little about football and Halloween before I was joined by some other guests.

Once everyone arrived, we moved to our table and ordered a selection of starters. There were fried oysters, calamari (the sweet and spicy dipping sauce was very good) and crab dip (good enough but the toasted brioche was killer). Good flavor combinations but nothing really extraordinary.

I ordered the hanger steak with garlic fries. It came with a bearnaise sauce but the meat was so tender and delicious on its own that I only used a small amount. Not a fan of the brussel sprouts that it came with, I also ordered some roasted wild mushrooms. This was the only item on the menu that needed a pinch of extra seasoning.

I was able to taste the shrimp and lobster ravioli that several folks ordered and was completely blown away at how incredibly good it was. Smooth with a champagne beurre blanc that made every bite a taste of creamy heaven.

I ended the meal with some chocolate bliss--a brownie in a cup of ice cream and whipped cream. It had sufficient chocolately goodness to satisfy my cravings. The lemon ice box pie was passed near enough to me that I was able to grab a bite as it went by. It could have used a little meringue but had a nice lemon bite to it.

The service was excellent. Our server, Malyssa, was very attentive and quick to top off glasses and to make sure that we had everything we needed. As you can see from my wall of drinks (water, iced tea, two different glasses of Evening Land pinot noirs - one from California and the other from Oregon), I was keeping hydrated.

I have to confess that I was quite surprised to find such a great meal there on Metairie Road. I can definitely see a return trip to try the burger but only if I convince someone else to come with and share their ravioli with me!

Mr. Ed's

2011-10-06T18:22:00.000-07:00

There is a family restaurant hidden in the residential Metairie neighborhood of Bucktown and they boast that they have the best fried chicken in the city. Not one to ignore such a claim or let it sit without challenge, I made special plans to go visit Mr. Ed's Restaurant.

I had spent the early morning protesting with Occupy NOLA and even made WDSU's slideshow (picture 1)! After walking from Tulane/Broad to Lafayette Square, we were ready for some good fried chicken.

Once we arrived, I was quickly served a very delicious Bloody Mary and a pretty tasteless salad composed of iceberg lettuce, a single cherry tomato and a single cucumber round. Good thing my drink contained two large olives, four pickled green beans and two cocktail onions or I wouldn't have gotten any veggies at all!

The fried chicken was three pieces that were cooked to order for us. It was piping hot and served on a bed of french fries. The coating was good and stayed with the chicken for every bite. It was not at all greasy. However, the chicken itself had very little flavor. I'd have to say that it was good but certainly not the best fried chicken I've had.

We shared a chocolate mousse cake that was a pretty good way to end the meal. Again, it was good but not spectacular.

Perhaps I'll head back and see if they do a better job on their Italian entrees.

Bittersweet Blondies

2011-09-26T14:30:00.000-07:00

I'm not actually sure what I was thinking but I ended up with blondies.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 extra-large eggs
1 cup pecans, chopped
2 cups bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chunks

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 9 x 13 x 2 inch baking pan.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on high speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time, and mix well, scraping down the bowl. With the mixer still on low, slowly add flour mixture to the butter mixture. Fold the pecans and chocolate chunks in with a rubber spatula.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake for no longer than 30 minutes. A toothpick may not come out clean. Cool completely in the pan and cut into bars.

Pretzel Time

2011-09-11T14:21:00.000-07:00

I experimented with pretzels today. I like my pretzels soft and chewy but with at least a little bit of crust. Unfortunately, I've only been able to achieve the perfect skin with a lye bath. While cooking with toxins takes kitchen wizardry to record heights, I'm just not a fan of using flesh-burning chemicals around my food. I also wanted to improve on the pretzel recipe I've been using that tastes a little doughy (sorry, Alton Brown, but you know its true).

Here is my new recipe. Based on the reviews, they are pretty good:

1 cup warm whole milk (the original recipe called for the milk to be scalded and cooled but I skipped this step)
1/2 cup warm water (about 110 F)
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 teaspoons coarse salt
4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour (I split the flour evenly between bread and all-purpose flour)

For the soda bath:
3 quarts water
3/4 cup baking soda

For coating:
1 whole egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
coarse sea salt

Proof the yeast in half a cup of lukewarm water and the sugar. In a bowl of a mixer, place the flour (start with 4 1/2 cups, you'll add the rest if necessary) and salt. Add the yeast, cooled butter and the milk. Mix for about 10 minutes until the dough is well kneaded and no longer sticky. Add more flour if necessary. Let the dough rise for about an hour in a warm place or until doubled in size. On a floured surface, roll the dough into long ropes, as thick or as thin as you want. I end up rolling them in my hands, like play-do snakes Shape the dough with the traditional pretzel shape (holding each end, cross them, twist and press down with a drop of water).

Preheat the oven to 400 F

Boil the pretzels in the soda bath for about 30 seconds each side. Place them on a baking sheet, brush them with either egg wash or melted butter and sprinkle them with salt. Bake the pretzels for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Leftover pretzels can be stored in the fridge and popped into the toaster for a nice warming before eating.

Wendy's Natural Cut Fries

2011-09-10T12:30:00.000-07:00

Since moving to New Orleans, I have lost the fast food habit. Not only are there a lot of other places to go to eat that are quick and cheap, there is a lot of better tasting food in this city. However, there are times when stopping somewhere with a drive thru to feed my hunger for fat is just what I need.

Today, I stopped at Wendy's for the first time in a long time. I was so disappointed that it is going to be a very long time before I go there again. The chicken sandwich was dry but the worst thing was the natural cut fries. A marketing gimick around the potato skin being left on and the use of sea salt that doesn't even begin to cover how unhealthy the darn things are (a medium serving of these fries contain 420 calories with 20 grams of fat and 500mg of sodium). If that wasn't bad enough, mine were almost inedible. The fries were either limp or over cooked and crunchy. The oil must have been old because they were a uniform brown, not golden. All in all, not what I go for in fries, no matter how naturally cut they are. The lemonade was pretty good.

For $7.34, I've got plenty of other options in this town.

Wine Institute Of New Orleans

2011-08-29T14:32:00.000-07:00

The Wine Institute of New Orleans (WINO) is a great place to pick up the perfect bottle of wine or champagne for any sort of dinner. They also offer wine tasting events of their own, including certificate classes in wine and spirits. The prices are competitive and the folks who work there are true oenophiles.

They also have a small deli in the back of the shop with a pretty decent selections of sandwiches. I went today and enjoyed a really wonderful roast beef sandwich with brie on ciabatta bread. The roast beef was excellent and they ran the sammy under a grill, so the cheese was all melty and delicious. The two of us each had sandwiches and drinks and the total ran right under $20, so its a pretty good deal for lunch there in the Warehouse District. Do be advised that there is only one guy working the deli, so it can take thirty minutes or more for your sandwich to arrive!

Dat Dog

2011-08-23T13:27:00.000-07:00

The Freret Street area between Jefferson and Napoleon is seeing a much needed resurgence of new businesses and renovated homes. The best news is that there is a food renaissance happening at the same time. I stopped off for a late lunch at one of them, Dat Dog.

They list a lot of different dogs and where they are from (Poland and Slovenia, Aligator dogs from the Swamp, and, my favorite, a Veggie Dog from Oxymoron). I went for the German pork wiener with just tomatoes and mustard. They have a ton of fixings, if you like dressing your dogs with cheddar cheese, relish, onions, guacamole, chili, sauerkraut, etc, etc, etc. The bread is a little large but not so long as to be longer than the dogs. The wieners had a crisp snap and excellent flavor. The guys working the place are good fun, too.

The place is small with no a/c but, as I usually get my order to go, it isn't much of a problem for me. There is plenty of outdoor seating, though, for those willing to brave the New Orleans heat and humidity.

Val's Burgers in Castro Valley

2011-08-21T05:57:00.000-07:00

My good friend Brian turned me onto Val's Burgers several years ago and it was good to learn during this trip that nothing has changed. In fact, it is probably safe to say that nothing has changed on the decor or menu or service since the 50's!

Val's is an old style diner with wood instead of chrome but the burgers are thick, juicy and affordable. The burgers are so juicy that the bun nearly disintegrates by the time you get to the last bite. There isn't a lot of seasonings or fillers in this burger--it is pure meat, cooked to order. The three of us had an excellent meal for right around $20 bucks. I got the baby burger (that's 1/3 lb) with cheese and it was plenty good. I can't imagine eating a papa burger--1 lb of meat!

A couple of tips--one order of fries will feed two, maybe three people and the milkshake is enough to share as well. They only take cash and are closed Sundays/Mondays.

Luke's Grill in San Leandro

2011-08-17T07:29:00.000-07:00

I met up with an author friend of mine for lunch in San Leandro. We went to Luke's Grill for Greek Food.

I started with a glass of retsina, a traditional white wine with the unique scent and taste of pine resin. Originally distributed in amphora sealed with resin, the wine now is either aged in pine barrels or has actually pieces of pine resin added during fermentation. I love the taste and the glass I had was quite delicious.

Our appetizers were the tsatziki with warm pita. I love this yogurt garlic dip and ate most of it myself. We also got the saganaki, a goat cheese that they flambe at the table. Very fun (what can beat cheese AND fire?) and incredibly tasty, too.

For the meal, I had the souvlaki in pita with chicken. Well seasoned meat with veggies and more of the tsatziki. It was served with french fries that were a little overcooked but tasted very good dipped in the leftover appetizer tsatziki. My dining companion had the spanakopita, a spinach and cheese filled pastry. She seemed to enjoy it but I'm not a fan of cooked spinach, so I didn't try any.

The wait staff is very friendly and quick to answer questions. We also arrived right after a large group and they snuck our orders in first so we didn't have to wait forever. Luke's Grill remains my go to place for Greek while visiting Northern California.

Zut! in Berkeley

2011-08-16T10:06:00.000-07:00

The Fourth Street area of Berkeley is a cool place to hang out. There are a lot of funky stores and eateries and the people on the sidewalks usually smell better than those on Telegraph Avenue! ツ

I went over there on Sunday for brunch with a friend and, while we had wanted to go to Bette's Oceanview Diner, we ended up at Zut! because of the long lines.

It was a little more upscale than we had originally anticipated but there were tables available, so we were able to be seated immediately. Despite the number of folks in the main room (with the mural), the place was well designed so it wasn't noisy at all. It was a working brunch, so the corner they put us in gave us quite a bit of privacy. It also led to the waiter forgetting we were there and had us scrounging on the other tables for salt and pepper and to the bar for refills on the water.

The orange juice was fresh squeezed but it came in a pretty small glass for $5. A couple of swallows later, I finished it before the waiter returned to take our order. I had the chicken fried steak with potatoes and a sunnyside egg. While the gravy was the blandest things I've every eaten, the chicken was good. My dining companion had the eggs but they were out of sausage at 11:30.

From what I understand from talking to others, the brunch menu is still fairly new and that the chef focuses mainly on showcasing his talents for dinner. Based on my experience, however, I won't be finding out that for myself.

Pier 15 in San Rafael

2011-08-16T08:09:00.001-07:00

My business partner and I headed over to San Rafael for a breakfast meeting with a marketing guru for our consulting firm, Pacific Training and Resources. We went to Pier 15 Restaurant and Bar in San Rafael's historic wharf district. Being a Monday, we missed their Build Your Own Bloody Mary Bar that is offered on Sunday's but we were there for business so I guess that was a good thing.

For the Bay Area in general and San Rafael in particular it offers super casual waterside eating. There is zero curb appeal and I thought we were at the wrong place at first with the decals on the windows for the sports leagues available on the bar's TV's. However, for a dive, it serves really good food.

They offer something called Swedish Cinnamon French Toast. I don't know what was Swedish about it (and neither did the waiter) but the pain perdu was delicious--a little crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. I had the classic Benedict with Canadian bacon. The hollandaise was smooth and creamy and the egg was poached perfectly. The English muffin was a little on the small side but they include a side of potatoes that I was able to dredge in the leftover hollandaise and runny yolk so nothing was left on the plate.

Bowzer's Pizza in Alameda

2011-08-15T08:59:00.000-07:00

We took a little drive last night over to Alameda, a small island in the SF Bay adjacent to Oakland. We made the drive because all of us were craving pizza and Bowzer's Pizza is worth going out of your way for.

As you can see, there wasn't much left:

The crust was New York style thin and cooked to perfection and the toppings were plentiful and high quality from local vendors. The cheese was just gooey enough and the sauce wasn't too sweet. The slices totally hit the bullseye!

Despite all the TV's in the place turned to Disney Channel, there weren't that many children in the place and those that were present were accompanied by adults and pretty well behaved.

Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe

2011-08-14T15:42:00.000-07:00

After my book signing at Laurel Book Store, my friends took me to downtown Oakland for some late night eats. Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe serves American diner fare with sides of style and creativity to a wide variety of patrons. Some of our fellow diners looked like they had come from a show at the Fox Theatre, others might have stumbled in from the nearest bar or skateboard park but everyone was treated to great comfort food.

I had the hash browns covered in melted cheddar and topped with a sunny side egg. Perfect with my Bloody Rudy. My dinning companions had the three cheese (jack, cheddar and swiss) grilled cheese sandwich and the monster BLT--double the usual amounts of bacon, lettuce and tomato. Everything we had was very satisfying. The service was quick and with a smile (which can be a little disconcerting when the the wait person is covered in facial piercings and tattoos).

Grand Lake Farmers Market

2011-08-13T22:51:00.000-07:00

I think one of my favorite Farmers Markets (and voted Best by East Bay residents) is the one at Grand Lake in Oakland. Nestled right against the 580 overpass, it is between Grand Avenue and Lakeshore Avenue near Lake Merritt.

Not only is there a huge selection, year round, but the vendors very helpful and willing to talk about preparation ideas for their produce. The colors are marvelous as are the rich smells of fruits and veggies that smell like they should--no gassed tomatoes here, instead find heirloom varieties that look almost tie dyed!

I took a few pictures of the vegetables and fruits as I shopped around. I was after fingerling potatoes, cherry tomatoes, artichokes and salad greens (I found a bag that included edible flowers) for the lamb dinner we were going to grill for dinner. I also added a couple of avocados, a pint of blackberries and some of the best balsamic vinegars on the planet (mission fig, pomegranite and a blackberry/vanilla) produced by Big Paw.

Fenton's Creamery - Piedmont

2011-08-13T09:13:00.000-07:00

I'm an ice cream fan, especially when the ice cream is house churned like at Fenton's Creamery in Piedmont, CA. While the place is usually packed and raucous with kids of all ages, all of the noise seems to fade away when you've got a delicious sundae in front of you.

We started with lunch and I had the BLT with avocado. It had very thick bacon but as it is done club sandwich style, there is a lot of bread in proportion to other ingredients. My dining companion had the crab sandwich. Not much to this sandwich but it had a very good crab flavor. We split a basket of half onion rings and fries and were a little underwhelmed with the onion rings. They tasted like that came from a freezer bag.

But we were there for dessert, so the rest of the meal was more to help us feel not too guilty when we overindulged. I made my dining companion get the black and tan while I got the Fudgeianna (hot fudge with a banana).

Heaven--the caramel and chocolate sauce on the black and tan was so plentiful it spilled over the edges of the dish. I love banana's and chocolate and the combination on mine was absolutely fabulous.

While I might skip the meal, I will never skip or skimp on Fenton's sundaes!

The Ranch - Hayward

2011-08-12T07:08:00.000-07:00

Hayward is not on anyone's list as the place for haute cuisine but they can rustle up some darn good grub.

The Ranch is on Mission Street and serves absolutely excellent steaks. I had the Rib Eye and my dining companions had the NY Steak. Mine came out perfectly medium rare and melted like butter in the mouth. Unfortunately, the corn they served with it came straight out of the can and the center of the baked potato wasn't cooked. We also ordered the fried zuchini appetizer and the spears were large and pretty darn tasty. As I was mainly focused on the meat, I'm willing to overlook the veggie issues.

When we were there, the parking lot was full as it was the Oakland Raiders first preseason game. The bar was packed with rednecks and Raider's fans who got a little noisy. The dining room wasn't too full, though, and we got our food very quickly from the attentive servers.

Little Griddle in SF

2011-08-11T17:13:00.000-07:00

Who knew? A donut bar (with square donuts!), hotspot for bagels and one of the best burger joints I've been in can now be found on Market Street in San Francisco near the Civic Center BART/MUNI station. Little Griddle serves Neiman Ranch beef on the burgers and the choice of premier cheeses. I didn't get the Lucifer which combines two of their donuts to make the bun for their burger this time and just went for the traditional burger. Well cooked and with a nice sauce to perk it up. As there is only seating for a few folks, plan on going early and you might catch a table when one of the breakfast patrons are done. Oh, and the lemonade is made fresh with lots of pulp!

They have on their menu fried pickles but the guy at the counter said they they couldn't get the batter right and would be taking it off the menu. I've offered them my recipe:

Fried Dill Pickles

8 dill pickles
1/2 cup flour
1/4-1/3 cup beer
1 1/4 T paprika
1 1/4 T cayenne pepper
1 1/4 T black pepper
1/2 t salt
2 t garlic salt
3 dashes Tabasco sauce
Oil for deep frying

Cut the dill pickles in slices as thick as a silver dollar or into four spears. Mix together the remaining ingredients to form the batter. Dip the pickles in the batter and quickly fry in the hot oil (375F/190C) until pickles float to the top, about 4 minutes.

Depending on how you measure out the flour you may need more than 1/4 cup. You want the batter fairly thick!

Columns Hotel

2011-08-08T10:39:00.000-07:00

I got together with a few friends for drinks last night and we decided to visit the Columns Hotel. Sitting right on St. Charles Avenue between Napoleon and Louisiana, it is fun going to enjoy the stately ambiance, sit on the porch or go inside to the Victoria Lounge to watch the streetcars rumble past. I went to their Sunday Jazz Brunch a couple of years ago and I understand that it is still outstanding. They are known for their sazarac but their bartenders will pretty much work their magic on any alcohol. I left it up to the bartender and he served up a refreshing rum drink with limoncello. Very worth it for an intimate, romantic meet up or for our fiery political discussions as the tables are widely spaced and the waitstaff discreet.

Capdeville New Orleans

2011-08-05T14:31:00.003-07:00

I had a lovely lunch at Capdeville today. Located near Lafayette Square, it was convenient for the protest against ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) that was held in front of the Hale Boggs Federal Building.

As today was hot and humid, it was nice to start with a Pimm's Cup. I ended up getting the Mayor Burger (gouda, carmelized onions and chili ketchup) with Poutine fries (Mozzarella Cheese Curd & Au Poivre sauce). My lunch partner had the duck confit club sandwich (with duck cracklings). Very large portions, well flavored, and quick service from the staff. Definitely a go to place for lunch!

Butterbeer

2011-07-17T11:40:00.000-07:00

Okay, I guess I should get it out there that I'm a Harry Potter fan (although the books should have been named Hermione Granger as Harry, Ron and the entire wizarding world would have been goners with out her). While I didn't see the midnight showing, I did watch the Deathly Hallows 7B at noon on Friday in 3D. I definitely recommend the film--who wouldn't want to see a film about a valiant fight between good and evil, set in a fantastical world populated by ghoulish monsters who want to drag the world into terrible darkness, with the only hope for salvation a group of brave young rebels?

In preparation for the screening, I made some Butterbeer Cupcakes:

For the cupcakes:
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon butter flavoring
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup cream soda (do not use diet)

For the ganache:
1 11-oz. package butterscotch chips
1 cup heavy cream

For the buttercream frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup butterscotch ganache
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon butter flavoring
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 16-oz. package powdered sugar
Splash of milk or cream (as needed)

For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake pans with paper liners. Combine your flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, cream your butter until light and fluffy. Add your sugars and beat until well-combined. Beat in your eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then beat in your vanilla and butter flavoring.

Alternate adding your buttermilk, cream soda, and dry ingredients in batches until all are well incorporated. Fill each cupcake liner 3/4 full, then bake for 15 to 17 minutes until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean and cake springs back to the touch. Cool completely on wire racks.

For the butterscotch filling: In a double boiler (heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water on the stove), combine butterscotch chips and heavy cream and stir until completely combined and smooth. Cool to room temperature. Fill a squeeze bottle with ganache and insert into the center of each cupcake, squeezing until filling begins to overflow.

For the buttercream frosting: Cream butter in a large bowl until fluffy. Add in ganache, vanilla, butter flavoring, and salt and mix until well combined. Beat in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until reaching desired consistency. Add milk or cream by the Tablespoon as needed. Frost cupcakes and top with a drizzle of butterscotch ganache.

For the real fans, divide the frosting and use food coloring to make them in your preferred House colors.

Adapted from Amy Bites.

Use any leftover ganache to make butterbeer:

8oz cream soda
2-3 tablespoons of butterscotch ganache

Mix in a tall glass and serve over ice. Add a shot of butterscotch schnapps for an adult version.

Olivier's Restaurant

2011-07-14T19:10:00.000-07:00

Olivier's Restaurant serves old school Creole on the edge of the French Quarter. For Dining Out For Life (a benefit for the NO/AIDS Task Force a local HIV/AIDS service organization), I went with a couple of friends.

I started with a rasberry sweet tea vodka--it was made there in house and very refreshing. The Olivier's vinegrette was quite delicious on the mixed green salad. My entree was their Creole rabbit. The sauce was very good and the meat was very flavorful although it was a little dry. The veggies on the side were fairly bland but the pickled okra was a nice touch. One of my dining companions let me taste her pork medallions with honey glaze and a really unique habanero pepper-pineapple-plum-mint sauce. Another had Shrimp Scampi in a sauce that was more creamy than the typical wine and lemon-butter but also pretty delicious.

We ended the meal with the house made peach cobbler. The crumble was incredible and it was the perfect end to the meal.

Surrey's Uptown

2011-07-13T09:18:00.004-07:00

Surrey's Cafe and Juice Bar has opened another shop past Napoleon in Uptown. There is seating outside to watch the passing cars on Magazine but, frankly, it is a little warm to eat outside in New Orleans.

Going in will find you eating with students, off call medics from Touro and Oschner and a few of those ladies who lunch. Surrey's serves all sorts of great breakfast foods from omelette's to fritattas to shrimp and grits but they also serve one of my favorite things--fried chicken and waffles. The fried boneless breast of chicken has a bit of cayenne in the seasoning to give it a little bite and they serve both maple syrup and Steen's cane syrup with the thick but light waffles. The plate also comes with two eggs and so you leave very, very full.

My dining companion got lost and arrived almost 45 minutes late, so I got to watch plenty of what other people were eating. I might have to try the BLT (bacon just hanging out of the bread) or the Ponchatula French Toast (stuffed with strawberries and cream cheese) next time.

Happy 235th Birthday, America!

2011-07-04T05:41:00.000-07:00

July 4th is a great day to fire up the grill and bring together family and friends to enjoy the bounty of this great nation. As Vince Staten said, "The story of barbecue is the story of America: Settlers arrive on great unspoiled continent, discover wondrous riches, set them on fire and eat them."

My family will be grilling some corn on the cob, smoking ribs and serving it with homemade peach ice cream. Here is the recipe for the ice cream:

2 cups sliced fresh peaches
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 T peach schnapps

Put everything in a blender or food processor and combine. Set in refrigerator overnight. Chill Donvier ice cream insert in freezer overnight. Pulse the mixture the next morning and pour into insert. Make 2 revolutions every one to two minutes for about 20 minutes or until mixture pulls away from sides. Put into container to harden in the freezer.

Maya's Restaurant

2011-06-29T17:04:00.000-07:00

I was at Maya's recently for the Annual Meeting of the Forum For Equality, an organization of which I'm the Deputy Political Director. The owners are supportive of our work and let us use their upstairs room for our meetings.

I really like their white sangria but they weren't serving it that night, so I went for the margarita instead. Nice and tasty and it sure took the edge off the meeting! I tasted a friend's mojito and it was as good as I make at home with the addition of a piece of sugar cane. The food they serve is Latin fusion--primarily Honduran and Cuban, with a little Caribbean thrown in for good measure. I was off to another meeting after this one, so I just enjoyed the appetizers. The house sauce is good and the empanadas were nice and spicy.

It is a little high end for my usual budget but when you want more than just a burrito or taco, give Maya's a try.

Outback Restaurant at Buena Vista Palace Hotel

2011-06-11T20:31:00.000-07:00

I'm in Orlando, Florida at the Golden Crown Literary Society 7th Annual Conference. My first novel, Unbroken Circle, is to be released on Monday and I am here to connect with old friends and promote my book.

It was very cool to see a box of my book for sale:

My publisher, Bella Books, held a dinner for their authors at the Outback Restaurant at the conference hotel. Not to be confused with the Aussie chain, this place supposedly had an Australian theme. However, I never tasted or saw anything at all related to Down Under.

I had the four course prix fixe meal that included a fairly bland French onion soup, an equally banal Caesar salad, and tasteless strawberry cheesecake. The prime rib, however, was cooked beautifully and well marbled. It was quite good and the roasted garlic bulb on top was a very delicious touch.

Despite my quibbles with the soup, salad and dessert, the steak and the company were great--being among such great writers is very inspiring and I hope to spend more time with them in the future.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

2011-06-03T12:42:00.000-07:00

When I was just out of college, my great-grandmother passed away. I was working retail and could only take a short time off. I drove to Asheville for the funeral and then grabbed a dozen, piping fresh original glazed doughnuts for the trip back to Washington, DC. In the course of the drive, I ate the whole box and arrived to work with the shakes. I thought it was grief until someone pointed out the sugar content of a single Krispy Kreme. Live and learn, eh?

I say this all to preface how glad I am that there is a Krispy Kreme doughnut shop near my parent's home in Foley, AL. I was never a fan of cakey doughnuts so, the original glazed is a perfect food--light, airy and sugary! As a bonus, today was National Doughnut day, so I got one free! How cool is that?

I do a killer bread pudding with the leftover stale Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding

2 dozen Krispy Kreme donuts (best is slightly stale)
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup coffee-flavored liqueur (I sometimes use Amaretto or Bailey's Irish Cream here instead).
2 eggs, beaten
1 pinch salt
1 or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Butter Rum Sauce, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cube donuts into a large bowl. Combine milks, creams and liqueur. Wisk in the eggs. Add salt and cinnamon. Pour liquid on top of donuts and let soak for a few minutes. Stir together until the donuts have soaked up the liquid as much as possible.
Bake for about 1 hour until center has jelled. Top with Butter Rum Sauce.

Butter Rum Sauce:
1 stick butter
1 pound box confectioners' sugar
Rum, to taste (start with a generous Tablespoon)
Melt butter and slowly stir in confectioners' sugar. Add rum and heat until bubbly. Pour over each serving of Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding.

Second Birthday at Mr. John's

2011-05-30T14:50:00.000-07:00

I so enjoyed my first visit to Mr. John's Steak House that when a friend asked me where she and her husband could take me to dinner, I told them I wanted to go back for another meal. Being used to spoiling me on my birthday, they agreed.

This visit was just as good. The cocktails we started with (sidecar and sazerac) were perfectly blended. My friends enjoyed some French Onion Soup which was rich and hearty and no-one choked on the cheese (my paternal grandmother was forever warning anyone who ordered such a soup as to the dire consequences awaiting you). I had the ribeye again and they went for the filet mignon and the petite filet. The filet was just a little dry for my taste but that could have been because the marbling on my piece of meat made mine extra juicey! The sides of potato au gratin were super hot but filled with creamy, cheesey goodness. I only had a bite of the spinach au gratin to reaffirm how much I hate cooked spinach.

As they had told them when making the reservation that it was my birthday, we enjoyed another complimentary bread pudding with our tawny cinnamon port. Not a bad ending to any meal.

I've also got to give kudos for the service--the waitstaff is attentive without being obtrusive, water and iced tea is filled before the level drops below the half way line, all the plates are delivered to the table at the same time. We got there at 7:30 and were the second to last table to clear at 10pm and they never made us feel rushed or that we should take our conversation elsewhere.

Central Grocery

2011-05-20T11:28:00.000-07:00

A definite must stop on any trip to the French Quarter is Central Grocery. I usually pick up some spices, cans of lentils, olive oil and hot sauces. When I have friends in town and we're looking to picnic or a quick bite, we also grab a muffuletta (a sandwich which consists of a loaf of Sicilian bread, split horizontally and is then covered with a marinated olive salad, layers of capicola, salami, pepperoni, emmentaler, Ham and provolone).

Central Grocery claims to have either created or perfected the muff and I have to admit that theirs is very, very good. While not layered as thick as it used to be, it is still a good combination of flavors on good bread that pairs well with a bag of Zapp's chips and a root beer. I also have to admire how quickly they move the line that can fill the small space at lunch time. What I don't like is how utterly rude they are. They won't answer questions, they won't explain what's on it, they won't make special orders, etc, etc. Now, I've worked counters before and I know how aggravating it can be to be asked the same question a million times but they are in a customer service business and a little bone thrown to clueless tourists must surely take several years off your scheduled stint in purgatory.

And there is a difference between brusque and rude--they come down solidly on the rude side!

Cafe Pontalba

2011-05-19T11:35:00.000-07:00

Situated on the corner of Jackson Square, Cafe Pontalba has one of the best locations in the city for foot traffic. Perhaps that is why it serves pretty darn bland southern and soul food. Very much a tourist trap, don't go into it expecting great food. I was with some folks who were exhausted from walking the French Quarter and were fine with the people watching. The fried shrimp po-boy was served on stale bread, the brown gravy on the roast beef sandwich tasted canned.

Pascale's Manale

2011-05-18T07:41:00.000-07:00

I've spoken before about my neighborhood Creole Italian restaurant. It is within walking distance of my house, which is a good thing when you need to work off a bit of over indulgence. Pascale's Manale is upscale and is best known for their Barbecue Shrimp.

This last visit we all decided to branch out and try something new. Helen had pasta with meatballs. The two meatballs were huge and quite flavorful. Butch had the veal gambero that came with a couple of peeled bbq shrimp. The veal was paneed and very flavorful. I kept reaching across to dip my bread into his bbq shrimp sauce. I had the crabmeat alfredo--lots of lump crab meat and two spicy crab cakes. Because the crab cakes were so well seasoned, the alfredo sauce came across a little bland.

As usual, we had a very friendly server who occassionally got distracted by his conversation to the detriment of getting menus and the order taken but, we weren't in a rush, so it wasn't such a bad thing.

American Sector

2011-05-17T11:31:00.000-07:00

Next to the theater/stage area of the National World War II museum is John Besh's American Sector cafe. The menu is pretty eclectic with a mix of New Orleans' staples and fusion inspired takes on comfort food.

I had the spicy garlic glazed fried chicken--a very nice heat to the coating made them finger licking good. The mix of pickles that came with it (watermelon rind, squash and daikon) were a cooling touch. My friends got the fried green tomatoes with shrimp remoulade--the coating was a little thin but they had a good flavor--and the shrimp po-boy that came with homemade potato chips. The fish fry batter was nice and crisp on the shrimp.

This is a good place to take a break between D-day exhibits, the film and the other sites. Plenty of folks who work in the Warehouse District also go there for lunch.

I'm a fan of Chef Besh's red velvet cupcake, so make sure you leave room for at least one!

12 Mile Limit

2011-05-16T15:58:00.000-07:00

Not so much a restaurant as a dive bar, 12 Mile Limit is located in Mid-City. They serve barbecue, cocktails and cupcakes, so that is why I included them here. The cocktails are pretty fancy but without the fancy price. The cupcakes come regular size and as a DoBite which usually comes paired with a cocktail or a shot. The BBQ comes in cow and pig and is fork tender. The mashed potatoes were out of this world--creamy with cheese, green onions and a bit of potato skin left in.

All in all a perfect neighborhood bar to relax after a day of work. They even have some board games in addition to the video of poker for folks to make a night of it.

New Orleans Coffee and Beignet Company

2011-04-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

Attached to the New Orleans Hamburger and Seafood Company is the New Orleans Coffee and Beignet Company. Frankly, I think their beignet's beat out Cafe du Monde's. Add that to the cleanliness, the ease of parking and it being within walking distance from my house, makes this my new favorite place to get my fried dough fix. The hot chocolate is delicious but the frozen creme caramel is extraordinarily good.

Mr. John's Steakhouse

2011-04-16T18:41:00.000-07:00

OMG! Seriously, oh my God! The steaks at Mr. John's Steakhouse are absolutely incredible. We all got ribeyes and they were cooked to perfections--I got mine medium rare, Dad rare and Mom blue and you could totally see the difference. Flavored with just a touch of salt and pepper, the meat stood on its own in a sizzling, lightly buttered plate. Exquisite! The potato sides (twice baked and au gratin) were delicious. Very creamy, with a broiled bit of cheese on top. The Cabernet that I got with the meal matched perfectly the fine cut of meat.

As it was my birthday (ratted out by my Dad), they gave a complimentary bread pudding. I'm not a fan of raisins in mine but the pudding was very good and the rum sauce nice and hard.

Very much a place to take my next celebratory meal.

Superior Grill

2011-04-15T19:11:00.000-07:00

Fabulous Mexican dining is what Superior Grill claims to serve and they certainly lived up to that with tonight's meal. We started with the chili con queso--very smooth and with just enough spice to make the Margarita's and Dos Equis taste even better. I followed that with Sizzling Shrimp Brochetas – mesquite grilled jumbo shrimp stuffed with poblano pepper and cheese wrapped in bacon. Bacon and shrimp is a truly delicious combination. My Dad had the Juarez fajitas (mix of grilled beef and chicken) while Mom had pulled pork quesadillas. Everything was delicious, including the refried beans.

I will very much be returning there in the near future.

M's Coffee and Cafe

2011-04-13T19:27:00.000-07:00

Right across from Plaza D'Italia at the corner of Commerce and Lafayette is M's Coffee and Cafe. They offer a wide array of po-boys and panini sandwiches for lunch, many right around $5. I had the pulled pork po-boy. Despite the bottled BBQ sauce, the meat was plentiful and well flavored. If you're in the Warehouse District around lunch time and are just looking for simple cafe fare at a good price, definitely consider stopping here.

Also, consider stopping at Plaza D'Italia before, after or to enjoy your lunch. For most of the year (excluding St. Joseph's day-March 19th) you will have the park to yourself.

Easy & Foolproof Hollandaise Sauce

2011-04-02T10:31:00.000-07:00

You want to impress the heck out of folks? Use this Hollandaise sauce recipe. It is quick and easy and totally delicious.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional

1. In a small saucepan, heat butter until melted and bubbling, but don't let it brown.

2. Warm the bowl of a blender by filling with hot tap water and then draining and drying it.

3. Working quickly, blend egg yolks, lemon juice, salt, and cayenne pepper together until the mixture turns light yellow, about 30 seconds.

4. With the blender running, start adding hot butter at no more than a trickle, until sauce starts spattering in the blender, indicating that an emulsion has formed.

5. Continue trickling butter at a slightly faster rate, pausing briefly every 5 seconds or so, until incorporated.

6. The mixture will thicken considerably.

7. Scrape down the walls of the blender bowl and blend 5 seconds longer; cover.

8. Serve immediately, or keep sauce warm by immersing the covered blender bowl in warm water or pouring sauce into a warmed thermos.

Wolf Bay Lodge

2011-04-01T12:19:00.000-07:00

Went out to lunch with my folks today at the newly reopened Wolf Bay Lodge on County Road 20 in Foley, Alabama. The space is lighter, bigger and much, much cleaner. What is the best news is that their fried shrimp is still some of the best I've ever eaten and both their cocktail sauce recipe and the way they are making their french fries are way better than their old version.

Lakeview Harbor

2011-03-18T14:29:00.000-07:00

Way up where Harrison runs into City Park is the hole in the wall burger joint, Lakeview Harbor. The burgers are said to be as good as Port O Call but without having to stress for parking or the wait in line. The burgers aren't bad--good sized with a nice fire charred flavor but I still prefer the meat and atmosphere at PoC. I actually got one of their filet sandwiches and the meat was nice and tender and cooked to perfection. The salads are iceberg lettuce and the drinks are nice and strong, so I will probably go again when I'm in the area but I won't make a special trip.

13 Bar and Restaurant

2011-03-14T14:34:00.001-07:00

13 on Frenchman is the perfect place to go for good bar food and a well stocked bar. It is the week of St. Patrick's and I decided to support the Irish and fill the craving for pizza that I've been enduring for the past few days. It is just down the street from where I was volunteering, so I ordered one of their personal 10" pizzas for pickup. Thin crust, peppery sauce, lots of cheese and made in less than 15 minutes--it totally hit the spot.

5 Fifty 5

2011-03-10T14:07:00.000-08:00

Back in the bad ole days, restaurants located in hotels (even high end hotels) were less than stellar. While they might have an excellent selection at the bar, the food was never up to the sort of standards that a stand alone restaurant with a top notch chef could bring. Wonderfully, those days are far, far behind us now.

In the Marriott hotel on Canal is 5 Fifty 5 which is casual dinning and comfort food. Well, I don't recall my Mom ever putting lobster in her Mac and Cheese but, now that I've tasted Executive Chef Mark Quitney's version, I sure wish she had! My dining companion had the winter greens salad with shredded chicken and ginger/orange vinaigrette which she claimed was delicious and I have to take her word for it.

The service was fast and unobtrusive. Food came quickly and the iced tea was replenished regularly. We arrived at 1pm for lunch and, even though the place closed at 2:00, they let us keep the table so we could finish conducting our business (we were there alone until almost 3pm).

Mojitos

2011-02-04T17:53:00.000-08:00

Taking over the old Tomatillo's space at Esplande/Frenchman is Mojitos. The margarita was a great way to start the evening. I'm hoping they expand their menu but the Caribbean styled pork tenderloin with pineapple rice was quite tasty as was the vegetable pasta. Okay, for honesty's sake I didn't actually taste the veggies but the pasta and sauce were very good and had a little kick.

The executive chef came out after our meal to chat (we were the only diners on a Thursday night). She mentioned that they are in the process of not only reworking the menu but updating the patio space and will be having Freddy Omar on Friday nights. I'll have to give them another chance soon.

Port of Call

2011-01-17T14:53:00.000-08:00

If you want the best burger in the city, you need to find your way to the edge of the French Quarter. On Esplanade Avenue at Dauphine you will find the Tiki inspired decor of Port of Call. They don't serve french fries with the burgers, so don't ask. You get a baked potato that you can load up with all sorts of goodies and a burger cooked to your specification. I usually get the cheeseburger that comes with a huge pile of cheddar cheese. Dripping with meaty goodness (as I order mine medium rare), you quickly taste why Zagats and Gambit agree that it the best burger.

Be sure you walk to the end of the bar to get seated or you can eat fast at the bar. The wait staff are very friendly and quick with service, refills and extra napkins.

Fellini's New Orleans

2011-01-15T05:41:00.000-08:00

Located just steps from City Park on Carrolton is Fellini's Cafe. Billed as offering Mediterranean inspired dishes, the place is usually pretty full at lunch time. I went there to eat with four other people and I've never been around wait staff better able to avoid eye contact than the group working on Friday. It took them more than 10 minutes to get an emptied tabled cleaned and wiped down so we could sit in a place that was only 2/3 full.

Once that little incident was behind us the afternoon improved. My Bloody Mary was small but potent and the plate of hummus was generous enough for all five of us to enjoy. I had the portabella mushroom sandwich on foccacia and was a little disappointed by the small slices of mushroom. The feta cheese and sun dried tomato mayo quite overpowered the tiny amount of mushroom. The fries were great though--plank style with Cajun seasoning. I also tried the crab and corn soup and it was richly flavored with large pieces of crab. The woman who got the roasted eggplant sandwich said it was delicious.

All in all, it certainly wasn't a terrible meal so much as a bit disappointing for the price. I will probably return when it warms up to sit outside and watch the streetcars go by but I won't necessarily go back for the food.

SoFAB wants menus!

2011-01-14T06:44:00.000-08:00

The Southern Food and Beverage Museum is a nonprofit living history organization dedicated to the discovery, understanding and celebration of the food, drink and the related culture of the South.

Here at SoFAB, we have a special project that has been a part of our mission since before we even had a museum: we collect menus. We have menus from Galatoire's back when they had a men's cigar room, menus from the first Tex-Mex restaurant in Houston, menus from the Chinese restaurants in South Carolina, and menus chronicling the suffering of restaurants right after the oil spill this summer. We believe that menus help paint a picture of the culinary landscape of a place, indicating what food people ate, how they describe it, and who eats it.

We need your help to keep our collection growing, so we're asking for menus from restaurants in the South, Southern restaurants outside the American South, from the past and from the present. We'll reward the person that sends in the most menus from now until January 28 with a wonderful and informative cookbook from Anne Butler. Join us on Facebook to qualify!

Whoever sends us the most menus by the end of the month will receive a free cookbook. The contest rules are:

- You must be a fan of the Southern Food and Beverage Museum on Facebook.

- You must send menus to us postmarked no later than January 28th.

Along with your name and mailing address, please send any submissions to:

Southern Food and Beverage Museum
500 Port of Orleans Place, Suite 169
New Orleans, LA 70130

The winner will be announced on Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011.

Lil' Dizzy's Cafe

2011-01-13T07:35:00.001-08:00

I had a morning conference meeting and we decided to head over to Lil' Dizzy's Cafe on Poydras. The cafe is located in the old Whitney bank building and we had enough people to use their vault room for our meeting. The glass table rests on two old safes and the walls are thick enough for your group to occasionally get raucous. I always worry when I take a table out of the way that the server will forget about me but the staff was quick to check back in and offer topping up of the coffee and water and getting the food to us very quickly.

The breakfast portions are good sizes with lots of extra bread and jelly to go with the delicious omelette's. I had heard the biscuits weren't too good, so I skipped them but the bacon was thick, the home style potatoes had a Cajun flavor and the eggs were light and fluffy. One of the diners was moaning over how good the grits were but wouldn't share so I can't report personal experience with them.

Everyone was friendly and the decor is amazing--imagine a diner dropped into an ornate bank lobby. I'm definitely going to have to head back there for lunch and see if their down home good cookin' is as good at that meal as it was for breakfast.

Mona's Cafe

2011-01-12T17:00:00.000-08:00

Mona's Cafe is a great corporate citizen and I have called on them several times for food donations for local events for my nonprofit clients. It is also a place I take vegetarians to change up their palate after they've been enduring what passes as meat free meals at some of our better known local restaurants.

Yesterday, I stopped by for a late lunch. Starting with the lentil soup that was peppery and smooth, followed by a snack of pita and hummus and ended with a Chicken Shawarma wrap. The flavor combinations were just what I craved on a cold afternoon.

A bonus to going to them on Frenchman street is the attached grocery store. The perfect place to grab rose water, red lentils or if you want to get charcoal for your samovar or stuff for your hookah.

New Orleans Hamburger & Seafood Company

2010-12-19T13:08:00.000-08:00

At St. Charles and Milan, Cannon's has been replaced with a local chain. The New Orleans Hamburger and Seafood Company has opened up its first New Orleans location and they've done a good job. The interior is quirky with interesting chandeliers and artwork on the walls that don't have humongous televisions. The food is a mix of typical Nawlins fare plus the burgers and seafood of the name. It also doesn't hurt that the establishment is within walking distance of my house.

Last week I had their beignets--they have an attached cafe called New Orleans Coffee and Beignet Co. They were very good and sure beat having to fight for a parking space in the French Quarter. I love that they put a shaker of powdered sugar on the table, as if the mountain on the plate isn't enough.

The burgers are juicy and delicious and the roast beef poboy took 12 napkins, making it pretty high on the scale of deliciousness. The garlic aioli on the french fries was killer.

I got in there with some friends before noon and the place was empty when we ordered. By the time our meal was done and the Saints pregame show started, the place was packed.

The staff was friendly and attentive and I will definitely head back there for another meal (or six).

Stanley's Restaurant

2010-12-15T06:55:00.000-08:00

Located right on Jackson Square is the companion establishment to Stella! Stanley serves breakfast and brunch all day with an old fashioned soda fountain bar to enjoy home made ice cream year round. The location is perfect for people watching and the food is pure comfort but with enough personality to raise their profile up a notch.

For breakfast, I had the poached egg poboy with creole hollandaise and canadian bacon. It could have used another slice or two of meat as they were sliced very thin but the flavors melded together terrifically. The Eggs Stanley with fried oysters was yummy and I loved the homestyle potatoes with creole seasoning on the Corned Beef Hash.

The coffee drinks were brewed to perfection so the meal was a hit on all levels. Be advised that it's location makes the meal expensive but as a treat on the last day that my friends were in town, it was a perfect way to end their magical time in the Crescent.

Napoleon House

2010-12-14T10:57:00.000-08:00

During the spring and summer months, whenever I'm in the French Quarter, I usually stop by Napoleon House for a drink. Their Pimm's Cup is incredibly refreshing and the ambiance of this 200 year old building has always been worth the stop after a day of working, shopping, or touring. I have got to tell you, though, that the drink doesn't have quite the same impact when it is under 40 degrees outside! Brrr!

It was lunch time and my dining companion had their toasted mufaletto. Because of the cold weather, the melted cheese was a nice variation but there is too much pepperoncini in their olive salad for my taste. I had the red beans and rice and my meal was remarkably flavorless. Who even knew that was possible? While I've had decent food there in the past, it is their famous drink that keeps this place on my regular visit list.

Casamento's

2010-12-11T17:54:00.000-08:00

If you like oysters, Casamento's Restaurant is a must stop. Whether it is for a dozen raw or in their famous oyster loaf sandwich (overfilled and served on Texas toast), the flavor is top notch.

If you're not such a fan of kissing the ocean on the lips,* then they also do a great job on all the shrimp dishes. The calamari is very good, the homemade fries tasty and the tartar sauce nice and tangy. While the ambiance is in keeping with a place that hasn't changed much since opening in 1919, the staff is friendly and the food delicious enough that you don't care one whit.

*"To eat an oyster is to kiss the ocean on the lips." Leonard Beck

Parkway Bakery

2010-12-02T17:22:00.000-08:00

Located in Bayou St. John, this corner icon was recently on Food Network's Food Feuds for their roast beef po-boy. Parkway Bakery and Tavern features a number of regular and jumbo sizes of the Crescent City's favorite sandwiches, plus they've got the bar up front when you want to wet your whistle.

The group I was with ordered a variety of po-boys--all of which were piled high with fillings. Among us, we had the roast beef & gravy, meatball & marinara, Reuben and fried shrimp po-boys. My roast beef took 16 napkins--a sign of just how good it was (a true po-boy connoisseur figures deliciousness is proportional to the mess). The sweet potato fries were excellent and the regular fries were pretty good, too. Two bottles of Barq's root beer washed everything down with perfection.

Mandina's Restaurant

2010-11-15T05:18:00.000-08:00

After a long fundraising strategy session, I went out to an early dinner at Mandina's Restaurant. Offering Creole/Italian, the place was noisy and busy on a Sunday afternoon but the Bloody Mary's were good and we were fine at the bar until our table was ready.

While it has been a while since I've seen an iceberg lettuce salad, the blue cheese dressing on it was delicious. We ordered the veal parmesan with spaghetti, grilled shrimp with pasta bordelaise and fried shrimp with french fries. This place serves huge portions. Any one of the meals could have fed all three of us. The veal was terrific and the garlic sauce on the grilled shrimp was powerful without being overpowering. The fried shrimp were good and filling. By the time dinner was over, we had no room for the bread pudding (which was good because it wasn't particularly good--I'm not a fan of raisins, so the layer of them didn't help the odd concoction).

The waitstaff was fast as they danced around the crowded tables. Our particular server's joking about removing the evidence of all the empty beer bottles endeared him to my Mom and his quick refilling of my iced tea kept me happy as I unwound from my day.

LA Renaissance Festival & Middendorf's

2010-11-14T16:14:00.000-08:00

The Louisiana Renaissance Festival is where the redneck nerds go to have fun. The village of Albright has about 100 venders, lots of games for the younger kids, craft exhibitions, comedy and music acts. We saw some jesters roaming, the herald delivering news and Queen Elizabeth's procession through the town. We watched the glassblower and admired the birds of prey. Covering almost 10 acres (surrounding a lake), bring comfortable walking shoes and a good attitude and you'll get back the ticket price in pure entertainment value.

The food we nibbled on included turkey legs, jester chips, cotton candy, and we quaffed some truly great root beer.

The Ren Fest is up in Hammond so we came back to New Orleans by way of Middendorf's and enjoyed the best fried catfish on the planet. The place was packed at 3pm on a Saturday but they had us in and served quickly. That stop made two new believers in the amazingness of their catfish.

Mondo

2010-11-05T13:54:00.000-07:00

Susan Spicer is an icon of the New Orleans cooking renaissance. Her new restaurant, Mondo, opened recently in the recovering Lakeview area.

This restaurant is best described as casual dining with an eclectic variety of food. The fried eggplant appetizer was perfection--well fried and almost smooth as butter inside. I had the most unique po-boy ever--fried shrimp with an asian flavor. The slaw of the dressing was crisp and the flavors melded together beautifully. The burgers of my dining companions were well cooked but a little heavily seasoned with salt--nothing bad until you add in salted fries and a salted margarita and then it was a bit of overkill. I had a bite of the chicken salad and it was very delicious. I ended the meal with the double chocolate cake and loved the hint of cinnamon.

The waitstaff were attentive and quick with refills. Best of all, they let us linger over our meal well after most of the rest of the place had emptied out.

I'm looking forward to trying her new cookbook:

Superior Grill

2010-11-04T18:43:00.000-07:00

On St. Charles, just a few blocks from my house is a Mexican restaurant by the name of Superior Grill. With half price drink specials and al la carte menu items, the place is filled with a young crowd from the nearby universities. Those drinks are strong and good and the food is tasty and delivered fast (although not entirely correct--I never got my rice and beans and one of my dining companions ordered the two taco special and ended up with a 3 taco dinner).

Capdeville New Orleans

2010-10-26T13:09:00.000-07:00

Capdeville New Orleans is on the single block of Capdeville Street down from Lafayette Square. It is a blocked out interior space that allows for groups to have semi-privacy and conduct lunch and dinner meetings with ease. The staff is quite used to the practice and our table of nine folks organizing a New Orleans version of "It Gets Better" didn't cause a stir, even after we held a 45 minute meeting before placing an order.

The food is interesting twists on American classics. Burgers, fries, wraps and a super delicious truffled mac and cheese that I enjoyed. I'd never had Poutine Fries before (french fries drenched in au poivre sauce and mozzarella cheese curd) but I'm sure going to be ordering them again. Sinfully good.

The bar is quite extensive, although none of us took advantage. I'll have to make another trip to try their Pimm's Cup.

Shrimp Basket

2010-10-12T15:31:00.000-07:00

My Mom and I went out for more fried food today. This time, we went to the Shrimp Basket in Foley, AL. It is a small chain but the food comes to the table hot and fresh.

We started with corn fritters--hot and sweet and I totally wanted more. Very delicious. The fried shrimp were well seasoned although the cocktail sauce was weak at best. I had the server give me half sweet tea and half unsweetened but it was still so sweet it made my teeth hurt.

Lulu's at Homeport Marina

2010-10-11T13:18:00.000-07:00

I went out with my Mom to Lulu's at Homeport Marina. This restaurant is owned by Jimmy Buffet's sister and is very much as laid back as her brother's music.

We had a fried food extravaganza--starting with fried onion ring and fried green tomatoes then moving to fried shrimp with french fries and jalapeno hush puppies. The batter used was great and the Wow sauce was quite good (sortof like a white remoulade).

My Cadillac margarita was very strong and smooth and the server was quick to bring out ice cold Bud's every time Mom got close to the bottom of her bottles.

I was tempted by her new cookbook but there are a lot more reminiscences than recipes. I can always go back next time and grab one if I change my mind.

New Orleans Seafood Festival

2010-09-11T09:19:00.000-07:00

BP couldn't stop us from eating! It is time for the 4th Annual New Orleans Seafood Festival and, despite the spill, the lineup is diverse and delicious. It literally fills Lafayette Square and, best of all, is free! Add in the music from Rebirth Brass Band and Kermit Ruffins and you've got a great weekend of food and fun.

The big message this year is that Louisiana seafood is safe and healthy to eat. There are over twenty booths from some of the best local restaurants, including Acme Oyster House, Remoulade, Café Giovanni, Drago's, Galatoire's, Serrano's, Oceana Restaurant, Salt Water Grill, Broussards, Luke, and Mr. B's Bistro. Oh, and did I mention the chefs doing demonstrations throughout the day? Yummy!

Butch Cookbook Now Available as an eBook!

2010-08-12T14:28:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to report that L-Book has now put the Butch Cookbook on sale for the low, low price of $7.00 as an ebook in lots of formats! I've got three recipes in this book as do several of my friends. It is a funny, touching and informative book with some darn fine chow inside.

Follow this link to L-Book's online store!

Dig my author photo:

Guest Blogging

2010-08-06T17:59:00.000-07:00

Hey, I am the guest blogger over at mizchef on a subject that's near and dear to my heart - Grits!

Go read, enjoy, and consume some today!

The Butch Cookbook Update

2010-07-23T06:05:00.000-07:00

From Sue Hardesty:

Our cookbook goes to the movies. Appearing in The Perfect Family motion picture, the butch cook book has a cameo scene when the mother (Kathleen Turner) picks up the butch cook book and looks at her pregnant lesbian daughter (Emily Deschanel) for an explanation. The movie is due out this winter. Don’t miss it!

The cookbook is also in a contest. The Huffington Post is running a great contest posted by Rebecca Marx who writes Village Voice’s “Fork In The Road” food blog. We think one of these is way better than the rest -- the butch cook book. Join in the fun and see if you agree. Vote by clicking on the Huffington Post website: Cookbooks You Didn't Know Existed.

1. The slide of the butch cook book should appear (cookbook #4). Vote number 10 (amazing) above the butch cook book slide on the right side of the screen.
2. If you would like to send your top five favorites to your friends, click on Choose Your Top Five Slides.
3. When this screen opens, drag your choices to the open frames.
4. When you have selected your five favorites, click on share.

Please remind all your friends who wish to purchase the butch cook book, the website is www.thebutchcookbook.com Also the butch cook book is on L-Book in Paperback, Audio mp3 and five eBook formats. Or contact us at 541-265-4516

P.S. Free with every purchase of the butch cook book: "The Femme Cook Booklet" has more great recipes from a baker's dozen of your favorite writers and femme partners of butches who appear in the butch cook book. Enjoy great chili from Katherine Forrest, or easy-to-make bread from Ann Bannon. Or fun drinks described by Ellen Hart and Karin Kallmaker. All in all, a great continuation of the butch cook book.

The Marigny Brasserie

2010-07-22T08:33:00.000-07:00

After a meeting at the LGBT Community Center, I decided to stay in the Faubourg Marigny for dinner. On Frenchman is the Marigny Brasserie. Every time I go there, I am wowed by the meal and service. This visit was no exception.

We started with a Pimms Cup and it was wonderfully refreshing. I had the pork grillades and grits with collard greens. Instead of the usual large hunks of meat, they used pulled pork. The grits were nice and creamy and were a nice counterpoint to the spicy meat. I'm not much of greens fan but these were better than edible. My dining companion had a veal with summer vegetables that was the night's special. Amazingly enough, every item from the meat to the squash to the rest of the veggies were cooked perfectly (nothing limp and soggy).

We ended the meal with a chocolate torte with blueberries. Dense and delicious.

The waitress was funny and helpful and was quick to provide refills without interrupting our conversation.

I very heartily recommend stopping by for lunch or dinner.

Pascale's Manale

2010-07-21T04:51:00.000-07:00

Within walking distance of my house is a fabulous place that serves 'the original bbq shrimp.' I don't know whether that's accurate or not, I just know that what they serve at Pascale's Manale is incredible.

I started with the turtle soup and my dining companion with the gumbo. Both full bodied with lots of meat. We then had the BBQ shrimp with a nice bottle of Sauvingon Blanc. You get a bib to keep the mess off, as you have to dehead and peel the shrimp before consuming but the flavor of the sauce is incredible. We used lots of the fresh bread for dunking so not a drop was wasted.

We ended with their bread pudding. It isn't heavy like a lot of them and the rum butter sauce was a lovely addition.

The service is also top notch with staff that are attentive without being obtrusive. Water, tea, bread are quickly refilled and replaced, wine topped off, plates of shrimp shells whisked away as they become full.

If you're looking for a taste of New Orleans in food and service that doesn't break the bank, this is the place to go. It is just a plus for me that I can walk home after the meal.

Stanley Restaurant

2010-07-20T20:10:00.000-07:00

On the corner of Jackson Square is Stanley Restaurant where La Madeleine used to be. It is a good place to people watch and to eat one of the best breakfasts in the Quarter. We got there closer to lunchtime but that didn't stop me from ordering breakfast.

I had the Bananas Foster French Toast and, other than the bananas just being sliced over the dish and not flambe'd in brown sugar, it was delicious. The French Toast was both crispy and soft and the added scoop of ice cream was a nice counterpoint.

My lunch companion had the lump crab po-boy and ended up eating the second half without the bread. She really enjoyed the slaw and the flavor of the crab.

Definitely a nice place to stop in after a night of partying and when you want something more than beignets to start the day.

Bywater BBQ

2010-07-16T15:05:00.000-07:00

So the first thing I learned when checking this place out is to not order the barbeque at Bywater BBQ. I read that on two blogs and heard it from a good friend and could tell by my nose when there was no smell of smoke outside or inside the place. I can also say, from personal experience, not to order the catfish special either. The fries that came with it were limp and virtually tasteless. The sauce and breading on the catfish were equally bland. The only good thing I had was the praline ice cream from New Orleans Ice Cream company.

Meauxbar Bistro

2010-07-15T18:33:00.000-07:00

I went out with a group of friends today for Dining Out for Life. This year had 67 restaurants in the Greater New Orleans area that donated 25% of the day's proceeds to the NO/AIDS Taskforce.

We went to Meauxbar Bistro and it was a very good choice. A small place with an incredibly diverse menu. I had the gazpacho to start and it was one of the best I've ever had--perfectly seasoned and a lovely consistency. I followed that up with their version of Mac and Cheese--Gruyere cheese, truffle oil and a major yum. I exchanged bites of mine with my friends to enjoy the Drum cooked in parchment with curry and coconut milk and the rabbit fricassee. Both were very good with well balanced flavors. I ended the meal with their lemon tart and it was refreshing and delicious.

I definitely would recommend a trip to this bistro. The waitstaff was well informed and attentive, the cocktails were generous, the menu was diverse and the food marvelous.

Boucherie

2010-06-29T20:24:00.000-07:00

I went with a friend to Boucherie tonight. From the refreshing Pimms cup that started the evening to the bacon brownie that ended it, it was a terrific night out. They began our evening by serving an amuse bouche that was cold noodles and a little spicy heat (I'm ignoring the tofu in it). Not too bad. Our small plates were the blackened shrimp and grit cake and the grit fries with collard greens. I generally avoid greens but these, with or without the house made vinegar, were mighty tasty.

Main courses were duck breast with duck cracklings and smokey black eyed peas and wagyu beef brisket with garliky parmesan french fries. Yummy. The meats were perfectly done and could be cut with a fork.

We ended with the chili chocolate chess pie and the aforementioned bacon brownie. Lots of warmth with the pie and the bacon was well integrated with the brownie for a smoothy salty/smokey flavor in every bite.

I'd definitely make plans to eat here. Their contemporary Southern cuisine is simply delicious.

Crescent Pie and Sausage

2010-06-18T17:58:00.000-07:00

I had lunch today with LPO (Lesbians Plus One), a small group of women that I met through my activism with the Forum for Equality. We get together as regularly as we can for lunches at various spots around the city and talk about life, politics and anything else under the sun.

This time we went to Crescent Pie and Sausage. This small, Mid City restaurant is next door to Huevos and is owned by the same guys. They make their own sausage and Ricotta and even potato chips.

We started with the sample of one of their sausages--chorizo--that was quite tasty but a little salty. One person got the BLT pizza (roasted tomatos, bacon, spinach pesto, and cheddar) and it was absolutely amazing. It is true what they say about bacon making everything better, even pizza. Another got some of the meat pies. I only tasted the crawfish but it was quite good, with lots of meat and a flaky crust. I didn't get a taste of the Panzanella Salad but the one who ordered it was a member of the clean plate club. I had the bratwurst sandwich with pickled cabbage. I liked every bit of it, including the mustard and parmesan potato chips. Next time, I'll have to save room for a root beer float.

At about $22 per person it is a little pricey for lunch everyday but the portions are large and delicious. If you go, plan on standing outside and breathe in the air from the hickory smoker and be patient with the single waitress working the floor. It is worth the time.

Eats in Orlando

2010-06-08T14:06:00.000-07:00

I spent the last week in Orlando at a conference with Golden Crown Literary Society. Unfortunately, while the conference was great, I didn't get much of a chance to eat away from the hotel.

Andiamo Italian Bistro had incredibly large portions and prices to match. The calamari was exceptional but the sauces were a little bland. My Lemon Piccata Chicken with fettuccine was very good. My Mom got the Shrimp Fra Diavolo with Angel Hair Pasta and it was very tasty but too big for either of us to finish.

Benihana Steakhouse and Sushi does put on quite a dinner and a show. We had dinner after the Board meeting here and the pomegranate margarita was tasty, the edamame salty, and my shrimp and steak was cooked perfectly. The rainbow sherbet at the end was a lovely palate cleanser.

Chevy's is a chain but, boy oh boy can they make a mean margarita. Their guacamole is fabulous as well. Of course, after pigging out on chips and drinks, it was hard to finish my fajitas. Mom had the same trouble with her tacos but we were both feeling no pain, so it was ALL good!

Rain forest Cafe is amusement park eats. The animatronic creatures, rain fall and numerous aquariums helped take one's mind off the food which wasn't very memorable anyway. I had a steak and shrimp plate and the shrimp were with pure white, farm raised flavorless varieties made worse by the weak garlic butter sauce. The garlic mashed potatoes were good as was the volcano brownie dessert that served 4.

Chick-fil-a makes a great chicken sandwich. Those two pickles are crucial and, add a lemonade, and you've got one of the best fast food lunches on the planet.

Joey K's Restaurant

2010-05-27T05:47:00.001-07:00

There is a funky little place on Magazine Street that is perfect for a casual meal and people watching. Joey K's Restaurant even made it into Diners, Drive ins and Dives. They have daily specials of comfort food and they live up to the review that gives them a high ratio of deliciousness to surroundings.

The last time I was there I had the red beans that were well flavored and plentiful. This time I had the fried shrimp plate and they were lightly breaded and slightly spicy. The tartar sauce was homemade and perfectly tangy. The salad that came with it was all iceberg lettuce. The staff are quick on the refills of drinks.

Jacques-Imo's Cafe

2010-05-16T05:16:00.000-07:00

Jacques-Imo's has some of my favorite food in the city but I rarely go because the wait time is so long. On a Thursday night, the wait time for a party of four was an hour and half. Trust me that Friday and Saturday are worse. I really don't understand the refusal of many New Orleans restaurants to take reservations.

The bartender does pour strong drinks, so the crowd waiting on the sidewalk can get a little raucous but people watching does help to pass the time. Jack himself wanders around outside with a large go cup of his drink and chats up the pretty girls and gets his picture taken with many of the visitors.

We started with the shrimp and fried green tomatoes. The coating was excellent and the tomatoes were perfectly tart. The shrimp still had its head and tail on and presented a conundrum for my guests. I did the dirty work of deheading and have to admit I licked my fingers. I had the smothered chicken. Good flavor and lots of gravy but the biscuit was very dense. The group I was with had the salmon, grouper and crabcakes. Everything was cooked to perfection and in such large portions that we all took something home.

I definitely would come here more often if I could make reservations. Instead, I will come only when I've got guests who want a good New Orleans experience and who don't mind standing on the street for a table to become available.

Oceana Grill

2010-05-15T15:15:00.000-07:00

Oceana Grill on Conti Street in the French Quarter is a nice little place for a quick meal. Close to a number of hotels, the waitstaff is quick to offer help to hapless tourists trying to make decisions between Creole and Cajun and help our city earn our reputation as a friendly place to visit and live.

I was there for breakfast during the Saints and Sinners Literary Festival. I had the biscuits and gravy. It came in a large bowl with a spoon to help collect all the gravy and the sausage was nice and spicy. The omelette ordered by one of my dining companions was huge--this thing filled the plate and came with a big biscuit, too. The BLT ordered by another came on buttered bread and was perfect food for her post hangover stomach.

Houstons

2010-05-14T15:06:00.000-07:00

I had lunch with Kenny at Houton's Restaurant on St. Charles Avenue today. We started with the spinach dip and I had the French Dip Au Jus made with perfectly cooked prime rib. Delicious! Kenny had the chicken salad and it was a huge bowl with a generous amount of grilled chicken. The waitstaff was attentive and quick with refills. All in all a great lunch.

Crabby Jacks

2010-05-13T13:49:00.000-07:00

Located just over the line into Jefferson Parish, next to the Louisiana Seafood Company is Crabby Jacks. Serving some of the best po-boys in town, the place is best visited a little before or a little after lunch time. Most of the seating is communal and, if you are lucky, like we were today, your tablemates might share some of their sweet potato chips with you. The walls are covered with Dr. Bob's "Be Nice or Leave" art and that sets the tone for the place.

I had the slow roasted duck po-boy--very flavorful duck made for a delicious mess. Nine napkins! My companions enjoyed the fried shrimp po-boy that was so piled high of perfectly cooked shrimp that the other half is another meal.

Ernst Cafe

2010-04-30T05:35:00.001-07:00

Several folks from the office had lunch from Ernst Cafe the other day. They've got good fried food--shrimp and chicken. I had the Big Fat Chicken Sandwich (fried, although they will make it grilled). Very flavorful, with a nice bite to the coating and a super generous portion of fries. I had a taste of the chicken wrap (they let you choose your own dressing--cesar, ranch, etc) and it was very good. The fried shrimp come in a generous portion both on the platter and in the poboy.

We got our order to go but I love the old tin ceiling and they have a upstairs with balcony which is great when there is live music across the street.

Rotolo's Pizzeria

2010-04-24T11:53:00.000-07:00

I took a break from work the other day to go up to the Rotolo's Pizzeria on Rampart street with a couple of Forum For Equality Board members and the new Managing Director (she's replacing me). This was my first time at this Louisiana chain--they're mainly in the Baton Rouge area but they're expanding into the Greater New Orleans area.

Billed as the "Official Pizza of the New Orleans Saints," our large pizza was loaded with fresh ingredients--we had pepperoni, onions, mushrooms and extra cheese on our pie. The onion slices were large so you got more of an onion taste than the specks of diced onion some chains try to pass off to their customers. The pizza crust was nice and chewy and it stood up to the toppings. The rest of the diners enjoyed the Cesar salad and the BBQ chicken wrap was big in size and flavor.

This place was great for lunch service as the pizza was delivered quickly to the table. The service was excellent upstairs with fast refills on the drinks.

Lucy's Retired Surfers Bar and Restaurant

2010-04-21T05:17:00.000-07:00

A block from my office is Lucy's Retired Surfers Bar and Restaurant. You might have seen the place on YouTube when Drew Brees was teaching the crowd his pre-game motivational chant or when Scott Fujita had his going away party. In any event, it isn't just a football bar. Its a good place to hang after work and to eat during the day. Friday nights sees the party spill onto the sidewalks but they usually have a grill or crawfish boiling going on outside to handle the crowd.

The lunch menu is filled with a wild mix of California/Baja favorites and local flavor. The Juicy burger is big and loaded, there are a ton of sprouts on the Turkey burger and the Shrimp poboy definitely doesn't skimp on the shrimp.

The drink menu is fun with a free shark for those bold enough to order the Shark Attack and lots of tequila and rum varieties.

Captain's Choice

2010-04-17T11:17:00.001-07:00

At the bowling alley in Foley, Alabama (behind the outlet mall) is a great place to get a burger and fried food. I've always enjoyed that aspect of bowling, I mean, what other sport encourages you to eat and drink while playing?

At the Captain's Choice on Juniper, the seafood selection is good (including the usual fried shrimp, oysters, grouper, etc) and the jalapeno peppers are stuffed with crabmeat. The burgers are some of the best around, although my sisters selection of a trash burger (cheese, fried onions, bacon, mushrooms, lettuce, tomato) was a little too big for even my mouth. I think they make their own tarter sauce because it was sure better than what you get out of a bottle and the ranch dipping sauce was thick and rich to go with my order of fried mushrooms and fried pickles. The gumbo is pretty tasty, too.