~ Notes from a New Orleans Foodie... in exile ~
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by Kevin Lacassin, a.k.a. "UptownKevin"

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A New Orleans foodie and a product of hurricane Katrina, I'm living in South Tampa - exploring a new city and it's culture and always on the prowl for a good meal.  A natural disaster changed my state of residence and you can take me out of New Orleans, but you can't take the New Orleans out of me.
 
This is my resource for all things New Orleans: food recipes, culture and history.  In addition, you can find my original recipes and a log of my cooking adventures.  My writing here is unedited and uncut... I don't outline or plan what I type on the page.... consider it a diary of dining and cooking.
 
For writing about dining in Tampa, check out TampaBayEats, creating excitement about food in Tampa Bay... one meal at a time. 

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Happy Valentine's Day! What Are You Cooking?
Valentine's day is the most over-commercialized excuse for a holiday in existence and I despise it.  Regardless, I will be doing something special tonight.  I have rules against dining out on Valentine's day, so cooking it will be.  At the request of my fiancee (wife in about 6 weeks), I will be cooking:
 
Pan-Roasted Pork Tenderloin, with Brandy-Mushroom Cream Sauce, Herbed Polenta and Fresh Wilted Spinach
 
paired with Pinot Noir
 
Let me know if you'd like the recipe, it's easy and it is dyn-o-mite!  What will you be creating tonight?
 
 
7:10 am | link

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Begin Your Food Education
I was reading a local Tampa food blog this morning and came across a request by the author for suggestions about books to help him increase his food knowledge.  Unfortunately, I believe food knowlege is something that can't be learned instantly, but rather over a period of time that includes reading, cooking, tasting and experiencing. 
 
That being said, I believe there are five books for every beginner that are essential to help build a solid foundation.  Sure, there are plenty of cookbooks and how-to books out there, but in my short time I have found that these five are easy to read and contain relevant information without all of the fluff.  But don't take my word for it, check them out yourself.
 
Kevin's list of essential books about food and cooking (in no particular order):
 
- Culinary Artistry, by Dornenburg and Page
- I'm Just Here For the Food, by Alton Brown
- How To Cook Everything, by Mark Bittman
- Cooking For Dummies
- What To Drink With What You Eat, by Dornenburg and Page
 
8:37 am | link

Saturday, November 3, 2007

"The Turducken"
When cooked properly, the duck, the chicken and the turkey are all fantastic on their own. If you put them all together, you'll end up with a Turducken.

I've never really been one for food fads.  I am not a fan of molecular gastronomy, avocado foam or oxygen bars, so I've always done my best to avoid a Louisiana food "creation" called the turducken.  If you've never heard of it before, you're probably living in a cave, but I'll explain. It's a turkey, stuffed with a chicken, stuffed with a duck, stuffed with, well... stuffing.  The coolest part of the whole creation is that each of the birds is de-boned!
 
Just a couple of weeks ago I gathered a few friends to act as my ginea pigs for my first turducken.  Although there are recipes out there and "how-to" videos on making a turducken, I took the easy (and intelligent) way out and procured mine already prepared from CajunGrocer.com.  It showed up frozen solid, in a foam ice chest packed with dry ice, though all of the dry ice had evaporated by the time mine arrived.  I have to admit, the toughest part of the process is conquering the unknown.  Since I had never cooked one before, I had no idea what to expect.  The defrosting process was the most daunting, but I did so by leaving it on the counter for a full day, then placing it back in the refrigerator for another day.  By day three, the bird(s) were ready to be cooked.  I wasn't sure how many people it would take to eat a single turducken.  Although the total weight was around 16 pounds, there were no bones to weigh it down.  I'll tell you right now, 16 pounds of meat is a LOT! 

Even though it was my first time, the cooking part was easy enough for a third-grader.  I cut it open, placed it in a roasting pan, covered with aluminum foil and put it in the oven for four hours.  Then I uncovered it and cooked it for an additional hour.  Yep.  That's it.  Believe me, it is really that easy.  Carving the finished product was also a brease, since there were no bones to interefere with my slicing.


The finished product was a real treat.  Though they are available with several different varieties of stuffing, ours was filled with a spicy Cajun sausage.  The fat from the sausage and duck really added great flavor and a little kick to the chicken and turkey.  To complement the spicy Cajun flavor, we paired the turducken with several side dishes, like my almost famous mac-n-cheese, dirty rice and a cold salad. 
8:36 am | link

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Katrina, Restoration and Jambalaya
On the two year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, I found it necessary to drink a couple of bottles of Abita Restoration Ale.  Of course, I also cooked my famous jambalaya.  I think that's all I have to say about that.
9:51 pm | link

Thursday, August 2, 2007

Weekday Gourmet: Spicy Thai Shrimp & Noodles
 
 
Last night I enjoyed one of my favorite “ethnic-style” dishes in the weekday gourmet category: Spicy Thai Shrimp and Noodles.  It’s an easy way to spice up the middle of the workweek with a dish that’s easy to prepare, takes only minutes to cook and is packed with flavor.  I call it “Thai” because of the inclusion of a respectable amount of spicy Thai chili sauce, but I don’t expect you to believe the dish is actually Thai in pedigree (no more than the addition of Cayenne pepper makes a dish Cajun).
 
Although I sometimes make this dish with chicken, my favorite is with shrimp.  And since they were on sale yesterday at the local supermarket, I picked up about six ounces of shrimp for my dinner for less than three bucks.   With the addition of just a few more ingredients, the whole dish took me ten minutes to prep, ten minutes to cook and only cost around $3.50 for one serving. 
 
To complement the spicy chili sauce, I paired the dish with a German Riesling, 2006 Petals.  The wine was a bit sweet for me to enjoy by itself, but putting it with the food was a match made in heaven.  Spicy pink shrimp, Thai chili sauce and a nice sweet wine sure did make for an enjoyable Tuesday evening.  Try it yourself!  Click here for the recipe.
 
8:53 pm | link

Monday, July 23, 2007

Weekday Gourmet: Flatiron Steak with Cabernet-Shallot Reduction and Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
 
My friend Lisa owns a store called Weekday Gourmet that lets people come in, choose their meals and prepare them for an easy way to have great food on weeknights without all of the work.  It's a cool concept, but its not for me; I love to cook my own food and create my own menus.  However, I love the moniker "weekday gourmet" and feel it describes my weeknight cooking style to a tee.  To me, the term "weekday gourmet" means cooking gourmet style food in a reasonable amount of time, on a budget.  If you weren't on a budget, you could easily get comparable food by dining out at a French bistro or upscale steakhouse.  
 
Since I enjoy great gourmet food but can't afford to dine out every night, I find creative ways to eat well, regardless of the day of the week.  Just this evening, I enjoyed an 8oz. flatiron steak, grilled to medium rare with a cabernet-shallot reduction and served with roasted fingerling potatoes and a blue cheese chopped salad.  It was fairly easy to prepare and didn't cost a fortune, but still allowed me to dine on cuisine that most people would reserve for a special occasion.  Life is a journey; every day should be a special occasion! 
 
To keep you in the loop, I'll post a couple of meals each week that I would consider "Weekday Gourmet" selections.  Some you will like, some you will not, but I hope to get you in the mindset of turning off the television, relaxing each night with a glass of wine and enjoying a great meal.  
 
Check out the recipe for my grilled Flatiron Steak with Cabernet-Shallot Reduction.  The flatiron cut of steak is sometimes tough to find in a supermarket, but my local Publix regularly stocks them.  It's an inexpensive cut of meat but is tender, flavorful and easy to cook.  It's one of my favorite cuts, but please keep that quiet, since the popularity could create a demand and increase the prices.  (Let's just keep it between us.)  Bon Appétit!
 
9:54 pm | link

Friday, July 13, 2007

Father's Day Dinner 2007 - Tapas Style
Yes, I know Father's day was last month, but I've been a little busy lately cooking, eating, working and traveling.  However, this year I made a kick-ass Father's day dinner for my fiancee and my soon-to-be in-laws (including my future father-in-law) and figured it was too good not to share.  If you are here looking for photos, you won't find any; the food went too quick.
 
Choosing a menu was the tough part.  Between the four of us, our tastes varied too much for me to settle on any one dish, so the solution was tapas!  It allowed us to cook a variety of dishes simultaneously and also pleased everyone.  I won't go into any more details and the recipes are all coming soon, but here's the menu.
 
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Menu - Father's Day 2007
 
Filet Mignon with Mushroom-Brandy Cream Sauce
tender slices of broiled filet mignon topped with a mushroom-brandy based cream sauce
 
Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus
drizzled with olive oil, seasoned and broiled until tender
 
Steamed Mussels
in a white wine cream sauce
 
Caprese Napoleon 
"stacked" salad of sliced tomato, mozzarella and fresh basil, drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette
 
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For any dinner party with a mix of people, consider doing it tapas style.  The choices don't have to be Spanish in style, but can revolve around just about any cuisine: Mexican, Japanese, Italian or even Cajun!
 
6:54 am | link

Saturday, April 14, 2007

Family Cookbook is Finished!
 
Yes, it is finished.  I began in October and finished on time in December, only to realize I wasn't 100% happy with the results.  My favorite part about the family cookbook is the stories and comments made from all of the contributors.  You can get a recipe anywhere and cookbooks filled with recipes are a dime a dozen.  But our family cookbook is special.  Check it out online here and download a copy, if you wish.
10:31 am | link

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Food and Wine - When Tastes Change
 
For the first time in my life tonight I had a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon with my Red Beans and Rice.  It wasn't the first time I drank the wine and it certainly wasn't the first time I had the dish; it's a New Orleans classic that I grew up eating.  My usual drink of choice for red beans and rice is beer, preferably an Abita Amber or Turbodog, but for some reason I wasn't in the mood.  Instead I tried the red wine and I actually enjoyed it.  Now I sit and wonder - are my tastes changing?
 
I've always believed that cold beer was the best accompaniment for red beans and rice was beer.  The dish has a smoky and spicy flavor, so what could be better than a cold beverage like beer to wash it down?  In New Orleans, red beans are traditionally served on Mondays in restaurants, lunch joints and bars across town.  When I lived Uptown, my room mate and I would walk over to The Columns for happy hour on Monday nights to have a couple Abita Amber drafts and complimentary red beans.  Drinking wine would have been a preposterous idea!  But alas, here I am with a hot bowl of red beans and a glass of Cabernet.
 
I do remember another turning point in my drink of choice for the hamburger, another perfect "beer food."  I was sitting at The Columns (see a trend here) having a burger on a Tuesday night along with an Amber draft, when I suddenly realized that a glass of red wine would taste a lot better.  And it did!
 
Ok, so none of this is really prolific, but I felt that drinking a glass of red wine with red beans was a life-changing event worthy of a few minutes of writing.  Just because I did it once doesn't mean I'll do it again, though I really did enjoy the combination.  Perhaps next time I can venture to the other end of the spectrum and have pinot grigio.  Sure, tastes change with every new flavor combination we experience.  Sometimes for the good and sometimes for the bad; fortunately this was a good one.  Don't worry; things have not changed for good.  I'll still keep a cold six-pack in my fridge on Mondays, just in case I am in the mood to drink it with my classic Creole cooking.  Now, if you catch me sneaking wine into a crawfish boil, I think you may need to start planning the intervention.
 
8:34 pm | link

Saturday, November 11, 2006

Heard In Public: Galatoire's Food Likened to Holiday Inn???
 
I saw this on a food message board and felt compelled to respond.  Check out the full message on the Chowhound New Orleans board, or read the passage here:
--------------------------
"Galatoire's first it was not our first choice but some of group had to dine. 8:45 on Sunday night. Busy but the food ... Holiday inn at best. sorry but the reputation can not make up for mundane food."
--------------------------
Is this Alan Richman from GQ? Your likening the food at Galatoire's to that of a Holiday Inn is a bit disconcerting. Either you've had really good food at a Holiday Inn, or you just ordered a plain chicken breast and veggies while at Galatoire's. Or, you just may hate classic New Orleans cuisine. Pick any one.
 
I wish you wouldn't have had such a bad meal, because I consider Galatoire's to be one of the best old-line classic New Orleans restaurants in the city. They've got an unbelievably good fried soft shell crab, a fantastic trout amandine and an outstanding stuffed eggplant dish. The appetizers? I can't leave New Orleans without having a dose of the shrimp or crabmeat maison; some of the freshest boiled shrimp or crabmeat, lightly coated with a well seasoned mayo based sauce. It's on my list as one of the best appetizers in the city.
 
Before her first experience there, my girlfriend suspected that it was a high end, fancy-pants type of complex cuisine. In reality, the food is all very simple. How can you not enjoy a piece of fresh speckled trout, dusted with flour and pan fried golden brown in butter, then topped with fresh jumbo lump crabmeat? It's good, fresh, simple food at its best. Classic New Orleans food is just that; simple and good. While many criticize the city for its lack of sophistication and progression in the food world, I don't mind a bit. For some reason, I can't get excited about avocado foam or herb "infused" gelatin. But a soft shell crab... now that puts a smile on my face.
 
-Kevin
 
8:31 am | link

2008.02.01 | 2007.11.01 | 2007.08.01 | 2007.07.01 | 2007.04.01 | 2006.11.01 | 2006.10.01 | 2006.09.01 | 2006.08.01 | 2006.07.01 | 2006.06.01 | 2006.05.01 | 2006.04.01 | 2006.03.01 | 2006.02.01 | 2006.01.01 | 2005.12.01 | 2005.10.01 | 2005.09.01 | 2005.08.01 | 2005.07.01 | 2005.06.01 | 2005.05.01 | 2005.04.01 | 2005.03.01 | 2005.02.01 | 2005.01.01 | 2004.12.01 | 2004.11.01 | 2004.10.01 | 2004.09.01 | 2004.08.01 | 2004.07.01 | 2004.06.01 | 2004.05.01 | 2004.04.01 | 2004.03.01

Copyright 2004-2008 Kevin Lacassin

Individuals are permitted to download and/or print recipes for their own personal use

"Notes from a New Orleans Foodie" Copyright Kevin Lacassin 
All Rights Reserved

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