Musings on food, cooking, and dining by a New Orleans Foodie

I don't think that Tampa Bay "gets" the whole Red Beans and Rice craze. Well, maybe I shouldn't call it a craze, since eating Red Beans and Rice on Mondays has been a ritual in NOLA since long before I came along. I guess it is definitely a tradition, and I've come to realize that it is something that no one around talks about. Unless I get better at "beans and rice Monday" sales, no one around here will understand why I get so excited.

When I woke up Saturday morning, I had the itch to cook a whole lot of food. Since I had beach volleyball to play during the day, cooking would have to wait until Sunday, when I made two types of chicken enchiladas: one with a red tomato sauce and one with a tomatilla-cream sauce, and a pot of red beans and rice. When my room-mate came home Sunday night, we put a good dent in the enchiladas, and I saved the red beans to eat on Monday evening.

As scheduled, I did eat red beans for dinner on Monday, by myself. My room-mate picked up some mediocre Italian food from a chain restaurant (it wasn't Olive Garden) and enjoyed it more than I could comprehend. I mean, how could you eat crappy Italian food on Monday? I also brought leftovers for lunch on Tuesday, and at my table of six, no one even really commented on the fact that I had beans and rice (though one guy borrowed some of my Louisiana hot sauce). I'm sure everyone else at the table enjoyed their peanut butter sandwiches and chicken burritos.

Back in NOLA, red beans and rice seemed to be served at every restaurant and bar in town on Mondays. Monday night football? Guess what you are eating with your chicken wings at Fat Harry's. When I lived on Milan a few years back, Scooter and I would hike over to The Columns for complimentary red beans and rice during happy hour, and wash it down with a few Abita Ambers. It was just the cool thing to do - everyone was doing it!

My red beans that I cooked on Sunday came out pretty good, but they weren't perfect. I used Blue Runner canned red beans that I flew in from NOLA (ok, they rode with me on the plane) and andouille sausage that I brought back here during Christmas, so it's evident that the ingredients aren't readily available in the Tampa area. I will continue to work on the recipe until I get it perfect, then I will make sure the secret spreads like wildfire. So when you pick up the national newspaper and read about a new "trend" to eat Red Beans and Rice on Mondays in Tampa, just remember where it started... you read it here first.

After staying out all night on Saturday, there nothing better on a Sunday morning than brunch. During a birthday celebration at The Rack for two friends of mine, the idea of having everyone over to a friend's house for brunch on Sunday sounded like a great idea. By the next morning, it only sounded like a good idea.

My friend Chris is as enthusiastic about entertaining as I am, so I was happy when she volunteered to host everyone at her house this weekend. I don't ever mind the preparation or the cooking for a group, but sometimes it gets overwhelming. Despite the residual feeling of the previous evening, we met up at Publix late in the morning and did some shopping before everyone came over. Since I am an early riser, I had plenty of time to sit around and concoct the "next big thing" in brunch dishes. In reality, I just simplified a brunch classic, added my own twist, and ended up with a variation that I will call "Uptown Eggs Benedict."

I don't know where to draw the line between using part of the name of a classic that I have modified, or making up a whole new name, but oh well, we're gonna have to live with this one. Nothing soaks up the alcohol from a night of partying like a well balanced dish containing equal parts spice, protein and buttery starch. It was fitting that my dish consisted of scrambled eggs and andouille sausage, over a toasted buttery English muffin, topped with a Crystal (hot sauce) hollandaise sauce.

For brunch, we started with a bunch of spicy Bloody Marys and Mimosas, then the Uptown Eggs Benedict, with sides of bacon and hash browns and fresh fruit. For a finale, I made Brandy Milk Punches, a typical New Orleans brunch drink, containing brandy, simple syrup and whole milk, shaken and served on the rocks, and dusted with some ground nutmeg. I believe I introduced a new favorite brunch drink to my Tampa friends, as two of the girls just about polished off the rest of the bottle of brandy. At least I know they enjoyed themselves.

(recipes to follow) -kevin

Saturday morning I woke up to a beautiful day with perfect weather, so I decided to take advantage and explore my neighborhood. After a couple of cups of Royal Street Blend coffee from the Orleans Coffee Exchange, I put on my walking shoes and head out. I walked down Howard and passed a lot of cool shops, stores and restaurants, and after only about ten blocks, hit the end of the line at Bayshore drive, right on the water.

I was delighted to finally explore the area and realized that I am pretty lucky to live within walking distance to almost anything. I put a bunch of the restaurants on my to-do list and even made a stop at a gym that I will probably join. I just hope the Hyde Park neighborhood is ready for me!

Yesterday afternoon, a few of us decided to do some eating, drinking and cooking; fortunately, I'm not the only one around who enjoys such decadent libations. I walked over to Whaley's Market (533 S. Howard) and picked up some ingredients for our evening meal - homemade meatballs, Italian sausage and red sauce over spaghetti. I also splurged a bit with some fresh Parmigiano Reggiano and a beautiful wedge of blue cheese. I served some sliced andouille sausage and fresh mozzerella cheese as an appetizer and we paired the meal with some mixed roasted veggies and a few bottles of red wine, and decided that Sunday should be our day of dining every week.

As for the meatballs? I used a pretty simple recipe that my dad gave me over the phone, and originated from a Frank Davis cookbook; here's the quick and easy of what I used:

1.5 lbs ground beef
1 lb ground pork
1/2 white onion (diced)
5 cloves garlic (minced)
2 Eggs (beaten)
Italian style bread crumbs
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Italian Seasoning

Method: Mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Form meatballs and place them in the oven on a baking sheet for about 30 minutes at 400 degrees, turning once. When they are browned, remove from the oven and put them in your sauce (or eat them, as is).