Calling all cheese lovers

Cheese and crackers are a perfectly acceptable meal to me.  I've found myself at the end of a paycheck before with nothing to eat but a block of Havarti & rosemary Triscuits.  It was a delightful 'adult lunchable'!  I adore cheese with any sort of accompaniment, & I try to always incorporate it into an appetizer I serve at a dinner party.  With that said, I'm on a constant quest for the perfect cheese plate.  To me, a platter full of artisan cheeses with various meats, fruit spreads, olives, & nuts is the epitome of antipasti bliss.  Cafe Degas on Esplanade Avenue near City Park in New Orleans has a fine cheese plate on their menu.  It is served with house made pate & fresh bread & is simply delightful.  Susan Spicer's gem in Lakeview, Mondo, offers a similar platter, depending on the season.  The best cheese platter I have found is at Domenica in the Roosevelt Hotel.  Chef Alon Shaya heads up the kitchen in this authentic Italian restaurant, & he is creating magic.  All the dishes are carefully crafted with only the freshest ingredients available.  The pizzas at Domenica are some of the best in the city & are fired in a custom wood burning oven.  While pizza is my favorite food group, I can't open the door to this restaurant without ordering the 'Affetatti Misti', which is an assortment of cheeses, salumi, marinated olives, & roasted vegetables.  It is more than enough to share with your table (even though you may not want to!!!), & the selections change daily. 

As you can see, this beauty could easily be a meal in itself, but it is absolutely the ideal beginning to a feast that will leave you lingering at the table for an enjoyable while.  Domenica is an hour away from home for me, and I can say with certainty that I would make that drive for the Misti platter every day.  The happy hour here has been voted as one of the best in New Orleans & is available seven days a week from 3-6.  You can get all of the hand-crafted, wood fired pizzas for HALF PRICE - that's $6.50 for a whole pizza!!! All wines by the glass, beers, & well cocktails are half price, as well.  There are so many to choose from that you can get a few to share & still pay a fraction of the cost. 

I won't find any 'adult lunchables' on the menu at Domenica (thank God), but I will find terrific rustic country Italian dishes that transport me to a place far from here.  Whether you are a tourist heading to New Orleans, a guest at the Roosevelt Hotel, or a resident of the Central Business District, Domenica should be the place you have your next meal.  Chef Alon & the knowledgeable staff will welcome you with open arms & treat you like family.  It's a perfect slice of Italy right here at home.  



Smooth sailing

The sultry summertime has a love/hate relationship with restaurants. In tourist-packed beach areas, restaurants bustle with patrons who don't want to cook on vacation.  In the less tourist saturated cities, restaurants are often slow because people are on vacation.  Sometimes, it's simply too hot to eat, & people stay home by the pool.  This lull in activity allows time for chefs to test their creative juices.  Prix-fixe menus, appetizer-heavy happy hours, & specially dinners are all products of such fusion.  In fact, I had the privilege of attending a cocktail dinner last week at Beausoliel restaurant, right here in Baton Rouge.  I've said it once, & I'll say it again: their award-winning chef, Nathan Gresham, continuously outdoes himself in the kitchen. He created a menu around five fabulous cocktails that were crafted by general manager/co-owner Jeff Conaway & his talented bar team.  As always, chef Nathan & Jeff stayed true to the local/independent vendor & chose Smooth Ambler as the spirits to feature for the dinner.  Smooth Ambler is a small, artisan distiller located in West Virginia, that uses locally sourced ingredients in the making of all their liquors.  The perfectly designed menu featured cocktails made with Smooth Ambler's gin, bourbon, & vodka.  I have been to my share of wine & beer dinners before, but I have never been to a cocktail dinner.  In fact, I was skeptical of attending the dinner, as I didn't think I would appreciate the varieties of cocktails.  I could not have been more wrong:  the dinner & pairings were absolutely fantastic.

The meal began with hand passed hors d'oeuvres of fried pork belly with ancho bbq sauce and skewers of local watermelon & seared tuna.  These delights were paired with 'peaches & streams', a refreshing (& gorgeous) cocktail made with fresh peaches, Smooth Ambler gin, & St. Germain. It was an outstanding opener for this dinner.

Next came a Louisiana seafood lover's dream:  BBQ shrimp & jumbo lump crabmeat set atop fried local eggplant.  This plate was paired with the 'old boulevardier' cocktail made with Smooth Ambler bourbon.  The delectable sweetness of the crab paired beautifully with the bold flavor of the whiskey.  The flavorful breading of the eggplant provided enough spice to make the taste buds sing with every sip of this cocktail.   

I was starting to get full at this point (the bite size fried pork belly pieces did me in), but I have never been a quitter when it comes to good eating!!  The next course was light & delicious & served with, perhaps, my favorite cocktail of the evening.  A beautiful piece of pan sauteed cobia topped with a fennel & apple coleslaw appeared in front of me.  Chef Nathan described this plate as his play on a picnic of catfish & old-fashioned coleslaw.  I love this grown up dish!!!  It was served with a stunning cocktail of lavender & honey infused Smooth Ambler gin, fresh lemon juice, & simple syrup.  The 'lavender fields', as it was called, had an ice ball in the middle that had either fresh lavender or flower inside.  It was not only tasty, but also a visual masterpiece.  The gin had a slight edge to it, but the mild fish & tart slaw cut the flavor with precision.

For real, it can't get any better, right??  How will chef Nathan create more flavor?  How will Jeff & the team one-up the whimsical drink?  These questions were answered in the next course.  It turned out to be my favorite dish:  pork cheeks confit with caramelized onions, figs, a pickled black eye pea relish, & arugula pecan pesto.  This dish was so complex & full of flavor that I was almost speechless.  Almost.  I let out a 'WOW!', & the look on my face said, 'are y'all eating what I'm eating'????? The pork was crispy & smoky, while the figs were sweet & juicy.  It was the perfect combination of sweet & salty.  The pickled pea relish gave the dish an earthy tone that paired well with the cocktail selection of mezcal, jalapeno juice, pineapple juice, & Mathilde orange. It was appropriately named 'where there's smoke, there's fire.' This drink was garnished with a thin slice of fresh jalapeno, & it lent a subtle spice to the dish.  Standing alone, the cocktail was a bit smoky & spicy, but when sipped followed by a bite of the food, it was as if the two were made for each other.

At this point in the meal, I'm thankful that I'm wearing a long, flowy dress that is hiding my very happy stomach. I'm near certain there is no way I have room for dessert.  How in the world will I manage?  When a gooey, chocolate concoction was set in front of me, I somehow magically found the strength to gobble up every bite.  The sweet ending was a chocolate torte set in salted caramel & topped with a blackberry sorbet.  All the elements on the plate could have stood alone & made a fine dessert, but all three just blew up the senses.  My goodness, this was a fantastic dessert!! I'm the first to ask for salt over sweet any day, but I believe the salty caramel was the star of this plate.  A bite of the torte with the caramel dipped in the sorbet was, in my opinion, better than scoring a Chanel handbag at a sidewalk sale.  This sweet end called for a sweet cocktail, so we were served a 'mountaineer'. It was a delicate blend of cream, blackberry infused Smooth Ambler vodka, & chocolate liqueur.  It lended a contrast to the sweetness of the torte  It truly was a perfect ending to a well-planned & executed meal. 

I did my level best to clean my plate at each course.  I did, however, come home with a small container of the pork cheeks, & it was just was incredible for lunch the next day.   As for the cocktails, I only finished the lavender fields & shared the rest with grateful friends at my table.  It was one of the best meals I've had in Baton Rouge.  My hat goes off to Nathan & Jeff for creating such a diverse & delicious menu.  It is much more difficult to create a dish around a cocktail & vice versa than it is to create a dish around a wine or beer.  This team really knocked it out of the park.  Not only did they pull off a specialty dinner for the evening, but the staff of Beausoliel also allowed for the front of the restaurant to have normal dinner service.  This speaks volumes to the restaurant team & their experience AND expertise to allow for a special event while not disrupting service.  I'm already nagging chef Nathan & Jeff to create the next specialty dinner!!

If you have yet to make it to Beausoliel, you are missing out on culinary greatness.  This gem nestled in the Bocage shopping center is turning the Baton Rouge dining scene into a force to be reckoned with. Brunch is served on Saturday & Sunday, and lunch/dinner is served from Tuesday-Friday.  The daily plate lunch specials & nightly dinner specials are crafted with care from local ingredients.  Beausoliel happy hour is one of the best in town, & there is a beautiful umbrella covered patio to relax in.  The staff & team are friendly & knowledgeable & happy to make recommendations.  Make plans to have a meal there very soon.  Your tastebuds will thank you.  











Eat. Here. Now.

The New Orleans culinary scene is fierce.  From food trucks to fine dining, Creole to Cajun, & Lucky Dogs to lamb chops, the Crescent City is a foodie paradise.  I live an hour away from the city, so I never waste an opportunity to dine while I'm there.  Of course, I would prefer to dine at an establishment where I've never been, but I always make an exception for the tried & true places I love.  The restaurant, ROOT, is one such place.  I found myself in town early yesterday evening & convinced my fabulous NOLA friend, Gretchen Gibbs to join me for dinner at this trendy Warehouse District hot spot.

This is the welcome mat at the front door.  I find irony in the simplicity of the statement.  It is that incredible.  I've been to ROOT twice before last night, but it's was Gretchen's first experience at this modern, edgy restaurant. The menu is separated into sections, beginning with the meat & cheese selections.  It then goes on to list beginnings, middles, & principals.  Again, I find the beginnings & middles to be a filling meal.  They are large enough to share, which means you can pick a few dishes to split with your dining companion(s) & keep your cost down.   That is exactly what Gretchen & I decided to do.  We began our feast with the compressed watermelon salad. 

Talk about transforming ingredients....WOW!!!!!  This refreshing salad was filled with different components of earthy & light flavors.  The watermelon was sweet & chunky.  Delicate micro greens & herbs brought out the flavors in the vinaigrette.  The pieces of tuna were seasoned to perfections & lend a smoky flavor to this bright salad.  My absolute favorite part of the dish were the avocado 'dipping dots' on the top.  You know, the fancy ice cream you see in carts at baseball stadiums & shopping malls?  Yes, that's right, Chef Phillip Lopez has created that out of avocado & it is nothing short of outstanding.  I could not get over how well the flavors of this salad came together.  It was a perfect balance.

There were so many items on the menu we wanted to try, so Gretchen & I opted for a small plate & entree to continue the meal.  We chose the duck tortellini for our smaller portion.  This delight may be small in size, but the flavors are huge.  So much love goes into this dish, & you can tell.  I'm not even sure I can find adequate words to do it justice.  The broth was rich & full of delicate flavors & was reminiscent of the Vietnamese soup, pho.  The tortellini itself was buttery & melted in my mouth.  The pine nuts gave it a salty crunch & brought the dish all together.  I may ask for a giant bowl of this next time!!



Honestly, we could have stopped eating at this point from being full, but the main dish was on its way, & it was STEAK.  People tend to view steak as a 'special occassion' meal.  When you have this at Root, you will want to give this meat it's own special occasion!!!  We ordered it medium, & it was perfectly cooked.  The outside was charred & crispy, while the inside was juicy.  Absolute perfection.  Unfortunately, the meat wasn't the star of the plate.  The accompaniment was.  Fried sweetbreads.  To put it in current social abbreviation, O.M.G.  I can't even formulate a sentence thinking about those lightly fried pieces of joy.  In my opinion, they should be on the small plate list, as they could stand alone & be a best seller.  I loved the cup of house made french fries.  The fun tube of homemade ketchup for the fries really brought a touch of whimsy to the plate.  The reduction sauce on the steak brought a dash of sweetness & didn't overwhelm any flavors.  This ain't ya mama's meat & potatoes!!!

Now, I've said it once, & I will say it again:  I prefer salty over sweet any day.  I don't care much for dessert & very rarely order it at restaurants.  At ROOT, I practically beg for the dessert menu.  There are a variety of items that will satisfy your sweet tooth here, & we went for the Peppermint Patty.  The name is exactly what it is:  a homemade peppermint patty set in homemade mint chocolate ice cream.  It is surrounded by house made cocoa puffs & malted milk.  Garnished with mint, this dessert is amazing.  The malted milk & cocoa puffs really bring out the child in you. I love how Chef Phillip brings playful elements to his creations. The best thing about this dessert is that there is no overpowering sweetness.  It is simply delicious.

ROOT should be on the top of your must-do-in-NOLA list.  Not only is Chef Phillip Lopez transforming ingredients, he's literally changing the landscape of the city's food scene.  His cooking style is very progressive, you can taste the passion in every bite you take.  According to Southern Living's July issue, Chef Phillip will be opening a new restaurant in the garden district soon.  I will be there as soon as the door opens.  My mind can't fathom a meal better than what I've had from him at ROOT, but I have no doubt he will out-do even himself.  I appreciate that Chef Phillip is a proponent of the local farmer & sources as many local ingredients as possible.  That is just one more reason that you should eat her now. 

 

Transforming ingredients

Pizza is my favorite food group.  All of the components of the food pyramid can be found in a single piece of pizza:  bread, dairy, vegetables, & meat.  You really can't go wrong with that meal, right??  Of course, our-ever growing health conscious society is always looking for ways to make this all-American dish low in sugar, fat, carbohydrates, & anything else that makes pizza delicious.  I do believe yours truly has found a way to make a fantastic carb-less pizza & still keep all the taste.  You, too, can do it by transforming a simple ingredient:  cauliflower.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Cauliflower.  Now, as a kid, the only way I would eat that vegetable is in my mamaw's kitchen, deep fried from Schwan's.  In fact, I would chase the Schwan's truck down the street to buy the breaded cauliflower & a box of root beer popsicles.  Now that I've grown into a mature adult, I've come to love cauliflower practically any way it is prepared:  steamed, creamed, roasted, pureed, & raw with ranch dip.  I've been searching blogs for dinner ideas lately, & I came across a recipe for a cauliflower pizza crust.  Really?  Made with cauliflower?  You don't say!!  I decided the rainy weekend would be the perfect time to give it a go.  Now, I tell you, I followed the online recipe to the T on the first go-round, & the crust was a flop.  I will NOT be including the pictures from that fiasco.  Once I recovered my patience, I gave it a second shot, & it was perfect.  Here is my recipe & simple instructions:

one cup cooked, riced* cauliflower
one cup grated cheese (I used cheddar)
one egg, beaten
salt
pepper
garlic powder
Italian seasoning

*To rice cauliflower, you simply chop the florets from the head & use a cheese grater or food processor to finely grate them.  It will look like rice in your bowl.  I grated an entire head, & it yielded a bit more than two cups.  . 

- Preheat oven to 450F.
- Once you rice the cauliflower, put it all in a microwave safe dish with 1/4 cup water, & microwave for six minutes, stirring halfway through.  Allow the cauliflower to cool in the refrigerator for AT LEAST one hour before using. 
- Combine one cup cauliflower & grated cheese in a medium mixing bowl, then stir in the egg.  Once that is well mixed, add your seasonings to taste.  I never use the same amount in my recipes, & only you know how much of each seasoning you prefer. 
- Spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray.  You may also line with parchment paper, but spray it, as well, if you do.  Place cauliflower mixture on sheet & form into about a nine-inch round.  It is best to keep the crusts individual size, so you may double/triple the recipe as you see fit. 
- Bake at 450F for 12-20 minutes, depending on how crispy you like your crust.  I let mine go the full 20 minutes, as I like my crust to be crispy.  Do check on it in intervals, as oven times & temps vary.
- Remove crust from oven & top with your favorite toppings.  I used pizza sauce, sliced squash, onions, fresh spinach, & fresh mozzerela. Place pizza back in the oven on broil until cheese melts.

This pizza had delicious taste & none of the carbs.  You can use virtually any topping you want.  Next time I make this dish, I will take the crust off the cookie sheet & let it cool on a wire rack to allow it crisp up more on the bottom.  Domino's, Pizza Hut, & Papa John's are spending millions in marketing to revamp their image & come up with the perfect pizza.  You, dear friends, just need to dig in your pantry for some simple ingredients, & you will have the perfect 'new' pizza that's better for you, easier on your pocketbook, & your kids will never know they aren't eating bread.  That's a winner no matter how you slice it. 

Senseless heartbreak

My morning routine is pretty streamlined & boring:  wake up, make coffee, read my Bible, hope for a great Groupon deal on email, & see what my social network is doing.  There is typically nothing earth shattering to be discovered.  This morning, however, I was met with news updates of the tragedy in Colorado that took place during the night.  I've been thinking about that massacre all morning & am trying to process it.  My heart is so heavy for everyone involved.  I literally got sick to my stomach when I read the articles describing the horrific scene.  There are so many questions in my mind, I don't even know where to start.  What was so wrong in the gunman's life that he would actually plot this?  Were the medical centers equipped for all the trauma?  (Obviously, hospitals have protocol in place for such events, but we hope they never have to use it).  Did someone try to stop the shooter?  Could this have been prevented?  Will we ever be safe?  I refuse to glorify the gunman by saying his name & giving him more recognition.  What he did was senseless, twisted, & downright heinous.  That is a person who has no soul.  I thought of all the lives affected by his actions - not only the people who lost their life, but also the loved ones that are left behind.  I think about the employees of the theatre just going to work & now returning from their shift forever scarred.  I pray for the first responders who literally carried out children covered in blood.  Some police even carried the wounded to hospitals in their patrol cars.  My heart truly breaks for every single person affected by this. For them, life will never be the same, & we will never know the reach of this atrocious act.  As a society, we should feel safe when we go to the grocery, take our kids to the park, attend church, or do any sort of normal activity.  It pains me to see how one act of evil strips us of joy & wraps us in fear of what will come next.  Take a moment to pray for everyone involved.  Pray for healing, comfort, & peace that can only come from God.  This nightmare should never happen to anyone.

MERE'S NOTE:  This blog is intended to be light hearted & bring awareness to the great state of Louisiana & its people, food, & culture, but I felt compelled to share this today.  Sometimes, when there's so much in my head, it's best to just write it all down. 

Geaux Green

The crops of summer fruits & vegetables are overflowing in gardens & stores right now.  You can't turn a corner without seeing locally grown peaches, tomatoes, blueberries, watermelon (my personal favorite), & countless other summer delights.  My newly retired mother gets no greater joy than calling me every morning to share how many pounds of peas she has picked from her garden & how many peppers & squash will make their way to the lunch table.  I'm not sure about you, but all the fresh finds at the farmers market excite me so much that I often times buy more than I can eat & end up letting some food go bad.  I found myself in one such situation this week.  I got carried away with the buy-one-get-one-free baby spinach at Whole Foods.  Rather than waste a whole container, I decided to make a 'green' smoothie.  I had some fresh kale, raspberries, & frozen blueberries.  I took a handful of each, tossed it in a blender with a splash of no-sugar-added apple juice, & had a refreshing (& nutritious) liquid breakfast.  Before you turn your nose up & say how disgusting this sounds, do yourself a favor & TRY IT!!!!  In fact, you can turn anything into a smoothie.  Look in your fridge & see what needs to be used now.  There are so many tasty choices:  figs, apples, bananas, raspberries, strawberries, celery, kale, spinach, blackberries, peaches, avocados, & the list is endless.  Flax seed, whey, & peanut butter could always be added for a kick of protein.  This morning, I made myself an avocado smoothie & finished up the last of my kale (I got two weeks of smoothies out of one bunch).  I will leave you with the recipe & a challenge to go green.  Your body & wallet will thank you.  And, as always, send me your feedback & new favorite smoothie combination. 

GEAUX GREEN SMOOTHIE

one avocado, peeled & cored
one handful spinach
one handful kale
one banana, peeled (you freeze it for a thicker consistency)
one cup no-sugar-added apple juice (more or less, depending on the desired thickness)

Toss all ingredients in a blender & blend until it reaches the consistency you want.  Enjoy!

Happy Days are Here Again

In this economy & busy summer season, we are all watching our pennies, but we still want to have some fun.  I've put together a list of deals at local restaurants that can help you find some fun on a budget.  Please feel free to add your comments, & also tell me your favorite places.  I love to find a good deal!  Most restaurants also have summer specials & wine dinners or other events going on.  Ask your server or manager for details.  You will be surprised what you may learn.  As for the deals at Whole Foods, check out the community calendar to the right of the door as you leave.  You can find out what classes are available at the store & when they will be doing cooking demos.  I can't wait to hear from y'all on your favorite deals in town!  Bon Appetite!

MONDAY:

The Little Village has 50 cent martinis available at 5:00.

TUESDAY: 
Tsunami has $3 house wine, 25% off all rolls under $9, & the best view in the city. 
Drusilla Seafood has all-you-can-eat boiled shrimp for $12.95

WEDNESDAY:
Rock-n-Sake 'wines' you down with 50% off all bottles of wine from 5pm til close.
The Bulldog has 'pint night' where you can take your glass with you.
Roberto's River Road Restaurant has 40% off all bottles of wine.
The Little Village on Airline has all-you-can-eat lobster for $45.
Whole Foods puts their specials on today.  You can 'double dip' on Wednesdays, as the previous week markdowns don't expire until midnight.  Make sure you grab the coupon book as you go in!
Bonefish Grill has $5 bang-bang shrimp, glasses of wine, & specialty cocktails.

THURSDAY:
Sullivan's offers select martinis for $5, & the folks over there have just revamped the bar menu.  There are $5 appetizers, as well.
Hymel's in Convent has all-you-can-eat boiled shrimp for $13.95 & fried fish for $9.95.
Make it pizza night with Whole Foods deal of $9.99 large pizza to go.  You can have them warm it for you or cook it at home. 

FRIDAY:

Sullivan's has half price bottles of wine from 11-2.

DAILY:

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse has a deal called 5 for 6 til 7.  It simply means there are five cocktails, five wine choices, & five appetizers available for $6 until 7:00.  This special is only available in the bar area.  The steakhouse burger is, in my opinion, the best deal in town.  It is served with fries or onion rings for $6.  You won't find a better burger anywhere else. 

Beausoliel has $5 wine, specialty cocktails, & appetizers available from 3-6pm each day.  They also offer Abita Amber for $2.  Indulge yourself in the truffled fried oysters for a treat after a long day at the office. 

During the day, take advantage of the 'power lunch' at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse.  Your choice of a filet or fish served with a salad & side for just $22.  That's tough to beat!