OK, it's time for some dessert! Actually, it's always time for some dessert!
This recipe is pretty close to the one served up at The Cabin Restaurant about 50 miles west of New Orleans. It goes especially well with that special blend of chicory and coffee from the Cafe Du Monde, which can be purchased in gourmet food stores or online.
Here it is!
Ingredients
3 eggs
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 tablespoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees (175 degrees C).
2.Beat eggs until frothy; add butter, sugar and flour. Beat until smooth.
3.Stir in buttermilk, vanilla, lemon juice and nutmeg; pour into pie shell.
4.Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until center is firm.
Top this with some seasonal berries and mmm!!! 'nuff said!
To enhance your delightful and delectable dessert experience, put the CD The Marsalis Family - A Jazz Celebration on the old virtual 21st century turntable. Featuring all of the Marsalis family musicians under the leadership of Papa Ellis, this is the essence of good jazz and authentic but contemporary N'awlins music.
Then... after a long nap, grab your axe and workout with Jamey Aebersold's Volume 100 featuring all of your Dixieland standards.
The Jazz Guy Stanton's Sheet Music
The first stop for New Orleans travelers in-the-know and for locals looking to put a good feed on is Mother’s Restaurant. The line for this fine eatery many times extends beyond their threshold allowing the aromas of crawfish etouffee and cornbread to waft out across the corner of Poydras and Tchoupitoulas.
Here’s their incredible recipe for Seafood Gumbo.
4 – Lbs okra — fresh or frozen
6 – Cups onions – medium diced
2 – Cups rendered ham fat o oil
1 – Cup bell pepper — medium diced
1 – Cup celery — medium diced
1 – Tbsp tomato puree
2 – Tsp salt
1/4 – Tsp thyme
1 – Pinch cayenne
1/4 – Tsp white pepper
1/4 – Tsp black pepper
1/4 – Cup garlic — minced
1 – Ea bay leaf
4 – qts crab stock
1/2 – Cup brown roux
2 – Cups oyster and oyster water
2 – Lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 – Cups lump crabmeat
2 – Cups claw crabmeat
1 – Cup green onion chopped
In large roasting pan, mix together okra, 2 cups onion and 1/2 cup rendered ham fat. Place in 350 degree oven until the slime is cooked out of the okra, approximately 1 hour. Stir frequently to keep okra from sticking and burning. When slime is cooked out remove okra from oven and set aside.
In a large stock pot heat 1/2 cup ham fat on high heat and saute’ 2 cups onion, 2 cups bell pepper and 1 cup celery until caramelized, approximately 5 minutes. Add tomato puree simmer for about 5 minutes. Add salt, thyme, cayenne, white and black pepper and garlic. Cook until you smell the garlic, approximately 1 minute. Add cooked okra, add hot crab stock, bring to boil and reduce to a simmer, let simmer for about hour to an hour and a half. Whisk in cold roux and bring back to a simmer let simmer for a few minutes, add Oysters and shrimp cook until shrimp are tender add crab meat bring back to a simmer, remove and cool.
To accompany this jazz festival for your palette, put some Dr. John on the Victrola and kick back with a sweet tea.
Once you’ve had a long nap, you’ll want to check out the three volumes of Dr John Teaches New Orleans Piano. Who knows… maybe you’ll be able to land a gig playing in the French Quarter!
- The Stanton’s Jazz Guy
We need to give a shout out to all of the Louisiana fisherman hurting right now down on the Gulf Coast. There is such a tradition of N’awlins food and music that simply must be preserved.
When I want an authentic taste of Crescent City cooking, I like to whip up a mess of Shrimp Creole. Although the recipe I make is a bit different, the following will do the trick.
Ingredients:
4 Large Fresh Tomatoes, peeled and seeded
3 lbs. shrimp, peeled, raw
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
½ cup oil
¾ cup flour
2 cups of shrimp stock
1 tsp. Thyme
2 bay leaves
1 bunch of green onions, sliced
Salt, pepper and cayenne to taste
2 cloves garlic
Preparation:
Make shrimp stock by boiling shrimp peels and head (if you have them) and all vegetable pairings for 10 minutes. Strain and reserve. Make a dark roux with the flour and oil. Add onions and cook until caramelized. Add celery and bell pepper. Add diced tomatoes. Cook together for 5 minutes. Add herbs and shrimp stock. Add garlic and simmer 10 minutes. Add shrimp and green onions. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook 5 to 8 minutes. Serve over rice.
Pair this with a nice Sauvignon Blanc and you’ll have the makings for a great slice of New Orleans cuisine.
Oh yeah… the most important part! THE APPROPRIATE LISTENING! One of NOLA’s favorite sons, trumpeter Nicholas Payton, made a great CD a few years ago called DEAR LOUIS. Payton offers a contemporary yet traditional approach to some of Satchmo’s classic tunes.
Bon Appetit!
