Mayhaw Man

That's 16 to 20 shrimp per POUND. Not one of those crazy metric things that nobody understands. I believe that would work out to something like 35.3 - 44 per kilo. What a crazy way to measure stuff. How did they ever come up with that? Sheesh.

In keeping with my total disdain and complete lack of regard for a "classic bowl of red" I am happy to post my mother's recipe for White Chili. This is known around our house as "Larry/Steve Chili", as Larry Slash Steve (don't ask, no one was ever sure which was right, I'm not sure his mama knew either, so we just called him both-at the same time--this is one of those confusing North Lousiana things that you folks making those cracks about us in the above posts will never understand ). Steve was my mother's carpenter on her lake house and pretty much stopped showing up at the end of the job unless he was promised, in advance, that she would provide this for lunch. Chili robbery, for sure. He finally finished, and oddly, left town. Dealing with my mother can be like that sometimes. I did the same thing a long time ago. Lovely woman, just make sure you finish what you start and get it done on time and as budget. Anyway, I digress. This stuff may or may not be chili by your definition (or even my definition, for that matter) but it's really good. It also freezes really well and is a great thing to double or triple and freeze for those nights when you come home to a bunch of whining, hungry kids that look like starving birds in a nest waiting for their mama to bring them some chewed up worms. This chili is sure to make your children happier that chewed up worms would, so give it a try. You'll thank me. And Mama. From The Cookbook Brooksie's White Bean Chili for Larry/Steve 1 lb. large white beans 6 cups good chicken stock 2 cloves garlic 2 medium yellow onions 1 tbs. oil 2 4 oz. cans chopped green chilis 2 tsps. cumin 1 1/2 tsp. ground cloves 1/2 tsp. Cayenne 4 cups cooked diced chicken thighs (make the stock with them, then eat them) 3 cups Grated Monterey Jack Cheese Combine soaked beans, onions, and broth and cook on low simmer for 3 hours (add more broth to keep beans covered if needed. In a skillet, saute onions, garlic, green chilis and seasonings Combine skillet contents with beans-add chicken-cook for another hour Add tabasco and perk up seasonings Serve with cheese on top and any of the following condiments (or all of them, if you feel sparky) Chopped Tomatoes Sliced Black Olives Guacamole Chopped White Onions Serve with some homemade tortilla chips. I love that "perk up" line. You have no idea how perky my Dad likes it. His idea of well seasoned is pretty much what most people call crowd deterring pepper spray. This is good, it's simple, and you should make some.

I have laid in a supply of short ribs that look like they came off of a dinasaur. Of course, I will be carefully following all directives of our headmaster, as I am the kind of student who sits in the front of the class and pays careful attention-often bringing an apple for the teacher. And Coca Cola is a time honored braising liquid in my little part of the world. That may be an option that I consider for extra credit, in case my usual method of brown nosing is a failure.

All gone. No troubles. That's a great looking pot of gumbo. And those shrimp! I live here in shrimp land and I would be pretty happy with those devils. If you don't mind my asking, what would those go for (I am kinda guessing that they are roughly 16-20's, but they might be a bit larger)? Nice work!

I, of course, have all the guts I need. Cajun Napalm is now my preferred method. It works great. Just make sure that you have the veg ready to go in at the instant it gets dark enough and be prepared to blow it and burn the stuff up every once in a while. Other than that, I love it.

Juniper Organic Gin is pretty amazing. Samplers at the Fancy Food Show in SF seemed pretty blown away by it. I heard some people saying that they had never tasted anything like it. They have an entire line of organic spirits (although I would be the first to question how something that is distilled to pureness is affected by using organic materials to begin with. What difference does it make, really, in terms of purity? It's distilled. Pretty much pure by definition). Nice package, as well.

Hearn was New Orleans first great food writer. He did much to document the early fine cuisine, primarily concerning native cooking in New Orleans, in the late 19th century. Much of the writing still holds up today. He also documented political and social life here, as well, often with a humorously jaded eye.

I am flattered... That Encyclopedia book sounds incredible though I don't think it is obtainable from Japan, I chcked the site and it doesn't say anything about international shipping or what kind of credit cards it takes (I only have a JCB card ). the Emeril book is available at Amazon.jp, I might try that one out, looking forward to more suggestions... ← Kris, just wanted to echo Brooks' rec. upthread for the Cotton Country Collection. I purchased it a number of months ago after he mentioned it on another thread (I believe it contains a couple of his mothers/grandmothers ?? recipes) and I absolutely LOVE the book. He's right there are a number of easy recipes that you might not make (think jellied salads) but there are some real gems, too. I also have the Emeril book and like it too, but the the Cotton Country Collection is definitely full of authentic flavour. One recipe is followed by the comment "Men love this!" Price-wise I don't think you could go wrong. ← You got a problem with jellied salads? Huh? ANd the men love this....let me guess......Sandie's Specials? Nat Troy?

You should have just driven to Donaldsonville and gotten them. You could have spent the difference on lunch at Prejean's, or bought sausage at Poche's or Champagne's.

The Folse Book weighs in at 10 lbs. So, when you think about it, this makes it cheaper by the pound that crawfish or crabmeat. And you can use it more than once. So it's a bargain! I can justify almost anything if I put it into the price of crabmeat.

Dave's right. I was wrong, although they are both good books. I looked at one on the shelf and typed the name of the other. So, once again, Dave and I are in complete agreement. In fact, both the Prudhomme book and New New Orleans cooking are a couple of the books that I could throw into some decent stock and end up with a pretty decent pot of soup, as they are covered with ingredients from meals past.

As far as a roux pot goes, a heavy bottom stainless lined pan will do nicely. For example, many people have an old revereware 8 qt. and those will do nicely. Non stick will not get you what you want, colorwise. Also, those little chunks that invariably end up sticking to the bottom of the pan mean alot as far as flavor goes, you would not get those with non stick. The John Folse book was only available in the New Orleans area, as far as I know, at some independent stores and at Barnes and Noble on both sides of the lake. There were big piles of them that lasted, basically, a couple of days. I told some people that the book was available on a Friday, and that there were about 30 copies left in the B and N on Veterans in Metairie, and by Sunday afternoon they were all gone. The books that are ordered through his website cost a bit more, I think, but they are all signed copies (or at least they were, they may not be this time around). It is published by Folse's Publishing Company (the guy is a business whiz, so self publishing seems like another extension of his many business ventures) and I suppose that has something to do with why some chains have it and some don't. It's worth the trouble though. I highly reccomend it, if for no other reason than that it is a beautiful book and the artwork and storytelling are worth the price. The recipes and techniques almost seem like lagniappe.

Looks like a train wreck if anyone is interested. On Now.

As part of the discussion going on among the tourists over in this thread concerning Gumbo and the right way to make it, Kristin (a lovely and talented cook of many Cuisines who lives in Japan) announced that she has a ton of cookbooks and that NONE of them concern the subject of Louisiana Cuisine. Well, I gave her a short list of some that I would consider essential: The Cotton Country Collection This book, in my mind anyway, is the best collection of recipes ever assembled in Louisiana. Recipes from all over the state, Delta, Acadiana, German Coast, Piney Woods, and everywhere else. I have cooked damn near every recipe in the book over the years and there are no bad ones. The directions are great and the skill levels involved go from dead simple to you better have a grip on Julia's French Cooking. River Road Recipes Great collection of recipes, with some of hthe best seafood collections I have ever seen. The Encyclopedia of Cajun and Creole Cooking Get a copy of this book. Just go buy it. Send me a thank you note for telling you to do so. Emeril's Real and Rustic This is the reason, ultimately, that I respect the guy. His first book and a great one. I can go on with, literally dozens more, but I go on enough here. There are probably 20 Jr League type books that I would reccomend, along with the Times Picayune/Madame Begue's combo that is now sadly out of print-then there are the Church books and the NOPSI collection (New Orleans Public Service Incorporated used to collect recipes and stick them in utility bills and on the little holders on the streetcars-this ultimately turned into a great collection of recipes that has been published into a book). Favorites? Reasons why?

Mayhaw, your Phillistine side is showing . THW ← I'm just here to help. I like chili. I like it with beans, and other stuff. Black olives. Whole plum tomatoes. You know, heretical ingredients. I know that I should shut up and go away as you guys are discussing that thin red gruel that passes for food in some areas of the country-and I can respect that. Everyone needs a strange native food, and I guess that one is good as any.

Of course you can use Okra Kris. You can add okra to anything-I am still working on perfecting my Okra Ice Cream. Don't let all of these "so called" experts try to dissuade you from the use of God's Pod. Seriously, while there are two schools of thought on this (or a whole school system, actually), there are so many variations on the theme that no one is really wrong. There are just different ways of doing it. Incidentally, someone up thread mentioned John Folse's stunning new book, The Encyclopedia of Cajun and Creole Cuisine. I am not able to quote recipes at this point, as I have an as yet unpublished review floating around, but I can tell you that there is variation after variation in the book, and a decent explanation of the beast.

Antacid?

Just to second, once again, that bit of advice. The stuff ain't just as hot as frying oil can get; it also bonds to whatever it hits, especially skin. It's bad news. . ← In Paul Prudhomme's kitchen, where many of my friends have worked (and enjoyed working) over the years, they call it Cajun Napalm. The stuff hurts. Really. Really bad. Takes the skin right off.

so would a mix of rendered duck & pork fat that happened to be lying around after cassoulet work well, or would the ducky flavor be wrong? I Eden ← You should use oil. You should send all of that pesky duck and pork fat to me. Of course you can use the rendered stuff. It'll only make it mo' betta.

Were I a betting man I would say that one was purchased in Cass County Texas sometime during Woodrow Wilson's term in office. While there are some around, and they aren't overly expensive, the oval ones are really hard to find. I love that pot.

Can I play? I had two kinds of gumbo tonight at a parade party on Napoleon Ave in New Orleans. It was a fun deal. The game was on a big screen tv set up on the porch of this really nice house on the avenue. So...we ate gumbo (seafood, and chicken and sausage), jambalaya, oysters rockefeller, oysters on the half, boiled shrimp-while we watched the game and then would turn around as the floats from The Krewe of Bacchus went by and catch valuable trinkets. All Superbowls should be held during parades.

I have purchased several pairs of shoes from these guys. Good Service. Good Product

We use this DeLonghi at work for our every day drip pot. We have some swell Italian Espresso machines as well. but this thing gives us good service and one thing that I like about it is that the brew speed is actually drip-not pour and dump in 2 seconds. We have, because of the place that I work (My Job),we have lots of very expensive coffee from all over the world to work with and this pot is a good "standard" brewer to use to compare coffees-as it brews the same way everytime. Coupled with a good burr grinder (we have several brands as well) it makes a nice cup. I am currently knocking back some Ethiopian blend that is quite tasty.

Damn. Now I need one of those. Not that I have any idea what I'd do with it, or for that matter why they are charging $569 for two mixing bowls welded together with a hole cut out... ← See? A strangely alluring attachement. We could be candy barons! We could coat stuff with other stuff. And then coat that stuff with some more stuff. I know! We could make everlasting gobstoppers! Those things always looked like they would be delicious.

I want a candy pan for my Kitchen Aid Not sure what I would do with it, but I know that it would be fun! Whatever it was.