ChefCarey

Over the years I've owned many of the All-Clad pots and pans. Really depends on what you have planned for the pan/pot. The straight-sided (saute) pans are great for braised dishes, and, yes, sauces. However, if your intended use is sauteing, oddly enough, a frypan would be your best choice. Been telling my students for years that what we use on the cooking line in restaurants for the saute station is actually a frypan (sloping sides.) Much easier to use - and, of course if you want to practice the flipping motion we use, by all means get a frypan.

Oops, I'm not *quite* that old - make that 1978.

I've been using All-Clad pans since around 1878 when I was night chef at the original Scott's Seafood Bar & Grill at Scott and Lombard in San Francisco. I still prefer those that are clad only on the inside as they are a heavier gauge. I also have some of the stainless line, but their only advantage is ease of maintenance. Chef on Fire

I agree. Susan was very kind to me when I was doing my book. And she was pleased I included two of her former sous chefs who now have their own places - Donald Link of Herbsaint and John Harris of Lilette. Creole Nouvelle

I was very sad to see this. This is one of the five restaurants/chefs I feature in my book, Creole Nouvelle. As a matter of fact when I took guests to New Orleans, this was often their favorite restaurant. Pete made magnificent food - and sent out nifty lagniappe's - and Janis was alway very gracious. Creole Nouvelle

You might give the King Cake a try. The holiday is, of course, Mardi Gras, but the cakes actually begin appearing on January 6 or Twelfth Night. Creole Nouvelle

These are perfect grits to me. This recipe is from my book, Creole Nouvelle: Contemporary Creole Cookery. Just what is a grit? First, let’s take care of the word origin. The word “grits” comes from the Anglo-Saxon (Old English) word "grytt", for "bran" or “something ground.” We have been using the term "grits" to mean this particular ground corn dish since at least the 18th century. Grits are hominy made from flint or dent corn, varieties with hard kernels that are dried on the cob then removed and soaked in a solution of baking soda, lime, or wood ash (lye.) After the kernels get soft they swell. Next, they are hulled, degermed, dried and ground. Usually grits are made from white corn although you will see some yellow grits. Masa harina, the flour used to make corn tortillas, is processed in much the same manner. I do not want to get into the science here, but this processing actually makes some of the nutrients in corn more accessible to our bodies. Stone ground grits are the more natural product and will take longer to cook since they contain the germ. Grits are a cereal, folks. First we’ll tackle my basic cheese grits recipe and then I’ll give you a couple of other things to do with them. Cheese Grits Serves 8 - 10 Ingredient Quantity Skim milk 6 cups Salt 2 tsp. Freshly ground white pepper 1 tsp. Unsalted butter 4 Tbsp. White grits 1 ¼ cups Parmigiano Reggiano, grated ½ cup Provolone, grated ½ cup Sharp cheddar, grated ½ cup Lagniappe: The above quantities are for a package that simply says “Grits” on the label (cooking time about 20 minutes.) If you are using “Quick Grits” (cooking time five minutes) you will need about 25% less liquid. If you are using “Stone Ground Grits” (cooking time 35 – 40 minutes) you will need a little more liquid. Read the package, folks. Method: 1. Over medium heat, in a saucepan bring the milk, salt, pepper, and butter to a boil. Watch the pot! It will boil over if you space out. 2. Slowly stir in the grits. 3. Add the cheeses a little at a time. Check seasoning. 4. Serve with any breakfast or brunch dish – always with Grillades (see page 000.) Do not worry about leftovers. I have a couple of things you can do with them. Creole Nouvelle

Are you stressing "rural" Southern? I have several traditional New Orleans desserts in my book, Creole Nouvelle: Contemporary Creole Cookery Creole Nouvelle

Most likely editors or ignorance. The origins of the word are relatively clear. Here is a quote from my book, Creole Nouvelle" Contemporary Creole Cookery: There are food writers out there who would have us believe that the word barbecue comes to us from the French barbe a queue, which translates as “beard to tail.” Several 18th- and 19th-century New World travelers and writers mentioned “barbacoa” or “borbecus”—raised wooden frameworks used as beds or for smoking meats. This linguistic ancestry seems much more likely, given the “racks” or grids on which we “barbecue.” Creole Nouvelle

Sonker is a kind of deep-dish pie. May be made with sweet potatoes or fruits. Creole Nouvelle

At the risk of sounding self-serving, I think I've written a pretty good book. Creole Nouvelle: Contemporary Creole Cookery. Even if you are not fond of what I do in the book you cannot ignore the contributions from Susan Spicer, Anne Kearney, Donald Link, John Harris and Peter Vazquez. Here's an excerpt of a review from Restaurant Hospitality : "Some Swell Nouvelle Carey, a New Orleans native who now heads the Memphis Culinary Academy, has come up with a slick approach to cookbook writing here. This volume includes many traditional Creole recipes—Carey handles these himself—plus inventive takes on them from five top New Orleans chefs: Susan Spicer of Bayona; Peter Vasquez from Marisol; Anne Kearney, formerly of Peristyle; Donald Link of Herbsaint; and John Harris of Lilette. There’s plenty of culinary firepower in this group, to be sure. But Carey’s got some cooking chops of his own, plus an enviable attitude about why Creole food needed some contemporizing by his distinguished friends. Creole Nouvelle "The best of the genre (original Creole) was to be found in restaurants owned or run by creative, professionally trained chefs who observed classical techniques, were emphatically not cooking in France or Spain or Italy, and used only the freshest ingredients with an eye to appearance and taste, as well as nutrition." Carey begins. "Unfortunately, what we have termed ‘Creole’ cuisine over the years has become kind of tired and banal. It has lost its innovative, eclectic verve. Repetition and imitation to curry favor with the tourist dollar was the whoop de jour. That era has come to an end, folks." All in all, it’s quite a collection. And future cookbook authors take note: this book’s all-star cast approach is one worth exploring on other topics." by RH Staff (editor@restaurant-hospitality.com) And a couple of quotes from my peers: "With Joseph Carey's amusing stories, scalding opinions and informed wit and information galore, what more could one want from a cookbook, except to open it up and start cooking? I look forward to doing just that and the sooner, the better." Deborah Madison, Author of Local Flavors, Cooking and Eating from America's Farmers' Markets "When I heard that Chef Joseph Carey was writing a book about a creative new style of cooking in New Orleans and environs, I thought, 'There's a match made in culinary heaven!" Denis Kelly, James Beard Award Nominee and Author of Grilling & Barbecuing

I thought we were all pros here??? :) Cannelloni This stuffed pasta dish probably originated in Northern Italy - in Piedmont. Technique: Dry Heat, Baking Yield: 8-10 portions Ingredient Quantity Egg Pasta (page 000) 1 Recipe Stuffing (page 000) 1 Recipe Sugo Bolognese (page 000) 1 Recipe Béchamel (page 000) 1 Recipe Parmesan cheese, freshly grated ½ Cup Butter, softened 2 Ounces Method: 1) Preheat the oven to about 400. 2) Make the pasta and roll as thinly as possible. Cut into rectangles about 3” X 4”. 3) Make the stuffing. 4) Make the meat sauce. 5) Make the béchamel. 6) Blanch the pasta for about 30 seconds in boiling water. Cool and dry. 7) Place approximately one tablespoon of stuffing on each pasta rectangle and spread evenly. 8) Roll the strip into a cylinder on the shorter side. 9) Place in an oiled baking dish and cover with a layer of the meat sauce. 10) Cover with the béchamel. 11) Strew the cheese over the top and dot with butter. Bake for about 15 minutes. Cannelloni Stuffing Ingredient Quantity Onion, yellow, medium, diced ½ Olive oil, extra virgin if possible 3 Tablespoons Lean ground beef (or veal) ½ Pound Ham, minced ¼ Cup Egg yolk 1 Parmesan, freshly grated 1 Cup Ricotta 1 ¼ Cup Béchamel (page 000) ¼ Cup Nutmeg Pinch Salt To taste Pepper, black, freshly ground To taste Method: 1) Sauté onion in the olive oil until translucent. 2) Add ground meat and sauté until cooked. 3) Strain to remove fat. 4) In a mixing bowl combine meat mixture with ham, egg yolk, parmesan, ricotta, béchamel, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Creole Nouvelle

I have a bunch of salmon lore in my next book (no, I'm not trying to sell it here - won't be out 'til 2006) But, more to the point - I just bought a fresh salmon Friday - 12-pounder. I do a demo for my classes on how to fillet round fish, usually use a salmon. I'm not always able to specify wild or farm-raised - if I need a fish for class, I need a fish. Quite often fish purveyors will deliver to me in boxes which were delivered to them. My fish came in just such a box - filled with crushed ice. This box was apparently built and designed to solely (no pun etc)transport salmon. On either end of the box was this nomenclature: "Wild Salmon" (followed by a little box to check) "Farm-raised Salmon" (again, followed by a little box to check.) They had neatly solved the problem by checking neither box. A tip: Quite often the farm-raised salmon were "farmed" is such tight quarters the dorsal fin (the big one on the top for you landlubbers)is malformed or even totally flattened out - the only remnants of it being the underlying bone structure when one opens the carcass.

Just use more water and ample salt. Do not, as someone suggests below add any kind of oil to the water. This will coat the pasta with an oil slick and prevent the sauce from adhering to the pasta.

Here, the word "corn" refers to the size of the salt crystals used to "corn" or cure the beef (or anything else for that matter.)