Nawlins

I've noticed a couple of New Orleans food threads on here lately. Those interested may want to listen to Tom Fitzmorris. He does a daily radio show about food and drink on WWWL. You can find the link to the stream on his website NOmenu

Has anyone ever smoked a chuck roast? I was watching them smoke pork ribs on America's Test Kitchen and decide to try it with a chuck roast. You season the bejezus out of roast and then put it on the cold side of a smoker. I used a small Weber with pecan wood. Tent the roast with foil to keep moist. Then just let it go at 225F for about 3 hours...adding smoke and charcoal as needed. Then completely wrap in foil and cook for another hour, either on the pit or in the oven. I will take pictures next time...it comes out dark and crusty.

While traveling through Mississippi today, I ate at a Cracker Barrel. Catfish, breaded okra, string beans and hot cornbread muffins. I liked it. Does this mean I should resign my egullet membership?

In New Orleans, the only way to get oysters in the shell would be to buy a sack. If you are going to fry them, your seafood store should be able to get them already shucked. They usually come in a quart. We use flour and cornmeal as a coating. A batter would be way too heavy a coating.

This article was recently in Saveur Veal Demi-Glace It does call for browning of the bones though

If you are looking for a New Orleans creole book, may I recommend The Picayune's Creole Cookbook

they are going to be expensive this year...get ready. between Ike and the recession...

jambalaya maybe? you can throw in just about anything

How about Prejean's in Lafayette. Take a look at the menu posted on the website and tell me it doesn't make you hungry.

Digging up an old thread here... I just bought shiitake mushroom log at a local farmer's market. It was only $15. Does anyone have any experience with these? I am really looking forward to the harvest in 10 days. In case I have more than I can handle, does anyone know how to dry these?

I am surprised to hear you say Cochon is closed. They are still listed on Tom Fitzmorris' site. Other places to try would be KPaul or Mulate's (IMO)

Not exactly a website, this is a pdf called "From Woodstoves to Microwaves". http://www.nolafoodie.com/downloads/nopsirecipes.pdf These are old New Orleans recipes. They used to come in your electric bill.

Thank you for posting this - I like the idea a lot - no batteries! I've found that when the HandiVac stops pulling a vacuum it sounds exactly the same, so it takes a while for me to realize the batteries need changing. Please let us know if it holds the vacuum - I don't see why it wouldn't. ← I did a bag of small pork chops a few days ago. So far, it is still a tight seal. I got the bags at Target and all they had were the quart ones. I think they were about $.25 per bag. And, I just opened the bag, took our a pork chop and resealed the bad!

Does anyone have any experience with the newish Ziploc system? I got a starter kit just a few days ago. I consists of a small hand pump and the bags are just regular ziplocs, but they have a flap that acts as a valve. With my limited experimenting, I don't believe a professional vacuum could pull out more air. Now, will the vacuum last....

On the topic of creole vs cajun, there is a large difference between the two. Cajun tends to be south central, south western Louisiana and creole tends to be the New Orleans area. Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen is of course a great source of information on cajun cooking. Anything by John Folse is great also. I don't know if it is still in print, but The Picayune's Creole Cook Book is an excellent source for great New Orleans creole cooking

I inherited a Doufeu from my mother a few years ago. I start off with ice on the top and find that it evaporates after a couple of hours. It can then be replaced without removing the lid, which I believe would let moisture escape....defeating the purpose of the Doufeu. I personally prefer the metal handles on each side. This makes a very heavy pot easier to handle.