• 2 cups cooked rice (jasmine works well)
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup dates, chopped
• 2 eggs, large beaten
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• nutmeg, freshly grated
• 1 vanilla bean split

Lemon Sauce

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest, grated
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Rice Pudding With Lemon Sauce

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• 1 quart tomato juice
• 1 cup vodka or gin
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon or lime
• 1 tablespoon Worcestshire sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco or to taste
• celery for garnish

Classic Bloody Mary Cocktail

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• 1 1/2 lbs ground round steak
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon Worcestshire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco pepper sauce (to taste)
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/3 cup finely chopped parsely

Ultimate Hamburger

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• 6 cups apple cider
• 1/4 cup real maple syrup
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 6 whole cloves
• 6 whole allspice berries
• 1 orange peel, cut into strips
• 1 lemon peel, cut into strips

Hot Apple Cider

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• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup sweet onion, finely diced
• 1/4 cup celery, finely diced
• 1/2 Jerusalem artichoke, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 2 large avocados
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 lb large shrimp, boiled in well-seasoned broth, chilled, peeled and deveined
• 1 English cucumber, chopped
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
• 1 tablespoon sweet marjoram
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• 1 tablespoon lemon balm
• 1 tablespoon chives
• Balsamic vinegar
• Lettuce leaves

Shrimp Salad with Avocado

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• 1/4 cup ginger, unpeeled and sliced
• 1/4 cup bell pepper, chopped
• 4 to 6 tablespoons olive oil, in all
• 1/2 cup Marsala wine
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups demi-glace
• Salt, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper, plus additional to taste
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup each of chopped mango, kiwi and raspberries
• 1/2 cup white wine
• Juice of 3 lemons
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 sticks (1/2 pound) butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1 cup corn flour (finely ground corn meal)
• 12 shucked Louisiana oysters

Chef's note: Demi-glace can be purchased pre-made in gourmet food stores and on-line. If it is not available, 5 cups low-sodium beef broth, reduced to 1 1/2 cups can be substituted for the demi-glace in this recipe.

 Oysters ala Cafe Giovanni

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• 1 lb chicken breast, poached in seasoned water
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons apricot preserves
• 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons fine chopped walnuts, toasted
• 2 tablespoons chopped sun dried cranberries
• 1/2 small granny smith apples, diced in 1/4-inch squares 
• 1½ tablespoons green onion cut on bias
• salt, to taste
• red pepper, to taste 
• 2 heads Belgium Endive

Endive and Chicken Salad

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• 1 pound pencil-thin asparagus, trimmed
• 1 pound tender green beans, stem ends removed 
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Asparagus and Green Beans

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• 12 raw colossal shrimp,* unpeeled, with heads and tails left on
• 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper**
• 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
• 1 to 3 tablespoons water, divided
• 1 lemon, use half seeded
• 1⁄4 pound (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes warm
• crusty French bread, for serving

*If colossal shrimp are not available, use the largest you can find.
**To coarse-grind the peppercorns, use a blender or pepper mill. The grind is important to the taste of the finished dish.

Note: This dish is prepared only two servings at a time because increasing the number of shrimp beyond 12 would require increasing the dish’s amount of sauce. Reducing the larger amount of sauce would require more cooking time, resulting in over-cooked shrimp

Italian Barbecue Shrimp 

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• 2 ½ sticks unsalted butter, in all
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 pound turtle meat, cut into ½-inch cubes
• 1 cup minced celery
• 2 medium onions, minced
• 1 ½ teaspoons garlic, minced
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon thyme
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 ½ cups tomato purée
• 1 quart beef stock (add turtle bones when making the stock, if available)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste as needed
• ½ cup lemon juice
• 5 hard boiled eggs, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced parsley
• 6 teaspoons dry sherry

Commander's Palace Turtle Soup

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