March 12, 2015 | Louisiana Kitchen & Culture

March 12, 2015

A Call for Recipes! We've had a last-minute change of plans for our upcoming May/June issue and are looking for outstanding Louisiana-style dishes to take to pot lucks; there are all kinds of family gatherings coming up over the next few months.

I need you to send me your best dish. If we publish your recipe, I'll send you a little gift (you have to be a paid subscriber to the print magazine for consideration).

Click here to email me; please include your contact information, list of ingredients, method, and approximate number of servings or yield. Bonus- a history of the recipe, family anecdote about it, etc. We're looking for starters, soups, salads, entrées, and desserts appropriate for summer gatherings. We'll review and choose early next week.

A big congratulations to my friend and LK&C contributor George Graham; his blog, Acadiana Table, is a finalist for the International Association of Culinary Professionals' Best Food Blog Award. It's well deserved; he does a great job of representing Louisiana's Cajun and Creole foodways.

Saturday, I am going to the World's Slowest Secondline. As I've mentioned here before, Brennan's in the French Quarter underwent massive renovations and reopened last fall. Part of the renovation included a complete revamp of the fountain in the courtyard, which displaced the resident turtles to temporary shelter in the back yard of executive chef Haley Bitterman.

Called "the Mothas and the Othas", five of the turtles are named after the "Mother" sauces: Béchamel, Espagnole, Hollandaise, Tomate, and Velouté; The "Othas" are named Remoulade, Ravigote, Bordelaise, Mignonette, and Cocktail (the lone male of the bale), also classic sauces in our cuisine. They are returning home to Brennan's, in style, of course, with a parade; everyone is invited to join in the festivities. Each turtle has its own float, decorated by Brennan's staff and their children, to tell the history of its name. Ralph Brennan himself will lead the parade, and I am assured that turtle soup, delicious as it is, will not be part of the morning's menu. Bagpipes, a police motorcade, and sabering off the top of a bottle of champagne will round out the spectacle. The parade convenes at 10:15 at 550 Bienville; proceeds down Chartres, turns left on St. Peter, and left on Royal to finish in front of Brennan's. The turtles will be escorted down the green carpet to their newly-rennovated luxurious accommodations in the courtyard. Only in Louisiana...

Many of my magazine subscribers received their March/April issue in the last few days; I've heard from many expressing delight at the crawfish recipes, and the technique presented on how to roast various cuts of meat. Drop me a note and let me know what you liked best about the issue.

There are St. Patrick's Day parades and festivities all over the state. Whatever you do this weekend, enjoy this week's recipes, share them with family and friends, and, as always, let me know what's on your mind.

Susan Ford

Susan Ford, President

Our Kitchen & Culture, LLC

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March/April 2015:

Subscribe Today: Get your copy next week!

Resources:

Louisiana Farmers Markets - buy local

Louisiana Visitors' Centers

Tip of the Week:

Perfect Poached Eggs

Miss last week's recipes?

• Garlic Shrimp (most popular last week)

• Braised Beef Shortribs

• Chicken Noodle Vegetable Shrimp

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	Guinness Beef Pot Pie The filling for this pot pie is a hearty beef stew that's braised for almost three hours in Guinness, in the oven. Interestingly enough, the stew is finished off with cheddar cheese. It is then portioned out into individual-sized baking dishes, topped with pie crust, and baked for another half an hour. The time invested is mainly hands-off, a good choice for a lazy afternoon. Click to forward this email and recipes.

	Irish Stew If your St. Patrick's Day parade throws includes cabbages, potatoes, onions, and carrots, you'll want to make a nice Irish stew. This recipe has you making a stock from lamb bones; that's certainly the tastiest route, but feel free to substitute a good boxed beef broth, and even swap the lamb for some beef it you'd like. Just be sure to have some good bread on hand to soak up the tasty stock. Click to forward this email and recipes.

	Crawfish Macque Choux over Fried Eggplant Chef Danny Trace of Brennan's in Houston declared it crawfish season earlier this week - Danny, this one's for you. This recipe first appeared in the Premiere edition of the magazine, which means it was cooked and photographed right about this time three years ago. One reader declared it one of the best things she'd ever prepared, and it's certainly a favorite of mine. Give it a try, and let me know what you think. Just make sure you go for authentic Louisiana crawfish tails. Click to forward this email and recipes.