New Orleans: Crawfish, brew-throughs, and beignets

NOLA is famous for their amazing food. Crawfish. Brew-throughs. Beignets.

When I went to Louisiana after graduation, the first thing we did was go to a local seafood restaurant. At that restaurant, there was all things seafood. You could order poor boy sandwiches (I never knew what they were). There were also fried pickles, which looked interested at the very least, but I did not try out of my fear of pickles. Or you can do what everyone else does, and get crawfish by the pound. Yes, crawfish!

Crawfish. The fried pickles are in the back.

The crawfish had to be eaten a certain way too. You held the crustacean with both of your hands, then you pinch and yank off the head. You rip apart the back of the shell, followed by the intestinal stripe across the back and the legs, upon which you pop into your mouth. It is VERY tasty and juicy. The only one complaint I have of them is sometimes their sizes are very small, making me question my efforts as I earnestly peel and shuck them. I must have eaten at least six pounds of crawfish during the four days I was there.


Next, the drive-in / drive-through daquiri stops. So apparently, alcohol rules are very lax in New Orleans. Lax to the point that there are daquiri shops all over Louisiana that you can either sit in and drink like at an old school fountain shoppe, or you can enter the DRIVE THROUGH and order a daquiri to go. Isn't this a novel idea?? The legislation for these stores require the daquiris to be served in a closed container, though, so the lady in the drive through will hand you a drink without a straw or a drink with the container shut. But still. The idea is mindblowing. Probably the best part of the whole venture is the deluxe daquiri containers. The biggest jug is a whopping 52 ounce container that is approximately the size of a watermelon. And apparently only the "manliest of men" get it, because it is a guaranteed brain freeze and intesely alcoholic night.

Brew throughs. Only in LA.




Finally, there is the legendary, world famous Cafe Du Monde, at the corner of the New Orleans sqaure. This is the GO TO place for Sunday morning breakfast. It is not an uncommon sight to see a line of 100+ people for a seat at this place, but fortunately service is quick, so the line is fairly brisk. We waited about 45 minutes in line. Cafe Du Monde is famous for their beignets. You get three fried donuts with each order, which is more than enough to fill you up for a pleasant morning. The donuts are warm, with a light sweetness in their spongy taste. It is served generously dusted with powdered sugar, and you may take soda or coffee with it. Best of all, the beignets are under two dollars, so it is completely possible to have an excellent breakfast complete with coffee for under five bucks! Coming from Los Angeles, this is very refreshing.




Food in the Big Easy = excellent

Potato Soup for Next Winter

Admittedly it is spring now, and I am long overdue in posting this recipe for Potato & Leek soup. But hey, now we'll be prepared for the next cold season. I first made this type of soup in Budapest one year ago, when it was still quite chilly, and I was so surprised to find out how simple it was that even I could throw it together. This is probably the first soup that has lessened my intimidation of cooking soups.

I used an amalgam of various recipes, but it's always really easy: saute garlic, diced onions and leeks if you have them (only the white & light green parts), then add sliced potatoes and cover with water or stock or broth. Let simmer, then mash, and add some cream or milk, season to taste (salt, pepper, rosemary?, paprika?, oregano/basil?).
Sorry folks, I guess I follow my grandmother's method of recipe providing: just enough of this, just enough of that, and the recipient sits there jaw-open wondering, "specifically, HOW MUCH?"

So here is a recap of a recipe I've pulled from:
4 slices bacon
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 leeks - white and light green parts only, cleaned and sliced thin
2.5 - 3 lbs. potatoes, scrubbed and sliced thin
chicken stock or water to cover
2 bay leaves
2 parmesan rinds (optional but a neat idea if you have them)
1/2 cup cream (probably less than 1/2 cup will do. Can also use milk, and read somewhere that you can try eggnog but haven't done so myself)
salt and pepper to taste

For serving;
shredded cheddar cheese
chopped scallions
sour cream
crumbled bacon
admittedly these toppings sound heart-clogging, but if anything, definitely use the chopped scallions!

The Gold Room

Technically this is a bar, but they serve tacos so I will stretch the justification. $1 tequila shots with $4 beer, endless peanuts, friendly waitresses (and busty, for you men out there), planets on the ceiling, and free tacos---what more could you want from a bar?! The tacos certainly don't match up to El Taurino, but FREE? did you hear that?

23rd St. Cafe

Eight months into living at my current apartment, I finally discover the cafe at the corner! Only 4 months left to enjoy the eclectic and delicious mix of American, Mexican and most importantly, Indian cuisine. To be honest, I've only had the Indian (tikka masala, chicken saag, and some cauliflower dish), but it's all been fantastic. The dishes come with rice, lentils, cucumber raita and naan, and for an economical&busy student, you can make it stretch for 2 meals easy. The ambiance inside isn't the best, but their tiny outside courtyard is really cute when it's sunny outside. You can almost forget where you are in LA, but good luck actually getting a seat outside--there are only around 3 tables.

Duke's Malibu

so I don't really go out and dine that much usually because I can be notoriously cheap when it comes to food, and I hate putting effort into dressing up, looking presentable, and driving out. but sometimes I do go out and eat at a nice place, and when I do, the results can be pretty pleasing. this morning I went to Duke's in Malibu, a restaurant participating in the DineLA promotion. it is merely twenty miles from USC, just up the Pacific Coast Highway, but when you are in the restaurant you seem to be in an entirely different location. Duke's prides itself on its Hawaiian food and its spectacular view, and every place in the restaurant gives you a gleaming, unobstructed view of the Pacific Ocean, complete with sailboats, pelicans, and crashing surf on the shore.


the restaurant is a tribute to the late Duke Kahanamoku - famed surfer, swimmer, and Hawai'ian legend. the menu boasts a Hawaiian twist to typical food - lots of pineapple and mango influences on fish entres. we got the brunch buffet, which is an all-you-can-eat free for all of breakfast enticements. there were browned potatoes, eggs benedict, island eggs benedict, Hawaiian cerviche (which I encourage everyone to try, it was my favorite option), lox and bagels, and other breakfast fare. there was also a carved meat section, where you can order roast beef or ham, though I hear that the RB was a bit dry. one third of the food area was also exclusively devoted to dessert fare - mini scones, chocolate covered strawberries, tropical fruit, cookies, bars, etc.

I would say that Duke's is an experience that can only be found in LA. supposedly celebrities frequent it, and evaluating the young fashioned people at the restaurant, I believe it. it is quite tasty, and when I go to Hawai'i in April, I'm certainly going to be wondering if Duke's was a good represtation of original island fare.

A Note on French Restaurants in LA

My buddy Billy has a penchant for french onion soup, so at his behest, we have gone to a few swank French restaurants in LA.

Cafe des Artiste
1534 N Mccadden Pl
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 469-7300

Despite our walking in at 10 pm on a Sunday night, wearing classically collegiate attire (zip-hoodies, skinny jeans, etc.), and not ordering entrees or alcohol, we received perfectly respectful service. The french onion was good, but we will continue to explore LA until we find the one we cannot substitute. We also ordered from the dessert menu and I have to say: the Brioche Pudding with caramel sauce, I die!
However, the real winner was the ambiance of this tiny, reclusive restaurant. Most of the seating is in the front or back patio, supplemented with plenty of heat lamps and dim lighting. I'd love to come back to this place a little older, a little richer and a lot in love.


Mimosa
8009 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 655-8895

Next we tried Mimosa, owned/operated by the same Chef as Cafe des Artistes. It has a home-y, comfortable and simple interior, though some of the 'flame' lamps didn't quite go with the rest of the decor. We were a bit more prepared in terms of attire, but the host and service were on point regardless. A jar of olives, a jar of cornichons and a basket of bread were immediately brought to the table. Once again we sampled the french onion soup, which overall I preferred to the previous spot, but it could have used a larger proportion of cheese and fewer onions. We also split two appetizer's: the House Country Pate with onion marmelade, and the Mac and Cheese gratin with prosciutto. The pate was not what I was expecting-I suppose I prefer a smoother texture. The mac and cheese, while oily, was really damn good and the bits of bacon were a nice touch. I often steer away from Mac and Cheese cuz Kraft just does it so well, haha, but in terms of 'gourmet' mac and cheese, this succeeds.

The prices at both places were, ahem, what you might expect of a French spot. So, go collegiate like us, and stick to appetizers/dessert, or win a lot in Vegas and splurge.

link for both:
http://mimosarestaurant.com/client/mimosa/index.html

Have I been watching too much Top Chef? Methinks yes. But I am no Padma. Thank God.

Greg's Birthday: Salmon Fillets with Mango Salsa and Yellow Cake with Lemon Cream Frosting

So Lena, Alex, and I made dinner for our friend Greg for his birthday last weekend. I made my favorite salmon dish, which features a zesty mango salsa. I had originally imagined this salsa myself, then input all the ingredients into the search site on Epicurious and adapted their recipe.

Salsa recipe:
2 mangoes, diced (should not be fully ripe yet)
1 large red onion, diced
1 small jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1/4 C lime juice, freshly squeezed
2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Mix all ingredients in large bowl, adding last four ingredients last. Start with adding only a portion of the onion and jalapeno pepper, and add more to taste.


Salmon:
2lbs salmon fillet
1 Tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup mango salsa, above

Lay fillet(s) out on foil-covered cookie sheet or broiler pan. With brush, lightly coat fillets in melted butter. Spread salsa over salmon, massaging lightly into fillets. Be sure to rub salt and pepper into fillets for flavor. Can add more salt, pepper if there's not enough from the salsa.

Bake at 350 F for roughly 15 minutes. I suck at this part and compulsively check the salmon with a fork to check if it flakes. When it flakes, it's done.

Serve with mango salsa. Pairs nicely with wild rice, spinach salad, and white wine (I think chardonnay goes well).

So I also made a yellow cake with lemon cream frosting, as per Greg's request. I used a yellow cake recipe from Epicurious:

2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs, kept at room temperature for 30 minutes
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup whole milk ... I didn't have whole milk so I used 1/4 C heavy cream and 1/2 C skim milk

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 13- by 9-inch metal baking pan (not dark) or 2 (8- or 9-inch) round pans.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.
Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla, and beat until thoroughly incorporated, about 5 minutes. Mix in flour mixture in 4 batches alternately with milk at low speed, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix until batter is just smooth, then spread evenly in pan.
Bake cake in middle of oven until it begins to pull away from sides of pan and a tester comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes (cake will be pale in color, not golden brown like a cake-mix cake). Cool 5 minutes in pan, then invert onto a rack and cool completely.

The frosting I made from a recipe on Epicurious. I only used half the amount the recipe called for and had more than enough frosting.

So, adjusted to the amount I used is the recipe:

1 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Beat in lemon peel and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate until just firm enough to spread, about 15-20 minutes.