COLD BREW COFFEE NOLA STYLE

INGREDIENTS
1 pound dark roast coffee and chicory, medium ground
10 cups cold water
Ice
Milk

PREPARATION
Put coffee in a nonreactive container, like a stainless-steel stockpot. Add 2 cups water, stirring gently to wet the grounds, then add remaining 8 cups water, agitating the grounds as little as possible. Cover and let steep at room temperature for 12 hours.

Strain coffee concentrate through a medium sieve, then again through a fine-mesh sieve.
To make iced coffee, fill a glass with ice, add 1/4 cup coffee concentrate and 3/4 to 1 cup milk, then stir. To make café au lait, warm 3/4 to 1 cup milk in a saucepan or microwave, then pour into a mug and add 1/4 cup coffee concentrate. (Concentrate will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.)

GRILLADES AND GRITS

Chef Alan Ehrich's Grillades and GritsMakes 3/4 gallon, 16 servings


1/4 cup vegetable oil


4 pounds veal cutlets, sliced into julienned strips


1 cup Burgundy wine


1/2 cup sherry wine


2 sticks butter (half a pound)


2 cups all-purpose flour


1 pound green bell peppers, julienned


1 pound red bell peppers, julienned


1 pound jumbo onions, julienned


2 stalks celery, diced


1/2 cup diced green onion


1/4 cup minced fresh garlic


1 tablespoon black pepper


1 tablespoon salt


4 or 5 bay leaves


1 teaspoon Crystal hot sauce


1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce


1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes


3 tablespoons Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning


1-1/2 quarts (6 cups) beef stock


2 tablespoons Kitchen Bouquet


Hot grits, made with cream and cheese, for serving


Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Salt and pepper the strips of veal. Working in batches if necessary, sear and brown the strips of veal. When all are browned, remove to a large bowl. Deglaze the pan with Burgundy and sherry, scraping up bits of the browned fond to incorporate in the sauce. Whisk and stir until most of the bits dissolve. Add this sauce to the strips in the bowl.


Melt butter in the skillet. Over medium heat, stir in flour to make a roux the color and texture of peanut butter. Add peppers, onions, celery and garlic. Stir and cook 2 or 3 minutes. Transfer to a larger pot (at least 4 quarts). Add salt and pepper, bay leaves, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, diced tomatoes and their liquid, Tony's, beef stock and Kitchen Bouquet. Add in the reserved veal strips and sauce.


Turn heat to low. The sauce now needs to cook an hour or two, until the meat is tender and the flour from the roux is cooked in. Stir occasionally. If needed, add water, 1/2 cup at a time, to keep sauce at a gravy-like consistency. When meat is tender, check the seasoning and adjust if needed.


Serve over hot grits. Or, divide into smaller batches and refrigerate for up to four days.


*

RICOTTA COOKIES

Christmas Cookie Class Recipes

Italian Ricotta cookies:
1/2 lb softened butter
2 c sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 lb ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 tsp anise or vanilla extract
4 1/2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

I'm large mixing bowl beat the butter & sugar.  Add eggs, ricotta & vanilla. Beat until creamy.
Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt.
Add to the batter slowly until just mixed.
Drop by teaspoon full on greased baking sheet.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 mins.
Let cool.
Icing:  2 c confectionary sugar, 4 tbs milk mixed well together in a bowl.
Drizzle over cooled cookies and add sprinkles.

CARNE ASADA

Authentic Carne Asada

 

Prep time

2 hours

Cook Time

20 mins

Time to Make It

2 hours 20 mins

 

Author: Rachel Farnsworth

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 2 limes, juiced
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• ½ cup orange juice
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 (2 pound) flank steak

Instructions

1. In a gallon size resealable bag, combine lime juice, crushed garlic, orange juice, cilantro, salt, pepper, olive oil, jalapeno, and vinegar. Squeeze it around to mix it up.
2. Put the entire flank steak into the resealable bag. Seal it up tight. Make sure all the meat is exposed to the marinade, squishing the bag around to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
3. Heat an outdoor grill to high heat.
4. Remove the flank steak from the marinade, and discard excess marinade. Cook on the grill for 7 to 10 minutes per side.
5. Once done, remove from heat and let rest 10 minutes. Slice against the grain, and serve.

ARANCINI

AranciniMakes about 24

3 ounces thin-sliced pancetta, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

2 tablespoon olive oil, divided

1 medium leek, washed, chopped (white and light green part only)

1 cup Arborio rice

1 cup dry white wine

3-1/4 cup to 3 3/4 cup chicken stock

1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

1 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper, divided

3 tablespoons grated Kerrygold Dubliner or Parmesan cheese

1 pound spinach, washed, stems discarded

3 ounces fresh buffalo mozzarella

2 cups Panko bread crumbs

2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

2 teaspoons dried basil

1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

2 large eggs, beaten

Oil for frying 

Place pancetta and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in large saute pan over medium heat. Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes or until pancetta starts to look crisp. Add leek, cooking until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add Arborio rice and cook about 3 more minutes, or until rice starts to turn translucent around the edges.

Add wine and cook, stirring frequently until rice absorbs wine. Add stock, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly. Wait until rice absorbs liquid before adding more. Continue adding stock until you have used 3-1/4 cups. Taste rice, and if it's too firm, add another 1/2 cup stock. Once rice is finished, stir in 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper and grated cheese. Set side.

In separate pan, add remaining olive oil and heat on medium high. Add spinach and simmer until wilted. Allow to cool slightly. Squeeze spinach to remove as much liquid as possible. Stir spinach into risotto. Allow risotto to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.

Cut buffalo mozzarella into just under 1/2-inch cubes.

Mix Panko bread crumbs, parsley, basil, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in medium-sized bowl.

Beat eggs in a bowl until uniform in color.

Once risotto has cooled, form risotto balls. To prevent sticking, wet hands; shake off excess water. Scoop up about 1 to 2 tablespoons of risotto and flatten it into a disk in palm of hand. Place cube of mozzarella in the center and gently form rice around cheese cube. Roll rice ball between your hands to help form a sphere, making sure cheese is fully covered.

After forming the Arancini, roll them in an egg wash and then in seasoned bread crumbs before frying. (Photo by Ann Maloney, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)

Form all balls first. Then, one by one, roll rice ball in egg wash, then in bread crumb mixture, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat until all balls are made.

Place cookie sheet in refrigerator for a few minutes.

Pour oil into deep saute pan or Dutch oven until it reaches about 1-1/2 inch deep. Heat oil to 350 degrees.

Remove balls from refrigerator. Gently shake each ball to knock off any loose crumbs. Carefully place batch of balls into oil and fry. Do not overcrowd. Turn constantly to ensure even cooking, about 3 to 4 minutes or until ball is golden brown.

Remove balls to paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Wait for oil to reheat to 350 degrees and fry another batch, repeating until all are cooked.

Let cool slightly before serving.

AUSTRIAN NUT CAKE

"This cake was traditionally a birthday cake in my friend's home. Her mother is from Hungary and only has this recipe in her head! Now it will be preserved.... Note: hazelnuts may be toasted or untoasted. The skins may be removed or left on."

Ingredients

• 12 ounces hazelnuts
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 6 egg yolks
• 5/8 cup white sugar

• 6 egg whites
• 1 pint heavy whipping cream
• 1/8 cup chopped hazelnuts, for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan. Grind hazelnuts until very fine. Add baking powder and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whip the egg yolks with the sugar until pale yellow in color. Beat in the ground hazelnut mixture.
3. In a separate CLEAN bowl, with a CLEAN whisk, whip the egg whites until stiff. Quickly fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the yolk mixture, then add the remaining whites and fold in until no streaks remain.
4. Pour into a 9 inch springform. Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 75 minutes, or until top of cake springs back when lightly tapped. Cool on wire rack.
5. When cake is cool, slice horizontally into 3 layers. Whip the cream until stiff, and spread generously between layers, on top and on the sides of the cake. Sprinkle chopped hazelnuts on top for decoration.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2017 Allrecipes.com 

NUT CAKE

Vash's Nut Cake
Total Time:
1 hr 52 min
Prep:
20 min
Inactive:
2 min
Cook:
1 hr 30 min
Yield:10 servings
Level:Easy
Ingredients

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
6 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons milk, water or whiskey
3 cups hickory nuts or pecans, chopped (hickory nuts are best)
1 cup whiskey or bourbon, plus more for re-wetting the cheesecloth if the cake is stored for any length of time
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, whipped, for serving with cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a tube pan.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually add flour, baking powder, and milk or whiskey. Fold in nuts and pour into prepared baking pan. Place a shallow pan of water on the bottom rung of the oven. Bake the cake in the middle of the oven for 1 1/2 hours, or until golden brown and a tester comes out clean when placed in the center of the cake.
Allow cake to cool on a cooling rack. When the cake has cooled completely, use a pastry brush to coat all sides of the cake with whiskey. This should use about 3/4 cup. Wrap the cake in a piece of cheesecloth and pour the remaining 1/4 cup of whiskey over the cheesecloth so that it is damp. Store the cake in the refrigerator for several weeks, re-wetting the cheesecloth as needed with additional whiskey.
Serve with whipped cream.

POKE SALET DIP

Here is the poke salat dip recipe.  Up here they bread and pan fry the stalks when they're no more than about 10 inches tall too.  Just pick oh the leaves and cut the stalks into asparagus stalk lengths, dip them first in flour, then in beaten eggs and finally fry them in about 1/4 inch of oil or bacon grease, turning to fry evenly on all sides.  I sprinkle each serving with Parmesan cheese if I have some.

They also use the bushes as a landscaping plant in Michigan.

"Poke, the Phytolacca americana of the botanists, is probably the best known and most widely used wild vegetable in America. The Indian tribes eagerly sought it and early explorers were unstinting in their praise of this succulent potherb. They carried seeds when they went back home and poke soon became a popular cultivated garden vegetable in southern Europe and North Africa, a position it still maintains. In America it is still a favorite green vegetable with many country people and the tender young sprouts, gathered from wild plants, often appear in vegetable markets, especially in the South." Stalking the Wild Asparagus, Euell Gibbons

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup poke salad, cooked and drained (or canned)
1 ½ cups sour cream
2 cups mayonnaise
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup pecans
1 cup sliced green onions
2 tsps herb-seasoned salt
1 ½ tsps oregano
1 tsp dried dill weed
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and black pepper
1 large red cabbage
METHOD:
In a large mixing bowl, combine poke salad, sour cream, mayonnaise, cream cheese, pecans and green onions. Using a wooden spoon, mix thoroughly until all ingredients are well blended. Add herb seasoning, oregano, dill weed and lemon juice. Season to taste using salt and pepper. Cover bowl with clear wrap and place in refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours. Trim core end of cabbage to form a flat base. Cut a crosswise slice from the top, making it wide enough to remove about a 1/4 of the cabbage. Lift out enough inner leaves to form a shell or bowl about 1-inch thick. Spoon dip into cavity of cabbage and serve with an assortment of fresh vegetables or croutons.

BIG FREEDIAS YAKKA MEIN RECIPE

This recipe for Big Freedia's version of ya-ka-mein takes bout 2-1/2 hours to finish. It is slated to be included in the Queen of Bounce's upcoming cookbook and featured at BUKU Music and Art Project 2016.

Big Freedia's Twerk-a-MeinMakes 6 to 8 servings

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, CHOPPED

1 large celery stalk, preferably with leaves, chopped

2 scallions, finely chopped, plus more for garnish

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 large garlic clove, minced

3 to 4 pounds beef chuck or stew meat, cut into 1-inch chunks

Salt and black pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons Creole spice blend (or more to taste)

3 or 4 eggs (1/2 egg per serving)

1 pound spaghetti

Put 2 tablespoons of olive oil in large Dutch oven or other heavy soup pot over medium heat. When it's hot, add onion, bell pepper, celery, scallions, parsley and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

Season beef with salt and pepper, then add beef, soy sauce, and Creole spice blend, along with 3 quarts (12 cups) of water to vegetables. Bring mixture to boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot, and simmer until beef is very tender, about 2 hours.

Meanwhile, add eggs to saucepan of boiling water and cook for 10 minutes. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Carefully drain eggs, and transfer them to ice bath. Peel eggs and cut them in half lengthwise. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook until al dente, usually 7 to 8 minutes, depending on thickness of pasta. Drain spaghetti, return it to pot, toss with remaining tablespoon of olive oil to keep noodles from sticking. Cover to keep warm.

When beef is tender, reduce heat under the pot to low. Transfer the meat to large bowl with slotted spoon, and shred it with two forks. Return meat to the pot, and taste and adjust seasoning.

To serve, follow Freedia's instructions: "To assemble Yaka like my momma did, add spaghetti noodles into a bowl and then swiggle and wiggle some of the beef stew in. Shake with sliced green onion and hardboiled egg on top!"

CRAB MAC AND CHEESE

Crab meat mac and cheese
Serves 8 to 10

1 pound pasta

1 quart half-and-half

1/4 cup cornstarch slurry (1/4 cup hot water mixed with 4 heaping teaspoons cornstarch)

8 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced, roasted (optional)

7 ounces Irish Cheddar, grated

7 ounces Fontina, grated

4 green onions, chopped

1 pound crab meat (see variations below)

1/4 teaspoon Creole seasoning, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste

1/2 cup brioche bread crumbs (or Panko)

1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano

Dash of Creole seasoning for top

Preheat broiler.

Boil pasta in lightly salted water to al dente or desired doneness. Drain very well. Toss with a teaspoon or two of olive oil and place back in pot or in a large bowl. Keep warm.

Place cream over medium-low flame and bring just to simmer. Vigorously whisk cornstarch slurry into cream until smooth and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add cheese, a handful at a time, whisking until completely melted and smooth.

Place crab in a single layer atop parchment paper and place in a 200-degree oven for about 2 to 3 minutes, no longer, to heat and remove moisture.

Place crab, green onions and mushrooms in a bowl and toss with seasoning. Add to cheese sauce and stir until incorporated.

Add cheese sauce to pasta in bowl. Gently toss until all pasta is covered with sauce.  

Scoop mac and cheese into well-greased 13-by-9-inch glass baking dish. (Alternately, place in single-serving, well-greased 2-cup ramekins, if desired.)

Sprinkle with bread crumbs and Romano cheese. Place under broiler for 15 to 20 seconds to brown the topping. Watch carefully so it does not burn.

How to roast mushrooms: Add flavor to creamy dishes

Roasting mushrooms removes moisture, making them a great addition to cream sauces.

South Louisiana variations:

Proteins should be cooked before adding them to the cheese sauce. All have moisture in them, especially seafood, which can release a lot of water when cooked. To ensure the seafood and meats are warm and dry before adding them to the mac and cheese, lay each on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and place it in a 200-degree oven for 3-4 minutes, no longer.

Crab: If using commercially packaged crab, which can be very moist, place in a colander and let it sit in the sink for a few minutes. If very moist, gently squeeze out as much moisture as possible without crushing the lump crab.

Shrimp: 1 pound peeled shrimp. It's great to use shrimp from a seafood boil, but if that's not available, boil them in salted water with 2 teaspoons of liquid crab boil. Bring water to a boil. Add shrimp. Bring water back to a boil and then turn water off and let sit for 3 to 5 minutes or until shrimp are done. De-vein and rough-chop.

Andouille: 12 ounces sausage, cut into bite-size or smaller pieces.

Crawfish: 1 pound peeled crawfish tails, preferably cooked in a crawfish boil, de-veined. If large, rough-chop.

Andouille mac and cheese. (Photo by Ann Maloney, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune) 

Here is an alternative mac and cheese made with a blonde roux and sharp cheddar. It is good without a protein, but we tried it with andouille and shrimp and enjoyed it with both.

Andouille mac and cheese
Serves 10 to 12

1 pound small rigatoni pasta, cooked al dente

12 ounces andouille sausage, cut into bite-size pieces

2-1/2 cups heavy cream

6 tablespoons butter, divided

3 tablespoons flour

7 ounces fontina

8 ounces sharp cheddar

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

6 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped

Creole seasoning, if desired

Preheat broiler to high and lightly grease a 9-by-13 baking dish.

Make a roux by heating 3 tablespoons of the butter and flour in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until thick and smooth, about 3 to 5 minutes, just until it begins to darken.

Heat 1/2 cup of cream, add to roux and quickly whisk until well blended. Add remaining cream to the pan and bring to a simmer.

Cook, stirring until mixture thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Add grated cheese by handfuls, whisking continuously until smooth, about 5 minutes. Add seasoning and whisk.

Place warm pasta in big bowl or pot. Add andouille. Pour in cheese sauce. Gently mix until pasta is full coated.

Adjust seasoning to taste.

Ladle mac and cheese into baking dish.

Place bread crumbs and remaining tablespoons of butter in a bowl and heat in microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and check, heating for a few seconds each time, until light brown and crisp. Stir in parsley. Sprinkle mixture evenly atop mac and cheese.

Place under the broiler for 10 to 15 seconds, check and continue until golden brown. Watch carefully to prevent burning.

Serve immediately.

This kid-friendly mac and cheese is made with Velveeta and cheddar. (Photo by Ann Maloney, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)

If your kids -- or the kid in you -- wants an orange and easy mac and cheese, without the slurries and roux and without all of that whisking, this one might do the trick. Here, we let Velveeta do some of the work. We bought good quality cheese and cheddar and then tossed in a bit of the processed stuff.

It's a trick chefs use when making mac and cheese for "family meals," which is what restaurants call the food served to staff.

"I'll be honest with you, I don't know anybody who does not like Velveeta shells and cheese," Thibodeaux said. "If it's around, you're going to take a bite, you're probably going to take two bites."

He tells this story about one restaurant where he previously worked: "We didn't serve American cheese, but we had it on hand just for family meals. We would just heat up heavy cream in a big old pot and let it boil really good and then reduce down slightly. Then, we'd just take singles and throw them in. And something about that American cheese does the same thing and kind of acts like a stabilizer. After putting the American in there, you can come back with any cheese you wanted and add.

"There's something there about that cream and American cheese working together. I don't even know if I want to know what it is. I just know that it works," he said. "It just makes that sauce more forgiving."

Kid-friendly mac and cheeseMakes 10 to 12 servings

1 pound shell or elbow macaroni, cooked al dente

2-1/2 cups half and half

8 ounces Velveeta, cut into small pieces

7 ounces sharp cheddar, grated

1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-by-13 baking dish.  

Place cream in pot and bring to simmer. Add cheddar and Velveeta. Allow it to sit for a few minutes over low heat, then gently stir until cheese melts.

Pour cheese sauce over pasta and mix until well-coated.

Pour mac and cheese into prepared pan. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top, if desired.

Bake for 15 minutes.

If you want the top to be golden, run it under the broiler for about 10 to 15 seconds.

Serve immediately.

COCONUT PECAN CHOCOLATE TART

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temperature
60 grams confectioner's sugar (about 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon)
1 large egg yolk
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
150 grams all-purpose flour (about 1 1/4 cups)
20 grams Dutch-processed cocoa powder (about 1/4 cup)
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
⅓ cup honey
2 tablespoons heavy cream
55 grams dark brown sugar (about 1/3 cup)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons bourbon
30 grams coconut flakes (about 1/2 cup)
175 grams whole pecans (about 1 3/4 cups)

PREPARATION
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together 8 tablespoons butter and the confectioner's sugar. Beat in the yolk until combined, then beat in the vanilla. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder and 1/8 teaspoon salt. With the mixer running on low, beat in the dry ingredients until just combined. Scrape the dough into a ball and flatten into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap and chill 1 hour.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into an 11-inch round. Transfer to a 10-inch fluted tart pan. Chill 30 minutes.
Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line the crust with foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Bake 15 minutes; remove weights and foil and return crust to the oven to bake until dry to the touch, 5 to 10 minutes more. Cool.
Melt the remaining stick of butter. In a bowl, combine butter, honey, cream, brown sugar, egg, bourbon and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Stir in the coconut and pecans. Pour filling into the crust. Bake until the top is golden brown and the filling is gently set, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool completely before serving.