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.

STRAWBERRY LEMON CURD TART

Meyer Lemon and Strawberry Tart

Serves 6 to 8

Meyer Lemon Curd
8 eggs
2 cups sugar
12 ounces lemon juice
1 pound, 5 ounces butter, cubWisk together eggs, sugar and juice. Place over double boiler, over medium heat. (Do not allow water to boil). Whisk until thickened and ribbons form. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter until incorporated. Chill.
Microwave Lemon Curd

I have made the British teatime favorite, lemon curd, in the microwave for years. The trick is to follow the directions. Do not skip stirring at one-minute intervals, and you must use fresh juice and real butter. In the unlikely possibility that you don't use it all immediately, it will keep for weeks in the refrigerator. Makes about 2...

Tart Dough
1 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 ounces cold butter, cubed
1 egg
1 tablespoon ice cold water
1 pint strawberries

Put flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in food processor. Pulse dry ingredients until resembles texture of corn meal. Whisk egg and water together. Slowly pulse in egg mixture to dry ingredients until it forms a ball.

Wrap dough ball in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Dust work surface with flour. Roll out chilled dough to 1/8-inch thick. Mold dough to your tart dish. Chill for additional 30 minutes. Prick dough with fork. Fill tart dish with parchment and pie weights. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Remove weights and parchment and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until no longer tacky.Allow to cool. Add lemon curd. Top with fresh strawberries. Serve with a scoop of Louisiana strawberry sorbet. (see recipe below)

Louisiana Strawberry Sorbet Makes 2 cups
2 cups strained pureed strawberrie1 cup extra thick simple syrup (1 part sugar to 1/4 part water)

Process strawberry mixture in ice cream maker, according to manufacturer's instructions.

LEMON GARLIC MAYONNAISE

INGREDIENTS
1 clove garlic, minced
4 oil-packed anchovies, minced (optional)
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Nutritional Information





PREPARATION
In small food processor or container of an immersion blender, combine garlic, anchovies, egg yolk and mustard. With machine running, slowly drizzle in 2 tablespoons olive oil and process until mixture is smooth and starts to thicken, about 2 minutes.
With machine still running, slowly add remaining olive oil, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon very hot water. (A small splash from the kettle or tap is the right amount.) Process just until mixture reaches a loose mayonnaise consistency. If it curdles or becomes too thick, mix in more hot water a little at a time, pulsing machine so as not to overmix. Taste and adjust seasoning with more lemon juice, salt or pepper. Serve immediately, using a spoon to drizzle over salad, or cover and refrigerate up to 8 hours. Best served fresh, but keeps 2 days.