New Orleans Chef Recipe: Tasty Fig Gelato

Photo/LSU AgCenter -- This LSU Purple fig 

From Denny:  At the Hotel Monteleone’s Criollo Restaurant in the French Quarter this is a seasonal featured dessert, served with slivered almonds, caramelized sugar and lovingly garnished with summer's fresh blackberries.  Figs are hanging off back yard Louisiana trees this month and people are always looking for new recipes utilizing figs.  The Criollo also serves a killer banana split:  small scoops of Pontchtoula (Louisiana grown) strawberry, stone-ground chocolate and fig gelato snuggled up with long slices of banana in sauce, all served in an almond "boat."

The restaurant was willing to seat a couple of food journalists who wandered in just for dessert - and did so graciously.  The chef was also willing to share his recipe!  So, if you are traveling to New Orleans any time soon and fancy a frozen treat to beat the summer heat, just saunter on in to the Hotel Monteleone!  People with this great an attitude deserve a Denny Lyon Bump!  (Stephen Colbert has nothing on me.)  :)

(FYI - artist and journalist Denny Lyon has no association with Hotel Monteleone, just enjoyed reporting on the local news story featuring them)

If you would like to be a guest at this famous historic hotel, here's the contact information:

Hotel Monteleone, an historic luxury French Quarter hotel

214 Royal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130-2201

Email questions:  Reservations@hotelmonteleone.com

Phone:  (504) 523-3341 or Toll-Free at (866) 338-4684

Retro Sunburst 17" Laptop Sleeve

Check out this happy design and a blast from the retro past!

Available in bedding, pillows, shower curtains and more

From Louisiana artist Denny Lyon

Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!  

Chef Recipe: Crawfish Creole and Pepper-Jack Cheese Grits

Singing Crawfish. Costumed revelers by the Mississippi River front, Mardi Gras Day, New Orleans. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Food video included. From Denny:  This Mardi Gras photo of a woman costumed as a singing and accordion playing crawfish was too funny to pass up!  Food photos of cheese grits and crawfish creole are a dime a dozen but this carnival season photo was priceless and sure gave me a grin.

I started this blog as a way to preserve local recipes sent in by readers of the Baton Rouge newspaper.  Why?  Three reasons:  1) five years later and the newspaper still has a really crappy search engine that makes it too difficult to find what you want.  2) the paper starting charging fees for any recipes over a month old - and they don't even own the copyright to those recipes!  3) for years, as the economy went up and down - our house was moving in and out of Louisiana and we sure missed the style of cooking.  It's amazing how when you move out of an area you start to forget the little things like technique or where to shop for that special ingredient that make a recipe taste good.

This food blog was for personal use initially but then decided to open it up for the public too.  It's a lot more popular than I ever expected!  Thank you for your continued support all these years!  

You can print up any of these recipes for personal use.  Just remember that the creator of the recipe owns the copyright so you will have to contact them for publishing in a book.  As a journalist the posts and my writing are copyrighted so not available for reposting without links and permission and/or compensation. (contact my public email: warriorspearl@gmail.com)

Oh, yeah, and on to the chef recipe...  This a WBRZ Chef of the Month recipe from the Le Creole restaurant in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  Before I visit any area I like to go online and check out the local restaurant menus.  I even do it here locally!  Here's the dinner menu and the lunch menu.  

Gives you some serious inspiration for your own home cooking, doesn't it? Now check out this easy to make recipe of Crawfish Creole and Pepper-Jack Cheese Grits.  You can always substitute shrimp or even a tasty firm fish if you cannot get crawfish in your area or the budget does not allow for crawfish.  

This recipe might be nice with calamari if you can get it fresh and already cleaned.  Read a news story a few months ago about how off the coast of California they were inundated with schools of calamari.  Sure makes you think about moving out that way for some good eating! 

Oh, and here's an online Louisiana crawfish supplier from Branch, Louisiana, where you can purchase already cooked or uncooked crawfish - along with other Louisiana products:  CajunCrawfish.

Louisiana Seafood Reusable Shopping Bag - t-shirts for men, women, kids available too!  Check out awesome Louisiana eating: oysters, shrimp, crawfish, gumbo, jambalaya

* * *  Support Warriors Pearl Foundation - contributing to fund efforts to help homeless female military veterans come home.  Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new! 

Holiday Appetizer: Chicken Wings With Two Sauces

From Denny:  OK, who doesn't love chicken wings as a snack or favorite party food?  They sure are a big hit at our house any time, especially when the weather turns chilly, so I'm always looking around for a different take on it or novel sauces. 

The peach sauce is a combination of peach jam, lime juice, garlic, cumin and chili flakes - plenty of heat to balance the sweet jam.  The jalapeno chili pepper sauce is comprised of jalapenos, garlic, sugar, water, vinegar and ginger - plenty of garlic and ginger to complement the chili peppers.

This recipe is so simple that all you have to do is sprinkle the chicken wings liberally with salt and pepper and pop under the broiler at about 4" to 5" and broil for about 20 minutes or so while you make the easy sauces. Both sauces are cooled to room temperature before serving.  This recipe is a slam dunk when you are in a rush and need something easy for a weekend or weekday meal, just add a salad and chips!

Santa Jingle Coin Purse

Chef Recipe From Kingfish: BBQ Shrimp Gaufre With Sweet Potato Spread

From Denny:  Ready for yet another chef inspired version of the classic BBQ Shrimp idea?  This one comes from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at the Kingfish (named after Kingfish Sen. Huey Long who was definitely larger than life).

In Louisiana we love an excuse to use in any dish we can our incredible sweet potatoes grown here.  This is the first time I've seen sweet potatoes used in a BBQ Shrimp recipe!  This chef uses his sweet potatoes to create his version of a "BBQ" sauce poured over the shrimp on top of the waffle...

Angels Rejoice Snowflake Ornament

Holiday Appetizer: Frank's Grill-Pan Curried Shrimp

From Denny:  This is such a simple recipe with big flavors.  Creole seasoned shrimp, quickly grilled while slathered with flavorful sesame oil, then later dipped and coated in a cooling yogurt curry mint sauce.  This can be enjoyed as either an appetizer or as a main dish over your favorite rice.  Need I say more?

Santa Jingle Duffel Bag

Make some merry this holiday season! Jingle Jingle!

Chef Recipe: Louisiana Crawfish or Shrimp Chowder Great For Holidays

From Denny:  Looking for an elegant soup you can pull together quickly but tastes like you worked at it for hours?  This recipe utilizes a couple of canned soups - mushroom and potato - to help speed up the process.  Be sure to purchase the best version of these canned soups that you can find.  A low sodium version would be a good idea as seafood already contains a fair amount of natural sodium.

What also makes this a rich and delectable soup is the cream cheese, butter and half & half cream.  Oh, yeah, this is easily a calorie buster so it's best to serve by the cup as an appetizer.  But hey, if you are feeling lucky try it as a main dish.

I'm no fan of canned mushrooms, especially when you can find them already sliced fresh at the grocery store, packaged up and ready to go.  I prefer to slice whole mushrooms but if you are pressed for time the sliced fresh mushrooms are a great alternative.  If they are available in your area then choose the more flavorful Cremini (baby Portabellos) mushrooms over the white button mushrooms.

If you cannot purchase crawfish in your area then consider adding more shrimp or a local fish you enjoy.  This recipe would be great with a little bit of smoked salmon and plenty of fresh salmon, a little bit of smoked trout and plenty of fresh trout.  If you choose to use a fresh mild fish - and don't want to add a smoked fish - then consider adding some chopped and crisped up bacon to help flavor the soup.

The Creole seasoning used here is to your personal taste, generally about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon for the entire recipe.  Do not double the Creole seasoning if you double the recipe as it can get too hot and overpowering for most people.

Another seasoning option is to include a mixture of rosemary, thyme and lavender - a traditional French seasoning used to your personal taste.  Start with 1/2 teaspoon, let the soup base cook a few minutes and then taste.  You may like a 1/4 teaspoon more or just keep the previous level.  Experiment with what you like and enjoy!

Paint Dots Brights iPhone 5 Case

Paint Dots Brights lets out your inner artist! by Louisiana artist Denny Lyon

Healthy Soup: Southwestern Shrimp, Corn and Sweet Potato

English: Cobs of corn (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

From Denny:  Healthy can be tasty - and this soup is proof!  Hope you enjoy corn as the recipe calls for both a bag of frozen corn as well as a can of creamed corn.  This is definitely one easy way to download some healthy calcium that is good for helping with weight loss.

Red onions provide color and lots of taste but you could substitute a sweet onion if you desire a milder and sweeter flavor.  Any soup tastes better when you use fresh ingredients so consider using fresh sweet potatoes as opposed to purchasing the canned ones.  And, finally, if you want to kick it up a notch, consider adding 1/4 teaspoon of mild curry powder as an option.  

You can make the soup base a day before if you like - not adding the shrimp until ready to serve.  It is an easy soup to enjoy for holidays or a quick family dinner, simple enough for a beginner cook too.

Funny Friday Enthusiasm Business Card Case

"Make each day of the week like Friday and your life will take on new enthusiasm" by Louisiana artist Denny Lyon - more products and t-shirts of all styles and sizes available in this design - come see!

Louisiana Creole BBQ Shrimp

From Denny:   Looking for a super simple hot appetizer for your next party or holiday gathering?  Louisiana BBQ Shrimp is the perfect fit.  A novice cook can pull off this one to rave reviews!  

Here in Louisiana - when you want to double or triple the recipe, we place it all in a roasting pan and stick it in the oven under broil with the oven door open slightly.  You really have to watch it so nothing burns but it is a time saver. 
 

However, you could also make this recipe in several batches on top of the stove as the recipe instructs.  Either way this recipe is always a big crowd pleaser!

Fair warning:  once your guests start eating they won't stop at just an appetizer portion so you may want to plan for doubling this recipe for 12 appetizer servings.  It's been my experience that when you bring out shrimp in Louisiana most people make a meal of it!

Funny Serious Coffee Quote Greeting Cards Pk of 10

"I make serious coffee so strong it wakes up the neighbors!" - more products available in this fun design; come see!

New Orleans: Creamy Seafood Jambalaya Pasta

From Denny:  Need a quick pasta dish finished in 30 minutes?  Zatarain's created a product using the traditional jambalaya seasonings but with pasta noodles instead of rice!  If you want to include more than shrimp, like some tilapia or other fish, then cook these first and set aside.

Cooking shrimp separately to be added by the diner is also a good idea if you have diners who don't like shrimp or are allergic.

You never want to overcook seafood, especially shrimp.  Under cook them slightly while you finish the rest of the dish.  That way the heat of the sauce and vegetables will finish the seafood cooking without ruining the delicate texture.  I usually place the cooked seafood in a warmed ceramic/ironstone pasta bowl and cover with a small plate to keep it warm and moist until ready to place in the final dish.

If you are bored with fresh parsley as a garnish then consider diagonally sliced green onion.  It looks pretty and helps cut the rich cream sauce!

Funny Friday Weekend iPhone 5 Case

Tell the world how you really feel about coming back to work

* * *  Support Warriors Pearl Foundation - contributing to fund efforts to help homeless female military veterans come home.  Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!  

New Orleans Recipe: Crescent City Shrimp Jambalaya

From Denny:  Not in the mood for the chicken version of jambalaya?  No problem; make it with shrimp and andouille sausage for a change of pace.  Shrimp is ridiculously popular down South that we are forever creating new dishes to keep up with the demand.

Louisiana cooking is based off of French cooking and with the same mindset of employing whatever food sources are at hand.  From the bayous or spillways teeming with yummy crayfish to the gorgeous shrimp and oysters from the Gulf of Mexico we create recipes around our bountiful food.

Kick it up a notch with Louisiana food products like from Zatarain's that help us make our meals cook that much faster and we are all a happy lot.  This recipe employs Zatarain's Jambalaya Mix of rice and seasonings.  You provide the fresh shrimp, sausage, onion, bell pepper, parsley and tomatoes.

Funny Friday Weekend iPhone 5 Case

Tell the world how you really feel about coming back to work

* * *  Support Warriors Pearl Foundation - contributing to fund efforts to help homeless female military veterans come home.  Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!  

New Orleans Chef Recipe: Jambalaya For A Crowd

From Denny:  Need an easy recipe for a crowd during Mardi Gras season?  Chef John Besh of New Orleans paired with Zatarain's to create this faster version of jambalaya using Zatarain's Dirty Rice mix.  In fact, the famous chef has a lot of great recipes on their site.

What makes jambalaya so tasty is the browning of the chicken and andouille sausage, mixing in the veggies like celery and onion, some liquid (some people like to use chicken stock in place of water) and then the rice to cook in all those tasty seasonings and juices.

It's a fabulous one-pot meal that is easy to make and a real crowd pleaser.  Whether you take your time to make jambalaya all "from scratch" or choose this shortcut with the dirty rice mix (rice and seasonings) you will enjoy the result!

Jambalaya is such an easy dish to serve for entertaining, especially the holidays like Mardi Gras, Thanksgiving, Christmas and birthdays.  We make this dish all year round it's that popular.  If you have never cooked jambalaya then give this recipe a try!  If you live outside of Louisiana you can always substitute your favorite pork sausage.  You can find Zatarain's products online to order too, for individuals or restaurant service.

Funny Friday Weekend iPhone 5 Case

Tell the world how you really feel about coming back to work

* * *  Support Warriors Pearl Foundation - contributing to fund efforts to help homeless female military veterans come home.  Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!  

Easy Holiday Dish: Spicy Shrimp With Rice

From Denny:  Are you a fan of rice dishes?  Sure beats the "bread bloat."  Who doesn't love good bread?  But there is only so much of it you can eat without feeling like you have to squeeze into your jeans.  Grains like rice, oatmeal and quinoa are healthier choices if you don't want to invest in new clothes.

Mardi Gras season is upon us in Louisiana where we blow it out on the calories and rich foods.  This casserole dish was developed for the Lenten season that follows afterward when a lot of people swear off eating meat for 40 days.  

The truth is Louisiana people are total carnivores but we love our seafood too, especially when combined with cheese like in this dish.  Somehow, dining on the best seafood Louisiana has to offer does not exactly fit into the "deprivation" category but we continue to delude ourselves every year.  These Lenten season resolutions are a lot like New Year's resolutions that rarely get honored. :)

OK, everyone raise their hands if they love simple and easy recipes.  Yes, this is one of those dishes.  It comes from one of Louisiana's premier rice producers, Falcon Rice Mill in Crowley, Louisiana.  The mill was founded in 1942 by Edward and Evelyn Falcon.  Their rice products are known under these names:  Cajun Country, TORO, Laredo, Home Country and Jackpot.

People Treats Canvas Lunch Tote

People like treats around the clock just like pets!

Jumbo Lump Crab Stuffed Casserole

A Dungeness Crab sits in a bin after being offloaded from a fishing vessel on November 17, 2010 in San Francisco, California. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

From Denny:  Love seafood as much as we do in Louisiana?  We also love easy to make casseroles.  They are easy to make ahead and easy to take to gatherings.  You will be a huge hit with this simple and tasty recipe.

If you want to make a soup, stew, casserole taste good then load it up with seasoning vegetables like celery, onion (a mild one for seafood) and parsley. Of course, what also goes well with seafood is lemon juice and worchestershire sauce with a bit of mustard.

Then it's time for the spice goodies.  I usually combine my own spices to make up a version of Cajun seasoning with a lot less salt and more garlic and paprika, adding cumin.  Just go easy on the Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning as it tends to have a lot of salt, even the lower salt version.  Using a light hand this brand is delightful. 

I also like to clarify my butter to either skim off the milk solids that create clogs in your arteries for a light oil or brown those milk solids for a darker browned butter that tastes toasted.  It is a heavy oil so you may wish to cut it with a lighter oil like canola for about 40 percent canola to 60 percent clarified butter.

Our local newspaper often prints recipes from readers.  We are also not above printing our grandmothers' recipes either as we respect tradition and our culinary foundation and culture.  One of the food writers included her grandmother's crab casserole.  Check it out.

Louisiana Seafood Beach Tote

Check out awesome Louisiana eating: oysters, shrimp, crawfish, gumbo, jambalaya

* * *  Support Warriors Pearl Foundation - helping homeless female military veterans come home.  Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  - see what's new!

Chef Recipe: How To Make Remoulade Sauce

From Denny:  Remoulade sauce is popular here in Louisiana because it is so versatile.  This restaurant recipe makes a large amount so plan on dining on a lot of salads, gifting some friends or holding a family reunion.

Originally, remoulade sauce was used in France as a dressing for carrot, potato or raw celery root salad.  Classic French remoulade sauce is based with Dijon mustard, fresh made from scratch mayonnaise and an assortment of favorite French herbs like tarragon, chervil and parsley.  To that they add capers, some finely chopped pickles and then anchovies.

But this is the Creole style of remoulade sauce we enjoy here in Louisiana.  This version of remoulade is much more spicy.  We use Creole mustard in place of the traditional Dijon mustard.  We also include ketchup, finely chopped green onions or minced shallots.  To kick up the spice once more we add hot pepper sauce like the Tabasco brand or finely ground cayenne pepper.

So, how can you use a remoulade sauce?  We love it with seafood like shrimp cocktail, seafood po'boy sandwiches, crab cakes or a pan-fried fish but it also goes well with cold meats.

Mardi Gras: Quick Mardi Gras King Cake

From Denny:  This version of the sweet yeast bread known as King Cake only requires an hour in the fridge to chill and rest the dough.  Then it rises for another hour or so while you work on putting together the yummy filling.

The traditional three colors of icing are green, purple and gold.  Make sure you wait for the baked cake to cool off before inserting a small hole in the bottom of the cake to place the miniature plastic baby.  

It's considered good luck for the following year to receive the baby in your slice of King Cake.  You also get to pay for the next King Cake.  Hey, with fame comes social responsibility! :)

Mardi Gras: New Orleans Zulu King Cake

From Denny:  When you experience Mardi Gras in New Orleans one of the first things you want to enjoy again is the famous King Cake.

Here in Baton Rouge our grocery stores and local bakeries offer literally dozens of varieties from chocolate eclair to cream cheese and blueberry.  Those are two of my favorites.  :)

The Zulu King Cake has coconut and chocolate chips.  Cinnamon, sugar and cream cheese is another popular version.

Mardi Gras: Muffuletta Sandwich

From Denny:  Do you love the New Orleans tradition of muffuletta sandwiches?  They are popular throughout Louisiana, especially at carnival time.  During the parades people are always looking for snacks that are easy to grab off a tray and run back into the crowd to catch those all important beads.  :)

This recipe is for an appetizer version where you don't have to worry so much about the high calories, salt and preservatives since it is a smaller portion.

There is even a recipe to show you how to make your own olive salad which can be used for more than just this sandwich, like a dressing on a garden salad or as a spread on French bread.  It was originally developed by the Sicilian immigrants that settled in New Orleans about 100 years ago.

Cajun Red Beans and Rice

Image via Wikipedia

From Denny:  Red Bean and Rice is a traditional recipe in Louisiana that was the original Wash Day food every Monday, in every household in New Orleans, rich or poor.  These beans could simmer on the stove for hours, leaving time for household chores.

Living in Louisiana, sometimes I forget some people don't know how to make this simple delicious dish.  It's seems when I am researching up pops something else that I just know you will want to see.

I've been thinking lately of how to get more beans into our diet by adding to traditional recipes and found some awesome recipes from the various bean grower sites that I will be featuring soon on all my food blogs.  If you are not yet sold on beans as a healthy and inexpensive food, this dish would be a great introduction.

Tailgating Recipes: New Orleans Ugly Dog Saloon BBQ Chili Beans

From Denny:  Check out this recipe to make bean style chili for a huge crowd - just perfect for tailgating during football season - and affordable. 

If you want you can always add meat for a heartier version but this recipe is all about the spices and vegetarian since the majority of their menu is meat.
This recipe comes from the amusing folks in New Orleans at the Ugly Dog Saloon in the Warehouse District, a few blocks from the Convention Center (401 Andrew Higgins Blvd, New Orleans, Louisiana).  Be sure to pay them a visit when you visit the Crescent City!

This is a recipe meant for a crowd as it makes 5 gallons, using commercial-sized cans of beans and tomatoes and seasoning blends available to restaurants. 

New Orleans The Bombay Club Pasta: Oyster and Tasso Fettuccini

The Bombay Club in New Orleans in the French Quarter

From Denny:  The Bombay Club in New Orleans is a hot spot in the French Quarter, near Bourbon Street, well known and revered by the locals as well as tourists.  It features Nouveau Creole cuisine, receiving many accolades in the food world.

Be sure to check out the incredible martini menu too!  It's a bit decadent with that air of secret romance that carries you worlds away from stress.  Musical entertainment is offered so be sure to check their events schedule on the website before you decide to visit.