Last week, we shared with you a video of Chef Paul Prudhomme making a Muffaletta.
On a related note, here’s a wonderful video recipe for Shrimp Po-Boys from Scooter S. McGee which you can watch below (or here).
How to Make Shrimp Po Boy Sandwiches
See More of Hugging the Coast’s Fish For Friday Recipes
Chef Paul Prudhomme has made a fun video which shows him making an Italian Muffaletta Sandwich which you can see below (or here). Enjoy!
Here’s a wonderful recipe for Italian Shrimp and Eggplant Dressing from the folks at NOLA Cuisine.
Ingredients:
1 lb Wild Caught American Gulf Shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped (Reserve the shells)
1 Bay leaf
1 bundle Fresh Thyme, tied with butchers twine
Water, enough to cover the eggplant by 1 inch
1 splash Liquid Crab Boil
4-5 small Eggplant, peeled, enough to yield about 2 1/2-3 Cups Cooked
3 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
1 Large Spanish Onion, finely diced
1 Medium Green Bell Pepper, finely diced
4 Toes Garlic, minced
2 Green Onions, sliced thin, keep the green and white parts separate
1 Egg, beaten
2 Tbsp Fresh Thyme, chopped
1 Tbsp Italian Parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp Fresh Basil, chopped
1 Cup Bread Crumbs (preferably homemade from leftover French bread)
For the topping:
1 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1/4 Cup grated Parmeggiano, and Pecorino Romano
3 Tbsp Melted Butter
1 Tbsp Italian Parsley, chopped
A pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper
The Culinary Corps, which founder Christine Carroll describes as, “The Peace Corps for cooks”, is seeking highly skilled professional cooks and bakers and culinary students to volunteer for culinary preservation and rebuilding projects being formed throughout the country (and eventually, around the world).
As it says in this article on the Matador Volunteer website:
“Each trip is an intense, active, hands-on experience in which participants prepare meals for volunteers and community members, as well as coordinate food-related events with community partners (past events have included food field days for local schools and a fundraising brunch for a community agriculture program).
The emphasis of every project is respecting the local culture’s culinary traditions, creating sustainable connections between volunteers and community members, and supporting rebuilding efforts through collaboration and culanthropy.”
Culinary Corps’ most recent volunteer opportunity was held in New Orleans. According to Culinary Corps, volunteers served approximately 1,200 meals during that project as well as led cooking classes and demos.
You can join their notification list for their upcoming volunteer opportunities here. You can also read an overview of their mission and read their volunteer FAQ.
CulinaryCorps is based in Manhattan and is a non-profit pursuit under the fiscal sponsorship of Share Our Strength, a 501(c)3 organization fighting global hunger and based in Washington, DC.
With the recent news that restaurant chains Bennigans and Steak and Ale are declaring bankruptcy, a possible silver lining is starting to emerge from the dark clouds of the American casual dining scene; the rise of the local restaurant.
One surprising indicator of this potential trend is that local neighborhood restaurants overshadowed their often flashier, more famous counterparts at this year’s James Beard Awards.
Of course, Steak and Ale and Bennigans aren’t the only restaurant chains feeling the economic pinch.
The Cheesecake Factory recently posted disappointing quarterly earnings. Old Country Buffet, Baker’s Square, and Village Inn are other chain casualties of the downturn.
One of the main reasons cited for the Bennigans bankruptcy was that many customers perceived the chain as being generic with outdated menu offerings.
Bill Marvin, author of Restaurant Basics which looks at restaurants from the diners’ point of view described the chain as being, “…just one more place to eat.” according to this Newsweek article.
As Marvin says, “The thing that’s been missing in the hospitality business is hospitality.” His prescriptive for restaurants in this economy is to “provide a heartfelt experience…it’s about being a real honest place for hospitality, where people really care and you feel well served.”
Luckily, with an emphasis on personal service and their non-cookie cutter menu items, many good local restaurants are uniquely poised to take advantage of this post-Bennigans opportunity.
Often, smaller restaurants are much more open to using fresh, local ingredients that showcase regionally inspired flavors than their big chain counterparts. As a result, they are more likely to attract the kind of skilled chefs who have the talent to make the most of the advantages that come with being small but flexible.
Also, since they’re usually owned and managed by people from the areas they serve, local restaurants can more accurately gauge and predict their diners’ evolving tastes.
Local restaurants also increase the demand for area jobs and services that keep revenue circulating within the communities they serve, unlike revenues from many national restaurant chains, where much of the money often ends up going out of state to their distant corporate headquarters and bulk suppliers.
Best of all, every time diners eat such regional dishes as Charleston, SC’s shrimp and grits, Pennsylvania Dutch shoofly pie, and New Orleans crawfish etouffee they are in effect both celebrating and casting a vote for the vibrancy of regional American cuisine and the local restaurants that serve it.
With a heat wave sweeping across large parts of the United States, I thought it might be time to remind everyone of mankind’s favorite culinary antidote to rising temperatures…ice cream.
Not just the ordinary ice cream one gets at the supermarket or at the corner store, but homemade ice cream, whether cranked by hand, formed in a ziplock, or made with the help of an electric ice cream maker.
One of the joys of homemade ice cream is that you can make any flavor you’ve ever fantasized about, from peanut-butter Nutella to fig cardamom to mango macadamia and pistachio pomegranate.
One of my fondest memories is running for our departing train in Venice with last-minute hazelnut gelatos…our final, fleeting souvenir of that beautiful city.
I’ll also never forget the sheer sybaritic pleasure of the fresh peach ice cream we had at a country church rummage sale near Waterloo Village.
Here’s a few homemade ice cream recipes to help you find inspiration as you whip up your own original antidotes.
Also, here’s a video from About.Com Japanese Food that shows how to make your own homemade black sesame ice cream. I came across some last week when shopping at the new local Asian market and it was wonderful!
As Voltaire once said, “Ice-cream is exquisite - what a pity it isn’t illegal.”
What was the best homemade ice cream you ever had? What exotic ice cream do you dream of making (or trying) someday?
Tomorrow, we’ll be writing about salt water taffy, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary.
Courtesy of Travel Industry Wire.Com:
A recent Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) study, showed that 58% of all American leisure travellers say they are somewhat/very interested in taking a trip to engage in culinary or wine-related activities.
With this in mind, editors of the website Travelocity say they scoured the globe to highlight unique foodie finds.
Due to its access to top-notch chefs and fresh ingredients, Charleston, SC made the list
Travelocity’s 10 Delicious Destinations for Foodies: (in alphabetical order)
This Spanish city started getting recognition just within the last five years. Catalan influences dominate both the culture and cuisine with French and Mediterranean inspired dishes more prevalent than traditional Spanish fare. Catalan cuisine features a unique combination of ingredients such as red meat and fish; poultry and fruit; and pork sausage with white beans. Each dish is unique, original and utterly impossible to put down.
It’s no secret that Boulder is about as eco-friendly and earthy as it gets, but what may come as a surprise is how the recent addition of urban dwellers has led to a more sophisticated and trend-setting approach to organic dining. Take The Kitchen Café for example, which offers an eclectic menu with superior organic ingredients, but moreover, is completely green-they even compost all of the kitchen scraps and use wind power. On top of this green approach, Boulderites have access to some of the country’s finest boutique ingredients, such as hormone-free Colorado lamb, local cheeses, and even organic microbrews.
Some may call it soul food, but in Charleston they call it Low Country cuisine. Prevailing as the undisputed local favorite, this culinary specialty infuses restaurant menus with dishes such as Frogmore Stew, She-Crab Soup and Hoppin’ John. Rice, grits and fresh, local produce play an integral role in the creation of these truly Southern meals, and the waters that surround South Carolina’s Low Country inspire local cooks more often than not with seafood dishes found on just about every menu.
In the spirit of Liberace, Vegas’ recent restaurant boom is completely over the top-and we mean that in the best possible way. If you want your foie gras topped with shaved truffles and dusted with gold, it’s a sure bet it can be found here. Top chefs from NYC, Paris, and London are opening namesake outposts in hotels and casinos with much fanfare, so keep an eye out for Emeril, Thomas Keller, and Bobby Flay. Fortunately for our wallets, Vegas’ famous buffets are still a beloved part of life on The Strip.
London is shaking its reputation for having mediocre cuisine (we think it was undeserved anyway!). Celebrity chefs like Gordon Ramsey have built on the English penchant for exquisite service and fine surroundings, and have made the current restaurant scene world famous. All the while, specialty gourmet shops have continued operations for nearly 300 years, as in the case of Fortnum & Mason, known for its fine teas, and Paxton & Whitfield, cheesemonger to the royal family. Choose from afternoon tea, Indian curries, and classic pub fare, like shepherd’s pie-then wash it down with a black and tan before hitting the museums.
Known ubiquitously for its French cuisine, the Montreal culinary scene also boasts imaginative carte du jours from more than 80 countries. Dine at one of the city’s 5,000 restaurants, or spend the day meandering through local markets in search of the same culinary treasures used by Montreal chefs. While there, sample a Montreal-style bagel topped with cream cheese or a smoked meat sandwich, two local treats.
Many first time visitors head to New Orleans to experience events such as Mardi Gras or JazzFest, but they return time and time again for its food. NOLA’s most famous restaurants include Emeril’s, Commander’s Palace and Antoine’s, but local favorites such as Jacques-Imos and Port of Call deserve a spot on the map of culinary treasures as well. Cajun and Creole dishes throughout the city tempt the taste buds, and no visit to Crescent City is complete without indulging in a beignet dusted with powdered sugar and a cup of café au lait laced with chicory at Café Du Monde.
Cabbies and billionaires alike clamor for the city’s famous slices, pretzels with mustard, and roasted chestnuts in paper bags, but beyond streetfood, NYC boasts more restaurants per capita than any other American city. Whether one is looking for a neighborhood Italian joint or sweeping views of Central Park at Per Se, there’s something for everyone. The city is also home to some of the best foodie souvenir shops around, including DiPalo’s homemade mozzarella, the Doughnut Plant’s pistachio glazed version, and Vintage’s Long Island wines.
Dining in this Italian capital is an experience that’s arguably just as pleasurable as seeing the sites the city has to offer and surprisingly, finding the best fare is as easy as pie. While Northern Italy is famous for its pesto and truffles, Tuscany for its olive oil and beans, Sicily for its sweets, and the south for its seafood and spice, Roman cuisine boasts all of this and more. From home-style Italian cooking in charming trattorias to innovative fare in designer restaurants, the old streets of Rome will have you savoring la dolce vita.
Alice Waters is credited with changing the way Americans eat, and now her local, seasonal approach to cuisine is now an integral part of San Francisco’s venerable restaurant scene. With Wine Country vintages at hand, Bodega Bay oysters on the half-shell, and Northern California’s bounty, visitors are able to try ingredients they wouldn’t have access to at home. As if that weren’t enough, the City by the Bay is a hotbed for artisanal products, such as Cowgirl Creamery’s Mt. Tam cheese, McEvoy Ranch olive oil, and Scharfenberger chocolates, all of which can be found at the foodie mecca known as the Ferry Building.
Attention hot sauce junkies…
Big congratulations are in order for the members of Charleston’s own Ladies Philoptochos Society, whose local community cookbook, Popular Greek Recipes was recently inducted in the Walter S. McIlhenny Hall of Fame as part of the 18th annual Tabasco Community Cookbook Awards after selling 100,000 copies!
The first edition of the recently updated cookbook was published in 1957.
Invented in 1868 by Edmund McIlhenny, Tabasco is a versatile Louisiana hot sauce that is a popular ingredient in many recipes and drinks. (Click here to see a list of nearly 700 drinks that feature Tabasco sauce from iDrink.Com.)
Three miles from the Gulf Coast, deep in Cajun country, the company home is a 2,500-acre dome of solid rock salt, formed when ancient seabeds evaporated, according to a recent MSNBC article. Annual sales of the spicy condiment are tallied at approximately $250 million.
According to Wikipedia’s Tabasco sauce page:
“Until recently, all of the peppers were grown on Avery Island. While a small portion of the crop is still grown on the island, the bulk of the crop is now grown in Central and South America, where the weather and the availability of more farmland allow a more predictable and larger year-round supply of peppers. This also helps to ensure the supply of peppers should something happen to the crop at a particular location. All of the seeds are still grown on Avery Island.
Following company tradition, the peppers are hand picked by workers. To tell their ripeness, peppers are checked with a little red stick, or ‘le petit bâton rouge’ that each worker carries around. Those peppers not matching the color of the stick are not harvested. Harvested peppers are shipped back to the Island factory. Peppers are ground into mash, and salt and vinegar are added. The mixture is put into old white oak whiskey barrels from distilleries to age for up to three years. The bright red mash is so corrosive that forklifts are reported to last only six years.”
Also, via the Hot Sauce Blog, here’s a good article from the New York Times about the McIlhenny Company’s plan to retool after Hurricane Rita when it was inches away from being lost in the storm.
(Illustration Credit: The illustration above which celebrates the joys of Tabasco and oysters is by New Orleans artist Ron Picou. We have are lucky to have a signed and numbered copy of it hanging in our mobile kitchen.)
“Late last year I went on a mammoth eating adventure around the southern United States. I’ve banged on at length about Charleston’s grub here, after my shock at hearing about Bill Clinton letting his grits go cold (come on Bill, an Arkansas boy should know better). But I haven’t mentioned the amazing food I had elsewhere in the South. And that’s just rude.”
In the story, Susan Smillie of the UK newspaper The Guardian, enjoys the Southern hospitality of Atlanta where she eats (among many other delicious things) Carolina gold rice soup with grilled quail, peanuts, and scallions and New Orleans (where she eats jambalaya and explores the myriad joys of andouille sausage).
The trip starts in South Carolina, where she eats savory shrimp and grits at Charleston’s Old Village Post House and tender lamb glazed with chocolate barbecue sauce at Tristan’s.
You can read more of her story here.
Please feel free to enjoy our Southern Coastal Life MP3 Playlist which is filled with 30+ streaming songs that celebrate the pleasures of Southern food, fishing, surfing, and life spent on the water. (Additional music will be periodically added.)
Artists include: The Andrews Sisters, Andy Griffith, Van Morrison, Elijah and the Ebonites, The Weavers, Tom Waits, James Taylor, Carl Perkins, The Drifters, Dizzy Gillespie, Smiley Burnette, Fats Waller, Martha and the Vandellas, Hank Williams Sr., Tim McGraw, Jimmy Buffet, James Taylor, Ryan Adams, Stringbean, Little Milton, Louis Jordan, Dar Williams, and The Preservation Hall Band…good stuff!
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