On my last visit to New Orleans I had the yummiest etouffée at Deanie’s. I ordered a Crawfish Quartet: crawfish etouffée, crawfish au gratin, fried crawfish tails and crawfish dressing balls; I had planned on skipping the balls since I was low-carbing. When the waiter placed the dish before me I was a bit taken back by the color. I have to apologize, I didn’t take a picture of that dish. It was lightly golden brown, not how I’ve seen etouffée for the most part.
But when I took the first bite, I was in HE.A.VEN! This thing was delicious beyond words. Creamy and smooth, bursting with seafood flavor and tomato-less. I was in love and regretting I didn’t order a double portion. I knew it would be one of the first dishes I would attempt to recreate when I got back home.
Once in Houston, I looked around for recipes that sounded promising, and became increasingly frustrated when they added tomatoes and other nonsense. So, I decided to wing it, I’ve watched Emeril make some happy, I can do it too!
I’ll have to make a few disclaimers. First, I used duck fat, because I made some yummy duck a few days before. You can use any fat you like, but I would avoid butter because it burns so easily. However, I’ve been told that animal fat is too unstable for roux–not that I had any problems with my duck fat. The other, is that I had some crab stock in the freezer, you can use any seafood or even chicken/vegetable stock. And lastly, I used both shrimp and crawfish, you can use just one of the two. No sweat, mmkay pumpkins? Here’s my rendition.
Seafood Etouffée
4 tbsp duck fat or oil
1/4 cp flour
1 onion, finely chopped
1/4 cp celery, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 1/2 cp shrimp stock
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsps Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cp green onions, thinly sliced
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb crawfish tails and its butter, cooked
1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1 tsp hot sauce (I used Crystal, but Tabasco works)
3 tbsp butter
Salt & ground white pepper to taste
Season the shrimp with a bit of salt & pepper and 1 crushed garlic. Set aside. In a large heavy-bottom skillet, heat the fat over medium high heat and the flour. Lower the temperature to medium heat and continue to cook the flour, stirring it often until it reaches the color of peanut butter. This will take about 5-7 minutes.
Add the onions, celery and bell pepper cook until the aromatics have soften, then add the garlic and green onions. Stir to avoid burning.
Slowly add the stock, stirring as you do. In goes the Worcestershire, hot sauce and white pepper. The base should be about the consistency of gravy, not too thick, not too thin. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Add the crawfish meat with its butter, stir to coat. Finally add the shrimp and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the shrimp is pink. Stir in the remaining butter, and adjust the seasonings to taste.
Serve over white rice and eat your little heart out.
Cookingly yours,
Anamaris
A few nights ago, the Hubbz and I were watching V on TV. We were both totally absorbed in the show, or so I thought. Then a scene comes up where some of the 5th Column members (and I do apologize if you have no clue what any of this means, but it really isn’t vital for this story) have arranged to use a decoy to trap one of the Visitors that has been offing 5th Column members.
The decoy walks towards the spot the lookout tells him to. They’re in a square of some sort, I’m captivated by all the action. Then Hubbz says ‘if that were you, you would’ve been ch-chk, ch-chk, ch-chk, crooked ch-chk, ch-chk’.
I had no idea what he was talking about, then he said ‘Lanterns. You would’ve told them to hold the shooting while you took pictures of the lanterns’. Seriously?
He’s OH so funny, isn’t he?
Of course, I have no idea of what he’s talking about.
Or do I?
I wouldn’t call my interest in lanterns an obssession.
So I like all manner of lighting fixtures. What’s wrong with THAT?!
uhh…, maybe he’s got a point. ch-chk, ch-chk
crooked, ch-chk
I don’t remember when I first tried duck, but I think it was at a Chinese restaurant and it was their interpretation on Peking duck. I’ve liked the bird ever since, but it wasn’t until my first visit to Paris that I fell helplessly in love it.
Parisians certainly have a love affair with this winged creature. Heck, maybe all of France does, but I know for sure it rules in Paris. I can’t get enough duck confit, I’ve probably ordered it at every restaurant where it was offered. I’ve looked at recipes for it, but I’m still reluctant (read: scared witless) to prepare the confit. Quite honestly, I had not cooked duck until I tried this one.
I bought a bird a few weeks back at the farmers market and hid it away waaaaaay in the back of my little freezer. After peeking and peeping at it for weeks, I pulled it out and decided to tame the wild beast. And by wild beast I mean my fear of failing the duck.
So, on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, I threw caution to the air and went for it. I broke down the bird, pulling out the breasts and left the rest of the carcass intact. That evening I seared the breasts and served them with asparagus or some other veggie, I can’t remember. I overcooked them. Hubby was concerned about eating them too rare and I just let them sear for way too long. I walked away disappointed and slept in the fetal position that night.
The next day, though, the next day I nailed it! Even though I didn’t confit those little legs and thighs, the end result was similar. Tender and juicy with a slight crisp on the skin. Oh yeah, baby. And it was as easy as ordering pizza! No need for a recipe.
In a baking dish I layered the duck leg and thigh portions, these had been salted & peppered. Then I tucked chunks of carrots, together with whole, unpeeled garlic cloves in between the open spaces and threw a few sprigs of fresh thyme here and there.
It went in the oven for 2 hours or so at 300°. I just forgot about it, well, as much as you can forget about something in the oven that is permeating every room in your home with a delicious aroma.
When it came out, the skin was golden brown, crisp and perrrrrrfect. The carrots, which are not on my list of faved veggies, were incredibly good. Sweet and soft tasting of garlic, thyme and duck fat. Oh glory.
I will try making duck again. Soon. Real Soon. What do you do with duck?
Cookingly yours,
Anamaris
Remember I mentioned eggplant would be showing up every so often? Well, here it is again. I continue to find other ways to prepare this veggie/fruit–it has seeds, does that make it a fruit? Hmmm.
This is still quite similar to the way I had prepared it in the past in that the eggplant is sorta stewed. I’m going to call this a ragout. I’m not completely sure that’s what it is, but I like the name and this is my blog so that’s the name it gets. The dish is a simple one, no complicated or fancy cooking skills required, but it does have a few steps if you choose to make it into raviolis. Alternatively, you could make the ragout and serve it over your favorite pasta. That would be oh so good too.
Eggplant & Tomato Ragout
2 shallots, sliced
3 large tomatoes, seeded & chopped
1 large eggplant, cubed
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/3 cp gin or wine
In a medium-sized pan, heat the oil and add the shallots; cook until translucent. Then add the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes have soften. Season with salt, pepper and sugar.
Add the gin or wine (you can also substitute with stock) and ignite it to burn off the alcohol.
Add the eggplant, stirring well to coat all the cubes with the tomato puree. Cover with a loose-fitting lid, stirring occasionally. Cook for about 20 minutes or until eggplant is soft and creamy.
Set aside and prepare the ravioli.
For the ravioli I used Chinese wonton wrappers. Here’s the step-by-step action.
Work with a few wrappers at a time. Brush one side with water, these little wrappers have a lot of cornstarch on them to keep them from sticking to each other. I brushed the entire surface with water to get rid of the excess and also to moisten it so I could press them together.
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Drop about 2 tsps of filling in the center of the wrapper. Don’t overstuff them.
Top with a second wrapper and pinch the edges together. I don’t have a pasta or pastry cutter, I used a knife to trim off the edges. In my head that would help seal the edges together.
Once you’ve filled all the raviolis, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Make sure to add enough salt and oil to cook the raviolis. About 5 minutes or so (follow packet instructions) or until they float to the top. Drain and set aside.
I made a quick Bechamel sauce to top the raviolis, then laid them out in an oven-safe dish, topped them with the sauce and sprinkled some Parmesan. Then baked for about 15 minutes and broiled until the top was golden brown and bubbly. You can skip the bechamel altogether and simply serve the raviolis with the ragout that’s leftover.
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These were so light and delicious, I hope you’ll enjoy them. As long as I’m on an eggplant kick, do you have a recipe you love and want to share?
Cookingly yours,
Anamaris
I enjoy these challenges, they force me to stretch my culinary comfort zone and I hope it does the same for you. Ultimately, I want to inspire to try new and different things, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Stop and smell the spices and cook a little. OK, I’m done with the clichés, promise.
Last month we got to play with edible flowers, it freaked me out and I loved it! The Kitchen Masochist was chosen as the Top Chef for last month so that means she picks the ingredients for this month’s challenge. I know. I know. The schedule is off. It’s not my fault, life got in the way, but it will be OK. There will be more complications to my schedule this month, soooo, I’m trying to work around it.
For this round the challenge will be open from April 20th to May 21st. If you’re a foodie, submit your recipe by midnight on Friday, May 21st. Remember you must incorporate all 3 ingredients in your recipe. If you’re a reader, you can cast your vote beginning May 22nd.
Here are the ingredients selected by The Kitchen Masochist and some tips when choosing them:
Tofu – firm or soft ( also known as ‘silken tofu’)
Seafood of your choice – fish, shrimp, mussels or clams
Lemongrass
Tips from the Masochist:
-buy your tofu from your local Asian markets instead of those fancy or trendy health food stores like Whole Foods. You’ll pay much less.
-Soft or silken tofu is generally used in desserts and firm tofu in savory dishes.
-The scent of fresh lemongrass dissipates the longer its exposed to air, so chop your lemongrass just right when you’re about to use it.
Don’t be shy, send your recipes this way.
Anamaris
Some crazy deliciousnes is what happens. I bought some mangoes, they were supposed to be organic, but they kinda sucked. Outraged, I peeled and chopped them and threw them in a pot determined to make them useful citizens of society. I’m happy to report that this rehabilitation effort was a success. The mangoes proved to be a great addition to their community, the Price Household.
This was the first I had integrated mango to a savory dish, come to think about it, this was the first time I had done anything with mango except for my usual peel & eat and the occasional lassi. I was a bit nervous. I mean, I had about 1lb of gorgeous, fresh LARGE shrimp and I hate messing up shrimp. But I showed it no fear, never let an ex-con see you sweat…, right? Onward!
There’s no real recipe here, just add things at will. Also, if you don’t have mangoes, don’t fret. You can substitute with any caramelized/syruped fruit, like peaches, pineapple. Anything you like, really. And you can just get it from your local grocer. Don’t sweat it. Feel free to add more or completely eliminate the chili pepper, though I must admit it makes for a really nice contrast: sweet & tangy combined with fiery spicy. But that’s just me. On with the cooking.
Spicy & Tangy Shrimp with Mango
Start with about 1lb of peeled and deveined shrimp. Season them with 2-3 cloves of crushed garlic, 2 tsps sea salt (less if using regular), ground black pepper and about 1-2 tsps of olive oil. Mix it in and set aside while you prepare the veggies.
Slice 1 onion, 1-2 serrano peppers, 1 cp of mangoes, drained and about 1/2 cp of chopped cilantro.
Heat a medium-sized skillet over medium-high and add about 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add the onions and peppers and cook until the onions are translucent.
Add the shrimp and toss them after 2 minutes or so, allowing them to cook for another 2 minutes on the opposite side.
Add the mango and cilantro, stirring them into the rest of the ingredients. Cover tightly with a lid and turn off the heat, allowing the contents to finish cooking in the steam. Serve over rice or pasta or with your favorite vegetable.
Enjoy!
Cookingly yours,
Anamaris
Mangoes are my favorite fruit. I wouldn’t want to live life without them. Mangoes are deliciously versatile and excellent for you. Mangoes are pretty. They’re pretty when green. They’re pretty when ripe. Mangoes are pretty with or without peel. Doesn’t that sound like an essay submitted by an 8-yr-old? That’s how mangoes make me feel. Like a kid looking forward to a full life. I love mangoes, I simply do!
I don’t know how many varieties there are, but I do know that I can think of at least 10 different types available in Panama. Some are extraordinary, while others are considered poor quality and snubbed. Now that I live in Houston, I cherish EVERY mango I can get my mango-eating hands on.
It also occurs to me that as common as they are to me, they are still exotic to a lot of people. With that i mind, I thought I would give you a quick how-to peel a mango post. No mad scientist skills required, to tell you the truth, I’m worried you’ll find this unnecessary and patronizing. But really, I’m coming from a place of helpfulness.
First, don’t buy your mangoes soft/ripe already. Instead, opt for the ones that still have quite a bit of green in them. It’s best to let them ripen under your watchful eye. Just leave them out on your counter for a few days and allow nature to do its thing. Sniff it, squeeze, but not too hard. When it smells sweet and honey-ey, its ready. The outside will be a mottled orange-red, depending on the varietal you get.
There are 2 routes I know of. The first one is how I used to do it back in the homeland, Panama–did I mention I’ll be there in 3 weeks? I digress. This is your basic peel a fruit route.
See? You knew how to do that.
Now it’s ready to eat or chop at will. The other method I learned after moving here. I think it looks fancy and pretty.
First, remember there’s a large pit right in the middle of the mango. One side of the mango is rounded and the other end has a slight point/end. Trim the rounded side so you have a flat surface on the mango, stabilize to avoid cooking injuries.
Lay it on the trimmed end and place the knife on either side of the pointy end and work it down. Then do the same to the other side.
Once you have 2 halves, score them across. Be careful not to cut too deeply, you don’t want your knife to cut through the peel.
Flip it and score it in the opposite direction. Again, mind the peel.
Now the fun and making pretty part comes in. Hold the halves with both hands and push from the bottom/skin side in.
Once it’s flipped, it looks like this.
You can cut the cubes with the knife or you can tear them off with your fingers. Then peel the section with the pit, there’s a lot of meat there too. It’s ready to eat.
As it turned out, these weren’t the best mangoes, so I didn’t eat them like this. Instead, I added some sugar, water, star anise and salt and simmered it down until the mango was softened and used it to jazz up other meals.
Cookingly yours,
Anamaris
And this is one of the meals I created with the caramelized mangoes. Tangy & Spicy Shrimp and Mango. Yum, no?
There’s this place in the French Quarter called Yo’ Mama’s. They serve 2 of my must haves when in the area. A Peanut Butter Burger and THE best Bloody Mary’s I’ve ever had. Since I’m still having FQ withdrawals and because it is Social Friday, I thought I’d try my hand at the Bloody Mary, a first.
When in New Orleans, the only way to have a Bloody Mary is spicy, at Yo’ Mama’s extra spicy is how they serve them. Watching Erica put it together is like watching a mad scientist at work. A bit of this, a lot of that, splash and sprinkle then garnish with the popular spicy pickled green beans and olives and you’re in business. Obviously she has it down to a science, but I’m going to attempt to offer some measurements. As with any drink or food, adjust it to your personal taste.
N’awlins Spicy Bloody Mary
Makes 2 cocktails
4 oz Vodka
V8 Juice (about 1 cp)
1 tbsp horseradish
2 tsp celery salt
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp hot sauce (such as Tabasco, Crystal)
1 tsp ground black pepper
Juice of 1/2 each fresh lime and lemon
Olives and pickled green beans for garnish
Splash of olive juice
Few dashes of cayenne pepper
Didn’t I tell you she was a mad scientist? Combine all the ingredients, except for the garnish, and stir. Fill a glass with ice (a tumbler if you’re being modest, a highball glass if you’re really going for it).
Here’s the interesting part, she doesn’t shake it or do a lot of stirring. She pours it from one glass to another about 5-6 times to mix it before serving.
As I mentioned, adjust to your taste. I like mine with lots of horseradish and black pepper, not to mention quite spicy. Enjoy!
Drinkingly yours,
Anamaris
I was so happy when I found out our conference would be held in New Orleans this year, even happier when I heard we would get to go. I’d been to Nola twice before: once in my previous life, about 15 years ago and last year for our honeymoon. As much as I missed the hubbz, I still enjoyed this visit immensely.
Sure I had to devote time to evil work duties, but I’m a fun-loving kinda girl and I know how to make time for it. I squeezed some fun and wonderment into this trip like nobody’s business. Then there was all the amazing food, which is no surprise to anyone who’s ever heard about this town. I tried to give you a play-by-play of my eating ventures, but I just didn’t have enough time to do both. I will revisit a few of the meals and share them with you soon.
As luck would have it, last week was the French Quarter Festival. The official start was Friday, but the quarter was buzzing with preparations all week. Check out a few of the shots I managed last week; you can go to the Flickr photostream for the extended version. I’ll get back to cooking soon enough, right now I’m still in a New Orleans state of mind.
Lanterns, lanterns everywhere! They’re famous for them and you know how much I love a lantern or a hundred!
This is the Pontalba, probably the French Quarter’s most photographed building, it sits adjacent to St. Peter’s Cathedral.
I sat across the square to have some fried oysters and found out some history. Turns out this is could be my building. You see, the ironwork has initials. My initials. AP. I have a building in the Quarter!
The other thing I love about this area are the balconies and courtyards. Next time we get a house that’s what I want.
As the festival got under way, I saw interesting people, listened to some Blues and met a really cool lady. Suzy and her husband have given up the corporate life in favor of one that allows them to earn a living from their creativity. They work in leather: she making bags and belts, he making lamps. I didn’t see his work, but her bags are beautiful. Let me know if you would like her contact information to purchase one or find out when she’ll be at a festival near you.
I’m still having French Quarter withdrawals, thank goodness I’ll be in Panama soon! Where are you going?
French Quarterly yours,
Anamaris
March came and went, but not before it brought us another cooking challenge and a new featured blogger. The challenge was to create a dish using edible flowers, shallots and a meat (lamb, pork, beef). After much deliberation by my readers’, that means you, Kitchen Masochist’s dish reigned supreme and was selected as the favorite.
That means this post is all about her. In order to have an opportunity to get to know her a little better, I asked her a few questions to help us all have a full picture of the goodness that happens in her little corner of the Philippines. And now, here’s the in-depth interview by Anamaris TheNoseyOne:
We all want to know, why did you call your blog Kitchen Masochist?
I was raised by a mother who loved to cook. She was raised the old way in that everything was made from scratch. My mom hated all the instant stuff, TV dinners, Campbell soup cans. She made everything from scratch, from gravy to spring roll and wonton wrappers, mac and cheese, etc. The only things she didn’t make from scratch were noodles, pasta, tomato and oyster sauce. My siblings and I still don’t know what any of those TV dinners or Campbell soup cans taste like to this day.
When I moved out and went off to college, I soon learned how fussy I was when it came to food and couldn’t eat any of the instant stuff so common to college students. They just tasted really foul to me, since I was accustomed to well-prepared, good quality food. I make most of the stuff I cook from scratch and use very few instant, commercially prepared ingredients, just like my mom did. Hence, the name, The Kitchen Masochist, because making everything from scratch is pretty masochist, if you ask me.
You’ve lived in so many wonderful places, how have each of them influenced your cooking style?
I spent the first 12 years of my life in the Middle East, Iran and Kuwait, specifically. I use a lot of herbs and spices, chicken, beef, and fish and grains in my cooking. Since both of these countries are Muslim countries, pork meat is not available, as it’s forbidden for Muslims to eat it. I didn’t start eating pork until we moved back to California. I try to make myself use pork more often, but it rarely makes a blip in my culinary radar since it was just not available during my formative years.Since I’m now living here in Southeast Asia, I use a lot of chilies, tofu and aromatic Asian herbs such as lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, laksa and pandan leaves, etc.
If you were stranded in a deserted island and could only do one thing, what would it be?
That’s easy, I’d draw or paint. I have always loved to draw. With drawing, you don’t need any fancy materials. You can use burnt wood and draw on leaves or rocks, just like the early cavemen did.
What is the greatest cooking challenge you face in the Philippines?
The greatest challenge would be finding the ingredients when I’m craving stuff from home such as Mexican or Tex-Mex food. Those Mexican or Southwestern chilies like chipotle or ancho chilies are simply not available here, so it’s pointless trying to recreate these dishes. Cooking Western food is quite challenging here. Ingredients are either unavailable or very expensive if they are available.
Why do you blog?
I started my blog on Thanksgiving Day of 2009 and realized that I’ve now been living as an expat in the Philippines for 9 years. I couldn’t help but think about how frustrating it was that I couldn’t cook the foods I grew up with, or was accustomed to because I didn’t know where to get the ingredients during my early days.
As exciting and interesting as it is to try different kinds of ‘exotic’ dishes, you always go back ‘home’ to mac and cheese or whatever is considered comfort food in your culture. I figured I’d help out new expats here in the Philippines and point them in the right direction by giving them tips on where to shop and what substitutions to use.
When you’re in a totally new and unfamiliar environment, the most familiar things in your life would be your family and the food you prepare. When you’re a new expat, the only control you have is how you run your home which includes the food you prepare.
What exciting things will we see in your blog in the coming months?
For this month, I’ll be featuring a series I call Culinary Cosmetic Surgery where I take a traditional dish and give it a new appearance. The ingredients won’t be changed, just the shape and presentation.
It’s your turn to be the boss, which 3 ingredients will you pick for the next challenge?
Tofu – firm or soft ( also known as ‘silken tofu’)
Seafood of your choice – fish, shrimp, mussels or clams
Lemongrass
Shopping tips:
-Buy your tofu from your local Asian markets instead of those fancy or trendy health food stores like Whole Foods. You’ll pay much less.
-Soft or silken tofu is generally used in desserts and firm tofu in savory dishes.
-The scent of fresh lemongrass dissipates the longer its exposed to air, so chop your lemongrass just right when you’re about to use it.
Thanks for sharing, KM! Please be sure to stop by The Masochist’s blog, I promise you will enjoy her approach to cooking. As for the next challenge, since I had scheduling complications, I will need to reconfigure the dates, I will keep you posted with the details.
Cookingly yours,
Anamaris