Louisiana Cookin' November/December 2020

FOR MANY OF US, the holidays are tied to special memories of favorite meals and recipes shared with loved ones. My family’s Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations just wouldn’t be the same without my mom’s breakfast casserole (served on the same Christmas china we used when I was growing up), my grandmother’s baked macaroni and cheese, or my great-aunt’s pralines, which I can never seem to replicate no matter how many times I make them. This year, I look forward to making new memories with some of the recipes included in this issue. Though our holiday celebrations may be scaled back this year, that doesn’t mean they can’t still be special. Throughout these pages, you’ll find plenty of inspiration to make this season a delicious one at home. Our Thanksgiving feast (starting on…

PIZZA BYRONZ BATON ROUGE The restaurant formerly known as Flambée Cafe rebranded and debuted an expanded menu in July. At Pizza Byronz, diners can enjoy pizza three different ways: classic, square-shaped, and flambée (“the French cousin” to pizza, with a flatbread crust). The pizzeria, which is part of the Bistro Byronz restaurant group, worked with Chef John Folse to develop its dough and sauces. The menu also offers pasta, burgers, hot sandwiches, and salads. facebook.com/pizzabyronz AVO TACO NEW ORLEANS New York-based taco joint AVO TACO opened its second location, in Port Orleans Brewing Co., this past summer after hosting a successful pop-up at the brewery last year. The new location is managed by Rooted Hospitality Group, which also manages the brand’s award-winning New York location. The New Orleans location serves a variety of…

WITH ALL THE COOKING that takes place during the holiday season, it’s nice to have an easy appetizer recipe up your sleeve. Crostini are an effortless yet elegant starter that make entertaining a breeze. One of the great things about crostini is that the toppings are customizable. In this recipe, a creamy ricotta cheese mixture is spread on toasted baguette rounds and topped with lightly spiced shrimp and chopped bell peppers. Serve them alongside Champagne or cocktails for a wonderful start to your holiday celebrations. SHRIMP AND BELL PEPPER CROSTINI MAKES 24 These crostini are an ideal way to start a holiday dinner with family and friends. ½ cup chopped red bell pepper½ cup chopped yellow bell pepper1½ tablespoons diced shallot1½ teaspoons olive oil1 teaspoon sherry vinegar¼ teaspoon kosher salt⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper½…

PECANS ARE UBIQUITOUS throughout the South during the winter, just in time for those holiday sides and desserts. Available both in-shell and shelled, Louisiana pecans add unmistakable flavor and crunch to many of the season’s best recipes, like pralines, pies, and sweet potato casserole. Here, we’ve come up with three exciting ways to incorporate pecans into your cooking this season with recipes for stuffed acorn squash, pork tenderloin, and muffins. PECAN RICE-STUFFED ACORN SQUASH MAKES 4 SERVINGS In this recipe, acorn squash is stuffed with a delectable mixture of rice, pecans, bacon, and cheese. 2 (1- to 1¼-pound) acorn squash, halved crosswise and seeded4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil¼ teaspoon kosher salt⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper4 slices thick-cut bacon¼ cup diced celery¼ cup chopped green onion1 (8.8-ounce) package ready-to-serve long-grain rice, cooked according to package…

THOUGH THESE COVID-19 DAYS have limited gatherings and robbed us of events, they have also brought back family meals and memories of simpler times. Especially at this time of year, when autumn’s collage of color blends into the crisp days of winter, my mind returns to family Thanksgiving dinners, Christmas Mass, and the joy of knowing a new year will soon arrive. In St. James Parish, sugarcane grinding began around October. The cane was cut and then burned to remove the sharp leaves, leaving only the cane to be processed. Raw sugar, brown sugar, and cane syrup were abundant gifts of the winter season. Of course, this was also hunting season. “WOODCOCK LIKED TO FEED IN THE RECENTLY STRIPPED CANE FIELDS, WHICH MEANT THE CANE FIELDS WERE OVERRUN AT DUSK AND DAWN…

I LEARNED EARLY IN MY CAREER that while chefs and restaurateurs are competitors, they are much better friends than foes. One late Sunday afternoon in 1978, Ruth Fertel, owner of Ruth’s Chris Steak House in New Orleans, dined at my Lafitte’s Landing in Donaldsonville. I had opened the previous July and was honored to have the Empress of Steak seated in my restaurant. I’m sure that Ruth understood from the sea of white tablecloths on vacant tables that I was in desperate need of business. That is when I learned about a restaurateur’s generous heart. After enjoying her meal, Ruth called me over. Following a little small talk, she said, “How much do you want for that framed painting hanging on the wall?” She had spied my original Mardi Gras Flambeaux…