Louisiana Cookin' January - February 2017

CARNIVAL IS THE MOST colorful and exciting time in Louisiana. From the glittering beads, to the decked-out floats, and the king cakes galore, this season distills some of the most wonderful feelings across the state. This year, in addition to picking up some of my favorite king cakes (Haydel’s, La Boulangerie, and Gracious, I’m looking at you), I plan on baking a few of my own. On page 40, you’ll find a super-versatile dough that you can stuff with your favorite fillings (or try our Cinnamon-Pecan, Chocolate, or Strawberries and Cream versions). Even though it is the time of year when we can (and should!) eat dessert first, the sad fact is that we cannot live on king cake alone. To help out with the gatherings and gettogethers that abound during Carnival…

IT’S MARDI GRAS y’all! OK, well, maybe not yet, but as you know, here in Louisiana, as soon as we get New Year’s out of the way, it’s all about Mardi Gras. King cakes, fried chicken, red beans, parades, balls, costumes—I don’t even know how we manage to get to work for the next few weeks, but we are Carnival pros. For many of us, this is the time of year we are home the least, and much of that time out has to do with food, our favorite subject. So, let’s talk food! NEW AND DELICIOUS As usual, new restaurants seem to pop up overnight all over Louisiana. If the name Isaac Toups is familiar to you, it may be because you have had the pleasure of dining at Toups’ Meatery…

I had an opportunity to find out the juicy details of Shreveport’s Blue Southern Comfort Food & Ice Cream Parlor restaurant from the owner herself, Chef Carolyn Simmons: As if the name of your place were not enough to entice us, tell us about your very comfortable restaurant. We’re all about comfort food, but not old-fashioned comfort food. We offer a more modern take with fresh-ground burgers, and dishes with local ingredients—lots of them. We even make our own ice cream with locally produced dairy products, and our own pizza dough. Everything is made from scratch. We also make a great pot roast, and lots of smoked meats. For those who haven’t been here, what’s the atmosphere like? We have our own brick pizza oven, where customers can stand and watch the pizzas being…

CAST-IRON COOKING is one of my favorite pastimes. I learned how to cook over bubbling cauldrons at Louisiana State University tailgate parties. We’d make gumbo, red beans, white beans, crawfish étouffée, and, of course, jambalaya. My crew, the Third Row Tailgaters, acquired my large cast iron pot after a bar closed in Baton Rouge and one of the managers told us to come pick it up and keep it for our tailgate parties. How could we say no? A decade and a half later, I still cook in that pot when I do pop-up dinners, charity cookouts, or tailgate parties. Jambalaya is one of those Louisiana dishes that people will always disagree on. It is a dish of key importance when distinguishing whether a chef or a restaurant leans more Cajun…

THROUGHOUT LOUISIANA and the South, there are traditions of eating greens for money and black-eyed peas for luck in the New Year. Hoppin’ John and pork-studded collard greens are the typical go-tos for these customs, but we thought we would double-down by making a dish that combines both auspicious symbols. This version, which uses kale for the greens, is not only packed with vitamins A and C (and hearty portions of calcium and iron), it’s an easy way to start off the New Year on the right foot. KALE WITH CRISPY BLACK-EYED PEAS MAKES 4 SERVINGS 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided ½ cup diced red onion ½ cup diced yellow bell pepper 1 large tomato, seeded and diced 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 pound kale, thick stems removed and leaves chopped ¼ cup chicken or vegetable stock ½ teaspoon sea…

IN THE COLDEST PART of the winter, Meyer lemons begin filling shelves at grocery stores and farmers’ markets. These smaller, sweeter lemons work brilliantly in sweet and savory dishes and, according to the LSU AgCenter, are the only type of lemon suggested for home gardening in the Bayou State. Here we paired the little zesty wonders with sweet Louisiana shrimp, garlic, and herbs in a heartwarming dish your family will love. BAKED SHRIMP WITH MEYER LEMON GREMOLATA MAKES 4 SERVINGS ⅓ cup finely chopped parsley 2 teaspoons Meyer lemon zest 5½ teaspoons Meyer lemon juice, divided ½ teaspoon minced garlic 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 pound peeled and deveined jumbo fresh shrimp 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning ½ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper 1. Preheat oven to 400°. Lightly spray 4…