Brunch on the Bayou

I was in New Orleans in the mid 1980’s and had the privilege of staying in the French Quarter.  I fell immediately in love with the quaintness, the architecture, the jazz and the food. Cajun cuisine is a style of cooking named for the French speaking people who came from Canada to settle in the Acadiana region of Louisiana. Its style is rustic, as it incorporates locally available ingredients and a simple preparation, much like Italian Peasant cooking.  I enjoyed the food of New Orleans and sampled staples of the City- everything from creole to benigets and chicory coffee at the famous Cafe du Monde.  I was recently inspired to recreate one of the meals I enjoyed there and so my Bayou Brunch was created. Truth be told, it really does take a lot for me to be impressed by myself, but this meal did it for me today, and I want to share it with you. Brunch included poached farm fresh eggs on a bed of sautéed cabbage and home fries, drizzled with a Cajun hollandaise sauce and a side of carmelized bacon. The meal was finished with hot, homemade benigets and chicory coffee from the famed Cafe du Monde. So in honor of Mardi Gras season, I bring you my Brunch on the Bayou...

Home Fries

Cube golden potatoes and spread in a single layer on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until mostly cooked.  Meanwhile, dice one large onion and sauté in cast iron skillet with butter until half cooked.  Add potatoes and season with salt and pepper and smoked paprika. Cook over medium heat until potatoes are crispy.

Sautéed Cabbage

Slice half head of Savoy cabbage and sauté in large frying pan with butter and a dash of water.  Season with salt and pepper and paprika. Line serving plates with cooked cabbage and put home fries in the middle.  Top with poached eggs and drizzle with hollandaise. 

Cajun Hollandaise

2 egg yolks

2 t lemon juice

1/4 t salt

1/4 t smoked paprika

1/4 t cayenne pepper

1/2 c (1 stick) butter, melted

In a tall and narrow cup or vessel that would fit the head of an immersion blender, add egg, lemon juice, salt, paprika and cayenne. Blend egg mixture with immersion blender. Stream in hot butter a little at a time, letting the butter cook the eggs slightly. Blend until sauce is light and fluffy and butter is incorporated. If sauce is too thick, add a few teaspoons of water to loosen it before serving.

Carmelized Bacon

Line rack on baking sheet with 1 lb. applewood smoked bacon in single layer. Sprinkle lightly with brown sugar, pinch of cayenne pepper and drizzle with maple syrup.  Chopped pecans optional.  Bake at 350 degrees until crispy, about 45 minutes.

Give Us This Day, Our Daily Bread

Is there anything more comforting than freshly baked bread right out of the oven? This time of year it’s especially comforting.  My grandmother taught me how to make bread when I was a young girl. That’s when I discovered that kneading dough can be very therapeutic. You need a bit more patient when using yeast in bread because it takes a few hours to rise and then you have to let it rest before baking it. Well worth the wait if you have the time! Quick breads are also great to make, especially if you are pressed on time and I have a few of my go-to’s to share with you. One of them is my great-aunt Fern’s banana bread. I put bananas that have turned a little brown into the freezer and they are ready to use when ready. (When my daughter was a baby, I thawed out the bananas and mixed it with her cereal- the consistency is perfect for that and the bread). Here are some of my favorites- some sweet, some savory, but all quick and easy!

Vintage Banana Bread

3 bananas, mashed

1/4 c butter, melted

1 c sugar

1 1/2 c flour

2 eggs

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1/2 c chopped nuts

1/2 c chopped dates

Cut up dates (if not already purchased chopped in a package) and roll in flour to prevent from sticking.  Mix all ingredients together and our into prepared loaf pan.  Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Johnny Cake (light corn bread)

1 c flour

3/4 c corn meal

3/4 t salt

1 beaten egg

5 t baking powder

1/3 c sugar

2 T vegetable oil

1 c milk

Mix all dry ingredients together. Add egg, milk and oil- blend well. Pour into prepared 8 x 8 square pan. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes at 300 degrees until golden brown.

Biscuit Mix

8 c flour

1/3 c baking powder

2 t salt

8 t sugar

Mix together and cut in 1 c Crisco.  This mixture will keep for months in the refrigerator.  

To make biscuits: Use I c biscuit mix and mix in 1/3 c milk. Can be rolled out and cut with a cutter or juice glass dipped in flour or dropped by large spoonfuls.  Place in greased pan and bake at 425 degrees until lightly browned. 

Dill Bread

2 pkg active dry yeast

1/2 c warm water

2 t sugar

2 c small curd cottage cheese

2 T minced onion

4 1/2 c flour

2 T dill weed

1 t baking powder

2 t salt

2 t sugar

2 eggs

Sprinkle yeast on warm water - stir until blended. Stir in 2 t sugar to proof and set aside. Combine cottage cheese, onion, dill, baking powder, salt, sugar and eggs. Mix thouroughly.  Add yeast mixture and mix well. Add flour to make a stiff dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic. Place dough in greased bowl and turn to bring greased side up. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Punch down and turn onto lightly floured surface. Knead a few times and divide into two equal parts. Place each portion into well greased loaf pans. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool slightly and remove from pans onto wire rack and brush tops with melted butter.

Chocolate Brownie Bread

1 1/4 c flour

1 1/4 c sugar

6 T cocoa powder

1 T instant coffee

1 t baking soda

3/4 t salt

1 c walnuts, chopped

1 1/2 c sour cream

1 egg

1 1/2 t vanilla

4 T butter, melted and cooled

Preheat oven to 350. Butter loaf pan and line with parchment or wax paper. Butter paper and dust with bottom and sides with flour. In medium bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, coffee, baking soda and salt until blended then stir in the nuts. In large bowl, whisk together sour cream, egg, vanilla and melted butter, Add dry ingredients and stir with rubber spatula until just blended and pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes and untold onto wire rack.Wrap in plastic wrap, then overlap with aluminum foil. Let stand in cool place for at least one day before serving.

French Onion Soup Gratinee Anyone?

French Onion Soup Gratinee

I was never a big fan of French Onion Soup because I thought it was always too dark and salty. Then one day, I found myself watching Julia Child on TV make her version of French Onion Soup.  As I listened to her describe the soup, I became intrigued so I started taking notes on what I whatever I could find.

My original notes from Julia- can you
tell I worked for Aetna at the time?

She recommended making the beef stock from scratch and I wholeheartedly agree.  Yes, it takes more time and patience, but well worth the the effort in the end.  There will be more than required for the soup, but it can be frozen and used at a later date. Carmelizing the onions mellows and sweetens their flavor and turns them to a nice, deep golden brown.  And a combination of Gruyere, Swiss and a sprinkle of Parmesan (along with Julia's splash of cognac) finishes it perfectly!

Julia Child

I did make one minor change to Julia's recipe.  Instead of using toasted slices of baguette, I use homemade croutons (again, more work, but well worth it!) because they are more manageable to eat within the soup and gives a nice texture to the top.  I don't believe in having to fight with your food when you eat it, and this is the perfect solution. So, when you have time on a cold, rainy weekend, make some French Onion Soup Gratinee- and raise a glass to Julia... you'll be glad that you did!

Beef Stock

Beef bones and veggies in roasting pan

Arrange a collection of raw, meaty bones on a roasting pan along with two onions cut in half, three carrots, cut in half, parsnips, two heads garlic, cut in half, and 4 stalks celery cut in half. Baste lightly with vegetable oil and roast in oven at 450 degrees for 30 minutes.  

Stock simmering in pot

Scoop bones and vegetables into a stock pot.  Remove fat from roasting pan and deglaze with 2 cups of water, simmering and scraping up whatever is left in the pan.  Pour into stock pot, and add cold water to cover ingredients.  You can add additional onions, carrots and celery at this point if you'd like. Add a large can of diced tomatoes to the pot and a handful of fresh herbs. Season with salt and pepper and simmer 2 - 3 hours.  Remove bones, vegetables, garlic and herbs and put through a strainer.  

French Onion Soup Gratinee

Carmelized onions

In a large pot, sauge 6 cups sliced onions in 3 T butter and 1 T vegetable oil until softened, then add 1/2 t. each of salt and sugar.  Stir frequently about 20 minutes until onions are golden brown. Sprinkle with 2 T flour and cook slowly for 2 minutes. Off heat, whisk in 4 cups stock and 2 cups white wine. Simmer slowly for 30 minutes. 

To assemble the soup:  line the bottom of individual crocks with a 1/4 pat butter, then a slice of Swiss Cheese.  Ladle in the hot soup. Float a generous amount of croutons on top. Top croutons with a slice of Swiss cheese, a handful of Gruyere and a sprinkle of Parmesan. Top with a dash of cognac or sherry and bake in a 450 degree oven for 20 minutes until cheese is melted and browned.