Thank you!

I was asked again to resume my posting on the blog and I shall.

I was talking to a few male friends of mine who have no idea of how to cook! Strange I know right! Well I have decided to embark on a huge undertaking and continue the 50 in 50 AND throw in a section for Men in the Kitchen.
Now I know this will not be easy and will at times seem like a job more than a passionate labor of love LOL but I will preserver and press on.

I will get into a series of things such as;

Using soups as bases for sauces.

The ease of duplicating a meal you have at your favorite restaurant, at home.

The ease of cooking with your significant other and enjoying it!

The intricate balance of pairing wine with your dishes.

And a host of other subjects as well, so welcome back to those that have been her and waiting on me to get back on the horse, and welcome to those that just view the blog.


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Still cooking

It has been over week since I placed a recipe on the blog. It's not due to my desire to stop my blog, it is just that work has caused me to divert my focus temporarily. I will still be doing the 50 in 50 and will have another recipe up Monday, so get ready.

The passport will take us through 10 different regions of France and also give us a few recipes that every cook should have in their repertoire. These are the areas we will cover;

Burgundy, there are three recipe from this area, two from the Rhône Alps, one from Normandy and two from Toulouse.

We will hop from geographic locations in no particular order, as you can see when we pull two recipes from Languedoc, four from Provence two from Aveyron, one from Flander, two from Paris and two from Alsace, one we have already completed.

I will also provide you with seven sauce recipes. There are eight mother sauces that YOU MUST BE FAMILURE WITH!! These sauces can and will take a week each just so you truly understand them.

Some recipes will be ones that are from no particular region but are still French in nature, and need to be included in your repertoire, there will be fifteen of those.

For those that are following the blog please keep following, and those that are just viewing, click the link at the bottom and follow and leave comments. Join in and lets have fun in the kitchen. I will have more advice from farmers and sommelier's and awesome local Chefs that understand the passion of cooking and helping others to realize their culinary visions.

I have been offered the opportunity to apprentice under an awesome Chef. I will take it and work free of charge as I feel my payment is learning and benefiting under his tutelage. I encourage you all to seek out those elusive opportunities where you can pick up skills and enhance your outlook in the kitchen. And remember people Culinary Institutes are NOT the only place to acquire cooking skills. Think outside the box and go unconventional.

I will also continually cover spices over every week. I want you to understand the proper usage of spices in your dishes. Your dish does not have to be spicy when spices are utilized properly, unless that is your intent. Spices should accent your dish and add a certain flavor profile that is multi layered and enhances the main focal point of the dish.



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2-50 Carré De Cochon En Cocotte (Casseroled rack of pork)

Carré De Cochon En Cocotte (Casseroled rack of pork)
To all of you that got in the kitchen and experimented with me with the last dish I hope it opened up a new passion for you and you continue to follow along.

This week the dish will be Carré De Cochon En Cocotte, translated;
Carré De Cochon(Rack (ribs) or loin of pork ) En Cocotte ( A high sided cooking pot (casserole) with a lid).

The ingredients are

4 rib rack of pork ribs
4 onions, sliced
6 scallions, chopped
2 packages of frozen (locally grown if you can find them) English peas, thawed
1 lb fingerling potatoes
3 Granny Smith apples
2 cups of hard dry cider
1/3 stick unsalted butter
Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper

There, you have all the things you will need to make this great dish, we will cook it on Friday.

Comment on substitutions if you cannot find or use certain things contained in the recipe.

For those that are following from the wine club, comments on what wine would be best paired with this dish is always welcomed.

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1-50, Alsace Coq Au Riesling

Welcome to the beginning of a beautiful 50 weeks of awesome food.

To start off our passport adventure, the opening dish we cooked was Coq Au Riesling from the Alsace region of France. It is beautiful, healthy, and super easy!

The mushrooms were added to but not substituted, I added button mushrooms just for a little more texture. You could sub them if you wanted to with something flavorful like a portobello or maybe even say a shiitake.

This dish could go either light, like I did it here or it could go rustic and you could make it more hardy and add lardons and other ingredients and plate it more along the lines of French comfort food.

For those that cooked this dish let me know your feed back on how it turned out and what you would change or add.

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Alsace~Coq Au Riesling

This will start off out the 50 in 50, Our passport through France. Our first dish will be Alsace~Coq Au Riesling, simply chicken in a white wine sauce.

Here is what you will need;

3 lbs Air chilled chicken thighs and or legs
(Using meat that is on the bone is ALWAYS more flavorful)
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
(I ONLY use sea salt in my house period!! no iodine. You can use
multicolored pepper corns and they will give you more of a rounded
taste)
2 tbsp of duck fat
(You can order this on line and it can be frozen for months!!)
4 shallots, minced OR 1 small leek, sliced
(I personally like to use the shallots because the flavor is sweeter AND
they are easier to obtain)
1 clove of garlic, minced
(You can use the garlic in the jar thats already minced,it works just as well)
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp dry Riesling

1/2 cup chicken stock
(You can use boxed chicken stock for this because trying to make your own is pretty extensive)

3-4 cups of Texas oyster mushrooms, torn
(try your best to use these mushrooms because the flavor profile they
provide is necessary)

1/2 cup crème fraiche
(You can make this fairly easy. You will need 1 pint heavy cream, 2 tablespoons cultured buttermilk. Combine buttermilk and heavy cream in non-reactive container. Cover and allow to rest at room temperature until thickened to desired texture, about 12 hours. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks)

Chopped fresh parsley and tarragon for garnish

and we will serve this over buttered egg noodles that you can get from your local grocery store in a bag

First;
season the chicken with salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown the chicken on all sides in a sauté pan with the duck fat, setting them to the side on a plate. Add the shallots or your leek and garlic to the pan and cook for one minute; add the mushrooms and stir; deglaze with 2 tbsp of wine, place chicken back into the pan, add the rest of the wine and chicken stock; cover simmer for about 20-30 minutes turing once. Remove the chicken to a serving platter, boil the cooking liquid down to sauce consistency. Stir the crème fraiche. When hot, season to taste and pour over the chicken, sprinkle with the herbs and serve.

Now as you can see it is a fairly simple recipe. If there are questions or desires for substitutions let me know them.



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Le français 50 par 50” (French 50/50)

Ok people, I have been inundated with requests for recipes and tips on spices and a myriad of other things. Also my wife loves to be in the kitchen with me and learning different cooking techniques SO I discussed this with her and I will do a Passport to France, a “Le français 50 par 50” (French 50 by 50). That is 50 French recipes in 50 weeks.

I will post a recipe on a Monday and discuss it during the week, substitutions, ease of, preparation etc. and I will actually cook it on the following Friday and post pictures and highlights. For instance I will start with a classic French dish, Alsace~Coq au Reisling, which is chicken in a white wine sauce. Now note that I am not a classically trained French Chef and I can still perfect and tweak theses recipes to the point that you would not be able to tell much difference from my dinner table to that of a restaurant.

Here is the thing, I have my blog set to allowed anyone to comment but only those that are following will be given one on one interaction, so hit the “follow me” button at the bottom of the page so everyone can participate.  

Now I will open up and let you know that there are a few things that any cook should have in their arsenal and one of those things is duck fat!

Duck fat is a staple in my kitchen that imparts delicious flavor to any dish. Nutritionally similar to olive oil, it is low in saturated fat, with a good combination of poly and mono-saturated fats. In a lot of ways, duck fat is considered better than butter! Don’t tell any true southerners I said that!

Offering a rich, silky mouth feel that transforms whatever it touches, without an overpowering flavor of its own, duck fat is the darling secret of many chefs today. And the high smoke point means it can be cooked at very high temperatures without smoking or altering its flavor, which is good for a beginner learning to work with new and different things.

Partner duck fat with its natural ally: the potato. Nothing crisps potatoes quite like duck fat does, which is why frites in bistros are fried in a fragrant pot of duck fat. Try duck fat in place of oil in salad dressing, and for sautéing mushrooms and vegetables, where its light umami quality is noticeable. Try making a garlic confit, (ask and I will give you a recipe for it…super easy) a secret weapon in the kitchen--on potatoes, spread on a slice of thick country bread, or on a pizza. The duck fat mellows the punch of garlic

Unlike butter or olive oil, duck fat can be recycled. Duck fat stores in the freezer for a long time, which is why you should never be caught without it! Take it out an hour before cooking to soften, or use a hot spoon to scrape off a small amount. Stock up with a few tubs and watch your cooking repertoire be transformed by the magic of duck fat.

The other is a good variety of wine, not just to drink but to cook with.

How to Decide Which Wine to Use

Cooking with wine, like drinking wine can add another dimension to a recipe. Cultivating and enhancing flavors while accentuating textures are the main incentives for adding wines to recipes.

When deciding what kind of wine to cook with, many agree that your best bet is to cook with a wine that you would drink. Remember, it is only the alcohol that diminishes during the cooking process, NOT THE POOR QUALITY OR UNDESIRABLE FLAVOR. Wines designated as “cooking wines” tend to be cheap, salty and often incorporate additional spices or herbs. Bottom line - they will do little to enhance your recipe. You do not need to spend big bucks on a wine that you intend to cook with, save that for the wine you plan on serving and drinking with the meal itself. However, if you shoot for ultra cheap (less than $5) you will likely be disappointed in both the flavor and the overall contribution to your recipe, consider forgoing the wine addition altogether.

Using Wine as a Spice

Think of flavoring a recipe with wine in the same light as you would adding a spice. The flavors tend to mellow the longer you cook the wine in the dish and it is recommended that a young, strong red wine is allowed to cook for at least 45 minutes. The next question is typically “Should I use a red or a white wine?” Reds tend to bring color, clarity and a distinctly dry characteristic to the foods they flavor. White wines are known to bring an acidic quality with a bit of pucker power. Use reds for flavoring red sauces with red meat. For example, a bold red wine would be perfect for a meatball marina or stout stews with lots of heavy vegetables. Steer towards white wines if you are making cream sauces or emphasizing white meats or seafood. (Which is why a white is being used in the Alsace ~ Coq Au Riesling I will be preparing on next week)

Alcohol and the Cooking Process

Keep in mind that not all of the alcohol will evaporate from the cooking process. The concentration of residual alcohol that remains in your dish depends on the length of time and way in which it was cooked. For example, boiling a sauce for 25 minutes will remove considerably more alcohol than merely baking a dish for 15 minutes.

A Rule to Remember

Cooking with wine should be fun

If you are just starting out, keep it simple - try a young bold red (Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon ) in your Aunt Baby's family spaghetti sauce recipe or a dash of Chardonnay in your Creamy Alfredo Chicken recipe. Experiment with using wines in recipes, it is not rocket science and shaking recipes up with a splash or two of wine will likely make your favorite recipe that much better!

You can find a good sommelier at most upscale specialty markets and believe me they LOVE to help and give advice with wine parings!

 Join in, follow and “Allez Cuisine” …. Start cooking!

Ancho smoked Kobe steak and pasta with peas and pearl onions

Ancho smoked Kobe steak with garlic and herb mafalda pasta with a beautiful roux to cover and sweet peas and pearl onions.




This was a very simple and awesome dish to prepare. You will need a quality choice of meat to start. I used Kobe beef marbling grade 6 which would be like using a premium cut of New York Strip.

Generally speaking, the one common denominator to look for within all cuts of beef is marbling distribution. Marbling is the white fat that you see in all cuts of beef. Some cuts, such as rib eye, will naturally have more marbling than others.

Just keep in mind that a substantial amount of evenly distributed marbling is a good thing, which is why Wagyu (Kobe) beef cost so much. Sure this beef locally cost like $40 a pound BUT the steak I used was a lower marbled grade, less than half a pound and was around $13-$14!! Which when cut on a bias feed my daughter, wife and I!!

Wagyu refers to several breeds of cattle genetically predisposed to intense marbling and to producing a high percentage of oleaginous unsaturated fat.

The meat from wagyu cattle is known worldwide for its marbling characteristics, increased eating quality through a naturally enhanced flavor, tenderness and juiciness, and a high market value. In several areas of Japan, beef is shipped with area names. Some examples are Kobe, Mishima, Matsusaka, Ōmi, and Sanda beef.

Highly prized for their rich flavor, these cattle produce arguably the finest beef in the world. These different breeds produce beef that range from expensive (by any measure) to extremely expensive (about US$ 50 per 150 grams of filet steak sold retail in Japan).

Always allow your steak to approach room-temperature prior to cooking. I seasoned my meat with dried ancho smoked chili powder, Yakima apple wood smoked sea salt and white pepper on both sides.

I cannot overstate how important this step is in achieving a perfectly cooked steak. Depending upon ambient temperature, always remove your steak from the refrigerator 30 to 60 minutes prior to the time you plan to actually cook it.

The reason for this is rather simple:

The colder the steak, the longer it takes to reach the desired serving temperature. An ideal steak will arrive on your plate as evenly cooked as possible. Now if you had an immersion circulator, this would be easily achievable. Sadly, most of us do not have an immersion circulator sitting in our kitchen. The best way to cook a steak as evenly as possible is to slowly raise the internal temperature prior to exposing the outside of the steak to a hot pan, oven or grill.

In order to achieve maximum flavor accumulation, the steak must remain undisturbed for a long enough period of time to allow a maillard reaction to occur.

Simply put, a maillard reaction is a process that allows meat to brown. It won't happen if you continually fiddle with your steak! So leave it alone until it's had a chance to brown, and then turn it over and leave it alone for another extended period of time. And NEVER, EVER, poke your steak with a fork while it's cooking. Always use tongs or a spatula when turning your steak.

Time and temperature vary greatly depending on thickness of cut and choice of heat source. I.e. gas range or electric range top.

I've found that the best way to determine when your steak is cooked to your liking is to simply look at it and touch it. Gently press your finger into the middle of the steak. If it doesn't bounce back at all, it isn't cooked yet. When it just begins to lightly bounce back, it's medium-rare. The more bouncy and firm it becomes, the more well-done it is. With a bit of practice, it'll become very easy to know exactly when your steaks are done.

I learned by using the”face method”, here’s how you learn the various levels of doneness:

With a poker face — no smiling or you’ll be eating beef jerky — touch your cheek. That’s how rare meat feels. Offering no resistance when pressed, it has a red center but should be warm all the way through.

Touch your chin. This is the feel of medium rare. The color should be bright pink to red when cut.

Now, touch the end of your nose. This will coincide with the texture of medium doneness. It has a pink center.

The area just above the bridge of your nose on your forehead is the tactile equivalent of medium-well. It has a thin line of pink remaining in the center. The bottom of your shoe is well done.

Some Chef’s prefers gauging doneness using touch also, but with their fist.
First, make a relaxed fist. The web of your hand between the thumb and forefinger on top feels like rare meat. If you slightly clench your fist, that same v-section of your hand is now medium. Clench your fist tightly, and the area will now feel like well done — hard, and in my opinion, inedible. As meats cook, the juices are drawn to the upper surface. That’s why when you cut into a steak, the juices rush out.

Never bind yourself by time when cooking steaks. They're done when they're done.

ALWAYS allow your steak to rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting!!
I can't overstate how important it is to allow your steak to rest prior to cutting into it.

Why go through all that work to cook the perfect steak, only to ruin it by cutting into it while it's steaming hot?

By cutting into a still-hot steak, you effectively allow a substantial amount of its internal moisture to escape in the form of steam and tangible juice. The same moisture you worked so hard to trap and protect. This will result in a steak that is undesirably dry.

When allowed to rest, a hot steak will retain the majority of its moisture. It's that simple.

When cutting your steak, always cut across the grain.

If you cut your steak with the grain, it will be noticeably tougher to chew than it would be had you cut across the grain.

The reason for this is that by cutting with the grain, you allow the natural fibers of the meat to remain intact. You'll wind up with a mouth full of still-intact meat fibers, which can be tough for the teeth to break down for further digestion.

When you cut across the grain, you immediately break all those tough to chew fibers into small pieces, thereby making each bite as tender as possible.

Once I removed the meat from the pan I deglazed it with a little water then added flour, Serrano infused sea salt, a couple of tablespoons of butter and a teaspoon of minced garlic to make my roux.

The garlic and herb pasta can be purchased in a box for cooking ease. You do not have to limit yourself to that flavor or shape of pasta, be creative and take this and make it your own!

That’s what creative cooking is all about.

The peas and pearl onions were canned which made it super easy because anyone that has had to peel pearl onions know that’s a task that a labor of love because there’s no fun in it!! Add your favorite seasonings to the pot with the peas and add a teaspoon of butter and bring the peas to a boil and then turn heat as low as it will go and simmer until you are ready to either plate them or bring them to your table.

What is "Cajun"

I have been asked this my whole life because I do not look "Acadian". There are a myriad of differences in the culture that makes up "What a Cajun" is.

Argue this...Culture, not blood, defines today's Cajun. We'll get more into it as we go along.

Experiencing the Cajun culture is like no other. The Acadians of today are a thrifty, hard-working, fun-loving, devout religious folk. They work and play with equal enthusiasm.

The word Cajun began in 19th century Acadie (now Nova Scotia) when the Acadians began to arrive. The French of noble ancestry would say, "les Acadiens", while some referred to the Acadians as, "le 'Cadiens", dropping the "A". Later came the Americans who could not pronounce "Acadien" or "'Cadien", so the word, "Cajun" was born.

The Cajun's pleasure-loving nature expresses itself in the community festivals, dancing and food that are integral parts of bayou life. Cajuns are known for their "joie de vivre" (joy of living), and to add excitement to their food they experiment with herbs, spices and ingredients to create some of the most flavorful dishes that people throughout North America now enjoy.

One of the traditional favorite Cajun pastimes is an old- fashioned crawfish boil. When the sacred "mud bugs" or "crawdads" go into the pot a breath of excitement fills the air. Before the great feast of the boiled crawfish, potatoes, onions and corn, youngsters make a mad dash for the crawfish tub poking the live crawfish with sticks while other family members participate in crawfish races.

Boiling crawfish is not the only way to enjoy the crustaceans. When crawfish go into the pot a number of delicious dishes result because there are almost as many ways to cook crawfish as there are swamps, ponds and ditches in which to catch them. Crawfish are served up in gumbo, bisque, étouffée, jambalaya, pies or patties.

When the Cajuns aren't eating crawfish, they enjoy other world famous cuisine of Louisiana such as oysters, shrimp, boudin, pralines, gumbo and red beans and rice.
What better way to experience Cajun food than at a festival? Any time is festival time in Cajun Country. Towns and villages throughout Acadiana celebrate every season with their special blend of music, food and the colorful Cajun heritage. Most festivals feature live music of all sorts, contests, native crafts and food and, of course, dancing.

Cajun music is also distinctive. It can be lively or melancholy, and sometimes both at the same time. The main reason why many attend festivals is for the unique Cajun music. Cajun music, once deemed as "nothing but chank-a-chank" has infiltrated radio, television and classrooms and is becoming world famous for its unique sounds of instruments like accordions, fiddles and triangles.

One of the largest festivals is our world-famous Mardi Gras. Celebrate an old-fashioned Mardi Gras at the Courir du Mardi Gras (Mardi Gras Run), one of the local traditions that makes Mardi Gras in Cajun Country truly unique. The spectacle celebrated in small towns and villages in Acadiana is a favorite of visitors interested in off-the-beaten-path experiences. With its roots firmly in the medieval tradition of ceremonial begging, bands of masked and costumed horseback and wagon riders led by the unmasked "Le Captaine" roam the countryside "begging for ingredients for their community gumbo. The day's festivities end with a fais-do-do and, of course, lots of savory gumbo.

In Cajun Country, a week hardly goes by without chants of praise to crawfish, rice, alligators, cotton, boudin, yams, gumbo and andouille, all the necessities of bayou life. Within the triangle of Acadiana's 22 parishes, you'll experience the "joie de vivre" of the Cajun lifestyle. Whether in food, music or fun, the Cajun tradition continues to live on in the hearts of Cajuns and visitors alike.

The 700,000 Acadians who live in South Louisiana make up the largest French-speaking minority in the United States. They are descendants of some of the first white men to settle North America, coming from Brittany, Poitou, Normandy and across France to establish their first permanent colony in what is now Nova Scotia. That was in 1604, three years before Jamestown, four years before Quebec, and 15 years before the Mayflower.

They were forced from their Canadian homes a century and a half later, and eventually settled in South Louisiana. Some settled along the Mississippi River above New Orleans. Others migrated to wetlands along Bayou Lafourche. Another group crossed the Atchafalaya Basin to the country of the Attakapas and Opelousas Indians, near today's cities of St. Martinville and Lafayette.

Each of these groups lived in relative isolation from the Anglos, and to some extent, from each other, and developed in different ways. (There is, for example, no single "Cajun French" language, but distinguishable - to the trained ear - regional dialects, all based upon the original Acadian French, alike in sound and rhythm, but often with distinctive phrases and modes of expression. And you can start a battle royal among different Cajuns over just which instruments are proper to "authentic" Cajun music.

The Cajuns were for several generations largely an unschooled and unlettered people, living simple lives, keeping to themselves, their families and their lands. Because of this, the Cajun was often, and mistakenly, portrayed as a likeable buffoon; an ignorant, French-speaking, backwards swampbilly, scraping a bare existence from his surroundings; a pleasant, easy-going peasant who has nothing and wants less, as long as he can go to the fais-do-do (dance) on Saturday and to Mass on Sunday.

Listen to Richard Ketchum, writing as late as 1974 in the American Heritage Book of Great Historic Places:

"(Cajuns) speak an ancient French dialect which few outsiders can follow . . . Mixing little with the modern world, they earn a living by fishing, boating, trapping, and by selling handwoven baskets and cloth. In a region of few roads, they live on simple wooden houseboats, dependent upon the waterways and the pirogue . . ."

In many places they were called "coonasses." Some of them call themselves that still. The bumper sticker, "Coonass and Proud", still bedecks many a pickup truck.
But times have changed, and so have the Cajuns. The shantyboat is no longer first choice for economical housing, and some of them live in real houses, on dry land, with paved sidewalks leading right down to paved roadways. More Cajuns have pickup trucks than pirogues. Few Cajuns sell handwoven cloth or homemade baskets anymore (or know how to make either of them), but lots of them are still fishermen. Some trap still, gathering more pelts in the wild each year than all the rest of the United States and Canada combined. Some Cajuns are boatmen - Louisiana operates the largest fleet of working craft in the nation. (Duffy St. Pierre, a Cajun captain, gained instant fame - or notoriety - in the summer of 1987 by towing unwanted barge-loads of New York garbage around the Gulf of Mexico for a month.

And lots of Cajuns are doctors, lawyers, architects, accountants, even college professors. You'll find Cajuns selling shoes at Sears, running gasoline stations, driving taxis, flying airplanes, working at chemical plants, operating computers, stringing telephone lines, raising crops and cattle, delivering the mail, running restaurants...doing the same thing that people do everywhere. Lots of them wear suits and ties. Some of them, the proud ones, still speak French from time to time - sometimes more often and more fluently than English. They feel sorry for folks who can speak only one language.

Some of them are beginning to object to being called coonasses. They say it's an ugly word that came into use after World War II by the commingling of sound with the French noun conasse, which means a stupid person or prostitute. Others say it is more innocuous, deriving from cunaso, a word coming from the Caribbee Indians, most likely via the Spanish, and meaning a fellow who lives simply, on and with the land.
And the standard Cajun caricature, as all of them are, is too broadly stroked to begin with. It was incorrect even in the old days. Acadians have played a healthy and wide-ranging role in Louisiana (And American) history. They fought the British during the American Revolution, and fought alongside Andy Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans. An Acadian presided over the convention that voted Louisiana out of the Union. Other Cajuns helped the state back in. There were two Acadian governors and another served as lieutenant governor between 1840 and 1860. In fact, an Acadian, Alexandre Mouton, was Louisiana's first popularly-elected governor. (Before him, governors were chosen by the legislature.)
Acadians built their vacheries (cattle ranches) on the prairies, held fine river plantations, founded towns that became cities. They sat in Congress and the legislature and on the bench. (U.S. Sen. John Breaux is a Cajun.)
But it's true, too, that Cajuns often did - and do - things their own way. The scholars tell us:

"Certainly no one will deny that . . . numerous . . . Acadians . . . resisted acculturation until well after World War II, when improved transportation and communication brought mainstream America into the darkest reaches of the swamp"

More simply: The Cajuns thought it better to hold onto traditional values, to maintain their own identity. It was a passive resistance, more often a shrug of the shoulders and a perplexed chacun a son goût (there's no accounting for taste), than an active fight. But they resisted, nonetheless, and with good reason.

It may not be as obvious now, but the Cajun has always held a healthy distrust of his English-speaking neighbors? Why not? These were the people who exiled him from his homeland, and who, later, used wealth and numbers to push him into the hinterlands. But he usually went peaceably enough. He just wanted to be left alone. He sought the isolation to maintain his culture. In isolation, the culture sustained and reinforced itself, developed its own patterns.

But understand that the Cajuns aren't the only Frenchmen in Acadiana. There are a handful of French cultures here. The Creoles of New Orleans descend from settlers who came to Louisiana in the early 1700's. St. Martinville was called Petit Paris by aristocrats who fled there during the French Revolution. Refugees from Napoleon's army settled in Ville Platte and elsewhere. French-speaking blacks from Haiti and other Caribbean islands were here early on. It causes some confusion when we start talking about who is a Cajun and who is not.

By strict definition, we could limit the term Cajun to descendants of the Acadians exiled from Nova Scotia in 1755. In fact, however, the earlier French and other settlers mixed and married with Cajuns and, more often than not, adopted their ways - so that today, some argue, you can find Cajuns who aren't Acadian at all. (There's an old folk saying that you can become a Cajun in three ways : "by the blood, by the ring, or by the back door.")

You can make a good argument that it is the culture, not the blood, that defines today's "Cajuns."

That culture has certain obvious aspects: Not every modern Cajun speaks French, but his grandparents probably did. You'll find Protestant Broussards and Aucoins and Legers today, but they likely spring from Catholic roots. Even townfolks tend to hold some rural values and ways. The cuisine and the music hark back to old traditions. Latin blood shows through: Cajuns can be quick to anger, quick to laughter, and quick to change from one to the other. They play as hard as they work, but they work hard. The Cajun can still "make do" from the abundant resources around him. And he still wonders sometimes why anyone would want more.

And there are subtler aspects: The Cajuns are a tolerant people - perhaps to a fault. They sometimes tolerate a little too much drinking, a little too much dancing, some chicanery in their politics. Some outsiders cluck their tongues and wonder why. The Cajun suggests that some things just aren't worth the trouble to change.

There are those who would argue that a Chinese reared in Acadiana is more likely Cajun than an Acadian reared in China; that "Acadian" has to do with genealogy, but that the culture makes the "Cajun." Regional historian Revon Reed claims to count 15 different kinds of Louisiana Cajuns, including Anglos, Spaniards, even Yugoslavians and Filipinos.

He can start a good fight by arguing that in some of the wrong places. The back door to becoming a Cajun opens only so wide. But he's right about this: There's more to being a Cajun than just the blood.

Now let's be understood about this, I posses both the blood and the culture Mon Cher!

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Support your Local Farmers Market

I went to the Farmers Market today and finally found my stripped beets!!




It is so important to support your local growers and seeing as I had been looking for these beets for nearly a year and never thought to check the LFM I feel kinda bad! I also received the confirmation on the data I heard, and that is that the Scorpion pepper has now overtaken the Ghost pepper as the worlds hottest pepper!! AND I have my name on the growers list to get them fresh!!
I also found some great pesto's!




I WILL have a dish using these in the very near future! You can also get information there that you can't get from a culinary school on the local organic produce and grass feed beef and pork products. The people there are STARVING to share their knowledge and they do it with true passion!
If anyone has a dish that uses beets or have one they want to see! Let me know and let me see if I can work it and take it to the next level.
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Herbs Herbs and more Herbs

WHAT HERBS GO WITH WHAT FOODS??

This was my biggest fear when I started cooking. I tweeted many of my Power Chef friends from Andrew Zimmerman to my ultimate Chef Guru the great Mario Batali. Don’t be afraid to reach out to them because they WILL reply to you!!! This has been a serious concern for me more so than anything else because if you don’t match up the right herbs with the appropriate food you could create some seriously inedible dishes. I figured I would share with you some herb ideas that go with foods. I keep a list in my spice and herb drawer to help me match foods with and cross them with other herbs and spices to create what I call “hybrid spices”. Now there is one herb here that you may be looking at kind of weird and that’s ”lovage” So I will give you a little overview of this herb. The leaves can be used in salads, or to make soup, and the roots can be eaten as a vegetable or grated for use in salads. Its flavor and smell is very similar to celery. Maybe some of you might enjoy a list to look quickly at to see what herbs you can use to go with what foods you’re preparing so here you go:

MEATS
CHICKEN: basil, garlic, oregano, rosemary, tarragon

TURKEY: parsley, sage, thyme

DUCK: chervil , ginger, thyme,

POULTRY: basil, bay, caraway, chervil, chives, cumin, dill, garlic, marjoram, parsley, rosemary, sage, savory, shallots, tarragon, thyme

BEEF & VEAL: basil, bay, chervil, coriander, cumin, dill, garlic, lovage, marjoram, parsley, rosemary, sage, savory, shallot, tarragon, thyme

HAMBURGER: cayenne pepper, oregano, paprika, thyme

STEAK: chives, garlic, rosemary, thyme

LAMB: basil, bay, dill, garlic, mint, marjoram, rosemary, parsley, savory, tarragon, thyme

HAM: cinnamon, ginger, sage

PORK: anise, basil, bay, caraway, coriander, cumin, fennel, garlic, rosemary, sage, tarragon, thyme

EGGS
basil, chervil, chives, dill, fennel, marjoram, parsley, savory, shallot, sorrel, tarragon, thyme

FRITTATAS: black pepper, rosemary, thyme,

OMELETS: chervil, oregano, parsley,

QUICHES: basil, dill, marjoram,

SOUFFLÉS: basil, cayenne, chives

CHEESE
basil, caraway, chervil, chives, cumin seed, dill, lovage, marjoram, mints, parsley, poppy seeds, sage, savory, sesame seed, shallot, tarragon, thyme

SOUPS
basil, bay, calendula, caraway, chervil, chives, cumin, dill , fennel, lovage, marjoram, mints, parsley, rosemary, sage, savory, sorrel, tarragon, thyme, lemon thyme

VEGETABLES
ASPARAGUS: parsley, rosemary, thyme,

FRESH BEANS: dill, mint, oregano, rosemary

BROCCOLI: basil, curry powder, oregano, thyme

CARROTS: chervil, mint, sage, savory

CAULIFLOWER: cumin, curry powder, marjoram, savory

EGGPLANT: curry powder, dill, garlic, oregano, rosemary, thyme

MUSHROOMS: black pepper, rosemary, tarragon, thyme

ONION: chives, rosemary, sage, savory

PEAS: basil, mint, tarragon, thyme

POTATOES: dill, garlic, oregano, parsley, rosemary

SPINACH: basil, black pepper, garlic, parsley

TOMATOES: basil, black pepper, chives, garlic, rosemary,

ZUCCHINI: basil, dill, tarragon, thyme

SAUCES AND SUCH
MAYONNAISE : basil , curry powder, parsley, tarragon

HOLLANDAISE: cayenne, paprika

COCKTAIL: celery seeds, chives, parsley

CHEESE: cayenne, curry powder, dry mustard, paprika

BUTTER: basil, chives, oregano, tarragon, thyme

BÉARNAISE: chervil, parsley, tarragon

BARBECUE: cayenne, chili powder, cumin, paprika

FISH
TROUT: basil, chives, rosemary, sage, tarragon

SHRIMP: cayenne, garlic, parsley, oregano

SHELLFISH: black pepper, chives, garlic, thyme

SALMON: chervil, dill, parsley

LOBSTER: parsley, tarragon, thyme

CRAB MEAT: chives, marjoram

COD: parsley, tarragon, thyme

Enjoy and let me know what you think!

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Spicy orange zest beef and white rice

Ok my friends, This is a easy quick meal that's AWESOME!!! AND Healthy!
I hope this motivates you to explore and create in the kitchen. If you get any thing from me it's to find your thing in the kitchen and do you!




HAVE FUN AND BE BRILLIANT!
Ingredients
1 pound beef tenderloin, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon hot chile paste (such as sambal oelek)
1 tablespoon brown sugar, or to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
cooking spray
2 tablespoons grated orange zest
1 bunch green onions, sliced - white parts and tops separated
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions
Combine beef, orange juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, hot chili paste, brown sugar, and garlic in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
Strain beef in a colander set over a large bowl, allowing beef to drain thoroughly, about 5 minutes. Reserve marinade.
Stir water and cornstarch into the bowl of marinade. Whisk until cornstarch is dissolved, set aside.
Spray skillet with cooking spray and place over high heat. Cook beef for 1 minute without stirring; cook and stir for an additional minute.
Stir in light parts of green onion and orange zest; cook for 30 seconds.
Stir in marinade and green onion tops; cook and stir until beef is no longer pink inside and sauce is reduced and thick, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
"C'est si bon"
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Roasted red pepper crawfish and shrimp étouffée with Cajun basil rice

Thomas "Cajun" family secrets here!!!
True to my Cajun roots, here is my beautiful rendition of étouffée. This is my Roasted red pepper crawfish and shrimp étouffée with Cajun basil rice.

Now I know you all are looking for the recipe for this version......sorry this one is a family secret!

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Chicken marsala marinara and black olive tapenade

Ok here we go, Chicken marsala marinara and black olive tapenade. The
black olive tapenade is quite easy to make and I am providing a recipe
for that. The marsala marinara is a little time consuming to make but
it is possible, I suggest you simply get a jar of Marsala sauce and
tapenade as it will be far easier. BUT if you are feeling adventurous
I will give you the recipe for the masala sauce also.
Ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs (they give you a better flavor than
white meat)
26 oz of Marsala marinara sauce
1 teaspoon of Serrano infused sea salt (you can get this at most
specialty food stores)
1 teaspoon minced smoked garlic
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of Black olive tapenade
1 cup cold water
1 tablespoon of regular sea salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
Directions
Use the regular sea salt and pepper to season chicken and set aside
In a large skillet heat the extra virgin olive oil and garlic and then
add chicken, Brown on each side 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Add
water and simmer covered on med heat 2-3 minutes.
(I use 2 forks to shred my chicken and I like to do it while it’s hot
and in the pan)
While you are doing this the water mixture will reduce so if you need
to add more add it by the 1/3 cup amounts. Add 2 tablespoons of
tapenade to a cup of the marsala sauce. Once the chicken has been
shred, add the tapenade and marsala mixture along with the rest of the sauce to the skillet and turn heat
down to low-mid and cover, cook for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to
avoid sticking.
You can use pre-made frozen ravioli and cook according to
directions…But I would not cook more than 4-5 minutes though and I
would avoid rapidly boiling water as this will cause your ravioli to
burst.
Once your ravioli is done drain and place 4-5 in a plate and spoon the
marsala sauce over top and sprinkle with the Serrano infused sea salt,
I garnished my plate with chopped green onion and paired it with a
Redwood Creek Sauvignon Blanc 2009 California. Redwood Creek winemaker
Cal Denison is known for his adventurous spirit and his passion for
the outdoors. Cal’s love of all things California shines through in
this lively Sauvignon Blanc. Flavors of fresh green apples, ripe
orange blossoms and honeydew melon. A touch of Semillon in the blend
lends a nice sweetness balanced by a crisp acidity. California
sunshine in a bottle.
Here are the recipies for the Marsala sauce and the tapenade
Marsala Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup Marsala wine
1 1/2 cups beef stock
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
Add olive oil to heavy hot saucepan. Add onions, garlic, mushrooms,
sauté until mushrooms are tender. Add flour and cook about 1 minute
then deglaze pan with Marsala wine. Add beef stock and cook until
thick and flavors are blended.
Black olive tapenade
1/4 cup chopped black olives, in a can
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon sea salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Directions
Blend and serve warm or cold
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"Bucca Heat"

This sauce was originally called
"Tropic Lightning" because of my time in Hawaii and that I used mango's but when
I substituted peaches I titled this version "Bucca Heat" because that's the fruit that we rarely received in Iraq and when we did, in that heat they seemed to be the sweetest peaches ever!
So here's my Ghost pepper peach marinade/bar b que sauce aka
"Bucca Heat"
2 medium peaches, peeled and cubed or 1 can of peaches with its juice if your peeling and chopping skills are non existent
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ cup ketchup
1/3 teaspoon of crushed ghost pepper flakes
1 teaspoon Yakima applewood smoked sea salt
1/3 cup bourbon (optional)
Place all of the ingredients in a food chopper. Chop until sauce is smooth. Taste and adjust the heat as you desire but start with the small amount of pepper suggested and remember you can always put more in but you can't take it out!!
You can use the sauce as a marinade or as a bar b que sauce.
I use Bhut Jolokia * *CAUTION* *



The Bhut Jolokia — also known as Ghost Pepper has been around for many centuries and it is believed to have originated in Assam, India. The word Bhut, given from the Bhutias people, means "ghost" and was probably given the name because of the way the heat sneaks up on the one who eats it.
It was only introduced to the western world in 2000. In that same year, a report was published stating it's level of heat as almost double that of a Red Savina Habanero which was believed to be the world's hottest pepper.
In 2007 The Ghost Pepper was certified as the hottest Chili Pepper on the planet in The Guinness Book of World Records!!
Reminds me of those 152° Camp Bucca days!
This sauce has a natural sweetness and there was a nice spicy kick to it!
It's got a pair of boots on it!!
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Seafood lovers

This is spaghettini with crab. A simple dish I cooked for those sea food lovers in my home. Because I know you're going to ask what the heck is spaghettini? I'll tell you, spaghettini is the thinner version of spaghetti, but slightly thicker then vermicelli aka angel hair.
Here's what you need and how it's done...
Ingredients
1 pound of pre shelled crab meat like jumbo lump crab. USE REAL CRAB MEAT!!!
12 oz of spaghettini
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 hot red chile seeded and chopped finely
3 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley (fresh is best)
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
One half teaspoon Habanero
infused sea salt (or just use regular sea salt)
One half teaspoon White pepper
1 teaspoon Tony Chachere Cajun seasoning
Lemon wedges to garnish
Directions
Mix white and brown crab meat lightly together and set aside.
Cook spaghettini according to instructions until tender but yet firm to the bite (al dente). Drain well and return to pan.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet, when hot, add chili and garlic, stirfry for 30 seconds before adding the crabmeat, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
Stirfry for another minute until crab is warm through.
Add the crab meat to the pasta with remaining olive oil and seasonings.
Toss together thoroughly and serve immediately, garnish with remaining chopped parsley and lemon wedges.
Now for the wine..
(if you so choose one )
Shellfish tend to call for light whites, like Vouvray from France's Loire valley (Benoît Gautier is a good producer), and sparkling wines like Champagne. If the dish is spicy, consider a wine with some sweetness, like an off-dry Alsatian Gewürztraminer (try Trimbach or Domaine Weinbach). If not, consider a Grüner Veltliner from Austria, that country's premier white grape. It produces a palate-cleansing white that, like Sauvignon Blanc, is versatile enough to go with almost anything. The producer Bernard Ott makes good ones, as does Weingut Bründlmayer and Weingut Hirsch.
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Intro

Welcome to my lil piece of heaven! Everybody has been asking me to create a blog because when I cook I post the pics on Facebook and everyone always wants the recipes. My wife wanted me to open a restaurant so everyone could taste the awesome dishes my family get to enjoy. I choose the blog because I can cook and educate and not take my passion for cooking and manipulate it into some ugly money grubbing monster.
I will be posting recipes some with and some without pictures as I cook them. I will also post pictures of dishes I discover in restaurants and come home, break down, recreate. I hope y'all like what you see and eat! "C'est si bon"

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