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Add Some Spice to Your Life - New Orleans Jambalaya

 

I love the spice of New Orleans cooking. During my visits there, I would stock up on the seasonings and flavors of the atmosphere to try to recreate it when I got home. Tony Chachere filled my cabinets, next to boxes of Zatarain’s rice. There are some great recipes on Tony Chachere’s site -- all the southern favorites. I love jambalaya, and whether you like seafood or meat, this is a must-try. 

 

Tony’s recipe is for the chicken and sausage version. I like shrimp jambalaya, especially with the huge Gulf shrimp. Mixing all three works too. 

It’s an easy meal to make, as long as you have garlic, celery, peppers and onions on hand. You can add tomato paste (3 small cans) for an added tomato base. Get Tony’s Creole seasoning for this one. It’s got just the right spices for the dish. White rice works best for this one. 

 

Brown vegetables in a 5-quart pot with butter, add your shrimp or meat and rice, cook and mix for another ten minutes, add water, then cover and simmer. 

 

It’s great with salad and French bread, the crustier the better. 

The Perfect Fried Chicken.

I copied that tagline right out of the CHOW article I pulled this video from. I have NEVER been able to make fried chicken well and am going to try this pan-fried method. Looks so good..Take note that NYC's Rack &Soul Chef Charles Gabriel uses -- soybean oil. I've always used vegetable.

 

But I'm still going to check out the NYC eatery when I'm in the city next.

It's all in the Pasta. Baked Stuffed Shells.

I couldn’t get through a week of comfort foods without lauding an Italian dish I grew up on: stuffed shells. Today, the trend is more towards the stuffed manicotti dish -- a simple variation of pasta shape, but some people feel strongly about one versus the other.

I’ve always been partial to the shells, myself so when I found a really great Martha Stewart stuffed manicotti recipe, I of course I tried it with the shells as a substitute. Whatever pasta you use, this is a don’t-miss dish. If you like meat in your meal (pic above) here's another recipe.

The meatless recipe, which I prefer, calls for sun-dried tomatoes, egg yolk and nutmeg added to the ricotta and spices for the filling, which gives it a nice flavoring on top of the tomato sauce you add on top of the pasta once it’s ready to bake.

The real trick is in making the pasta not too overdone or too underdone. I was taught to always boil my pasta, let it cool and then stuff and bake. Martha Stewart suggests in this recipe to soak the no-cook manicotti sheets (or the shells) in a baking dish (or your lasagna pan to save dishes) with hot water and let soften for ten minutes. If you choose to boil, just keep a close eye on the pasta -- it’s hard to fill anything that’s floppy and falling apart.

Once the pasta is filled, the dish needs to be baked with tomato sauce and your favorite cheese. This is a fantastic feel-better food.

Try the shells. They’ll make you smile.

Thanksgiving Day...on your mark, get set, cook!

We have less than a month till Turkey Day and if you’re a guest you may walk away with leftovers and kitchen duty, but if you’re the host you may walk away with a headache. Thanksgiving or any family dinner can be a lot of work, so I've found that the best way to avoid added stress is to have a plan. 

If you’re organized and use the next couple of weeks to get ready,Thanksgiving dinner will go a lot more smoothly with minimal stress and emotions. The count-down starts now:

Make your guest list, plan the menu and decide if you would like people to bring something and what. Confirm who is coming and what they are bringing. Make a list of what you will need to buy and have on hand, this includes food, beverages (alcoholic and non), dishes, silverware and cooking utensils. Think about and count: tables and chairs, table settings, glassware, napkins and tablecloth, centerpiece decorations as well -- no worries is everything doesn't match. Family friends and food are the main attractions. Borrow or rent what you need ahead of time.

Buy a table top  electric warming tray or borrow one. They are saviors on the day when you are working to get everything ready to serve.

For upcoming cooking, be sure to have on hand:

Roasting pan, meat thermometer, multiple pots and saute pans, microwavable containers for reheating, carving knife and fork, serving utensils, dishes and platters, Coffee, tea, cream and sugar. If you did not pre-order a fresh turkey, buy a frozen turkey now and keep it frozen till the week before.

3 days to go:

Go over your lists and head to the store to get your groceries 
Pull the turkey out of the freezer a day ahead and let it defrost in the refrigerator.
Create or buy your centerpiece and any other decorations
Bake, bake, bake and prepare any side dishes that can be made ahead of time.
Do a thorough cleaning of the house; this is a great family project.

The day before

Set the adults’ and kids’ tables

Set up a bar area for help-yourself drinks pre meal
Assemble serving utensils, dishes and platters
Make cranberry sauce and pies and keep refrigerated

Thanksgiving Day

Do a quick, light cleaning
Prepare and cook the turkey according to when you will eat.
Make appetizers, the rest of your side dishes and reheat those already prepared. Use that warming tray to keep foods warm and ready to serve.

Enjoy your family and friends and even if you have to force yourself, accept help from your guests.

BTW here are some Thanksgiving shortcuts from Real Simple. Great and tasty ideas that save time.

Comfort food. Soups.

Soups are a great meal if you serve them with a hearty bread and simple salad. Chock full of ingredients they can be nutritional and satisfying.

Find a recipe that appeals and gather what you need to cook. Most recipes call for some chopping and saute action.

Toss it all together and let it simmer. A decorative dutch oven or my favorite, a crock pot keeps the flavors melding until ready to eat. You can serve from the same container. 

Here are a few recipes of interest:

Tis the season so here's Rachael Ray's recipe for cure a cold chicken soup.

Quick chicken matzah ball soup is another that will probably do the trick as well.

Looking for some asian influence, try egg drop soup

Leave a comment if you've found anything new and yummy.

Comfort food. Meatloaf

Comfort foods are familiar, simple foods that are tasty and emotionally significant in that they were loved foods in childhood. In honor of November and chillier winds, this week I'm focusing on a few comfort foods that are practically universal. I start with a tried and true fav for many.

Meatloaf- Meatloaf is a meat dish consisting of ground meat (beef, pok, lamb, turkey) or a combination of meats and vegetables formed into a loaf that is often considered an all-American food. Meatloaf to me, like a lot of comfort foods, was “at home food” and still is. Today you'll find it in diners and restaurants that serve homestyle cooking. GoodHousekeeping.com refers to meatloaf as the king of all comfort foods. I’ll bet every family has its own family recipe that gets handed down from generation to generation. Recipes run the gamut from bare bones to chock-a-block full of veggies and herbs. There are lots of options; I've even seen meatloaf cupcakes which are considered quite kitchy in trendy hot spots. There is a pan for them if you want to try it at home. 

Make sure you make enough for leftover meatloaf sandwiches. So tasty the next day!

Click here for meatloaf pans. I like the ones than drain off the fat into a lower compartment.

Mashed potatoes-what else to do you eat with meatloaf?  Mashed or smashed potties are another favorite comfort food. Mashed potatoes are made by mashing freshly boiled (peeled or unpeeled), or sometimes baked, potatoes with a ricer fork or a potato masher. Dehydrated and frozen mashed potatoes are also available for those of you crunched for time or simply not blessed with patience -- I've yet to find one that doesn't tast like glue however.   

I believe there are certain foods that just don’t “feel right’ unless they are served with a side of mashed potatoes, meat loaf is definitely one of them. 

Here are a few recipe links:

Meatloaf

http://food.yahoo.com/recipes/martha-stewart/recipe3160223/turkey-meatloaf  

http://food.yahoo.com/recipes/kraft/90487/family-classic-meatloaf

http://www.momswhothink.com/easy-recipes/meatloaf-recipe.html  

Mashed potatoes

http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/mashed.htm

http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=2046  

Cozy up around some candlelight and enjoy. Leave a comment with link if you've found something yummy yourself!