Tales of the Cocktail 2009

Tales of the Cocktail 2009

This festival is for those that enjoy a good cocktail! Held annually in New Orleans, Tales of the Cocktail spans five days of teaching and learning, as well as eating and drinking, through out the glorious City of New Orleans. The festival begins July 8th and runs until July 12th.

Those that attend have the unmatched opportunity to meet award winning mixologists, authors, bartenders, chefs, food writers,and designers by participating in events such as cocktail demonstrations and tastings, dinner-pairings,seminars, mixing competitions,design expos, book signings and many other activities. Sponsored by The New Orleans Culinary and Cultural Preservation Society, this is a fund raising event par non. The organizations mission is preservation of the rich history of New Orleans bars and restaurants and the the areas unique culinary heritage.


This year, don't miss the newest event; “Behind The Bar Photo Exhibit”. The photos were taken in and around food and drink establishments through out New Orleans, illustrating the “spirit” of the city's cocktail culture. Photographers from all over the country participated by invitation. The traveling exhibit features photos were chosen by a panel of judges selected by the “Tales of the Cocktail” planning committee. The exhibit was first unveiled at The W, Poydras St, in conjunction with Art for Arts Sake on October 1st, 2008.

“Tales of the Cocktail” is a big deal. Last years event used a staggering amount of ingredients! Try six thousand pounds of ice, 350 liters lemon juice, 280 liters of lime juice, 8085 mint leaves (who counted these???), 2340 jalapeño slices (again, counted by who???), and 6 cups Goji berries! I wonder how many aspirin were taken during the festival?

If you are lucky enough to be able to attend this years “Tales of the Cocktail”; you are guaranteed to come home an expert in mixology! Besides learning the latest and greatest in food and drinks you have the opportunity to experience wonderful New Orleans! Go, eat, drink and be merry!

For more information, go to the events website: www.talesofthecocktail.com

Upcoming topics

HI! I am working on articles on the following topics:

The Chocolate Buffett and the Breakfast Chocolate Waffle at the Four Seasons Hotel in Atlanta Georgia.

*********************

A Beverly Hills German Sausage shop that is known for its "African Sausages"!

****************************************************

The 18th National Barbecue Associations Annual Educational Conference & Trade Show to be held February 17th-21st, in Austin, Texas

*****************************************************

I will also be posting recipes for the following:

Mile High Meringue

Fudge Tunnel Cake

Gini's Private recipe for Chocolate Rum Cake.

*****************************************************

I am looking for future ideas and recipes. If you help out, you will get credit for contributing. If you would like to post an article &/or recipe to this blog please let me know! E-mail me at: thefoodroadie@hotmail.com

Thanks, Gini!

Key Lime Pie & Bev's Cheese Cake

I want to share with you one of the most talented persons I know of. See her comment below for the Key Lime pie.

Ellen is owner and creator of Ellen Kennon Full Spectrum Paints. (http://www.ellenkennon.com/fspmain.htm). The paints are glorious. If you are unsure what color to use, Ellen offers personal color consultations. If you check her site out you can see projects that she has worked on and how beautiful they have turned out. You can order samples of her paint before commiting to a color, to see if it is what you had in mind. Her paints are also made of ICI's most deluxe quality paints and are certified "Green". Ellen has a full explanation of this on her site under the heading "About our Manufacturer". Her paints are easily accessible for all who need them, they are available for pick-up at ICI Paint stores, which are all over the USA.

Ellen offers a great newsletter and blog. Check them out, as well as all about her paint!

If you want to see the recipes that she mentioned, for the Key Lime pie, go to the following link http://www.ellenkennon.com/blog.htm and scroll down to July 31st, 2008. You will find the recipe for the Key Lime Pie and Bev's Cheesecake Recipe!

Delicious Banana Bread

This is one of the most delicious and moist banana breads that you will ever taste! I took a standard recipe for banana bread and tweaked it. Putting this together is really easy! Let me know what you think after you bake this gem!

Ingredients:

4 over-ripe bananas
1 egg
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup melted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tsp. Baking soda
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ginger
1/8 tsp salt
½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts
½ cup mini-chocolate chips
½ cup raisins
1 ½ cups flour

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees, coat a 4” x 8 “ baking pan with oil or butter, lightly dust with flour. Set aside.

Use a mixer, or you can mix by hand with a large, heavy spoon. Cut the bananas into pieces, dropping them into the mixing bowl. Let the beater smash the bananas until they seem pasty.

Beat in egg, thoroughly.

Using a neat-durable glass measuring cup, melt butter until it reaches the the 1/3 mark. Let sit.

Deposit 1 cup sugar into bananas. Mix together thoroughly.

Beat in slightly melted butter and vanilla.

As the ingredients in mixing bowl blend, in another bowl, add the following ingredients and mix thoroughly: flour, baking soda,cinnamon, ginger, and salt.
*My tip for this process is to put these ingredients into a seal able container and shake well. They will be perfectly mixed and ready to be added to the mixing bowl.


Once dry ingredients are blended, reduce speed of mixer, and add dry ingredients slowly. Scrape the sides of the bowl frequently as ingredients are mixing.

Add any or all of the following: pecans or walnuts, min-chocolate chips,and or raisins. Beat slowly until these ingrediants are mixed in.

Pour (or spoon) into baking dish. Bake 1 hour. Insert knife to test if it is done enough, before removing from oven.
*My Tip: The knife should come out clean. If it does, immediately remove from oven. If not, bake for another 5-10 minutes depending on color of banana bread. If still fairly light you might need to bake longer. But test in increments of 5-10 minutes.

How to comment on my blogs!

Please do add your comments and suggestions! I welcome your contributions.

How to comment on the blog: Scroll to the bottom of the blog and see "comment" preceding it is a number. So you are seeing something like this: "0 Comments" or "3 Comments". Click on this and a screen will open allowing you to make your comment.

Hope this helps!

Winter-Time for Key Lime Pie!!!

Winter, if you live in the North part of the USA, then at this time of year you are probably pretty cold! Some lucky ones go to Florida, the rest of us have to make do with piece of Florida, via a piece of pie-a slice of Key Lime Pie!

It's not that hard to make. So get to it and enjoy this special treat, great in the winter, but equally great in the summer! My recipe, below, gives you the option of a graham cracker crust or regular pie crust. Topping options are whipped cream or a meringue topping.

Getting authentic Key Limes is difficult. If you have a friend coming north from Florida ask them to bring you 5-6 key limes. If this is impossible, don't despair. The store bought limes will work. No matter what, make sure you get limes and juice them yourself. Store bought limes are Persian Limes.

Here's the recipe:

Authentic Florida Key Lime Pie

Crust Option 1:
Graham Cracker Crust

11-12 cinnamon & sugar graham crackers crumbled

3 Tbsp sugar

5 Tbsp melted butter

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
Mix melted butter, sugar & crumbled graham crackers. Spread in 9 inch glass pie plate, up the sides. Firmly press into place.
Place crust into oven and bake aprox. 15 minutes. Remove from oven when the crust is slightly browned. Allow to cool.

OR

Crust option 2
Regular pie crust bottom

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
Fill glass measuring cup with cold water to 1/3 cup line
Drop lard or shortning in until the water comes up to the one cup line. Fish out the lard or shortning and put in mixing bowl. Take the left-over water and measuring cup put into refridgerator.
Add 2 level cups flour and pinch of salt. Using fork or pastry blender, cut into flour until blended together in crumbly and pea sized balls are formed.
Take water out of fridge and pour into dough blend. Gingerly toss together. Do not work too hard or the dough will be very tough!
If the crumbs do not hold together when pressed, add slightly more water, a little at a time, gently try to form into ball. (The amount of water needed is determined by the amount of moisture in the air. The more humid, the less water needed.) Once the dough holds together and forms a ball, dust with flour and place into fridge for a rest.
While dough rests, mix the filling. Once you are done mixing filling and have set aside to thicken, divide dough. Roll out and place into 9" pie plate. Pierce a few spots with a fork to vent during baking. Line with foil and place beans or pie stones into shell and bake at 375 dgrees until VERY lightly browned (about 10-15 minutes). Remove from oven and cool.
(You can roll 2nd ball of dough out, place in pie plate and cover with plastic wrap, place in zip-lock bag, press air out and freeze until you need a pie crust!)


The Key Lime Filling:

1/2 cup Key Lime juice (juice 5 limes, if not enough, juice one more.)

4 Tsp. Grated lime zest. (Wash skim of lime well before juicing and the scape with zester- after you finish, then juice!)

5 egg yolks

14 oz. can condensed milk

In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs lightly, then add lime zest. Beat until the zest colors the yolks with a greenish tint. If the color is not green enough, you can add food coloring, but that does take away from the authenticity of your pie. A "real Floridian" would not add color. Beat in condensed milk, once thorougly blended into the eggs, add juice and beat in completely.
Set mixture aside and allow to thicken. Once thickened, pour into cooled crust, bake for 15 minute at 325 degrees. The filling should still wiggle slightly when taken from oven. Place in an out of the way place and allow to cool at room temperature. Once the pie has cooled, put into refridgerator for 3-4 hours until set.

Just before serving, garnish the edge with whipped creme.

OR

Top with Meringue! YUM! This is how I top my Key Lime Pie!
The picture of the Key Lime Pie was taken at my Birthday party. I used the dough crust and Meringue topping. I make a double batch of meringue and make a Mile-high meringue topping. I will post meringue directions soon, for those that want to make their Key Lime Pie like I do.

File' Powder & Gumbo Tidbits.

Since yesterdays blog, I learned some more things regarding Gumbo and it's ingredients.

The following excerpt is from my friend Berley who is in LaCombe, LA.who is telling me about using fresh sassafras leave that I would grind just before serving with the gumbo: “(They are) a lot more powerful than the dust you buy in the stores. Try just a half teaspoon or less in your own bowl of gumbo before you use too much. Add it and stir it in, and in a flash it is thick! “

“In my family, only seafood gumbo has okra, and Chicken and Sausage Gumbo has File' served at the table. But everyone has their own traditions and likes! Also, Gumbo in New Orleans is very different from where I am from in Cajun country. It usually has tomato in it, where ours doesn't. Some friends of mine don't like my gumbo as much as theirs (with tomato) because they grew up in the City.

I make my own File' from sassafras trees in my yard. I gather a huge armload of branches and let them dry. I "mill" it a little at a time in a spice mill that I reserve for that purpose. Fresh file is indescribably better than the stuff in stores. Try to find some. LaCombe, where I live now, is the home of the famous Choctaw Indians who made file' and rowed across the lake to sell it in the French Market. As late as the 70's, a family of Indians would come on the bayou here and gather a bunch of bags of leaves for file' to sell, according to a neighbor.

Good smoked sausage is impossible to find around here, too, unlike in Cajun country. I buy locally made grocery store Cajun and green-onion sausage and smoke it myself. It comes pretty close to what I get in Avoyelles Parish. Last year I bought a meat grinder with a sausage attachment and made my own. That was pretty neat. Every year around this time the local stores sell fresh sausage casings because so many use it for homemade deer sausage. I also made boudin, but it turned out terrible because the rice disappeared into a mush! Ewww!

Your Gumbo sounds really good! You were lucky to find good ingredients, but Germany is a sausage country. For a wedding in Las Vegas we decided to make a chicken and sausage gumbo for the crowd before the wedding day. All we could find was the chicken, or course and Chorizo sausage. Talk about nasty!! We ended up throwing it out and trying to make seafood gumbo. It turned out OK, but the seafood in the middle of desert can't be that fresh. We did add Rock Crab Claws and they were good.

So, the message here is, you can make good Gumbo anywhere, you just have to be careful what kind of sausage to use, don't use Chorizo!!!

Making the Roux for your Gumbo.

Roux is the base for many southern dishes. Used in Gumbo, it will determine the richness of your Gumbo by binding all the flavors together. Never use a Roux that has burned, no matter how slightly. This burned flavor will be amplified by the Roux and you will have wasted all the great ingredients that go into the Gumbo. Better to start over again.

Use the pot you plan to make your Gumbo in. Ideally it will be a heavy stock pot. Have pot holders handy.You will need one cup oil* to one cup flour. Add the flour to the hot oil*, being careful not to get burned since the oil* may splatter slightly as you add the flour. Over a medium to high heat stir briskly with a metal whisk or cooking spoon.

Choosing how high to bring the heat depends on your Roux making skill. When first making Roux's start with the heat at medium to slightly higher. I find that rapidly moving the pot back and forth over the flame, as I rapidly whisk the Roux, keeps the Roux from settling and adhering to the bottom of the pot. You will need the potholders to keep to do this or you might burn your fingers. The longer you cook the Roux, the darker it will become.

As the Roux begins to darken it will take on a nutty scent. If you are in a hurry you can stop developing the Roux when it is a medium caramel color. This stage of Roux is considered to be a New Orleans-type Roux. The flavor is not as fully defined. If you prefer a more Cajun style Roux keep cooking until the Roux becomes dark reddish-brown. Think of the color Mahogany. When it reaches the right color immediately add the vegetables so stop the Roux from developing further. It is possible to over-cook a Roux without burning it. When this happens it takes on a bitter taste.

*Oil; vegetable oil is usually used. But you can use butter, lard, shortening or bacon fat that is strained.

Gini's Creole Seasoning

2 Tablespoons Onion Powder
2 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
2 Tablespoons Dried Oregano Leaves
2 Tablespoons Dried Sweet Basil
1 Tablespoons Dried Thyme Leaves
1 Tablespoons Black Pepper
1 Tablespoons White Pepper
1 Tablespoons Cayenne Pepper
1 Tablespoons Celery Seed
5 Tablespoons Sweet Paprika

Mix thoroughly. Store in airtight container.

Gini's Louisiana Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Creating Gumbo's are not as difficult as you may have heard. What it takes to create a great Gumbo is patience and some time. The process cannot be rushed. I am going to take you through the process as I make it.

Ingredients:
1 cup oil'
1 cup flour
2 Large. Onions, chopped
2 Bell Peppers, chopped
4 ribs celery, chopped
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
4 quarts chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1 pound okra cut
2 teaspoons “Creole Seasoning”
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3-4 pounds of uncooled chicken cut into pieces
2 pounds andouille or smoked sausage, cut into slices
Filé powder to taste
½ cup ketchup
2 Tablespoons Worchester Sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 teaspoon molasses

Directions
Make chicken stock, set aside.
Make Creole Seasoning* Recipe found in next blog.
Chop the vegetables, except okra. It is ok to combine them in a bowl once chopped.
Season the chicken with the salt & pepper, then season with creole seasoning. Fry until browned. Set aside.
Time to make the roux. See blog describing this process in detail.
As the roux approaches the desired color, quickly add the vegetables except okra.
Swiftly stir the vegetables into the Roux. They will stop the Roux from developing further. Cook the Roux and vegetables for 4 minutes.
Add chicken stock, seasonings, chicken and sausage, ketchup, Worchester sauce, lemon juice, molasses.
Bring to boil then reduce to cook just hotter above simmer, under boiling, until chicken falls off the bone.
Turn off the heat. Let the Gumbo cool down.
Skim off fat as best as you can.
Remove chicken pieces and remove bones. Add chicken back into the gumbo.
1/2 hour prior to serving, return to heat. Add okra* & file powder*. Warm to near boiling, then reduce to simmer. Cook for 1/2 hour or until ready to serve.
Serve with Rice.

*Okra & File Powder are used to thicken the Gumbo. File Powder is actually powdered sassafras leaves.

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo Near Disaster!

I decided that I would create a Chicken and Sausage Gumbo for my dear friends in Germany who I was visiting for the Christmas & New Years Holidays. I went shopping to get the ingredients, with a friend from Holland who wanted to see how to make Gumbo. We did all the prepwork of measuring out spices, making the chicken stock, coating the chicken with my cajun rub, fried the chicken after seasoning it and chopped all the veggies.

I pulled out my soup pot and began the roux. Roux for Gumbo can be tricky to make, but I never had a problem with it to date. So I confidently began to whip up the roux. It seemed to be coming along nicely, but then... I noticed some black flecks in it. I could not figure out what they were, since I had never burned my roux before, and usually it is cooked almost to the color of dark chocolate. I frowned and said hm...but continued on since there was no burned odor eminating from the pot.

I quickly dumped the chopped veggies in and started stirring, all going well so far! Until my friends husband comes in and and said "What happened to this?" I automatically answered "Nothing, everythings ok!". He begins gesticulating wildley towards the counter. I look at what he is pointing to: the whisk. It is half melted away. It took me a moment to grasp the situation... Only when he said: "we can´t eat that" did I realise what had happened! Those black specks were the whisk coming apart! I was horrified!!!

Good thing he came along! My friends are still laughing about it...they had fun envisioning the nextdays morning paper: "American poisons town doctor & family!" I heard the story retold quite a bit to date and we all laughingly agreed that they would have years of milage on this one.

End result: recut veggies and did a new roux, had dinner with freinds & neighbors last night who loved the Gumbo, and the Dutch friend will try to recreate in Holland for a party. And learned lesson, never assume something is teflon if in cooking spoon drawer!

Look for my Chicken & Sausage Gumbo Recipe in the next posting!

Germany, The Land of Dumplings

Yes, the land of wine and kuchens is also known as the “Land of Dumplings”! Are you a dumpling lover? If so, make a “dumpling pilgrimage” to Germany. Round or oblong, filled with fruit, jam, croûtons or meat, dumplings are the favored national dish of the Germans. Not sure you like dumplings? Everything you need to know about this varied dish can be found in Germany! Sample dumplings of every shape and flavor in all types of restaurants, from the elite and trendy to the roadside Gasthaus. You are sure to fall in love with this most traditional dish from the German cuisine. No matter where you find them, they are delicious!

Known as Kloße or Knodel, depending on where you are in the country, this dish changes region to region, with many different flavors, types and names. North Germans call them "Klöße", while those in the south know them as "Knödel". Some regions have several variations. Most of Bavaria embraces the name "Knödel" while those in Bavarian-Oberfranken know them as "Kloß". Besides being known by different names, dumpling type can change from region to region. In Thuringer for example, dumplings are generally made with raw or cooked potatoes, and sometimes a mix of both.

The varied ingredients for making dumplings as well as shapes and sizes can be astounding. Common ingredients are potatoes, bread or pretzels, flour and even meat. Most dumplings are served with some sort of gravy or sauce, and are usually paired with a side of meat such as pork or duck.

Kartoffelkloesse as Potato dumplings are known, seem to be the most common type of dumpling found in Germany. These are made with finely chopped raw potatoes, boiled potatoes, or a combination of both. Binding ingrediants can include eggs mixed with flour, bread, or breadcrumbs added to the potatoes. Sometimes herbs or bacon are used for extra flavor.
Bread dumplings are made with white bread. Usually formed and placed in boiling water, there is another variation, the "Serviettenknödel" or napkin dumplings. These are formed and wrapped in a linen napkin before being steamed. Serviettenklösse (or knödel) are more commonly found in the regions closest to Austria and in parts of Bavaria. September is the best season to eat bread or pretzel dumplings, because this is when mushrooms are traditionally harvested. Bread dumplings are the favorite to be served with a side of rich creamy sauces featuring mushrooms or chanterelle as they are known in Germany. Finding this dish in nearly each and every Bavarian restaurant during mushroom season along with a wonderful roast, is reason enough to see Germany in September.

Meat dumplings known as Klopse or Klöpse in the North-East or Knöpfe and Nocken in the South, are made with variou s meats. Meat, bone marrow or liver dumplings are commonly used in German soups. Americans are most familiar with liver dumplings in chicken soup. Even fish is used, the most famous being the Königsberger Klopse which contains anchovy or salted herring and must be served with a capon sauce. This dish is found in the East Prussian region.

Throughout Germany, the children's favorite are sweet dumplings filled with jam! For a treat, try this sweet dumpling served with a vanilla or warmed wine sauce or fruit compote. Sweet dumplings are made with a variety of doughs, one of the more popular ones is the quark dough. Quark is a runnier version of cream cheese. The dough is wrapped around a pitted plum (more known in the north), or pitted apricot-more popular in South Germany. In the southern regions, sweet dumplings are also served with fruit compote and a sauce made of browned butter and crushed crumbs from bröttchen. Jam dumplings are usually made with a yeast dough and are loved throughout Germany.

Like leftovers? Sliced and fried dumplings hit the spot. The common German name for this dish is Knödelgröschtl". Made from left-over dumplings, sliced and pan-fried with butter, sausages or bacon, onions and egg, it is also called "bauern fruhstück" (farmers breakfast) in the many German gasthouses known for their "gut bürgerliche küche”. When looking for an authentic Knödelgröschtl look for a restaurant with traditional German fare. Often visitors to Germany assume all Gasthauses or Gasthof serve authentic German cuisine. Not always, some are owned and operated by "auslander" serving their own native cuisine.

If finding and eating great dumplings is not enough, plan on going to the worlds only potato and dumpling museum! Dedicated to the promotion of potatoes and dumplings,The Potato Dumpling Museum is found in a small village Heichelheim near Weimar. This museum is included in the Top Ten of Germany's Best Food Museums. While there, feast your eyes on equipment used to grow and harvest potatoes, and gadgets that can be used to make potato dumplings. Enjoy the regular exhibits which are always featured as well as special ones, such as "Think Potato"; a gathering of photos of potato monuments around the world.

Getting to Germany is relatively easy, hop a flight to Frankfort; Germany’s largest airport centrally located in the country, or go through Dortmund. It doesn’t matter where you start. Germany is a relatively small country. Plan ahead and make reservations for lodging every step of the way or be adventurous and take a train and/or rent a car; driving and stopping in places with appeal. The best travel guide you can have with you is a GPS navigation system since finding your way around Germany's back roads can be a bit daunting to the uninitiated. Two more important travel tips, shops generally close Saturday afternoon until Monday morning and bring travelers checks or Euros, since debit cards and credit cards are not accepted everywhere.

Dumplings are found everywhere in Germany, and the adventure is trying the many variations of dumplings throughout Germany. Finding the perfect dumpling is your reward. How do you know when you have found the “perfect dumpling”? Most Germans will tell you the perfect dumpling is the one that appeals most to your “geschmack”, in other words, taste.