Gumbo z’Herbes- New Orleans Green Gumbo
Gumbo z’Herbes, New Orleans’ gumbo of mixed greens is a dish directly descended from the West African dish, Palaver Sauce, variants of which also appear in other outposts of the African diaspora.
read moreSautéed Greens
“Greens are a dish that most Southerners would walk a mile for.”- Edna Lewis I loved coming across this quote from the legendary Southern cook, Edna Lewis. And I say “Amen” to that, sister. To most Southerners, a pot of greens means collard greens (or to a lesser extent mustard or turnips greens) stewed, with the residual “pot likker” destined to be soaked up by crumbled cornbread. New Orleanians mix many varieties of greens together in the pot, adding sausage, ham or “pickled meat”, chopping the greens very finely, and thickening them with the ever popular roux, resulting in gumbo z’herbs. When I lived in New York and found my constitution feeling a bit sluggish, and in need of a jolt of super nutrition, I would- yes-walk at least a mile down to the Union Square Farmer’s Market to buy bunches of greens to make myself a pot of gumbo x’herbs (a contraction of gumbo aux herbs and pronounced something like gumbo zab in NOLA)- New Orleans’ gumbo of greens. And yes, btw, there are several different gumbos, in addition to the brothy seafood variety that most associate with Creole cooking. Gumbo z’herbs happens to be my favorite, after okra gumbo, that is- also not a broth based gumbo. I still love to make gumbo z’herbs, and made a big pot of it the weekend after Katrina hit New Orleans, passing containers of it out to family members, my little act of solidarity with our hard hit home. I’ll be sharing a post and recipe for gumbo z’herbs soon, as it is a tradition in some circles in NOLA on Holy Thursday. But I also love to simply sauté (well, really sauté/braise) a mixture of many greens, bitter and sweet, in extra virgin olive oil, throw in a healthy handful of minced garlic, and, that’s it- serve. It’s a favorite with my clients, family and guests. I served this dish at a New Year’s brunch a few year back. A friend visiting from New Orleans, exclaimed when tasting it, “I can tell you are a New Orleans cook, because your food has such a depth of flavor”. I consider that one of the best compliments I’ve ever received. Using a combination of greens gives a depth and complexity to the dish that can’t be achieved with a single variety of greens. And it’s so simple- I promise. The recipe- such as it is- follows… Sautéed Greens with Garlic 1 Bunch each: Collard Greens Mustard Greens Turnip Greens Kale (I was not in the habit of using kale in my New York days, until I was reprimanded by my younger brother for referring to it as “just garnish”. He grabbed it from me, saving it from the trash can, and said, “I’ll eat that garnish”. I’ve been eating it ever since.) 2 bunches of Spinach Tops of 2 bunches of beets (if I’m lucky, my friends at Tamai Farms will just give me some of the tops they’ve pulled off beets because there are still those who discard them- silly people!) And/or any other greens you might want to throw in the pan. Soak the greens, one variety at a time (I soak and cook the tougher ones first i.e. Kale and Collards), in a sink filled with water to...
read moreBarbecued Shrimp- Good for Super Bowl, and Good for Valentine’s Day, too!
“Barbecued” – a curious term in New Orleans- Shrimp
read moreFried Shrimp and Oyster Po’Boys
Po’boys are to NOLA as tacos are to L.A. Putting all sorts of things between the slices of French bread has been a way of life for a long time in NOLA- hot sausage, fried shrimp, oysters, catfish and soft shell crabs.
read moreJohn Besh’s and My New Orleans
John Besh dedicates his newly released cookbook, My New Orleans: The Cookbook, to the people of New Orleans, and to those who hold the city close to their hearts. Indeed, it is a must add to the library of anyone who loves New Orleans, or anyone who has flirted with the possibility of falling in love with the city. While Besh’s New Orleans is not exactly the same as mine, and I found myself quibbling over the details of recipes for basic dishes like gumbo and jambalaya (New Orleanians can be very proprietary about their recipes), I realize that the wonderful thing about this city is that it’s like Rashomon. We all see different sides of New Orleans, and defend our view. Yet unlike other cities, there is so much commonality that is essential to life as a New Orleanian- like the extraordinary love of food (“In New Orleans, folks live to eat; they don’t just eat to live”) and festivity (“there’s a Mardi Gras taking place in every household and every neighborhood of New Orleans on Fat Tuesday”)- that binds us together. And our fierce love of New Orleans binds us further together. “After Katrina, being from New Orleans became the focus of my identity,” he writes in his introduction. I hear ya, brother! I had just begun to write about my early life in New Orleans when Katrina hit the Gulf Coast. I remember e-mailing a fellow writing workshop member that it seemed trivial to be writing about backyard family parties, and okra and shrimp and gumbo at a time like this. He wisely responded, “that’s precisely what you should be writing at a time like this. Food is a means of preserving culture.” And so, Katrina was the impetus for beginning this blog. Likewise, Mr. Besh felt the urgent call to preserve the culture of New Orleans, using food as his window. Besh acknowledges, and his book embodies “…a tension in New Orleans cooking between preserving the classics and modernizing them for today’s palates, between home cooking and restaurant food.” He offers some updates of classic dishes which reflect NOLA’s evolving demography, like Shrimp Creole infused with lemon grass (keep reading-recipe’s coming) to reflect the arrival of the Vietnamese and their imprint on the city and its cuisine. And because he trained as a chef at the Culinary Institute of America, and apprenticed in Europe, he also offers us some modern reinterpretations of the classic ingredients and dishes, like Grilled Watermelon, Tomato and Goat Cheese Salad, with a knowing aside, “where I grew up, grown men did not eat grilled figs with baby greens and artisanal goats’ milk cheese.” Besh’s book is not just another cookbook. While it contains 200 recipes, it’s also a beautiful coffee table book with gorgeous archival and present day pictures of NOLA and its families and characters at work and play, at Mardi Gras, on the waterways, and at the table. Its contents are not organized in traditional cookbook “appetizer to dessert” order, but rather by ingredients, seasons and feast days- some of those days meriting their own chapter- like Mardi Gras and Thanksgiving. Speaking of ingredients, the book is also full of sidebars with background notes on the glorious ingredients available to New Orleans cooks-i.e. Creole...
read moreAll Cuisine is Fusion Cuisine- and Asian Spiced Duck Tamales
A New Mexico Chef shares his Asian/Latin duck tamale recipe.
read moreFrom Ain’ts to Saints- and a Sandwich in Their Honor
In honor of the New Orleans Saints, I’m offering my Cal-Italo version of a New Orleans Italian classic, the muffelata.
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