Cooking Class with My Momma

We enlisted in a cooking class while on vacation in Todos Santos.
Iker from Cafe Brown was our teacher.  

Chile Rellenos -- stuffed with smoked Tuna was on the menu.
Super easy and relatively quick.

roasting the poblanos

the filling:  smoked tuna, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, dried oregano, olive oil

Iker showing my Momma how to make the filling

The Stuffed Chile

Supper:
The Margaritas have a splash of Damiana Liquor -- a new favorite for me!

Pasta Supper for One

I used this recipe and did make a few substitutions, but what an easy, rich treat!

Really hearty for a cold night.

tacos, tacos, tacos!

Visiting the Baja in Mexico means lots of roadside tacos for my husband and myself.  Todos Santos always seems to have a new taco stand each year we have visited and since it is the closest town to the house where we stay, we try a new one every chance we get.  Everyone is so friendly here and the food is incredibly reasonable and delicious!!

Wish you were here & Happy New Year to You!

Refried Beans and Ricely Yours,

cookietreat

Homemade Oreos

Homemade Oreos

The Recipe is from Smitten Kitten -- I just love her!
Merry Christmas!

Lemon Trifle Parfaits

Lemon Trifle Parfaits

layer the following:

lemon cake -- a really wet ugly one if you have it

sprinkle cake with grand marnier

sprinkle of almonds

dollop of lemon curd

dab of whipped cream

Repeat until your glass is full.

Top with a dollop of whipped cream and a cherry

so festive!

Lemon Goodies

lemon zest

lemon wreath cookies with thin glaze & sprinkles

lemon "cake" with hand whipped cream

I have a new appreciation for the Meyer Lemon.
So happy to have it in my yard and bearing fruit.
The wreath cookies are fabulously light, lemony, and sweet.  My lemon cake didn't fare so well, and I am 100% responsible -- baking is a science and I was going on feeling -- not so wise.
The cake's taste, however, is spot on --- thinking of morphing it into trifle parfaits for Christmas Eve.
We'll see!

Sliced & Baked

I got the recipe for these cookies in the Times Picayune, but here it is online from the Washington Post.  I made some around Thanksgiving and then another batch this week after freezing the dough.  The flavor seemed more believable in round two.  Super cute, small, crunchy, cookie.

Root Beer Pinwheels

Sucre

A must see on Magazine street.

Really! -- just melt-in-your-mouth candy.'

Holiday Lunch at Rio Mar

Steamed Mussels with Chorizo

Hanger Steak with Chimichurri

Pressed Sandwiches -- one with Jamon with Manchego & another with Eggplant and Peppers

We ate and ate until they rolled us out the door -- delicious!

Here's the all tapas lunch menu.

Lemon Harvest

I get a little nervous when my TV weather-gal says it's going to freeze.  My precious Meyer Lemons are important to me.  I harvested about a dozen last night "just in case".  The lemons that remain on the tree are fine and the high is expected to be 67 degrees tomorrow.  

Sugerman's Bagels

Think you can't find a good bagel made right here in New Orleans?  

I beg to differ!

Just shoot Laura of Sugerman's Bagels an email to place an order.

laurasugerman@gmail.com  

$14 a dozen for REAL Everything Bagels.  I picked up my order, but delivery is also available.

She is using the same bakery space as Pizza Delicious in the Bywater.  

Sugerman's Bagels - 1 dozen Everything

Po-Boy Fest 2010 Recap

You really just had to be there.  Check out my photos here!  Here are the same photos in slideshow view.

It is ironic that this Festival is still such a tight squeeze! By the end of the day I have to wonder; is this Festival so crowded because of the numbers of Festival goers, or because as the sun sets on Oak Street we are all a little larger in the waistline due our Po-Boy over-indulgence?


 Is that irony or just odd?

Po-Boy Fest --> Tomorrow!!

Get yourself ready!

Sunday, 11/14/10, 11AM - 7PM

check out their cute website here

Shrimp Po-boy

Louisiana Oysters on the Half Shell

I grew up about 5 hours North of New Orleans in Mississippi and my family's first stop was almost always the Acme Oyster House for a few dozen raw and Po-Boy's.  Although they are more expensive these days than ever (I think these were $18/dozen - ouch!)-- My husband and I splurge pretty much every week -- sometimes twice.  I always think the best seat in the house is at the bar and if it's an Oyster Bar -- well, that's a win win situation!  In my experience Oyster Shucker's almost always love to talk!  Make a friend -- it's easy to do over a dozen or two!

Here are three of our favorite French Quarter Oyster Bars listed below and all three are within a couple blocks of each other, so if the line is too long at the Acme, we just move on down the list.

Acme Oyster House

Bourbon House

Deanie's

Chocolate Milkshake at Stanley

A shake in old fashioned glass at a lunch counter makes me feel all nostalgic and happy.  I have already professed my love for Stanley's Breaux Bridge Benedict and the their milkshake is one to surely bring all the boys to the yard -- I love you , Stanley.  So in the spirit of the olden days, we're biking over to BJ's to see King James and the Special Men, 10ish.  I hope I see you there.

Potato Galette

Have you ever made on of these?  You should.  Could not be easier and so pretty.

preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Potatoes - enough to fill your skillet thinly sliced.  I used russet.

garlic - 2 or so big cloves, minced.  enough to sprinkle between layers

olive oil, herbs de provence & parmesan 

- enough to sprinkle between layers

iron skillet - this one is 6 inches in diameter

45 minutes in the oven

serve it with a big salad. Oh! and it goes so well with a dirty martini. YUM!

I also like Kale

It's 2010 and I discovered that just love kale.  I like it best when cooked in bacon fat!  I can enjoy it raw too, but not today:

Pasta

Bacon

Kale

Sweet Peas

Parmesan cheese

Squeeze of Lemon

coarse salt & cracked pepper

eat!

I could eliminate the bacon fat and substitute olive oil, but I don't want to!

I like Water.

Mississippi River - on the Ferry in New Orleans

Water was huge a huge part of my life growing up.  I was a 12 year member of the the swim team, we had a pool and our family vacations were (& still are) trips to the Beach.


Watch this: The Story of Bottled Water

Why am I posting this today?  Visit Blog Action Day 2010 to find out.

Where the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez 

If you must purchase bottled water then at least do something cool with the bottles and I'll try too.

Lake Superior - Northern Minnesota

Thanks!

Happy Anniversary to us

I married my guy six years ago this past weekend -- we celebrated with a leisurely lunch at Galatoire's.  The company (& the soft shells) were divine!

In My Neighborhood

Somebody's making Sun Tea

The Joint is smokin'

I'm roasting Peppers

Yesterday's Lunch

Sauteed Kale

Baked Sweet Potato

Whole Wheat Biscuits

Ginger Limeade

All Homemade by me!

(My guy loved it -- yay) 

Date Night

We took the recommendation of a favorite Chef and biked on over to Meson 923 in the warehouse district last night.  We were not disappointed.

Shrimp Ceviche

Duck Confit Papardelle

Crisp Maine Skate

Ice Creams & Sorbets

Magic bar at The American Sector

I'm not kidding.....take your pen light.....really!!

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visiting Minneapolis in September

Cold Cuts with Pickles @112 eatery.


112 Eatery was recommended by 2 New Orleans friends  Ladies, keep 'em coming.
AND it's open late!

Fried Cheese Curd Truck at Oktoberfest


We happened upon an Oktoberfest while biking in St. Anthony Main near Nicollet Island.  Although I did not have any, I always want them & am equally fascinated by cold cheese curds and the fried variety too.

View from the top of the Foshay Building

I love a skyway! -- I know ... a silly love, but I am fascinated by all things "city".  I guess that comes from growing up in rural Mississippi(you know the grass is always greener).

RIP Gary -- you are already missed.

Quick lunch

at Martin Wine Cellar.

1/2 an egg salad sandwich and a side of fruit.