February 2005 Archives
These recipes are dedicated to the memory of Chef Buster Holmes, whose Buster Holmes' Bar and Restaurant in the French Quarter defined what New Orleans Red Beans and Rice are all about. Chef Buster died on Monday, February 28, 1994, at the age of 89.
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Creole Cooked Red Beans
1 lb dried red beans
1 ham bone
8-10 cups water
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp Tabasco sauce
1 tsp Lea and Perrins Worcestershire sauce
1/2 lb ham, diced
1/2 lb hot sausage, sliced
1/2 lb smoked sausage, sliced
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, pressed
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 cups rice, cooked
Preparation of the beans:
Wash and sort the beans. Cover the beans with water and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the beans soak for at least 1 hour. Even if you plan to soak the beans overnight, this method keeps the beans from souring. This short-soak method helps retain the vitamins, cuts cooking time considerably, and produces beans with fewer hard skins than those soaked overnight. Add the salt and flavorings only after soaking. Salt has a tendendency to toughen the beans, which causes them to take longer to cook. In order to prevent the beans from boiling over, add 1 tbsp. bacon grease or butter, a piece of slab bacon, or seasoning ham with some fat on it. One cup of dried bean yields, depending on the variety and size of the beans, 2-23/4 cups cooked beans.
Nutritionally, beans are high in protein, but they require the addition of rice to be a complete protein.
After beans are prepared:
In a large pot place the ham bone, water, tomato sauce, garlic salt, Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce and beans. Cook, uncovered, over low heat. In a skillet sauté the ham and sausage until the grease is rendered. Transfer the ham and sausage to the bean pot. To the grease in the skillet add the celery, onion, and garlic and sauté until soft. Pour this mixture into the bean pot. Add the bay leaves, salt, and pepper and continue cooking for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the beans are soft and creamy. Add the water while cooking if necessary. Remove the bay leaves and add the parsley. Serve the beans over the rice. Serves 6-8.
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YatPundit Podcast for February 14, 2005
That's The Corrs, doing "What Can I Do?", a very appropriate tune for Valentines Day. It's Red Beans and Rice Monday here at YatPundit, and since it's also the feast day of St. Valentine, let's talk romance while we talk about food.
One of the things that people love about New Orleans' restaurants is that they pay for good food, not pretentious atmosphere. While that's an appealing thing most days of the year, there are times when this is can be a liability rather than an asset. Let's face it, some of the best restaurants in town are just not very romantic. With that in mind, today we'll give you the top five romantic restaurants in town.
Before we do the list, however, I want to talk about some of the restaurants that aren't on the list:
Antoine's and Galatoire's: These are two classic examples of fantastic traditional Creole cooking in a business-like atmosphere. Both restaurants have lovely old dining rooms that are busy and a bit noisy. You'll find large parties almost every evening that generate ambient noise even if they're not rowdy.
Emeril's: It's an old warehouse with an open, exposed ceiling. The acoustics are just nasty. If your sweetie is a food nut, you won't care, but if romance and atmosphere is what you're after, take a pass.
Neighborhood places like Liuzza's or Mandina's, or po-boy places like Mother's or Parasol's are crowded, noisy, and have decor that re-defines "no-frills."
The bottom line here is simple: If you want a fantastic New Orleans dinner experience, any of these places are winners. If you're looking for candlelight, soft music, quiet atmosphere, forget it. Pick one of the restaurants on the list, then come back to these when circumstances change.
OK, here's the list:
Number 5: The Dock at West End. If you time this one right, this is a great setting. Sunset on the Lakefront, waves lapping against the pilings, sailboats going by. The main downside is that it's hard to plan ahead for The Dock because of the factors of wind and weather. If it works for you, though, whatever you do, don't eat boiled seafood. You'll smell like it for the rest of the evening.
Number 4: The Rib Room at the Omni Royal Orleans. The lush decor, scenic view out onto Rue Royale, simple but tasty menu, all come together to make for a very intimate dinner experience. Not to mention that you're in a hotel, making it easy to escalate the tension if that's part of the evening's plans.
Number 3: Siam Cafe on Esplanade. Ethnic food and romantic dates don't always go together, so you better make sure your date likes Thai before even considering this one. Still, a table for two here is a very intimate dining experience.
Number 2: Tujague's on Decatur Street in the French Quarter. It's traditional and old-line, like Galatoire's or Antoine's, but the smaller dining room at Tujague's makes it more intimate. The front room is usually set for a single row of tables up against the side walls, and the back dining room is the ultimate in intimacy. Tujague's food is excellent, and the limited menu makes things simple--no hard choices to spoil the mood.
And the Number 1 Romantic Restaurant is Crescent City Steak House on Broad Street. Two words: Private Booths. Crescent City harkens back to a more civilized age, of private cars on trains, discreet encounters, and good food. The steaks here are just fantastic, and you can rest assured they'll cook it the way your sweetheart wants it.
So, pick one of these places for that all-important "mood" date, then move on to the more typical New Orleans restaurant when the atmosphere isn't such a high priority.
As always, we welcome your feedback and comments on our opinions, especially when we start talking about restaurants and hotels. Everyone has different experiences with places, and we need your input to factor into our top-five and top-ten lists. You can get in touch with us either by commenting on the blog, www.yatpundit.com or emailing us at comments at yatpundit dot com.
YatPundit Podcast for February 14, 2005
