This cookbook is an oldie-but-goodie, but it's nonetheless a great book of basic techniques along with some challenging recipes.

The late Jeff Smith, the "Frugal Gourmet"  had an interesting career, filled with both success and scandal.  This was his second or third book, and was published at a time when he was at the top of his game on his public-television show. 

I was initially drawn to this book because of the title.  New Orleans cooking is about sauces, and many sauces include wine.  Using wine in cooking is a great way to reduce the amount of oil and salt in various dishes.  Smith explains various techniques and presents a wide range of recipes, including a New Orleans chapter.

We celebrated two birthdays yesterday, my mother-in-law and brother-in-law. Yup, she gave birth to my wife's brother on her birthday. There were ten of us, my m-i-l, her husband, my b-i-l and his wife, my s-i-l and her husband, wife, and the boys. I originally had steaks in mind, but several of the group don't eat red meat, so barbecued chicken it was.

I made four sides to go with the chicken, potato salad, a simple rice pilaf, mac-n-cheese (from the box!), and eggplant au gratin.

I make potato salad using my momma's recipe. Take 5lb of red potatoes, boiled, peeled, and sliced, a dozen hard-boiled eggs, one onion, chopped, 4-5 tbps of pickle relish, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and creole seasoning to taste. Combine the potatoes and eggs with enough mayo to make a thick consistency. Add the onion and pickle relish (the relish's liquid will thin out the salad overall). Add salt, pepper, then creole seasoning. Refrigerate for an hour or so.

The rice was very simple. Saute 1/2 cup of chopped onion (I picked up a huge vidalia onion at the grocery that I used for both the potato salad and the rice) in 2-3 tbps olive oil. Add 1 cup long grain rice to this, then 1 cup of beef stock and 2 cups of water. Simmer for 20-30 minutes to absorb the liquid, adding another cup of water to keep the rice fluffy.

Kraft mac-n-cheese, just like you made in your dorm room. :-)

For the eggplant au gratin, I grabbed a nice, medium-sized eggplant, sliced thin. Make an egg wash of three eggs and 1 cup milk. Dip the slices in the egg wash and then into a mixture of 1 cup italian-style bread crumbs and 1/2 cup white flour. Deep fry the breaded slices until light brown. In a 9x9 casserole, lay down a layer of the slices, then spread a couple of spoonfuls of tomato sauce (I used Emeril's "Sicilian Gravy" for this one), and sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top. Add another layer and repeat until you use up all the eggplant. To top it off, I tried something different. Kraft has these "crumble" packages now, and I picked up one that is provolone, parmesan, and feta. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and bake in a 350F oven for 30 minutes.

We had leftovers of the potato salad, but that's OK, because I love it, and the mac-n-cheese, but that was for the boys. The rice got gobbled up, and I swear, there wasn't even a forkful of that eggplant left. I've made eggplant au gratin for this group before, but not with this level of success. I think it's that cheese combination...

I won't be able to make this one, but I'm buying the cookbook...unless someone wants to send it to me for Christmas :-P

Simple Summer Seafood

The Podcast

Sauteed Shrimp with Creole Mustard Sauce

2 pounds fresh frozen shrimp (30-count, head-off) or 4-5 pounds head-on raw shrimp
3-4 tbsp olive oil
creole seasoning

Rinse off the shrimp and peel them. Butterfly the shrimp by slicing them lengthwise, 1/2 to 2/3 the length of the shrimp. Saute in a medium-hot pan with the olive oil, 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle creole seasoning on the shrimp while sauteeing. Serve with Creole Mustard Sauce.

Creole Mustard Sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Creole mustard
1/2 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Juice of 1 lemon

Whisk all of the ingredients together until thoroughly blended. Serve as a sauce for fried soft-shell crabs or crawfish, or any fried shellfish.

Cajun Risotto Cakes With Bayou Sauce

1 package Zatarain's Jambalaya Mix
1 lb Andouille sausage, diced
½ lb crabmeat
½ cup onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 egg
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
4 cans chicken broth
½ stick butter
Flour
Peanut oil

Sauté sausage, onion, celery, green pepper for about 8 minutes over medium heat. Add chicken broth and Jambalaya Mix and cook for 25 minutes. Add crabmeat and continue to cook and stir occasionally for 5 minutes. Stir butter into mixture and remove from heat. Store mixture in refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Add egg and mayonnaise to mixture. The mixture should be thick by now. Sprinkle flour about ¼ inch thick on a cutting board. Spoon about a tablespoon of the mixture onto the flour to make one cake. Flatten the cake with a spatula, and flip it to dredge the other side in the flour. Heat nonstick skillet and add about ¼ inch of the peanut oil over medium heat. If the oil starts to smoke, it's too hot! Fry the cake until golden brown, about 4 minutes for the first side and 3 minutes for the second. Mix sauce ingredients and serve over cakes.

Serve with Creole Mustard Sauce

Crawfish and Artichoke Risotto with Crispy Eggplant

* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 3/4 cup chopped onions
* 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
* 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
* 2 cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice
* 1 cup dry white wine
* 5 to 6 cups shrimp or chicken stock, simmering in a saucepan
* Juice of half a lemon
* 2 teaspoons salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1/2 cup chopped green onions
* 2 cups artichoke hearts, cooked, trimmed and quartered
* 1/2 pound cooked crawfish tails, with fat if possible
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
* 1/4 cup chopped parsley
* 1/2 cup flour
* 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning
* 1 large egg
* 1/2 cup milk
* 1 cup yellow cornmeal
* 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch batons
* 1/2 cup olive oil

In a large saucepan heat oil over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add butter and then onions, bell pepper and garlic and cook until vegetables are wilted. Add rice and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until grains begin to look opaque. Add wine and cook until evaporated, stirring constantly. Add 3/4 cup of the stock, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Continue to stir constantly, adding additional stock in half-cup increments as liquid is absorbed by rice. After rice has cooked for 10 minutes, add green onions and artichoke hearts and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add crawfish tails, heavy cream, half of the parmesan cheese and parsley, and stir well to combine. Remove from heat, let sit for 5 minutes before serving, garnished with CRISPY EGGPLANT and remaining parmesan cheese.

In a bowl, combine the flour with 1 tablespoon of the Creole seasoning. In another bowl, whisk egg together with the milk. In a third bowl, combine cornmeal with remaining tablespoon of Creole seasoning.

Dredge eggplant batons in the seasoned flour. Transfer to the eggwash, then to the seasoned cornmeal, shaking off any excess.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat olive oil until very hot. Add eggplant and fry, turning occasionally, until golden-brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove eggplant to absorbent towels, and sprinkle with salt. Serve immediately on top of CRAWFISH-ARTICHOKE RISOTTO, garnished with remaining grated parmesan cheese.

Yield: 4 servings

Chicken Bonne Femme is a classic Creole dish that dates back to the 19th century. The basic idea is chicken served with fried potatoes. Over time, chefs in New Orleans developed variations on the basic theme, such as Chicken Clemenceau at Galatoire's, Tujagues or Antoine's, or Chicken Pontalba from Brennan's on Royal Street.

The Podcast

The Recipes: Chicken Bonne Femme, Chicken Clemenceau Delmonico, Chicken Pontalba

Chicken Bonne Femme

Recipe from Tom Fitzmorris, this one is representative of the dish as served at Antoine's or Tujagues. Add more garlic to accurately represent the Tujagues version.

Ingredients 4 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch squares
2 chickens, about 3 1/2 lbs., quartered
2 Tbs. flour
1/2 cup ham, cut into tiny dice
1 cups chopped green onion tops
1 cup chopped yellow onion
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup dry white wine
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. Tabasco
2 lbs. white potatoes, peeled and diced
Vegetable oil for frying
1 stick butter
8 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until crisp, then remove. Drain excess fat, leaving about a teaspoon. 2. Dust (don't dredge) chicken quarters lightly with flour. Raise the heat to high and brown the chicken pieces on all sides. Remove the chicken pieces and keep warm. 3. In the same pan saute the ham, green onions, and yellow onions until the latter turn translucent. Add mushrooms, wine, Worcestershire, and Tabasco, and bring it up to a boil. After a minute, lower to a simmer. 4. In a separate skillet, fry the potatoes in 390-degree oil until very lightly browned. Drain them well and add to the ham, onions, etc. (The bonne femme garnish.) 5. Continue simmering sauce until all of the liquid is absorbed; lightly stir to distribute ingredients. Remove from heat. 6. Heat the butter in a small saucepan until it starts bubbling. Lower the heat, skim the foam off, and add the garlic. Cook the garlic in the hot butter for about a minute. 7. Put the chicken pieces in a broiling pan. Spoon the bonne femme garnish over and between the chicken pieces. Spoon the garlic butter over and salt and pepper the lot. Crumble the bacon over the top. 8. Put the pan into a preheated 400-degree oven and cook for 7-12 minutes. Turn the pieces, redistribute the sauce, and bake for another 5-7 minutes. If the white meat is cooked, remove it from the pan and keep warm. Continue cooking the leg quarters until the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced. Return the breasts to the mixture, and serve with lots of the garnish. Serves four.

Chicken Clemenceau Delmonico

From Emeril's Delmonico on St. Charles Avenue

* 1 fryer, about 3 1/2 pounds
* Drizzle of olive oil
* Salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 1/2 pound Smithfield Ham, julienned
* 1/2 cup minced onions
* 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
* 1/2 pound assorted Exotic mushrooms, stemmed, cleaned and sliced
* 1/2 pound green peas
* 1/2 pound brabant potatoes (small diced blanched potatoes that are fried until golden)
* 3 tablespoons white vinegar
* 3 tablespoons white wine
* 10 peppercorns, crusted
* 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
* 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
* 3 egg yolks
* 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
* 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley leaves

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Season the chicken with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on a roasting pan and bake for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. and continue to cook for 30 minutes. In a large saute pan, melt the butter. Add the ham and saute for 2 minutes. Add the onions. Saute for 1 minute. Add the garlic and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the peas and potatoes. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes. In a saucepan, combine the vinegar, wine, peppercorns, shallots, and tarragon. Bring the liquid to a boil and reduce to 1 tablespoon. Add 1 tablespoon of water. Add the egg yolks and whisk, over low heat, until frothy, about 3 to 4 minutes. In a steady stream, add the butter until the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper. Strain the sauce through a chinois and set aside. Remove the chicken from the oven and carve into 4 pieces (2 breast and 2 leg/thigh). To serve, spoon the potato mixture on the bottom of each plate. Lay the individual chicken portions on top of the potatoes. Spoon the Bernaise Sauce over the chicken and serve.

Yield: 4 servings

Chicken Pontalba

The Brennan's recipe, via www.gumbopages.com

* 2 teaspoons plus 1/2 cup butter
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* Dash of pepper
* Water for poaching
* 8 chicken breasts, boned, skinned and halved
* 4 tablespoons garlic, finely chopped
* 2 cups white onions, chopped
* 2 cups green onions, chopped
* 1-1/2 cups boiled ham, chopped
* 2 cups mushroom, sliced
* 1-1/2 cups diced potatoes, deep fried about 2 minutes
* 3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
* 3/4 cup white wine
* 3 cups Bearnaise sauce

In a large saute pan or skillet put in the 2 tablespoons butter, salt, pepper, and add about 1/4 inch water to the pan. Bring this poaching liquid to the boil, add breasts, cover, lower heat and simmer 15 minutes or until the breasts are done. With a slotted spoon remove the breasts and keep warm in 175 degree oven. Discard the poaching liquid.

In another sautepan or skillet, melt the remaining butter and saute the garlic, onions, ham and mushrooms until they are brown. Add the wine and reduce by one-third. Add fried potatoes and parsley and cook 2 minutes. Remove and keep warm in the oven.

To assemble the Pontalba, put 1/8 of the potato/ham mixture in the center of the plate. Place on each side of the mixture one half of a chicken breast. Top each breast with a generous amount of Bearnaise sauce.

Yield: 8 servings.