Biscuits & Brioche

CRAWFISH SEASON!!!!

Yes, folks, we are smack dab in the middle of crawfish season. This past weekend, a friend from Seattle paid me a visit, and found himself immersed in a muddy crustacean extravaganza. Saturday evening, we went to Crawfish Town with some friends and had a few lbs. of the spicy-hot lick-your-lips goodness, and Sunday, a local friend in Eunice busted out a few sacks full for a little boil and jam. A couple of things I miss whenever I’m living far away from Louisiana are definitely crawfish and boudin. The latter, we got from The Best Stop in Scott the afternoon he arrived. Although I may not blog as often as I’d like, this does not mean we in Lafayette are lacking in the meal department. Louisiana is one of the best states I know of for culinary enrichment. And Lafayette itself ranks pretty high up there in the number of eateries. May 2-4, 2008, the artsy, very happening town of Breaux Bridge hosts the Crawfish Festival. So if you’re around the area, perhaps checking out Festival International or Jazz Fest, then don’t miss out on some of Louisiana’s finest. Another friend was just in from New York on a media culinary tour to celebrate and promote the recently launched Louisiana Culinary Trails. Her group had the pleasure of learning how to peel crawfish, had a few bites of a nice variety of gumbos, and made the rounds of big-name specialty brands such as Tony Chachere’s and Tabasco.

For a decent demonstration of how to peel a crawfish, check out video #6 at the bottom of LCVC’s page from Gator Cove.

There is always something going on in Acadiana, and now that spring has sprung and summer is definitely showing its colors, there’s a festival around every corner. For more information, check out LCVC. Hope to see you around here real soon. Bon appétit!

Happy Spring!

HAPPY EASTER! Spring is here, and so is the time for planting. I recently moved to a place with a deck, and instead of continuing to threaten the earth with my amateur compost bin, I finally bit the bullet, bought some soil and seeds, procured some pots from Nana, and got my hands dirty. I’ve never been a huge grower, so am amazed at how fast my radishes and herbs are popping up. In-between transitioning from one freelance gig to another, I try and take 2-minute breaks to check in on my new lovelies, making sure they get enough water (but not too much), are enjoying the sunshine, and are ‘springing’ into action. In the meantime, I must result in buying my salad fixin’s at supermarkets or Fresh Pickins, though I’d rather just be able to pick them directly from my garden or a nearby farmers’ market.
That’s one thing I miss from other cities I’ve lived in like Seattle and New York, having a real, community-driven farmers’ market. Lafayette is an incredibly warm and vibrant town. However, it can be slow to adopt things other big cities have had for years. That can be both positive and negative. Positive in the fact that it definitely adds to the tight-knit community and the embracing of its culture. Negative because some things other cities have can contribute to the enrichment of that culture, and education in the town and surrounding areas prosper in addition to the economy.

One of the many work-related reasons you haven’t heard from me lately is because I’ve been working on trying to get a downtown farmers’ market started. Similar ideas have been attempted in this town, though I’m hoping to be in the right place at the right time. Working with some amazing people on this project, I am convinced that this is a wonderful venture to bring the community together; a Saturday morning and late Wednesday afternoon market combining local farm-raised/grown foods, local music/jams by talented musicians, great coffee and breakfast/lunch treats, chef demos, booths educating consumers about how to create a sustainable and healthy community, French cultural and educational workshops, and other educational seminars, due to begin fall 2008.

In other news, I haven’t had the luxury of trying too many new hotspots in town, though Victor’s on Jefferson and Johnston in Downtown Lafayette serves up some killer cabbage rolls and duck empanadas. And you can check out the haps with seafood in the Lafayette restaurant scene in my latest article "Seafood Secrets" in 008 Magazine.

Traveling to Louisiana and looking for a spot to tempt your tummy, check out the Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism’s Culinary Trails.

Dana Jacobi has just come out with a new cookbook on healthy eating – The Essential Best Foods Cookbook.

And stay tuned for a “Cocktail Couture” snippet on Spanish wines, berry beers, and absinthe in the May issue of “008 Magazine.”

Have a GORGEOUS spring, and bon appétit!

FYI

Forgot to mention this link on Eating Contests TravelHacker put together. How cool is that?! Even includes the Pig's Feet Eating Championship, and it's not even in the south. How crazy?!

Have fun!!!!

HAPPY MARDI GRAS!!!!!

It’s true, ladies and gentlemen. Instead of spending time with beautiful friends, running with the Courir du Mardi Gras, donning funky yet traditional costumes, drinking ridiculous amounts of beer, and chasing chickens in apparently ‘exorbitantly warm’ weather, today I am absorbed in my own little world chez moi. That’s right. This morning, I’m sporting my nerdies, enjoying a cup of coffee, listening to a little Django Reinhardt, and putting all that info swimming around in my brain on paper; in other words, getting organized. Finally, one whole day! Let’s hope laundry and mahjong (oooh, mahjong) don’t take over.
But don’t you dare think that I’ve shunned all Mardi Gras festivities for work. All work & no play… I’ve been to three parades, caught a ton of beads, yelled during a Superbowl party, danced with a tile man of the celebrities, seen great bands, hung out with Mom and friends, spoken loads of French, and have eaten tons ‘o food & drank tons ‘o beer. Now it’s time to buckle down. Mardi Gras this year feels sort of like a second chance at the New Year. I’m grabbin’ it while it lasts.
So, I didn’t have any Louisiana King Cake this year. Is that not insane?! I even had it last year while in New York. What gives? Well, last night, to end a beautiful dinner, some new (and old) friends and I shared King Cake, though the traditional French kind with almond paste (Galette des Rois). Yum. That was after, however, enjoying lovely wines, gar fish, shrimp, salad, and exquisite company… all in French. I’m not sure if I’ve ever had gar before yesterday, and was a little curious about its background. Ranging in size from 10 to 80 lbs, it is available all year round, and is found in coastal as well as central and north Louisiana. Here’s the best info I’ve found so far:

“Heaviest production occurs in the brackish-water bays of coastal Louisiana, but most garfish are marketed through central and north Louisiana, where they are in heavy demand. Louisiana commercial landings average approximately 500,000 pounds per year. Most gar are produced with jug lines, each of which is simply a single baited hook suspended from a large float. Use of jug lines is limited to warmer months when gar feed more heavily. Garfish flesh, especially from large fish, has tough membranes between the meat segments. Flaked garfish meat is used in patties, "gar balls" and boulettes. Garfish flesh is also marketed in smoked form. Three other species of garfish turn up infrequently in the Louisiana garfish catch. The longnose gar, Lepisosteus osseus, reaches a substantial size but the flesh has an unusual bluish color. It may actually turn nearly black after freezing. Eaten fresh though, it has an excellent taste. The shortnose gar, Lepisosteus platostomus, and the spotted gar, Lepisosteus oculatus have an excellent taste, but are seldom marketed because of their small size. The heavy bony scales of the alligator gar are developing some demand for jewelry.”

Very interesting, indeed, and quite delicious broiled, especially in our hosts’ spectacular antique Chambers stove/oven. Still drooling.

Check out this article in The Boston Globe from 2003. Ok, writers, get with the times. I double dog dare ya to come down here and discover all the spectacular things going on in this state, especially in Acadiana.

So, it’s not only Mardi Gras today, but Shrove Tuesday as well. Same thing? Yes. And while we don’t usually eat crêpes in Louisiana for Mardi Gras, instead preferring to string out that Epiphany King Cake tradition, crêpes are still traditionally eaten in France (pancakes in England, Australia, etc.). So what’s up with the pancakes?! After Mardi Gras Day it’s fasting time, folks. So pancakes seemed the best solution of ridding one’s fridge and pantry of rich and delicious eggs, milk and sugar. For more info check out Wikipedia’s explanation.

Recipes:
Shrove Tuesday Pancakes (Epicurious)
How to Make Crêpes (cute YouTube video)
Mixed Berry & Cream Cheese King Cake (What We’re Eating)
Galette des Rois (in French – C’est moi qui l’ai fait!)

Well, I’m off to work on other fun and exciting projects. Have a spectacular Mardi Gras day, don’t forget to get those ashes tomorrow, and think about doing something good for the environment for Lent. Bon appétit!

Grand Coteau

Grand Coteau is an historical town approximately fifteen minutes northeast of Lafayette, LA. It hosts a quaint downtown featuring antique shops, boutiques and cafés, and is known for its tree-lined alleys, Acadian architecture and Catholic retreats. I never spent time in this area, but Saturday around noon my friend Carolyn and I decided to drive up from Lafayette to check it out, have lunch at Creola Café and do a little research for a fellow food writer.

Born in New Orleans, LA, but having spent years in Lafayette and Grand Coteau, Ms. Carol Baugnon began Creola Café in November 2007. Open for six weeks, she then fell ill, closed for another six weeks, and now has officially reopened. A small spot only seating about fifteen, it is quaint with a limited menu. Still waiting to install additional electrical outlets, she works on a tag team basis with her microwave, soup pot, cooler, etc; you can’t run one while another is running for risk of blowing a fuse or two. Though her menu is still on the small side, she offers just enough to satisfy her dedicated clientele: Po-Boys, Muffaletta, Turkey or Ham with Swiss on a Croissant, three different salads, and the specials of the day. Offering no tea, which we thought was surprising especially for the south, your choice of beverage comes from the bottled collection in the cooler or coffee. Sunday brunch, catering nicely to the local church crowd, is also served with your choice of Brioche French Toast, Breakfast Quiche with a Hash Brown Crust, Eggs Benedict with Carol’s homemade hollandaise sauce, and Grits & Grillade. The prices are acceptable for the quality, though maybe a tad steep on paper: $14.95 for the Grits & Grillade, and $6.95 for a Ham & Swiss Po-Boy. Carolyn and I chose the Red Beans & Rice, which were some of the best we ever ate, and Split Pea Soup and a Salad made with lettuce, purple onions, broccoli, olives and a vinaigrette, and finished off the meal with bread pudding and a slice of caramel apple pie.  We ordered the daily quiche as well, though it wasn’t done baking yet. Next time. Everything Carol serves is homemade. Once owning a croissant shop in Metairie, and working with ARCO, Carol beams when talking about the food industry. She absolutely loves it, and dreams big. Everything we ordered was beautiful and tasty, and it’s definitely a place we’d return.

After lunch, we stopped by the neighboring Kitchen Shop, which serves tea and offers a large selection of kitchen gift items. Down the road is the fine-dining restaurant Catahoula’s as well as an eclectic international gift shop called Casa Azul also offering French and other classes.

A worthwhile stop off I-49, this is a definite place to explore further. Bon appétit!

Creola Café
284 E. Martin Luther King Drive
Grand Coteau, LA
337.662.3914
Wed - Sat: 10am to 4pm
Sun: 10am to 2pm