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| CULINARY CONCIERGE | NEW ORLEANS
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Fall / Holiday 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS
4 In Memoriam 6 10
Chef Paul Prudhomme
CHEF PAUL’S Holiday Sweets: Recipe: Spiced Pecan Cake Recipe: Sweet Potato - Pecan Pie
Toast of the Town: PALACE CAFÉ: Raises the Bar Cocktail Recipe: Foster the People Cocktail Recipe: Mai Tai
14 As Seen on TV 18
Isaac Toups on TOP CHEF Recipe: Chicken Liver Mousse
Buy the Book: BESH BIG EA SY Recipe: Mamma’s Bread Pudding with Hot Buttered Rum Sauce
22 Stocking Stuffer: Cellar Salt Co.
Hand-Crafted Sea Salt from the Gulf of Mexico
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“On The Menu” Pages
RESTAURANT DIRECTORY & MAPS
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In Memoriam Chef Paul Prudhomme propelled the distinctive cuisine of his native Louisiana into the international spotlight and continued to push the limits by creating exciting and new American and international dishes until his death in October of this year.
Chef Paul learned the importance of using the freshest ingredients while cooking at his mother’s side and continued to use only earth’s finest harvests. As the youngest of 13 children, Chef Paul was always adventurous. His strong curiosity of life and cultural customs motivated him to leave Louisiana in his early 20’s and travel across the United States to experience every culinary environment possible. From an Indian reservation all the way to the finest, five-star restaurant, Chef Paul learned to love, appreciate and blend the flavors of his younger years with those of many other cultures. Prudhomme opened his first restaurant in Opelousas, LA in 1957, a hamburger restaurant called Big Daddy O's Patio. The restaurant went out of business in nine months, which also saw the end of his first marriage. He became a magazine seller initially in New Orleans, and afterwards a number of restaurant jobs took him around the country. During this period he began creating his own spice mixes and giving them away to customers. In 1970, he moved back to New Orleans to work as a sous chef at the Le Pavillon Hotel. He left after a short while to open Clarence Dupuy's restaurant Maison du Puy. While there, he met his second wife, Kay Hinrichs, who worked at the restaurant as a waitress. In 1975, Prudhomme left to become the first, American-born executive chef at the restaurant Commander's Palace under Ella Brennan and Richard “Dick” Brennan, Sr. Chef Paul helped turn the Garden District restaurant into a world-class destination for food. In 1979, he and his wife, Kay Prudhomme, opened K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen in the French Quarter. The restaurant was named as a portmanteau of their names, with Paul working as head chef and Kay as restaurant manager. In 1980, he was made a Chevalier (Knight) of the French Ordre National du Mérite Agricole in honor of his work with Cajun and Creole cuisines.
His cookbook, Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen, was published by William Morrow and Company in 1984. It was subsequently given a Culinary Classic Book Award in 1989 by the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Prudhomme has been credited with having popularized Cajun cuisine and in particular Blackened Redfish during the 1980s, and has been acknowledged for having introduced the Turducken into United States cuisine. Such was the popularity of the redfish in particular, and the number of other restaurants who began serving the dish, that commercial fishing of the species became restricted in order to prevent it from going extinct. During a summer residence in New York in 1985, Prudhomme opened a pop-up restaurant-- the first of its’ kind- which was quite successful during the five weeks it was open, with lines sometimes reaching four blocks long. Four years later he opened a permanent restaurant in New York City and again had queues for the restaurant of up to two hours.
Following Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, Prudhomme was forced to close his restaurant. During the restoration efforts, he cooked for free at a relief center for the military and residents staying in the French Quarter; at one point his team cooked over 6,000 meals in ten days. He reopened the restaurant during the following October, the premises were not extensively damaged by the storm. Bon Appétit awarded Prudhomme their Humanitarian Award in 2006 for his efforts following the hurricane.
As a result of endless requests for his seasoning secrets, Prudhomme created his own line of all natural herbs and spices. Today, Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Seasoning Blends® are distributed in all fifty states and in more than 30 countries around the world. His blends are popular with both home cooks and professional chefs. A best-selling author, Chef Paul wrote nine diverse cookbooks and produced six cooking videos. Five of Chef Paul’s cooking series are based on his cookbooks, Fork In The Road, Fiery Foods, Kitchen Expedition, Louisiana Kitchen and Always Cooking. Some of the cooking series are currently aired on Cable Television and/or The Public Broadcasting System. CULINARY CONCIERGE | FALL / HOLIDAY 2015 |
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Recipe Chef Paul Prudhomme K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen Recipe adapted from Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen Makes one 9 inch cake
ingredients for the cake : 2c coarsely chopped pecans 1/4 c packed, light brown sugar 2T ground cinnamon 1t ground nutmeg 4T unsalted butter, softened 2 T + 2 t vanilla extract, in all 3/4 c unsalted butter ( 1 1/2 sticks) 2c sugar, in all 3c sifted all-purpose flour 2T baking powder 1 c + 2 T milk 3 ea egg whites
method for the cake: Place the pecans in a large ungreased roasting pan and roast at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, in a medium-size bowl combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Then mix in the 4 tablespoons butter. Add the roasted pecans to the butter mixture and coat them thoroughly. Return mixture to pan and roast for 10 minutes more, stirring once or twice. Stir in 2 tablespoons vanilla and roast 5 minutes more. Remove from oven and set aside.In large bowl of electric mixer cream the 1 1/2 sticks butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar on high speed until very light and fluffy, about 6 to 8 minutes. In a separate bowl sift together the flour and baking powder. In a third bowl combine the milk and the remaining 2 teaspoons vanilla. Add the flour mixture and milk mixture alternately to the butter mixture, beating on high speed until well blended and scraping the bowl sides between additions. Stir in the pecans. In a separate bowl whip the egg whites on high speed until frothy, about 30 seconds. Add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and continue beating until mixture is stiff and holds peaks, about 2 minutes. Gently fold egg whites into the batter, a third at a time. Spoon batter into 3 greased and lightly floured 8-inch round cake pans (1 1/2 inches deep). Spread batter so it is slightly lower in the center (since it peaks in the center during cooking). Bake at 350 degrees F until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes, then carefully remove from pans and place on a wire rack; cool thoroughly. Brush glaze over top of each cake layer with a pastry brush, a little at a time, then spread generously with icing between layers and on top and sides.
method for the glaze: Combine 1 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar in small saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
ingredients for the pecan frosting: 1 1/2 c granulated sugar 3/4 c water 8 ea egg yolks 3/4 lb margarine, softened (3 sticks - see note) 2 1/2 c powdered sugar 4 1/2 t vanilla extract 2 1/2 c coarsely chopped pecans, dry roasted until dark in color, cooled
method for the pecan frosting: Combine the granulated sugar and water in a 1-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat to 230 degrees F (softthread stage), about 15 minutes; do not stir. In a large bowl of an electric mixer bet the egg yolks on high speed just slightly, about 5 seconds. Gradually add the hot syrup and beat until thoroughly cooled, thick, shiny, and very pale, about 10 minutes. (Start at low speed so it won't splash and then go to high speed). If crystallized sugar builds up around the sides of the bowl, don't scrape it into mixture; it will make the frosting lumpy, and you will have plenty of frosting without it. Gradually add the margarine and mix on medium speed until completely blended and very smooth, about 5 minutes. Blend in the powdered sugar and vanilla on low speed until smooth; then add the pecans and beat on high speed until thoroughly mixed and very thick. If frosting is too thick, thin with a little cream, milk, or water. note: It's best to use margarine rather than butter in this frosting because butter tends to melt out of the frosting as the cake sits awhile.
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Recipe Chef Paul Prudhomme K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen Recipe adapted from Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen Makes one 8 inch pie
ingredients for the dough: 3T unsalted butter, softened 2T sugar 1/4 t salt 1/2 whole egg ( beaten until frothy, reserve 1/2) 2T cold milk 1c all-purpose flour
method for the dough: Place the softened butter, sugar and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer; beat on high speed until the mixture is creamy. Add the 1/2 egg and beat 30 seconds. Add the milk and beat on high speed 2 minutes. Add the flour and beat on medium speed 5 seconds, then on high speed just until blended, about 5 seconds more (overmixing will produce a tough dough). Remove the dough from the bowl and shape into a 5 inch patty about 1/2 inch thick. Lightly dust the patty with flour and wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 1 hour, preferably overnight. (The dough will last up to one week refrigerated.) On a lightly floured surface roll out dough to a thickness of 1/8 to 1/4 inch. Very lightly flour the top of the dough and fold it into quarters. Carefully place dough in a greased and floured 8 inch round cake pan (1 1/2 inches deep) so that the corner of the folded dough is centered in the pan. Unfold the dough and arrange it to fit the sides and bottom of pan; press firmly in place. Trim edges. Refrigerate 15 minutes.
ingredients for the sweet potato filling: 2 to 3 ea sweet potatoes, baked (or enough to yield 1 c. cooked pulp) 1/4 c light brown sugar, packed 2T sugar 1/2 egg, vigorously beaten until frothy (reserved from above) 1T heavy cream 1T unsalted butter, softened 1T vanilla extract 1/4 t salt 1/4 t ground cinnamon 1/8 t ground allspice 1/8 t ground nutmeg method for the sweet-potato filling: Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed of electric mixer until the batter is smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes. Do not overbeat. Set aside.
ingredients for the pecan pie syrup: 3/4 c 3/4 c 2 ea 1 1/2 T 2t 3/4 c
sugar dark corn syrup eggs, small unsalted butter, melted vanilla extract pinch of salt pinch of ground cinnamon pecan pieces or halves
method for the pecan pie syrup: Combine all the ingredients except the pecans in a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly on slow speed of electric mixer until the syrup is opaque, about 1 minute; stir in pecans and set aside. To assemble: Spoon the sweet-potato filling evenly into the dough-lined cake pan. Pour the pecan syrup on top. Bake in a 325 degree oven until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 3/4 hours. (Note: The pecans will rise to the top of the pie during baking.) Cool and serve with Chantilly Cream. Store pie at room temperature for the first 24 hours, then (in the unlikely event there is any left) refrigerate. ingredients for the chantilly cream: Makes about 2 cups 2/3 c heavy cream 1t vanilla extract 1t brandy 1t Grand Marnier 1/4 c sugar 2T dairy sour cream
method for the chantilly cream: Refrigerate a mediumsize bowl and beaters until very cold. Combine cream, vanilla, brandy and Grand Marnier in the bowl and beat with electric mixer on medium speed 1 minute. Add the sugar and sour cream and beat on medium just until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. DO NOT OVERBEAT. (Overbeating will make the cream grainy, which is the first step leading to butter. Once grainy you can't return it to its former consistency, but if this ever happens, enjoy it on toast!).
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Toast of the Town
PALACE CAFÉ Raises the Bar to a New Level
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Dickie Brennan, Owner and Managing Partner of Dickie Brennan & Company, is a trained chef and third generation New Orleans restaurateur of the renowned Brennan family. Growing up under the tutelage of esteemed Chef Paul Prudhomme, Dickie helped New Orleans institution Commander’s Palace lead the American Regional Cuisine movement by introducing the world to Cajun and Creole cooking. Along with Managing Partners Steve Pettus and Lauren Brennan Brower, Dickie is dedicated to serving modern and inventive Creole cuisine which builds upon the fundamentals established by Dick Brennan Sr.
Dick Brennan Sr. has had an immense role in shaping the restaurant group Dickie Brennan & Company is today. As the owner of Commander’s Palace, he recognized the sheer bounty that New Orleans had in terms of ingredients and talent. Why put almonds on fish, when pecans grow in Louisiana? Why hire a French chef, when we have extraordinary talent in our backyard? These were questions Dick Brennan Sr. posed, thus setting in motion the philosophy behind Dickie Brennan’s family of restaurants. Today, you’ll see many references to Dick Brennan Sr.’s contributions throughout the menus – from the oysters and Cajun caviar at Bourbon House to the Strip Steak at Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse. As an ambassador for New Orleans and its unique culture, Dickie, Steve and Lauren are avid supporters of local farmers and fisherman. Each of their restaurants accentuates Louisiana’s culinary history through the use of local ingredients and techniques. The entire team at Dickie Brennan & Company remains dedicated to delivering superior dining experiences through serving locally sourced, updated versions of classic New Orleans cuisine in their four French Quarter restaurants.
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This Summer, the team implementated a cutting - edge chef in residence program where some big names in the New Orleans/national culinary world have joined the team at Dickie Brennan & Co.; Rene Bajeux, Gunter Preuss, and Robert Gurvich will work with Chef Gus Martin and Chef Darin Nesbit (both long time veterans in the Dickie Brennan kitchens) with the culinary staff to be teachers and mentors and guide the menu development with the head chefs at each restaurant.
Additionally, Palace Café; which opened twenty four years ago in the historic Werlein Building on Canal Street, was set for a major renovation. A brand new state-of-the-art kitchen was put in on the first floor along with paint colors and light fixtures having been updated. In terms of the regular menu, Palace Café has kept all the signatures like Crabmeat Cheesecake, Andouille-Crusted Fish, Shrimp Tchefuncte, Pecan-Crusted Catfish and White Chocolate Bread Pudding, but have added some new dishes like the Cowboy Steak, which is Louisiana Legacy beef. The second floor is where guests will see the largest transformation! The back of the second floor now houses a beautiful bar, complete with a full small plates & charcuterie kitchen. This bar has an impressive rum collection with featured rum cocktails (see recipes at right) and a full array of spirits and wines at the ready, as well. The new lounge area surrounding the bar is great place to have a drink and sample Chef - in - Residence Rene Bajeux’s housemade charcuterie. Page 10: Palace Café Facade on Historic Canal Street. Page 11: Top Right, Staircase from Main Dining Room to new Bar on Second Floor of Palace Café. Middle Right, Chefs Rene Bajeux and Gus Martin in the Charcuterie Kitchen. Bottom Right, the new bar. Page 12: Top Left, Housemade Charcuterie at Palace Café. Middle Left, Wine on Tap. Bottom, Small Plates Menu is served in the new bar area: Black-eyed Pea Caviar, Fried Oyster Sliders and Smoked Tuna with Lemon Blinis.
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