Boiled Peanuts 

 Turkey Curry
Or: What to do with all that leftover turkey after Thanksgiving.
This makes enough for 4 people. Use fresh curry powder. If your container has been open for more than six months or so, it's stale. Curry powder is cheap. Curries are now farm raised- no more illegal poaching. You can use curry powder to your heart's content with a clear conscience. So: Buy fresh.

Turkey, cooked; shredded or cubed. About 3 cups.
Barbecue Sauce. You could go two ways here: fresh (tomato paste, cider vinegar, brown sugar, liquid) or purchased. You'll need enough to cover the turkey, usually about 3 cups. Purchased is easier, fresh is better. You make the call.
Curry Powder. 
2-3 Bananas, sliced
Orange Juice, 1 1/2 cups.
Peanuts, salted, about 1 cup
Shredded coconut, about 1 cup
1 cup raisins
1 can pineapple (chunks, bits, whatever)
Cooked rice.

Combine sliced bananas and raisins in the orange juice in a non-reactive bowl.
Place coconut, peanuts, and pineapple in separate bowls.
Set  aside.
Heat turkey, barbecue sauce, & curry powder (to taste- I use half a tablespoon at this point, but that much will make a very spicy dish) on very low heat. Stir frequently, adding more curry powder as you cook, if desired. Most 'hot' spices get their flavours from volatile oils. These oils change flavour, and often loose their 'kick' as they cook. Adding more of a spice as you proceed tends to give you deeper flavour than adding the spice at the end or beginning only.
When the turkey is fully incorporated with the curry & barbecue sauce (usually about an hour), serve over hot rice. Top with bowls of peanuts, coconut, banana / raisin / orange juice, and pineapple.
 

Speckled Bird
This is my favourite sandwich (actually, it ties for first with muffalettas which are also on this page). The ingredients are nothing special, but they go together so well. Yet another use for leftover turkey. Each sandwich serves at least two people.

For each sandwich you will need:

1/2 pound cooked turkey, sliced or shredded. I have used deli turkey, which is also good.
1 long loaf french bread, sliced length wise & hollowed slightly.
1/3 pound pound provolone cheese
1 ripe tomato, sliced
1 stalk of celery, diced
Several mushrooms (4 or 5) sliced thin.

Put the bread on a baking sheet. Layer turkey, tomatoes, celery, mushrooms, and cheese. Replace top layer of bread, and bake in a 350F oven for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Serve with French Onion Soup (Make your own, It's so easy. Slowly cook 3 cups  thinly sliced white onions in 2 tablespoons butter. Cook for 30 - 45 minutes until onions are clear and golden. Add 8 cups chicken broth or fonds blanc. Stir, simmering for 30 minutes. Serve); Mayonnaise (on the side); crisp pickles( I like Clausen's) and potato chips.
 

Red Beans and Rice
Many people in the South eat Red Beans & Rice on Mondays.
I  don't know why.

1 pound red beans, soaked overnight
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
7 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 cup parsley
1 rib celery, chopped
1/2 cup ketchup
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons tabasco sauce
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper
1 pound smoked sausage cut into 1 inch pieces
1 pound pickled pork, rinsed and cut into cubes
Cooked Rice

Drain the beans.  Put them in a large heavy pot and add 3 quarts of fresh water.  Cover and simmer for one hour or until the beans are
tender.  Watch that the water does not boil down too far.  The beans must be covered with water at all times.  Add the rest of the
ingredients, except for the rice.  Add more water to cover if needed. Simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the liquid has thickened.
Serve over rice.
 

Crawfish Etoufee
Etoufee is from the French, meaning 'to smother'.
Shrimp, lobster, or alligator could also be used.

1/2 c oil or margarine
1/2 flour
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large celery stalk, finely chopped
3 fat cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 c fairly rich shrimp broth
1 T lemon
1/2 c crawfish fat (substitute 3-4 T
  crawfish liquid or crawfish stock) *
1 T lemon juice
1 t salt (omit if using crawfish stock)
1 T fresh parsley (1 t dried)
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1/2 t black pepper
1/2 t thyme
1 bay leaf
1 lb frozen crawfish, all liquid included
2 large scallion tops, sliced
cooked converted rice

Make a medium dark roux by whisking the flour into the oil over medium heat and cooking, stirring constantly, until the mixture is the colour of chocolate.  Never add cold water to your roux, or it will separate. Add the onion along with the celery and garlic, and sauté
over medium low heat until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.  Slowly add the shrimp stock, and bring to a boil.  Lower heat
to a simmer, and add lemon juice, crawfish fat/stock/liquid, and the spices.  Simmer 15 minutes.  Add the crawfish and any liquid, bring to
a rapid simmer, reduce to a low simmer, add the scallions, and simmer just until the crawfish are tender, about 10 minutes.  Adjust
seasonings.  To serve, mound some rice in a plate, and ladle some of the Etoufee on top.  This recipe makes about 4 servings.

Note:  Crawfish liquid is the 'runoff' from frozen  or raw crawfish.  Whenever you use crawfish for another reason,  save any liquid from the inside of the package after defrosting.  This liquid will be orange in colour from the crawfish fat and meat.
Finally, to make crawfish stock, take a dozen or so crawfish heads left over from a crawfish boil, and cover with some of the left over cooking liquid or water.  Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for several hours.  At the end of simmering, strain stock, and reduce by half.

* Be careful when using this stock because it will be very
salty.  Omit salt from the recipe, and adjust before serving.

Muffaletta
As made at the Central grocery, in New Orleans. Muffaletta was the name of the bakery that supplied bread to the Central Grocery many years ago. Tasty. My favourite sandwich.

Olive salad:
2/3 c. green olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
(Use salad olives, i.e.. olives with pimientos, which are usually broken).
2/3 c. black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 fillet anchovy, mashed (or equiv. anchovy paste)
1 T. capers
1/3 c. finely chopped parsley
1 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 c. olive oil Mix together and marinate AT LEAST 12 hours. The olive salad  keeps for months, provided you keep it in a non-reactive container,

The Sandwich:
Loaf of Italian bread, sliced in half, and slightly hollowed.
1/3 lb. very thinly sliced Genoa or hard salami
1/3 lb. very thinly sliced ham. Use a good ham- not the boiled stuff
1/3 lb. thinly sliced Mortadella. Mortadella is sort of like bologna, except different. Do not use Oscar Mayer. If you can't find it, use another Italian meat.
1/3 lb. thinly sliced provolone cheese
1/3 lb. thinly sliced mozzarella
Pre-heat oven to 350F.  Slice the loaf into top and bottom halves, and heat for 2 or so minutes in the oven.  When the bread is warm,   Place the provolone one side, the mozzarella on the other, and allow the heat of the bread to slightly melt the cheese.  Begin laying out the meat on the bottom half.  Place the meat on the sandwich, followed by olive salad.
Serve with cold cream soda & potato chips. Zapp's would be the chips of choice, but they only seem to exist down South.
Enjoy!
 
Beignets
Pronounced ben-YAY.
Sugary sweet pastries, sort of like doughnuts, except different.
Made famous at the Cafe duMond in New Orleans

1 cup boiling water
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 package dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 egg, beaten
3 + cups white flour
6-8 cups vegetable oil (for deep-frying)
powdered sugar

In a medium bowl combine the water, butter, yeast, salt, sugar, evaporated milk, and beaten egg with an electric mixer. Add the flour, 1 cup at a time, until all the flour is added and the dough is smooth and workable. Set aside. Pour the vegetable oil into a large pot such as a Dutch oven, or a wok, until the pot is half full, and no more. Heat the oil until it is 375 degrees (it takes about 15 minutes). Meanwhile, place a cookie sheet covered with paper towels nearby.
Sprinkle flour onto a clean countertop, and roll half the dough out until it is very thin, about 1/4 inch thick (save the other half in the refrigerator until ready to use). Cut the dough into 2 inch squares. I always stretch the dough a bit- maybe to one and a half times it's original size, before cooking. 
To see if the oil is hot enough, drop a couple of water drops into the oil. When it sizzles quickly the oil is ready to use. Be very careful doing this! Add the beignets very slowly.  If they don't rise immediately to the top, the oil isn't hot enough. Cook only 3 to 5 pieces at a time so that they cook evenly. They will cook to a golden brown when done. Use a large slotted spoon to remove the donuts, and transfer them to the cookie racks. After they drain, place them in a clean paper sack with powdered sugar. Shake, remove & serve with strong, hot coffee.

Key Lime Pie

There is only one way to make a Key Lime Pie... with Key Limes. They are sort of yellow, and taste different. Nellie & Joe's is one brand of bottled Key Lime juice to try, if you can't find fresh. Try to find fresh, though.

1 9" Graham cracker crust, or home-made shell, baked.
1 3/4 cans sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup sour cream
6 oz. Nellie & Joe's or other Key Lime juice
The zest of 1 lime

Whip all ingredients together and pour into pie shell. Cook in a preheated 350 degree oven for approximately five minutes or until tiny pinhole bubbles burst on the surface. DO NOT BROWN! chill and serve with a slice of lime and freshly whipped cream. 8 slices.

Peach Cobbler
Use fresh fruit, never canned!
 
8 Tablespoons (1 Stick) butter
1 Cup sugar
3/4 Cup self-rising flour
3/4 cup milk
Peaches

Clean, peel, and core 2 cups of fruit and mix with 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water. In a saucepan, bring mixture to a boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir often, making sure sugar is completely dissolved.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°. Put butter in deep baking dish and place in oven to melt. Mix sugar and flour; add milk slowly. Pour over melted butter. Do not stir. Spoon fruit on top, gently pouring in syrup. Still do not stir; batter will rise to top during baking. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Good with fresh whipped cream and vanilla ice cream.

You could also use strawberries, blackberries, cherries, apples, or blueberries, but do not used canned fruit!  Yuck!

Bananas Foster
This dish was created in the 50's at Brennan's Restaurant in New Orleans & was named after a customer, Richard Foster, owner of Foster Awning Company in New Orleans.

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 medium bananas, sliced
1/3 cup light or dark rum
1 quart vanilla ice cream
Banana Cordial, to taste- I usually use 1/4 cup or so.
Vanilla extract (real, not fake)

Heat brown sugar, cinnamon, butter, & banana cordial in a flambe pan.
Place bananas in pan (cut length wise) and sauté until soft.
Add rum and flambe until flame dies out.
Serve over vanilla ice cream.
With whipped cream, if desired ( I do).
 

Shoofly Pie
Most people have heard of this, but I doubt many have eaten it. It's actually pretty good.

1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup molasses
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ginger
1 cup hot water
1 un-baked pie shell (make your own, of course. It's easy: 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon lard*, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2 to 3 tablespoons cold water. Cut lard into flour & add salt, until bits are the size of peas. Slowly add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing with
fork until the flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons water can be added if necessary). Shape pastry into a ball. Flattened ball onto lightly floured board. Roll pastry a few inches larger than inverted pie tin with rolling pin. Fold pastry into quarters;   set in pie tin. Unfold and ease into tin, pressing firmly against bottom and side.)

Back to the pie...
Combine flour, sugar, salt, and butter in bowl.  Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.  In a separate bowl, stir baking soda and hot water.  Add molasses, egg, and spices.  Beat.  Sprinkle 1/3 crumb mixture into pie shell.  Pour molasses mixture on top.  Sprinkle with remaining crumbs.  Bake on bottom shelf of 350 degree F. oven for 45-50 minutes. Pie will be jiggly until it cools. Serve with heavy cream.

*Yes, lard. Lard is indispensable in making pie crusts. It makes a flakier crust than anything else, due to it's composition.
A little won't hurt you.
Use lard.

 

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