Published January 23
A recipe of winter flavors fit for the crawfish season from the kitchen of Frank McMains.

Ingredients:

1 lb crawfish tail	2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp dried thyme	½ lb white mushroom, thinly sliced
1 tbsp fresh, chopped tarragon (I like the Mexican variety because it grows here) If you have some extra sprigs, hold them back for garnish.	cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 large onion, medium dice	¼ cup canola oil
4 garlic cloves, minced	¼ cup + 1 tbsp unbleached flour
1 tbsp butter	½ cup finely grated (microplaned) parmesan cheese
1 cup white wine (whatever you have around that isn’t too sweet)	1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup Manzanilla sherry	1 lb dried linguine
2 tbsp salt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Directions:

• 
•  

Click here to open a photo slideshow.

Add the butter to a medium sauce pan over low heat to melt it. Raise the heat and add the diced onions and sauté them until they just begin to color. Add the minced garlic andcontinue to sauté and turn the mixture. Once the garlic is fragrant (about 2 minutes) add the mushrooms and continue to sauté moving things around in the pan so nothing burns on the bottom. Once the mushrooms have become slightly soft (about 4 minutes), add the white wine and sherry and allow the mixture to reduce in liquid volume by about half. Add half the salt, the pepper, dried thyme and fresh tarragon.

Fill another large pot with water and add the other tbsp. of salt and begin to bring it to boiling. In a third pan heat the oil over a low-medium heat that stir in the ¼ cup of flour. You may need to at the extra tbsp. to achieve the correct consistency for a blonde roux. Stirring constantly over medium-high heat allow the flour to cook in the oil, creating a blonde roux (this should take less than 10 minutes). Pour the roux into an oven safe piece of Pryex and set aside. By now the mushrooms should have reduced satisfactorily. Add the crawfish tails and the fat they are packed in to the onion and mushroom mixture and stir to combine. Lower the heat to a very low simmer and add in the cream.

Allow the combination of mushrooms, onions, herbs, crawfish tail and cream to cook at low heat and reduce somewhat (about 12 minutes) then add the grated cheese, withhold some if you wish to use it for garnish. Add about three tsps. of your withheld blonde roux and raise the temperature somewhat. The roux should quickly thicken the dish. Place on the lowest heat possible while you bring your pot containing the water and salt to a boil. Cook your linguine according to the instructions being mindful not to over cook the stuff. Once the linguine is done, drain it and rinse wit hot water to remove some of the excess starch from the outside of the noodles and toss them in the colander where you drained them. Return the linguine to the large pot then add the mushroom and crawfish mixture. Toss all the ingredients together until the linguine is thoroughly coated (a toothed, pasta spoon is very helpful for doing this and handling noodles in general). Serve in pasta bowls being careful to distribute some of the larger ingredients like the mushrooms and crawfish evenly as they will tend to end up at the sides of the pot when you toss the pasta. Garnish with any remaining whole sprigs of tarragon or just serve with a nice, sturdy and delicious white wine.

More than an American collector's fetish.
Published January 20

Pyrex has a place in almost every kitchen. They manufacture the hardened, high-temperature resistant glass that comprises a lot of measuring cups. But Pyrex might not have a place in everyone’s heart. For decades Pyrex also made a wide line of kitchenwares.  Many folks might remember them as the clear or white and flowered casserole dishes used to serve things like spinach madeline at many a southern holiday (or funeral, for that matter).

There is something of a brisk market in vintage Pyrex, as a quick search on Ebay will reveal. But, the stuff is more than an Americana collector’s fetish. It is also has a very practical place in the modern kitchen. I use their “refrigerator dishes,” compete with a clear, beveled lid to store leftovers all of the time. Their small baking dishes are ideal for individual sides ranging from crème brulee to a generous mound of asparagus with hollandaise sauce.

The advantages to owning and using vintage Pyrex are many. First, they can often be bought for a song at garage sales (and your grandmother probably has a pyramid of them that she would part with, if you ask nicely). They are also eminently meritorious in this age of conservation. Not only are you reusing them on a daily or weekly basis but you are also reusing them in the broader, manufacturing sense. Sure, you can go out and buy sturdy, new, plastic leftover containers but they are just another item that has to be made. Vintage Pryex already exists and it doesn’t get that grimy feathering that bedevils plastic containers after too many washings. They work equally well in the microwave or oven, which makes them more versatile than plastic. Lastly, they just look cool.

I realize that not everyone will be drawn to the mouse-brown Pryex with the white chickens on them but they come in many solid colors that look right at home in today’s stainless steel and black marble kitchens. I have been amassing a collection of vintage Pyrex for years, ever since I was first alerted to their decorative qualities by the architect duo of Mike and Ursula Emory-McClure.

It seems that every time my mother finds herself at a swap meet or flea market she comes back with a piece of Pyrex for my collection. I have so much of the stuff now, that I may have officially switched from curious user of the product to impractical hoarder. My own peculiar interest in them aside, they deserve consideration from the environmentally or aesthetically conscious home chef. Cheap, cool and old are rarely found in the same object, but they mingle in vintage Pyrex. These little kitchen items warrant a second look from all of us who have ignored them as we filled our plates with green bean casserole at the Thanksgiving feed line. 

Very good (very portable) holiday food, from Chef Don Bergeron
Published December 13

The holidays are a busy time. With all the socializing, family get-togethers and end-of-year business fuss it is a wonder we have time to feed ourselves. That is where Chef Don Bergeron’s Mid-City Market comes in. They offer daily lunch specials that are uniformly delicious. But Bergeron really saves the day with his expansive line of to-go meals.

We all have enough cooking to do with twenty-three hungry family members showing up for a Christmas feed. But you can take away a little stress by popping a few tasty items in the oven for those pre-festivity meals. Hot, home-style meals are available Monday through Saturday and they vary according to the day (call ahead or check out their website to see your options). Many of the dishes will be familiar, like the baked chicken or fish filets. For those inclined to more hearty fare, they also serve delicious Shepherd’s Pie (much redeemed from the lunchroom variety you may remember from high school) and a delicious and flaky chicken potpie.

Now, I would not encourage anyone to eschew the rewarding ritual of preparing a large holiday meal but the Mid-City Market has even prepared a holiday menu that you can order in advance. The burden it will take off of your already stressed holiday schedule may allay your guilt at not having actually cooked anything and your guests certainly won’t mind when they are served piping hot trays of Spinach Madeleine, rice dressing or shrimp and mirliton casserole. They also prepare whole turkeys and beef tenderloin in portions suitable for serving the masses.

Don Bergeron’s is located in an unassuming slot along Jefferson Highway, near the much-missed Compact Disc Store. Their variety and quality should put them in the running for any busy (or perhaps a tad bit lazy) holiday chef and really … what are the chances you are going to whip up a Smoked Salmon Terrine with Toast Points for the Christmas meal? Whether for the holidays or just a quick lunch, Chef Don is making great (and portable) food right in the center of town.

Details
Chef Don Bergeron’s Mid-City Market
714 Jefferson Highway, Baton Rouge
(225) 218-4264
www.chefdonb.com
Email orders to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

A locally brewed stout so good, you'd think Kerry Yoes had some Irish in him
Published November 7

We have become a nation of home-brewers and a country that embraces regional microbrews. We can all be thankful for that. But unless you get to travel around the country tasting what people are cooking up in their backyards, then many of the home-brewed products can start to taste a bit samey. This is because the mineral content of a local water supply, the native, airborne yeast and climate for fermentation in any given area will tend to nudge small batch beer creators towards similar styles.

Every once in a while, however, someone will produce something that stands far above the rest of the local brews. And if that person is very good and also very lucky, then they just might win Abita’s homebrew competition and actually get their beer into production at one of the nation's premier microbreweries, right down the road in Abita Springs.

This same Abita-sponsored competition brought us Andygator about a decade ago. Now a home brewer in Zachary and his very Louisiana take on Russian Imperial Stout has been given the nod to be the newest Abita Select product. Stouts (and particularly home-brewed stouts) are often the blunt instrument of the beer world—the bellowing, crashing-through-coffee-tables member of the beer family. A really good stout, on the other hand, is a dance between delicate, velvety texture and robust earthy flavor. Judging by many of the products on the market that bear the stout label, making a refined version of the classic variety is no easy feat, but Kerry Yoes has done just that.

Louisiana Oyster Stout sounds bit unconventional until you hear the story (for which you will have to wait until the print edition of Country Roads comes along in December), but trust me when I say that this is very fine stuff. It has a head like whipped cream; tiny bubbles hold the form of this creamy topper like few others I have tasted. I spent some time studying in Ireland (read— drinking Guinness and unsuccessfully courting Irish girls). While there I darkened the door of many a Dublin establishment claiming to serve the best pint of Guinness. To a twenty-something set loose on the other side of the pond, they all tasted pretty good, but I did acquire a bit of palate for the stuff. This may sound like hyperbole, but of all the American produced stouts, Yoes’ Oyster Stout comes as close to a pint of the dark stuff served near a peat fire you are likely to find this side of the Liffey.

For now Abita is only producing Louisiana Oyster Stout in kegs through their Abita Select program. Hopefully it will be embraced by the beer-drinking people of Louisiana and make its way to growlers, six-packs and a wider audience in general. Until then, make a point to stop in at one of the local bars currently serving the stuff. It is remarkable, and not just because it is local. This stuff deserves to compete with the best home-brewed products out there.

And yes, there are real Louisiana oysters involved in its production (though you won’t find any at the bottom of your pint glass). But those details will have to wait for next month’s issue. Happy drinking!

Published October 11, 2011.

This is the second blog in a row about a Livingston parish eatery. I try to offer some diversity here at the Good Feast but I have been spending a lot of time in Livingston, so that is where I have been doing a lot of my eating-out. As I mentioned in an article published a while back about Livingston, the parish has a lot more to offer than I was ever aware of. The northern part of the parish has a variety of great BBQ spots like Wayne’s (mentioned last month), but the southern part of the parish is just as well outfitted with seafood spots.

You don’t have to look very far in south Louisiana to find a good place to eat fried seafood, but the list of places that do it really well is fairly short. To this list I would add Kevin’s Cajun Seafood in Maurepas. Any restaurant that also has a boat dock is likely to offer well-breaded shrimp, but the food at Kevin’s exhibits an attention to detail and emphasis on consistent high quality that sets it apart.

• 
•  

Click the small image at left to open a photo gallery. All photos by Frank McMains. The Crawfish Beignet has been popping up on more and more menus around the area, and it is just the sort of creative re-interpretation of Cajun and Creole cooking that has made Louisiana such a treat for the interested eater. Start your meal there. The dish has the light, slightly spongy bite that is associated with a beignet but has much in common with a meat pie or empanada. Kevin’s Crabmeat Au Gratin is a sturdy compliment to the beignets. Rarely does the combination of crabmeat, cream and cheese disappoint, and this is no exception.

The main courses offered at Kevin’s will be familiar to most people without a shellfish allergy, but it is here where Kevin’s puts itself above the fray. Really good fried seafood results from great initial ingredients as well as proper cooking temperatures, fresh oil and how the golden-brown treats are presented after they emerge from the fryer. Kevin’s Stuffed Shrimp is similar to dishes you will see presented in many places, but the stuffing of fresh crab, onion and a satisfying, corn meal-like body results in a dish that is just better than many who bear a similar name. A liberal coating of Tasso Cream Sauce doesn’t hurt matters either.

Published September 13, 2011.

A recent photograph project has had me running the back roads of Livingston Parish. There is no absence of local seafood spots and old school, slightly threadbare, burger stands. But what has called out to me the loudest on these country meanderings were the mom-and-pop BBQ shacks. Maybe it is the change in the weather, but the slightest chill in the air makes me crave smoked meat.

Wayne’s Barbeque near the Livingston exit on Interstate 12 is right across the highway from another, more modern looking BBQ restaurant. So, it stands to reason that a little slow-cooked competition keeps both spots producing the best pit product that they can. The interior of Wayne’s is an un-gussied up monument to meat. Slabs of beautifully barked brisket lay atop on another (yes, bark is the pit master’s term for the crispy edges of a good brisket). Sliced pork shoulder shows the pink smoke ring indicative of a true charcoal fired pit. Generous scoops of potato salad and coleslaw make shapely additions to the Styrofoam plates shuffled down the deli-line. It’s a stackable chairs and Formica tables sort of a place, which, if we think about it for a second, is probably how the universe intends for BBQ to be served.

The serving size of the meat portion of the lunch platters is a little on the slim side, but you won't leave hungry as the sides are ample and the Texas-style toast is some of the best around. Brisket is more forgiving than pork shoulder. The latter is generally served “pulled”– a method that requires a long, low temperature cooking process. At Wayne’s they serve it sliced so it retains some of the character and texture of a roast, but still has the juicy tenderness that comes when that sinewy cut of meat is allowed to gradually brown over a slow fire. Both the brisket and pork shoulder were cooked perfectly, which is saying something as both cuts can easily come out too tough or mealy and over-cooked.

I enjoyed my lunch on a fine, cool September day, sitting on a flaking tin topped table in the outdoor seating area that appears to have once had a life as a filling station pump island. There was a cool breeze and the crunch of gravel under patrons' feet. The BBQ was well flavored by both its dry rub and the hickory wood smoke they proudly advertise. In short, it was just the sort of unpretentious, meat heavy experience you would expect from a little restaurant with a big smiling pig on its sign.

Published August 8, 2011

The summer heat presents something of a conundrum to those of us who derive a significant portion of their daily caloric intake from coffee. My first latte of the day is generally enjoyed before things really heat up, but subsequent cups have to be taken in the shelter of a vigorously pumping air-conditioner. However, there is another way. Slow-brewed iced-coffee lets you get the caffeine you crave without the subsequent sweating fit a steaming cup of joe can prompt.

Now, there is iced-coffee and then there is iced-coffee. One approach is to take the familiar, piping hot article and pour it over ice. I suppose this works in a pinch but slow-brewed iced-coffee from a simple contraption like the Toddy Coffee Maker is something else all together. Methods vary by your chosen tool, but the basic idea is the same. You take a pound of good coffee and let it soak in about 10 cups of water for half a day, strain the lively, powerful brew and store it in the refrigerator until you need that mid-day pick up.

I follow a simple recipe with this super-strength caffeine concoction. Mix it at a ratio of about 1 part slow-brewed coffee to 2 parts 2% milk and top it off with a little simple syrup. The one disadvantage to cold coffee is that sugar will not easily dissolve in it. Thus, simple syrup is a better choice to sweeten it.

• 
•  

Click the small image at left to open a gallery of tiramisu images. All photos by Frank McMains.

This potent elixir isn’t just for sipping. I have used it as part of a marinade for ribeye steaks and in place of espresso in the ever-popular tiramisu. One glaring hole in my culinary skill set is that I rarely make dessert. So I won't presume to offer a recipe for tiramisu but will instead say that I followed a widely available version from Emeril Lagasse swapping slow-brewed coffee for espresso and ice wine (or vin glacé, if you prefer) for vin santo. But, you can find my punchy recipe for Bourbon and Coffee Marinated Rib-Eye Steaks HERE...