Melissa Martin's new cookbook, "Bayou," published by Hachette Book Group.
Hispanic Heritage, Served Louisiana-Style
Each year between September 15 and October 15, Hispanic Heritage Month recognizes the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States. In these parts, one such achievement belongs to New Orleans’ Chef Melissa Araujo, who, at her Bywater restaurant Alma Café, pays tribute to her native Honduras and her grandmother’s cooking, in dishes like Baleadas, Pollo Chuco, Fritas Hondurenas, and Chicharron con Yuca. At Alma Café (Alma means “soul” in Spanish), Araujo’s flair for bringing classic Honduran flavors to life with modern techniques and peerless Louisiana produce led to her being named a James Beard: Best Chef South semifinalist for 2024.
In the spirit of Hispanic Heritage Month, Chef Melissa shared her recipe for Aguachile Negro, her take on a ceviche-style summer dish you’ll find served in myriad regional variations throughout Mexico and Central America. See Chef Melissa’s recipe here, or pay a visit to Alma Café at 800 Louisiana Street. eatalmanola.com
In November, Chef Araujo will be among twenty-eight Louisiana and Mississippi chefs gathering at The Myrtles for the sixth annual St. Francisville Food & Wine Festival. stfrancisvillefoodandwine.com.
Nicole Cabrera Mills Named a “Best New Chef” by Food & Wine
For its September “Restaurants” issue, the nationally-acclaimed epicurean monthly Food & Wine announced its annual slate of “Best New Chef” awards. And naturally, they turned to New Orleans. Honoring thirteen chefs who have been in charge of a kitchen or pastry program for five years or less, who represent the “future of cooking in America,” this year’s award landed upon the shoulders of Nicole Cabrera Mills, the Chef de Cuisine at Pêche NOLA.
Mills opened Donald Link and Ryan Prewitt’s live fire-meets-raw bar concept in 2013 as a line cook, and has since worked her way up to infusing the menu with the flavors of her childhood in the Philippines. Taking note of the ways Louisiana flavors and Filipino flavors overlap—especially in their use of citrus, acids, and vinegar—Mills has elevated the dining experience at Pêche to something elegantly subtle, but bright and new: the glazed turnips have a citrus and gochugaru glaze, the Royal red shrimp a nuoc cham-inspired sauce, the red fish is wrapped in a banana leaf. And the chile garlic sauce? The recipe comes from Mills’ mother, who ran a dumpling stand in Cagayan de Oro and sold the sauce by the gallon. pecherestaurant.com.
National Gumbo Day—October 12, 2024
Sweater weather. PSL season. In Louisiana, this time of year is nothing less than gumbo time. On October 12, the entire nation will celebrate the dish that has so come to define Louisiana’s cuisine. Here are three ways to honor (indulge in) the best of our culinary traditions:
- Read Jonathan Olivier’s new book, Gumbo: Published earlier this year by LSU Press, Gumbo explores the multicultural origins and interpretations of the dish we know and love, tracing it back to West Africa and the Choctaw, to the Spanish Caribbean and the Germans, and of course the French. lsupress.org.
- Find a great recipe, and get out your pot: We recommend turning to cookbooks by your favorite local chefs, or to neighborhood/church cookbooks, where tradition looms large. Even better, call your grandma.
- Attend a festival: It’s the heart of festival season here in Louisiana, and our favorite cuisines are on full display. Get out your calendars and make plans to try a range of local gumbos at events like the Louisiana Gumbo Festival in Chackbay on October 11–14, the World Champion Gumbo Cook-Off in New Iberia on October 12–14, the Blackpot Festival and Cook-Off in Lafayette on October 25–27, or the Tremé Creole Gumbo Festival on November 9–10.
Ralph Brennan Bakery Goes Retail
In September, the stealth operations of the Ralph Brennan culinary empires most under-the-radar arm stepped out into the light. Typically operating behind the scenes in world-renowned New Orleans restaurants Brennan’s Ralph’s on the Park, Redfish Grill, Café NOMA, and Napoleon House—Baker Drew Pope’s Ralph Brennan Bakery is responsible for all of the delicious fresh-baked breads enjoyed by diners across the Crescent City. They make an appearance annually at Mardi Gras, when they ramp up operations at their bakery in Gert Town to produce 30,000 Brennan King Cakes.
But now, the beloved English muffins from Brennan’s eggs Benedict, the ciabatta, and the baguettes—plus more artisanal breads and desserts—will be available for purchase in local grocery stores, as Ralph Brennan Bakery launches its new retail business. Already, you can purchase the baked goods at Acquistapace’s Supermarket in Covington, one of the first places to sell the now-beloved Brennan King Cakes. ralphbrennanbakery.com acquistapace.com.
Bayou: Feasting Through the Seasons of a Cajun Life
James Beard Award-winning author and chef Melissa Martin, known for her New Orleans restaurant Mosquito Supper Club and cookbook by the same name, has just released a new, beautifully rendered deep-dive into the culinary traditions of the Louisiana bayou in the form of her new cookbook, Bayou: Feasting Through the Seasons of a Cajun Life. This time, Martin carries the reader/cook through a journey of the seasons of the Cajun calendar. With stunning photography by Denny Culbert and accompanying essays on the topics of abundance, decadence, simplicity, and resilience; the act of cooking is presented as a spiritual, irrevocable part of life in this part of the world. Now available at mosquitosupperclub.com.
