Mardi Gras Every Day

 Today is Mardi Gras ,a time of "Laissez le bonne temps roulez" in the city of Mardi Gras, New Orleans. There are also sorts of delicious savory and sweet dishes that are not only perfect for tonight's festivities but every day of the year. The good times and flavors can roll anytime you crave Creole or Cajun foods.

There are two key factors in New Orleans cooking. One is roux , a simple mix of butter and flour cooked over a low flame and whipped into a creamy sauce. It reflects Louisiana's deep French roots (if you're into French cooking you'll know that roux is used constantly to thicken sauces such as bechamel) and comes three ways, white, blonde and brown. White is the least cooked, while blonde takes a minute or two longer until it's a light golden color. The flavor is slightly nutty. There is the brown which is cooked anywhere from ten to thirty minutes. Gumbo usually requires a dark brown roux for both flavor and color. The other key factor in the cooking is the holy trinity - onions, bell peppers  and celery. Cooked together these impart a deep flavor that make Cajun and Creole cooking pop. Keep in mind that you can add this to your chicken soup and soup stocks for a wonderful vegetal flavor. Again it's taken from the region's Gallic roots. In France it's known simply as mirepoix and used frequently to flavor coq au vin and lamb stew. You can also use it in any kind of stew from chicken to beef along with gravy for homemade pot pies. 

New Orleans is known for its' seafood , namely shrimp. Shrimp gumbo will undoubtedly be on many a party menu tonight but it also makes for a tasty week night dinner. It can be easily made in the crockpot so you don't have to worry about coming home from work and prepping like crazy. Of course you'll need the holy trinity  of onions celery and bell  peppers but these can be cut up the night before. It's then adding tomato , shrimp cornstarch and  chicken broth along with a variety of herbs and  hot sauce to the mix. There's no roux to be made, The cornstarch thickens it. Po' boys, those delicious sandwiches can be made any time of the year and they're perfect for barbecues. You can just grill shrimp or chicken and place it on French bread with lettuce , tomatoes and pickles. Slather a homemade remoulade sauce on this for an authentic NOLA flavor. A remoulade sauce is simply mayo mixed with pickle juice or chopped pickles, mustard, horse radish, and garlic along with paprika for color. It's also good topping burgers and crab cakes. Add a touch of olive oil and vinegar for a spicy salad dressing. Mardi Gras ends with the sweet King Cake . Without the traditional green purple and gold icing , it's just a cinnamon roll bread that can be made for any brunch. 

You don't have to wait until Mardi Gras to enjoy its' fun and flavorful foods. They can be made throughout the year, giving zing and zest to any meal. Let the good times roll whenever you want.

Winter Stews

One of the easiest and best dishes to make during a snowy day is a good stew. It can be a simple or fancy , depending on your tastes. One thing to remember - make it rib-sticking. A hearty meal is needed to help in shoveling all that white stuff along with managing a sled or snowball fight.

Even the most novice of home chefs can whip up a stew. Stick to the most basic of recipes. Most beginners try a beef one before they move on to the more complex ones. It's two pounds of stew meat, cut into chunks along with beef bouillon and simple vegetables such as carrots and potatoes. Celery stalks and chopped onion are added to the mix to give it more flavor along with rosemary and dried parsley. Cornstarch is a must. Two tablespoons of it binds the stew together and gives it a rich thick gravy. Chicken stew is another easy and basic recipe. It's really the same as the beef save for the addition of mushrooms and poultry seasoning. Dumplings are always a treat and they're easy to make.They just cook right on top of the stew. You could also use those frozen biscuits too. Pork isn't
necessarily thought of as a stew meat yet it can be the star of a particularly tasty one. Surprisingly it needs beef bouillon as a  base  and needs stronger tasting veggies such as bell peppers and corn to compete with the meat's unique taste. Lamb stew is the all time classic.It is usually made with tomatoes, Thyme and bay leave along with carrots and potatoes give it that classic taste . Serve with a crusty bread  and a good Irish beer..

Once the basic recipe has been tackled you can move onto the more complex stews. One is the time-honored beef bourguignon. This is a rich melange of  beef, tomato paste,  red wine and bacon.Onions give it that sweet flavor as garlic zips it up. Unlike the simpler stews, this one needs butter , usually four to five tablespoons for richness. A hot crusty loaf  French bread is always served with it to sop up the gravy along with a good red wine. The French also give us cassoulet, a delicious blend of tasty duck meat, salt pork or sausage, and cannellini beans. A confit or duck fat is added too. Thyme, bay leaf and garlic accentuate the variety of meats' flavors. Another dish that's sort of stew like and still fancy is beef daube. This is a boozy mix of  Cognac, bacon and cubed beef roast with the fat and sinews removed. Garlic, shallots and a bouquet garni, a blend of dried thyme, rosemary, parsley and celery leaves.Veggies are carrots and parsnips which give the stew more flavor. Another almost stew again belongs to the French. It's coq 'au vin, chicken pieces heightened  again by Cognac and lardons along celery and pearl onions, the last giving it some sweetness.

Stews are the best dish to eat on a winter's day. Whether simple or complex one, they are rib sticking and hearty, perfecting for thawing out. Make one and enjoy their comforting flavor and cozy warmth,

In A Stew

One of the nicest aspects of cold weather is hearty cooking and eating. There's  nothing more satisfying than a homemade stew, chock full of meat and veggies.Add dumplings and it's a full meal. It's the best comfort food on a chilly day, warming from head to toe.

What is the best stew? That's up to the home chef making it along with individual tastes.Chicken stew is the most classic and has a nice, light flavor. Because of this , any combo of veggies pairs well with it. You can even use fresh or frozen ones. Since this is autumn, think about adding butternut squash .It's taking chicken breasts and cooking them with four cups of squash. Diced tomatoes are also thrown in to give color and a boost of flavor.Fall spices such as sage and thyme are also included, along with garlic and onion. That leftover Halloween pumpkin can be cut up and added to a chicken stew as well.Cooked pumpkin has a lovely creamy texture  and a sweetness that  compliments the bird. For a fancier take on this humble dish, try a coq au vin inspired one. This is an easy one,laced with red wine , garlic and a variety if different herbs. The last is one found in Gallic cooking, oregano,thyme and bay leaves. Top it with herbed dumplings laced with more thyme, chives and parsley. Can turkey be made into a stew? Yes! In fact, many of those Thanksgiving birds will be repurposed into tasty stews. Turkey stew can even be made in a skillet. It's just taking the meat cooking it with whatever veggies you want. You can even use leftover potatoes and yams.along with those herbs you used for the stuffing.

Many home chefs enjoy  making a good beef or lamb stew. This is the most traditional recipe. Meat lovers enjoy a good traditional beef one, chock full of flavor and texture. Where the meat comes from is crucial to creating a good stew. Remember to get cuts from the front shoulder or rear end, A chuck shoulder or a rump roast is a good choice. This also applies to lamb too. You could also try top chuck or eye round roast too. An old-fashioned beef stew has everything from sugar (!) to Worcester sauce.Spices are crucial. Stick with the traditional one such as allspice, ground cloves, along with paprika for color. Vegetables are also traditional too. Use celery, along with carrots and celery.Pork can be turned into stew as well. Melissa Clark gave a good recipe in her column A Good Appetite column in Wednesday's New York Times Food section.She puts  the spicy garam masala along with cinnamon and cumin, spices not normally connected with the dish,Cayenne is also added for heat, again, unusual for a stew.Another ingredient, also out of the ordinary for this dish, coconut milk is used for tying the entire dish together, She also tosses in chick peas and green peas for some creamy texture. Tomatoes, that stew staple are included to give it color and some acidity.Instead of dumplings , try warm naan with it instead for sopping up the gravy.

This is stew weather. Try a homey chicken one, or a spicy pork, loaded with curries. Anyone is a rib sticking one, warming  a happy eater from head to toe.