Aug 14, 2009
Grilled Corn with Maple Chipotle Glaze
This is one of my favorite grilled corn recipes. Spicy, sweet and buttery. And then add the smoke from the grill. Yum.
Aug 11, 2009
New Orleans - Day 3
Hayley and I just don't bounce back like we used to, and we were hurtin' a bit when we woke up Monday morning. It was pouring outside anyway, so we decided that we just wanted to sleep in and hang out in the room for the day. Cheers to the Omni staff for letting us check out at 3:00 without charges! They were all super nice during our entire visit, and I'd definitely stay there again.
Before we left, Hayley and I spent some time uptown at Chris & Dorie's house. I didn't take any pics, but we took a walk through the neighborhood to check out all of the houses that had been condemned or were still vacant (and there are a bunch). Memorial hospital is also in her neighborhood... the one where all of that horrible shit went down during Katrina when the remaining doctors and patients were basically abandoned. If you're interested in how the reconstruction is going (or not going), check out these sets of Flickr pics. 4 years after. 3 years after. 2 years after.
On a lighter note, our last stop before the airport was the eatery Ignatius on Magazine St.
This would be the boudin meatloaf.
And here we are with the crab & corn bisque (yes, I had to have it again before I left) and Hayley's shrimp-n-grits.
And here's an action shot of Dorie and her tabasco.
One last Abita at the airport and that was it. I don't think I could have stuffed any more into my stomach. Thanks again to Dorie & Chris for hauling our tourist asses around town!
To view all of the New Orleans pics, go to our Flickr site.
Before we left, Hayley and I spent some time uptown at Chris & Dorie's house. I didn't take any pics, but we took a walk through the neighborhood to check out all of the houses that had been condemned or were still vacant (and there are a bunch). Memorial hospital is also in her neighborhood... the one where all of that horrible shit went down during Katrina when the remaining doctors and patients were basically abandoned. If you're interested in how the reconstruction is going (or not going), check out these sets of Flickr pics. 4 years after. 3 years after. 2 years after.
On a lighter note, our last stop before the airport was the eatery Ignatius on Magazine St.
This would be the boudin meatloaf.
And here we are with the crab & corn bisque (yes, I had to have it again before I left) and Hayley's shrimp-n-grits.
And here's an action shot of Dorie and her tabasco.
One last Abita at the airport and that was it. I don't think I could have stuffed any more into my stomach. Thanks again to Dorie & Chris for hauling our tourist asses around town!
To view all of the New Orleans pics, go to our Flickr site.
New Orleans - Day 2, Part II
Hayley and Dorie took me to August for my 40th birthday. The chef, John Besh, won the 2006 James Beard award for Best Chef in the Southeast and was runner-up in the Next Iron Chef. His restaurant August has been on Gourmet Magazine's list of best restaurants twice, so I knew we were in for a treat. Just check out this sample menu.
The interior of August was comprised of a series of small intimate rooms covered in dark wood paneling. The chandeliers hung from a raised ceiling, and I got the feeling (a good one) that we were in an exclusive turn-of-the-century banker's club. It was the chic modern version of "old money".
We all decided on the four course tasting menu, primarily because it looked so good, but also because it was so reasonable... $60 with wine pairings, $40 without.
Our pre first course was an amuse bouche served in a hollowed out eggshell. Seafood custard with truffle oil and caviar. I love truffles, so this was right up my alley. I also love Hayley's face in this pic.
The first official course was warm salad of pieds du veau, crispy veal sweetbreads and fresh hearts of palm (Flor Prosecco, Bastianich , Friuli, Italy - and wouldn't you know it, according to the Dallas Morning News, Central Market is the only store which sells it). The salad had a nice light vinaigrette, which matched well with the veal foot carpaccio, and lightly fried sweetbreads, which were buttery like foie gras. Now I'll have to add veal feet and and thymus glands to the list of exotic foods I've tried!
The second course was silverqueen corn riz en boule with pecan wood bacon, cipollini onions and chanterelle mushrooms (1998 Rose Rioja, Vina Tondonia, López de Heredia, Spain). Smoky was the operative word here, and the vermouth like quality of the wine really complimented it.
The third course was hand rolled spaghettini with clams, mussels and blue crab with spicy tomato and fresh basil (Pinot Noir, Anne Amie, Oregon). I'd have to say that this was our least favorite dish of the night. Not that it was bad, in fact it was quite pleasant, but the flavors just didn't wow me. The simple light tomato basil sauce with that hint of seafood was good, but not exceptional like the previous three courses had been.
We finished with a napoleon of nougatine with valhrona chocolate bavarois and salted toffee ice cream (2007 banyuls grenache - vintner unknown). This might have been my favorite dish of the night, mostly because of the wine pairing. The banyuls was very sweet on its own, but paired with the bitter chocolate and salt of the dessert, it became something really different and special. Earthy, buttery and a touch savory.
All in all it was a really superb meal, especially for the price. You definitely couldn't get something like this in Austin or Dallas for under $100. Thanks a bunch to Hayley & Dorie for taking me here!
After dinner, we walked to the quarter for drinks at Hotel Monteleone. This place has one of the kitschiest bars I've ever seen. Check it out. And it rotates!!! Love it. A wonderful ending to a wonderful evening.
To view all of the New Orleans pics, go to our Flickr site.
The interior of August was comprised of a series of small intimate rooms covered in dark wood paneling. The chandeliers hung from a raised ceiling, and I got the feeling (a good one) that we were in an exclusive turn-of-the-century banker's club. It was the chic modern version of "old money".
We all decided on the four course tasting menu, primarily because it looked so good, but also because it was so reasonable... $60 with wine pairings, $40 without.
Our pre first course was an amuse bouche served in a hollowed out eggshell. Seafood custard with truffle oil and caviar. I love truffles, so this was right up my alley. I also love Hayley's face in this pic.
The first official course was warm salad of pieds du veau, crispy veal sweetbreads and fresh hearts of palm (Flor Prosecco, Bastianich , Friuli, Italy - and wouldn't you know it, according to the Dallas Morning News, Central Market is the only store which sells it). The salad had a nice light vinaigrette, which matched well with the veal foot carpaccio, and lightly fried sweetbreads, which were buttery like foie gras. Now I'll have to add veal feet and and thymus glands to the list of exotic foods I've tried!
The second course was silverqueen corn riz en boule with pecan wood bacon, cipollini onions and chanterelle mushrooms (1998 Rose Rioja, Vina Tondonia, López de Heredia, Spain). Smoky was the operative word here, and the vermouth like quality of the wine really complimented it.
The third course was hand rolled spaghettini with clams, mussels and blue crab with spicy tomato and fresh basil (Pinot Noir, Anne Amie, Oregon). I'd have to say that this was our least favorite dish of the night. Not that it was bad, in fact it was quite pleasant, but the flavors just didn't wow me. The simple light tomato basil sauce with that hint of seafood was good, but not exceptional like the previous three courses had been.
We finished with a napoleon of nougatine with valhrona chocolate bavarois and salted toffee ice cream (2007 banyuls grenache - vintner unknown). This might have been my favorite dish of the night, mostly because of the wine pairing. The banyuls was very sweet on its own, but paired with the bitter chocolate and salt of the dessert, it became something really different and special. Earthy, buttery and a touch savory.
All in all it was a really superb meal, especially for the price. You definitely couldn't get something like this in Austin or Dallas for under $100. Thanks a bunch to Hayley & Dorie for taking me here!
After dinner, we walked to the quarter for drinks at Hotel Monteleone. This place has one of the kitschiest bars I've ever seen. Check it out. And it rotates!!! Love it. A wonderful ending to a wonderful evening.
To view all of the New Orleans pics, go to our Flickr site.
New Orleans - Day 2, Part I
The fanciest Arby's in the world!
The morning of our second day in New Orleans turned out to be stormy, so it was a good thing that we spent it at the Audubon Insectarium. The place is geared towards kids, but if you have an interest in creepy crawly things or, you know, science, then it's pretty fun. Hayley had to continue our tradition of posing in/around/like statues while on vacation.
The exhibit started out interestingly enough with a table devoted to the millipede and centipede. I learned that millipedes feel funky, and that Texas must contain half of the world's poisonous creatures (the centipede was from our great state).
There were bunches of tanks with live beetles, roaches, grubs, slugs and many more little insects and animals, but one of my favorite rooms turned out to be the one with all the dead ones in it. They had some beautiful displays, with the beetles and butterflies arranged in intricate designs.
Hmmmm. Yummy.
The last room in the exhibit was Butterflies in Flight, and like its name suggests, it was a sealed off area that housed live butterflies.
Before leaving, we went by the "Bug Appetit" room (ha ha, get it?), where we had the pleasure of tasting cinnamon mealworms and cajun spiced crickets. They weren't gross at all actually, since they cooked the shit out of them until they were crispy husks.
The weather cleared up while we were in the insectarium, so we decided to go for a walk in the quarter. Stopped by Royal Blend and had a super cool iced coffee in their super cool courtyard.
And then stopped by La Maison d'Absinthe to check out all of their cool antique glassware reproductions. I so love the absinthe sets.
AND THEN, I don't know what possessed me... maybe it was because I was turning 40 and trying to relive my youth... but I had to get an $8 hurricane from Pat O'Brien's. I don't know why I thought they put fruit juice in those things, but they so don't. It tasted like Hi-C punch. Granted, they were generous with the liquor, and at least they put it in a plastic cup so that I could carry it next door to...
... The Old Coffee Pot Restaurant, where I had the crab & corn bisque and Hayley ate a shrimp po'boy.
And here's the requisite parting shot of Bourbon, now complete with three(!) Larry Flynt establishments.
To view all of the New Orleans pics, go to our Flickr site.
The morning of our second day in New Orleans turned out to be stormy, so it was a good thing that we spent it at the Audubon Insectarium. The place is geared towards kids, but if you have an interest in creepy crawly things or, you know, science, then it's pretty fun. Hayley had to continue our tradition of posing in/around/like statues while on vacation.
The exhibit started out interestingly enough with a table devoted to the millipede and centipede. I learned that millipedes feel funky, and that Texas must contain half of the world's poisonous creatures (the centipede was from our great state).
There were bunches of tanks with live beetles, roaches, grubs, slugs and many more little insects and animals, but one of my favorite rooms turned out to be the one with all the dead ones in it. They had some beautiful displays, with the beetles and butterflies arranged in intricate designs.
Hmmmm. Yummy.
The last room in the exhibit was Butterflies in Flight, and like its name suggests, it was a sealed off area that housed live butterflies.
Before leaving, we went by the "Bug Appetit" room (ha ha, get it?), where we had the pleasure of tasting cinnamon mealworms and cajun spiced crickets. They weren't gross at all actually, since they cooked the shit out of them until they were crispy husks.
The weather cleared up while we were in the insectarium, so we decided to go for a walk in the quarter. Stopped by Royal Blend and had a super cool iced coffee in their super cool courtyard.
And then stopped by La Maison d'Absinthe to check out all of their cool antique glassware reproductions. I so love the absinthe sets.
AND THEN, I don't know what possessed me... maybe it was because I was turning 40 and trying to relive my youth... but I had to get an $8 hurricane from Pat O'Brien's. I don't know why I thought they put fruit juice in those things, but they so don't. It tasted like Hi-C punch. Granted, they were generous with the liquor, and at least they put it in a plastic cup so that I could carry it next door to...
... The Old Coffee Pot Restaurant, where I had the crab & corn bisque and Hayley ate a shrimp po'boy.
And here's the requisite parting shot of Bourbon, now complete with three(!) Larry Flynt establishments.
To view all of the New Orleans pics, go to our Flickr site.
New Orleans - Day 1
Photo by nonsense bird
New Orleans has always been a favorite town of mine, and when Hayley suggested we visit our friend there (the weekend before my 40th birthday no less), I was clapping my hands like a little girl.
Dorie and her boyfriend Chris know all of the cool local spots, and we immediately started off our culinary extravaganza at the po'boy institution Parkway Bakery & Tavern. Forgot my camera for this one, but the oyster po'boy looked just like the pic above, with fresh crusty french bread, golden fried oysters, and "dressed" with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and mayo. I would kill for a place like this in Austin.
After dropping our stuff off at the hotel (stayed outside of the quarter to avoid the inflated prices), we headed down Chartres for a drink. Things were in full swing, since it was the day of the Red Dress Run, a charity "run" (in the loosest sense of the word) put on by the N.O. Hash House Harriers, self described as "a drinking club with a running problem". Managed to get a quick blurry pic of some of the participants with required red dress.
Dorie and Hayley pondering the Abita at Molly's, near the market.
Chris and Dorie have a car, so we were able to drive around some of the city and get a look at how the Katrina reconstruction is progressing. We checked out some of the galleries in the Bywater district, and then when to a cute little restaurant called Elizabeth's.
Elizabeth's is kind of like a relaxed semi-upscale down home cooking establishment, if that makes any sense. I mean, where else can you have sautéed mahi-mahi with citrus buerre blanc and fried chicken & collard greens on the same menu? We all shared our dishes, which was a good thing since my fried chicken plate turned out to be an entire half of a bird. You can see the remnants of our meal below... seared scallops with a buttery sauce, steak in a chimichurri, sweet potato fries, collard greens, beets and some of the best damn stewed cabbage I've ever had. I might have to write Gourmet magazine and see if they can get and print the recipe.
Our last stop for the day was the funky wine bar Bacchanal. It's really more of a wine shop, but they allow you to buy bottles and take them out on the back patio. There were a couple of classical guitarists playing, and the torch lighting with the jungle like vegetation created a nice ambiance. Once again, I wish we had places like this in Austin.
To view all of the New Orleans pics, go to our Flickr site.
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