The Chinese New Year party was a big hit. Most everything went off without a hitch.

I made about 100 dumplings, so this year should be full of abundance and prosperity. I have learned that making that many dumplings is quite an endeavor and cooking 100 dumplings is even a greater task. The first batch I steamed in a bamboo steamer lined with parchment paper. My first mistake was that I didn’t spray the parchment with cooking spray and the dumplings all stuck to the paper. The next batch I boiled, they were good but tasted a little doughy. I noticed people were having trouble eating them in one or two bites, perhaps I over stuffed them. The next batch I boiled and pan-fried and that was definitely the best combination. Only a few got stuck in the pan, to become potstickers. Even though they were slightly imperfect in appearance, the dumplings were scrumptious when dunked in a tangy soy dipping sauce.

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We also made summer rolls using Korean sweet potato noodles which is typically reserved for the Korean dish Jap Chae. I love the chewy texture of these noodles and they worked every bit as well as the rice noodles. I used to be an old pro at rolling summer rolls but soon realized that I have grown out of practice. My rolls were not nearly as perfect as the ones I buy from Hong Kong Market or Pho Tau Bay. The fun thing was that several guests wanted to try their hand at rolling, so it became a group effort. Interactive dinners are so  fun, especially since everyone seems to gravitate to the kitchen anyway. Why not put people to work!

Dumplings and dim sum are a wonderful way to celebrate the New Year. They are not only a source of good luck, prosperity and abundance but also lots of laughter, togetherness and good cheer.

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Mise en Place

Steamed Pork Buns

Summer Rolls and Pork Buns

The Superbowl is just around the corner and the big question is “Are you going to have a big party, a little party or are you going to go to a party?” The Superbowl is one of the number one party events of the year.

Here are a few things to think about if you are going to a Superbowl party. Ask your host or hostess if you can bring anything. It is always nice to show up with a little extra somethin’ somethin’. Maybe you can bring extra beer or wine or how about an h’or d’oeuvre or appetizer. You could also show up ahead of time to help set up or stay a little later to clean up. Make sure you have a designated driver if you need one. Don’t be a sore loser or winner.

If you are hosting a Superbowl party, you should be sure the television is in a good location for everyone, if possible. Be an equal opportunity host, be sure to let all of your guests know that no matter which team wins there will be no hard feelings. Nothing like a house divided. Make sure there is enough food and drinks for the stragglers that show up for the second half. If you are having a potluck, let everyone know the theme of the party. Perhaps you can suggest specific dishes for people to bring. Have everything set up before your guests arrive. You don’t want to be running around like a chicken with your head cut off while trying to greet guests, take coats and make cocktails. And of course, have the phone number of a reliable taxi service on hand for anyone who gets out of hand.

Here is a quick list of fun h’or d’oeuvres and appetizers or desserts to bring to a party:

• Charlotte’s Hot Shrimp Dip
• Spinach and Artichoke Dip
• Hot Crab Dip
• Kicked Up Chicken Wings
• Andouille Stuffed Jalapenos
• Emeril’s Fudgy  Brownies
• Mocha Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you are having your own party:

• Emeril’s Fierce and Fresh Margaritas
• Grilled Shrimp with Mango Salsa and Guacamole
• Grilled Flank Steak with Cebolitas
• Rockfish Tacos
• Tomatilla Salsa
• Black Bean Relish
• Tres Leches Cake

Kale is by far one of the best super foods, its dark leafy greens are packed with antioxidants and an excellent source of vitamins such as A, K and C. It is full of chlorophyll and packed with fiber. It is absolutely one of my favorite greens. I was never really fond of cabbage, it has taken me a long time to acquire a taste for it. But I knew that it was on the top of the list of super foods and that at some point I would need to learn to love it. On the other hand, I have always loved collard greens and when I discovered lacinata kale it was love at first bite. I crave it. I have to have it at least once a week. I feel the same love for broccoli and beets.

I started growing kale about two years ago and it has become the shining star of my small garden. I have both lacinata kale and red Russian kale growing in raised beds. It grows so well I can hardly eat it fast enough. This year we had kale at Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas day and New Year’s day and I have used it here in the test kitchen several times and yet I still have more in the garden. It is thriving!

The great thing about kale is that it is so versatile. It can be eaten raw in salads and slaws, it can be used in soups and stews, (I always add it to my gumbo). I often just quickly saute it with garlic and onions. I also add it to my morning smoothies and juices.

I am a big fan of Martha Stewart’s Whole Living magazine and website and there are quite a few “green smoothies” which use kale. The  key is to blend, blend, blend. If you have children this may be a great way to sneak in some veggies. Combined with blueberries and bananas you cannot even taste the kale and your kids will never know. Personally, I love knowing that I can pack in the greens.

This is a recipe for one of my favorite morning smoothies.

Blue Green Breakfast Smoothie

1 cup coconut water or distilled water

1 banana, frozen and chopped

1 cup chopped kale, washed and stems removed

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

1/2 cup frozen blackberries or raspberries

2 teaspoons agave syrup or honey

2 teaspoons flax seed meal (optional)

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add a little water to thin if necessary.

Yield: 2 smoothies

You also might enjoy

Kale and Chickpea Stew 

Quinoa Mix with Sauteed Kale

Green Machine Smoothie

Sesame-Kale Crisps 

January 23rd marks Chinese New Year and this is the year of the dragon. Last year was the year of the rabbit, quite a juxtaposition don’t you think. The Dragon is the major symbol of good fortune and is associated with new beginnings in Chinese astrology, so expect grand things this year.

I have celebrated New Year’s a few times in the past two months. I consider my birthday my personal New Year (back in December) and of course the traditional Western New Year and now I will also celebrate the Chinese New Year.

I am planning on hosting a party for this great event, serving all of the traditional foods for this holiday. Just like our black eyed peas and cabbage there are symbolic dishes attached to the New Year’s celebrations.

Menu + symbolism

Pork and Cabbage Dumplings  Cabbage=wealth

Shrimp and Crab Dumplings Dumplings=abundance  Shrimp=joy

Roasted Duck Spring Rolls  Spring Rolls= wealth  Noodles= long life

Spicy Tuna Lettuce Wraps with Bamboo Shoots  Lettuce =luck Bamboo shoots=health

Barbeque Pork Buns = deliciousness

Black Moss Seaweed=wealth

Mustard Greens = a source of cleansing for the New Year

Whole Roasted Fish with Kumquat Beurre Blanc= Whole fish symbolizes abundance from the beginning of the year to the end of the year and kumquats=happiness

Sticky Rice Dumplilngs Filled with Walnuts and Almonds Sticky rice= sweet, good life

Our Edible Alley is making steady progress. Every day our lettuces get a little bigger and our beets are actually going beyond the leafy greens stage. We have a few radishes, some baby kale and some of the herbs are carrying on. We have had such a mild winter so far which can be good and bad for the garden. Kale and Swiss chard prefer the cooler temperatures, as do the beets on the other hand the lettuces seem to be quite content with the mild weather. We are growing several varieties of heirloom lettuces Brune d’Hiver, Cracoviensus, and Petite Rouge, they are particularly tender, delicate and beautiful, I might add. I bought the seeds from one of my favorite seed companies, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.

For the past few days I have been thinking about doing a little harvesting. I fear we are going to have a big freeze and lose our luscious lettuces without having had the pleasure of tasting them.  I love the fact that I can walk outside and trim a few delicate leaves for lunch. It just doesn’t get any fresher. I have several pots of the same lettuces growing on my balcony at home and I love to impress my friends by whipping a quick salad out of nowhere. This is the beauty of growing lettuces, they will grow just about anywhere. I have several varieties growing at home. It takes a little longer to start lettuces from seed but given time and the right temperatures they will thrive.

I’m on my way into the kitchen to scout out a few items to add to my greens, perhaps some toasted walnuts and dried cranberries or maybe shaved Parmesan and a poached egg, I can’t go wrong either way.

Now that the Saints are out of the running for the Super Bowl, we can jump head first into Mardi Gras. The season officially begins on the Feast of the Epiphany or Three Kings Day on January 6^th. The epiphany marks the end of the Christmas holiday season and the beginning of Mardi Gras.  We don’t waste much time here between holidays. It seems to be a never ending party.

One of the best things about Mardi Gras is the food, of course. I do love the parades, the music, the 610 Stompers and the Rolling Elvi and I love costuming. Really, I just love my pink wig and wearing a boa.

King cakes the quintessential Mardi Gras food started rolling out of bakery ovens in the wee hours on January 6^th. The first arrived in our office on January 9^th and at least once a week a king cake will appear in the break room kitchen until Mardi Gras day. My personal favorite comes from Cochon Butcher because it is not only delicious but also just the right size for me. It is meant to serve two but really it is more of a personal size king cake. All king cakes have a baby or a bean hidden inside but the Cochon king cake has a little pigpy peaking out. I love that little pig and I think I buy the cake more for the pig than anything else.

I found this amazing picture online from Rachel’s Photo Blog.

This little piggy went to Mardi Gras!

Mardi Gras, for locals, means open house. Anyone who lives anywhere near the parade route will have their doors open for friends and family to stop in to refresh drinks, eat and relax before heading out into the madness again. In the kitchen there is almost always a pot of gumbo, red beans and rice, and fried chicken. This is standard Mardi Gras fare. But Mardi Gras is also a city wide potluck. Everyone is cooking something to bring somewhere. No one would dare to show up at your house without food and drink. You never end up with a set menu; your counter top may be filled with chips and dips, pulled pork, lasagna, fried chicken, or a filet of beef and of course king cakes of all shapes, sizes and flavors.

I may just go buy a king cake with a little piggy in it today just to get in the Mardi Gras mood. Laissez les bon temps rouler!

http://www.mardigrasparadeschedule.com/

The holidays bring friends and family together. It is both a wonderful and hectic time of year for me. Between decorating the tree and the house, cooking holiday meals and entertaining friends and family, I am not left with a lot of time for shopping for gifts. I dislike going to the mall and don’t trust that online purchases will arrive in enough time. This is why I usually make gifts for friends, family and coworkers.

Homemade gifts always seem just a tad more personal. It says to me that someone spent that extra moment creating something just for me. For the past three or four years I have made homemade lemoncello. This year I made both lemoncello and orangecello.

Lemoncello and orangecello are made using the rind of lemons and oranges respectively. The rind is full of essential oils which are extracted using a high octane alcohol such as vodka or Everclear.  The process for making the liquor is simple but you must be meticulous. I zest the rind of the citrus using a fine grater, such as a Microplane.You must be very careful not to zest any of the pith which can make your liquor bitter. I place the zest and any residual oils in a one quart ball jar and then top it off with alcohol. I use a whole liter and close the lid tightly. The jar is then placed in a cool dark place for at least five days and up to two weeks. Slowly but surely all of the essential oils will be released and the zest will turn almost white. Then I make a simple syrup which I set aside to cool for at least a day. The zest is strained from the alcohol and the alcohol is combined with the simple syrup. At this point, I usually bottle the liquor and set it aside for the next one or two months. Voila! Christmas arrives and all I need to do  is make gift tags for my liquor and hand them out.

This is such a simple gift yet everyone, including me, loves it. People start asking me around October if I am making a new batch. The great thing is that people will often return the original bottle for a refill, making my job that much easier.   I gave out about 20 bottles this year and unfortunately didn’t save any for myself so I may just have to make another batch or two.

Only in New Orleans or France!

Reveillon comes from the French word reveiller which means to wake up.  Here in New Orleans it roughly translates to a holiday celebration. Reveillon dinners are held on Christmas Eve after midnight mass or New Years Eve and have been a tradition in New Orleans since the French first came and settled here. In true New Orleans style reveillon dinners are held during the entire month of December. Whether it be in people’s homes or at a restaurant the dinners tend to be lavish. Usually several courses of rich, luxurious dishes followed by several courses of dessert and a bouche de noel. It was said that back in New Orleans’ heyday these dinners would last into the wee hours of the morning and sometimes until dawn.

The reveillon tradition had waned somewhat. That is when The French Quarter Festivals Inc organization decided to bring the tradition back. They are hoping to lure locals and tourists alike to the French Quarter to celebrate the holidays. There are over a dozen restaurants participating this year, including Emeril’s and Emeril’s Delmonico. I have included the menu for both restaurants.

I will be attending a reveillon dinner this Friday evening. I am celebrating not only the holidays but also a birthday.

Emeril’s

FIRST COURSE

Turtle Soup “en Croute”

SECOND COURSE

Fricassee of Crawfish with Veal Sweetbreads, Artichokes, and Truffle

THIRD COURSE

Foie Gras-stuffed Mississippi Quail with Warm Lobster Salad and Kumquat Vinaigrette

FOURTH COURSE

Apple Butter Calas with Walnut and Eggnog Anglaise

Emeril’s Delmonico

FIRST COURSE (Choice of)

Creole Charcuterie: Beef Daube Glacé with Andouille Sausage, Housemade Mustard, and Pickled Okra

Or

Winter Green Salad with Savory Rice Calas, Fennel, and Satsuma Vinaigrette

SECOND COURSE (Choice of)

Crab and Mirliton Bisque

Or

Sautéed Frog Legs with Almonds, Capers, and Lemon

THIRD COURSE (Choice of)

Rabbit Fricassee with Caramelized Root Vegetables, Leeks, and Sherry Reduction

Or

Pan Roasted Quail with Oyster Dressing and Mushroom Gravy

FOURTH COURSE

Café Brulot - Crème Brûlée with Chocolate Praline

Spicy stuffed eggs seem to appeal to everyone. Deviled eggs are a classic dish for just about any occasion from bridal showers to holiday parties. The real appeal is that deviled eggs are inexpensive and quick and easy to make. You can also get pretty creative with the stuffing. The title “deviled eggs” probably refers to the classic rendition of this dish which was piquant. There is a long history to deviled eggs that I won’t go into now.

This year I thought it would be fun to make deviled quail’s eggs as an hor d’oeuvres for Thanksgiving. There are not many places in New Orleans to buy quail’s eggs. The only place I have seen them so far is at The Hong Kong Market on the Westbank. I asked a co-worker if she wouldn’t mind stopping in on the way to work to grab a few dozen for me. The eggs come in a ten pack and I only got three. Thirty tiny eggs for twelve people seemed appropriate.

The eggs are so incredibly precious with their dappled shells. In case you don’t know, teeny, tiny, dainty little bites are in high style.

I have never really seen a recipe for deviled quail’s eggs, I have mostly seen them poached or fried. I think I know why, they were incredibly difficult to peel. It just so happened that my cousins and my aunt had come over to help prepare for Thanksgiving and I employed them to peel eggs with me. The problem is that the shell is fairly thick and the shell does not come off easily. It is easy to scar the white. I noticed my cousin Stewart just popping them in his mouth like popcorn. He used the excuse that it wasn’t perfect and therefore he should just eat it. Aaagh! Now we are down to about 20 eggs. Oh well. They are pretty hard to resist.

Once peeled, it’s back to the basics of deviled eggs. Slice the eggs in half, remove the yolk, make the stuffing and the garnish. I decided to make a simple stuffing of just mayonnaise, mustard and salt and pepper. My aunt suggested we garnish them with caviar and crème fraiche but alas I was all out of caviar. Maybe next time. I did have some smoky Spanish pimenton which has just the right amount of spice and smoke to make the eggs feel special in a subtle way.

The deviled eggs were a big hit, maybe because we all knew how much time and love went into them. The next time I make deviled eggs I think I will use a small to medium egg but I will experiment with different stuffing. There are so many ways to go with this, crabmeat and tarragon, shrimp, herbs, roasted red peppers, sour cream and chives, and of course caviar and crème fraiche.

In case you are looking for a recipe, Chef Emeril has several inventive recipes that you should try.

Caramelized Salmon Deviled Eggs

Crabmeat Deviled Eggs

Emeril’s Deviled Eggs

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Egg yolks

Leslie and Barbara Peeling Eggs

Peeling eggs

Aunt Barbara piping the stuffing into the eggs.

The finished product

Egg whites

I am thoroughly exhausted from Thanksgiving this year. I think I may have over done it a bit. It was worth it. The meal was fabulous and there was not a ton of food leftover, which means everyone enjoyed themselves. The one thing I am always sure to have enough of is turkey so that I can make gumbo. Making gumbo after Thanksgiving is a huge tradition in New Orleans and most of southern Louisiana.  

I make a fairly conventional turkey gumbo with the addition of greens. I adore greens of all kinds but especially kale. It is growing like crazy in my garden this year. I always serve some sort of greens at Thanksgiving and I love to throw the leftover greens in my gumbo. It makes me feel healthy and I think it tastes great. I don’t use a recipe when I make gumbo because I just like to wing it. But I have included Emeril’s recipe for a gumbo that is similar to the one I make.

Smoked Turkey and Collard Green Gumbo

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, Courtesy Martha Stewart Omnimedia, Inc.

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups small diced onions
• 3/4 cup small diced celery
• 3/4 cup small diced green, red, and/or yellow bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 (12-ounce) bottle stout beer (recommended: Abita Turbo Dog)
• 8 cups dark chicken stock, chicken stock, or water
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 pounds smoked turkey legs
• 1 pound collard greens, stemmed and roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• Steamed white rice, for serving

Directions

Heat a 6-quart wide-mouthed Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the flour and oil to the pan and stir to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, until the flour mixture is a deep chocolate brown color, about 20 minutes. Add the onions, celery and peppers to the roux and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic, stir, and cook for 1 minute. Add the beer to the roux, stir, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the stock, thyme, bay leaves, 2 teaspoons of Essence, salt, and cayenne to the pan. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the turkey legs to the pan. Cook until the turkey legs are falling-from-the-bone-tender, about 3 hours.

Remove the turkey from the pot and transfer to a plate to cool. Add the collard greens to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 1 hour. When the turkey is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and tear into bite-size pieces. Discard the skin and bones. Return the turkey meat to the gumbo. Taste the gumbo, reseason if necessary, and add the green onions and parsley to the pot. Serve with steamed white rice.

Emeril’s ESSENCE Creole Seasoning

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup

Recipe from “New New Orleans Cooking”, by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, published by William Morrow, 1993.