Halloween is huge in New Orleans and why not. This city just loves a good costume party. And of course we can’t have a party without food. There is a big block party in my neighborhood which generally means guests milling in and out all night. So I want to cook something that does not require much last minute work and that will hold well. It might actually be cool here so I would also like something to warm up my guests when they come in from the cold.

I also have a plethora of limes. I have a key lime tree in my yard that is over loaded with limes- I mean hundreds of them. I cannot use them fast enough. Seems to me a big batch of Margaritas or Mojitos are definitely in order as well.

I will probably whip up a batch of jalapeño corn bread too.

This pozole recipe is delicious and you do not have to worry about soaking the hominy. You can check out some of Emeril’s other pozole recipes on our website or on The Food Network. Read more »

Yesterday Chef Chris Wilson was in Jackson, Mississippi for the Viking Classic Golf Tournament. He was among many chefs from all over the South asked to participate in this event. Chef Chris prepared a classic Southern dish “Shrimp and Grits” as such, I thought it would be interesting to find out a little history behind this dish and this is what I discovered.

HISTORY OF SHRIMP AND GRITS

• Shrimp and Grits originated in South Carolina, particularly Charleston
• It is thought the settlers of South Carolina were introduced to a version of grits by the Native Americans.
• This simple dish was eaten by local fisherman for breakfast and was often referred to as “Breakfast Shrimp”
• Shrimp and Grits were traditionally made with river shrimp and old fashioned stone ground grits fresh from the mill flavored simply with just a little bacon fat.
• Most communities in South Carolina had a grist mill where hominy was ground. Grits have become an iconic symbol of Southern food and stone ground grits are a must for this dish.
• In 1985, Craig Claiborne published an article about this dish in the New York Times turning this simple recipe into a Southern icon. Chefs across the South began creating their own upscale versions. Soon Shrimp and Grits began to appear on dinner menus in the South’s most celebrated restaurants.
• Today, rather than flavoring the grits humbly with bacon fat, they are flavored with cream, butter, spices and good shrimp stock and have been embellished with spicy andouille sausage, hot sauces, and green onions. Every chef seems to have their own version. There is even a festival dedicated in its honor celebrating every possible rendition of the now hugely popular dish.

It has been quite a while since my last post. The culinary team has had a crazy year here at Homebase and this is the first real break we have had. So I will give you the low down on what we have been doing. First of all I am happy to say that Emeril’s 20-40-60 book hit the shelves this week. This is such a great book geared to those of us who love food but don’t always have time to spend the whole day in the kitchen. We have also spent this year working on Emeril Green, Chef Emeril’s show on Planet Green. This show ties in closely with Emeril’s third book Farm to Fork. Both of these projects have been close to my heart bringing together my dedication to ecological issues as well as my passion for fresh, local and sustainable cuisine. Farm to Fork will be out next March!

I am looking forward to writing about the farmer’s markets in and around New Orleans as well as my own little garden. As well as providing a little insight as far as what goes on in our test kitchen in New Orleans.

What is Mayhaw you ask? Mayhaw is a fruit that comes from the May Hawthorn tree, found in swamps and low-lying, generally, wet areas of the Southeastern United States. The May Hawthorne begins to ripen in late February and early March; the blossoms are quite pretty and remind me of cherry blossoms. The fruit, which looks something like a cross between a crab apple and a rosehip, ripens in late April and May.

Wild Mayhaw fruit is harvested using boats or what we call pirogues; the limbs of the trees are shaken and the fruit is then gathered in nets. Mayhaw has been harvested for generations by those lucky enough to have the sweet fruit nearby. But the wild trees have dwindled due to development.

Mayhaw has a slightly tannic quality to it. It’s flavor reminds me of rose hips or quince, which makes sense since the May Hawthorne tree is a cousin of the rose. The fruit is processed and made into jams, jellies, syrups, pie fillings, sorbet and even Mayhaw wine. Mayhaw is unique and distinct to this region of the South. It is something I grew up eating on toast for breakfast when I would visit my great aunts in Tensas parish. It brings back fond memories and every year I look forward to May. Mayhaw products are often sold at farmstands along the side of the road in areas where the trees grow. There are a few farmers who sell their products online.

The town of Marion, Louisiana hosts its annual Mayhaw Festival this Mother’s Day weekend on May 10. There will be games, food and of course a Mayhaw jelly making contest.

Easter Sunday is just a few days away. Easter is not only a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus but also a celebration of spring. The most common symbol associated with Easter is the Easter egg. It is thought the Easter egg was originally a pagan symbol associated with fertility and new life and therefore with spring, a time of rebirth and renewal. Eggs may also be symbolic because they were forbidden during lent and therefore celebrated on Easter Sunday. Read more »

The Irish Channel located in Uptown New Orleans was a mostly working class neighborhood originally settled by Irish immigrants in the early 19th century. Irish peasants fleeing the Potato Famine disembarked at the port in New Orleans. Most of the immigrants had little or no money and could not afford to explore the city, so they just settled at their point of disembarkation. They could easily find jobs working in the industries along the river, such as the port, slaughterhouses, cotton presses and sugar refineries. The Irish built simple cottages, now referred to as “shotguns”, along the river and its surrounding area. As they settled in, they opened markets, saloons and bars, some of which still exist today, including Parasol’s the starting point for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Mardi Gras has come to an end but that doesn’t mean things are winding down here in New Orleans, no way. The month of March has many festivals and celebrations to get geared up for. The O’Brian’s, McDaniels and O’Neils along with the rest of us are preparing for the next big holiday, St. Patrick’s Day. We will use any excuse here to have a parade or throw an enormous block party and St. Patrick’s Day is one of our favorite days, so much so we usually celebrate it for several days. Parasol’s Irish Bar located in the Irish Channel is host to the Annual St. Patrick’s Day Block Party, green beer and Guiness flows liberally. Tuxedoed men in marching parades hand out green flowers to women in hopes of getting a kiss.

Mardi Gras-like floats themed for St. Patrick’s Day with leprechauns and pots of gold, lumber down Magazine Street. From a distance it is an odd site to see. You squint just to be sure and then as the float comes closer you realize that they are in fact tossing cabbages, carrots, onions and potatoes along with the traditional beads, doubloons and green paper flowers. That’s right ladies and gentlemen you might just catch a flying cabbage.

If you are having your own St. Patrick’s Day party try a few of these Irish recipes:

IRISH SODA BREAD
POTATO SOUP WITH SMOKED SALMON RELISH
BRAISED CABBAGE WITH CORN BEEF HASH
SHEPHERD’S PIE WITH GARLIC MASHED POTATOES
EMERIL’S ALE
BALLYMALOE IRISH STEW
APPLE OATMEAL CRISP WITH IRISH WHISKEY CREAM

Shamrocks or clovers are a symbol of Ireland and a common motif used for anything Irish especially, St. Patricks Day. The clover is used informally as the badge of Ireland. It is also believed that St. Patrick used the clover in his missionary work to teach the Holy Trinity; the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.

In Irish mythology, Leprechauns are a type of male fairy who take the form of a diminutive old man. They are thought to be mischievous and cunning and enjoy their wealth, storing their treasure crocks of gold. Legeng holds that if you can keep a leprechaun captive you can keep his crock of gold. However, if you do not keep your eye on a leprechaun, he’ll disappear.

Shades of green are customarily worn on St. Patrick’s Day in the United States and Ireland. The shades of green represent the “Emerald Isle” for its lush, emerald colored vegetation. Green is the national color of Ireland and on St. Patrick’s Day cities with large Irish populations like Chicago have been known to go to great lengths to dye the streets and even the Chicago River green.

St. Patrick

St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland despite the fact that he was Scottish, not Irish.
At age 16, he was taken to Ireland as a slave. He was sent to the mountains to be a shepherd. He spent this time reflecting and praying. Six years later he escaped. Over the next several years he pursued spiritual studies throughout Europe. He returned to Ireland as a Christian missionary and set about converting the pagans. According to legend, St. Patrick is said to have driven all the snakes from the isle and he is often depicted with a staff in his hand driving off the serpents. St. Patrick is probably the most well known figure in Christianity.

St. Patrick’s Day was first celebrated in the United States in Boston but the first St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in New York City in 1766. The parade in New York was a show of strength and patriotism for the Irish who often suffered racial prejudice and persecution for their religious beliefs. On St. Patrick’s Day the Irish were at liberty to celebrate their culture.

St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner and here in New Orleans we’ll celebrate for days. This year St. Paddy’s day is on Monday so we have all weekend. There will be several parades in New Orleans this weekend; to start off there is the annual St. Patrick’s Parade in the French Quarter on Friday evening. The Irish Channel Parade rolls down Magazine Street on Saturday and if that’s not enough, there is the Maetairie Road parade on Sunday in Old Metairie. Officially St. Patrick’s Day is on Monday, March 17 and more festivities will be held for the Downtown Irish Club Parade.

Since lent is obviously not the time for eating lavish meals, simple dishes and foods are predominant.

The Pretzel - You may think of the pretzel as just another snack food; it also happens to be the classical Lenten bread. Traditionally, pretzels were made from just flour, water and salt at the time fat, eggs and milk were forbidden during lent. The bread was shaped in the form of two arms crossed in prayer to remind us that lent is a time of penitence. The breads were called “little arms” or bracellae in Latin and brezel in German and today we have pretzel. Pretzels were sold on the street by vendors and were often used as a garnish for beer soup and were sometimes given to the poor.

Soup - Soup was a main staple during the Lenten season due to it’s ease of preparation and often simple ingredients. In Poland, a simple vegetable soup or split pea soup was the mainstay. In Germany and Austria beer soup garnished with pretzels was a common Lenten dish.

Hot Cross Buns - Hot Cross Buns are sweet, spiced buns often made with dried fruits, usually currants; they are traditionally eaten on Good Friday. The name originates from the cross piped in icing on the top of the bun. The cross symbolizes the crucifixion of Jesus. Hot Cross Buns are closely associated with England. One legend suggests that an Anglican monk, in the 12th century, piped a cross on the buns to honor Good Friday. He then distributed the buns to the poor as well as the pagans as a means to spread the ministry. Buns have pagan roots and were used to celebrate spring festivals and the cross represented the four quarters of the moon. The buns were easily adapted for Christian use.

If you are participating in the Lenten season, here are a few recipes you might want to try. We have included the traditional Lenten foods as well as a few simple fish dishes.

Old Fashioned Pretzels
Hot Cross Buns
Potato Leek Soup
Turnip Soup with Crispy Crunchy Ham and Cornbread Croutons
Cornmeal Crusted Redfish
Panfried Catfish with Lemon and Garlic