Slow cooking is perfect for the winter weather. When the temperatures are dipping down below freezing I suddenly don’t feel like doing much. This is great weather for hunkering down and cooking up some hearty dishes like Pozole, Chuck Wagon Chili or even an Italian meatball soup with Swiss chard and pasta. Here in the test kitchen we have pulled out the crock pot and the Dutch oven and it feels like things are warming up. There is nothing more comforting than Bouef Bourguignon or a Lentil Stew chock full of root vegetables on a cold winter day. The aroma of bacon and onions wafts through the hallways of our office. People peek their heads in the door to see what we are up to. It seems to lift everyone’s spirits. If you are feeling like the winter blues are setting in just pull out your pots and pans and dust off your crock pot, get in the kitchen and get cooking.

Extinction - ”3: the process of eliminating or reducing a conditioned response by not reinforcing it. ”

 

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Picture 1 from 8: New Orleans Po-Boy Preservation Festival.

Why is it so important to preserve something on the brink of extinction? This may seem like a rhetorical question, but I’m sure that as many of you run the possibilities through your mind, there are plenty of answers out there filled with great conviction and spirit. Read more »

 

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Last week, I got an unexpected yearning for French Macarons. I began to obsess over the lovely, hamburger-shaped cookie that comes in a variety of brilliant colors and flavors. I Googled them and scanned through a wide array of images, as thoughts of urgently devouring them ran through my mind; biting into that delicate shell, through the soft meringue, plunging into a creamy filling and coming together in a chewy mound. Yum.

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The pomegranate is by far one of my most adored fruits. I discovered pomegranates at an early age, though I do not exactly remember how. But I do remember bringing them to school in my lunch bag, much to the chagrin of the nuns. By the time lunch was over I was bespeckled with a purplish juice which always stained my uniform. Eventually, I was banned from bringing them to school.

From the outside, the pomegranate seems formidable. Their thick skin has a deep red tone and when the fruit is fully ripe it should feel heavy. When you cut into a pomegranate you will discover beautiful ruby red seeds. This is the edible part of the fruit. The yellow membrane surrounding the seeds is inedible and if you have ever eaten it by accident you will know it is quite astringent. For me, part of the fun of the pomegranate is breaking open the fruit and removing the seeds. Sometimes, I just cannot wait and bite right in but that is when things get really messy. The juice from the pomegranate seeds is a deep red but will turn purple on your clothes and will stain anything it comes into contact with. I usually try to control myself and remove all of the seeds from the fruit, placing them in a bowl and then eat them with a spoon.

Pomegranates have become hugely popular and are grown commercially in California. Their juice is praised for being rich in antioxidants, packed with vitamin C, folic acid, fiber, niacin, potassium and vitamin E. It seems there are numerous pomegranate products out there these days. The juice is readily available at most grocery stores, there is pomegranate sorbet in health food stores as well as jams and syrups and pomegranate molasses a staple in many middle eastern cuisines as well as a staple in my pantry.

One of the things I love about the pomegranate fruit is that it is only available in the fall, you cannot get them all year round. They never loose their novelty the way strawberries and raspberries have. You have to wait, which is probably why I gorge myself on their delicate seeds for several months of the year. I know I will not get to eat them again for another year.

Pomegranates will be incorporated into my Thanksgiving dinner this year. I am going to make a salad of garden lettuces (just harvested yesterday), poached pears, pomegranate seeds, and spiced walnuts with a pomegranate vinaigrette. Hopefully, it will be a hit.

Last week I received a care package of garlic from a small farm in New Hampshire. The package contained about a dozen heads of beautiful garlic as well as a bottle of vinegar infused with maple and garlic and some dried herbs from the farm.

“Gaaahlic” as Chef Emeril likes to say is a favored ingredient here at Homebase, we always have it on hand.

Garlic is part of the allium family, a close relative of onions, chives and shallots. Garlic has been cultivated world wide for thousands of years and according to what I have read it is difficult to pin point its country of origin, perhaps Siberia or Central Asia.

Historically, garlic has been used both as a seasoning and for medicinal purposes. It seems to me that garlic should be classified with some of the other superfoods. It is a fundamental ingredient in many Asian, Italian, Latin American, and the Middle East. Most commonly only the bulb is used but the flowers and the young greens from garlic are edible as well. Garlic flowers closely resemble chive blossoms and make a beautiful garnish. I like to add them to Leek and Potato Soup or Creamy Garlic Soup. I doubt you will ever see garlic scapes(the young green stem of a hard neck garlic) in your local grocery store but if you are at your local farmer’s market and happen to see them, by all means pick them up. They are tender and delicious and milder than the actual clove. You can use them in a stir fry, omelets and even to make a pesto like sauce. They are elusive though and make only a brief appearance generally in the spring.

Here, I make a quick disclaimer: I am not a doctor or a nutritionist- I am a chef. But it is said that garlic has medicinal properties. It is said that garlic has anti-microbial properties and during the Middle Ages it was used to ward off the plague. Today, it is thought that regular garlic consumption is beneficial to the heart by lowering cholesterol and blood pressure. Garlic is a good source of vitamin B6, C and selenium and magnesium and has anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. If for some reason you cannot stand the taste of garlic but would like to reap its benefits most health food stores sell it in the form of a concentrated capsule in the vitamin section.

Lucky for me, I love garlic. I use it regularly in the kitchen. I planted it in my fall garden with big expectations for garlic scapes and garlic flowers this spring. I am so excited to use the garlic sent in this care package. It is quite beautiful and looks a bit different from the garlic I am accustomed to getting at my local grocery store. Thank you Ms. Grasso from Abbey Farm in New Hampshire for the lovely gift.

It seems as though there is a citrus tree in every garden in New Orleans. I have planted a veritable orchard in my garden, everything from satsumas and tangerines to Meyer lemons and Key limes. My trees are still small but still produce a decent harvest. But walking around the city I have noticed some of the older citrus trees are heavy with fruit; laden with enormous grapefruits, satsumas and my favorite of them all Meyer lemons.

Strolling through my neighborhood one recent afternoon there were some kids with a stand set up. Rather than a lemonade stand they were just giving away Meyer lemons to anyone walking by. Of course, I felt obliged to take a few off their hands.

Meyer lemons are a cross between a lemon and a sweet orange and are natives of China, originally grown as ornamentals. I think they are primarily ornamentals in the New Orleans garden as well. They grow vigorously in temperate climates and can become up to twelve feet tall, but can be pruned back to remain a reasonable height in a small garden. The fruit is more round than a true lemon and the flesh has a slight orange tinge. Meyer lemons tend to be more sweet than sour and have a slight orange aroma, they are also packed with juice.

You can substitute Meyer lemons for regular lemons in just about any recipe. To me they have a more pronounced lemon flavor without being as acidic. I have big plans for the Meyer lemon this year. First I plan to make homemade Lemoncello for Christmas gifts for my family and friends. We made Orangecello in the test kitchen this summer and it was so amazingly easy I thought it would be fun to make for the holidays. In a few weeks I am co-hosting a bridal shower and am responsible for dessert so I think my contribution will be Meyer lemon tartlets. Lemon curd is so versatile; you can make tarts, serve it with scones or biscuits for breakfast or use it as a filling for cakes. It holds up well in the refrigerator as well, up to two weeks. I also think I may make lemon ice for Thanksgiving. Yes, I know that sounds odd but after a big meal I personally like to have a light and refreshing dessert.

Hopefully, my little trees will provide me with enough lemons for all of my endeavors but if not I will just stroll around New Orleans looking for trees bulging with fruit and hope the owner is willing to share.

I was recently asked the difference between regular oregano and Mexican oregano, so I decided to do a little investigating. I happen to love oregano, I have several varieties growing in my garden. I often use Mexican oregano but just figured it was a cousin of Mediterranean oregano.

Mediterranean oregano is a commonly used herb in Greek, Italian and Spanish cuisine. It grows wildly in the crags and hilly mountain sides throughout southern Europe. It has a strong, bold flavor that borders on bitter. If you have ever tasted the raw herb on its own you know that it is powerful because it can make your tongue feel numb. We are pretty familiar with oregano whether we know it or not. It is an essential herb in pasta and pizza sauces. It pairs perfectly with garlic and is often used in marinades and salad dressings. I like to use it with lemon and olive oil and a little crushed red pepper to make a simple marinade for grilled shrimp. Dried oregano is generally Greek oregano but there is also Turkish oregano and Italian oregano. The Italian variety often includes the flower buds which are slightly sweeter and more mild than the Turkish and Greek varieties. So what is the deal with Mexican oregano. Well as it turns out it is not even the same plant.

Mexican oregano is more closely related to Lemon Verbena. It has a similar flavor to oregano but it is slightly stronger with more spicy notes than sweet notes. It does have a slight citrus note as well. It is a fundamental herb in the Southwestern, Mexican and Central American pantry and is commonly used to flavor pozole, beans, chilies and stews. It pairs well with cumin and coriander. Season enchilada sauce, mole and Texas chilies with this herb to add brightness and flavor.

Mexican oregano can be found in Latin American grocery stores or in the Latin American section of your local market. There are also several reputable sources on line.

www.ranchogordo.com

www.SpiceHouse.com

www.Penzeys.com

How do you follow a pizza crawl? For many, a salad and a triathlon might be appropriate, but for the some Emeril’s and Martha Stewart Living editors, you follow a pizza crawl with a Pizza Cook-Off. Previous cooking contests include a Chili Cook-Off and a Taco Cook-Off–the events are similar to a potluck, except a theme is assigned in the invite, and guests are invited to compete with the dishes they bring. The competition has gotten quite fierce at these parties, with the contestants putting more and more effort and creativity into their dishes.

The Pizza Cook-Off entries:

Mallory Cruz entered a White Clam Pizza, inspired by the Vognole pizza, served at Otto. Mal’s version included a homemade pizza crust topped with a creamy garlic sauce, mozzarella cheese, roasted garlic, and clams sauteed in white wine, garlic, and olive oil.

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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 »

 

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You’ve heard all of the hype of cooking with seasonal and local ingredients. And there are reasons for it: it’s healthier, eco-friendly and it reconnects people with, not only their food and planet, but each other. I like to cook; otherwise, I wouldn’t be doing what I do. And I only want to offer myself and others the best – needless to say, I’m a believer. Read more »