Shrimp Etouffee

I'm due for a recipe, so how about the shrimp etouffee that I'm making at the cafe this week. When I lived in New Orleans, I cared for Auntie Young, who in turn cared for me. I cared for her as she aged and became feeble, and she cared for me because A strong wind could have knocked me over (it was my marathoning years). Every afternoon I would go over to see her and she would inevitably have some pot of Cajun food waiting for me. It was always good.

This week I've been serving Muffaletta sandwiches and shrimp etouffee. Its a simple but tasty dish that's actually not bad for you. So, let's make a roux!

Tant por tant flour and olive oil (1/2 cup of each)

Bring it to a boil and make your roux. Once it starts bubbling, turn it to Med-Low.

Notice the color. Its a pale beige-ish color right now. Leave it on Med-Low while you prep your vegetables.

Start with 2 Vidalias, 2 Bell Peppers, 3-4 stalks of Celery, a good handful of Italian parsley, 3-4 cloves of garlic, 2 Bay Leaves, and a bit of Thyme. Cut 'em up!

Now, let's look at that roux.

See how its a dark peanut butter color? That's what we're going for. It took me around 25 minutes to get there. You'll stir occasionally throughout the darkening process. This process cooks the flour and darkens the oil.

Add your stuff.

Stir.

Mmmmm...doesn't that look appetizing - as appetizing as baby diarrhea. But wait!

Add 20 oz of fish stock, clam juice or if you're a bum, vegetable stock. Then 1 C. of white wine and I add a bit of hot sauce at this point. Bring it to a low boil and cook it until it gets to a consistency that looks good to you. It won't be thick and gloppy. It should be almost stewlike. About 10-15 minutes before you're ready to serve, salt and pepper to taste, add the shrimp, and make your white rice. Serve with extra hot sauce for your guests and a good loaf of French bread! Enjoy.

Tooth Rot

I'm bored with breakfast. Cereal - blah. Toast - blah blah. Eggs - ho hum. So today I went on a mission into our store. We sell Soreen, which was a customer request. It bills itself as a malt fruit loaf. Its the oddest texture of any marketed food that I am aware. Think gummy bears with yeast. It just coats your teeth and mouth and you can't get it out no matter what you do, so you might as well work toward swallowing it. So I did. I grilled a couple of slices on my cafe panini press, a dollop of butter, and you know what...its good! The crispness from the grill, with the gooeyness was a nice combination. It still gunked my teeth, but it was worth it. I ate a whole loaf. Now we'll see what happens on the other end :(

Pop quiz

Anybody know what this means:

I'll send the first correct answer something really fun (unless you live in the Philippines!)

What I've Learned

Here are a few things I've learned (or re-learned, or re-emphasized) since working in the cafe:
1. Wet towels conduct heat - Don't pick up a hot pan with a wet towel.
2. A little gifted dessert at the end of the meal buys huge loyalty.
3. Keep it simple. Less than 10% of customers will buy things that aren't normal fare.
4. Selling a croissant that takes two days to make for $1.75 is surely a mortal sin.
5. A chiropractor has far greater value than a sous chef in a tall person's kitchen.

Green Chile Dinner

I'm planning a tasting menu for the Hatch Green Chile Festival coming up in a few weeks. A number of eGulleters are coming in for the event, and I'll invite a few local foodies. I'm in full gear with menu planning and thought I would share my initial thoughts here.

• Gelatin clarified green apple/green chile slurpee
• Aromatic roasted chiles with tempura fried tuna, blueberry, Mennonite cheese
• Sushi with green chile nori
• Sweet corn panna cotta in piñon orb with cotton candy
• Some entree to be determined - I'm leaning toward sous vide pork loin, smoked in green chile skins
• Green chile cornbread with Asadero
• Lemon Rosemary Creme Brulé
• Sweet corn tamale with sage ice cream
• Green chile pate fruit

This is just a working list and may grow or shrink, and will certainly change. Any feedback?

Run Chicken Run!

A few nights ago we had dinner at Janey & Suzi's house. A house awash in chickens and pugs.


The night started with some crab dip and great wines brought by new friends, Alysha and John. They have a friend back in California who is a wine makers wine maker, and who gifted them with these great selections.

Next it was off to the room of dead animals and vaginas for dinner! Some great rolls bought at our co-op, greens and two styles of pork loin topped with local apricots cooked down to buttery goodness.

We finished with a dessert that I had made - sour cherries, some granny smith apples, a hint of vanilla sugar, topped with lady finger tips, turbinado and whole almonds. Baked at 350F for about 30 minutes and served with ice cream. Very good and super fast.

Darwinism at its best

This is my newest peanut butter cookie. The original one that I had been selling was based on Ong's recipe, but this is based on Amernick's. A very good evolution. Amernick's texture is far superior, but Ong's salt and nuts were his cookie's strengths. So welcome super cookie!