Making Roux with the High Priestess of the Bayou

It’s hard to make any authentic New Orleans dish without starting with a roux base, but cooking a proper roux is one of the most difficult skills to master. So I jumped at the chance to attend a class on cooking roux from the High Priestess of the Bayou, aka Janice Bourgeois “Boo” Macomber.

The High Priestess, "Boo" Macomber

And why was she teaching this class? Because she just published a book, of course! The High Priestess also teaches cooking classes throughout Louisiana, and this class was sponsored by the Southern Food & Beverage Museum. That was enough culinary credibility for me. More importantly, she was taught to cook in the traditional Cajun way by her mother and grandmother.

This is what a blonde roux looks like.

Here are a few of the roux-making secrets I learned from the High Priestess. How long do you cook the roux? For three beers. When a teetotaler asked for clarification, she advised 45 minutes over medium heat and 15 minutes over high heat. But, she warned, you should never attempt to cook a roux over high heat unless you are a born and bred Cajun. What do you do with roux? Turns out that roux is for much more than just gumbo. It can be used as the basis for red beans & rice, dirty rice, jambalaya, and many other popular dishes. 

Lined up for a taste of the High Priestess' cooking.

According to the High Priestess, this is the proper way to cook a roux.

Ingredients

Holy Trinity (3 onions, 4-5 celery stalks, and 1 bell pepper, chopped)

Resurrection (the addition of 3-4 minced garlic cloves to the Holy Trinity)

Trifecta (Worcestershire sauce, salt, and cayenne pepper)


Preparation

  

1.       Start with a large saucepan and warm it over medium heat. Add 3/4 cup vegetable oil and 1 cup flour and begin stirring. Do not use butter or olive oil.

2.       Open your first beer and turn on some music.

3.       Keep stirring. It should be bubbling but not burning.

4.       Open your second beer. Your roux should have some color. This stage is called a blonde roux.

5.       Keep stirring.

6.       Open your third beer. When your roux turns the color of peanut butter, throw in one chopped onion. The onion will cool down the roux, and the caramelizing of the onion will keep the roux from burning.

7.       Add the rest of the onion.

8.       Add the rest of the Holy Trinity (or Resurrection, if you prefer).

9.        Season with the Trifecta to taste.

     10.   You’re done! Open another beer and celebrate.

Jambalaya made with the High Priestess' roux.

We are leaving New Orleans soon, so my first attempt at roux will be in California. But as long as I cook it while drinking Abita and listening to zydeco, my roux should be a success.

Me & Kermit

A New Orleans native who grew up in the music-rich Treme district, Kermit Ruffins is a famous jazz trumpeter, newly minted restaurateur, and sometimes actor (primarily playing himself). He has a standing gig with his BBQ Swingers at Vaughan's Lounge--a dive bar on Lesseps Street in the Bywater neighborhood. This is no ordinary bar.You have to buzz first, and then they let you in.  

Vaughan's Lounge--a legendary neighborhood New Orleans bar.

Vaughan's is a simple set-up with two levels: the first level consists of a dance floor with a few tables, a jukebox playing rock n’ roll hits from the 50s & 60s, and a cigarette machine. A few stairs up, the second level has a bar which serves cheap beers and cocktails in plastic cups.

A dog-friendly bar! Actually, not a rare sight in New Orleans.

Kermit was the first in his band to arrive, and we recognized him right away. He helped himself to one of the Bud Lights in the ice bucket and set up his iPod to start playing tunes—Elton John’s "Benny and the Jets," Jay Z’s "Empire State of Mind," and Frank Sinatra's "Fly Me to the Moon" were just a few of the selections on his eclectic playlist.

Waiting for the band to begin...

 We decided to approach him for a picture, and he very graciously obliged.

Where can you get a hat like Kermit's? Just buy it here.

Emboldened, we took the opportunity to pepper him with a few burning questions. Which jazz trumpeters does he admire? Freddie Hubbard and Lee Morgan. What made Louis Armstrong one of the greatest trumpeters of all time? He could hit a higher octave on his trumpet than any other trumpeter before or since. Why Bud Light? He can drink it throughout the set and never worry about getting drunk. Who's doing the cooking at his new club in the Treme? Kermit does the cooking, and his meat is sourced from his friend’s freezer full of game meat. Last week he cooked up raccoon and he encouraged us to stop by on Sunday for his sea turtle soup.

Kermit doesn't just play the trumpet, he also sings.

The band started out with some crowd favorites like "The Sunny Side of the Street," but gradually the tempo picked up, the drinks loosened everyone’s inhibitions, and the dance floor got crowded. Here's Kermit and the BBQ Swingers performing "Swing Your Booty All Night Long," which really got everyone moving.

If you want to see Kermit, and you really should, you can catch him on Sundays cooking and blowing at his own place, Kermit's Treme Speakeasy, on Tuesdays at Bullets, and on Thursdays at Vaughan's.

Louisiana Junk Food--Sweets, Part 2

Uncle Al’s Stage Planks and Lemon Planks

Waiting in line at the corner grocery store, I got into a conversation with the guy behind me. He pointed out the Stage Planks next to the register and fell into a reverie of how his grandmother would serve him Stage Planks and a cola every day after school. So I grabbed a pack of the Stage Planks and Lemon Planks when I checked out. These cookies have a long history in the Louisiana area but are getting harder and harder to find.

Beware--Planks are addictive. The Stage Planks are similar to a thin ginger or spice cookie, but even crispier. The Lemon Planks are similarly crisp but more like a sugar cookie, and the lemon flavor seems to emanate from the frosting. 

These taste like spice cookies

and these taste like sugar cookies with lemon frosting

Le Jeune Bakery’s Original Old Fashion Ginger Cake

Five generations of Le Jeune’s have been baking Ginger Cake and French Bread (their only two products) since 1884, and they continue to use original recipes developed in the 19th century. But sometimes change is good, and perhaps the LeJeune clan should take this to heart. The Ginger Cake is dry and not very gingery in flavor. It tastes like something you would pack for a long and arduous journey. 

Meh

Cajun Brand Sweet Dough Tart, Pineapple Flavor

This sweet is also known as Cajun Pie, and is particular to the Cajun area of Louisiana. Cajun Pie/Sweet Dough Tart is a well-loved treat in Cajun Country. Cajun Brand uses a recipe that is more than a century old, and like the Ginger Cake, its age is showing. It’s available in a number of flavors, from sweet potato to blackberry to coconut. Pineapple was the only variety left at the counter of Billy & Ray’s Boudin Shop where I picked up mine, which speaks to the popularity of Cajun Pie. This pie/tart doesn't resemble the flaky pastry one would normally expect. The filling was a bit dry and the ratio of filling to dough led to a very cakey product. But this may be due to the fact that the Sweet Dough Tart sat on our counter for a week before I tried it... I will give the Cajuns the benefit of the doubt and accept that this is more of an acquired taste.

Probably better when it hasn't been sitting around for a week and any other flavor besides pineapple.

Southern Sweet Potato Pie Company Ooey Gooey Cake

This cake is comprised of three layers—1) a dense bottom layer with a nice crumb and lightly sweet; 2) the ooey gooey layer whose consistency is just as advertised and is incredibly sweet; and 3) a crunchy sugary top. Even for me, this was too sweet. Half a piece is plenty and will still send you into a diabetic coma. Mayor Bloomberg would most certainly ban Ooey Gooey Cake.

Should come with a warning label.

The verdict--a big thumbs up to both Ooey Gooey Cake and Planks. It's a good thing we're heading back to California soon: all of this wonderful local junk food is affecting my waistline.

Louisiana Junk Food--Sweets, Part 1

We’ve eaten at more great restaurants in New Orleans than I can count. But I’ve also been scouring supermarkets, corner gas station convenience stores, and everything in between for Louisiana junk food. Why? Because in the end, junk food is a more accurate reflection of culture than the restaurant food that wins awards. But if there was a Lifetime Achievement Award for Best Junk Food in New Orleans (Sweets Category), Hubig’s Pies would crush all competitors.

So many pie flavors, so little time...

My experience with pre-packaged, portable pies has been limited to Hostess Fruit Pies. So you’ll understand why my expectations were low when I took my first bite of a Hubig’s peach pie. Though the pie is deep fried, it’s not at all greasy. The paper thin layer of white icing adds a slight sweetness to the crust and breaks off in tissue-like pieces. The fillings are nicely balanced with subtle spice notes, not overtly sweet like Hostess pies. The fruit pies contain the right amount of fruit rather than just a mass of gelatinous jelly. Most importantly, the pies are not overstuffed, so you can eat them on the go without creating a huge mess.

Hubig’s Pies are intimately tied to New Orleans, and they have been churning out pies since 1922. Their plant is located just a few blocks from our Marigny digs, and J took this picture on our first day here. 

Just three blocks from our where we live, but too far away to smell the delicious pies.

Unfortunately, they don’t offer tours of their facility to the public, but some enterprising journalists were able to film the process from start to finish.

They make 25,000 pies each day, and apple and lemon are the most popular flavors.  However, J is partial to their coconut flavor, and I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite.  Hubig’s Pies is still a family-run operation, and they’ve never moved from their original location in the Marigny.  Not just a humble snack, Hubig’s pies have been used from Mardi Gras throws to wedding favors. And Hubig’s Pies pretty much blanket the city—you can find them in hardware stores, in national chains like Walgreens & Winn Dixie, at both convenience marts and gourmet grocery stores—they are even served at the county jail.

Doesn't that look delectable? Fortunately, you can now order them direct from Hubig's Pies Dauphine Street factory. 

Secret Gardens of New Orleans

As a child, one of my favorite books was Frances Hodgson Burnett’s, The Secret Garden. Ever since, I’ve been drawn to gardens behind high walls and fences, and New Orleans is full of them. Fortunately, if you’re willing to shell out some dough for an open house tour or admission to a museum, you can enjoy some of the amazing gardens and courtyards of the Crescent City. 

Red Beans & Ricely Yours

It was a sweltering day, made even hotter by the boiling pot of beans on the stove. But red beans & rice is a Monday meal, and I had determined to be as authentic as possible when I chose to make this popular New Orleans dish. Satchmo loved it so much he signed his letters, “Red Beans & Ricely Yours,” and wouldn’t propose to his wife until she cooked it for him.

Satchmo statue at Algiers dock

Why Monday? A couple of reasons. Sunday supper was usually ham, because you could throw it in the oven before church and it would be ready when church ended. Then the leftover ham bones were used in red beans & rice the next day. Monday was laundry day, so a bean dish that doesn’t need much tending fit perfectly with the weekly routine.

My journey started with the search for the perfect recipe. Some things I learned during my research are that Camellia beans are the favored brand, you should never add salt until the very end (it will toughen the beans), and Louis Armstrong is pretty much the only person who liked tomato sauce in his red beans & rice. Even though I fell off the vegetarian wagon years ago, the amount of meat required for this recipe was eye popping—bacon grease, Tasso, Andouille sausage, and smoked ham hock.

Looks like a prop from a bad horror film, doesn't it?

The first few steps were easy—wash the beans, cover with water, and leave overnight. But as I progressed through the rest of the steps, I had so many questions. Was I supposed to rinse the beans after soaking them overnight? The recipe didn’t specify. After adding salt to the Holy Trinity, I panicked when I remembered all the dire warnings about salting too early. And the ham hock—the instructions said to brown it. But why brown something that’s already cooked. And was I really just supposed to throw it in whole? It was so big! Who would want that to end up in their bowl?

The last step was certainly as easy as promised. Turn on low and ignore for a few hours. Not being experts on red beans and rice, it tasted fine to me and J—definitely a step up from the Zatarain’s mix and Popeye’s.

Tastes better than it looks, honest!

Red Beans & Ricely Yours,

California Creole

Mardi Gras Throws

Many of the homes in the Marigny and Bywater are decorated with Mardi Gras throws.The routes of two Mardi Gras parades wind their way through the Marigny--Krewe de Vieux and the Society of Saint Anne--so people here have no shortage of opportunities to collect throws. Here's a few photos I've collected while walking Roscoe around these neighborhoods.

Originally, the Krewes (social clubs that put on the different parades) threw gold coins to the parade goers. Clearly, this was not sustainable, so they switched to throwing strings of Czechoslavakian glass beads in the royal colors of purple, green, and gold.

The traditional phrase to get a throw from the floats was, "Throw me something, mister!"

At some point his it changed to Krewe members requesting female parade goers to "Show me your t**s!" And many women comply in order to get a cheap string of Chinese-made plastic beads.

While beads are the most well-known of the Mardi Gras throws, they are not the most treasured. The all female Krewe of Muses distributes decorated shoes. But the hand-painted coconuts from the Krewe of Zulu is the most sought after of all the throws (though the Krewe is barred from throwing the coconuts--they must be handed out).



A neighbor gave me these beads as they were clearing out boxes and boxes of Mardi Gras throws they had collected over the years. These beads represent the specific imagery of the different Krewes.

Some of the more recent throws include limited edition plush toys, fiber optic beads, and retro glass beads.

The city estimates that 25 million pounds of plastic beads are left on the streets during Mardi Gras. Most ends up in the landfill, though some groups are making efforts to recycle beads and other throws.

But recycling tons of plastic beads is tough in a city that just started curbside recycling in 2012. As one longtime resident told me, "People in New Orleans have trouble putting trash in the right place. How are they going to figure out a recycling bin?"

But reusing is even better than recycling, and as these pictures show, NOLA residents are creatively reusing beads to decorate gates, fences, and porches. Whole blogs are devoted to DIY projects using Mardi Gras beads.

One final note--never wear Mardi Gras throws after Fat Tuesday! But it's an easy way to separate tourists from locals.

Star Sighting in the Marigny: Steve Zahn, Part Deux

Confession--I had to leave New Orleans briefly for short business trip to the home office. I left Tuesday afternoon and was back before midnight on Wednesday. So technically, I didn't miss any of my 32 days. 

However, I did miss the return of J and B from their fishing adventure in the Gulf. While I was stuck in a bad chain hotel in New Jersey on Tuesday night, B went out in the Marigny. Fortunately, he was prepared with his video camera because guess who was partying on Frenchmen Street? Everyone's favorite NOLA star, Steve Zahn. 

Here is B's recording of his encounter with one of the great comic supporting actors of our time. This video is best viewed with your monitor or laptop turned upside down. Just click on the link and you'll understand why.

B needs to do a little more work on his technique before he's ready for TMZ, but I appreciate his willingness to let 32 Days in NOLA have the exclusive. Thanks, B! And, hopefully, there will be more Steve Zahn sightings before our 32 days are up.

Photo Safari in Treme

Today we explored the Treme neighborhood. It's close to the Faubourg Marigny and the French Quarter. Now a household name because of the HBO series, it was the home to many famous musicians back in the day and is the oldest African American neighborhood in the US.

Bayou was the end of the road for us in the Treme. But we'll be back!


A special thanks to J for the loan of some of his photos.