Ummm, yeah since I just start getting into my newly found Creole roots (and if you know me you’ve probably heard me mention this 500 times already and want me to shut up about it) I figured I would start utilizing the dying Creole language and ask you how you were doing, but I just couldn’t push myself to say “Bonjou” (Hello) in Creole. Sounds too much like slang, and you guys would probably think I had a typo so I used the traditional French “Bonjour”
The Creole Language is one of the very few Latin / French Romantic, West African Languages spoken World wide.
Spoken in Louisiana’s Martin Parish, Jefferson Parish, Natchitoches Parish, St. Landry Parish and Lafayette Parish, Illinois and a small community in East Texas, and Northern California
You also have other Creole languages spoken in Haiti, Guadeloupe, Dominica, St. Lucia, Trinidad and various islands
Ok, with that said, I just had to place this beautiful photo of the Crawfish. Let me just put it this way. His life wasn’t taken in vain
Too bad all we got out of one crawfish was a tiny piece of meat. So small, yet so good.
All photography on this site was taken by the very talented Kymberly Janisch. You can see more of her work at:
http://www.flickr.com/people/kymberlyanne/
http://kymberlyjanisch.blogspot.com/
If you need photos for an event. She's the person to talk to. I was amazed at how professional and affordable she was. And keep in mind that she's shot for Newspapers and her work has been featured on NPR. Now where can you get all of that?
Ok, so here’s the deal. I decided to have an interactive experimental tasting based off of the ingredients that I picked up from the market. I pretty much decided to cook and build around a specific theme of ingredients
The ingredients were
Grass Fed Beef
Smoked Free Range Turkey
Wild Tuna Fillets
Wild Shrimp
Crawfish
Organic Russet Potatoes
Organic Yams
So my project was in the spirit of Iron Chef. Except my version wasn't timed, didn't have a million dollar budget, and there wasn’t a battle in the end (well, a few people argued that we needed more beer ;-) )
Melissa and I came up with some tasty solutions based off of our ingredients. The goal was to make the tasting as interactive as possible by having our guest taste, sauces, cheeses, ect. While educating them about the ingredients and cooking new concepts on the fly. What started out as a tasting turned into a full fledge party I just felt like I wasn’t invited, because I was too busy cooking
Dill and Chive Aoli Spread
Grass Fed Burger, with Sharp Cheddar, Dill Aoli, Organic Tomatoes and Lettuce on a Brioche bun
Spicy Chipotle Spread
Another Favorite
Prawns (our secret ingredient)
"Pandora Poboy"(Crispy Fried Shrimp and Battered Crawfish with lettuce on Brioche bun and Spicy Chipolte Spread)
Everyones favorite!! Double Fried French Fries (Pommess Frites) served with the following sauces: Spicy Wasabi Aoli, Organic Spicy Garlic Jalapeño Ketchup and Horseradish Mayo
A few people getting ready to dig in
Preparing Fresh Dill
Johari chilling out
The Delicious "Ignorant Burger" This Burger is so wrong. But yet right.
One half Pound of Grass Fed Beef, Sharp Cheddar with Dill and Chive Aoli, Organic Tomatoes and Lettuce on a Pretzel bun!
Preparing fresh wild Tuna for a new sandwich creation.
"Sorry Charlie" (My spin on a tuna fish sandwich)
Wild Grilled Tuna with Lemon and Dill, topped with melted Harvari Cheese, a spicy Wasabi Aoli spread, and crispy Red cabbage.
It may not look like much but I bought a lot of beef. Beautiful. A bit pricey but worth it.
In the kitchen enjoying the moment
This is pretty much what it boils down to. If your guest actually like the food. I was relieved that they enjoyed it, but the best thing about it was that everyone was pretty honest in their opinion, which is crucial when preparing a dish for your guest at home or in a professional establishment.
He was very cool.
"....and why is the food taking so long". I'm sure Erin was Happy once she got a chance to eat.
