Chef’s Collaborative: Good Eats in The Big Easy Friday, Nov 11 2011

After a visit to Austin, Texas for the Texas Book Festival, I had the pleasure of visiting New Orleans for the Chefs Collaborative National Summit. Lordy mercy, NOLA is a continual bacchanal. I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to everyone in whole neighborhoods walking around with cocktails. Party as they may, they are mighty serious about good eats and preserving foodways.

Chefs Collaborative is pretty serious business, too. It’s an amazing alliance chefs and the greater food community to celebrate local foods and foster a more sustainable food supply. Chefs Collaborative is the leading nonprofit network of chefs that’s changing the sustainable food landscape using the power of connections, education, and responsible buying decisions. Through these actions, members embrace seasonality, preserve diversity and traditional practices, and support local economies.

Want to talk local? At the opening event for the National Summit we had an amazing array of oysters provided by P & J Oysters from the entire Gulf. It was spectacular. There were folks there that could tell what “bed” the oyster was from and how it differed in taste and texture from an oyster from an adjacent “bed.”

More than 300 chefs, farmers, and members of the culinary community embraced the conference theme of “Hands on New Orleans – Sustainability in Action” with four butchery workshops and demos, charcuterie and classic cocktail workshops, and numerous conversations and practical workshops on timely topics including grassfed beef, Gulf seafood, dead zones, farm worker justice, and climate change.

I attended a charcuterie class at Delmonico’s. The photo above is of house-cured boudin, the spicy cajun sausage made of pork and ground red pepper. (And, yes, I asked. It’s a cow bung casing.)

We also heard Dana Cowin of Food and Wine, John T. Edge of the Southern Foodways Alliance, and restaurant chefs Donald Link, Sean Brock, and Andrea Reusling, as well as producers and farmers such as my friend, Will Harris from White Oak Pastures and rice farmer Kurt Unkel of Cajun Grains.

Sustainability Awards
were given to Chef Sam Hayward of Fore Street in Portland, Maine. Hayward was honored with the “Sustainer of The Year” award, which recognizes a chef who has been both a great mentor and a model to the culinary community through his purchases of seasonal, sustainable ingredients and the transformation of these ingredients into delicious food.

Fedele Bauccio, founder and CEO of Bon Appétit Management Company received the “Pathfinder Award,” which recognizes a visionary working in the greater food community who has been a catalyst for positive change within the food system through efforts that go beyond the kitchen. (BTW  I checked out their work last year – one of their accounts is Google. Ahem. This is a BIG company doing very, very good work. No one – no one – is too big or too small to make a difference. )

Sal and Al Sunseri of P & J Oysters received the “Foodshed Champion Award,” which recognizes a food producer (farmer, fisher or artisanal producer) committed to working with chefs who also exemplifies the following principle: Good food begins with unpolluted air, land, and water, environmentally sustainable farming and fishing, and humane animal husbandry.

Pioneer Awards were given to my former chef, Chef Nora Pouillon, Restaurant Nora, Chef Mary Sue Miliken, Chef Jody Adams,  Chef Deborah Madison, Chef Jasper White,  Amy Bodiker, Food Systems Consultant, Columbus, Ohio, Robin Schempp, Right Stuff enterprises, Waterbury, VT, Chef Greg Higgins, and  Gary Nabhan, author, food activist, and professor.

It was a passionate, intense few days. I left encouraged, invigorated, and full of intent to share the word.

The experience fed my mind, my heart, and my belly.

This is the future — this has to be the future of food. We can’t continue on this hugely self-destructive path. We’re eating the fish out of the ocen like it’s some endless Las Vegas buffet, we’re polluting our land and rivers with pesticides, and our children are increasingly allergic to foods, ill, and obese.

The members of Chefs Collaborative are doing something about it.

Click here to become a member – or give the gift of membership – to someone you know would appreciate the great work that Chefs Collaborative does. I know you’ll be glad you did.

Mama’s Reading List

Lot’s going on with my book tour. It’s been fantastic. I’ve gotten to meet so many amazing people. Here are some of the recent pieces in the news….

Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Magazine interviews me about a novice tackling the Brilliant versions of the recipes. (My answer? Of course you can!)

El Paso Times reports on the continued strong presence of Southern food across the US and also features Hugh Acheson’s new book as well as Nathalie Dupree.

Jeananderson.com gave me some pretty high praise. Called me a “first rate writer”. Coming from such an esteemed journalist and writer, I was very humbled and proud.

Fetch Magazine for Taigan by Julia Reed! features a whole Thanksgiving menu with Turkey, Meme’s Rolls, Winter Greens and Butternut Squash Gratin, and Caramel Cake for dessert. YUM.

The Charlotte Observer blog is about my Mustardy Mashed Potatoes — check it out, maybe you’ll want to mix, or mash things up for your Thanksgiving Day Potatoes!

Upcoming Events

You can always check out the Events page on my website. I have a few more cooking classes around the Atlanta area in the next few weeks. I am very excited about the Newnan Carnegie Library Event on Monday 11/28.

I’m looking for some reviews on amazon if you have (and hopefully, like!) my book! I’d appreciate it! Those things count and I appreciate your support.

Bon Appétit, Y’all!
VA

Mama’s Shrimp Gumbo

Serves 6 to 8

To quote the regional cookbook Louisiana Entertains, “Good gumbos are like good sunsets: no two are exactly alike, and their delight lies in their variety.” All gumbos use a roux. However, in addition to a roux, some gumbos flavor and thicken with okra and others call for filé powder. Integral to Creole and Cajun cooking, filé powder is made from the dried leaves of the sassafras tree. It is used not only to thicken gumbo but also to impart its mild, lemon flavor. Filé powder should be stirred into gumbo toward the end of cooking or it will become tough and stringy.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 onion, preferably Vidalia, chopped

1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped

4 cups water or shrimp stock (see below)

2 (6-ounce) cans tomato paste

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds large shrimp (21/25 count), peeled and deveined

Hot sauce, for seasoning

1/4 teaspoon filé powder (optional)

In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour, stirring slowly and constantly, and cook to a medium-brown roux, about 30 minutes.

Add the onion and bell pepper and stir to combine. Cook until the vegetables have wilted and are lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Add the water and tomato paste and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat to low and cover. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavorful and thickened, 11/2 to 2 hours.

Add the shrimp and stir to combine. Continue cooking over very low heat until the shrimp are cooked through, an additional 10 minutes. Season with hot sauce and stir in the filé powder, if using. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve with rice pilaf.

Shrimp Stock and Fish Stock

Seafood soup, stew, and gumbo all taste better when prepared with homemade stock as opposed to bottled clam juice, the favorite stand-in to freshly made stock. When you peel the shrimp, save the shells (heads also, if you are fortunate enough to have them), and rinse with cold running water. Place the shells in a pot and add enough water to cover. Add a few fresh bay leaves, sprigs of parsley and thyme, a quartered onion, chopped carrot, and chopped celery, and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to low and simmer until fragrant and flavorful, about 30 minutes. Strain the stock in a strainer layered with cheesecloth, discarding the solids. If I don’t need to make shrimp stock every time I peel shrimp, I save the shells for later in a sealable plastic bag in the freezer. For fish stock, it’s the same principle, but use bones instead of shells. Do not use oily or heavy fish such as mackerel, skate, mullet, or salmon; their flavor is too strong and heavy. Use approximately 4 pounds of fish bones to 10 cups of water to make 8 cups of stock.

(Shrimp photo by Helen Dujardin. And, yes, I know it’s SC shrimp -but it is local and sustainable, too. Oyster and Boudin snaps by me.)

Please be nice. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission is prohibited. Feel free to excerpt and link, just give credit where credit is due and send folks to my website, virginiawillis.com. Thanks so much.

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Setting Things Straight Saturday, Jun 18 2011

A friend of mine recently sent me a note that said that Anna and Kristina’s Grocery Bag, a show on Oprah’s OWN (the Oprah Winfrey Network for those of you living under a rock) had reviewed my first cookbook, Bon Appétit, Y’all.

I was thrilled! How cool. I had no idea.

The concept of the show is that Anna and Kristina conduct tests of cookbooks and kitchen products and judges their quality from the perspective of the average consumer.

Well, I got the stamp of approval so I was extra thrilled.

It’s nice they saw beyond the stereotype of Southern cooking to even give it a try.

One misperception about Southern cooking is that it is nothing more than fried chicken. Don’t get me wrong, I love fried chicken. I’d ask for fried chicken as my last meal, but Southern food is more than fried chicken.

You might remember a piece I wrote for Edible Communities called Five Things Cooking Has Taught Me About Life. Well, if I were to write it now, it might be Six Things.

6. Presumption can be a dangerous and destructive thing.

I am very invested in the perception of Southern food and where my work fits in the picture. This is my career. This is my life. This is my reputation. I’ve worked in the culinary world for nearly 20 years. It’s personal. I don’t want people having any misconceptions about me or my food.

If someone wants to judge me, then judge like Anna and Christina did – by looking past what things might “seem” to be.

Another misconception about Southern Food is that it is time-consuming. Well, that’s not true, either.

My dear friend and colleague, Rebacca Lang has a new book called Quick-Fix Southern: Homemade Hospitality in 30 Minutes or Less that knocks that incorrect presumption flat.

It’s a delightful book. I love the subtitle “homemade hospitality”. It’s so much better to focus on the positive, yes?

Rebecca is a contributing editor to Southern Living and can be seen on the nationally syndicated show Daytime. She’s fantastic. She’s one of Nathalie’s “little chickens”, too.

Rebecca and I share many sensibilities about food and cooking. She’s been a huge supporter to me and a dear friend. I’ll tell you the truth, one could easily presume she is sweet Southern belle that cares about monograms and her next lunch date. She’s much more complex with a wicked, wicked sense of humor, real cooking and writing talent, and a huge passion for Southern food. She’s more than Stir until Famous.

I think you’ll really enjoy meeting her and getting to know the real Rebecca, too. Here are her recipes for Dressed Up Oysters and Pecan Crusted Rack of Lamb. And, just for the hell of it, I’m sharing my Fried Chicken recipe, again, too.

Bon Appétit, Y’all
VA

Dressed-Up Oysters
Makes 18 oysters

Oysters beds dot the coast of much of the South. Oysters are a big business and an even greater delicacy. Some people slurp them down raw, others cook them to perfection. You’ll need an oyster knife and an old kitchen towel or glove ready for prying open the shells.

6 ounces bacon, chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 1/2 dozen oysters on the halfshell
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Ice cream salt, for garnish

Move the oven rack to a position about 5 inches from the broiler. Preheat the broiler. In a small skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until browned and crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving about 1 tablespoon of drippings in the skillet.

Add the shallot to the skillet and cook over medium-low heat for 2 minutes. Add the vinegar and stir to release the browned bits from the skillet. Cook for 30 seconds.

Arrange the oysters on a rimmed baking sheet and broil for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the edges are curled. Spoon the shallot mixture over the oysters and sprinkle with bacon and parsley. Nestle the oyster shells in ice cream salt to serve.

Pecan-Crusted Racks of Lamb
Serves 6

Roasting time: 25 minutes

If the lamb racks don’t already have the ribs cleaned of meat and fat, ask your butcher to french the bones for you. I like to use sage, oregano, and thyme for the chopped herbs. Feel free to use whatever herbs you have on hand.

2 (1 1/2-pound) racks of lamb, frenched
1/2 cup pecan halves
2 cups loosely packed fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh herbs
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/3 cup olive oil

Preheat the oven to 450˚F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the racks of lamb on the prepared baking sheet. The racks should be lying down with the bones curving toward the bottom of the pan.

Finely chop the pecans, mint leaves, and herbs. Place the pecans and minced herbs in a medium mixing bowl. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, and lemon zest. Stir in the olive oil.

Using half of the herb mixture for each rack, spread the mixture on top of the racks. Pat the herb mixture gently so as to coat the entire top side.

Bake at 450˚F for 25 minutes, or until a meat thermometer registers 130˚F for medium- rare. Let the lamb rest at least 5 minutes before carving. To carve, slice between each bone.

Meme’s Fried Chicken and Gravy
Serves 4 to 6

1 (4-pound) chicken, cut into pieces
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more if needed
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound (2 cups) solid vegetable shortening, preferably Crisco, for frying, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups chicken stock or low-fat, reduced-sodium chicken broth, or 1 cup milk plus 1 cup chicken stock or broth

Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Set aside. Place the flour in a shallow plate and season with cayenne, salt, and pepper. Set aside. Line a baking sheet or large plate with brown paper bags or several layers of paper towels.

Heat the shortening in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat until the temperature measures 375°F on a deep-fat thermometer.

Meanwhile, to fry the chicken, starting with the dark meat (since it takes longer to cook) and working one piece at a time, dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour, turning to coat. Shake to remove excess flour. Reserve any leftover seasoned flour for the gravy.

One piece at a time, slip the chicken into the hot fat without crowding; the fat should not quite cover the chicken. Adjust the heat as necessary to maintain the temperature at 375°F. At this stage, a splatter guard (a wire cover laid over the pan) may prove useful to contain the hot grease. The guard lets the steam escape, while allowing the chicken to brown nicely.

Fry the pieces, turning them once or twice, until the coating is a rich, golden brown on all sides, 10 to 14 minutes. Decrease the heat to medium-low and cover the skillet. Continue cooking until the chicken is cooked all the way through and the juices run clear when pricked with a knife, an additional 10 to 15 minutes. (An instant-read thermometer inserted into a thigh should register 170°F.) Remove the pieces and drain on the prepared baking sheet. (Do not hold the chicken in a warm oven; it will get soggy.)

To make the gravy, remove the skillet from the heat. Pour off most of the grease, leaving 2 to 3 tablespoons and any browned bits.

Decrease the heat to very low. Add the butter and cook until foaming. Add 4 tablespoons of the reserved seasoned flour and stir to combine. Cook, whisking constantly, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the stock. Increase the heat to medium and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring often, until the gravy is smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add more stock or water to achieve the correct consistency. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.

Please be nice. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission is prohibited. Feel free to excerpt and link, just give credit where credit is due and send folks to my website, virginiawillis.com. Thanks so much.

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