Sunday Brunch

When I wake up on Sunday morning, the last thing I want to do is cook. Problem is that going out for brunch usually requires enduring long lines at the more casual spots or settling for mediocre food from the JV kitchen staff at the higher end places. And then there is Patois, which offers a well executed and sophisticated brunch menu at reasonable prices (most entrees are in the mid-teens) in a fine dining setting. Still, a collared shirt and jeans fits well within the dress code.

And they open at 10:30 so you can make it back in time for Saints kickoff.

The Folk Singer started with the gnocchi with crabmeat and chanterelles, which is perhaps the most popular item on the dinner and lunch menus at Patois. I thought the gnocchi were a bit heavier and more dense than my preference, but it's still a very good dish overall.

You know what's better though? The grilled lamb kofta kabob salad. The succulent ground lamb paired well with the rich Ryals goat milk feta and the tangy preserved lemon and tahini dressing. Better than anything I have had in a local Mediterranean restaurant and worth every penny of the $13 price tag.

For the main event, I chose the fried rabbit loin paired with poached eggs and topped with an Italian sausage cream gravy. Tasty? Yes. Rich? Extremely. Too rich? Possibly. Regardless, TFS trumped me with the breakfast sandwich special: fried green tomatoes, guanciale, and fried egg on brioche. IN-credible.

Patois Brunch - Birdie

Kitchen Essentials

The Art of the Braise

Braising is one of the easiest ways to turn a tough, inexpensive cut of meat into something soulful and delicious. But fear not, the meat need not be so tough you can see where the marks from where the jockey was whipping it. You can braise just about anything including chicken or even pork belly. Braising requires a minimum of active cooking time, allowing you to do other things like watch the Saints, talk about the Saints, or listen to people talk about the Saints.

Without getting technical, to braise is to cook a piece of meat in a minimal amount of slightly, bubbling broth enhanced with aromatics and herbs. Think of it as an all day shabu shabu or fondue. This post will lay out the general structure of how to braise something. It is by no means an expert report nor definitive, but I hope you will try the technique soon.

You can use any hunk of meat you like. I find that cuts with a lot of fat and a bone work best. Recently I braised some pork belly from Cochon Butcher. (If you are nervous about eating pork belly, its just the non-cured, non-smoked name for bacon.)
If the piece of meat you are using has a side with a good layer of fat, you can leave it, trim it, or "score" it. To score it, simply run asharp knife over the fat and make some shallow slices. Then rotate the meat 90 degrees and do again to create a diamond pattern. Congrats you have scored for the first time and you didn't even need to rent a tux.

Now, we need to season that big hunk of sexy. So apply some Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to all side. You want to over season it. Its a large hunk, it can handle it, I promise. You are using real pepper and Kosher salt right?

Then we want to sear the meat over medium high heat on all sides to develop an nice brown crust. So get your dutch oven smoking hot, add a little oil, and place the meat fatty side down in the oil. Let it go for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile preheat your oven to 300 degrees. After meat has browned, remove it from pot. It should look like this, but if you go darker, even better.

At this point there will likely be a lot of rendered fat in the pot. Remove the majority of it. Then into the pot, place your mirepoix. Here I used a diced carrot, slices of onion, celery, a leek, a few hot peppers, garlic, and thyme. Use these aromatics to scrap up all the brown bits from the pan. Cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes or until mirepoix has softened.

Into pot add two cups or so of liquid. You just want the liquid to begin creeping up the sides of the meat. Do not completely submerge your meat. You can use whatever liquid you like, be it stock, beer, wine, or even just plain old water. Bring to simmer, cover, and place in oven.

Come back three hours later, add another cup of liquid, and cook uncovered for another hour. You want the meat to be soft, when it is, it is done. You can experiment with cooking it uncovered or covered. Cooking it uncovered will help the sauce concentrate. Sometimes I cook it completely uncovered on the stove on low heat, just depends. On this piece of belly, I went in the oven. But the key is even, steady, low cooking.

You can also let the meat cool and serve it the next day. If you do this (which tends to make it taste better), make sure it cools in the liquid you braised it in and that the meat is completely submerged.

One of the best effects of braising is that the dish makes its own sauce. All the mirepoix soften and combine with the juices and fibers of the meat to make something really special. Chef Warren Stephens of Cochon Butcher and Calcasieu recently shared this tip on how to turn the sauce into an amazing gravy. After you remove the meat, place the sauce and mirepoix in a blender. Blend until smooth and pour over sliced meat. The result is spectacular. The fat emulsifies with the juices and mirepoix creating a thick and creamy sauce. Another trick is to remove the meat and add a cup of rice to the mix. The rice will absorb all the flavors and you end up with a hybrid gravy-rice pilaf thing which is just delicious.

The possibilities of braising are endless. Try chicken with garlic, saffron, Pernod and tomatoes for a take on bouillabaisse (obviously I call it Pouletbaisse, clever right?), or beef short ribs with a deep red wine like Cabernet, or lamb with carrots, star anise, and ginger.

Braise something this weekend. Just the smell alone of slowly simmering meat and aromatics is worth it.

Roman Pizza

Roman Pizza was brought to Blackened Out's attention a few weeks ago when Peter asked who had the best pizza in the city. While I am not here to definitively answer that question, Roman's certainly belongs in the debate.

Crust - Good structure, bready but not doughy, pliable and crispy.

Sauce - Light and tangy, scattered across the dough rather than meticulously applied.

Toppings - Fresh, looks like cut in house, large, and well-dispersed.

Cheese - A bit toothsome but nicely browned.

Misc. - Look at the box. See the little puddles of grease? That is what you want to see sometimes. Goes perfect with cold beer. And they deliver.

There is an old Armenian saying, "There is no such thing as bad pizza, just stupid people." If that is the case, prove how smart you are and try Roman's soon.

Thanksgiving is Coming

The greatest holiday is Thanksgiving. But don't take my word for it. Thanksgiving was originally created by a rowdy bunch of ex-cons who thought religious oppression was for the birds. Then it was ratified by none other than Abe Lincoln. And we all know that dude had some pretty good ideas. Besides what is there not to like? Fall - Best Season, Football - Best Sport, Eating - Best Form of Exercise.

So let's get you ready for Thanksgiving. First thing is first, da bird. Take that turkey fryer and put it back in the garage. Put away the needles and salty injectable marinades with names like "Dr. Cajun's Crazy Turkey Viagra." And for goodness sakes, please don't even give Tofurkey a second chance.

I can hear it now: "But frying a turkey is fun!" OK, it might be. But in reality you are going to spend around $50 on enough peanut oil to power the International Space Station for a week. You will not be frying a turkey again this year, which means you have to figure out a way to dispose of 5 gallons of slightly used oil. I recommend putting it in your neighbor's trash. Then there is the issue of safety. While although I trust you, your cousin Peanuckle with the gimpy leg, he is a liability. Finally, it just does not taste good. If you want fried turkey, just cut up a whole bird and fry the pieces like chicken. That would be much tastier.

The easiest way to get a juicy, moist tender bird is to cook it properly. Get a screaming hot oven, say 400 degrees. Wash your bird inside and out. Thoroughly season it inside and out with salt and pepper. In the cavity, toss a few chunks of onion, some lemon wedges, garlic, maybe some sage or thyme. Place it on a rack in a roasting pan. Maybe under the rack you want to put some onions, carrots, celery, or a leek. Rub the outside with some butter or oil. Maybe you want to carefully place massage some butter under the skin and over the breast meat. Place a thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. Place bird in oven, open second bottle of wine, and yell at SEC refs.

After 45 minutes, lower the heat to 325. Remove the bird from oven and baste. Here is where it gets tricky. I want you to fashion a foil breast plate for your turkey. Take a piece of foil and fit it over the breast. Tuck it in, make sure it is sturdy, and place the pan back in the oven. Cook until bird reaches an internal temp of 165. Remove. Let rest for a good half hour. Carve and enjoy.

The foil breast plate will protect the breast from drying out and overcooking. The skin should be golden and crackly after 45 minutes in such a hot oven, but if it doesn't, remove the breast plate and baste occasionally, replacing breast plate when you are done. Or just finish uncovered for the last 30 minutes or so.

Now you certainly can brine the bird, but I find the gravy comes out way to salty. Another simple trick is to just salt the inside and outside of the bird a few hours before cooking. When ready to season, rinse off.

Now, what Turkey Day issues should we tackle next? Besides how to un-invite your cousin Peanuckle.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

When I checked the forecast last night, there was a 100% chance of rain today. Even if it's not raining when you start your lunch break, the ominous dark clouds above usually serve as a deterrence from a long walk for lunch. That likely leaves you with three options:

1. You brought something from home.
2. You are driving to somewhere with covered valet parking.
3. You are eating whatever is available in your office building.

Chances are likely that you forgot to pack your lunch, and today being a Monday you would prefer a quick bite rather than fighting your way out of the parking lot. So it looks like you will be dining in today, a thought which makes most people cringe. But not all office buildings were created equal when it comes to lunch options. Let's take a closer look:

• One Shell Square - Smoothie King, Subway, Roly Poly, pizza, coffee shop, Square One Buffet, and Empire State Deli. Little known fact: Square One formerly hosted an evening lingerie show for those tenants who needed a break from burning the midnight oil.
• Place St. Charles - The second floor food court has too many stands to list, but Steve's Diner (home of the "breakfast in a cup") deserves special mention. For dessert, head to Mrs. Field's on the first floor for cookies and soft serve.
• The Energy Centre - Allegro Bistro (go with the seared tuna salad with ginger dressing) or the sandwich shop next door which has a halfway decent salad bar.
• Canal Place - Not a deep selection in the food court, the Mrs. Field's doesn't have soft serve, and Morton's is closed for lunch.
• Poydras Plaza - Whole Hog Cafe and the sandwich shop on the ground floor, plus we will give you Catty Corner next door as a lagniappe.
• Pan-Am Center - The cafeteria on the 11th floor is reminiscent of my freshman college dorm. I'll let you fill in the blanks on that one.
• First Bank & Trust Building - Unless there are leftovers from The Pope's complimentary breakfast fare last Friday morning, you will be subsisting on peanut butter crackers from the sundry shop. Epic fail.

And the winner is... well, you tell us in today's poll.

Kitchen Essentials

Sa, Sa Sa Salt 'n Pepper here.

In his book Salt, Mark Kurlansky makes a very compelling argument that salt, and the pursuit of it, is the most important commodity in human history. He explains how ancient roads often follow a circuitous path which all either end or begin at salt deposits. This was likely the result of thousands of years of mammals, marsupials, and such traipsing through the wilderness to find salt. Or how about the word "salary" which is derived from the Roman word for salt, which coincidentally was what the Roman empire used to pay their soldiers.

Furthering Mr. Kurlansky's premise, the most important ingredient in your kitchen is salt and pepper. Properly seasoned food tastes better. And that is the whole goal right? But for many of you out there, you are still using table salt and pre-ground pepper.

If it works for you, fine. But chances are if you switch to kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, your finished product will improve. Kosher salt, traditionally used by Kosher butchers, does a better job of penetrating the surface of food, thereby resulting in a more thoroughly seasoned piece of food. I keep my salt in a little olive wood box, sprinkling it on with my grubby fingers.

Kosher salt is flakier and coarser than regular NaCl. When seasoning a piece of beef, you can actually feel and see the salt, allowing you to judge if the food is seasoned properly by sight (as well as taste). Kosher salt is "softer" as well. The flavor is less chlorinated and more well-rounded. If you begin using Kosher salt, you will notice the harsh, chemical taste of regular old salt. Also, kosher salt is more forgiving, which means fewer run-ins with over salted food.

Pepper. You use it more than you think. The pre-ground stuff is a joke. Even if you don't want to invest in a $20 pepper mill, at least buy the little tube of whole peppercorns with the grinder for a lid. Please, I beg of you. Even if you don't want to go to all the trouble of grinding peppercorns, at least buy some whole peppercorns, place them on the cutting board, cover them with a towel and beat them like a red headed stepchild with a heavy pan.

Look at you becoming a better cook already. Next week, we introduce a technique. The tension builds. For those of you who don't think you can cook, check out this perfect recreation of risotto carbonara by Legend. If he can do it, half in the bag, emerging into a hangover, and with a Coleman stove, trust me you got it.

The New Home

Well, we are getting settled in here. And so far the response from you has been deafening. Emails and servers are crashing like they are running fast through turn number three at Talladega. The bassets are pretty stoked about the new site. So stoked in fact, Penny has mastered the art of looking like a sleepy Abercrombie model.

A few months ago, Peter realized that New Orleans is a city where there is always something going on. But even more, you don't really realize it until the event is upon you. So Peter came up with the idea of having a calendar which would be your go to source for New Orleans culinary and drinking events. It's right there on the left. So if you are in charge of an event, your restaurant is running a special, or whatever, let us know and we will put in on the calendar. We hope you check it religiously and even stalk it a bit.

We got rid of a lot of the stuff along the margins, mainly cause it just looked messy. Our site design we think looks pretty dank (thanks to Designs by Kristy) and we hope you like it also. But if there is anything you notice, that our glassed over eyes may have missed, please let us know. We know about the hyperlinks, and are working on it.

So, as this blog has settled we have both begun gravitating towards our particular areas of interest. Peter writes more about restaurants and events, and I am writing more about cooking and wine. And we like this, but we want to hear from you. What are some areas you would like to read about? Are there any article you just can't stand? Any new feature ideas? Should The Pope go on a 30-day Cleanse?

We write this blog for two reasons: a) it is what our accountants tell us is a "tax loophole," and b) we truly love the thought that for a few minutes each day you read us rather than doing what you are supposed to be doing. So please let us know what you want to read.

A Different Kind of Diner

In this month's issue of offBeat we reviewed Stanley, Chef Scott Boswell's "traditional" diner in Jackson Square. Our latest visit was much improved from our first back in February, and the menu is pretty solid from top to bottom. The gumbo is a hybrid version full of oysters, shrimp, andouille and chicken. A perfect start to a meal now that the weather has begun to turn.

For everyone out there who has trouble deciding which sandwich to order, I give you the po-boy sliders. From front to back: Club Stanley, Korean BBQ beef with kimchee, and fried oysters with remoulade and cole slaw. Who cares which one is best? You get to eat all three.

Half of the menu comprises breakfast/brunch dishes which are served all day long. The above Breaux Bridge Benedict could also be dubbed "The Hangover Cure" - toasted french bread topped with boudin and cheese, perfectly poached eggs, and a generous ladle of hollandaise. It almost makes that 6th hand grenade sound like a good idea.

Prices are in line with the French Quarter, which is to say higher than you would expect. But the food which comes forth is well polished and has an attention to detail often absent from similar establishments. Some might call Stanley the "poor man's Stella!" We just call it good.

'

Stanley - Birdie

Hoa Hong

We recently had a cast of blog characters gathered together for lunch at Hoa Hong 9 Roses. Rene, Bloggle, Donnie Boy, and I ate our way through nearly every animal in the zodiac. But before the carnivorous feast began, we had our daily fill of vegetables from the Vietnamese crepe (banh xeo). The crepe looks deceptively like an omelette, but it's thinner, crisper, and has a slightly sweet flavor. It's filled with shrimp and bean sprouts, and then served with a tray of lettuce, sliced carrots, and mint. Add fresh veggies, dip in fish sauce, spice up with sriracha, and indulge.

In honor of the Dread Pirate, I tried the goat curry. The curry was flavorful but very thin, which made it less than optimal as a sauce for the steamed rice. The goat meat was cut into bite-sized morsels and served skin on, which may be off-putting to some but the texture is not completely foreign. Still, the meat was oh so love me tender.

Both Rene and Bloggle had the vermicelli bowl with chargrilled pork and eggrolls. In celebration of skipping the Chicago marathon, Bloggle ordered the large bowl - a decision which earned him the distinction of "Superman" in the eyes of our waitress. But in this case the Man of Steel's eyes were bigger than his stomach, and he threw in the towel before he could finish. How anyone could leave behind such deliciously grilled pork, I cannot understand.

'

Donnie Boy ate some sort of no carb, non-fat meal. Needless to say it was not worth writing about.

'

9 Roses - Birdie

Who Dat?

Let's just admit it: No one is focusing on work today. Not with the Dome set to explode at 7:30 tonight. So why fight temptation? Today is all about the Saints.

Last year Rene and I wrote a feature for offBeat on the food options at the Dome, and our shocking conclusion was that Dome food just ain't that great. Still, 3 hours is a long time to go without any food, especially if you are imbibing your fair share of Dome Foam. So you have to eat something. Our question to you is this: What are you eating at the Saints game?

Personally, I rarely ever eat at the Dome other than a bag of peanuts. However, that was not always the case. I was lucky enough to attend every Saints home game from the age of 6 until I left for college, and during those years what I ate at the game was just as important as the score at the end of the 4th quarter. The menu changed with every home game, but the 3rd quarter always ended with a Dove bar from the cart conveniently located at the entrance to my section on the terrace. I loved those things.

And I know that I'm not alone in my Dome rituals. Here is a look at a few of the characters who I've gone cha-ching with over the years.

• Mr. Joe - He was a friend of my uncle's who sat with us at every Saints game for probably 15 years. Mr. Joe had high blood pressure, so his wife insisted that he take along a bag of unsalted popcorn for him to munch on during the game. He never seemed to view this as an act of deprivation, but I always thought it was terribly mean of his wife to try to stop him from enjoying a Dome dog.
• Podnuh - For as long as I can remember, the same group of 4 guys sat in the row behind us in the terrace. I could never remember their names, but the one who sat on the aisle always called everyone "Podnuh." These were true fans: they knew every player's name, knew what the penalty would be as soon as the flag was thrown, and knew exactly what Jim Mora was doing wrong. They also knew how to eat. Podnuh was a smuggler like Mr. Joe, except instead of bland popcorn it was pork chops and turkey legs eaten straight off the bone. It was always a treat to see what appeared from beneath that foil wrapper tucked under his jacket.
• The Pope - How could this list not be complete without La Papa? During high school he appointed himself "President of the Nacho Club" and had all of the concession prices committed to memory. If you sat with The Pope, you could only get up for food when he did and were forbidden from even asking for a few of his peanuts. He has since become "kind of a big deal" and now often sits in a suite. But if you need to know how much an order of chicken tenders and a bloody mary costs, he's still the person to call.

Moving Day

"Closing Time-you don't have to go home but you can't stay here"
-Some band from the 90s currently auditioning for "Where Are They Now"

It's a bittersweet day here at the old Blackened Out International Money Launderers and Quality Assurance Consulting home office. We are busy packing up this old blog for our move over the weekend to the new and improved Blackened Out. Don't click it yet or you could break it. Stop touching it, La Papa, it's brand new. Ohh, come on! You just got your fingerprints all over the place, Donnie Boy. Damn it, go wait in the car BBD!

Anywho, today's blog post is another trivia round, so here goes. Winner receives a copy of Donald Link's Real Cajun autographed by non other than Joe, Peter's mechanic. And to the last winner, it's in the mail. (Blame Peter.)

Leave your answers in the comment box or email them to us.

1) How many times has Peter written about Asian food? (Price is Right rules in effect)

2) Name all locations for every Official Blackened Out State Dinner.

3) In what area of the world do"truffles grow on foie gras trees"?

4) What was the first restaurant we reviewed for offBeat Magazine?

5) Who is the Old Green Lady?

6) What is on a Fat Kid Special?

7) Where did Rene and Peter screen test for the Food Network?

8) What is this a picture of?

9) What is in a Satsuma Wrestler?

10) What is your favorite Blackened Out Post?

As always, first in time wins. Please note: the blog's publish times and comment times are two hours behind Central Time.

See you at the new home, Monday.

Thanks,
Management

A Mano

For roughly a thousand years New Orleans has been the home to a wonderfully unique brand of Italian cooking, known as Creole-Italian. But in recent years, a few restaurants (like the Italian Barrel) have opened which present a more Italian-Italian dining experiences. Much like Chinese restaurants, which often cook the cuisine of a particular region, these restaurants focus on regional Italian cooking. The newest of the bunch is A Mano.

A Mano is the latest venture of Adolfo Garcia and Nick Bazan, following in the footsteps of the incredibly good Rio Mar and La Boca. Josh Smith is the chef-partner who is charged with producing regional Italian specialties. It is important to note that the average Italian would have little idea what Italian food is. He would know the food of his region, or even sub-region, and of course that would be the only authentic Italian food. Even the food from a village away would likely be scoffed at by him.

When we dined last Friday, the place was packed with the Fooderatti- including Dread Pirate Robert and Lorin Gaudin. Try as he might, Dread Pirate was unable to spoil our dinner. But he did step on my camera with what he called his "Special Shoes"-3-inch, zebra and turquoise Manolo Blahniks-hence there are no pictures.

The Italian language has all sorts of quirks and interesting phrases which are most readily apparent in their depictions of food. Fans of the old Molto Mario program on Food Network will remember how he always took a moment to explain the phraseology of a dish. The menu at A Mano is reflective of this Italian tradition. Take, for example, the Supli al Telefono. The name translates as telephone wires and as you take a bite of the caciocavallo cheese filled rice fritters, you see why. Thin lines of tangy cheese stretch from your mouth to the savory rice ball as if connecting two distant towns.

Or try Mozzarella in a Carriage (Mozzarella in Carozza con Salsa d'Acciughe) which is nothing more than a well-tailored grilled cheese covered in anchovy caper sauce. But the taste makes the regular grilled cheese look like a scemo.

Dishes like the Trippa alla Fiorentina show this kitchen will cook and serve anything authentic. The tender slowly braised tripe comes set in a delicious and piquant tomato sauce. Utterly delicious, just wish there would have been more bread to sop up the juices. The appetizers run from $5-$8 and you could put a nice tasting menu together with a few of them and some pastas (which range from $8-$12).

The pastas feature the lesser-known stars of the pasta marquee. There is Orrechiette Pugliese ("little ears in the style of Puglia") with broccoli rabe, dried tomatoes, sausage and ricotta salata. But the wild boar ragu simply blew our heads off. The meat was tender and delicious while just hinting at the rough and tumble structure of wild boar.

As far as entrees, we only sampled the Petto d'Anatra con Fichi e Marsala, but the duck breast was cold and the figs seemed lost against the sweet wine sauce. But hey, its early in A Mano's development.

A cheese plate comparing three sheep's milk cheeses and a bottle 2007 Guidobono Barbera d'Alba ($30) rounded out a very good first showing from A Mano. With A Mano, Garcia and Bazan have once again shown that the cuisines of the world can stand tall in New Orleans on its own merits. The hard part for you? Deciding which restaurant-La Boca, Rio Mar, or A Mano-to dine at. In bocca al lupo!

Withholding official judgment, but that night's dinner was a birdie.