New Orleans, Part III

saturday
started off sad but ended up good. we tried to go to mother's for breakfast, but ran out of time. we tried again for lunch and ran out of time again. we finally made it in the late afternoon when we didn't have anything else to rush off to.

so we waited in line--less than twenty minutes i think, although we were on a post-presentation high so i can't say for sure. with the kind of crowd they get, you get told where to go, "send the line that way" and all that. it's cafeteria style--you walk along the counter and feel like you are interrupting and slowing things down if you ask questions. but it is just cuz they're busy and trying to get people their food in an orderly fashion i think. anyway, so you order and then go to the register to pay. then you wait for them to call your name and you pick up your food. i think there's also some kind of process where you give someone your ticket and they bring your food to your table but i don't know how that all works.

anyway, i had the jambalaya, which was great. apparently jambalaya is very rice heavy compared to things like gumbo and etouffee. (see my cluelessness with new orleans cuisine?) one friend had the crawfish etouffee, which was also great. another friend had the seafood gumbo, which was a little too fishy for my taste. i believe it had oysters along with other kinds of seafood. definitely not my style. if i went back, i think i might also get a side of greens.

also headed to southern candymakers to pick up some pralines to take home. first off, the store just smells good. the employees are really cheerful. one of them taught us the correct pronuncation--praw-lines because pray-lines what you do in church. and then they gave us samples. they taste like they would be too sweet--like you wait for that sweet pain in your teeth, but it never comes. it's like magic. pralines and cream was one of my favorite ice cream flavors when i was a kid and i never even knew what a praline was. i bought some chocolate pralines and rum pralines for kea. and for me--until i realized all that cream and butter does not agree with me. they also had peanut butter pralines and coconut pralines but those didn't seem that appetizing to me.

Cinnamon Sugar Apples

I don't really like fruits. I mean, I have always preferred vegetables. And while on a hot summer day, a juicy plum or peach can be the best thing, in the winter, fruit is just cold. For some reason, I prefer dried or cooked fruits. Hrm... maybe it's cuz that usually means there's sugar in it... oh well, it's still a good way to make sure I get my fiber, etc. in the winter.

This fall I started making cinnamon sugar apples, which my dad used to make for me when I was little. He makes it again now for my grandma and grandpa since raw apples are too hard on their false teeth.

I guess this is not really a recipe but I have still picked up some tips for making them. So far, I like Fuji or Granny Smith apples for this. I peel and slice the apple. I used to just slice it into wedges, but Kea likes to core the apple and slice it into rings. And they are kind of pretty that way. When I do the rings, I slice them about half a centimeter thick. Then fry 'em up with cinnamon. When they start getting on the softer side (almost ready to eat) sprinkle some sugar. If you put the sugar too early, it can burn, but be sure to cook the sugar a little bit so that it melts rather than just having sugar granules on your apples. That's it! Now eat them! Yum!

Chichidango

I made chichidango for two potlucks at school and was sort of surprised at how well it went over. Kea and I were eating the corners the night before and we love it of course but I was trying to imagine how it would taste to someone who had never had it before. I think some people think the texture is weird. And I'm sure a big part of it's appeal for us is that it tastes like home. *sigh* But yeah, people liked it. One of my friend's said it tasted like a sugar cookie with a different texture and a couple other folks said it was like gummi bears. Oh and some folks appreciated the dairy-free, wheat-free element. Anyway, here is the recipe my mom sent me. It is probably from Hawaii's Best Mochi Recipes.

Tri-Colored Mochi (Baked)

1 lb. mochiko (16 oz box)

2 c sugar

1 t baking powder

1 can coconut milk (12 oz)

2 c water*

1 t vanilla

food color, red and green

In a large mixing bowl combine mochiko, sugar and baking powder. Blend water, coconut milk and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients gradually, mixing thoroughly with whisk or spoon.

Remove 2 c of mixture. Add about 3 drops of green coloring. Pour into greased 9X13 inch pan. Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Pour 2 c white mixture over first layer. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes.

Add red coloring to remaining mixture and pour over second layer. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Cool uncovered, preferably overnight. Cover with clean dish cloth. Cut with plastic knife when mochi is totally cooled. [Take the foil off as soon as you take it out of the oven; otherwise the foil will sink as it cools and stick to the top!]

Optional: Coat mochi pieces with kinako or potato starch (or cornstarch). [I think coating it with flour is a requirement, but I used mochiko because I didn't have time to go to the store and it came out fine.]

Lessen water by 1/2 or 1/4 c if firmer mochi is desired. If water is lessened, measure slightly less than 2 c for each layer.

Note that the coconut milk in the freezer is 12 oz. The coconut milk on the shelf is 13-1/2 oz. You need to reduce some water is using the 13-1/2 oz can. 1 cup = 8 oz.

Florentine Cannellini One Pot (off a can of Bush's Beans)

This is one of the recipes Kea and I have in rotation, truly off a can of Bush's Beans. It's quick, easy, yummy, and full of fiber.

4 slices bacon, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (14 oz) can chopped spinach, drained*
3 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth
1 (15-16 oz) can of EACH drained and rinsed: cannelini beans,** dark red kidney beans, light red kidney beans
1/2 c. sun-dried tomatoes, cut in thin strips
1 t dried basil
Garnish: shredded parmesan

Brown bacon over high heat in large stockpot, about 8 minutes.*** Add garlic and onion, saute 6 minutes. Add spinach, saute 2 minutes. Add beans and all remaining ingredients. Simmer 10 minutes.

*I use frozen spinach because canned spinach seems gross to me.
**I use something called Northern beans because cannelini's cost more and they look the same.
***My onion pieces were about twice the size of my bacon pieces so the bacon got burnt. So you probably either want to throw the garlic and onion in earlier or make sure the bacon is not chopped too small and the onion is not chopped too big.