MORE WINTER ESCAPES

It snowed again yesterday, and this time I've mentally escaped to sunny New Orleans.(Photo by Phil Mantas)

It all started with Zeitoun, a book by Dave Eggers, that was loaned to me by a friend. I started reading it just before bedtime on Friday night and rode out a good part of Saturday's snow storm following the non fiction trajectory of Hurricane Katrina and its effects on the Zeitoun family.

Then, this morning, while trudging up a snowy hill to check on the chickens, I glanced back at the house and noticed something sticking up out of the snow in front of my garage. It was a package left by UPS. Despite being buried overnight, it contained an undamaged copy of My New Orleans, a coffee-table-worthy cookbook by Louisiana chef John Besh.

Hmmm, seems to be a theme developing here...

My love affair with New Orleans began when I was in college and was invited down to Mardi Gras by a pen pal. I quickly discovered the city's multifaceted personality and have been traveling back there in real life and in my daydreams ever since. Yes that's me circa 1970s.

On my first trip, I watched Mardi Gras parades in the city and horseback revelers going house to house collecting ingredients to make a community-sized pot of gumbo out in Lafayette.

I heard Cajun music played live in a gas station and the witnessed the terrifying remnants of a Klan cross burning in one of New Orlean's suburbs.

I also fell in love with the food. Hot and spicy, and unlike anything I ate back home in Brooklyn.

Since that time, I've returned to NOLA for business and pleasure, concepts that are consistently blurred in this intriguing city.

Anyhow, getting back to My New Orleans...


What makes this cookbook special is that the recipes for classic versions of crawfish pie, gumbos and etouffees are set in a framework of the city's culinary history and the reminiscences of the extended Besh family's kitchens.

From what I've read so far, it's definitely worth adding to your cookbook collection.

Lest you think I'm just frittering away a perfectly good snow day, I'm actually doing "research" for Superdog Sunday.

Next weekend is Belgium's birthday. He'll be 12! Belg and his brother Ike who lives in New Jersey and his buddy Chase like to celebrate together. So there will be a crowd.

This year, the furballs are also sharing their birthday weekend with the Super Bowl's Saints and Colts.

I'm planning to cook up some authentic N'Orleans. Sorry Colt's fans, I have no idea what delicacies folks eat in Indianapolis.

Besides, what's not to love about Crawfish Etouffee, Grits and Greens.

And while Belgium might prefer a burger as the base for his birthday candles, I think nothing could be finer than a home baked Pecan Pie.

Hopefully, I'll be able to make it up my driveway in a day or two to go grocery shopping. Meanwhile, there are over 200 southern style recipes to check out.
Snow? What snow?

WATERSIDE WEDNESDAY: Caribbean Recipe

With snow in this week's forecast again, I decided it was time for my annual winter ritual... Caribbean Day.

What is Caribbean Day?

It's a one day mini-vacation that started when my son was young.

One January, schools were closed because of sleet and ice, and we were both cranky at being stuck inside.

We pulled out the Bob Marley cassettes and Cds, dressed in camp shirts and spent the day cooking a meal that would make us feel as if we were on the beach in Jamaica.

If you, too, are anxious for warm weather to arrive, try this menu and no matter what winter throws your way, you'll be feeling as if it's No Problem Mon.

DRINKS:

Pina Coladas (with or without rum)

MAIN MEAL:

Jerked fish

Ital Stew (see recipe below)

Rice and field peas (see recipe below)

DESSERT:

Fresh pineapple chunks

JERKED FISH

Any kind of fish fillets or fish steaks

Wet jerk seasoning* (I like Grace brand. It comes in jars)

A bit of olive oil

Preheat oven broiler to 450 degrees. Rub fish with jerk on both sides and let sit for about 15 minutes. Place an empty oiled cookie sheet in oven. When the pan is hot put fish on pan. For fillets, cook for 4 minutes, turn fish and cook another 3-4 minutes. Thicker fish steaks will take about 8-10 minutes per side.

Wet jerk seasoning is a spicy blend of fresh thyme, young onions,, allspice, ginger, Scotch bonnet peppers, black pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon. Every cook has her own version.

SISTER FIRE’S I-TAL STEW

3 large cans of coconut milk

6 carrots, finely sliced

1-2 pounds potatoes, peeled and quartered

2 cups cabbage, sliced

2 cups okra, sliced

5 allspice berries (whole)

3 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped

5 scallions, finely sliced

2 large sprigs of fresh thyme (or about 1 teaspoon dried thyme)

Dash of tumeric

Salt & Pepper

Pour the coconut milk into a Dutch oven and at a low simmer, reduce it by half. This takes about 20-30 minutes. Add everything else. Add just enough water to barely cover the veggies. When veggies are tender, serve. Tastes even better if refrigerated overnight and reheated.

I slightly adapted this recipe from Traveling Jamaica with Knife, Fork & Spoon by Robb Walsh and Jay McCarthy. The book is published by The Crossing Press of Freedom, California.

CARIBBEAN RICE AND FIELD PEAS

Goes good with jerked fish or Ital stew.

2 cups of raw rice

1 can of field peas

(Glory brand Southern style seasoned field peas are my favorite but you can use gandules or Goya pidgeon peas which are easier to find)

Cook 2 cups of rice rice in rice cooker. Open can of field peas 3/4 of the way, then hold lid in place to drain peas. When rice cooker goes to “stay warm”, stir in drained field peas. Leave in cooker for at least 5 minutes to heat peas.

WATERSIDE WEDNESDAY: ALOHA

One of the little known pleasures of writing a book is that you rediscover old friends.
A month ago, a very talented Virginia decorator who I had lost touch with saw my book and sent me an e-mail.
She was living in Hawaii for the past six years and had recently opened a home boutique called Nest. She wanted to stock my book.
From experience, I knew that everything that Sandi Wickersham does, she does well, and I asked her to send me a few photos of her shop and recent work. Above is a bedroom she redid for a client. All of the other photos in this post were taken in Sandi's shop in Kihei on Maui.
When Sandi told me that my book, Waterside Cottages, was perfect for her shop, she wasn't kidding! Perched on a shelf, it really does look right at home at Nest.
Here's a closer view!
Born on a farm in Washington State, Sandi grew up surrounded by green hills, apple trees and a host of horses, cows, and chickens. For some reason, she always dreamed of living by the sea.
Her father encouraged her to draw. As an adult, Sandi gained recognition for her primitive style paintings of daily life at her family's farm, country fairs and other country scenes. She also painted her Caribbean fantasies filled with flamingos, frothy surf and stacks of shells.

Despite her success as an artist, Sandi has worked as a dental hygienist in California, opened an antiques shop in Texas and designed quilts and bedding for a company in New York City. Today she frequently incorporates Hawaiian quilt patterns into her design work.
Sandi and I met in 1993. She was living in a rustic log cabin in rural Virginia, raising horses and painting, and running two home design shops.
Her life seemed practically perfect but moving to Hawaii was her dream come true. To see more of what she's been up to visit www.wickershamdesign.com
If you are in the neighborhood, please drop by Nest and tell Sandi that Barbara sent you.
Of course, you might want to call ( 808-269-3228) first to be sure Sandi's not taking a break.