"Eating in New Orleans is always a historical experience. Stretching back
many years, virtually every traditional dish we eat evokes connections to family, ancestry and the land. Many foods that were once eaten in luxury
are now viewed as historically exotic or are attached to a particular holiday celebration. Réveillon and the foods typically eaten during this time of year remind us of the special foods of the season. It is a celebration that provides
a connection to our past and our cultural diversity and is also an excellent
way to show off the city’s restaurants.
"Traditionally, le Réveillon, or "the awakening," was the morning feast following midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. Popular with Creole families
in the mid-1800s, it is now much a part of our restaurant scene. Réveillon
was and still is something special to New Orleanians.
"In the early days, most Catholics recognized Christmas Eve as a day of fasting and abstinence. Following midnight Mass, everyone was hungry
and ready to celebrate with a Réveillon feast. Upon their return from
church, family members sat down to an elaborate meal of daube glacé,
chicken and oyster gumbo, pies filled with game, egg dishes, sweet-
breads, soups, soufflés, grillades, grits, hominy, homemade breads,
crystallized fruits, fruitcakes, lavish desserts, wine, brandy, eggnog,
and dark-roast coffee. The celebration lasted until the wee hour of 3
a.m., when the ladies and children would retire. The gentlemen, how-
ever, smoked cigars, drank and talked until dawn of Christmas Day.
"When social changes caused many of the old ways to be lost, the Ré-
veillon celebration disappeared from New Orleans for a while. Church
laws about fasting and abstinence were relaxed, and that may have also
contributed to the demise of Réveillon. Now, to help fill restaurants
during a time when the convention business is slow, the Réveillon name
has re-emerged in New Orleans, although its current manifestation is a
bit different.
"Réveillon runs on a different schedule than the original version. During December, it’s served as prix fixe dinners at restaurants throughout the
New Orleans area. A typical Réveillon menu is a complete dinner of four
to six courses, chosen with the season in mind. Typical menu highlights
are roasted duck and other game birds, as well as beef, soups, meat pies,
and many unusual desserts. Local chefs tailor their individual styles to
the traditions of Christmas, and most menus offer choices in some or
all of the courses..."
 

5 large eggs
1 1/8 cups granulated sugar
1 cup half and half
1 cup heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg,
plus some for garnish
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 cup bourbon
1/8 cup brandy
3 large egg whites

In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, beat together the eggs and sugar.
Stir in the half and half. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly,
until the mixture is thick enough to coat a metal spoon with a thin film
and reaches at least 160 degrees F. Remove from the heat. Stir in the
cream, nutmeg, vanilla, bourbon and brandy. Cool, then cover and
refrigerate until ready to serve.
Just before serving, beat the egg whites in a large bowl with an electric
mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold them into the eggnog.
Serve cold in punch cups and sprinkle with nutmeg.

12 strips bacon, cut in half
2 dozen oysters, raw
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Flour
Oil for deep frying
Toast point and lemon wedges for serving

One 18-ounce center cut beef tenderloin (filet mignon)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 fresh thyme sprigs
12 French bread crostini (thin slices of
toasted French bread)

Season tenderloin with salt and pepper and rub with olive oil. Place
thyme sprigs on and around meat and let marinate for 30 minutes.
Roast on a rotisserie or in a grill over an open flame until internal
temperature reaches 120 degrees F., about 25 minutes until beef is
cooked rare. Let rest for 15 minutes.
To serve, carve into thin slices. Place crostini on plates, top with
slices of beef and drizzle with aïoli.

Roasted Pepper and Basil Aïoli

4 egg yolks *
8 cloves garlic
2 roasted red bell peppers
1 cup basil
2 cups extra-virgin olive oil, or a combination
of extra-virgin olive oil and grapeseed oil
Salt

To roast peppers, place under or over flame in broiler or on stovetop
until skin is blackened. Peel off black skin.
In a food processor, combine egg yolks, garlic, roasted pepper and
basil. Add oil very slowly in a thin stream with food processor running
until the ingredients form an emulsion. Store in refrigerator. This may
be made one day ahead. Makes 4 cups.

For the cake:
1-1/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 large eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the filling and frosting:
21 ounces bittersweet chocolate, such as Lindt
1-1/2 cups crème fraîche or heavy,
non ultra-pasteurized cream
1/2 cup chestnut purée

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Line a 17 x 11 x 1-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Brush it
with melted butter, and dust it with flour.

Prepare the cake:
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together onto a sheet of parchment paper. Beat the egg yolks and 3/4 cup of the sugar with the whisk attach-
ment in an electric mixer until the mixture is thick and lemon colored. Add
the dry ingredients at low speed, mixing until just incorporated. Add the
vanilla, mix quickly and thoroughly, and set aside (the batter will be quite thick).
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they
form soft points. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and whisk until the
egg whites are glossy and form points that stand up but are not too stiff.
Fold one-fourth of the egg whites into the cake batter until they are in-
corporated, then fold in the remaining egg whites, working quickly.
They should be incorporated into the batter, but do not overmix it.
Spread the batter in the prepared pan, and bake until the cake is golden
and your finger makes a slight indentation in the top of the cake when
you press it, 8 to 10 minutes.
While the cake is baking, sift the confectioner's sugar over a clean
kitchen towel.
Remove the cake from the oven, and immediately invert it onto the
sugar-dusted towel. Peel the parchment paper from the cake, and starting
from one long side, gently roll the cake up in the towel. Allow it to cool
for 30 minutes.

Make the frosting:
Melt the chocolate and the cream together in a medium-sized, heavy
saucepan over medium heat. Shake the pan occasionally, and when the
chocolate has completely melted, whisk the mixture so it is completely
combined. Let it cool to room temperature, so it is thick enough to spread. Transfer 3/4 cup of the chocolate mixture to a small bowl, and whisk in
the chestnut purée. Season with vanilla if you like.
When the cake has cooled, unroll it and trim off the edges so it is perfectly even, reserving the trimmings. Spread the filling evenly over the cake to
within about 1/8-inch from the edges, and roll the cake back up. Roll the trimmings into spirals, and affix these to the sides of the cake with any<<
leftover filling (usually two "knots" are sufficient!).
Using the frosting, generously frost the cake, including the knots and the
ends. Let the cake rest for about 15 minutes, then decorate it, first with
the tines of a fork, then with the decorations of your choice. Let sit for
at least 8 hours and up to 24 before servings. Serves 8 to 10.