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La Belle Cuisine
In case the name Marcelle Bienvenu is not familiar to
you, it will be my great pleasure to make the introduction. In addition to
writing a weekly food column, "Cooking Creole", for the New Orleans
daily newspaper, The Times-Picayune,
she has written four cookbooks: Who's Your Mama, Are You Catholic, and Can
You Make a Roux?
, Who's Your Mama, Are You Catholic and Can You Make a Roux: the Sequel
 , Cajun Cooking for Beginners
, and Stir the Pot: The History
of Cajun Cuisine
 .
In addition, she has co-authored Louisiana Real and Rustic
 ,
Emeril's TV Dinners
 , Emeril's Creole Christmas
 , and Every Day's a Party
 with renowned Chef Emeril Lagasse and Eula Mae's Cajun Kitchen: Cooking Through the Seasons on Avery Island
 with Eula Dore. Whew! A very busy, very talented, very lucky lady!
 
The June 28, 2001 Times-Picayune Food Section had
this gem to offer, which I gladly share with you:
  
Get
back to the Basics for July 4th
Creole Cooking
Marcelle Bienvenu
"Summer
has just officially begun and our family has gotten together for two holiday
feasts since May. Over the long Memorial Day weekend, we gathered
at the camp on
Catahoula Lake where we feasted on
barbecued chicken,
rice
dressing, eggplant
casserole, ice-cold watermelon and
pineapple upside-
down cake.
On Father’s
Day, my siblings and their families (numbering about 22)
descended on my home on
the banks of Bayou Teche.
The menu
included barbecued brisket, grilled hamburgers and
pork sausage,
baked beans,
potato salad,
coleslaw,
garlic bread, homemade
strawberry ice
cream and
blackberry cobbler.
This morning my
older brother Henri Clay called, wanting to know what the
plan was for Fourth of
July! Still feeling full from
Father’s Day, I suggested
that perhaps we should
stay home and dine on water and crackers! But knowing
my family, we will either
gather around the pool at my sister’s or return to the
camp on the lake. Baby
Brother Bruce has already suggested the menu for that occasion, wherever we end
up. He says it’s time for a meal of fried chicken, corn bread, anything made
with garden-fresh vegetables, and more homemade
ice cream.
After swimming and
playing volleyball and baseball, we’ll be oh, so hungry!
My job is to
parcel out the preparation. Let’s see, Bruce can fry the chicken,
Edna can do
the ice cream, and the sister-in-law and I can take care of the
side dishes. I
even have all the recipes ready for them."
Crunchy Fried Chicken
Makes 4 servings
4
eggs, beaten
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 fryer, about 2 1/2 pounds, cut
into serving pieces
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Lard or solid vegetable shortening for deep-frying
Mix
together the eggs, milk, water, salt, [1/2 teaspoon] cayenne, black
pepper and
garlic powder in a large bowl. Add the chicken and toss to
coat evenly. Soak the
chicken in the mixture for about one hour in the
refrigerator.
Mix
together the flour, baking powder, [1 teaspoon] cayenne, salt and
black pepper
in another bowl. Remove the chicken, a couple of pieces
at a time, from the egg
mixture and shake off any excess. Roll in the
seasoned flour and deep fry in hot
oil until golden brown and the
chicken pops to the surface. Repeat the process
until all of the
chicken is cooked. Drain on paper towels.
Mama’s Corn Bread
Makes 6 to 8
servings
2
cups yellow corn meal
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
3 tablespoons bacon grease or shortening
Preheat
the oven to 425 degrees F. Sift the dry ingredients into a
mixing bowl. Add the
egg an milk and mix well. Heat the bacon
grease
or
shortening in a 9-inch cast
iron skillet. When the grease is
hot, pour
in
the batter. Bake until golden
brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove
from
the oven and let cool a few minutes before
slicing
to serve.
Luckily,
the Creole tomatoes weren’t damaged by the rains of
Tropical Storm Allison!
Creole
Tomato Casserole
Makes 6 to 8
servings
3
tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 cup chopped bell peppers
1 cup chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground beef
6 Creole tomatoes, peeled, seeded
and chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried sweet basil
1 cup fine bread crumbs
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
In a
large heavy pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions,
green onions,
bell pepper, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the
vegetables
are soft,
about five minutes. Add the ground beef and
cook, stirring often, until brown.
Add the tomatoes, salt cayenne,
oregano and basil. Cook, uncovered, over
medium-low fire, stirring
occasionally, for one hour.
Preheat
the oven to 350 degrees F. Pour the mixture into a baking
dish. Sprinkle the top
with the bread crumbs, then drizzle with the
butter. Sprinkle the top with the
cheese. Bake for 15 minutes or
until the cheese melts.
Eggplant and Rice Dressing
Makes 6 to 8
servings
1
large eggplant, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1 pound lean ground beef
4 cups cooked long-grain rice,
kept warm
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup chopped parsley
Salt and cayenne to taste
Put
the eggplant in a bowl of water and add the teaspoon of salt. Let
stand for
about 15 minutes. Then drain and rinse with cool water. In a
large heavy pot,
heat the oil over medium heat. Add the eggplant, and
stirring often, cook for
about 10 minutes, or until it softens. Add the
onions and bell peppers and cook
for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
Add
the ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef is
brown. Cover
the pot, reduce the hat to medium-low and simmer for
30 minutes, stirring
occasionally. Remove from heat. Add the rice and
stir to mix. Add
the chicken
broth if the mixture is a little dry. Season
with salt and cayenne.
Fresh Corn Salad
Makes about 12
servings
6
ears fresh sweet corn, husks and
silk removed and cleaned
1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
2 medium zucchini, cubed
1 bunch green onions, trimmed and chopped
1 medium-size red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium-size green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
Cook
the corn in boiling salted water until tender, six to eight minutes.
Drain and
let cool. Cut the kernels from the cob with a sharp knife.
In
a large salad bowl, combine the corn with the onion, zucchini, green onions, red
and green bell pepper and the parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to mix.
In
a small bowl, combine the garlic, sugar, mustard, hot sauce, olive oil
and
vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk until the sugar is dis-
solved, then
pour over the vegetables. Toss to coat the vegetables evenly. Chill for
at least three hours before serving. Serve with a slotted spoon.
Mama’s Ice Cream
Makes 6 to 8
servings
6
eggs, beaten
4 cups milk
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups chopped fruit, such as peaches,
strawberries and bananas
Combine
the eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla in a saucepan over medium-
low heat. Stirring
constantly, cook until the mixture thickens enough to
coat the back of a spoon.
Remove from heat. Chill in the refrigerator
for about two hours. Remove and add
the fruit. Freeze in an ice cream
freezer according
to manufacturer’s
directions.
Featured Archive Recipes:
4th of July Buffet at the
White Dog Cafe
All-American Barbecue
Menu
Creole Lullaby
Creole Stuffed Tomatoes
Eggplant, Shrimp and Rice Dressing
Fried Chicken, The Immortality of
Let them eat bread!
Potato Salad, Let Me Count the Ways...
Three Corn Salads
We all scream for ice cream...
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