Made the Creole last night. It was/is pretty great. The recipe was a little surprising from an N.O. guy as it didn't start with a roux and had some subtle vietnamese influences (mint, lemongrass, something else that i'm forgetting).

Anyone got any good recipes using salt preserved lemons? I made some last fall and I can't recall what I had in mind to do with them now and want to use them before they get too old.

I had the same problem with salt preserved lemons. I never did figure out what to do with them and eventually tossed them. Occasionally, I added them to soups finely chopped up, which did give it a nice tang note.

There's a significant Vietnamese population here because of the commercial fishing. I guess Ole Besh has been slumming it on the Westbank picking up ideas.

You mean fuhing them Viet chicks? He apparently has a rep as a dude who walks around with his dong out, and doesn't care if the lady is married, etc. I have a friend down there that has some crazy story about Besh running through like 5 executives' wives when he was hired to cater their big hunting expedition.

Billy - I think Moroccan uses preserved lemons a bunch.

We made deer burgers with grilled red onion last night. Pretty good, but what was awesome was the cream cheese/tasso ham stuffed jalapenos. My mouth loved them, but my stomach is pissed at me today. Props to Bloor for bringing me the tasso (of which I used @ 1/4 and have the rest left over) and the Boudin we fuhed as an appetizer.

You mean fuhing them Viet chicks? He apparently has a rep as a dude who walks around with his dong out, and doesn't care if the lady is married, etc. I have a friend down there that has some crazy story about Besh running through like 5 executives' wives when he was hired to cater their big hunting expedition.

Billy - I think Moroccan uses preserved lemons a bunch.

We made deer burgers with grilled red onion last night. Pretty good, but what was awesome was the cream cheese/tasso ham stuffed jalapenos. My mouth loved them, but my stomach is pissed at me today. Props to Bloor for bringing me the tasso (of which I used @ 1/4 and have the rest left over) and the Boudin we fuhed as an appetizer.

They last survive a loooooong time. I always have a jar full in the fridge. Google "tagine", pick out one of the zillion recipes available that sounds like you want to eat it, and cook up a fine Moroccan stew of your choosing. Some of my favorite food.

Glad it was all good. Cajun Meat Company is no joke.

He's from Plaquemines,which is legit.

Yeah, he's the real thing, no doubt about it. Nice fucking guy to boot.

Never met anyone from Plaquemines who wasn't. But you might want to watch your wallet when you go in there. Not the most honest folk in the world.

I don't doubt that for a minute. (I've been there a few times back when my brother was at NAS New Orleans)

bloor, that's the place in east lake right? its been there forever and I've never been in...sounds like I need to.

It is. You should.

the sausage is pretty reasonably priced, gonna go pick up some of that boudin tomorrow...

At least once a week in the cafeteria downstairs at work, I have me a breakfast burrito:
eggs
bacon
pepper jack cheese
green and red peppers
onions
tomatoes
hash browns
salsa

all rolled up in a big flour tortilla.

It's a great morning when I can have one of those.

Yeah, I know the recipe I had in mind was Moroccan. Hell if I know what I did with it or where I found it. Some of my cook books have recipes that call for them but they're mostly chicken recipes and while I like chicken fine if I'm going through the effort of slow cooking something for 2-3 hours I usually want something better than chicken.

I could google up some recipes I guess but since I didn't find something in one of the cookbooks I bought I wondered if I got the whole idea from something on obner in one of the previous year cooking threads.

Most tagines that aren't vegetarian are pretty much chicken or lamb. I use chicken because, as far as I'm concerned, lambs are better left in the barnyard for late night liasons than making tagines. That, and the plain truth that I don't like the taste or even the smell of it. I'm pretty sure I posted a chicken tagine in last year's gastronomy. Some recipes for charmoula, a Moroccan marinade typically used for seafood (and delicious, too), also call for preserved lemon.

just snagged a couple lbs of the Boudin and baked one in the oven...holy shit!

New Orleans dominated Beard Semi-finalists for best chef in the South

Zach Bell, Café Boulud, Palm Beach, FL
Scott Boswell, Stella!, New Orleans
Aaron Burgau, Patois, New Orleans
Chris Dupont, Café Dupont, Birmingham, AL
Adolfo Garcia, RioMar, New Orleans
John Harris, Lilette, New Orleans
Chris Hastings, Hot and Hot Fish Club, Birmingham, AL
Scott Hunnel, Victoria & Albert’s, Lake Buena Vista, FL
Philip Krajeck, Fish Out of Water at WaterColor Inn & Resort,
Santa Rosa Beach, FL
Dean James Max, 3030 Ocean at Marriott Harbor Beach
Resort & Spa, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Tory McPhail, Commander’s Palace, New Orleans
James and Julie Petrakis, The Ravenous Pig, Winter Park, FL
Hari Pulapaka, Cress, DeLand, FL
Lee Richardson, Ashley’s at Capital Hotel, Little Rock, AR
Taylor Bowen Ricketts, Delta Bistro, Greenwood, MS
Philippe Ruiz, Palme d’Or at the Biltmore, Coral Gables, FL
David Solazzo and Torre Solazzo, Ristorante Del Porto,
Covington, LA
Stephen Stryjewski, Cochon, New Orleans
Wesley True, True, Mobile, AL

Interesting - I've been to Hot and Hot (which rules) but not to either of the others.
I get to Bham so infrequently that I mostly want to eat at Frank Stitt's Highlands when I do.

Taylor Bowen Ricketts is a great name.

Ol Ricketts

BEST CHEF: SOUTHEAST

Hugh Acheson, Five and Ten, Athens, GA
Billy Allin, Cakes & Ale, Decatur, GA
Ashley Christensen, Poole’s, Raleigh, NC
Scott Crawford, Herons at the Umstead Hotel and Spa, Cary, NC
Craig Deihl, Cypress, Charleston, SC
John Fleer, Canyon Kitchen at Lonesome Valley, Cashiers, NC
Damian Heath, Lot 12 Public House, Berkeley Springs, WV
Linton Hopkins, Restaurant Eugene, Atlanta
Scott Howell, Nana’s, Durham, NC
Shane Ingram, Four Square, Durham, NC
Anthony Lamas, Seviche, Louisville, KY
Edward Lee, 610 Magnolia, Louisville, KY
Ouita Michel, Holly Hill Inn, Midway, KY
Andrea Reusing, Lantern, Chapel Hill, NC
Keith Rhodes, Catch, Wilmington, NC
Hector Santiago, Pura Vida, Atlanta
Chip Smith, Bonne Soirée, Chapel Hill, NC
Aaron Vandemark, Panciuto, Hillsborough, NC
Ken Vedrinski, Trattoria Lucca, Charleston, SC
Tandy Wilson, City House, Nashville, TN

Outstanding Wine Service
Five and Ten, Athens, GA, Steven Grubbs

Outstanding Pastry Chef
Lauren Mitterer, WildFlour Pastry, Charleston, SC
Aaron Russell, Restaurant Eugene, Atlanta
Cynthia Wong, Cakes & Ale, Decatur, GA

OUTSTANDING RESTAURANT
Herbsaint, New Orleans
Highlands Bar and Grill, Birmingham, AL
Magnolia Grill, Durham, NC

RISING STAR CHEF OF THE YEAR
Kevin Gillespie, Woodfire Grill, Atlanta
Sue Zemanick, Gautreau’s, New Orleans

I'd go gay for Hugh Acheson. Still need to check out his joint in Atlanta.

Glad to see Highlands on there. I feel the same way about Frank Stitt, Bloor, and he's not even a carpetbagger.

This week is going to be spent with lots of eating out, starting with this for tonight:

• Pork roulade with lardons paired with Chimay Rouge
• Cheese plate paired with Orval Trappist Ale
• Braised short rib with charred Brussels sprouts and polenta paired with Saison Dupont
• Apricot bread pudding paired with Rochefort Trappistes 10

I've jacked off to that Stitt book you gave me many a time, amigo.

Still waiting for you to send the private jet to Falcon Field for us to have dinner at Highland's.