that would be great Danny--thanks!

jhawk1 wrote:Jen, if you would like I can bring a stack from the bar? To go container's that is...

I know I, for one, would certainly appreciate it, as we don't keep a whole lot of smallish containers around.

leek wrote:Oh I need a good grandma recipe for chocolate pie. I have a Texan friend who is dying for a good one.

I decided to contact Nancy McDermott, author of Southern Pies, who advised, ""Hi Catherine! I not only have a chocolate pie recipe, I have a whole chapter of them. Any particular kind? We got chocolate pie (which I called Chocolate Meringue Pie because not everybody knows that old-school chocolate pie is a dark chocolate filling with meringue on top. Then there's chocolate chess, chocolate pecan, black bottom pie, a peanut butter-banana cream pie with fudge sauce....there might be one or two more. What are you looking to make?"

I have a feeling your Texas friend may find something there to their liking.

Regards,

bean wrote:

jhawk1 wrote:Jen, if you would like I can bring a stack from the bar? To go container's that is...

I know I, for one, would certainly appreciate it, as we don't keep a whole lot of smallish containers around.

Will do...

boudreaulicious wrote:In response to the interest in NOLA/Cajun/Creole/Southern food and cooking, we are establishing this group to exchange information, recipes, samples and opinions. Those interested in participating should use this thread for posts about food you're working on, preparation methods, pics of your masterpieces, ingredient sources and questions about same. If there is interest, I would propose meeting periodically to exchange samples, ingredients and strategies, perhaps similarly to the way the other food exchange groups work. I'm not sure I could do something monthly but perhaps every 2 months?

Louisiana lovers please respond with your thoughts on this!!

First gathering: Saturday, November 13th, 2010 at noon at Boudreaulicious' W. Lakeview abode. Address to be PM'd. Given the terrific response and to ensure that it's comfortable for everyone, I'll cap this at 20 adults.

Attendees:

Boudreaulicious--Red beans & rice w/andouille sausage
Sean--Gumbo
Petite_Gourmande--beverages
Jimswide +1 adult/1 child: Shrimp and Tasso pasta
irisarbor--Jambalaya
gjdad--Cajun gumbo
jygach--Crawfish (or shrimp) pies
lougord99--chicken and dumplings and home-smoked Andouille
cabrito +1--greens w/ and w/o meat and chocolate meringue pie
bean--Bananas Foster cupcakes
Jean Blanchard + 1--cornbread and either a cajun cabbage casserole (with lots of bacon) or cajun meatloaf
Pairs4life--Prudhomme Family NA Anisette
jhawk+1 adult +1 child New Orleans BBQ shrimp and either Susan Spicer's Scotch Whiskey Banana Pie or Emerils White Chocolate Cherry Bread Pudding
Leek +1--Chesapeake Bay Crab Soup
LauraS--Shrimp Creole, Pecan Pralines (maybe)
Ms. Ingie--Sweet Potato Pie

Food only
Cathy2--TBD Cake

Hi all,

This would appear to be the final list, give or take a dish or two. Please check and make sure I have each of you down for the right number of people and dishes--I'm going to take care of the plasticware, plates, bowls, etc. and just want to make sure I have the right amount and types of stuff.

Also, not sure if anyone is bringing beverages--I will have plenty of cooler space. I will probably have a couple of 6 packs of one of the LA beers. I'll also supply some apple juice for the kiddies and some soda. If someone wants to bring a couple of bags of ice, that would be appreciated. I'm guessing it will be cold enough for the bev's to stay on the deck with just a bit of ice to get the party started.

Looking forward to seeing everyone--look for the address/phone PM on Thursday or so.

boudreaulicious wrote:Hi all,

This would appear to be the final list, give or take a dish or two. Please check and make sure I have each of you down for the right number of people and dishes--I'm going to take care of the plasticware, plates, bowls, etc. and just want to make sure I have the right amount and types of stuff.

Also, not sure if anyone is bringing beverages--I will have plenty of cooler space. I will probably have a couple of 6 packs of one of the LA beers. I'll also supply some apple juice for the kiddies and some soda. If someone wants to bring a couple of bags of ice, that would be appreciated. I'm guessing it will be cold enough for the bev's to stay on the deck with just a bit of ice to get the party started.

Looking forward to seeing everyone--look for the address/phone PM on Thursday or so.

Well Done You! Such a great idea that there are Southern/Cajun/Creole Exchanges now planned for both the Vegetarian Small Household Exchange(December) and probably one in the works for the Dessert Exchange.

Here's a test run of the chocolate meringue pie. I wanted to compare two recipes, so made 2 pies.

Cutting fat into flour for Pie crust.


For the test crust I used:
2 C Flour
1/2 C fat (Fat in this case was 1/4 C lard and 1/4 C butter)
1 T. salt
1/4 C whole milk

I'll not bore everyone with photos at each step unless expressly requested to do so. The quick list is form dough into 2 discs, pop in freezer for 20 min, roll out dough, blind bake.

Here's one of the crusts after baking:


Although the crust appeared to have a few nice flaky air pockets, it came out a bit dense, so I'll use vegetable oil for Saturday.

Here's the filling cooking, it is essentially chocolate pudding. It is starting to thicken up; I'm using a whisk and spatula to get the lumps out:


This is where I thought the pudding needed to be before taking it off the heat:


Whipping egg whites and sugar for meringue:


My great grandma's recipe is on the left, and another I found is on the right, which uses less flour, double the chocolate, evaporated milk instead of regular, and no vanilla. I expected the one on the right to be richer and that I'd like it more (sorry Mamaw.) You can see the one on the right has more volume, since it is filling its pie shell more than my great grandma's.


And the pies after they came out of the oven, about 20 minutes, just to brown the meringue:


I liked the vanilla flavor in my great grandma's filling, but it tasted too much of flour, and both were really sweet. I was conflicted which one I should make for next Saturday.

I'm really glad I did a test run, because I've never made this pie before. While fun to make, the pies ended up being a disaster. The fillings were both runny because I hadn't cooked them enough on the stove. Evidently for this recipe, when it says the pudding should coat the spoon, it means the pudding should coat the spoon 1/2"-1"! Also I didn't use cream of tartar in the meringue, but I will next time because this morning the meringue had wept, and little brown granules of syrupy sugar were all over the surface.

Since the pies weren't edible as pies, this morning after consulting the method for making pastry cream, I took the meringue off both pies and scraped the filling into a pan (for the pie on the right) and cooked it until it was almost the consistency I wanted for the actual pie. For my great grandma's recipe, I removed the meringue and baked the rest of the pie in the oven for 25 minutes. The fillings were basically fixed, although there were some bits of meringue I couldn't get out of the one I reheated in the pan, so the texture wasn't as smooth as it should be. The meringue was beyond saving, but at least now I'll have an eye for what the pie should turn out to be.

I'm glad I attempted to correct the pies as well, because once the filling cooked properly (somewhat properly) the taste of flour subsided and the level of sugar mellowed out in my great grandma's pie; I could also taste the eggs, it was like a custard.

The other pie was still too sweet, although more chocolatey, so I've decided to go with the family recipe. I'll make 2 pies again for Saturday, both using Mamaw's recipe - one of which will have the ratio of chocolate bumped up.

The greens will pose no similar problems, having been made many times in the past, and needing no test run

I'll also bring a couple gallons of sweet tea, which I've had great success making before!

Edited to bring photo size down.

PFL--thanks Glad to see the idea took off! You and I are having a good fall!!

Cabrito--people who make pies are my hero(ines). I am clueless. I hope to tackle some baking 101 this winter. I figure that if I can learn to can, I can learn this.

So looking forward to tasting hour grandma's recipe and everything else. I think I'm done eating until Saturday!

boudreaulicious wrote:
Cabrito--people who make pies are my hero(ines). I am clueless. I hope to tackle some baking 101 this winter. I figure that if I can learn to can, I can learn this.

Way less time consuming than canning. You could decide to make a pie now and have it out of the oven well before tomorrow. If you decided right now to can, highly unlikely, you would be done "well before tomorrow"

It's the "math" (my term for food-related measuring!!!!) involved in both that I find intimidating. But I figure that if I can overcome my fear of blowing up my house with the pressure canner, a few gummy pie crusts can't defeat me

CNN has a Southern Cooking quiz:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/11/09/qu ... index.html


(edited to add I got one wrong, and I think the question was worded badly (sorghum one))

leek wrote:CNN has a Southern Cooking quiz:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/11/09/qu ... index.html

I got 100% but you must read the combo choices closely for chitlin's and maw

pairs4life wrote:

leek wrote:CNN has a Southern Cooking quiz:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/11/09/qu ... index.html

I got 100% but you must read the combo choices closely for chitlin's and maw

that was one i missed--thought maw was beef...
and what the heck are benne wafers????

boudreaulicious wrote:and what the heck are benne wafers????

Take a trip to Charleston - you can't miss 'em.

nr706 wrote:

boudreaulicious wrote:and what the heck are benne wafers????

Take a trip to Charleston - you can't miss 'em.

You do know I'm from South Carolina right?

I've got a recipe for them as well.

Hi,

Benne wafers are sesame studded cookies. If nobody is making any, I could.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:Hi,

Benne wafers are sesame studded cookies. If nobody is making any, I could.

Regards,

They're not on the list but if you're motivated to bake 'em, I'm sure you'll find a crowd motivated to eat 'em!!

HI,

I will make Benne Wafers and a cake.

Thanks!

Regards,

jimswside wrote:it looks like shrimp and tasso pasta will be our contribution. Unless I stumble upon some crawfish, then maybe a combo.

Jim,

Am I correct in thinking you commute to the east for work? Have you ever been to Pete's Fresh Market? The last time I was at the one at 43rd and Pulaski (not too far off of 55) they had crawfish in the seafood case.

An illness in the family forces me to cancel. I look forward to attending a cajon food eggstravaganza some other time and I'll bring the sweet potato pie then. My spot is now available to next in line.

Ms. Ingie wrote:Am I correct in thinking you commute to the east for work? Have you ever been to Pete's Fresh Market? The last time I was at the one at 43rd and Pulaski (not too far off of 55) they had crawfish in the seafood case.

I do commute about 70 miles(each way) east every day, I have not ben to Pete's(we have supplied the brick for all of them and the new ones being built though). Both are a litte further east than I come in, but thanks for the heads up. I looked at getting some tails or steamed crawfish from Louisiana today, but they would have been about $100 with shipping.

I am either going to gt some tail meat or whole frozen crawfish @ Restaurant Depot on Friday. Ultra Foods also has some if i go that route.

I did spring for a surprise garnish today to be recieved via Fed-Ex next day air tomorrow...

jimswside wrote:I did spring for a surprise garnish today to be recieved via Fed-Ex next day air tomorrow...

hmmm...that sounds promising. I'm awaiting a delivery of beans myself...$6.00 and change for the beans (4 lbs)...$14.00 and change for the shipping. Hope they get here on time!!

boudreaulicious wrote:

jimswside wrote:I did spring for a surprise garnish today to be recieved via Fed-Ex next day air tomorrow...

hmmm...that sounds promising. I'm awaiting a delivery of beans myself...$6.00 and change for the beans (4 lbs)...$14.00 and change for the shipping. Hope they get here on time!!

just a little fun for dressing up the dish with some color & pop......

looking forward to your red beans and rice.

Picking up my blue crab meat from Dirk's this afternoon

leek wrote:Picking up my blue crab meat from Dirk's this afternoon

yeah!!! Still awaiting my beans...clock is ticking!

Was at WHole paycheck last night picking up the andouille sausage for my jambalaya...

irisarbor wrote:Was at WHole paycheck last night picking up the andouille sausage for my jambalaya...

nice, looking forward to trying the jambalaya.

I hit WP myself yesterday for fresh pasta.

had to light a match under some laid back California ass today. finally got my garnish shipped this afternoon, now Fed-Ex needs to do their job to get it to Martucky by tomorrow.

jimswside wrote:had to light a match under some laid back California ass today. finally got my garnish shipped this afternoon, now Fed-Ex needs to do their job to get it to Martucky by tomorrow.

and...still no beans! Looks like I'll be making Red Beans & Rice with cranberry beans at midnight tomorrow...

boudreaulicious wrote:

jimswside wrote:had to light a match under some laid back California ass today. finally got my garnish shipped this afternoon, now Fed-Ex needs to do their job to get it to Martucky by tomorrow.

and...still no beans! Looks like I'll be making Red Beans & Rice with cranberry beans at midnight tomorrow...

doh...

knowing you you will knock it out of the park.