“In this extraordinary new book, Emeril Lagasse continues his lifelong commitment to using fresh, local ingredients in his restaurants and home kitchen. He has spent the past thirty years building close relationships with farmers, fishermen, and ranchers. Farm to Fork is his guide to help you explore the great local bounty through fifteen flavorful chapters—sweet summer in “The Three Sisters: Corn, Beans, and Squash,” juicy “Berries, Figs, and Melons,” sublime naturally raised meats in “Out on the Range,” fresh catch in “Fresh Off the Dock,” and home canning tips from “Home Economics: Preserving the Harvest.”
Fill your basket with the ripest ingredients from every season at the markets (or your backyard garden) and dig into delicious recipes such as Sweet Potato Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter, Cheesy Creole Tomato Pie, Honey-Brined Pork Chops with Nectarine Chutney, Watermelon Rind Crisp Sweet Pickles, and Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp. Even learn how to make your own cheese and pasta at home. Emeril shares his love for fresh from-the-fields foods—and the heritage of the artisans who bring them to the table.”
If you would like to win a copy of Farm To Fork: Cooking Local, Cooking Fresh, leave me a comment below and tell me what your favorite local ingredients are to cook with. These ingredients can be items you might purchase at one of our farmers markets or something you grow yourself. If you enjoy fishing, share your favorite catches you enjoy frying or grilling up. Farm To Fork won’t be available in stores until June 1st, but I will choose one random winner on Tuesday, June 1st. When you comment, please be certain to enter your email correctly so that I can contact you if you win. The contest is open to my readers residing in the United States.
If you don’t win, there are still a few ways you can commemorate the book release with Chef Emeril’s family of restaurants, including special dinner menus, participation at the Crescent City Farmers Market and a four-course Farm To Fork dinner. Keep reading for all the fantastic details on dining and eating local, a true celebration of Louisiana!
Christy’s back with a post for the beer-lover in you. When you’re enjoying your locally-fished seafood, don’t forget to drink local, too! -Leslie
Anyone that I encounter that has spent time in the Northwest will gladly tell me about all of the amazing breweries that pepper the Pacific. Even though we don’t have a myriad of local suds to choose from our selection slowly gets better every year.
A newcomer in the New Orleans market is Bayou Teche Brewery. Louisiana’s fourth brewery has humble beginnings, but will likely explode in popularity soon. Located just outside the town of Arnaudville the brewery is housed in an old railroad car. The beer was crafted out of a need for a great beer that compliments Cajun food.
I found their LA-31 Bière Pâle at Whole Foods and was admittedly drawn in with the packaging. Unlike a “K-Ville” gumbo party their clever labels are the real deal. Louisiana residents will recognize “beer drinkers paradise” as a play on “sportsman’s paradise” and our highway signs make a great logo. The beer itself is really, really good. It’s slightly fruity with a musty, nutty, spicy kick and even though it is a pale ale there is nothing “pale” about this great drinking brewsky.
Keep up with Bayou Teche Brewing via their blog and please help support this budding brewery.
LA-31 Bière Pâle’s Beer Advocate profile and rating can be found here.
Many of my favorite dishes I prepare at home feature aromatic rices, so I can’t wait to try it. Jazzmen Aromatic Rice can be found at Zuppardo’s and your local Rouses supermarkets. Be sure to get your recipe in by April 1, 2010. Good luck to all that enter!
A couple of months ago, a friend-of-a-friend informed me of a new local frozen dessert I should try for the NOLA Eats blog. Since I love ice cream, sorbet and gelato, I thought it was a great idea. Unfortunately, it was only a week or so ago that I remembered to look for it at Whole Foods, but I couldn’t recall the name of the product. However, I did discover that Kleinpeter Farms Dairy, a Baton Rouge dairy farm, has a line of ice cream made with their rBGH-free milk and other “Made In Louisiana” ingredients.
I picked out a pint of their Cafe’ Au Lait, since I am also a coffee addict. I know some people prefer to keep their coffee separate from their frozen confectioneries, but since I enjoy my cuppa sweet and creamy, a coffee-infused ice cream is right up my alley. Kleinpeter’s Cafe’ Au Lait is made with Community Coffee and it did not disappoint.
Now, I am not the resident All Things Frozen & Good expert here in New Orleans. I tip my hat to Lindsay at Scoop Adventures for the bearer of that crown. But lemmetellyousomethin’, this stuff is just plain good. Really good. It is smooth and creamy, just as I imagine a cold glass of their milk is, or so a co-worker tells me (disclosure: we do not drink cow’s milk). I liked that the bourbon flavor in the ice cream base was a backdrop to the coffee flavor, which was mellow, yet rich and flavorful. You could definitely taste the coffee, but it wasn’t bitter, and while it does not specify, I can’t imagine that this was made with a chicory brew. Even my husband, who does not like coffee-flavored ice creams, liked the few bites I let him have.
We try not to buy too many desserts to keep on-hand, but I thoroughly enjoyed Kleinpeter’s Cafe’ Au Lait and can’t wait to taste their other flavors.
What Is NOLA EATS?
Social Dining in New Orleans.
Combine new media & social networking with food & libations and you get NOLA Eats, a New Orleans-based social dining group and blog. Founder, Event Coordinator and habitual socializer Leslie J. Almeida writes about her favorites in New Orleans restaurants and nightlife while promoting a "live local" lifestyle.
You can follow more of Leslie's NOLA adventures by connecting with her on Twitter, Facebook and Flickr.
