New Orleans has much history and many things cultural to share that a creative human can appreciate and enjoy.
photo: Pete Pearce
The city has flavored many musicians, jazz and otherwise as well as helped season many top chefs.
Another gift of New Orleans is the Po’ Boy sandwich. (www.poboyfest.com/history)
Pictured here is my homemade tribute to the Catfish Po’ Boy with pepper jack cheese. Ingredients procured and fish fried at Ralph’s market seafood section.
This wine owns a heavy leg but stands on the taste buds gracefully, reminding the senses of a bouquet of sweet berry tastes. The flavor doesn’t linger long on the red carpet, before it melts away, providing opportunity for another pleasurable encounter.
For under $13. this was a pretty good wine.
Murphy-Goode cab is not a bad wine, but if you like a heavier, full flavored red wine, then the Bodega ELENA de Mendoza offers a bit more bang for a little less bucks.
This is the Dudes favorite Malbec yet! This is the first of the bottles that I have opened that came with a real cork. Good 1st impression. Upon tasting this wine, I was immediately aware that the taste game had changed.
The bar had been raised. This is serious wine. This full bodied wine smoothly drifts over your taste buds, dangling flavors of blackberries and plums, leaving a rejoicing smile and desire for more.
There was no crazy tinny aftertaste. This was immediately my new favorite Malbec.
If it is a dollar more than the other Malbec’s in this price range, pay it! Get this Malbec!
(Note) April 2013 issue of Bon Appetite magazine includes McCormick gourmet selection recommending this wine also.
If you like to be refreshed with a delicious fresh squeezed orange juice mimosa, then you need to get yourself over to the Border Grill in Santa Monica one of these weekends. Bartender Geronimo will keep an eye on your glass so you can concentrate on what awesome dish to order next.
Once you get your whistle wetted, it’s time to settle into an entree section with some incredible dishes to choose from. Chef Alex prepares these dishes with a full spectrum of forethought and care. The meats are naturally raised. All of the produce is organically grown on local farms.
The shrimp grits were pretty good and a great way to begin. The shrimps were big and they had a cajun taste to them that reminded me of Drew Brees and the Saints. The Yucatan eggs benedict stoked my taste buds pretty hard. The flaky crusted bisquit was light and perfect.
The next thing I had was another mimosa, and the steak and eggs. This experience was cool.
It seemed I just couldn’t go wrong.
The beef came and reminded of that delicious skirt steak from the Brazilian steak house. It was tender and tasty with a perfectly cooked egg on it.
I was loving it.
Geronimo brought me another mimosa and chef Alex made some machaca chilaquiles for me. I was having a really good time just hanging out and enjoying really delicious food. The chilaquiles and mimosa came and my day just kept getting better. The tender chunks of beef were in a tasty sauce with guacamole, light eggs and pico de gallo. Delicious.
The next thing I tried were the Oaxacan pancakes. These were super yummy. They were light and had Mexican chocolate chips and coffee caramel syrup with whipped cream on them. Like I said, they were really good.
The staff at the Border Grill is amazing. I have tried both the downtown and Santa Monica spots and have found everyone to be really friendly and knowledgeable. This proved true again and my crush on the Border Grill became stronger.
The next item i tried was the peanut butter & jelly with bacon, egg and jalapeno sandwich. It was not my favorite thing, but I have to say it was pretty good. Standing on it’s own it was good, but the other dishes were just so tasty that they all couldn’t be the best.
Chef Alex came out and introduced himself and was another really nice person from the Border Grill tribe.
He was real cool, knowledgeable and hospitable. He let me in on a secret and made me the daily special ‘special’ which was a pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon with an egg. Again my taste buds danced and my good time continued.
The level of awareness is respectable. These folks have earned their places and a lot of thought and preparation goes into this operation to ensure your good experience.
A friend of mine arrived and she tried some of the things i hadn’t so I tasted the bisquit and gravy and the bread pudding french toast. The french toast is another favorite.
This brunch happens in Santa Monica from 10am-3p and if you like food or mimosas, then the Dude highly recommends you give this a try. If you don’t like this you’re still a caveman.
One of histories oldest dishes, that many folks refer to as Italian food, is actually from Greece. Early layered pasta creations existed in ancient Greece and were mentioned as early as 146 B.C. Later, in the Naples region of Italy, this dish became a staple and grew in popularity becoming what we now know as lasagna. Motto bene.
Come share the secrets of easily creating a delicious lasagna as the Dude of Food prepares lasagna before your eyes.
“Follow your grandma’s directions and eat your greens. She’s right, they’re good for you. Besides, blanched kale sauteed in olive oil and garlic tastes good.” the Dude of Food
Big Bear Lake, CA is home to a Mexican hacienda called the Sonora Cantina. Here is what their menu states about their ‘Big Juan’.
“Big Juan Burrito $13.50
Not for the faint of heart and one of the largest regularly made burritos in the world. If you can finish it in 45 minutes or less you become an instant celebrity and will win a T-shirt proclaiming your victory over ‘Big Juan’.
The burrito contains 4 meats, cheese, beans, lettuce, rice, sliced olives, green onions and tomatoes. Bon appetit gringo.”
Homemade fried catfish sticks are easy to make and fun to eat. If you are looking for an alternative to pizza, pasta, hoagies or chicken fingers then give these a try.
Take 1 lb of catfish and wash it off. Chop it into preferred sized bits. Mix 2 eggs into a bowl. Pour some bread crumbs onto a plate. Dip the cut fish bits in the eggs and then onto the bread crumb plate. Once all the bits are breaded, deposit them into an electric frying pan that is dialed up to 340 degrees. There only needs to be enough oil to sit the fish in. The sticks do not need to be submerged as you can flip them over. Let cook for about 4 – 5 minutes each side or until they look as crispy as you like them. Remove sticks from oil and pat dry. Put the sticks on a plate, sprinkle with some fresh lemon juice and serve with a side of tartar and your favorite cold beer. YUM.
Halibut, Chilean sea bass or shrimp work well. In this photo you see thick fresh halibut fillets and fresh sea bass fillets after having been soaked overnight in a delicious marinade I found at a local Santa Monica market.
The marinade is an island blend sauce that was perfect. I then topped the mix with a pineapple ring, covered and let sit in the fridge. The ingredients pictured in the pan were thrown on a grill for a few minutes on the patio of a local architectural firm for a ‘Friday Fun Lunch’ organized by a cool office manager. The fish was served with potato salad, grilled shrimp, grilled salmon with a rosemary lemon sauce and a side of mixed fruit chutney and it was simply delicious.
