recipes of the day 05/04/04....let's celebrate the carbohydrate.

anybody else like french toast?????

French Toast, Lost Bread, and Pain Perdue

Ingredients:

1/2 stick margarine or butter
1 stick butter or margarine cut into pats
4 eggs, beaten well
¾ cup milk or evaporated milk
1 Tbsp. grated orange zest
¼ cup fresh orange juice
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
8 slices stale French bread, 1 inch thick
Pinch salt
Powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, orange zest, orange juice, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt.

Then, in a 12-inch non-stick skillet, melt down two pats of butter or margarine until it begins to sizzle.

Meanwhile, dip the bread on both sides in the egg/milk coating until thoroughly covered. Then place the slices on a wire rack over a sheet pan for a few minutes to allow the excess coating to drip away.

All that's left is to fry the slices in the butter over a medium or medium-high heat until they turn a richly golden color with web-like markings.

This should take about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Repeat the procedure as often as need to cook all the bread slices. Avoid smashing down on the slices as they cook-this will keep the French toast light and airy.

I suggest you serve the bread immediately from the skillet and dust the slices liberally with powdered sugar.

Chef's Notes:

1-Suitable breads for making French toast include French bread, brioche, or challah (egg bread). The trick to creating "perfect" French toast is to get the right staleness to the bread. This is best accomplished by making the slices then spreading them out on a table overnight. Of course, if push comes to shove, you can always lightly toast the slices before converting them to Lost Bread.

2-In addition to powdered sugar, French toast can also be served with Steen's Cane Syrup, or a light sprinkling of granular sugar, or a combination of 4 tablespoons of raspberry preserves creamed together with 4 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter. The raspberry peanut topping is best if spread over the French toast while it is piping hot right from the skillet.

3-One of the classiest toppings for French toast is Orange Crème. It is made by whisking together 1 cup of heavy cream, ¼ cup of sugar, 1/3 cup of orange juice concentrate, and a splash of good brandy. Beat the mixture almost to a froth and serve it slightly chilled. Ummmm!

 

who wants crawfish in their grits? i do !!!!!

Crawfish Smothered Grits

1 pound peeled crawfish tails
Salt
Cayenne
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 cups beef stock
3 cups half-and-half
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking white grits
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiana-Reggiano cheese

In a mixing bowl, toss the crawfish tails with salt and cayenne.

In a 3-quart saucepan, over medium heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions. Season the onions with salt and cayenne. Sauté for 2 minutes, or until the onions are soft. Add the crawfish and garlic. Continue to cook for 2 minutes. Add the stock and half-and-half to the pan. Season with salt and cayenne. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the grits and stir constantly until they are very tender, about 10 minutes. Add the cheese and stir to mix and melt it. Serve warm.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

may i have some more grits please........

Grillades and Jalapeno Grits

1 pound round steak
1/2 pound fresh tomatoes
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon cayenne
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large onion, sliced thin
1 large bell pepper, chopped
Hot pepper sauce, to taste

Cut round steak into serving pieces and season with salt, pepper and flour. Add steaks to hot oil in a cast iron skillet to brown. Turn over when brown and brown on the other side. Add onion, garlic, bell pepper and 1/2 cup water. Lower heat. Cover and simmer about 1 hour or until meat is tender. Keep adding water if gravy dries out.

Add hot pepper sauce and tomatoes and cook 15 minutes longer.

Serve over grits. Pass the French bread.

Serves 4.

Andouille-Cheese Grits

1/2 pound Andouille sausage, chopped
4 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups quick grits
1 cup cheddar cheese

Brown sausage in a saucepan over medium/high heat, cooking about 4 minutes. Add the milk, salt, cayenne and butter and bring to a boil. Add the grits and reduce the heat to medium. Stir for 30 seconds the add the cheese and stir until the cheese melts. Cook uncovered for 4-5 minutes or until the grits are tender and creamy. Serve immediately.

From Emeril Lagasse Louisiana Real and Rustic cookbook (thankyou emeril for keeping the ingredient count low )

oh my god....this one is from kay ewing's cooking school in baton rouge. talk about some grits !!!!!

CAJUN PEPPERED SHRIMP AND GRITS

GRITS:

6 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups Quick Grits

2 Tablespoons butter
1 roll garlic cheese
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon Worcestershire

Preheat oven to 350 °. Grease a large saucepan with cooking spray, add water and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in salt and grits. Lower heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until water is absorbed and grits thicken. Add butter, cheeses and Worcestershire. Cook until cheese melts. Pour in a greased casserole dish and bake for about 20 minutes to set.

SHRIMP:

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup olive oil
3 lbs. medium shrimp, peeled
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup chopped green onion
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon basil, thyme & oregano
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Fresh hot French bread

In a large saucepan, melt butter and oil over medium heat. Add shrimp and saute just until pink. Stir in all other ingredients and seasonings. Simmer about 10 minutes. Mixture will be very saucy. Serve a scoop of grits surrounded with shrimp and sauce. Serve with hot French bread for dipping. (Serves 8)

CLASS NOTES: A delightful combination of flavors straight from the South!

here is kay's website if you want to check it out: http://www.kayewing.com/default.htm

 

carbs for dessert courtesy of brennan's.......

Bananas Foster

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup banana liqueur
4 bananas, cut in half lengthwise, then halved
1/4 cup dark rum
4 scoops vanilla ice cream

Combine the butter, sugar, and cinnamon in a flambé pan or skillet. Place the pan over low heat either on an alcohol burner or on top of the stove, and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the banana liqueur, then place the bananas in the pan. When the banana sections soften and begin to brown, carefully add the rum. Continue to cook the sauce until the rum is hot, then tip the pan slightly to ignite the rum. When the flames subside, lift the bananas out of the pan and place four pieces over each portion of ice cream. Generously spoon warm sauce over the top of the ice cream and serve immediately.
4 servings.