You might be raising an eyebrow about now, wondering why I would list organic baby food as a secret sauce ingredient.  The answer might surprise you.

The texture difference is clear - baby food wins for its velvety smoothness!

Baby food is, in almost all cases, quite pure.  No additives, no flavorings.  Just pure fruit or pure vegetable the way nature intended.  The only extra ingredient might be a bit of water.  Organic baby food is even better, prepared with produce untreated by pesticides, GMOs and other unhealthy things.

For sauces, the benefit of adding baby food is clear.  Just look at the demonstration photo.  On the left spoon is the finely pureed baby food version of squash.  On the right spoon is the adult version, straight from a can.  The texture difference is obvious.  Baby food is velvety and smooth, while canned vegetables can be far thicker and lumpy.

The other reason I love to keep baby food in my pantry is that it is pre-portioned in perfect sized packs to be added as natural flavor boosts to sauces and dressings.  No measuring required.

Here are a few ideas for baby apple sauce to get you started:

Baby Apple Sauce:

• My chicken salad is crisp and fruity, with toasted pecans and Granny Smith apples.  To dress it, I combine light mayonnaise, a bit of sour cream, and one container of baby apple sauce.  The apple sauce adds moisture and flavor while reducing the amount of calorie-heavy mayo required.
• Pancakes on Sunday morning get a fruity touch with the addition of one or two containers of baby apple sauce and a teaspoon of cinnamon and sugar.
• When making a pan sauce of apples and onions for pork roast, add baby apple sauce to extend and round out the flavor.

Peruse the infant aisle of your local grocery then examine your sauce and dressing recipes to determine where you might boost flavor naturally with the addition of finely pureed organic baby food.

Scones are a favored treat in Great Britain, served warm from the oven with thick clotted cream.  I’ve made my own for years.  It’s become something of a Christmas morning tradition to bake these cherry scones and enjoy them while we open our holiday stocking stuffers and drink our first mugs of coffee.

These tea time treats aren’t complicated to make, they smell delicious while baking, and they taste even better.  Keep a batch in your freezer to pull out and bake when company comes unexpectedly knocking at your door.

Score the unbaked dough to make cutting simple before baking.

Christmas Morning Scones

1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cups granulated sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 1/2 cups oats

1 cup dried cherries, roughly chopped

10 ounces chilled butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2/3 buttermilk

1-2 Tablespoons heavy cream

1 Tablespoon coarse sugar

They are not quite bread and not quite a cookie. Scones are sweetly satisfying - especially with clotted cream, jam and a hot cut of tea.

Method of Preparation

1. In large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients (except coarse sugar).  Add butter and mix on medium-low speed until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
2. Add buttermilk and mix until just combined.
3. Turn out the mixture onto a clean work surface.  With hands, quickly pat mixture into a 16″x3 1/2″ rectangle that is 1 1/2″ high.  Score rectangle into ten triangles.  Cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the freezer for at least two hours.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line an 11×17″ baking sheet with parchment paper.  Remove dough from freezer and cut into triangles with sharp, non-serrated knife.  Trim loose edges.
5. Place scones two inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
6. Brush scones with heavy cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar.  Bake until lightly golden, about 30 minutes.

Rich, bursting with flavor and super easy, these cippollini onions are a fantastic side dish for any braised or grilled meat.  Inspired by Chef Michael Chiarello, here’s my take on these delicate yet savory vegetables:

Roasted cippollini are bursting with flavor!

Balsamic Glazed Cippollini Onions

1 bag cippollini onions, with peels

1/4 cup olive oil

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar (not extra-aged)

Freshly ground salt and black pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Boil 4 quarts of water in stockpot.  Cook cippollini onions in their peels for 3-5 minutes.  You might want to cut a small slit in each end of the onion before boiling to make peel removal easier.  Drain onions.  When cool, slip peels from onions and discard.
3. In oven-proof saute pan, heat olive oil.  Add drained and peeled onions.  Saute until lightly golden, about 4 minutes.
4. Add balsamic vinegar to saute pan.  On medium-high heat, cook down for several minutes until slightly reduced.
5. Cover saute pan and place in hot oven.  Bake for 11 minutes.
6. Remove from oven, stir to coat and allow to rest for several minutes before serving.
7. Serve onions with grilled or braised meats.

Helpful hint:  If you have any leftovers, puree onions and remaining glaze to use as an extra-flavorful sauce for sandwiches or dressing for salads.

It might not be pretty, but this system works!

We all have our own system for keeping track of great recipes.  Certain systems work . . . and quite frankly, others are the source of endless frustration that leads to extreme hunger.

For some cooks, recipes clipped from magazines are shoved into a bulging folder or the back of a drawer.  For others, identical recipe cards are kept in a tidy box that might have be passed down from generation to generation.  Certain home chefs computerize everything, while others just hope they remember the ingredients to a favorite meal.

I’m a fairly organized cook (albeit a messy one).  And though I’d love to computerize and color code my recipes someday (one can dream!), the conversion process is a massive effort I haven’t truly made time to tackle.  In the meantime and until I create extra hours in my day, I came up with a simple solution.

Invest in a small sectioned notebook. Don’t worry about recipe format.  If you have clipped one from a can label or magazine ad, simply tape or glue it to a blank page in the appropriate section of your notebook.  If you’ve printed a shared recipe from email, or downloaded one from a website like Savor the Salt, cut the printout down to size and include it in your notebook.  Don’t forget to make notes and serving tips to perfect a recipe’s preparation.  And by all means, if you don’t enjoy a recipe you’ve made  (good for you for trying!), don’t include it in your collection.

Your recipe book might look like a hodgepodge, but each recipe will bring back memories of the meals you’ve enjoyed with family and friends.  And in my own kitchen, this special collection is my lifeline to my family’s culinary happiness.

No two boards are exactly alike, and each is exceptionally beautiful.

I am so impressed when I visit art shops or festivals and discover a kitchen product that is not only beautiful and hand-crafted, but also earth-friendly and delivering a clear message about how ingenuity can effectively and stylishly combine with function.

Mark Weyers of Cutting Crafts, Inc. in Grand Rapids, Michigan is a master of creativity – with an eco-smart conscience.  He rescues from disposal 100% recycled virgin hardwood scraps, applies his imagination and artistic vision, and creates one-of-a-kind cutting boards worthy of permanent display.  The man is a true genius and he sells out at nearly every show.  It’s no wonder.  With no two boards exactly the same, people have a very real opportunity to curate a collection of Mark’s work.  He also makes fish-cleaning boards through an inventive adaptation of marine plywood that gives the finished product the visual effect of string bamboo.

But understand this – Mark is a craftsman who makes every piece by hand, and as he told me, “I work as fast as I can to keep up with demand.”  This artisan has no website, nor does he sell through major shops. In fact, when you call, you’ll be connected with his printing shop.  Designing the cutting boards, he explains, “is my personal passion.”

If you are interested in owning one or more of Mark’s exquisite cutting boards, give him a call and place your order.  Be a little patient, and when you receive it, you’ll be delightfully surprised with what he has created expressly for you.

Mark Weyers of Cutting Crafts Inc.

2642 s. Division, Grand Rapids, MI 49507

(616) 241-0506

Award-winning Latin chefs made Sazon! an amazing evening at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Atlanta.

In a powerful tribute to the subtle complexities of Latin flavors, the Latin American Association of Atlanta (LAA) hosted a gourmet five-course meal and tequila event on September 9, 2011 at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Atlanta.  The fundraising event was designed to honor Latin cultures and support the LAA’s local efforts to inspire at-risk youth to achieve in leadership and academics, to empower adults in English-language and computer literacy skills, to integrate families into community programs, and to provide solutions to their urgent financial and humanitarian needs.

With food artisans gathered from many cultures and culinary backgrounds, the evening began on the patio with Don Julio’s Luxury Tequila Drop, sponsored by Diageo, makers of Don Julio tequila.  The Paloma cocktails were a refreshing and crisp balance of sweet grapefruit and Don Julio Blanco.  Another cocktail on the menu was a sweet yet complex blend of muddled lime, cucumber, basil, grapefruit and Don Julio Blanco – absolutely the perfect balance of savory and sweet for a late summer evening.

Diageo's Don Julio Luxury Tequila Drop was a mixologist's dream with fresh ingredients to suit every taste.

While savory hors d’oeuvres were passed by Le Cordon Bleu’s aspiring chefs, Diageo’s Reserve Brands Ambassador Lauren Iovanella hosted a splendid cocktail competition, where guests selected aromatics, berries, fresh juices, Mexican chocolate and more to create a one-of-a-kind tequila drink judged by the professionals.  The winning concoction?  A mysterious chocolate and tequila combination.  (Next week, I’ll post the recipe here after I learn more about it!)

After a warm welcome by Univision 34 Atlanta’s Mariela Romero and Fenuxe Magazine Restaurant and Food Critic Dino Thompson-Sarmiento, the evening’s hosts and commentators, the first course was a shrimp-based Ceviche Cocktail created by Chef Oscar Mendivil of Lime Taqueria and Tequila Bar in Smyrna.  With bright notes of cilantro, mango and fresh lime, the ceviche enhanced the distinctive

Chef Oscar Mendivil's ceviche cocktail.

flavor of shrimp.  Balanced by the colors of creamy avocado and microgreens, Chef Mendivil’s presentation was thoughtful and appealing in a long-stemmed martini glass.  Chef Mendivil credits his love of cooking to working by his grandmother’s side in a 100-year-old bakery in Mexico.

Guatemalan Chef Bladmir Pocasangre is the current executive sous chef with Wolfgang Puck at the Georgia Aquarium, the former caterer to heads of state and chef to eight Oscar awards dinners.  Chef Pocasangre presented diners with perhaps the night’s most intriguing dish – Green Plantain and Longaniza Soup.  What inspired me so much about his soup was the multi-layered complexity of flavors that hit the

My favorite course of the evening, Chef Bladmir Pocasangre's Green Plantain and Longaniza Soup.

palate as individual tasting notes.  Beginning with a rich vegetable broth steeped with just a hint of cinnamon, the soup capitalized on the creamy potential of the plantains, slow-cooked in garlic, onions and herbs until soft.  Blended and strained for a velvety consistency, the soup then combined with well-seasoned and zesty pork longaniza.  For a finishing touch, Chef Pocasangre presented the soup with artistic swirls of cilantro and pepper puree with crispy plantains.    Tasting was memorable as each bite allowed flavors to slowly escalate into a luxurious, satisfying experience.

Chef Kenji Terawaki’s duo of inventive, fresh and lively salads that mingled influences from his Chilean heritage with Asian flavors.  A regular on CNN Café, Chef Terawaki approaches salad with an eye on color and texture.  He presented Apio Palta Salad, a light yet crispy julienned celery salad with fresh blueberries and an avocado cilantro dressing.  Alongside, a Pastelera Salad of grilled corn, raspberries and fresh basil featured spicy notes of dried chili.  Chef Terawaki is a firm believer in understanding food’s origin and, whenever possible, buying organic.  “Organic products will always last longer,” he points out, and that decision means more value for your grocery money.

Univision 34 Atlanta's Mariela Romero (seated) listens while Chef Lala shared her cooking philosophy with our table. "Lunch is on the stove, and I'm already talking about what I'll make for dinner," she says. "Cooking is my life's passion. It makes me very happy."

To honor Georgia’s own culinary traditions with a regional dish, Chef Lala created a unique peanut salsa made with pumpkin seeds, cilantro and a hefty dose of habaneras that exploded fiery flavor on the back of the tongue.  For the main course, guests were treated to Mole Poblano with Tomales de Pollo with homemade tortillas. This distinctive dish was created by Puebla nuns at the Convent of Santa Rosa and uses a wealth of ingredients as disparate as toasted pasilla chiles, sesame seeds, prunes and Mexican chocolate.

“Served traditionally in Mexico for festivities, 95% of people have tasted Mole Poblano and 95% of people have never made it themselves,” says Chef Lala of SAVOR! in Los Angeles.  The nutritionist and chef coaches her audiences on television and at community events to combat obesity by educating them on how to use flavor as a tool for healthy living.

When speaking about her culinary inspiration, Lala quoted Poet Maya Angelou who said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”  Though her mole poblano sauce contains 28 different ingredients, Chef Lala swears that every kitchen only needs three: “Love.  Passion.  And desire.”  And those critical ingredients, she believes, help all cooks “make magic in the kitchen.”

To round out the evening with a refreshing dessert, Chef Adrian Villarrealbrought together two taste classics in his Tequila Lime Pie with toasted meringue and caramelized fruit.  Though his first cooking experiences were in his family’s kitchen in Mexico, his culinary education led him through noteworthy establishments in France to his current position as executive chef of TAP Gastropub in Atlanta.   In a recollection of his culinary beginnings, Chef Villarreal recalled that as a young man he learned to cook because he

The individual tequila lime pie from Chef Adrian Villarreal.

was hungry.  Now he cooks for his family and friends, and shares with them treats like the crisp crust pie with sweet lime filling and delicate meringue.

Chef Kenji Terawaki's duo of salads played texture against color.

The charity event for the Latin American Association was a resounding success, in large part due to the leadership, dedicated staff and volunteers of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts and their very own Technique Restaurant. To learn more about the culinary enthusiast and professional chef programs offered here in Atlanta, visit the Le Cordon Bleu website.

You may also learn more about volunteer and sponsorship opportunities in your community at the Latin American Association website.

Just look at that perky flip and ruffled apron. A blast from the past! And just what was she dumping so liberally into her meatloaf?

Virtually every cook in every kitchen in the world relies on spices of some sort to enhance the natural flavors of our foods. It’s a given.

But in 1958, apparently the American public needed a handy instructional guidebook called How To Use Spices. I discovered this beauty in an antique shop in northern Michigan.  If you haven’t tried it, spend a few minutes digging through vintage books to uncover the forgotten culinary ways of our recent past.

Published by the American Spice Trade Association, this vintage gem is ripe with culinary insight and invites to reader to “join us in gazing into the crystal ball” of spices.  In fact, when asking readers to use the spices on their shelf, they reveal, “The flavor genii is asking to be released from the container to help you live a little.”  You have to love that!

With a truly helpful chart on spices, their description, flavor and compatibility, the book also offers a slew of recipes for seemingly forgotten mainstream foods like buttered cucumbers, dill codfish balls, and tuna “franks.”  Hmm.  Think I might pass on those.  But two basic recipes caught my eye and I whipped them up for lunch.  Weird combination, I know.   Snap Beans with Peanut-Browned Butter Sauce and Chili Cheese Pinwheels.  Here are my updated renditions of these 1958 “spicy” treats.

Peanut-Browned Butter Sauce

Though the original recipe called for  the sauce to be served over one pound of snap beans, you can use this sauce with almost any green vegetable, including shelled English peas or even asparagus.  Use at least 1 1/2 pounds of

This sauce is so easy, and browning the butter takes the flavor to a nutty good level.

vegetables – preferably two – or you’ll be eating spoons full of butter. Today I opted to serve French style green beans.  And in fact, I didn’t have regular peanuts so I used honey roasted.  Salty sweet and delicious!

4 Tablespoons butter

4 Tablespoons chopped dry-roasted peanuts (I always use salted)

1/2 teaspoon Fleur de Sel (or Kosher salt)

1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

freshly ground nutmeg to taste

Method of Preparation:

1. In saucepan, melt butter over medium high heat until it begins to brown.  Take care not to let it burn.  You’re looking for a rich, deep color and a nutty flavor.  If you cook it until you see bits of black or smell smoke, start over and take more time.
2. Turn heat to medium then add chopped peanuts and seasonings.  Cook for several minutes until flavors blend.
3. Serve over cooked green vegetables.

Use a pastry scraper to gently lift dough as you roll it.

Ancho Chili Cheese Pinwheels

Let’s update the spices in this half-century old recipe, shall we?  With the development of readily available chili powders, chili oils and dried chilis themselves, our taste buds have become accustomed to varying levels of chili heat and smokiness.  I don’t like to fire up my mouth when I eat, so I lean toward the mild yet zesty smokiness of ancho chili powder.  Feel free to substitute your favorite variety.  If you want to take the heat up a notch, substitute pepper jack cheese instead of using Cheddar and add a few sprinkles of hot sauce prior to rolling the dough.

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 teaspoon ancho chili powder, divided

Cut 1/2 inch thick, this dough will produce a biscuit-like pinwheel. Chill before slicing and cut 1/4 inch thick for a cracker-like finished product. If you do cut the dough thinner, simply decrease cooking time by half and watch closely while baking to prevent drying out. These pinwheels are excellent topped with red pepper jam.

4 Tablespoons vegetable shortening (I use Crisco)

1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese, divided

2/3 cup whole milk

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

smoked paprika for garnish

Method of Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Prepare baking sheet by spraying lightly with vegetable oil.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and 1/2 of chili powder in mixing bowl of food processor fitted with the chopping blade.  If you do not have a food processor, a hand pastry blender or two knives will work just fine.
3. Add 1/2 of cheese and all of the vegetable shortening to mixture.  Pulse for a few seconds at a time until mixture resembles coarse meal.
4. Add milk a little at a time while pulsing, using only enough to form soft, crumbly dough.
5. On clean floured surface, roll dough to 1/4 inch thick.  Try your best to keep dough in the shape of an even rectangle, evening out sides by trimming and relocating if necessary.  This will ensure the best rolled pastry.  I trim my ends with a pastry scraper, then use the same pastry scraper to aid in lifting the dough to roll.
6. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with remaining cheese and chili powder.
7. Beginning at the widest side, roll jelly-roll style.  Using a very sharp non-serrated edge knife, cut dough into 1/2  inch thick slices and arrange on prepared baking sheet.  Sprinkle with smoked paprika or more ancho chili powder.*
8. Bake for 12-13 minutes until golden brown.

*If your dough is too soft, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes before slicing.

Color and sound abound at New Orleans' Jazz and Heritage Festival every May.

Anybody who has been to New Orleans knows that when the good times roll, either food, liquor or unbelievable jazz must be on the menu. It’s impossible to separate the three passions in this beautiful old city on the Gulf Coast.  They are forever intertwined in a magnificent, soul stirring brew that positively intoxicates every time I visit.
For me, visiting New Orleans makes me think of my sister-in-law Lori (Happy Birthday Lori!).  It also means never missing a trip to Mother’s Restaurant on Poydras Street, standing on line with hoards of locals and tourists alike, all waiting to dive into a juicy, messy Ferdi Special Po’ Boy sandwich. It’s a time-honored “gourmet” tradition, and it satisfies every single time.
Some other favorite culinary indulgences are the incredibly crispy yet succulent fried oysters at Acme Oyster House, and of course, late at night after you’ve closed down the French Quarter, a cup of steaming coffee and a plateful of powdered sugar beignets hot from the fryer at Café du Monde.
In the spring, if you’re lucky enough to wander through the fairground food tents during Jazz Fest, be sure to save room for a dish of Kajun Kettle Foods’ legendary Crawfish Monica and a hot-from-the-grill Dibbi (steak on a pita with absolutely delicious citrusy sauce) by Gambian Foods.

This is not a fake photo - Cafe du Monde's beignets are served with all that powdered sugar. And yes, their sweetly generous service guarantees at least one powdered sugar fight every evening while sidewalk jazz musicians play.

But if life is too busy to get down to the Big Easy and laissez les bons temps rouler, capture the spirit with a made-in-New-Orleans menu right at your own dinner table.  Just put on a Professor Longhair record, or tune up the best love songs of Harry Connick Jr., or work your kitchen magic to a song or two by Erica Badu.  Whip up a blender full of frozen daiquiris and let the soul food cooking begin!
Prepare for the big night ahead of time by buying a box of Café du Monde’s signature Beignet mix and the strong chicory coffee favored by locals.  Available in Atlanta at Fresh Market stores or online through the company website for just a few dollars a box.  And don’t forget the powdered sugar!

The Menu

It’s a short menu – but believe me, it’s more than enough!

• Frozen strawberry daquiris with lime or ice cold beer
• Nola Maque Choux
• Roast Beef Po’ Boy Sandwiches
• Powdered Sugar Beignets

Succulent and delicious maque choux.

NOLA Maque Choux

For this recipe, I prefer to use sweet corn fresh cut from the cob with all its accumulated juices.  I’m not a big fan of jalapeno pepper, but some like the extra heat they will add to this recipe.  Seasoning is all about personal preference.  My advice: start slowly and add little by little until the perfect balance is achieved.  But don’t forget to make notes on the recipe to document your personal seasoning adjustments.

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• ½ red bell pepper, chopped
• ¼ pound tasso ham, diced*
• 4 ears sweet corn kernels with juices (about 3 cups)
• 2 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Cracked black pepper to taste
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• ½ cup heavy cream
• Green onions or red peppers, chopped for garnish (optional)

*If tasso ham is unavailable, any good quality smoked ham will work as a substitute.  For a more Cajun approach to maque choux, you may also substitute chopped andouille sausage.

Method of Preparation

1. In large skillet heat olive oil.  Saute sweet onion, peppers and ham about five minutes.  Onion and peppers will be slightly softened.
2. Add corn kernels, tomatoes, tomato paste, chili powder, oregano, thyme and salt.  Cook for approximately 15 minutes.  Adjust seasonings to taste.
3. To finish the maque choux, stir in butter and heavy cream and cook for several minutes until heated through.
4. Garnish with chopped green onions or bits of red peppers.

Get out the napkins!

Roast Beef Po’ Boy with “Debris” Gravy

I must have read a hundred recipes for Po’ Boys before I came up with my own spin on this N’awlins classic.  These beloved sandwiches are gloriously messy – but oh so delicious and guaranteed to make your table mates groan with delight! 

 Be forewarned.  Place an entire roll of paper towels on the table with you and don’t be afraid to use them.  And remember – a few little gravy drips down your chin are good for the soul!

 Ask the butcher to cut you a roast rather than buying one straight from the cold storage cases.  Chances are you’ll get one that’s perfectly marbled with fat . . . better known as flavor. 

 To “dress” your Po’ Boy the proper way, you’ll need French long rolls with a lightly crunchy crust and soft center, mayonnaise to slather the bread, fresh sliced tomatoes and crispy lettuce.  To transform this sandwich into an honorary “Mother’s Ferdi Special,” add a layer a hot smoked ham before piling on the roast beef and debris.

 One more point of fact: I can’t give you an estimate on how many people this feeds.  We had seven adults and enough left over for another full meal.  However, I’ve seen people polish off two whole Ferdis each in one sitting.  Of course, they didn’t move much afterward, but they were grinning as they rubbed their stuffed bellies.

 And here’s a great leftover tip:  Any leftover debris gravy makes the absolute perfect foundation for a hearty bowl of beef vegetable noodle soup.

During the cooking process, turn the meat every now and then to ensure even cooking and flavoring. For best results, use a heavy-bottomed pan and don't entirely cover the meat with stock.

Ingredients:

1 beef chuck roast, about 4-5 pounds

Seasoning salt (I use Lawry’s)

3 Tablespoons olive oil

½ large Vidalia onion, chopped fine
½ cup diced carrots
5 roasted garlic cloves
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T hot pepper sauce (I use Tabasco)
5 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
2 large bay leaves
2 cups beef stock
2 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
freshly ground salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Method of Preparation:

1. Cut chuck roast into about 5 or 6 large chunks.  Season all sides of meat well with seasoning salt.
2. In large stockpot, heat olive oil.  Add meat, one piece at a time, and brown each side until seared and crispy.  (It should smell absolutely delicious even at this stage.  If you sneak a taste of one of the browned ends, the meat should already taste as amazing as it smells.  If it doesn’t, season your meat more!)  Remove each seared piece of meat to a plate and continue until all pieces are seared.
3. Add onion and carrots to remaining oil and cook over medium high heat until caramelized, about 7 minutes.  If the oil starts to run dry before the veggies are caramelized and golden, add a little more, but don’t overdo.
4. Use a wooden spoon to scrape browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  When mixture is golden brown and the consistency of juicy jam, add the garlic cloves, Worcestershire, hot pepper sauce, thyme, bay leaves and stock.   Cook for several minutes until the sauce is simmering and fragrant.
5. Return meat and accumulated juices to pan.  Cover and cook for at least 4 hours on low heat.  Your objective is to maintain a nice simmer, but not to boil the gravy away.  I cooked my roast nearly 6 hours and it was absolutely perfect.
6. Stir gravy and turn meat a few times an hour.  Toward the end of cooking time, taste the gravy and adjust levels of salt and pepper to suit your personal preference.
7. 

   Feeding the swamp gators is a big no-no! This airboat captain assured us they love marshmallows.

   Remove chunks of meat to cutting board with drip edge.  Attempt to slice it very thin.  If you’ve done this right, the meat should be so tender that it resists slicing and begins to shred.  Perfect!  Return the meat to the gravy and continue slicing/shredding until all meat has been prepared.

8. Return pot to stove and bring mixture to a boil, cooking for about 5 minutes to allow gravy to fully penetrate meat.
9. Use a slotted spoon to portion meat onto dressed rolls (see note above).  Use a ladle to fill a small container with the debris gravy, including bits of meat that have settled to the bottom of the pan.
10. Indulge!

For a party, make recipe in advance and keep Po’ Boys warm in a crock pot or on the stovetop on low simmer.

 If you can force yourself to stop eating Po’ Boys, end your meal with a steaming cup of coffee and an indulgent plate of beignets like the originals from Café du Monde on Decatur Street in New Orleans.

Singular moments in life leave an impression so strong that we have to stop and ask.  If I hadn’t experienced what I did, would I be the same person I am today?  I will always wonder about one particular winter night in the mid 1970s.

Every detail was attended to with care.

At 13, I’d grown up around parties of all kinds.  My parents regularly entertained business guests and friends from around the world, and I was privileged to share in their company and learn about their cultures. As a young girl, I dined with business people from Hong Kong and students from Tokyo, shared barbecue with the Aussies and Kiwis and traded stories with Brazilians and Danes.  Our home brimmed with culture, and we never lacked for international companionship.

Even so, nothing prepared me for the Gustafson’s spectacular Christmas soiree in Fairfield County, Connecticut.  Though at the time I lived in a luxuriously appointed suburb of New York City, where historic Colonial homes nestled next to mansions of architectural importance, and where the rolling lawns and  flower gardens were lush, I hadn’t grown up in the storied community.  My blood wasn’t as blue as some of my school friends; my lineage didn’t include bank presidents and Constitutional lawyers from the Ivy League and Daughters of the American Revolution who finished their fine educations at one of the Seven Sisters.  We were regular people, transferred yet again to live amongst the wealthy and well-schooled.

When my best friend Suzanne and I were asked to dress in our very best party clothes and help Mr. and Mrs. Gustafson make their party run smoothly, we had no idea what to expect.  It was the new era of Ralph Lauren and Polo, and Martha Stewart and her Turkey Hill Road estate weren’t yet household names.  Darien was and still is a grand dame of society, with classic traditions and heritage that surpass a single generation.  As a new home to me, Darien was at once elegant and aloof.

But on that chilly winter night in the company of my new best friend, when the candlelight shimmered and the snowflakes fell, I was invited to join and observe that tight circle of community, if only for a few precious hours.

The Gustafson’s home was grand in a Connecticut sort of way with scarred wood floors and thick crown moldings and heavy paneled doors.  One small room led to another, with quaint sitting areas and bookcases and portrait gallery walls basking in the amber glow of candle and fire light.

I can’t recall the exact layout of the home, nor can I describe the décor.  What I can recall are the exquisite details of the party that played out like a perfect symphony, ingraining them onto my mind forever like the white lights glittering in the snow-dusted trees in the yard.

The holiday birds.

Outside, on the porch beside the living room, a trio of Mr. Gustafson’s freshly caught pheasants added an air of landed gentry and rugged masculinity to the ambience.  A fresh pine tree festooned with red satin bows and cherished heirloom ornaments and children’s beloved creations anchored the space, while pewter tureens of pine cones and boughs topped tables and shelves.  Subtle expressions of Christmases past were scattered about, none overpowering, and none so small as to be missed.

The scents of that snowy evening stay with me so many years later.  Cloves and cinnamon and simmering wine perfumed the air with promise, while the crisp aroma of pine punctuated the space.  As the “Nutcracker Suite” played in brilliant melodic backdrop, the guests began to arrive in a lovely procession.

Mrs. Gustafson herself was exquisite in taffeta and lace, the picture of a hostess with natural-born style and grace.  Couple by couple, she warmly greeted the ladies who drew up to the house wrapped in furs and velvet, and their men who stood handsome and confident in camel hair and flannel, meerschaum pipes in their pockets.

As soft conversation turned to jovial chatter, on gleaming silver trays we passed canapés and delicate pastries of wild mushrooms with cream to guests sipping champagne and holiday cheer.  We offered sprinkle-topped butter cookies and sugared nuts from antique crystal platters, and filled delicate china cups with fragrant coffee and tea.  Far too soon, the guests bid their goodbyes, the party ended and we gathered the detritus of a spectacular event.

Those few hours, elbow to elbow with society’s beautiful people, in that poetic Connecticut home with the fine wines and elegant finger foods, my awareness of the way I wanted to be as an adult was heightened.  On that crisp December night, my entertaining style was marked forever.

Mrs. Gustafson and Suzanne, I thank you for including me, wherever you may be.

Give abundantly, and mind your party manners. 

You never know when you might leave an indelible impression on someone in your home.