Chef John Besh and Monsignor Christopher Nalty Join Us for Around The Table Food Show

Two special guests joined us for the Friday, May 17th edition of Around The Table Food Show.

Monsignor Christopher Nalty, a priest of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, is the pastor of Good Shepherd Parish, which was formed in October 2008 by merging together three parishes: St. Stephen, St. Henry and Our Lady of Good Counsel. Msgr. Nalty studied in Rome and spent about 10 years in Italy. He loves to cook, and he is really good at it. In 2009, when Fr. Leo Patalinghug was issued a “throwdown” by Bobby Flay, Msgr. Nalty worked together with Fr. Leo to prepare Fr. Leo’s famous Steak Fajitas.

On this edition of Around The Table Food Show, Msgr. Nalty shares with us his recipe for Pasta with Garlic & Oil (Aglio e Olio). I include my version of this recipe below.

Chef John Besh is a local chef, restauranteur, cookbook author, husband, father, he has a TV cooking show… Oh, and he’s Catholic.

Here’s his bio from his website ChefJohnBesh.com:

John Besh is a chef and a native son dedicated to the culinary riches of southern Louisiana. In his restaurants, entrepreneurial pursuits, and public activities, he preserves and promotes ingredients, techniques, and heritage one mouth-watering dish at a time.

From the outset of his career, Besh’s talent and drive have earned him continual kudos: Food & Wine named him one of the “Top 10 Best New Chefs in America,” and he won the coveted James Beard Award for Best Chef – Southeast in 2006. His nine acclaimed restaurants (August, Besh Steak, Lüke, Lüke San Antonio, La Provence, American Sector, Soda Shop, Domenica and Borgne) each celebrate the bounty and traditions of the region in their own unique way. His flagship restaurant, August, is a Gayot Top 40 Restaurant and a Wine Enthusiast Top 100 Restaurant, in addition to being nominated in 2012 and 2013 for the James Beard “Outstanding Restaurant” award. Besh, the father of four, was featured on the cover of Parade magazine for Father’s Day 2012, and is a frequent guest on NBC’s “Today” show.

Besh’s two cookbooks, My New Orleans (October 2009) and My Family Table in (November 2011) were each recognized with an IACP Award, and his third cookbook is set to be published in fall 2013. He hosts two national public television cooking shows based on the books, “Chef John Besh’s New Orleans,” and “Chef John Besh’s Family Table,” which debuted in April 2013.

The John Besh Foundation, founded in 2011, works to protect and preserve the culinary heritage and foodways of New Orleans via initiatives such as the Chefs Move! culinary school scholarship and microloans for local farmers.

Chef John Besh’s Family Table

Chef John Besh’s most recent cookbook – My Family Table – and his companion TV show on PBS (Chef John Besh’s Family Table) share the same mission as Around The Table Food Show… to encourage and inspire families to get around the table.

In My Family Table, Chef Besh issues “A Passionate Plea for Home Cooking.” In the new TV series, “Chef Besh explores his belief that the simple act of cooking at home can change our way of life: it not only feeds a family but also nourishes and strengthens its bonds. Besh is a native son dedicated to the culinary riches of South Louisiana. He takes care to preserve and promote ingredients, techniques and heritage in all of his dishes. The acclaimed chef invites viewers into his home to show them that, by thinking ahead and thinking smart, they can put delicious food on their own family tables every single day” (from a press release by WYES).

Listen below to this edition of Around The Table Food Show to hear Chef Besh talk about his passionate plea for home cooking:

You can also download the MP3 file to listen to it on your computer or MP3 player by clicking here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/aroundthetable/ATT006.mp3

Pasta with Garlic and Oil (Aglio e Olio)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound spaghetti
• Sea salt or kosher salt, to taste
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 to 8 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 to 4 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped
• 2 teaspoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a large pot of cold water to rolling boil over high heat. Salt the water generously because you will not be salting the “sauce.” Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Remove from heat a minute or two before you think it’s done (it is going to cook a bit more once you add it to the garlic and oil).
2. Reserve some of the pasta cooking water – about 1/2 cup – and drain the pasta.
3. While the pasta cooks, combine the extra-virgin olive oil, the garlic, and red pepper flakes in a heavy-bottomed large skillet. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until garlic starts to foam and turns golden, about 8 to 10 minutes. Turn off heat and add the pasta and about 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water to the garlic and oil. Mix well. Add the parsley and lemon juice. Adjust seasoning to taste.
4. Transfer the pasta to a warm serving dish. Serve immediately, sprinkling individual bowls with Parmesan cheese (optional). Serves 4 to 6 people.

Do You Cook at Home?

So many folks find that it is a struggle to cook at home and to gather their family around the table. Is that the case for you? Or are you able to prepare meals at home on a regular basis? I would love to hear all about it! Please leave a comment below!

Around The Table Food Show for May 10, 2013 – Recipe for Joy and Culinary Kids

What an exciting show!

On Friday, May 10th we interviewed Robin Davis, author of Recipe for Joy, recently published by Loyola Press. I recently wrote a review of the book and posted a podcast interview with Robin on CatholicFoodie.com.

We also welcomed Sherri Hansen on the show to talk about her work with Culinary Kids. I love what she has to say, and I just want to go hang out and have fun over at her place in Mandeville, LA. It sounds like so much fun! It also epitomizes what we are about on the Around The Table Food Show… connecting with family and friends around the table.

Recipe for Joy

Listen to the radio conversation we had with Robin below. And read the book too. I highly recommend it. It is an inspiring story, one that can help all of us find joy in the midst of a hectic life that often dishes out suffering and heartache when we are really hungry for love. This message is for all of us.

Culinary Kids

From the Culinary Kids website:

Our goal is to develop and connect with kids and families. Certifications, advanced training and continuing education ensures that they are always up-to-date with fresh ideas, sound teaching principles and great new recipes!

Sherrí brings over 15 years of youth education, program development and nutritional management experience back home to Mandeville.

Career work includes instructor with the San Diego Zoo’s Education Department, Personal Trainer and Nutritional Consultant with 24 Hour Fitness, Youth Health and Fitness Programs for YMCA Virginia, Community Programs and Youth Education Department Director with the San Diego Humane Society and she opened and directed a new Boys and Girls Club facility serving Washington State. As a military family, relocations took place throughout her career, yet her focus remained on the education and mentorship of children in the community. Now home in Louisiana with her husband and three young boys (another on the way!), she’s thrilled to settle into a position that supports the specific needs of children and families in OUR community.

Sherrí applies her nutritional knowledge and experience with dietary restrictions (one child diagnosed with Celiac Disease) to all Culinary Kids curriculum. She is passionate about offering services to support dietary restrictions, allergens and special needs conditions in children and adults.

Recipes from the Show

Fish Tacos… Finally!

I shared a recipe for fish tacos… Yes, the same recipe we promised to give you last week when we ran out of time. So, you can finally hear it on this show!

Robin Davis also talked about some of the recipes in her book… like her Warm Goat Cheese Salad… YUM!

Listen below or download the show as an MP3 file here: ATT005.mp3

Around The Table Food Show

Around the Table Food Show is a radio show that talks about food and faith. Around The Table celebrates the joy of cooking and dining, and it encourages folks to get into the kitchen and to gather around the table with family and friends… Because good things happen around the table.

Around the Table Radio highlights the local culture and cuisine of south Louisiana. The show is hosted by Dave Dawson and myself. Dave Dawson is the president of Catholic Community Radio, which has stations in both Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

The show airs on Fridays at 3PM Central in Baton Rouge (on 1380 AM) and New Orleans (on 690 AM), right after The Divine Mercy Chaplet. The listening area spans from the Mississippi/Alabama border all the way to the Atchafalaya Basin.

Each broadcast is recorded, archived, and released as a podcast. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

We are looking for sponsors for the show. If you, or someone you know, could benefit from the incredible reach that these two radio stations have (talk about advertising exposure!), please do contact me at 985-635-4974 or email me at jeff [at] catholicfoodie.com.

A Guest Post by Ross McKnight

Chopped: Catholic Edition

May 9, 2013

Belmont, NC

Students of Belmont Abbey College, a Benedictine liberal arts institution outside of Charlotte, NC, hosted their own small-scale (and I mean REALLY small) “Chopped” competition, based in an apartment kitchen.

The contestants were required to create one dish involving two secret ingredients, namely, Gorgonzola and Earl Grey tea leaves.

As the 5 competitors – all young ladies – engaged in a culinary flurry involving one oven and a 4-burner range, the judges captured the following images that display some tasty-looking WIPs:

The dishes were judged on a 25-point scale involving 5 categories worth 5 points each: Creativity, Presentation, Use of Secret Ingredients, Taste/Flavor, and “Wow!” Factor.

As one of the judges presiding, I can honestly say that each of the following recipes was absolutely delicious. The scores were very tight, and the ordeal of choosing the winner placed us in transports of agony. However, if you are interested in the queer delight of Gorgonzola paired with Earl Grey tea, then “Jacqui’s Salmon Shabang Salad” is the one to try!

Recipes are listed in the order of presentation, not of score.

THE RECIPES

1. Earl Grey Seared Porkchop w/ Gorgonzola Sauce & Marinated Pear, Gorgonzola Salad, courtesy of Abbey Peoples

INGREDIENTS

For the Pork Chops

• 2 thick-cut Pork Chops
• 1 bag loose Earl Grey tea
• ¼ cup Soy Sauce
• 1 tbsp. Minced Garlic
• 1 Shallot, minced

For the Gorgonzola Sauce

• 4 oz. Gorgonzola crumbles
• 3 tbsps. Butter
• 1 tbsp. Flour
• 1 cup Milk

For the Marinated Pear, Gorgonzola Salad

• 1 Pear, sliced
• Chopped Walnuts
• Mixed Spring Greens

DIRECTIONS

1. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add in a cup of milk and about a tablespoon of flour to thicken. Let simmer. Add Gorgonzola and stir continuously over medium-high heat to melt. Add more milk as needed to achieve a smooth texture.
2. In a small bowl, mix ¼ cup soy sauce, 1 tbsp. minced garlic, and 1 small minced shallot. Reserve some marinade for pears. Spoon mixture generously over pork chops, ensuring thorough coverage. Pour dry tea leaves over both chops, and rub in. Save some tea for brewing. Sear both sides of the chops in a pan w/ olive oil. Cook on medium heat until done.
3. Slice pear and soak in the bowl of reserved marinade w/ ¼ cup brewed tea. Pour tea marinade and place pears over tossed salad, adding walnuts and crumbled gorgonzola.
4. Serve pork chops hot w/ cheese sauce drizzled on top.

2. Honey Bacon Bread w/ Gorgonzola and Earl Grey Tea, courtesy of Stephanie Crillo

INGREDIENTS

• 1 loaf French Bread
• 8 oz. Gorgonzola Cheese
• 1/3 cup Olive Oil
• 1 package Bacon
• 8 oz. Cranberry Vodka

For the Sauce

• ½ cup Water
• 7 Earl Grey teabags
• 1/3 cup Honey

For the Topping

• Contents of 2 Earl Grey teabags
• ½ cup Honey

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut French Bread into ½ inch slices. Using a pastry brush, spread olive oil onto each slice. Bake bread for 10 minutes at 400º F.
2. Lightly cook bacon in a frying pan – bacon must remain pliant. Soak bacon slices in vodka (do this the night prior for better flavor).
3. Crumble gorgonzola cheese onto bread slices. Wrap each slice of bread with a slice of bacon. Bake again at 400º F for 6-7 minutes.
4. Steep Earl Grey teabags in ½ cup hot water (not boiling). With a whisk, mix brewed tea with 1/3 cup honey. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush each bread slice with tea/honey sauce.
5. Slice open 2 of the Earl Grey teabags used in the sauce. Lightly sprinkle the contents of the two teabags over the bread slices. Drizzle honey on top of each bread slice. Enjoy!

3. Earl Grey-Infused Chocolate Lava Cake w/ Pear & Gorgonzola Topping, courtesy of Katherine Chatelain

INGREDIENTS

For the Cake

• 6 oz. preferred Chocolate
• 6 oz. Butter
• 3 Eggs
• ½ cup Sugar
• ½ cup Flour
• Earl Grey Tea, brewed

For the Topping

• 1 Pear, sliced
• Walnuts, chopped
• Gorgonzola crumbles
• Honey
• Earl Grey Tea

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Melt chocolate with butter in a double boiler, adding some tea, but maintaining a somewhat thick consistency. Beat together eggs and sugar. Stir in chocolate mixture, then add flour and stir. Incorporate 1 tbsp. of Earl Grey Tea. Pour batter into a cupcake pan. Bake until the outsides are cooked and the center is liquid.
2. For the topping, mix pear, walnuts, and cheese. Mix together honey and tea, and drizzle over pear mixture.
3. Serve lava cake warm with topping.

4. The Earl’s Apple Cranberry Spice Tart, courtesy of Maria Mueller

INGREDIENTS

For the Tart

• 1 Pie Crust
• ½ cup chopped Walnuts
• ¼ cup Gorgonzola Cheese
• 3 tbsp. Maple Syrup
• 2 large, peeled, chopped Granny Smith Apples
• 1 tsp. Lemon Juice

For the Cranberry Sauce

• 1 cup Sugar
• 3 tsp. Apple Pie Spice
• 4 Earl Grey teabags
• 2 14 oz. cans Whole Cranberry Sauce

DIRECTIONS

1. Toss walnuts, gorgonzola, apples, and maple syrup together in a bowl. Put a bit of lemon juice on apples to prevent browning.
2. Preheat oven to 350º F. Roll out pie crust onto greased cookie sheet. Scoop walnut/apple/cheese mixture onto center of pie crust. Leave a 2-inch margin from the edge of the dough. Neatly fold dough up to cover the edge of the mixture.
3. Bake for 45 minutes until crust is golden brown.
4. For the sauce, boil 1 cup water with 1 cup sugar, cranberries, and apple pie spice. Steep teabags directly in the sauce to desired taste. Reduce mixture to desired consistency.
5. Drizzle sauce generously over tart. Serve warm.

5. Jacqui’s Salmon Shabang Salad, courtesy of Jacqueline King

INGREDIENTS

• Wild-caught Sockeye Salmon with Walnuts and Shallots (see below for recipe)
• Earl Grey and Raspberry Glaze (see below for recipe)
• Fresh strawberries
• Mixed blend of wild salad greens
• Crumbled Gorgonzola Cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Remove tops from strawberries and slice the strawberries long ways. Use uniformly shaped slices to form a strawberry edge around the rim of a large round plate or serving platter. The shape should resemble the petals of a sunflower when finished. Fill the rest of the plate with mixed greens, making sure to hide the very tops of the strawberries with some of the greens. Refrigerate until the remaining ingredients are prepared.
2. After the salmon and glaze are finished, remove the salad from the fridge and place the salmon filets on the bed of lettuce in a manner pleasing to the eye. Crumble cheese on top of the entire salad, making sure it is relatively homogeneous in dispersal.
3. Spoon glaze into an icing tube and drizzle the glaze across the whole salad.

***A ziploc bag can be used instead if a small hole is cut in one of the corners .***

Wild-caught Sockeye Salmon with Walnuts and Shallots

INGREDIENTS

• One large wild-caught sockeye salmon filet
• 3/4 cup walnuts, broken into small pieces
• 1 small shallot, finely minced
• 2-4 Tablespoons Raw Apple cider vinegar
• 2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• Honey, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut salmon into about 2″x2″ filets.
2. Place on broiling pan with skin side facing up. Drizzle with a little oil and honey. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Broil in oven for about 6-8 minutes, or until salmon is mostly cooked.
3. Mix remaining ingredients together in a small bowl.
4. Remove filets from oven, remove skins, and flip the filets over. Spoon mixture on top of filets, and broil the filets for another 3-4 minutes, or until the walnuts are gently browned.

Earl Grey and Raspberry Glaze

INGREDIENTS

• One small package of fresh raspberries
• Honey, to taste
• 6-8 Tea bags of Earl Grey Tea
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• About 2 Tablespoon cornstarch mixed in cold water

DIRECTIONS

1. Steep all of the tea bags in boiling water for a generous amount of time. Remove tea bags, making sure to squeeze the dregs from the bags into tea.
2. Puree raspberries in blender until smooth. Remove and strain seeds out. Place puree in a small bowl and add the tea.
3. Heat mixture on stove, stirring occasionally. Add cornstarch after the mixture begins to boil, and cook for one more minute.
4. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Add honey to taste.
5. Consume in good company and take a long nap following consumption.

A guest post by Ross McKnight

Yesterday was the Feast Day of The Blessed Virgin of Pompeii. Meat pies have nothing to do with Pompeii, but very much to do with Natchitoches (pr. NAK-ə-DISH), Louisiana. Meat pies are undoubtedly a distinct Louisiana tradition, and those made in Natchitoches are famous for the flavor achieved from a centuries-old evolution of the recipe, which usually includes a mixture of beef, pork, onions, bell pepper, and cayenne – with some variations – to achieve the fried delight of a delectable meat pie.

However, in honor of Our Lady of Pompeii, and with a nod to the Italian contribution to Louisiana culture, we have indulged in this tasty modification – a transmutation if not a transfiguration.

Mediterranean Meat Pies

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Ground Chuck or Round
• 3 large cloves Garlic, minced (or to taste)
• 1 Hydroponic Tomato, diced (for the tomato purist)
• 6-7 Kalamata Olives, diced
• 3 oz. Goat Feta
• Tuscan Seasoning to taste (constituents below)
• Salt to taste
• 2 sheets Puff Pastry
• 1 Egg
• 1 tbsp. Water
• 1 tbsp. Butter

Directions

1. If using frozen puff pastry, remove from freezer prior to preparation.
2. Cook the ground meat on medium-high until thoroughly brown, adding garlic, seasoning, and salt. When done, drain the pan of excess liquids, and reserve meat.
3. Preheat oven to 400º F.
4. Roll out puff pastry on a lightly floured pastry board. Spoon ground beef onto the center of pastry, making a neat mound about 4 inches in diameter. Place diced pieces of tomato around edges of the mound, and crumble the goat feta and the Kalamata olives on top.
5. After making an egg wash by whisking together the egg and water thoroughly, fold up the edges of the pastry to create a round pie. Make sure that the edges have sealed together, and flip the pie.
6. If you want, now is the time to decorate with excess pastry dough. Once the pies have been transferred to a well-greased baking pan, place in the oven for 25 minutes. When done, let sit for 20 minutes before plunging into steamy, scrumptious depths.
7. These are wonderful with roasted asparagus: toss in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt, and throw them in the oven (400º F) in a glass pan for 15-20 minutes. Yum.

Tuscan Seasoning (McCormick): black pepper, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, basil, red pepper, onion garlic, sun-dried tomato, red bell pepper, sunflower oil, salt.

Thank you Ross McKnight for submitting this recipe to CatholicFoodie.com!

Around The Table Radio for Friday, May 3, 2013

We had an exciting show on Friday, May 3 that included talk about Jazz Fest foods, Crawfish Bread, and Vaucresson Sausage. Our guests for the show were Jyl Benson, Editor-in-Chief of Louisiana Kitchen & Culture Magazine (and Crawfish Bread expert!), and Vance Vaucresson, owner of Vaucresson Sausage, which has been making sausage in New Orleans since 1899. Vaucresson Sausage also has the distinction of being one of the only vendors that has participated in all 44 Jazz Festivals in New Orleans.

I shared a recipe for fresh salsa since we were anticipating Cinco de Mayo on Sunday. I intended to share a recipe for fish tacos, but we ran out of time.

Many thanks to Jyl Benson for permission to post her recipe for Crawfish Bread here at CatholicFoodie.com. You can find many more delicious recipes published at Louisiana Kitchen & Culture Magazine.

Listen to the show below, download the original MP3 file, or subscribe via iTunes:

Jyl Benson’s Stuffed Crawfish Bread

A Recipe for Joy: I Am Not Alone

I admit it. Sometimes I feel like a lone voice crying in the desert.

Amidst big box stores, fast food restaurants, families with little or no time on their hands, and the alarming increase of artificial ingredients making their way into the American diet, to talk about things like families eating together regularly – and eating real things like butter, milk and eggs [and bacon!!!] – can make me feel like the odd man out. It goes against the grain.

Just a couple of weeks ago, a story ran on NPR’s All Things Considered that actually suggested that we should get rid of the notion that families are supposed to dine together regularly. Apparently, a large number of families in our country have a very difficult time actually dining together on a regular basis. Oh, and they feel guilty about that. Families meals are an ideal… an ideal that they just aren’t able to meet. So the solution offered by the commentator : simply change the ideal.

I am all for family “quality” time whenever you can get it. It doesn’t have to only be around the table. But come on, people, we can’t change what God has put into us. God created us to seek communion – with himself and with others – and the one of primary ways we experience communion is around the table… The table of the Eucharist at Mass, and also the family dinner table at home. From Genesis to Revelation, food plays a huge role in scripture. But it’s not just the food. It’s the meals. It’s the families around the table. It’s communion.

I am happy to say that I am not alone in going against the grain. The other day I had the pleasure of speaking with Robin Davis, author of A Recipe for Joy: A Stepmom’s Story of Finding Faith, Following Love, and Feeding a Family.

I love this book. And I am so happy that I had a chance to speak with Robin. We talked about food, recipes, meals, families, faith, and God.

A Recipe for Joy: Why Joy?

Our world is seriously lacking in the joy department. Personally, I think we are all too busy for our own good. We tend to forget how important, even necessary, joy in life really is.

One of the things I loved about Robin’s book is that she addresses a serious need for families, but she does so with joy. And her joy is contagious.

From the back cover:

There were three things food writer Robin Davis promised she would never do: move back to Ohio, get married, and join an organized religion. Never say never! – today, Davis lives back home in Ohio, is a wife and stepmother, and is a practicing Catholic. In Recipe for Joy, she serves up her inspiring story of food, family, and faith.

Listen to our conversation below. And read the book too. It is an inspiring story, one that can help all of us find joy in the midst of a hectic life that often dishes out suffering and heartache when we are really hungry for love. This message is for all of us.

Sriracha: The Incredible Edible Rooster Sauce

I didn’t always like Sriracha. Honestly, for a while I think I was scared of it. I mean, I love hot sauce, but…

Just look at it. Sriracha practically glows an eery incandescent red. There’s a strange white rooster on the front, and the bottle is topped with a green fluorescent spout.

Not exactly “normal,” if you know what I mean.

But then there’s the… taste. And the taste makes all the difference.

Huy Fong’s Most Popular Hot Sauce

According to Huy Fong’s website, Sriracha is their most popular hot sauce. Here’s how they describe Sriracha:

“Sriracha is made from sun ripen chilies which are ground into a smooth paste along with garlic and packaged in a convenient squeeze bottle. It is excellent in soups, sauces, pastas, pizzas, hot dogs, hamburgers, chowmein or on anything else to give it a delicious, spicy taste. Like all our sauces, we use only the highest quality ingredients and never any artificial colors or flavorings.”

What??? NO artificial colorings??? How is that possible?!?

This stuff practically GLOWS, folks! I am amazed – and relieved – that there are no artificial colors in it. After all, Sriracha is the textbook definition of RED!

First created in the early 1980s by David Tran, Huy Fong’s Sriracha has steadily grown in popularity in the United States. Even though sriracha is technically a general term for hot sauce (like ketchup in English… there are many different brands of ketchup), when folksin the United States use the term sriracha they are specifically referring to Huy Fong’s version.

Today Sriracha enjoys what basically amounts to a cult following. Last year, Huy Fong sold 20 million bottles, and the company did so without advertising. It’s not on Facebook either. And the last time the website was updated was on May 10, 2004. That’s almost 9 years ago. And they still sold 20 million bottles last year.

What makes it so successful?

If you ask the fans, they would say the taste.

Sriracha Has Some Serious Fans

It only took tasting it for me to overcome my initial reservations. That was a number of years ago. I have been happily adding Sriracha to a wide variety of dishes ever since. As a matter of fact, I shared our recipe for Sriracha Eggs with you back in 2011.

But I am not the only fan of Sriracha. Not nearly.

• Bon Appetit Magazine named Sriracha the Ingredient of the Year for 2010.
• Sriracha has been featured many times in Bon Appetit Magazine. Check out these two stories published by Bon Appetit: 25 Ways to Use Sriracha (published in June of 2011) and 25 New Ways to Use Sriracha (published in February of 2013).
• Cooks Illustrated named it the best all-purpose hot sauce on the market last May. That’s right. It beat out all of my local favorites: Tabasco brand Pepper Sauce, Crystal Hot Sauce, and Louisiana Hot Sauce.
• Cookbooks are now available that feature the Rooster Sauce: The Sriracha Cookbook and The Veggie-Lover’s Sriracha Cookbook.

It’s Hot. But It’s Not Too Hot. It’s Also Affordable.

Sriracha definitely has a kick to it. But it is not too hot. Huy Fong’s Sriracha sauce ranks in the 1,000-2,500 heat units range on the Scoville scale. That puts it above banana peppers and below the Jalapeño pepper.

Sriracha is available in 17 oz. and 28 oz. bottles, and the 28 oz. bottle runs about $4.00, which makes it very affordable. As David Tran likes to say, “I make sauce good enough for the rich man that the poor man can still afford.”

We go through a lot of hot sauce in my house. Whether I’m making Red Beans & Rice, a Chicken & Andouille Gumbo, Jambalaya, or even just popcorn, you can be sure to find at least one bottle of hot sauce on the table. Sometimes three. More and more often, a bottle of Sriracha claims a spot among the other bottles, and some of that Sriracha finds its way into our cherished Cajun and Creole dishes. Why? Because it’s that good.

Do you have a favorite recipe that uses Sriracha?

I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below!

Today’s topic is Jazz Fest, Crawfish Boils, food at the Zurich Classic, and Louisiana Kitchen & Culture Magazine!

Our guests for this show are:

• Susan Ford, publisher of Louisiana Kitchen & Culture magazine , and
• Chris Jones, proprietor of French Market Crawfish & Seafood in Mandeville, LA.

The recipe for today’s show is Drago’s Charbroiled Oysters.

You can listen to the show here:

Or download the show as an MP3 file and listen later on your computer or MP3 player.

Around the Table is a radio show that talks about food and faith. Around The Table celebrates the joy of cooking and dining, and it encourages folks to get into the kitchen and to gather around the table with family and friends… Because good things happen around the table.

Around the Table Radio highlights the local culture and cuisine of south Louisiana. The show is hosted by Dave Dawson and myself. Dave Dawson is the president of Catholic Community Radio, which has stations in both Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

The show airs on Fridays at 3PM Central in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. The listening area spans from the Mississippi/Alabama border all the way to the west of Baton Rouge on the way to Lafayette.

Each broadcast is recorded, archived, and released as a podcast. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes. The first two broadcasts are embedded below. You can listen to them in your browser or download them as MP3 files. In just a few days, I will also launch a website for the show at AroundTheTableRadio.com.

***Thanks to Susan Whelan for the photos of the food at Jazz Fest.***

Lebanese Chicken

When it comes to Lebanese chicken, the question really becomes…

To Shawarma or Not to Shawarma?

Yes. That is the question.

Chicken Shawarma is made by alternately stacking strips of fat and pieces of raw seasoned chicken on a spit. In restaurants, and on street carts, a vertical spit is most typical. The chicken is roasted slowly on all sides as the spit rotates in front of a flame for hours. Traditionally, a wood fire was used, but currently a gas flame is most common.

Can you make this at home?

Me neither.

So what is a shawarma lover to do?

Well, the only practical option – if you really want to make something like Chicken Shawarma at home – is to compromise and make something that is Chicken Shawarma-like. And that is exactly what this Lebanese Chicken dish is.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pint of grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives
• 4 ounces feta cheese, coarsely crumbled
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, minced
• Half a bunch of green onions, chopped
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 – 2 tablespoons regular olive oil or coconut oil
• Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Cayenne, to taste
• 2 pounds chicken thighs, sliced in strips

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine tomatoes, olives, feta, mint, green onions and 2 to 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a glass mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
2. Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet (cast-iron or stainless) over medium-high heat. Coat with regular olive oil or coconut oil. Season cutlets with salt and pepper and cayenne, to taste. Throw cutlets into the hot skillet and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Do so in batches, if necessary. Then, transfer chicken to a plate and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
3. Serve the chicken on plates, and top with the tomato mixture.

Once this chicken shawarma-like dish is made, what are you going to serve with it?

I would recommend Hummus with pita and a Tabbouleh salad.

Bon appetit!

Around The Table Radio… Because Good Things Happen Around The Table.

As I mentioned last week, there’s a new radio show in town, and it’s all about food!

Around The Table Radio debuted on Friday, April 12, 2013 in New Orleans and Baton Rouge on Catholic Community Radio (690 AM in NOLA and 1380AM in BR). It is also available for listening online.

Like The Catholic Foodie podcast, Around the Table is a radio show that talks about food and faith. Around The Table celebrates the joy of cooking and dining, and it encourages folks to get into the kitchen and to gather around the table with family and friends… Because good things happen around the table.

Around the Table Radio highlights the local culture and cuisine of south Louisiana. The show is hosted by Dave Dawson and myself. Dave Dawson is the president of Catholic Community Radio, which has stations in both Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

The show airs on Fridays at 3PM Central in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. The listening area spans from the Mississippi/Alabama border all the way to the west of Baton Rouge on the way to Lafayette.

Each broadcast is recorded, archived, and released as a podcast. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes. The first two broadcasts are embedded below. You can listen to them in your browser or download them as MP3 files. In just a few days, I will also launch a website for the show at AroundTheTableRadio.com.

To give The Catholic Foodie podcast listeners a taste of this new radio show, I also included the first two broadcasts of Around The Table Radio into The Catholic Foodie podcast feed as episodes CF162 and CF163.

Incidentally, we are looking for sponsors for the show. If you, or someone you know, could benefit from the incredible reach that these two radio stations have (talk about advertising exposure!), please do contact me at 985-635-4974 or email me at jeff [at] catholicfoodie.com.

Bon appetit!

April 12, 2013 – The French Quarter Festival

Our first broadcast features the foods of the French Quarter Festival. Marci Schramm of French Quarter Festivals, Inc. joined us on show, along with Aynsley Fein from The Court of Two Sisters restaurant, and Nasr Nance from Dreamy Weenies. It was a fun show. I hope you enjoy it!

You can also download the MP3 file of the first broadcast here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/aroundthetable/ATT001.mp3

April 19, 2013 – Louisiana Seafood

Today’s topic is Louisiana Seafood. Our guests are Nealy Frentz of LOLA Restaurant in Covington, Louisiana, Ewell Smith, the Executive Director of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, and Susan Whelan, also known as @NolaMaven on Twitter.

You can also download the MP3 file of the second broadcast here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/aroundthetable/ATT002.mp3

Feedback and Your Show Suggestions

If you have feedback for The Catholic Foodie or Around The Table Radio, call in to leave a pre-recorded message at 985-635-4974.

If you would like to suggest topics for upcoming broadcasts, you can call 985-635-4974, or email me at jeff [at] catholicfoodie.com.

Bon appetit!