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My favorite cookbooks at the moment..

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Whoa! It’s been a minute since I last posted anything. Life sure can get crazy…in a good way! During my hiatus, I’ve re-discovered some old cookbooks as well as some new ones. We can’t always dine out and when we eat at home, why not partake in the culinary experience in your own kitchen? Here are some of my faves:

1. Cravings: Recipes for All the Food You Want to Eat by Chrissy Tiegen. Not only am I fan of this spunky lady, but I admire her for her passion for food. If you happen to follow her on SnapChat, you’ll see what I mean. One of my favorites in the book have to be her Creamy Potato Salad with Bacon!

 

2. Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller. Thomas Keller is my Chef hubby’s idol. He’s world-renowned and deserves every bit of notoriety. I’ve been to 3 of his restaurants: 1. The French Laundry 2. Ad Hoc 3. Per Se. I remember every bite from each restaurant. Each restaurant has shared their own cookbook, however, we can’t always prepare a Michelin-rated dinner for the family, so this book shares more family-friendly meals very much like Ad Hoc’s menu.

3. Besh Big Easy: 101 Home Cooked New Orleans Recipes. Besides “The Chef” hubby himself, Chef John Besh is my next chef crush! Not only has he created a restaurants empire in New Orleans, but he’s philanthropic and has a great heart. For refined New Orleans’ homestyle recipes, this is your resource:

  3. I’ve attached the links to check them out for yourself. What are your favorite books at the moment?
  5. Stay tuned for some new, up-and-coming restaurant reviews in New Orleans!
  8. Upcoming posts:
  9. Bar Frances
  10. Nomiya
  11. Restaurant Des Familles

 

Ignatius Eatery (Magazine St., New Orleans, LA)

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It’s the weekend and there’s nothing I look forward to more than weekend brunch. Call me a fatty! Ignatius Eatery is a very homey brunch restaurant on Magazine St. It’s the perfect blend of Southern cooking meets breakfast. Quite a few years ago, this spot was a coffee house called Rue De La Course. It’s where I spent my undergraduate days studying. It brought back so many memories…coffee, school, and what I thought at the time was the worst stress I’ve ever felt. Now, Ignatius has taken what I remembered to be this little coffee shop and revamped those old memories into a different kind of hangout spot…

 

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Shrimp Remoulade Salad. Shrimp. Cucumbers. Grape Tomatoes.

 

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Poche’s Pork and Jalapeno Boudin. Creole mustard.

 

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Creole Seafood Gumbo. 

 

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 Corn and Crab Bisque. 

 

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Crab Omelette. 3 egg omelette. Creole Cream Cheese. Local crab meat. Stone ground grits. Fresh fruit.

 

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Tons of crabmeat!

Not pictured above, but the restaurant even kept Rue De La Course’s old coffee mugs, which I thought was a really nice touch. Years ago, this place was filled with college kids intensely studying for their next big test, but now I see a different crowd…middle-aged folks, retirees, and couples like “The Chef” and I.

It’s homey, but the food is refined. I really loved the omelette dish, because it had tons of crabmeat! The grits were cheesy and delicious. The Shrimp and Remoulade Salad is also a great choice and it went so well with the gumbo. I was slightly disappointed with my Corn & Crab bisque, since it wasn’t thickened like I expect chowder to be. It probably needed to be reduced down a bit more…

Overall, everything was the perfect mix of South Louisiana meets brunch. I would love to come back to try the Dinner menu.

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Rating: 3.5/5 spoons

 

Ignatius Eatery on Urbanspoon

 




Luke (Riverwalk, San Antonio, TX)

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I recently relocated to San Antonio…a short term career move, but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying food!  I was really missing home and “the Chef” surprised me this past weekend…There are quite a few great restaurants here ranging from great pizza joints (like Dough and Fralo’s), delicious BBQ, and Mexican food, but nothing here resembling NOLA cuisine. Luke was the next best thing…home away from home. New Orleans cuisine isn’t just comprised of gool ol’ Cajun seafood, gumbo, jambalaya, and poboys. There’s quite a bit of French influence as well…one of my favorite cuisines! Although Luke on the Riverwalk had a little of it’s own San Antonio twist, the food and feel brought me back into the CBD (City Business District) of New Orleans…

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Grilled Watermelon. Dried Cherry Compote. 14-month Tejano Ham. Arugula, Fried Goat Cheese. 

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Cup of Gumbo.

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Crispy Slow Cooked Pork. Green Beans. Toasted Almonds. Poached Egg. Spicy Butter Dressing. 

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Baked Texas Coast Oysters on the Half Shell, Shrimp, and Crab Gratin. 

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Hanger Steak. Steak-Frites. Garlic and Herb Butter.  I know, it looks like a teaser, but I actually split this dish with the boyfriend so there’s more than appears on this plate!

*NOTE: not pictured are the raw oysters (which were inhaled immediately)… large, fresh, and delicious!

The food was delicious! Although we ordered a feast of food, everything was refreshing and very flavorful. The only downside is the cost  $$$-$$$$. It’s an experience, regardless! Luke is one of my favorite restaurants in New Orleans so I had very high expectations for this location. San Antonio is a beautiful city…very scenic hills, beautiful riverwalk and luckily for me, John Besh brought this delicious gem to the city! 

Lüke on Urbanspoon

NOLA (French Quarter, New Orleans)

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Of all of Emeril Lagasse’s New Orleans restaurants, NOLA is the most casual and laid back but still very nice. Great for a night out with the family or just a casual date night with your significant other. The restaurant is very warehouse district. There are approximately 3 stories…just my guess since I’ve only been on the first and second floor, but the see-through elevators are constantly taking guests up and down between floors. 

View from my seat..


Table with a view! 


Casual dining at its best!


Enough pictures of the restaurant..let’s get to the food! When “the chef” and I looked at the menu, many of the appetizers stood out to us much more than the actual entrees so we created our very own tasting menu…


Complimentary Ciabatta bread and Cornbread. 


Miss Hay’s Stuffed Chicken Wings. Homemade Hoisin Dipping Sauce. 

LOVED this dish…I’m typically not a fan of “fusion” types of food, but here, American + Asian = DIVINE! The authentic Vietnamese egg roll stuffing inside a juicy deep fried chicken wing was interesting and leaves you wanting more…


Duck Confit and Fried Egg Pizza. Parmesan Cheese. Truffle Oil. Baby Arugula.

Although it appears large, it’s light and savory…


Aged Allen Benton’s Country Ham Salad. Moonshine Spiked Watermelon. Arugula. Feta Cheese. Citrus-Herb Vinaigrette. 


Gumbo of the Day: Cochon and Andouille Gumbo.


New Orleans Style Crab Cake. Spicy Corn Relish. Crystal-Butter Sauce. 

Good but not my favorite. The corn relish balanced the heavily seasoned crab cake and gave it a refreshing kick with the Crystal-Butter sauce. 


Crispy Smoked Duck and Mushroom Boudin Balls. Tomato-Bacon Jam. Creole Mustard. 


NOLA Banana Pudding Layer Cake. Graham Cracker Crust. Vanilla Wafers. Fudge Sauce. 

One thing I’ve learned is when you’re craving a good ol’ homemade banana pudding, you won’t get it at these upper echelon restaurants…but what you will get is an overly decadent yet still so delicious version. Not too far from the original homemade kind…fresh slices of banana, light pudding cream, graham cracker crust…loved it! 


Great experience at NOLA in Nola! Great service. Cool and casual vibe. Great place for a laid back night but very good food. Props to Mr. Emeril Lagasse!


NOLA Restaurant on Urbanspoon

Gott Gourmet

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I’m a sucker for brunch joints so I’d heard that there was an awesome brunch spot in town and this was the place! It’s located right in the hustle and bustling heart of Magazine St. (Right across from Rendezvous Tavern and next door to Frock Candy boutique store).  I didn’t get to try the brunch, because they only do brunch on weekends =( BUT boy was I in for a surprise…

This has got to be THE BEST MAC & CHEESE I’ve EVER had! Elbow macaroni tossed in rich and creamy 5 cheese sauce topped with truffle butter, toasted panko bread crumbs, and shaved parmesan. You have the option of adding Bacon or Jalepenos for a little extra…My boyfriend and I did both. You must try this!!!! 


Loaded Gumbo. Chicken, Andouille, Shrimp, Crab, Ham, and Okra, topped with a small scoop of Potato Salad.

Gumbo was delicious! I love places that add a dallop of potato salad to their gumbo instead of rice. The creaminess of the potato salad and the full-bodied flavor of the gumbo just melt together perfectly!


Crawfish Enchiladas. (Special of the day – not on the menu) Very large and heavy dish. Pretty good dish overall, but the heaviness of the dish and strong flavors may bore you after a while. 


Fried Catfish Club w/ Remoulade Sauce and Coleslaw. (Specials menu) Very good stuff! The nicely crisp fried catfish is placed in a lighter Roma bread. The combination of pickles, remoulade sauce, and coleslaw go together very well. 


If you decide to visit Gott Gourmet, don’t forget that they close on Mondays and brunch is weekends only! I’ll definitely return to try the brunch…and another order of that scrumptious mac & cheese!

Gott Gourmet Cafe on Urbanspoon