Gnawin's, Part 1

A few weeks ago I set out to Louisiana with little notice and only the vaguest notions of where I would wind up. The lucky thing is I've received numerous suggestions from some of the natives on where to go and what to eat in New Orleans. I was excited, but really had no idea of how hard I would fall for this town. Despite the usual expectations that surround the infamous Bourbon Street, I enjoy the casual, upbeat atmosphere around the French Quarter. I could easily spend a week or two here, eating the city, if my trip allowed it. Unfortunately due to my schedule I've had to make some hard choices about where to spend my time. So I've opted to seek out the best.

Last Saturday night I dropped into the Bourbon House. They pride themselves on delicious seafood and a broad selection of choice bourbon. Work had me in the mood to treat myself, so I knew this dinner would be no-holds-barred.

Appetizer:

Raw oysters on the half-shell, bourbon and soda.

What do I really need to say here? Rich, tasty morsels from beneath the waves, with sides of ketchup, horseradish, and lemon, with Tabasco at the bar. You either love them, or you're eating somewhere else.

Main Course:

Seafood Boulibase.

Shrimp, squid, mussels, and scallops mingling with creole tomatoes in a lovely saffron broth. I usually try not to make a big scene while I'm peeling my shrimp, but this is honestly wonderful stuff.

Dessert:

Chocolate-stuffed bread pudding, Eagle Rare 10-year bourbon neat.

This finisher had me floored. A layer of rich, dark chocolate nestles itself into the syrupy pastry. The Eagle Rare was the restaurant's bourbon of the month, and it's warm strength helped open up my taste buds even wider. I could easily forgive being served this in a foam take-out box; I think it was late and the dishwasher wanted to go home.

Candy Everybody Wants

With things trending towards a dryer and warmer NoCal, I met with Molly Mayhem on Sunday for a day out. We tripped on the cosmos as presented by the Academy Of Sciences, and took a cruise further down the coast. Her friends were throwing a little birthday dinner, and I was just lucky enough to show up. Molly has been working with candy lately, and here is one of her latest concoctions:

Blood Orange Caramels

I've severely cut my candy intake since I was a young'un, but this caramel is a more developed take on the classic. The incorporation of blood orange pieces and nuts gives it a multidimensional flavor and texture. Where a typical caramel is just straight sugar up in your grill, these little treats shift from their sweet caramel exterior to a slight tang from the blood orange, and then counters itself with a toasty, nutty crunch. Delightful. I'm not the only person who'd like to see these for sale somewhere.

Moving on to Molly's friends' place, we were treated to a fantastic sangria and raw oyster appetizer. Molly wanted to point out this one in particular for its sheer beauty and form:

Dinner was grilled sausage, peppers, onions, and mushrooms, roasted asparagus, and spiced fingerling potatoes. While that was all delicious and refreshing, I have to emphasize the birthday cake for just how balls-out crazy it is in concept, and yet totally the cake you've always wanted to make for yourself. Witness the Bacon Cake:




The basic recipe as I understood it is a typical yellow cake, but swap out a third of the flour for cornmeal; this makes the cake a little denser, like a light cornbread. Between layers of cake are layers of crisp bacon covered in a brown sugar glaze. The cake is coated in a typical sugar frosting, with a bit less sugar so it doesn't overpower the savoriness of the corn cake and bacon. Finally, it's decorated with more strips of glazed bacon. Now would be a good time to sponge the drool off your keyboard.

Molly's present was a sweet all-copper sugar pan, so the fun is sure to continue. She sent me home with more cookies and berry pies than I can handle myself. I think I have some bored fellow office workers I need to make happy.