And we're off... must eat meat

A fabulous New Orleans weekend must generally always begin with a libation of choice and some sort of meat or meat-infused snack. My choice this round was from Butcher in the Warehouse District, a stone's throw from my quarters and the easy choice for a Friday lunch with friends.

Tucked down a side street behind Cochon on Tchoupitoulas Street, Butcher reads like a deli, like the uptown Martin's Wine Cellar but smaller and with a decidedly more food-snob appeal. Tall boys and stools it across from the deli counter and service bar where friendly hipsters take your order for pork belly sandwiches, bacon melts, boudin and house-made hot dogs (I was personally present at the inception of Stephen Stryjewski's hotdog creation years ago at a contest among local chefs; it was great to see it in commercial form on the menu here) as well as your Abita, Sessions Lager, Tito's vodka et al.

On the menu for me, my dear friend MCF and a new Austin acquaintance was the aforementioned boudin, served hot with course Creole mustard and electric green pickles; that fabulous hot dog covered in what looked like a bean based chili, green onions, cheese, etc etc etc; a plate of melt-in-your-mouth head cheese with crusty bread and more Creole mustard; and a few drinks to begin our weekend back in town.

I'm glad we arrived when we did; after 11:30 the line stretched out the door and we had hungry patrons breathing down our necks for a shot at our tallboy. We befriended our friendly bartender over lunch and he bequeathed us with two delicious cookies on the way out: classic white chocolate chip and snickerdoodle that were still moist when this writer indulged this evening.

Definitely ch-ch-ch-check it next time you find yourself wandering in the Warehouse District, just get there with plenty of time to wait and an aggressive approach to table poaching!

Cochon Butcher, 930 Tchoupitoulas Street, New Orleans, LA

On to the Next

Grant Achatz envisions a new restaurant concept where the concept changes four times a year. Fascinating idea from the "Andy Warhol" of the cooking frontier.

I especially found interesting the 18 different types of ice at the cocktail bar! It all sounds intense and fun and slightly wacky, but the question remains to be answered: will the food-appreciating public adore Next like they've adored Alinea, or will it simply become to heady and self-interested to appeal to anyone but the most dedicated Achatz fan?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/16/dining/16next.html

Some days are better than others...

Well after much pleading and prodding Blogger has reinstated thelonelyanchovy! While I have so many awesome posts to share, I have to start out with a comical and even somewhat tragic story of newlywed cooking gone awry.

I have successfully ruined 3 recipes in the last 12 hours, and none of them were the same recipe.

Attempt 1: Monday night, 8:30p

Dish: Celia Brooks Brown's Spaghetti with Yogurt, Chile and Spinach

This is a recipe I have been following for years - YEARS - by heart. It has become one of my husband's favorites, takes about 20 minutes and is even vegetarian. See recipe below. Note that it calls for plain nonfat yogurt. Pretty standard stuff, but I guess I was in a yoga daze at the grocery last night because I picked up vanilla nonfat yogurt instead, and apparently didn't bother to notice my mistake until I had stirred the yogurt/flour mixture into a sizzling pan of olive oil and finely minced garlic and Thai chili. An intoxicating aroma of garlic, spice olive oil and... vanilla... erupted though my new kitchen.

Attempt 1: fail

Attempt 2: Monday, 8:45p

Dish: Spaghetti with Garlic and Olive Oil

As I already had pasta rolling from Attempt 1, I decided to do a quick, easy, undestroyable dish with what I had in front of me. Minced a little more garlic, grabbed a fresh pan, tossed in a little olive oil over medium heat and dropped in the garlic. Then the phone rang in the other room, a great friend from New Orleans catching up from the holiday. I lingered for just a moment too long to discover burned and crispy garlic in my pan.

Attempt 2: fail

At this point, I gave up anything that was remotely complicated (apparently roasting garlic was out) and tossed the innocent-enough pasta in butter and chopped flat leaf parsley. Dinner accomplished.

Attempt 3: Monday 9:00p - Tuesday 8:00a

Dish: Chicken stock

How does one destroy chicken stock? Well I'm going to tell you. The meal plan this week included chicken soup, and I always need chicken stock for other soups as well. So into the pot go three chickens, onions, parsnips, carrots, celery, parsley, dill, thyme, Kosher salt and whole peppercorns, topped off with about 8 quarts of water. In my old kitchen with gas burners, I could generally leave all this on the cooktop over low all night to really get some great flavor. So I brought the stock to a boil, turned the heat down and went to bed. I closed the kitchen door so the dogs wouldn't be tempted to explore the aromas of the hot pot. Now, the great thing about working freelance is that I can sleep a little late, so I woke up around 8:00a this morning expecting the smell of delicious chicken stock and herbs. Not so. Instead, the scent of protein burn permeated the house -- the stock had reduced the almost the point of no liquid and the contents were burning on the edges of the pot. To make matters worse, water had condensed on the walls, hood and inside the vent above the cooktop. My house still smells acrid.

Attempt 3: fail

And all within 12 hours. Welcome back, lonelyanchovy.

Spaghetti with Yogurt, Chile and Spinach

1. 1/2 pound whole wheat spaghetti
2. 1 1/2 cups plain low-fat yogurt
3. 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
4. 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
5. 4 garlic cloves, minced
6. 1 red Thai chile, minced
7. 10 ounces baby spinach
8. Finely grated zest of 2 lemons, plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
9. Salt and freshly ground pepper
10. 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the spaghetti until al dente. Drain and return to the saucepan.
2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk the yogurt with the flour until smooth. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and chile and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the yogurt and bring to a simmer over moderate heat, stirring. Add the spinach by the handful and cook until wilted, stirring. When all of the spinach has been added, stir in the lemon zest and juice and season with salt and pepper.
3. Add the sauce to the spaghetti and toss well to coat. Mound in bowls, sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve right away.

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/spaghetti-with-lemon-chile-and-creamy-spinach

Tis the Season to be Festive

And drink Champagne!

The Wall Street Journal just posted a fabulous (as always) and informative aricle on the science behind my favorite beverage. Enjoy, and Merry Christmas!http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126108284326695963.html?mod=dist_smartbrief

Food by Politics

Wine and Chocolate Pairing Made Simple

Ziggy "the Wine Gal" Eschliman gets quoted here by Bill Daley at the Chicago Tribune. Great article for the pairing-minded.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/dining/chi-tc-food-wine-1023-1028oct28,0,840505.column

On a personal note, Ziggy scored DR and I some fabulous tickets and backstage passes to the Journey/Hart show this summer in exchange for some Perrier Jouet. Couldn't have been a better show, thanks so much for hooking us up Ziggy!

Fast Company weighs in on the closure of Gourmet Magazine

http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/kate-rockwood/bizzy-body/rip-gourmet-how-keep-brand-alive?partner=homepage_newsletter

A few interesting tips and ideas for Ruth and the crew to keep this publication viable and relevant, form the magazine that prides itself on keeping up with all things hip and au currant.