A Pig & A Dream (Come True)



Becker and Rene at the first Hogs for the Cause in 2009.

You know how some locals like to wax on nostalgically about the infant years of Jazz Fest? They like to talk about how the festival was so much better when it was held at Armstrong Park. How the musical lineup consisted of only indigenous acts like Pete Fountain, Fats Domino, and the Meters. How the crowd was nothing more than a few hundred locals who wandered over from the French Quarter and the musicians themselves. And how the modern era Springsteen-led Jazz Fest is a lesson in that bigger is not always better.

This is not one of those lessons.

In March 2009 I was coasting through my final semester of law school when Rene kept interrupting my internet surfing with talk of this pig roast that he and Becker Hall were hosting at the Fly on an upcoming weekend. So The Folk Singer and I made the drive down from Baton Rouge the night before and then headed out to the Fly to eat some pork (actually, TFS made us stop for lunch at Gott Gourmet on the way) and drink off the free keg donated by NOLA Brewing.

That first year "Hogs for the Cause" was actually a misleading title. There was but one pig, and it had been slowly turning on the battery operated rotisserie since the evening before. If I recall correctly, Rene and Becker had both camped out at the Fly to keep watchful eye over the inaugural cochon, because when you put all of your eggs in one basket you better make damn well sure said basket is delivered.

The crowd numbered probably 50-70 people, if I had to guesstimate. Richard Sutton from St. James was there. The Dread Pirate Robert Peyton was there shucking and chargrilling oysters. The Palm Room Hostess, a long lost blog character, was also present, as were several other friends and acquaintances who came out to support Rene and Becker. Anyone who was there the first year of Hogs will be quick to tell you how they went to Hogs before Hogs was cool.

Once the pig was deemed ready, Rene and Becker ferried it over to a table covered in butcher paper, where several of us began to hack away with our knives. There was no regard for presentation, no final lacquering of special sauce, and I don't remember seeing anyone use a plate or a fork or a knife. We tossed the prepared pork into an aluminum tray, and people just grabbed with their hands.

Hogs 2009 "Thank You" poster from Ben Sarrat, Jr.

A few months thereafter, Rene and I sat down for dinner with our women, and he talked about his big plans for the future of Hogs. His vision involved live music, ticket sales, and a team cookoff. I just kept nodding my head and thinking to myself, "I know that Rene is really bored living in St. Louis, but I didn't realize that he had taken up smoking crack."

Three years later, reality has surpassed Rene's vision by leaps and bounds. He and Becker have created a monster - a pork-centric, pediatric-brain-cancer-fighting monster that continues to grow with every year. The Folk Singer summed it up a few weeks ago, "All of these people are coming up to me and talking about Hogs for the Cause. It's crazy. Hogs is like a thing now."

And why should we be surprised? Who doesn't love pork, beer, and music?

But while the Hogs may get all the glory, it's the Cause which is most important. No doubt that fierce competition among the teams has fueled participants to keep raising the bar, and the quality of the food has accelerated the popularity and growth of Hogs. But porkpourri, Boss Hog passes, and the High on the Hog Grand Champion award are simply the means to support the Cause. The origin of the Cause can be traced back to a 4 year old known as "Pirate Ben," and you can read more about his story here. I have no doubt that on Saturday Ben will help deliver beautiful weather from up above.

Hogs has taken out a bounty on pediatric brain cancer, and the pot just keeps getting bigger. Come out to City Pork on Saturday to help out the Cause.

Hogs for the Cause
Saturday March 24th
City Pork
Gates Open at 10:30am

Shameless Shilling Alert

If studying the success of Al Copeland and Joe Francis taught us anything, it is that no one is going to promote you if you don't do it yourself. Don King didn't make all that money by keeping his mouth shut. Consider this a shameless shill for us. WE NEED YOUR VOTES!

There are many things we aren't fond of here at the Blackened Out Thrift Store, Notarial Archives and Seafaring Insurance Company. One thing we don't like is the color teal. Two others are hunger and losing. As you may have seen, we are currently embroiled in a vicious battle with other local food bloggers in the Langenstein's Blog Wars. Now, there have been many great wars: The Punic, 1812, World, and Brandy/Monica come to mind. But name us a more intense brand of warfare than 4 bloggers submitting recipes?

Peter has sharpened his bow staff and Rene's grenade launcher is locked and loaded like Bloggle the day before he went all vegan.We aren't saying we have ever cut a snitch. But we would. So vote for us. Save the world, stop hunger, and just vote Blackened Out. Don't forget, we have your IP addresses, we know where you live, and we will hunt you down like cattle, and we will gut you.

In all seriousness. Go to the website and vote for your favorite blogger. Since Robert Peyton is not participating, that would have to be us by default right?

2010 Challenge: Kanno Gumbo

Gumbo has been on the brain. Why shouldn't it be? The temperature is down right frigid and that North wind is already howling across the lake. Last week we woke up to brisk weather and before we had even made it out of the house, Lindsay asked, "Can you make gumbo this weekend?"

Why yes, yes I can. But first we swung by Kanno where we ran into among other plebians, Dread Pirate Robert. It is really cute how the proprietor, Hide, sets out a "Reserved" sign on the corner of the bar for him. Color us impressed with his clout. First course was a dark, fragrant bowl of soft shell crab miso soup. The color and flavor of the soup had more in common with gumbo than the austere soups most often showcased by Japanese restaurants. It was heady and rich with a high level of spice. Just what we needed to get over the draft that the Pirate brought in with him.

Couple this experience with an ongoing Twitter conversation with Chef Mary Sonnier about gumbos and, in particular, her husband's duck and kale gumbo. Shoot we just had to make a roux and do something with it. 

Heat Seeking Duck and Kale Gumbo

Begin with a whole duck that you have washed and dried thoroughly. Take a paring knife and prick the skin all over - just the tip, just for a second. This will help the fat render out, resulting in a cleaner stock, and bonus DUCK FAT. My advice to you is to begin salting this duck...heavily. Little pepper as well. Then into a roasting pan or cast iron skillet and a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes. Drop temp to 350 for another 15 minutes. You may or may not want to baste this bird with the rendered fat.

Take duck out of oven, let cool, and pull meat from carcass. Reserve the skin and use as a snack. Strain the fat from the roasting pan into a bowl and use for anything you want. Place carcass into a stock pot with some mire poix, white wine, 4 whole peppercorns, 2 bay leafs, and the stems from the kale that you cut and washed while the bird roasted. Cover with cold water. Simmer this for about 3 hours, skimming fat and foam as it rises from surface. Strain, place stock into a clean pot, and keep warm.

Make a roux (equal parts flour and fat, use all purpose and canola for gumbo). I want it to be the color of an old mahogany bookshelf in your grandfather's office so pull up a stool and relax. After the roux is made, add to it the Trinity, finely diced. Saute for about 10 minutes. Then add at least a half tablespoon of cayenne, 4 garlic cloves (minced), a sprig of green onion (chopped), salt, and pepper. Throwing in a bay leaf here would also not be a bad idea. Stir this around and breathe in the aroma of success. Now whisk in your hot stock. I like to start with a small amount. This helps meld the roux and stock together. I used about 6 cups of stock, it made plenty. Bring this to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Toss in your duck meat and the kale. Let cook for about 15 minutes more or all day.

Taste, adjust seasoning and serve with white rice, sliced green onions, parsley, hot sauce, and most importantly, cold beer.

Dueling Bloggers: Customer Customization

Thanks for all the comments on last week's debate. While we aren't positive (our historian is checking), rumor is it was the first meaningful discussion on the internet that did not detour into a mudslinging, nasty name calling affair. You guys and broads brought up insightful, intelligent points that we hadn't even thought about and greatly contributed to the discussion. So congrats, dear readers. We made history. The issue of cash vs. credit cards has no correct, definitive answer, much like which Olsen sister is hottest. Now onto another topic, diners who customize their orders.

Rene: The worst person in the world to eat with is Legend. Doesn't really matter where you go: high-end temple of gastronomy, cozy bistro, or fast food chain, he will customize his order to fit what he wants. For example, "I want the steak, but the potatoes from the fish, the sauce from the chicken, and the dessert from the place across the street." I can't stand this. At most restaurants, a diner should only be able to customize their order when asked. For instance, you may answer "medium rare" when asked, "How would you like your steak cooked?" Or you may tell the waitress how you like your eggs cooked. Eating with a picky, customizing orderer makes me want to crawl under the table. Just order the dish as it is on the menu. And remember, dressing on the side is about as cool as a bag of Robert Peytons. No matter what anyone says, you are going to eat the whole damn mini-tub of ranch anyway.

Peter: Remember when I wrote that story about the Old Broads from Broad Street? You know, that cadre of waitresses who migrated from the original Ruth's to the new restaurant in the Harrah's Hotel? (No? Well, I couldn't the link online, so apparently that article doesn't exist.) Anyway, when I asked those girls what it was like to work for Ruth Fertel, they all echoed the same memory: "Ms. Ruth's philosophy was always: "Give the customer whatever they want.'" Some restaurants pretend as if it takes an act of Congress to get the kitchen to swap rice for potatoes with your fish. If Connie at Ruth's could hand crush peppermint candies to make The Pope's beloved peppermint ice cream (which had been taken off the menu much to the dismay of the 11 year old Ponitff), then I should be able to get bernaise instead of demi glace with my lambchops.

Rene: A restaurant, a good one at least, is a highly tuned machine. Any little change in cooking, plating, or ingredients can throw a kitchen out of sync. Which means your meal could suffer. To increase your odds of pleasurable dining, decrease your special requests. Recently I heard of a story in which a group went into a recently opened New Orleans restaurant and asked for a "tasting of curry." Note: This was not an Indian restaurant. Now, I will concede that if you have dietary restrictions or are a practicing Bloggletarian*, then you may request kindly that the kitchen do something special. But the carte blanche approach smacks of Veruca Salt , "I want this Mexican restaurant to make me German food with candy corn topping and snozzberry ice cream, Daddy." I'll let you customize, but only when absolutely necessary. Also, you have to remember the most important rule, "Dont be an asshole."

Peter: I have to agree, but only to a certain extent. I'll go back to my argument above re: it's not that f*cking hard for a cook to switch out sauces and side dishes, provided that the different ingredient is offered elsewhere on the menu. Funny story about that though. Christmas 2006. My entire family travels across the pond to visit my sister, who was spending her junior year in Paris. Dining out in a foreign country is difficult enough with the requisite language barrier, but my father's healthy eating habits made it even worse. Everywhere we ate, he desperately tried to customize his order by supplementing vegetables. My sister - at the time the only one of us who spoke any French worth a damn - refused to help my Dad, using the classical excuse, "They don't let you substitute like that in France." Pops was always polite and smiled when he said in this most awkward Frenglish accent, "Les vegetables?" The rest of us would cringe at this exercise in futility, and the waiter would just smile and look confused. Looking back, I have to thank my Dad for showing me exactly what NOT to do when dining out abroad, because when I returned that summer I felt like an old pro when it came to European restaurants.

Rene: You want customization? Been brainwashed to have it your way by Madison Avenue hucksters with catchwords, buzzphrases, and you are special dreams? Cook at home. There you can make a tahini and falafel gyro or delight in eggs benedict hold the Canadian bacon, add avocado. When I eat at restaurants, I want to taste the chef's food. I want an idea of how he cooks, how she thinks, or what her training is. This doesn't mean you have to agree with the chef's decision to place foie gras on top of a fried chicken, stuffed biscuit, but you should try it that way before disagreeing with it. When you customize at a restaurant it is like telling a girl, "I think you would be pretty if you lost 10 pounds." Finally, people love to say, "I love this or that restaurant because it feels like dining at someone's house." Well, most dinner parties I go to (read here: once - haven't been invited back), I have never had a say in the menu.

Peter: I agree with you - diners need to be more adventurous and trusting of chefs when it comes to uncommon combination of ingredients, flavors, and textures. But what if someone walks into restaurant, with a wallet full of cash (or credit) and willing to spend it, but they don't like beets? Does Donald Link allow a diner to order the braised pork rib without them? You're right, for the most part, chefs design a dish such that each ingredient serves a specific role in the overall composition. But, again, it's their money. Why shouldn't a restaurant give the customer without they, as long as it's within reason?


* Your friend and ours, Bloggle, has become a vegan or something like that. If you need him, he can be found playing in the drum circle at Panic Nolaween and trying to sell you a vegan burrito.

Johnnie Walker Scotch Dinner and Crawfish Boil Cookoff

Way back before Fox, MSNBC, unions, and the internet told people who to vote for, candidates for political office used the subtle power of massive feasts to win votes. Texas politicians were known for lavish multi-day barbecues. In the Northeast, political bosses used giant steak feeds with copious amounts of Scotch to endear themselves to voters. This sounds like a much better idea than robo-calls, tv ads, and debates. Listen my love isn't for sale, but my vote can be had for a good plate of red beans. That is a joke, sort of.

On Wednesday June 16th, Mortons will host a Johnnie Walker Scotch Dinner with a portion of the proceeds going to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. About two months ago, I was invited to a similar dinner at Morton's with Peter Mondavi of Charles Krug Winery (above) and ate delicious food in the presence wonderful company and Robert Peyton. Morton's is one of the secret gems of New Orleans as dining there feels like eating in a really cool treehouse. But instead of bugs, branches, and Kool-Aid, you are surrounded by beef, potatoes, and wine. Here is the menu and some more details.

Wednesday, June 16
6:30pm Reception
7pm Dinner

$125 per guest
Inclusive of tax and gratuity

For further information, please contact Kim Trouard at 504.566.0221 or kim_trouard@mortons.com.


First Course
Miniature Crab Cakes
Johnnie Walker Red

Second Course
Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella and Basil Salad
Johnnie Walker Green

Third Course
Single Cut Filet Mignon, Bearnaise Sauce
Served with Twice Baked Potato and Sauteed Garlic Green Beans
Johnnie Walker Black

Fourth Course
Upside-Down Apple-Pie, Vanilla Ice Cream
Johnnie Walker Gold

Toast
Johnnie Walker Blue

And folks don't forget about the Drew Rodrigue Foundation's Crawfish Boil Cook Off at Jesuit High School, this Saturday from 2-6. $20, plus $2 beers for all the crawfish you can eat. Sounds like a good way to celebrate the US kicking the "arse" out of those limey wankers from Britain. Remember: British people have bad teeth, terrible food, and they pollute the Gulf. That is not a joke.

Winesday

Last week, Peter and I were invited by the fine folks at Dickie Brennan's Bourbon House to serve as judges for a blind wine and oyster pairing contest. The winner between both the public tasters and the judges? An Anne Amie Vineyards Cuvee A Amrita with a slight fizz and some lively citrus flavors. Peter picked that one, whereas I liked the minerality of the Muscadet. Proving once again that wine is solely a matter of personal taste. Well, unless you are the Dread Pirate Robert whose favorite wine for oysters is Mad Dog 20/20's Rappin Raspberry.

Poppy Tooker also served as an esteemed member of the judiciary that day. And she had some huge news to share. Beginning tonight at 6:30, Poppy debuts her new radio show "Louisiana Eats" on NPR (WWNO 89.9 FM), which will also replay on Saturday at noon. The half-hour weekly show will cover the Louisiana food scene. Check it out, radio heads.

Bloggle has become a very good friend but we can't help but be excited for the release of his first foray into wine making with 2008 C&B Selections "There's No Place Like Home" Syrah. Bloggle and winemaker, Paul Hoffman, (pictured below) created a Syrah that balances the power and finesse of the Rhone with the fruit of Sonoma. Inspired by Macy Gray, Bloggle has been wandering around town wearing a dress that says "My Wine Drops on June 10th" for about a week.

We had an opportunity to taste the wine last night, and Hoffman and Bloggle (which sounds like a trippy, acoustic college rock duo) have hit it out of the park. Dark in the glass, with a savory aroma of smoky bacon and pepper, the wine finishes smooth and cool coming in at just under 15% alcohol. The price is $24.99 a bottle; $20 a bottle when you buy a case or more. Head over to Cork & Bottle tomorrow afternoon and pick you up a bottle of wine or two. And while you are there, give Bloggle a hug or a kick in the groin. Your choice.

Diners, Drive-Ins, and Identity Theft

Authorities with the New Orleans Police Department have confirmed that Robert "The Dread Pirate" Peyton, a 41 year old self-styled "foodie blogger," has become a person of interest in conjunction with a plot to steal the identity of one Guy Fieri (pronounced "Fee Etti).

Mr. Fieri, seen right, is a Food Network personality of the highest order. He has 4 or 5 immensely popular television shows on the network including his most famous, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, a series which follows Mr. Fieri on an exploration of deep taste across the country.

Mr. Peyton, who writes for the equally popular Appetites.us, has also made a career out of traveling to restaurants, eating food, and asking questions such as: "Whats the dealio on this dish, yo?" and "You got a license for this hot rod of haute cuisine?"

Sgt. Marlin Defillo, a spokesman for the NOPD, confirmed that the investigation into Mr. Peyton's identity theft scheme unraveled very quickly. "We first got reports of a middle-aged man with spiky blonde hair and pinky rings asking cooks how he could get a ride on the 'Flavor Town Express.' At first we were excited that a place like P&G could be profiled on the Food Network. But then we discovered it was an impostor."

Mr. Peyton speaking through his attorney, himself, issued this very carefully worded statement, "Listen, no matter what anyone says I am the Commissioner of Major League Cooking, the Mayor of Flavor Town, Ambassador to the Isle of Bomb.com, Captain Kirk of the USS Epicurious, Conductor of the Taste Bud Railway, Chief Architect of the Building formerly known as the I.M. Delicious Museum of Modern food , and all other titles granted to me by me which connote authority on my palate alone."

Another trademark of Mr. Fieri that Mr. Peyton has copied is the extensive use of hair gel, jewelry, and 60's style bowling shirts. Sandra Lee, speaking for Mr. Fieri, discussed his unique wardrobe thusly, "After carefully screening thousands of Americans who enjoy my cooking shows, we felt it was important to give Guy an edgy look. Something to make you think of that skateboarding/surfing meth salesman you slept with after one too many Cosmoritas at Senor Charlie's in Cancun. Well, without, the awful rash that develops."

Mr. Peyton, shown here in a picture taken last week, vows he will continue to showcase the best examples of truffle oil doused, banh mi flavored pizzas that "rock around the proverbial house while making sure that there ain't no slouches leaving on this gravy train to Awesomeville" (in falsetto).

He then added his signature line, "That's off the chain like a dog feeling no pain riding a train across the rainless plains of central Spain, ya heard me?"

Hogs for the Cause

Hogs for the Cause, the number one porcine related charity event held at the Fly, returns this Saturday, March 6th from sun up to sun down. With over 25 teams competing for your dollars in the Louisiana High on the Hog Pork Cook Off, the competition will be fiercer than you can shake three sticks at. Judging will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. but feel free to come out whenever you want as we will have beer, oysters, pork, music, and silent auction items ready for your perusal.

As you may already know, last year's recipient and the inspiration behind this Cause, Ben Sarrat, Jr., lost his battle with cancer last Thursday. There are no words to express how close Becker and I had grown to Ben and his family. His outlook on life - always positive, smiling, and most of all full of jokes - motivates us to make this year's Hogs for the Cause bigger and better.

To this aim, Hogs has established a cancer research fund, whereby all monies raised will be directed to childhood cancer research. Specifically, we want to help fund the cure for Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Gilioma (DIPG). And what is DIPG? The worst disease imaginable. Most cases are present in small children, and the survival rate is nearly zero. What we do know is that funding for DIPG research is at an all time low, and that is where you come in.

We have been blown away by the support and generosity from our patrons in New Orleans. Donations, raffle items, free equipment and supplies have poured in from across the metropolitan area. Many of us in New Orleans have spent the last half-decade helping each other out. Be it a spare generator or a few extra MREs, we take good care of those in need. We have learned compassion, and that is a wonderful thing.

Now we need you to come out and show your support on what will be a beautiful spring day. We want you to accidentally get sunburned, drink some NOLA Brown, bet on some raffle items, take a plunge on a weekend getaway to Point Clear, and just enjoy the day. There is no charge for admission because we want you to give whatever you feel comfortable with giving. The cook off teams, however, will be vying for your support as monies you donate to each team will help go to towards their point total.

We look forward to seeing you out there.

Together we can do something great.

A Mano

For roughly a thousand years New Orleans has been the home to a wonderfully unique brand of Italian cooking, known as Creole-Italian. But in recent years, a few restaurants (like the Italian Barrel) have opened which present a more Italian-Italian dining experiences. Much like Chinese restaurants, which often cook the cuisine of a particular region, these restaurants focus on regional Italian cooking. The newest of the bunch is A Mano.

A Mano is the latest venture of Adolfo Garcia and Nick Bazan, following in the footsteps of the incredibly good Rio Mar and La Boca. Josh Smith is the chef-partner who is charged with producing regional Italian specialties. It is important to note that the average Italian would have little idea what Italian food is. He would know the food of his region, or even sub-region, and of course that would be the only authentic Italian food. Even the food from a village away would likely be scoffed at by him.

When we dined last Friday, the place was packed with the Fooderatti- including Dread Pirate Robert and Lorin Gaudin. Try as he might, Dread Pirate was unable to spoil our dinner. But he did step on my camera with what he called his "Special Shoes"-3-inch, zebra and turquoise Manolo Blahniks-hence there are no pictures.

The Italian language has all sorts of quirks and interesting phrases which are most readily apparent in their depictions of food. Fans of the old Molto Mario program on Food Network will remember how he always took a moment to explain the phraseology of a dish. The menu at A Mano is reflective of this Italian tradition. Take, for example, the Supli al Telefono. The name translates as telephone wires and as you take a bite of the caciocavallo cheese filled rice fritters, you see why. Thin lines of tangy cheese stretch from your mouth to the savory rice ball as if connecting two distant towns.

Or try Mozzarella in a Carriage (Mozzarella in Carozza con Salsa d'Acciughe) which is nothing more than a well-tailored grilled cheese covered in anchovy caper sauce. But the taste makes the regular grilled cheese look like a scemo.

Dishes like the Trippa alla Fiorentina show this kitchen will cook and serve anything authentic. The tender slowly braised tripe comes set in a delicious and piquant tomato sauce. Utterly delicious, just wish there would have been more bread to sop up the juices. The appetizers run from $5-$8 and you could put a nice tasting menu together with a few of them and some pastas (which range from $8-$12).

The pastas feature the lesser-known stars of the pasta marquee. There is Orrechiette Pugliese ("little ears in the style of Puglia") with broccoli rabe, dried tomatoes, sausage and ricotta salata. But the wild boar ragu simply blew our heads off. The meat was tender and delicious while just hinting at the rough and tumble structure of wild boar.

As far as entrees, we only sampled the Petto d'Anatra con Fichi e Marsala, but the duck breast was cold and the figs seemed lost against the sweet wine sauce. But hey, its early in A Mano's development.

A cheese plate comparing three sheep's milk cheeses and a bottle 2007 Guidobono Barbera d'Alba ($30) rounded out a very good first showing from A Mano. With A Mano, Garcia and Bazan have once again shown that the cuisines of the world can stand tall in New Orleans on its own merits. The hard part for you? Deciding which restaurant-La Boca, Rio Mar, or A Mano-to dine at. In bocca al lupo!

Withholding official judgment, but that night's dinner was a birdie.

Elvis Is in the House

Kanno: You either love it or consider it average. Some argue that only a regular/insider holds the key to Chef Hide's perceived special service lockbox, and so an unknown customer at Kanno can only have an average sushi experience. I'll admit that Chef Hide (affectionately known as Elvis) treats his favorite customers exceptionally well. But here's the thing: anyone can become a "regular" at Kanno, even on your first visit. All it takes is an open mind and a smile.

The Folk Singer had never been to Kanno, and I myself have only been twice before, so we decided to take the Fat City sushi plunge a few weeks ago. The food was rich if not excellent, and the service was even better. I'll admit that I was skeptical walking in the door - wondering whether our experience would even come close to what superstars like the Dread Pirate get. But we did not leave disappointed. Here are a few tips and recommendations for getting the best out of Kanno.

1. Sit at the Sushi Bar - This allows you to establish a rapport with the chef and expedites service. Hide and his wife Lin were the consummate hosts on our visit - offering up complimentary tastes of sake and free pours of ice cold Sapporo to everyone who was eating at the bar.
2. Speak Up - Ask Hide what looks good today and tell him what you like. Tuna, salmon, mackerel, or giant clam. Spicy or sweet sauces. White, brown, or no rice at all. I don't think that I heard the man deny any special request.
3. Order from the Specials - There are boards both over the sushi bar and on the wall in the main dining room. We ordered exclusively from the specials, and I don't think that I'll go back to the regular menu again. The softshell crab miso soup was loaded with onions, and the Lobster Dynamite Roll was rich with a wasabi-mayo sauce. But the hands down winner was the panko fried garlic softshell crab topped with a sauce that had me licking the plate.
4. Go on Saturday Night - Kanno is closed on Sunday and Monday, so on Saturday night Hide is liberal with offering little tastes of the week's specials.
5. Smile - This was the most fun I have had eating sushi since I discovered sake bombing back in '01. Hide and Lin are hilarious and quick to tell stories or just shoot the breeze. Both truly enjoy their work - an attitude which is contagious with their diners.

Kanno - Birdie

Kitchen Confidential & Blackened Out Trivia

While on an extended drive, nothing helps pass the time faster than a book on tape. During last month's jaunt to Tennessee and North Carolina, The Folk Singer and I listened to the audio version of Kitchen Confidential, Anthony Bourdain's behind-the-scenes expose of the culinary world. The book had me concentrating on the storyline more than the road ahead of me - not necessarily a safe thing but it gives you an idea of how much I enjoyed it. Bourdain takes you through his youthful summers in France, culinary school at the CIA, and his seemingly never ending job postings in the kitchen. His personal anecdotes are humorous and entertaining, but he also offers insight into the nuts and bolts of working in a kitchen, as well as some practical advice for us wannabes.

And I almost forgot the best part: Bourdain himself narrates the book. Thus, the audio version takes on a more conversational feel than the print version; a touch which adds a certain something which draws the listener in even more.

Exactly how many times can you read/listen to the same book? Well, in this case for me it was twice in 8 days, but usually the answer is only once. So, our dear readers, we have decided to share the wealth and offer you a chance to listen to Bourdain tell tales of the underbelly of the food world. It's perfect for that upcoming Labor Day drive to the Flora-Bama. (NOTE: Bourdain loves dropping the f-bomb, and there are one or two sexually explicit tales, so this one might not be for the kiddies.)

In this inaugural edition of Blackened Out Trivia, the winner will receive the above slightly used audio copy of Kitchen Confidential which will then be autographed by The Pope. The first person to email the correct answers to all of the below questions will be the winner. If you have a pseudonym on this blog, then if you win, we will send the prize to a person of your choosing. OK, here we go:

1. What libation is commonly referred to by The Pope as "holy water"?
2. Its 4 am. The Pope has decided to go home from the Red Eye, but not before stopping where, for what?
   
3. What menu did The Folk Singer order at The French Laundry?
   
4. On the night that Blackened Out was born, in what restaurant did Legend knock over an entire tray of waters and affectionately pinch a waitress's derriere?
5. What is the maximum number of Ojens a person should consume per 24 hour period?
   
6. What local pie maker once chaperoned Legend on one fateful night during Spring Break?
7. What is the Dread Pirate's favorite place to eat sushi?

There they are. 7 questions; 7 answers. Email your answers to blackenedout at gmail dot com. This is better than winning Powerball.

Winesday and a Drink Special

"Hey, listen I realize you are busy but I have to go taste some Robert Kacher wines. Going to go to Herbsaint, you in?" asked Bloggle.

I'll let you guess how I answered. Buying wine from foreigners can be very tricky what with all the funny names and dates. One of the most effective ways of buying wines that require a passport is to familiarize yourself with a few reputable importers. On the back of any bottle of wine from outside of America will be a seal of an importer. Some good ones to look for are Robert Kacher, Rosenthal Merchants, and Kermit Lynch.

Robert Kacher's portfolio has a stunning array of breadth and depth. Everything from a quaffable white Bordeaux to stunning Argentinian reds is in his list. Bloggle, who is a good friend to have, has a huge crush on Robert Kacher (pronounced like Carlton Fisk's position) and Cork & Bottle is full of them.

So into the backroom at Herbsaint went twelve of us, including Dread Pirate Robert and Ian McNulty. The latter welcome, the former not. Thirteen wines awaited and a whole mess of food. Foodwise here is a quick recap: guinea hen croquettes (eagle), frog legs (birdie), mushroom ravioli (birdie), spaghetti with fried poached egg and guanciale (what do you think?), veal stuffed with fontina cheese and ham with fried sage (par), cheese plate (killer epoisses), and a bite of McNulty's peanut butter mousse with salted whipped cream (eagle).

I loved the first white with its austerity, citrus notes, and a hint of melon. The culprit: a Joel Delaunay, Le Bois Martin made up of 100% Sauvignon Blanc. My notes say it was silver tinged, but this wine has gold medal written all over it. Drink it with pate or boiled shrimp on a hot summer day. Price? $13.99.

Other whites I particuliarly enjoyed were the Domaine du Tariquet from Bordeaux and the Quinto do Alqueve. The Bordeaux is fitty-fitty Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc that smells of fresh hay. A truly delicious, rustic white wine, I would love to drink this with a white bean soup on a cold evening after a long day.

There was also an incredibly clean and acidic white from Quinto do Alqueve which had underlying notes of star anise, dried flowers, and guava. The wine is made from 92% Fernao Pires, an ancient Mediterranean grape, and 8 % Chardonnay. At around $10 a bottle I could afford to drink this while watching the Charm School 3 Marathon.

Going darker to the world of reds, we find a 2008 Cote Jardin Rouge from Vignobles Boudinaud made up 55% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 15 % Mourvedre taken from vines older than me, but younger than Bloggle. This wine had a very focused nose offering hints of fruit preserves with a little inflection of sawdust. My notes say "This wine is such a killer it needs three names." Lucky for you, that was the high water mark of my cleverness that night.

A 2007 Syrah/Grenache blend from Mas des Bressades presented with cinnamon, allspice, cloves, cedar, and violets. Would love to drink this with a braised lamb shank in early spring. At less than $12 a bottle, if you give this to me as a gift, I would not be offended at your cheap ass.

Finally, there was a 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape from Les Cailloux. Such a great wine, to bad the only thing I could write down next to it was "A little rooster from Islamabad called he has your pocketbook."

Anyone know what that means?

Finally, I ran into Tom Wolfe, the chef, not the author recently. He told me they are running a special every Wednesday evening with mojitos and margaritas for $4 from 4:30 til along with other specials like fish tacos. Well made cocktails, good bar food, and no snootiness. Sounds like a good way to get over the hump to me.

Wolfe's on Rampart
1041 Dumaine Street
593-9535

Trip to Sucre

A few weeks ago Peter and I had an exclusive, all access sneak peak at the Sucré production facility. No one else has ever been allowed inside these walls, save Peter and I, and now you. So feel lucky. Full story coming soon in offBEAT. For now enjoy the photography by Peter via TFS's camera.

The infamous muffins which create Lady Gaga's Poker Face.

These cupcakes are so wonderful they remind us of Angel turds

Eaten raw, fresh rolled pastry dough allows anyone to become a blogger.

Sucre's gelato packaging will remind you of happy, fat kid times.

After milking a gelato cow all day, Peter was rewarded with this Praline Gelato. Sucre's new gelato recipe is much improved.

Replace that tired, old Christmas tree this year with a Macaroon tree.

Who Dat?

Was this your wedding cake? If so, it was delicious.

The Dread Pirate Robert is a giant. Just look how small his camera and tripod are in comparison to his massive frame.

Here, the Dread Pirate lets everyone who reads Blackened Out know, "Congrats! You are reading the #1 Food Blog in New Orleans!!!!!"

Tan Dinh

The Westbank is the best bank when it comes to Vietnamese cuisine. Last weekend The Folk Singer and I tried out Tan Dinh for the first time. Located on Lafayette Street just off the Expressway, Tan Dinh confirms the centuries old belief that only good things are found in strip malls.

We started with the requisite shrimp and pork springrolls, which were HUGE.

Then the offbeat grilled pork paté rolls with "crab sauce" in the background (an order inspired by the dread pirate). When these arrive at your table, you might think, "That paté looks a lot like SPAM." It's not. I did not think that grilled flavor came through, but I did like the little hidden strip of fried goodness which provided a nice contrast in texture. The crab sauce is different. It is sweet, but not in the same way as peanut sauce. Looking back, maybe the sweetness comes from the "crab" aspect.

I had the Korean style short ribs with sticky rice and kimchi. The ribs were slightly sweet and fatty and tender. The was my first experience with the sticky rice - mixed with coconut milk, pressed into patties, and then fried till crisp. "Vietnamese hashbrowns" as TFS likened them to. The kimchi was fine but nothing special.

TFS had pho with brisket and pork meatballs (which we could not really capture a decent picture of). The meats fished out of the large bowl were perfectly fine, but the broth was pitifully bland.

Tan Dinh - Birdie overall, but avoid the pho.

Hell Hath Frozen Over

Camellia Grill is opening in Destin. Not sure if this is better or worse than the planned opening of a branch in Perkins Rowe in Baton Rouge. But let's be honest - there will always be one and only one Camellia Grill. As is usually the case, this guy says it best.

Hey, Sleepy. Throw some cheese on those fries.

Pig Jig

Foreword - I swear that this will be the last time we talk about Hogs for the Cause ... at least for a little while. (Also, please note that we neither condone nor intend to glorify the smoking habits of our porcine friends.)

You could not have asked for better weather for a pig roast than this past Saturday. After a 4:00am start, Rene and Becker delivered this beautiful beast to the table just 12 hours later. The skin was crisp and the flesh was unbelievably juicy and flavorful.

Even the kids liked it.

Plus those who attended were able to watch a real food blogger in his element. (And, to be fair, he also shucked the hell out of some oysters. And he took better pictures than us ... again.*)

Good weather, good people, good food, and a good cause all made for a great time.

* EDIT - While we stipulate that the dread pirate Peyton takes better photographs than us, we must take note that his performace is solely a product of his superior equipment. The Folk Singer takes great pictures with her bargain-priced camera, and we thank her for her services. No doubt that her photos would be better if she carried around a mini-tripod in her purse.

Let's Play Catch Up Around The Bend

Gus, the elder hound, had a birthday recently. He turned 3, but you could probably tell that by the above picture. For his birthday Lindsay made him a carrot cake with peanut butter icing and bacon sprinkles. He loved it. The cake was devoured in 2.3 seconds.

Friday night Lindsay and I headed over to Cochon BUTCHER after work. While driving towards the mecca of meat on Tchoupitoulas, I heard an earth shattering explosion of rap-rock, Incubus-esque, tribal dance music and profanities. Frightened for my life, I glanced to the right only to see Dread Pirate Robert bobbing his head and stroking his flavor saver, while smoking what I think was clove cigarettes. "Wanna race, you hack?" he asked spitting lunch old beer and pork products onto my passenger side car door.

As the light turned green, he sped off and left me in the dust. Luckily he narrowly avoided a troupe of art loving locals. This time, Dread Pirate Robert was able to park easily outside of BUTCHER. We had a few glasses of wine, a charcuterie board, and some not so pleasant conversation; I felt lucky to escape with my wallet.

Saturday night found us with a group in the quarter for something called "the Mardi Gras"? I had never heard of it. After this Krewe with a View parade, we were all hungry. Someone suggested Ruth's due to their $40, 4 course meal. So we went. It was ok, we had to sit outside due to the large crowds and my lack of clout. And the meal was so so. Untossed salad, overcooked steak, and cold mashed potatoes are the predominant memories. Ohh and the waiter snuck a few extra charges onto the bill, which was not very cool. So here is my take on the Ruth's Valentines Day deal: its ok if you want a chain meal, if you want a real Ruth's experience skip it. But we had fun and that made it an enjoyable evening.

Also on Saturday night, I ran into a scion of the Acme Restaurant Group. The next thing I remember, I awoke in an alley missing my shoes and with ACME branded onto my chest. You do the math. Must remember to make more friends...

Now looking ahead for this week. This is from a press release sent by the wonderful people of the Crescent City Farmer's Market.

Wednesday, February 11th, avid market shoppers chef Adolfo Garcia and sous chef Joshua Smith of Rio Mar will host a 5-course dinner featuring seasonal, local products sourced primarily from the Crescent City Farmers Market. The cost is $60 per person, which includes cocktails/wine, tax and gratuity. 100% of the profits will go to the CCFM. Thanks, Rio Mar! Cocktails at 7pm. Dinner at 7:30pm. Space is limited. Please RSVP to 504.525.3474 or riomarseafood@gmail.com.

Yes, I have been writing about the Farmer's Market a lot recently, I know this. But the more we go to the Market, the more we look forward to it. And not in a look "how snooty we are locavore" elitism, but in a "wonder what they will have today" devotion. We portion off about $40-50 a week to spend at the market. This usually gets us a dozen eggs, some patty sausage and other meat products, citri, bread, goat cheese, greens, vegetables, herbs, and a few other treats. Plus, a cup of coffee for me.

I had the opportunity to interview Woody Tasch last week, so be on the lookout for a Blackened Out Worldwide Exclusive Interview (take that, Couric!) with Mr. Tasch next week. His book, Inquiries into the Nature of Slow Money: Investing as if Food, Farms, and Fertility Mattered, focuses on investing in communities and sustainable food processing. Unlike many people often quoted in the locavorism world, Mr. Tasch does not think we need to get rid of places like Wal-Mart and McDonalds. Rather through the gradual increase of capital into local and environmentally sustainable agricultural and ranching, we can transform not only the food we eat but our entire culture. So far its a good read, but I wish I would have paid more attention in my college Econ class.

Ok, tomorrow a recap of the Butcher and Grand Fete opening starring an oyster bar, suckling pigs, and a 6 Liter bottle of hooch. For now its Roast Chicken Night...

Butcher

Well it finally opened. The Butcher shop. As soon as it opened, I began receiving frantic emails and violent voice mails from some maniacal porkaholic. For a second I believed Hunter S. Thompson had returned from his Cadillac ride in the sky to haze me. Then I realized it was only the malcontent from appetites.us who had somehow found a telephone. Here is an example of one of the voicemails:

"Louapre, you swine. Cochon Butcher is now open for business. The question is whether or not you can get your fat shoulder over there in the next fifteen minutes before I devour every last bit of nitrate cured, intestinal casing entrapped shred of pork, duck, and beef in the joint. Ohhh, and someone gave you a flat tire."

Feeling challenged, I sped over there. The scalawag, Dread Pirate Robert, who I understand was late for a Lactose Intolerance Support Group, had left. I walked into a white tiled sanctum of meat, preserves, wine, and sandwiches. Entering the door a shudder took hold of me, a deep sigh let out, and I remember crying, briefly, before saying out loud, "This is the finest sight these eyes have ever laid upon."

A glass of sherry later, I was ordering the pork belly sandwich. This time instead of being served on brioche, the pork belly nestled between two layers of lard bread. Read that again. Bread from lard. Now, I am no theologian, but had Jesus used lard bread at the last supper, I am certain things would have turned out differently.

As we were leaving, we got a half pound of duck rillette - scooped carefully out from a long narrow terrine topped by a translucent glimmering layer of fat. And just for good measure a half pound of Kurobota bacon. That should last us the next two days. There is also an ever expanding selection of housemade pickles, relishes, hot sauces, and other condiments. Menu here.

The Butcher shop is located behind Cochon which is on Tchoupitoulas. Also opened recently is the private event space Calcasieu. Will Davis is the manager of Butcher now, having honed his chops (pun not unintended) at Herbsaint, and Melissa (also nee Herbsaint) is bartending - along with many of the loyal staff from the Link Restaurant Group. Next time you are looking for an after work drink, head to Butcher. But whatever you do, stay away from Dread Pirate Robert.

And one more pun. A great Link. It works on so many levels.

Call to Arms

Recently this rapscallion, Robert Peyton, has used the Internet to publish outlandish, salacious, and dangerous rumors about the crew behind this noble journalistic institution. Obviously Mr. Peyton did not read the "Terms of Use" Contract which controls the entire Internet. If he did, he would remember that the only information which can be posted on the world wide web must be 100% accurate and/or absolutely true.

Perhaps one of us assualted Mr. Peyton with a knife, but neither of us are Turks. Peter could be Armenian, but Peter is still awaiting the gynecological survey he requested from the Mormons, or something like that.

Indeed, the Blackened Out Crew and Fan will dine at Stella. Mr. Peyton and his cohorts have chosen to dine across town at Iris on the evening of July 17th. Perhaps it is the prospect of fun, hilarity, bonhomie, and general tomfoolery that they seek to avoid. Or perhaps they need a more secluded spot to plan their impending retirements. Regardless, the editors of this stalwart and our crew of merry eaters issue the following statement to Mr. Peyton:

Please meet us at a place of mutual convenience following your gustatory celebration so that we may duel on the neutral ground. We will take the streetcar towards your restaurant and your gang of misfits is instructed to take the streetcar towards the Quarter. We shall meet at Fat Harry's. You, sir, may choose the weapon. Choose wisely, and remember Blackened Out would never bring a knife to a gun fight.

Signed,
The Blackened Out Armenian (perhaps) and Frog