Moving Day

"Closing Time-you don't have to go home but you can't stay here"
-Some band from the 90s currently auditioning for "Where Are They Now"

It's a bittersweet day here at the old Blackened Out International Money Launderers and Quality Assurance Consulting home office. We are busy packing up this old blog for our move over the weekend to the new and improved Blackened Out. Don't click it yet or you could break it. Stop touching it, La Papa, it's brand new. Ohh, come on! You just got your fingerprints all over the place, Donnie Boy. Damn it, go wait in the car BBD!

Anywho, today's blog post is another trivia round, so here goes. Winner receives a copy of Donald Link's Real Cajun autographed by non other than Joe, Peter's mechanic. And to the last winner, it's in the mail. (Blame Peter.)

Leave your answers in the comment box or email them to us.

1) How many times has Peter written about Asian food? (Price is Right rules in effect)

2) Name all locations for every Official Blackened Out State Dinner.

3) In what area of the world do"truffles grow on foie gras trees"?

4) What was the first restaurant we reviewed for offBeat Magazine?

5) Who is the Old Green Lady?

6) What is on a Fat Kid Special?

7) Where did Rene and Peter screen test for the Food Network?

8) What is this a picture of?

9) What is in a Satsuma Wrestler?

10) What is your favorite Blackened Out Post?

As always, first in time wins. Please note: the blog's publish times and comment times are two hours behind Central Time.

See you at the new home, Monday.

Thanks,
Management

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.

Risotto Carbonara

"Success has a thousand fathers, but failure is an orphan."
-Mickey Mouse

If Mickey Mouse is correct, then this dish has three fathers. The first padre is the spaghetti with guanciale and a fried poached egg from Herbsaint. The second father is the milk white, shrimp and pea risotto from Stella! Finally, the third pops comes from the pages of a recent Bon Appetit which had a cartoon depiction of how David Chang, a New York super chef, created one of his famous dishes: soft poached egg with caviar, onion soubisse, and purple sweet potato vinegar.

Eggs have recently become an obsession. The flavor, texture, and substance of an egg can be changed easily and drastically. The egg is as comfortable at breakfast time as she is at dinner. It truly is incredible.

So the mind started to race. I wanted to create a dish that would resemble those inspirations that I had tasted, while using a new technique. I had some risotto in the pantry and some fresh chicken stock, so went in that direction. It could have just as easily taken me to ordering take-out. Carbonara is classically, raw egg, some bacon, maybe a little cream, some parsley, black pepper, and loads of cheese tossed with hot pasta. Needless to say, carbonara makes other applications of bacon and eggs seem juvenile.

Risotto is a wonderful dish to cook. The rhythmic stirring, careful watching, and adjustment of liquid to rice should feel like second nature to anyone who has ever turned flour, oil, trinity, and stock into gumbo. Soft boiling an egg is pretty simple. A rolling boil, place egg in water, and cook. I did mine for about six minutes. Then toss in an ice bath and peel.

Risotto, some crisp bacon, a heavy dose of the King of Cheeses, a touch of cream, the egg, and some parsley. I also added a touch of truffle salt to the end of the dish because too much of a good thing is never enough. When cooked perfectly the yolk spills out, it mingles with the risotto for a moment before deciding to join the party. Then you get the pungent aroma of truffle, the comfort of the cream, a slight nuttiness from Parma, the bite of black pepper, a crunch of bacon, and the soulfulness of the pudding-like risotto. Serve it with a white burgundy to take it to the extreme.

Try it or you will become an orphan.

The (Not-So) Green Goddess

Allow me to dispel a nasty rumor:

Fact: The chefs at The Green Goddess pay as much attention to vegetables as they do to meat and seafood.
Fiction: The Green Goddess is a vegetarian restaurant.

On multiple occasions I have told people about The Green Goddess only to watch them roll their eyes and say, "Yeah, but, isn't that a vegetarian restaurant?" No, it's not. Trust me - there is enough pork, beef, and fowl on the menu to satisfy even the most voracious carnivore. Back in May we had the chance to sample Chef Chris DeBarr's dinner menu at this funky little spot on Exchange Alley. Then last week Rene and I joined BB Gunner and The Gambler to pay off a Bar Exam wager over Paul Artigues' lunch spread.

This was one of Chef Paul's daily specials - an heirloom tomato stuffed with enough boudin to form a prominent muffin top which is then inverted and given a nice crust on the griddle. Ingenious and delicious.

Here we have the Cuban Luau Sandwich of salame, pulled pork, manchego, banana peppers, and roasted pineapple on pressed ciabatta. They also serve a faux cuban made with collard greens, but I think that I'll stick with my perfect record when it comes to choosing between pork and vegetables.

Where else but in Louisiana would "Bangers & Mash" consist of duck sausage and sweet potatoes sweetened with cane syrup? If that doesn't scream fall, then I don't know what does.

I thought that this was the best dish on the tables, but that's probably because I ordered it. Bacon & Bison Meatloaf Sandwich with (more) bacon, arugula, tomatoes, creole mustard, and garlic aioli. I like mine served warm, but you can have it cold if you'd like.

We also had the house version of crudites, which I love because it includes enough vegetables to offset the guilt I feel from devouring the French duck fat "home fries." Those are not to be missed.

The Green Goddess is a sleeper when it comes to lunch - kind of like Steve Smith in this year's fantasy draft. (No, the other Steve Smith.) Prices are a bit higher than what you might usually pay for lunch, but this minor splurge is worth it for food of this caliber. The space sits only 10 or 12 inside, but when the weather is nice there is no better place to dine than at the outside tables on Exchange Alley.

The Green Goddess - Birdie

You Better Reconcile

Want your dining dollars to go further than the bottom line? Why not stop in for lunch at Cafe Reconcile this week and support a program which helps young people learn to help themselves. Founded by the late, great Rev. Harry Thompson, S.J., Reconcile offers a path of hope for those less fortunate than most of us. It's a Jesuit thing that we like to call "men for others."

The food is good and cheap, but our waitress let us in on a few inside tips as to what's best. The staff is only allowed to eat the fried menu items on Fridays, and she said that's a good thing because otherwise she would eat nothing but the fried catfish everyday. That sold me, and she was right because that cooked to order filet made a great po-boy. You can't go wrong with red beans on Monday, and the baked chicken with 2 sides is a steal at $7. I'm partial to the mac and cheese made with spaghetti.

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The bananas foster bread pudding though is excellent no matter how you look at it.

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Cafe Reconcile - Par for food; Double Eagle for good will

Kitchen Essentials

Time and time again, you will find yourself reaching for this piece of genius. Its limits are unknown to modern man and technology. No, it is not the iPhone, it is a Royal Blue Le Creuset Dutch Oven. You will use this piece of cookery at least once a week; that is a guarantee. However, feel free to choose a different color.

It is perfect for Red Beans. Saute some tasso or ham, a little trinity, garlic, add the beans, some water, place the lid half on and walk away. It will bubble and toil on the stove while you do the stuff you need to do. Same results with gumbos, but a different process.

ASIDE: While I heartily agree and love the tradition of Red Beans on Monday, I think we can all agree that most of us work on Monday. You do, we know you do, cause you read us on Monday, not on the weekends. Thus, it is likely you aren't doing the wash on Monday. Red Beans (and gumbos, braises, roasts, etc...) are always better the next day. Therefore, by the power invested in me by the great state of the Internet, I hereby declare that from henceforth Red Beans shall be made on Sunday and eaten on Monday.

A dutch oven was a multi-tasker before Steve Jobs invented the word. It can fry, it can roast, it can braise, it can make soups, it can bake bread, hell I think it even changed my oil last week. The secret is that a dutch oven, especially a cast-iron one, retains and distributes heat remarkably well. So there are no hot spots on the pan which means no uneven cooking which means you can go home and kiss the prom queen.

I tried to think of something a dutch oven couldn't do. Steak, it cant cook a steak. But then, it got me thinking. One of the best ways to cook steak is to sear it on the stove, while spooning hot butter on it, then sticking it in the oven to finish cooking through. So what if I got the pot smoking hot, seared off a thick cut filet on both sides, then shut the heat down, put the lid on and let the meat continue to cook in the "oven." Hmmmmmm....

Oktoberfest

June 15, 2007: A group of law school friends and I arrive in Munich via overnight train from Paris. It just so happened that our trip coincided with what was purportedly "Munich's 100th Birthday" - though research has since disproved this fact. Anyway, that Saturday a festival was held in Marienplatz where rows and rows of picnic tables were set up, sausages were grilled, and many a beer was drunk from glass beer steins. The weather was beautiful, the beer was cold, and we were collectively introduced to the radler (a delicious combination of pilsner and lemon-lime soda). It was glorious.

Fast forward to last weekend when Rene, Lindsay, and I attended what could be the final Oktoberfest celebration held at the Deutsches Haus. The weather was a bit cooler than it was that June weekend in Munich, but the spirit of the celebration was much the same. Every man, woman, and child (and there were quite a few of the latter) seemed happy to be inside the Deutsches Haus celebrating for no reason at all, which may be the best reason. No radlers were available, but there was still plenty of beer, including this delicious Spaten.

The food was much better than that of the Hofbräuhaus. Sausages were a plenty, with the bratwurst being the obvious crowd favorite. Dinners include a main dish (stuffed cabbage above), your choice of sausage (there is a brat hiding back there), and 2 sides (potato pancake and sauerkraut). The food in the main dining room is served cafeteria style, so it may not be as hot as you would probably like it. But there's still no doubt that everything, save the sausages, are homemade.

Here is a plate of beef roulade, knockwurst, warm potato salad, and red cabbage. If you asked me what the best choices were, I'd say stick to the sausages, though the schnitzel would be great if you can get a fresh one from the fryer. (All photos courtesy of Mary Magdalene's fancy camera which I conned her into loaning to me.)

This weekend marks what could be the end of an era. Chances are that the Deutsches Haus will be gone by next October. As a tribute to the many men and woman who volunteer their time and make Oktoberfest possible, why not send out the grande dame on Galvez with a bang.

Like you even needed a reason to do the chicken dance.

Bangkok Thai

When I lived in St. Louis, the weather was brutal. Although you could check the statistics, from October 12th, 2007 until April 21st, 2008, the temperature never got above freezing, the sun refused to shine, and four feet of snow blanketed the city. I was ill equipped to deal with the rigors of what people call winter. For instance, a dust pan doubled as an ice scraper. But I did have one ace in the hole. And that was The King and I Thai. On bitter cold evenings, an order of Tom Yum soup and basil chicken would temporarily stave of freezing to death.

One time, feeling bold and cold, I asked for the Tom Yum "Thai Hot." The next thing I remember tears, sweat, and capsaicin were mingling all over my flush faced. But I couldn't stop shoveling this narcotic into my mouth. When it was all over, the flood of endorphins would have made an addict smile. For the first time in months, I was warm.

Bangkok Thai, near Cooter Browns, is the first Thai restaurant in New Orleans, that I have found, that is truly willing to go to Thai hot land.* We headed there Sunday evening after watching the Saints dominate the Giants. The weather was cool and I told them to bring the red curry-Thai hot. An order of some crunchy rolls filled with pork, crunchy vegetables and glass noodles was a welcome precursor.

When the curry arrived, the aroma wafting up had that peculiar blend of fragrances attributable to curry. There is the pungent basil- a combination of marijuana, grass, and anise mingling with the faint sweet scent of coconut cream and the fiery peppers.

A good curry needs two types of heat. There is the heat that touches the lip and tip of your tongue. It's role is that of a trickster. You think, "Ohhh hey this is manageable." Then, ten seconds later the real heat scratches at the back of your throat flaming up from the belly like some prehistoric dragon. Sweat should ensue followed by feelings of eminent death.

The sticky white rice on the table, invariably less than you need, which you contemplated pouring the curry over, now becomes the control. It stays there, unadorned, to cleanse and give your palate pause during the ensuing attack.

Spicy food is the variety of life. But Thai hot curry is a whole 'nother level of heat. Be careful with this stuff. Like all endorphin releasing substances, it only gets harder to replicate the original buzz.

Bangkok Thai- For Thai hot curry, birdie


* Note: I am not including Thai restaurants on the North Shore which in the popular parlance of our time do "bring the heat".

Consistency

"The food was good, but nothing exciting."

I have found myself saying this a lot lately when talking about a restaurant, and my guess is that I'm not the only one. It's understandable though. Compared with meals full of guanciale and goat cheese croquettes and steaming bowls of pho, a plate of veal parmesan or red beans and rice isn't as enticing as it once was. But don't fall into the trap of believing that just because a restaurant is old (and its menu unchanged) makes it unworthy of your dining dollars. A meal does not have to be life changing to be good.

Mandina's is the perfect example to illustrate my point. In our April review in offBeat, we harped on how even though the food is the antithesis of innovative, Mandina's should still be celebrated for its persistence. For over 75 years the Mid-City stalwart has served as a reliable restaurant where patrons still flock for good (not great) food. And there is nothing wrong with that.

"I know what I like, and I like what I know." This is what I say to myself when I walk into Mandina's.

I like a gigantic tower of crisp onion rings to start.

I like the turtle soup even though there is not a speck of turtle meat in the cup.

And I like huge plates of spaghetti and meatballs covered in the New Orleans style red gravy that we natives grew up on.

A few weeks back I was eating dinner at Mandina's on a Thursday night with The Pope and the Battle House Honey, and there was a table of 2 middle-aged female tourists sitting next to us. I could just tell that they had been so proud of themselves for finding this locals-only place, yet they were not wowed by their food in anyway. I wanted to pull up a chair and try to explain why their meal felt so short of their expectations, but my tablemates held me back. So much for the better though. Consistency cannot be defined in only one meal.

Mandina's - Par

BBQ

In response to this past weekend's uber successful Blues and BBQ Festival, we have decided to take a poll as to who in the city best harnesses the power of smoke. While I have yet to try them all, it's going to be difficult to supplant my favorite thus far.

Even though it's hard to imagine a plate of ribs or pulled pork without a side of potato salad or baked beans, in our opinion BBQ is all about the meat. Otherwise, I would probably vote Ugly Dog as my top choice because their cole slaw is out of this world. The alleged recipe can be found here.

By the way, The Pope votes for Boucherie.

A Blogger in the Fat Hen House

Last Saturday The Folk Singer and I stopped at Fat Hen Grill for breakfast on our way to Baton Rouge. Then Tuesday night while perusing nola.com I came upon this article, and before I scrolled down to confirm the answer, I thought to myself, "Wow, that woman looks a lot like the manager who served us on Saturday morning." You've heard the rest of the alleged story, but in the name of unbiased journalism, we'll just stick to the food.

TFS had the Classic Eggs Benedict, all of the parts of which were done well save the most important one. The hollandaise was much too thin in consistency, which took away from the perfectly poached eggs and thin slices of ham underneath (an improvement over canadian bacon in my opinion).

I desperately wanted to order chili cheese fries to cure my post Bar Exam results hangover, but TFS quickly vetoed that idea. Instead we went with the "Barnyard Fries" topped with grilled onions and special sauce that tasted exactly like the dipping sauce for an onion mumm. Frozen french fries and chain restaurant style sauce, and I loved every bit of it. I'm not sorry. Next time I'll ask them to add cheese.

The "Womlette." I filed this in the category of "things that are good in theory but are flawed in reality." (See also, Communism.) I love waffles; I love omelettes; why not cook them together? Well, for one the waffle loses its crispness during the time that the eggs are cooked on top. Second, when this bad boy comes out of the oven/salamander, it needs about 15 minutes to cool off before you can dive in without scorching your mouth. Third, I couldn't quite connect with the idea of pouring syrup over vegetables, like the cherry tomatoes in my Cajun Womlette (which also included andouille, green onions, and jack cheese). Though I think that syrup would go better if the Womlette only had meats and/or cheese, like the Royal American.

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All in all, not a total failure but significantly short of a success nonetheless. If I'm ever out out looking for breakfast in Kenner again, I wouldn't hesitate to return and try the standard breakfast fare, which I imagine the Fat Hen does quite well.

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I paid with cash. (Ba-dum-ching.)

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Fat Hen Grill - Par.

Kitchen Essentials

Editor's Note: We are rolling out another feature here at the Internationally Acclaimed, Number Two Local Blog called Kitchen Essentials. As Rene's interests have shifted more to home cooking, we realize there are a lot of you out there with absolutely no idea what the heck your kitchen needs or how to blanch a vegetable. So here goes something...

Before we get started some background/ranting. Cruising through a couple's wedding registry is a particularly enjoyable pleasure. A vast majority of the kitchen gear on a couple's registry is either a) pointless b) redundant. Take for example, the Margaritaville Frozen Drink Maker. This machine is a fondue pot of desperation. If you buy one, you get a free bottle of Axe Body Spray and an Affliction shirt (rape charges sold separately). The only thing that piece of crap is useful for is buying Jimmy Buffet another beach house. You own this already, but it is called a blender and it doesn't play "Fins". So let's make this disappear faster than Jessica Simpson's career.

I once saw a registry with not one, not two, but three food processors of all different sizes and horsepower. Here is a hint, if you want a food processor, buy one and only one. Just make sure it is the biggest, baddest son of a bitch on the block. And how many times are you going to use the Avocado pit extractor or the Mango Slicer?

While we are at it, Williams-Sonoma is Orvis for fat people. Sure, its great to shop there, to wander around looking at the Ferrari's of espresso machines, but really its a lot of overpriced, average gear. If you really want to stock your kitchen head to a Restaurant Supply store. Don't worry you need not wear a chef's jacket or memorize a secret code. Most places have showrooms that are open to the public. Try Caire or Loubat in Mid-City. The stuff they sell is durable, affordable, it works, and is damn sexy.

Essential Number One: Knives and Cutting Board

The first thing you need in your kitchen is a few good, sharp knives and a solid wood cutting board. Since food isn't Emo, it won't cut itself. Therefore unless you are reheating Sandra Lee's Pinto Beans with Teriyaki Sliders, you are going to need to cut something to cook a meal. Let's start with the knives.

If you can only buy one knife, make it a good all purpose chef's knife. For this I use a 7 inch, Henckels Santoku knife for everyday cutting, chopping, and street fighting. It is not the world's greatest knife, but I like it and that is all that matters. Don't skimp on your everyday knife. You will use this knife more than the internet. Spend the money; keep it sharp with a honing stone and professional sharpening every 6 months. Go to a store, try them out, get the one that feels most comfortable. Using it everyday will make you a better cook and the next time you use that dull knife at Aunt Edna's you will understand why a good knife is the first step to better cooking.
You also want a paring knife (far right), a carving knife (second from left), and a knife with a serrated edge (bet you can figure it out on your own). Again, spending the money the first time will save you money in the long run.

A cutting board may be the most overlooked thing in the entire kitchen. It should be wood. It should be solid. It does not need to be pretty. It should not be made out of glass. It should make other people feel insecure about their cutting boards. And it should be big. How do you know how big it needs to be? If you can't fit a Thanksgiving turkey on it comfortably, put it back on the shelf, tis not big enough.

This cutting board has a moat around it, which is particularly useful should the Moors invade. Incidentally it was made by Richard the Snark, a waiter at the Old Green Lady. If you ask him nicely, he will not make you one.

Next week - you need pots.