Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Here's a bit of vegetable comfort food. "Vegetable comfort food?!" Yes, vegetable comfort food! These sprouts make a beautiful side dish for almost any meal but can also be enjoyed as a simple snack. "A snack?!" Yes, a snack! The world does not run on potato chips alone, my friends!

Ingredients:

2 lbs fresh Brussels Sprouts

3 TBS Olive Oil

1/2 tsp Kosher Salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground Black Pepper

Grated Romano Cheese

Cooking Procedure:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees

Place the brussels sprouts in a colander

Give the sprouts a light rinse with cold water

Let them drain for a few minutes

Cut off the root base stem from all of the sprouts

Discard any loose or yellowed leaves

Using your knife, make a small "X" on the bottom of the sprouts (where you had cut away the stem)

"Say, why did you cut an X on the bottom of the sprouts anyhow?"

This is done to allow the root to cook more evenly & quickly

so that both the root end & leaves are done at the same time

"Ahhhh, I thought that was the reason..."

Place the sprouts in a bowl

Drizzle the olive oil over the sprouts

Using your hands, toss well

Sprinkle the salt & pepper over the sprouts

Toss well once more

Place the sprouts on a sheet pan

Bake them in the oven for 40 minutes...
until they are lightly browned & soft

To allow the sprouts to cook evenly...
be sure to shake the sheet pan from time to time

When the sprouts are done, return them to the mixing bowl

Sprinkle a liberal amount of romano cheese over the sprouts

Using a spoon, toss the sprouts once more & serve immediately

A Brief History of Mardi Gras

Howdy Folks!

Seeing as how the 2012 Mardi Gras season officially started on January 6th, I thought I'd get everybody in the carnival mood with this piece that I compiled with my better half, Sweet Loretta...A Brief History of Mardi Gras!!

Carnival, the riotous and bawdy festival celebrated across Europe and in the Southern region of the United States, has been in existence almost since the beginning of civilization itself.

Over five thousand years ago, Ovid, a poet of ancient Rome, wroteverse about a spring festival that was celebrated to ensure greener pastures and the forgiveness of sins. Greek priests would sacrifice a goat, cut its skin into whips and use them to lash the naked revelers as they danced.

This festival, known as the Lupercalia, evolved throughtout the centuries and spread from Greece to Rome and France, where the festivities became a bit more pleasant, yet still full of lewdness, debauchery and occasional violence. Many revelers, in order to conceal their true identities while behaving in an uncivilized manner, wore masks.

When Christianity took hold, around the the year 600, the Church was appalled at such displays of lewdness and impiety. However, the Church knew that it would be impossible to obliterate the annual celebration. Around this time, Pope Gregory made the dates of the Holy Days of Ash Wednesday and Easter fluctuate with the equinox. Realizing that since the season of Lent, a time when Christians fast and self denial is practiced, could coincide with this spring festival of madness, he renamed it the Carnivale which literally means "farewell to the flesh." This ensured that the festival ended on the day before the solemnity of the Lenten season.

The traditions of this festival of public debauchery and costuming were eventually embraced across Europe, and as European settlers journeyed to America, it was only a matter of time before Carnival became part of the American cultural heritage.

On March 3rd, 1699, when the French settlers, led by the explorers Iberville and Bienville, made camp on the banks of the Mississippi River, it was Mardi Gras Day. The group of settlers held a small celebration at their campsite by the river and aptly named it Mardi Gras Point. An observance was also held in Mobile, Alabama in 1703. The French settlers in Alabama carried on the traditions from their homeland as did those who settled in Louisiana. The city of New Orleans was founded in 1718 and private Carnival celebrations were staged.

By 1743, the first Carnival Balls were held throughout the season. When the Spanish gained control of Louisiana, they banned all festivities of the Carnival Season. In 1823, not long after The Louisiana Purchase had made Louisiana a possession of the United States, the celebration of theCarnival Season was reinstated.

In 1830, in Alabama, a one-eyed man named Michael Krafft and his friends were celebrating Carnival in a restaurant in downtown Mobile. It was the last day of the Carnival Season. Following their dinner party, the tipsy celebrants "borrowed" farming equipment and coal wagons from a nearby business, quickly devised some makeshift costumes and began parading through the streets. This was the first Mardi Gras Parade ever held on American soil.

By 1837, unofficial parades were held in the streets of various southern cities. By 1872, the Krewe of Rex held their first official parade. The parade was in honor of the visiting Grand Duke Alexis of Russia. It is here that the official colors of Carnival were instituted. The Krewe of Rex chose the royal colors of the Romanoff family of Russia as their backdrop. This choice of colors continues to be used to this day. The colors are purple which stands for justice, gold for power and green for faith. The Krewe of Rex was also the first Krewe to throw trinkets to the crowd during parades. This event also marked the premiere of the official Mardi Gras song, If Ever I Cease To Love.

 

 

 

During the 1800's and 1900's, many Carnival Krewes came into existence; along with walking clubs and Social Aid and Pleasure clubs. These clubs existed for the purpose of parading, having fun and helping their communities through various charity efforts. In their earliest days, Krewes were dignified and very serious about their procedures, parades and the themes behind their parades. Majestic and historical themes were commonplace as the Krewes treated their subject matter with elegance to their celebrations. One of the first of these types of Krewes was the Zulu Krewe. Throughout the years, however, the newer Krewes took more of a tongue-in-cheek approach to all things Carnival.

In the early 1900's, the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure club made its mark on Carnival. Zulu was comprised entirely of working class black Americans. In their parade, they mocked the snobbishness of Krewes like Rex and Comus. In fact, their parade float was a comical caricature of the Krewe of Rex. Instead of masking in the royal colors of Rex, the members of Zulu wore blackface. The Zulu King wore a crown made out of an old can of lard as opposed to the bejeweled crown of King Rex. The Zulu Queens were all men dressed in drag and the royalty of Zulu sported names like the "Big Shot of Africa." Zulu was also the first Krewe to connect the marching band street jazz sounds of the black neighborhoods to the Carnival Season.

In 1991, the New Orleans city council proposed an ordinance that would desegregate all Krewes. The battle that ensuedraged over the course of the following year. Krewes such as Comus, Momus and Proteus declined to roll out their floats during Mardi Gras. Eventually, a compromise was worked out when legislation dictating that no Krewe could practice discrimination by gender was entered into law.

In the decade, there have been over sixty official Carnival Krewes parading in the greater New Orleans area; unofficial Krewes have numbered in the hundreds. Since the impact of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans and its surrounding areas in 2005, Mardi Gras has lost some of its intensity. However, the celebration of Carnival has continued each year since that fatal storm and one can safely assume that it always will.

"Joy of heart, good cheer and merriment are wine drunk freely

at the proper time."

The Bible, Sirach 31:27

Biscuit Kings Gumbo

Hey Y'all!  Today is my buddy Jeff's birthday --- he plays bass in our band, the Biscuit Kings and seeing as how we're getting together for a rehearsal tommorrow, I figured I'd make one of Jeffrey's favorite things, a batch of gumbo!  This gumbo will also provide medicinal properties for myself as it's been quite awhile since I've been able to play my guitar due to a stress fracture in my shoulder...but I'm on the mend and I think a bowl (or three) of gumbo ought to limber up my right arm, eh?

Notes on making Gumbo: I fear I may offend some traditionalists with this gumbo recipe because I do not start the gumbo with a roux---in this instance I prefer to add it later. This will not restrict the flavor of the gumbo in any way. Over the years I've come to prefer this methodology and the many folks who ate my gumbo had no problem with it.  Why I remember once that the Nevill Brothers band stopped by one of my joints after doing a show at the Jones Beach theatre and I'm proud to say that Art Neville, after having a bowl of my gumbo, remarked, "That gumbo is cold blooded."  Amen to that, brother!

Also, one of the ingredients I use in gumbo preparation may be difficult for you to find locally---gumbo file powder (ground sassafras leaves)---but it won't be gumbo without this fragrant powder, so if you need to order this, you should be able to locate a source on ye olde InterWeb; I believe it my be available @ Penzy's Spice House. If you don't have time to make your own cajun roux, I recommend that you purchase a commercial roux; you'll find some available at many online sites.

Ingredients:

1/4 lb unsalted Butter

2 large Spanish Onion, chopped coarse

4 stalks Celery, chopped coarse

2 large Green Bell Pepper, chopped coarse

2 TBS Gumbo File Powder

3 quarts Homestyle Chicken Stock

For my stock recipe, go HERE

Note: if you can't make yer own stock, it's ok...use canned

1 lb fresh large Shrimp, chopped coarse

1 lb Andouille or Chorizo Sausage, chopped into bite-sized pieces

2 lb cooked boneless Chicken Thighs, chopped medium coarse

2 Catfish fillet (8 oz each), cubed

4 cups Cajun Roux

Note: To view my recipe for Cajun Roux, go HERE

1/2 cup Big Heat Spice Mix

Note: Big Heat Spice Mix is a spice mix of my own creation

which I used extensively in all of my restaurants over the years

For my Big Heat Spice Mix recipe, go HERE

Cooking Procedure:

Combine all of the ingredients for the Big Heat Dry spice mix in a bowl

Mix well & set aside

Melt the butter in a large pot over high heat

Add the cajun trinity  (onions, celery, green bell pepper)

 "Cajun trinity?! What's the..."

New Orleans has always been a town steeped in not only voodoo, but catholicism as well. Thus, the often used trio of vegetables in gumbos and jambalayas (onions, green peppers & celery) were often referred to as "the holy trinity" (a nod to "the father, the son & the holy ghost")

then add the following...

1/4 cup of the Big Heat Spice Mix

the sausage

Stir well & cook the vegetables & sausage down...

until the onions begin to turn clear, about 5 minutes

Stir well

Add the gumbo file powder

Note: the gumbo file powder (aka ground sassafrass leaves) will cause the mixture in the pot to take on a slightly stringy appearance as it cooks; this is normal so do not panic!

Add 1 cup of the chicken stock

Stir well, reduce heat to medium & let this simmer for another 5 minutes

Add the rest of the chicken stock

Stir well & turn the heat up to high

When the liquid in the pot comes to a boil, start adding tablespoons of the cajun roux

Stir the gumbo well after each addition of roux

Once the roux has been incorporated into the gumbo, reduce heat to low

Add the catfish & cooked chicken thighs

Stir well & let your gumbo simmer for 1 hour

Make sure to stir & scrape the bottom of the pot from time to time

After 1 hour

Add the shrimp

Stir well & let this simmer for another 10 minutes

To serve:

Place mounds of rice in large bowls and ladle the gumbo over the rice

~ Happy Birtday Jeffrey! ~

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