Jan-Feb-2016_Final-1-4-16-attempt2

everyday JANUARY/ FEBRUARY 2016 ROUSES my FREE

Globetrotting the Gulf Coast with Chris Rose

Mardi Gras BOEUF GRAS Say Shalom to Shaya Best New Restaurant in America

Around the World

Around the Stove, Around the Table, Around the Bar​

FAMILY LETTER

From Around the Corner & Around the World

While we support and sell more local than anyone on the Gulf Coast, we also bring in more foodstuff from around the world. When you want to add a global twist to your cooking, look no further than Rouses — we keep our shelves stocked with essential international ingredients, from oils and vinegars to sauces, spices and herbs. Buying the best of the Gulf Coast and bringing the best to the Gulf Coast has always been a tenet of our business. My grandfather, our founder, used to love to meet with our growers in Chile to see our winter grapes, stone fruit, blueberries and Haas avocados before they were harvested. My dad takes a few research and buying trips a year. He came back from Italy in October with Parma hams, olive oil, huge wheels of Parmesan cheese, and recipes for everything he ate. When I travel, or meet international visitors on the Gulf Coast, I’m always struck by how similar people are when it comes to food, no matter what country they’re from. Everyone seems to love French fries with their sandwiches — and in some countries, on their sandwiches. And while Café du Monde is a bucket list item for anyone who visits New Orleans, beignets and donuts and fritters are made and eaten all over the world, especially during Mardi Gras.

On the Cover Boeuf Gras on page 8. cover photo by Romney Caruso • • •   PURPLE | GREEN | GOLD PURPLE I like to cook with beer (and drink beer) when I’m doing meat or poultry. I have a freezer full of deer. Abita’s Purple Haze adds a sweet flavor to venison roast or stew. It’s also makes great beer-can chicken and duck. We sell parade-friendly (and chicken friendly) cans of Purple Haze by the case. GREEN I love seeing all of those Rouses green bags filled with beads along the parade routes. Throw me something, Mister. GOLD My dad always says, it’s not what’s in our stores, rather who is in our stores, that makes Rouses special. Providing job opportunities to people with disabilities has always been our way. In November, we were recognized as Employer of the Year at the Governor’s Outstanding Leadership in Disabilities (GOLD) Awards ceremony in Baton Rouge. We’re proud of that honor.

Speaking of Mardi Gras ... January 6 th , King’s Day, is the official start of Carnival season. (They may celebrate Mardi Gras in other countries, but I’d argue that no one does Mardi Gras as well as we do here on the Gulf Coast.) I have a sweet tooth and can’t resist a piece of Rouses king cake. We bake more than 350,000 of them each season. You can smell the gourmet cinnamon dough baking throughout our stores — it’s one of my favorite scents, right up there with bacon. Rouses is local first, but we’re always looking to other countries for great ingredients to add to our already great Gulf Coast food. And with so many international visitors here for Mardi Gras, now’s our chance to share what we grow, catch and cook with the rest of the world.

Donny Rouse — photo by Juliana Pennison

Donny Rouse 3 rd Generation

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MY ROUSES EVERYDAY JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2016

FRIDAY NOV. 13 2015

THANK YOU FOR A SOLD OUT EVENT!

F O L LOW U S @ E ME R I L O R G B OUDIN B OURBONAND B EER.COM BENEFITING SPONSORS

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table of contents JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2016

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36

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52

HOLIDAY

30 Amarula by Morning 36 Globetrotting Across the Gulf Coast with Chris Rose 40 Breaking Bread​ 42 Take A Sip Around the World by Nora D. McGunnigle 44 Meet & Potatoes 45 The Vodka Belt by Bobby Childs 46 Around the Bar 54 The World’s Fare RECIPES 16 Fried Chicken with Cashew Nuts 16 Thai Iced Tea 22 Alon Shaya’s Hummus 23 Louisiana Shrimp Shakshouka

25 Creamy Avocado Soup 29 Ecuadorian Red Beans & Rice 33 Bobotie 39 Scotch Eggs 41 Donny Rouse’s Cuban Sandwich 44 Tim Acosta’s Hwy. 1 Beef Stroganoff

46 Negroni 50 Avgolemono 51 Radish Tartine 51 Borscht 55 Moroccan Kefta

8 Boeuf Gras by Bryan Batt 10 The Devil(ed) is in the Details by Katy Danos 11 Mardi Gras

Around the World 17 Year of the Fire Monkey 52 Kiss the Cook by Bryan Batt AROUND THE WORLD 14 Thai for Two 18 Say Shalom to Shaya an interview by Courtney Singer 24 Sopa, So Good! by Suzette Norris 26 Road Beans & Rice by Pableaux Johnson 29 Around the World: Beans & Rice

IN EVERY ISSUE

1 Family Letter 6 Letters, Posts &Tweets 48 Eat Right with Rouses 50 At Season’s Peak

45 Moscow Mule 45 Black Russian 45 White Russian

“Food is your passport to the world​” —Donald Rouse, 2 nd Generation

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MY ROUSES EVERYDAY JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2016

ABITA PUT KING CAKE IN A BOTTLE

Brought to you by Abita Brewing Company, LLC • Abita Springs, LA 70420

Celebrate the sweetest treat of Carnival season with the flavors of frosting,

candied sugar and cinnamon dough in this lightly carbonated soda.

Rolling into a store near you—visit Abita.com for locations.

Natura CAFFEINE FREE

Made with Pure L uisiana Cane ugar

GLUTEN FREE & ALL NATURAL

abita.com

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For the recipe, go to sweetpotato.org or louisianafishfry.com

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the Around the World issue

TOPS OF THE TOWN Hi there! Just dropping a line to compliment a customer service agent at the Westbank Expressway location. Megan was very efficient and friendly, despite the store being overwhelmingly busy because of the holiday. I also work in retail, and customer service and that attitude can be difficult to maintain, especially around this time of year, and when you’re tired and trying to finish your Thanksgiving shopping, someone like her can make your day. Please pass along my thanks. —C. Flynn Just wanted to send kudos to the employees in the deli of your Saraland, Alabama store. My sister and I had ordered several party trays for our parent’s 50th wedding anniversary. I picked up our order and everything was just perfect. The ladies loaded my two buggies, and were so friendly.I had ordered the stuffed mushrooms, crawfish pies, toast points and finger sandwiches. The food was fabulous!! Everyone at the party (and especially our parents) loved everything! —H. Holloway Hey guys just a little note to let you know we visited your store in Gulf Shores, Alabama, and we love it.The produce is awesome and fresh, we really like the seafood, and the girl who was there packed us some shrimp to go. She was really nice and really helped us. We love the variety of seafood.Love the fresh cut meats also. My husband really likes the deli and bakery. Everyone in the store welcomed us and was very helpful.We’re here for a few months. Thanks so much for being here for us. —M. Moore Thank you for voting us Best Supermarket in The Courier and Daily Comet’s Readers’ Choice Awards celebrating the best of Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes, and #1 Favorite Grocery Store in New Orleans Magazine’s Tops of the Town reader’s poll. We were also voted a favorite place to buy king cakes, wine and liquor. SWEET TREATS @RousesMarkets thank you for having all the things Winn-Dixie didn’t during this stressful pie-shopping time in my life. —@Deferny97 Words cannot tell you how pleased I am to have ordered a cake from the Tchoupitoulas Street location. The entire presentation of the cake is incredible! It will be a proud moment for me to tell everyone from where

I purchased the cake. Thank you!!!!!!!!! —J. McAllister, New Orleans Thank you for voting us Best Supermarket in The Courier and Daily Comet’s Readers’ Choice Awards celebrating the best of Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes, and #1 Favorite Grocery Store in New Orleans Magazine’s Tops of the Town reader’s poll. We were also voted a favorite place to buy king cakes, wine and liquor. holiday helpers Just wanted to tell you about my experience with your pre-cooked Thanksgiving dinner from your Algiers store. I had time constraints with working Tuesday andWednesday before Thanksgiving. After seeing the insert in your ad circular, I thought I’d take the chance and order dinner. Picked it up Wednesday afternoon, brought it to my mother-in-law’s house to heat up for the three of us, and, voila, we had our fully cooked meal ready in about an hour. All I can say is, WOW! That was delicious! All three of us thoroughly enjoyed everything! Thank you for being there to save our holiday! —K. Diaz Holidays are our specialty. We’re making our famous fried chicken for Mardi Gras, St. Louis-style ribs, and all sorts of sides, from potato salad to macaroni and cheese. Order ahead for large orders, including full and half pans of jambalaya, red beans and spaghetti. Visit your nearest Rouses or go online to www.rouses.com to see our carryout catering menus. WHERE THE CHEFS SHOP Wanna elevate your red beans and rice.Use@ cochonbutcher andouille sausage. Sold @ RousesMarkets.#protip—@SchaeferShuffle “This is a great new sausage from James Beard Award-winning chefs Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski of Cochon Restaurant and Cochon Butcher.” —James, Rouses Meat & Seafood Director Check out these babies! Chef Tory’s line of sauces now @RousesMarket @ ToryMcPhail —@Commanders_NOLA “Chef Tory McPhail of Commander’s Palace (another James Beard Award-winner) line of sauces are available now: Cilantro, Lime and Seal Salt; Coconut, Key Lime and Curry Sauce; and Pineapple Ginger and Cayenne. Look for his new Rum Vinegar on our shelves soon.” —Mike, Rouses Director of Grocery

JOIN OUR TEAM Our team members share a strong work ethic and dedication to providing our customers the best quality and service. If you’re looking for a career you’ll love, apply online A Slam Dunk With a store just blocks from the Smoothie King Arena and locations all over Pelicans Country, supporting the home team was a slam dunk. We’re proud to be the Official Grocer of the New Orleans Pelicans. Catch Anthony Davis, Ryan Anderson and the rest of the team in action now through April 13th. #TakeFlight

at www.rouses.com or e-mail human.resources@rouses.com . VOTED ONE OF THE BEST PLACES TO WORK

Write Us! info@rouses.com Tweet Us! @RousesMarkets Like Rouses? We like you too! Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/rousesmarkets Share Photos! @rousesmarkets SIGN UP FOR E-MAILS Hungry for more? Sign up to receive our weekly specials and cooking tips, recipes and special offers in our e-mails and newsletters.

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MY ROUSES EVERYDAY JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2016

There’s A Reason We Sell More

King Cakes Than Any Other Bakery. Over 350,000 last year!

We’ve been baking real Louisiana king cakes for over 56 years. Our bakers start with our exclusive gourmet cinnamon dough — it’s a Rouses original — and hand decorate every king cake we sell.

KING CAKE HOTLINE: 1-800-688-5998 We ship anywhere in the continental U.S. Order Online at www.rouses.com

FEEDING YOUR WHOLE KREWE IS A PIECE OF (KING) Cake!

We’ve got Mardi Gras covered, from the food and drinks, to the ice chests you put them in. Our kitchen krewe is frying chicken and making our famous St. Louis-style ribs to eat on the route or at the house. And check out our great selection of party trays and sandwiches. Rouses Mini Muffaletta Party Tray

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Stay in Touch with Rouses • @RousesMarkets • facebook.com/rousesmarkets • www.rouses.com

the Holiday Entertaining issue Around the World issue

Boeuf

Gras by Bryan Batt + photos by Romney Caruso

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MYROUSESEVERYDAY JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2016

MARDI GRAS

I ’ve always loved Mardi Gras. Costumes, parties, parades and pageantry are in my blood. Unfortunately, I’ve had to miss far too many Fat Tuesday celebrations because producers in New York and

lump crabmeat, bacon, smoked sausages, and hot sauces, plus anything else you want to jazz up your tomato juice. Take a good look around Rouses produce department — the Bloody Mary bar may be your only chance to have fresh vegetables during the season, so harvest the fields! A great craft project and conversation piece is to bedazzle skewers for all the accouterments to your Bloody Mary bar. Gather all your doubloons, king cake babies, and purple, green and gold anything, fire up that glue gun, and go. For me no Mardi Gras celebration would be complete without deviled eggs, especially when whipped up by my dear pal, writing partner, Hazelnut manager extraordinaire, and sister by choice, Katy Danos. I met this beautiful can do gal (she can do anything and everything — even run a small country) when we attended Tulane together. Katy hails from Rouses hometown of Thibodaux, Louisiana, by the way, so you know she’s good stock. I cherish my friendship with Katy almost as much as her delicious deviled eggs. Like Katy herself, the eggs can be sweet or salty. Sticking with our Boeuf Gras theme, I recommend a roast beef po- boy bar. Order a really nice roast from your friendly Rouses butcher, add loaves of hot French bread, gravy and all the condiments you wish, and you’ve got an easy, sure fire hit on your hands. Dessert is a no brainer during Mardi Gras: king cakes and queen cakes (I love that Rouses has added a queen cake to their royal lineup). Arrange the cakes on a separate table and employ cake stands or other service pieces of various heights to create levels. If you happen to have a tiara or crown just hanging around (and who doesn’t?), it makes a really regal centerpiece. Or better yet, place it upon your own noggin, and be the monarch for the day — you prepared the wonderful Boeuf Gras Brunch, and you deserve a fabulous and festive reign!

“We try to perpetuate the myth that the reason why beads cover the trees on St. Charles Avenue is that we grow them here!”

Hollywood view the day before Ash Wednesday as just another Tuesday. But now that I’m back in the Big Easy, I’m making up for lost time. Mardi Gras loosely means “a farewell to flesh.” (Now, I interpret that as the reason for refraining from meat consumption during Lent, but you can draw your own conclusions.) We like to celebrate Mardi Gras with a “Boeuf Gras Brunch.” It’s the perfect plan for a day parade and a great hair-of-the-dog meal after some raucous nighttime revelry. You can do all of the prep work in advance, even ordering the food from Rouses. Set a festive table or buffet. Old family Mardi Gras photos are an artistic and more personal touch. A big glass punch bowl filled with beads makes a great centerpiece and dumping ground for your catch after the parades. We also recycle beads by mailing care packages to the children of friends and families who live out out-of-town ... and try to perpetuate the myth that the reason why beads cover the trees on St. Charles Avenue is that we grow them here. Now bring on the grub. Mardi Gras parade going is a serious sport and one that requires proper nutrition and hydration fortification. Nothing beats a Bloody Mary bar.This libation station can easily transform a simple beverage into a full-blown appetizer, salad, or an actual meal in a glass. And, like Mardi Gras itself, it can be enjoyed by all ages (just keep the vodka separated, label the bottle or pour the hooch into a pretty decanter). What goes on the bar?That’s up to you.Make a run through Rouses to gather pickled and fresh veggies, wild-caught Gulf shrimp,

Boeuf Gras One of the oldest symbols of pre-Lenten celebrations was the fattened ox or Boeuf Gras, representing the last meat consumed before the fast begins. Societé de Boeuf Gras, in the French settlement of Fort Louis de la Mobile, aka Mobile, Alabama, paraded with a large papier mâché bull’s head as its symbol (Boeuf Gras was the second secret society formed in Alabama; Masque de la Mobile, the first). The Rex Organization in New Orleans, which gave us the traditional Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold, used the whole bull as its model for its iconic float. Rex’s Boeuf Gras rolls through the street accompanied by masked riders dressed as cooks.

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the Around the World issue

THE DEVIL(ED) IS IN THE DETAILS by Katy Danos + photos by Romney Caruso

I have a great collection of egg trays, both vintage and new, and since the salad days, I have tweaked the ingredient combinations in endless ways to live up to my reputation. There are those times when I am peeling eggs late into the night that I wish I had considered the cost of labor way back when, but like in any Southern family, tradition dies hard, and “Katy will bring the eggs.”

I come from a very large family and we like to get together A LOT. Birthdays, baptisms, baby showers, any excuse and we gather. Everyone brings something and it doesn’t take much to become “famous” for a dish. I’m famous for my deviled eggs. When I was younger, I purposely picked something that was economical to serve in quantity. Let’s face it, it doesn’t get much more affordable than eggs, mayonnaise and mustard. Like my dad, who comes from a long line of great cooks, I just sort of “eyeballed” the proportions following no exact recipe and stuck to the tried and true combination of eggs-mayo-mustard.

DEVILED EGGS • Use Rouses Jumbo or Extra Large Eggs and don’t wig out if a few look worse for the wear when peeling. Just toss those right in with the yolks and carry on. • Use Rouses mayo or Blue Plate mayo and French’s mustard for a classic deviled egg. • Add black olive to the basic recipe or garnish with caviar.

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MY ROUSES EVERYDAY JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2016

MARDI GRAS

MARDI GRAS AROUND THE WORLD Belgium The country’s most famous celebration takes place in the small town of Binche, in the French-speaking region of Wallonia. Carnival here dates back to the 14th century. Brazil Music and dancing, particularly the samba, are the highlights of Rio de Janeiro’s carnival, the world’s largest with more than two million revelers a day. In Salvador, axé Afro-Brazilian music performed by Bahian drummers sets the tone — and the beat — for the city’s million-strong, week-long street party. Carnival is popular in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and especially Trinidad and Tobago. And while carnival celebrations around the world traditionally end on Fat Tuesday, in Kingston, Jamaica, the party lasts a little longer, extending through Easter. Columbia Croatia Denmark Italy The first masquerade ball took place in medieval Italy (Carnival of Venice is famous for its masks). Masking and other Carnival traditions that began in Italy rolled over to nearby France, Spain and Portugal. From there they spread to French, Spanish and Portuguese colonies in North America, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Republic of Cape Verde off the coast of West Africa. France Like Spain and Portugal, France’s carnival history can be traced back to Italy. The Nice Carnival, which dates back to 1294, is one of the most elaborate celebrations attracting over a million visitors during a two-week period. Carnaval de Paris with its procession of street dancers, puppeteers, and stilt walkers gave us the tradition of the Boeuf Gras float. Germany The first modern Carnival parade took place in Cologne, Cape Verde Islands Caribbean Islands

• Substitute part of the mayo with sour cream and add fresh chopped dill for a savory variation. • Switch the yellow mustard for Creole mustard and add a tad bit of Tony Chachere’s for something spicy. • Use honey mustard instead of yellow mustard and add chopped bacon or Pancetta.These will fly! Bryan loves choices — make-your-own Bloody Marys, top-your-own po- boys, king and queen cakes ... I’m the same way. I was raised that more is more especially when it comes to food, so​I approach it as if I’m setting up a deviled egg tasting. I usually bring at least three variations and my eggs are always a big conversation at parties. FAT TUESDAY F at Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras, is the last day to enjoy rich, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season begins. Here on the Gulf Coast,we associate king cakes with FatTuesday, but around the world, fried dough — beignets, donuts and pancakes — are a more popular way to use up the last of the butter, lard and sugar forbidden by Catholic fasting practices. In

Poland, they eat pączki , which are essentially jam-filled donuts. Spain has their buñuelos . Belgians make oliebollen or smoutebollen , typically with raisins. The Portuguese (and Hawaiians) consume sugar-dusted donut balls called malasada . German’s fry yeasty Fastnachts , or “fast-nights.” In Italy, they eat cenci and castagnoles , and in Venice, Italy, home of the oldest masquerade ball, they eat fried round donuts — frittelle di Carnevale with raisins and pinenuts ( veneziane ), filled an egg-based custard ( zabaione ) or filled with a thick pastry cream ( crema pasticcera ). And in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and Canada, where Fat Tuesday is known as Pancake Day, they eat — what else? — pancakes.

Germany. Greece Luxemoborg Poland Portugal Quebec, Canada Russia Spain

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MY ROUSES EVERYDAY JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2016

a passion born from quality

25 for over YEARS

NATURALLY ITALIAN

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One day this farm will be theirs. Like Rouses, Beemster is proud to honor family businesses. For three generations and counting, Beemster cheese has been made by small family farmers and master cheesemakers. Tradition, craft and care are all part of what makes Beemster the best cheese from Holland.

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the Around the World issue

Thai for Two

by Chaya, Rouses Bakery Director

Tom Yum Goong

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MYROUSESEVERYDAY JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2016

THAILAND

I didn’t have much experi- ence with Asian cooking before my recent trip to Thailand; at the Culinary In- stitute of America we focused more on French, Italian, and American regional cuisines. We had a short class that covered all

village. And we spent some time in Chiang Rai in the northern part of Thailand exploring the White Temple and the Black House. I found heaven. It’s located on the side of a mountain in Chiang Rai. I have never seen so many orchids growing wild.

“The traditional version of Pad Thai sold from food carts and food stalls is made with dried shrimp like we sell at Rouses. Our Gulf Coast fishermen learned shrimp drying techniques from the Chinese shrimpers who came to the coast in the mid 1800s.​”

of Asia in which I learned thatThai cooking uses lemongrass and limes, not lemons, but that was about it. But I love to eatThai food, so the main thing I wanted to do on my trip was take a cooking class. My boyfriend, Alton, joined me. Our first stop was Chiang Mai city where I signed up for a class at the Thai Farm Cooking School. The class started with a trip to a Wet Market, which is a term for a market that sells meats and produce. The produce was so fresh! I got to try several exotic fruits and vegetables that are too fragile to ship to the US. The fruit was so sweet and ripe it was like eating candy. From there we headed to the cooking school, about 30 minutes outside of Chiang Mai in an area referred to as the magical world of 1,000 trees. We began with a tour of the grounds, which include an organic farm and fishing ponds. They grew both kinds of rice on the farm, sticky and Jasmine. I learned that sticky rice grows on the mountain-sides and needs little water. It’s super starchy and has to be soaked in water overnight before you can cook it. Jasmine grows in patties, like we grow rice in areas like Crowley, Louisiana. The cooking experience was very hands on. I had my own cooking station, which was stocked with the three essential seasonings: fish sauce, oyster sauce, and palm sugar. We would prep our ingredients and our instructor, Pear (like the tree), would walk us through how to cook everything. My favorite part was pounding our own curries with a mortar and pestle. My arm was sore for days. Thailand is very much about communal eating, so we ate a lot of different food with a lot of different people. Meals included several courses — curries with rice, always multiple curries, never just one; salad, usually with glass noodles; spring rolls; a soup. The only pad Thai I had in Thailand I cooked myself at Thai Farm, but I did eat a lot of noodles — my favorite one came

from a cart at a the bus station in Chiang Mai. It was a red coconut curry with wheat noodles. It was chocked full of chicken and vegetables and plenty of spicy Thai chilies. In Chiang Mai we visited the nighttime bazaar, which was so crowded it felt like Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras. We touredWat Pho, which are temples, some as old as 2,000 years.Wat Phra Singh is one of the most visited and photographed temples in the world, but somehow I missed the fact that the famous monks inside were fake. I kept talking about how zen these monks were until finally Alton turned to me and gently explained: “Honey, they’re wax.” My favorite part of the trip was the Mae Sa Elephant Camp, about an hour from Chiang Mai. Nearly 80 elephants come work at the camp every day. At night they return to the forest with their guides (mahouts). Elephants and mahouts are bonded for life. It’s an amazing relationship, and elephants are beautiful creatures. I got an elephant hug, YEAH! We also watched an elephant named Suda paint a portrait of small herd walking into the sunset. Yes, an elephant painted a painting of other elephants. He held the brush with his trunk and his mahout would dip it in paint . Of course we bought a picture. We also traveled toMae Hong So,a long neck

We spent the rest of our trip in Bangkok.We went to the Chatuchak Weekend Market, one of the largest markets in the world.The market is as big as the French Quarter, with thousands of stalls all crowded together down tiny little alleyways selling anything you can possibly imagine. It’s crazy busy — over 200,000 visitors a day. It’s a must visit — plan on a whole day. Street food is the best food in Bangkok. Stir-fries. Curries. Noodles. Mango sticky rice. Sausages. Steamed crab. Grilled squid. It’s all cooked there in the open air. Small food entrepreneurship is a major part of the country’s food success. From street carts to the food stalls in the outdoor markets, food entrepreneurs (cooks and bakers) are all focused on one dish, one really, really good dish. At Rouses, we look for food entrepreneurs like that for our bakery. People who make that one great dish. We work with that baker in Alabama who makes a great banana loaf cake, that candymaker in New Orleans who makes a great praline — whether it’s Wink’s buttermilk drops, Gracious Bakery’s croissants, or Bellegarde’s breads, we are always looking for those products and those small food entrepreneurs to work with, for one store or for all of our stores.

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the Around the World issue

Gai Phad Met Mamuang Him Mapaan Fried Chicken with Cashew Nuts Courtesy Thai Farm Cooking School WHAT YOU WILL NEED 2½ ounces sliced chicken ¼ cup roasted cashews ¼ cup sliced carrots ¼ cup sliced onions 2 removed ¼ cup mushrooms 2 Pinch of Rouses salt 1 teaspoon fish sauce tablespoons soybean oil

roasted dried chili, sliced and seeds

½ cup sugar 1

tablespoon oyster sauce

2

tablespoons water

ASIAN COOKING ESSENTIALS Soy Sauce • Fish Sauce • Oyster Sauce • Black Bean Sauce • Hoisin Sauce • Sriracha or Chili Sauce • Rice Vinegar • Toasted Sesame Oil • Coconut Milk or Cream • Curry Paste • Miso Paste (fermented soybean paste) used in Japanese cooking • Ginger • Limes • Cilantro • Lemongrass • Star Anise • Tamarind • Chinese 5-Spice Blend • Rice • Noodles • Sake (Rice Wine) Star Anise is a small star-shaped fruit with an aniseed flavor. Look for it on our spice aisle, along with dried tamarind and Chinese 5-Spice, a blend of anise, cinnamon, star anise, cloves and

HOW TO PREP Heat the oil in a wok. Add chicken and fry until golden brown. Add carrots, onions, mushrooms and water and stir-fry until just cooked. Add oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, salt and onions. Stir-fry until sauces are mixed and chicken and vegetables are coated. Turn off heat (or remove wok from heat) and add cashew nuts and roasted chili. Serve with rice. Thai Iced Tea Serves 4 WHAT YOU WILL NEED 5 cups water 6 bags black tea or red tea, or 1½ tablespoons loose tea

ginger. Lemongrass is a tropical grass with a mild citrus flavor. You’ll find it in our fresh produce department. Coconut milk is made by simmering coconut meat in coconut water, the liquid inside a fresh coconut, and straining out the pulp. The coconut cream rises to the top of the milk as it simmers. Coconut milk is thicker and more flavorful than coconut water. Coconut cream is even creamier. Coconut water is stocked on our drink aisles. Coconut milk, coconut cream and Asian sauces like soy sauce, black bean sauce, fish sauce and oyster sauce, are located on our international aisles. Use fish sauce (fermented anchovies and salt) as a flavoring or condiment. Use oyster sauce more sparingly. This thick, salty, brown sauce is made with real oysters and packs a major flavor punch.

2 3 2

star anise

whole cloves

tablespoons sugar

Ice ¼ cup sweetened condensed milk HOW TO PREP

Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat. Add tea bags, star anise, and cloves (make sure bags are completely submerged). Steep for 10 minutes. Strain the tea or use a slotted spoon to remove tea bags, star anise and cloves. Add sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Allow tea to cool to room temperature. Fill 4 tall glasses with ice cubes. Add tea. Top off with one tablespoon of sweetened condensed milk per glass. Stir to combine.

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MY ROUSES EVERYDAY JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2016

CHINA

CHINESE LUNAR NEW YEAR February 8, 9, 10 th Year of the Fire Monkey

T he lunar calendar is shared by China, Taiwan, Korea and Japan. 2016 is the year of the Fire Monkey (a "Fire Monkey" year occurs every 60 years).The Monkey is the ninth sign in Chinese astrology; it is associated with ambition, activity, smartness, mischief and adventure.The Chinese lucky color for 2016 is red for the element of fire. Chúc M ừ ng Năm M ớ i! Happy New Year! Across China, and in Asian communities with large populations of Chinese decent like Yaowaraj, Thailand, preparations for Chinese Lunar New Year start seven days before New Year’s Eve, the kickoff to the Spring Festival. Cleaning, shopping, decorating and cooking are priority. Food and family are central to the 4,000-year-old celebration. On New Year’s Eve, generations of family gather for a Reunion Dinner of symbolic food, like fish,which is believed to bring money and luck in the New Year (think of it as the Chinese version of black-eyed peas and cabbage). The Reunion Dinner is traditionally followed

by the gifting of lucky money — cash-filled red envelopes given by parents to their children (red is considered a lucky color in China). In China, the Spring Festival lasts three days and is marked by bell ringing, firecrackers, fireworks, street parades, dragon dances and the preparation and consumption of ceremonial food. Ritualistic food is also significant to Taiwan’s celebration, and Korea’s. But while fish is central to the meals in China and Taiwan, and soup is the star during Korea’s Seollal, Vietnamese ancestral tribute meals feature a boiled chicken. Th ị t gà (boiled or steamed chicken) is traditionally served during the T ế t Nguyên Đán family meal.

8 ounces cream cheese 3 large garlic cloves, pressed or diced 1 cup canned artichoke hearts, diced 6 Bella Sun Luci Sun Dried Tomato Halves in Oil, diced 1/3 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, shredded 1 ½ TBSP fresh basil leaves, diced ½ TSP dried Italian seasoning ¼-1/2 TSP cayenne pepper (optional) Salt and pepper to taste Hot Artichoke and Sun Dried Tomato Dip In a baking dish, blend cream cheese, garlic, and artichoke hearts. Add the Bella Sun Luci Sun Dried Tomatoes, parmesan cheese and basil. Stir together until well blended. Flatten dip to an even layer in pan. Sprinkle top with the Italian seasoning, and cayenne pepper to taste. Bake at 375º degrees for 16-18 minutes. Dip should be golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve with your favorite cracker.

Score a Touchdown!

For more recipes go to www.BellaSunLuci.com

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Say Shalom to Shaya an interview by Courtney Singer

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photo by Marianna Massey

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Persian Rice — photo by Graham Blackall

COURTNEY: Because that’s what you love? ALON: Well, it is, but I was pretty much dropped off at an Italian restaurant to go work when I was 15, so that’s why I started cooking Italian food. I did fall in love with it and I recognized a lot of the flavor profiles from the food I ate as a kid, whether it was olives or goat cheese or roasted peppers, a lot of eggplant, all these ingredients that both the Israeli culture and Italian culture base their cuisine off of. So, for me, those were the foods that I cared about. Once I moved to the South I began learning about Southern culture. Emily grew up in Georgia. EMILY: North Georgia, a small town. I went to Tulane for undergrad — my senior year was Katrina — and then I stayed in New Orleans. Alon and I met the year after I graduated. ALON: Emily and I would go visit her family in Georgia. We’d go to the Southern Foodways Symposium in Oxford and we would watch a ballet with people dressed up like okra doing pliés and pirouettes. We would listen to poems about pralines, and everyone would sit around and eat boudin and talk about how magical it was and I was like, what is up with all of this, what’s going on? Why do people care about biscuits so much? What is it about this culture that is so moving for so many people?

“Alon Shaya won the 2015 James Beard Award for Best Chef South (the culinary equivalent of winning the Oscar), and his newest restaurant, Shaya, was recently named Best New Restaurant in America by Esquire Magazine, and The Daily Meal. He’s a rockstar chef, but like his mentor and partner, John Besh (a rockstar chef if ever there was one), he’s never too busy to answer a few questions. I was fortunate to speak with Alon and his wife, Emily, founder and owner of Prêt á Fête, about their relationship to food, New Orleans and each other. Our interview took place on a recent Monday afternoon in the beautiful upstairs banquet room at Shaya on Magazine Street in New Orleans.” —Courtney Singer

were young and living in Philadelphia, what were the kinds of things you ate in your home? ALON: I was born in Israel, and raised in Philadelphia. A lot of what you see on the menu here at Shaya, like bourekas, which are puff pastry turnovers with feta cheese on the inside, and lutenitsa, a tomato eggplant pepper spread — those are foods I grew up with, my grandmother’s recipes. COURTNEY : Are those Israeli dishes? ALON: Well, nothing is really Israeli, history-wise, but it’s currently Israeli food because it’s part of the Israeli culture and what’s being eaten there and cooked there every day.My grandmother and grandfather were Bulgarian, actually. My mom used a lot of my grandmother’s recipes and then came up with her own as well. She made a lot of stuffed cabbage and peppers with rice and meat. So that’s a lot of my food background. But once I started cooking for a living and went to culinary school it was all about Italian for me.

COURTNEY: Since this is My Rouses Everyday Around the World Issue, let’s start with your international travels and food experiences. Before opening Domenica you did a year in Italy. ALON: It was right after Emily and I started dating in 2007.Shewould come over to visit and we would rent a car and travel together through Italy and kind of explore different towns. COURTNEY: Do you choose places based on food or other things? ALON: Food is definitely the number one thing because we’re both very passionate about food, but I depend on Emily to teach me about culture so we can go to museums and parks. (Emily laughs.) EMILY: Usually when we travel Alon has ideas about where he wants to go, and I try to piece together an itinerary that makes sense so we’re not zigzagging everywhere. COURTNEY: You started with the Italian cooking when you were older, but when you

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EMILY: My aunt Bill ... my aunt is named Bill (both laugh) ... she makes these amazing biscuits. She’d wake up at 5am to make them and she would put them out on the porch and everyone in the family would come get their own biscuits. She and Alon eventually traded biscuit recipes. For Alon, going home with me to Georgia and seeing the food we cooked in our house like red eye gravy and biscuits, chicken and dumplings and things like that ... that was a primer on Southern food. ALON: That’s one of my favorite things to do, to learn what people cook at home for their families. That’s how most people in the world eat. Not at restaurants. That’s a window into the true culture of food. COURTNEY: You’ve been back to Israel several times in your life. You say going in 2011 with chefs David Slater, Jacques Leonardi and John Besh was a turning point for you. ALON: That was huge for me from a food standpoint. Going back to Israel and seeing that food,eating in the restaurants and people’s homes, going to the markets ... it all just kind of sang to me. It felt real, it felt normal, it felt like who I was, and I realized that I was kind of hiding all that in my cooking. Then Emily and I stayed another couple of days after that trip ended, and we got engaged, which was really amazing. So of course, Israel holds a really special place for both of us, and it’s more than just how good the falafel is. Her family’s Jewish history, my family’s Jewish history, and being there together, and of course, getting engaged there ... Israel has been cemented into our lives forever. When I came back to New Orleans, I started testing Israeli recipes on Emily at home and then putting them on the menu at Domenica. We would make the cabbage salad with orange blossom vinaigrette and tahini with lamb Bolognese and crostini for parties at the house.We would do the roasted cauliflower in the Big Green Egg.We started doing a lot of hummus at the house, and we got a dog and named it Ceci (Che-chi), which means garbanzo bean in Italian. COURTNEY: So the menu for Shaya really started brewing at Domenica?

COURTNEY: What about the pita bread at Shaya? You take a piece of bread and rip it in half and hand the person sitting next to you a piece ... Were you hesitant to serve whole pita instead of sliced?

“That’s one of my favorite things to do, to learn what people cook at home for their families. That’s how most people in the world eat. Not at restaurants. That’s a window into the true culture of food.”

ALON: At a point where the Israeli influence started taking over the Domenica menu too much, we knew it was time to open Shaya so we had a real outlet for this food. But I never really sat down and thought about a menu for an Israeli restaurant until we had signed the lease on this building. Then I would go and sit at City Park on a park bench with all my notes that I compiled, pictures of our trips to Israel and notes on the food we would eat there and I would call my mom and say, “what was that thing you used to make again?” COURTNEY: What can you share about the foods in Israel and the things you can get that are traditional foods to that area that maybe make the food so special? ALON: It’s a melting pot of cultures. In 1948 when Israel became its own state you had millions of people immigrating there from Bulgaria, Poland, Russia, Greece, Morocco, France, you name it. All of Europe and add Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Ethiopia, Eastern Europe, Africa, the Persian Gulf … all of these different places ... and they brought their culture and cuisine with them. Our menu reflects that. We’re not really inventing anything we’re paying homage to what makes these cuisines and foods so good.

ALON: There are a lot of cultures that eat that way around the world and it’s time to celebrate it here, get people to be comfortable with it. EMILY: I think it’s like an icebreaker for people at the table. If you aren’t comfortable sharing the pita you aren’t going to be comfortable sharing the dips. ALON: You should never eat with those people again if you aren’t comfortable sharing with them. COURTNEY: The hummus you do here, where you have something in the hummus, is different. Is that drawn from Israel or that is just you? ALON: In Israel they serve hummus with lots of different things.The more traditional would be warm garbanzo beans tossed with tahini, but they also do fava beans that are stewed down with hardboiled egg and for breakfast a lot of people will get their hummus plates with pickles and red onion and harissa and hardboiled egg. That’s our breakfast hummus, which we have on the menu here, too. COURTNEY: You went back to Israel with chefs John Currrence, Michael Solomonov, and Ashley Christenson for a culinary tour

[ABOVE] Warm Chocolate Babka with Poppy Seeds and Halvah Ice Cream — photo by Graham Blackall [RIGHT] Avocado Toast — photo by GrahamBlackall

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with 16 other people last summer, then back again in October. What is the food scene like in Israel? ALON: Restaurants are a new thing in Israel. It was falafel and shwarma stands in the sixties and seventies; restaurants didn’t really start popping up until the eighties. Even now Israel’s restaurant scene is kind of like 20 years ago in America. EMILY: You get a lot of late night street food there too. On our last trip, we all went to eat and drink at the Machane Yehuda in Jersualem one night. Machane Yehuda has been around forever. It’s a market during the day with all of these fresh produce and meats and cheese stands, they even have cooking workshops, but at night all these great bars and restaurants open up. COURNTEY: There have been terrorist attacks there, talk to me about that. EMILY: Israel is really similar to New Orleans in that even when there are crazy things going on, people still go out and enjoy themselves. So even though things were a little tense there, there were tons of people at the market. COURTNEY: That’s a good thing. Emily, I’m curious about being married to a chef, one with a lot of celebrity and accomplishment, what’s your take on food? EMILY: I would say I was an amateur foodie before I met Alon and now I have my graduate degree. I’ve honed my kitchen skills. ALON: She makes the best red beans and rice you will ever have. Better than any other red beans and rice I’ve ever had in my entire life. (Find the recipe at www.rouses.com) COURTNEY: Is that going to make it on a menu at some point? ALON: Maybe. And it’s a Monday, so she’s probably got her beans soaking right now for beans tonight. EMILY: I went back to Georgia for a year and I missed New Orleans so much so I started cooking red beans. When we got married, I decided I was going to start that New Orleans tradition in our home.We have 4-20 people over every Monday. I get the Chisesi ham shank and beans and rice and sausage and everything else at Rouses on Sunday. ALON: It’s an open invitation sort of thing. Monday’s we’re Prêt á Fête .

[ABOVE] Emily & Alon Shaya at the 2015 James Beard Awards in Chicago, IL. [LEFT] Machane Yehuda ALON: I have a hard time cooking for two people. I tend to make food for probably 12 every time and people will always be really happy when you give them food to eat so we feed our neighbors and stuff like that. COURTNEY: Emily, what’s your favorite thing to eat at Shaya? EMILY: They just added this new brisket ... ALON: Bastilla. EMILY: It’s like a brisket in a crispy phyllo wrapper and it’s crazy good. It has carrots… ALON: And raisins and almonds. COURTNEY: Let’s talk for a minute about winning the James Beard Award, Best Chef South. You were nominated three times before you won.What’s it like for the two of you to go to the ceremony? EMILY: The awards are on a Monday night — the Monday after Jazz Fest, so he’s always coming off a crazy restaurant week in New Orleans. But it’s always fun. ALON: We stick around for three days and plan a bunch of meals around the parties. EMILY: It’s great to see all the chefs and culinary people from all over, friends from food festivals, food writers from all over the country. COURTNEY: Is it intimidating at all? ALON: The first year was very intimidating because you’re at a cocktail party and

EMILY: Prêt á Fête means “ready to party.” That’s the name of my business, too. We rent antiques and unique furniture and accessories. ALON: On Mondays she sets up the room in a really gorgeous way — it’s always a big beautiful display — and we sit around with our friends and eat red beans and rice. Emily is also in charge of the music. EMILY :We have a record player now, and we have old country music like Loretta Lynn and Emmylou Harris. That’s good cooking and entertaining music for us. COURTNEY: I think people are interested in what you do in your private life with food, how you cook at home, especially since you have both become so entrenched in the New Orleans culture and lifestyle. ALON: Our relationship has kind of followed New Orleans as it’s been rebuilt. We lived in the French Quarter and then Bayou St.John. Emily introduced me to Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest. She took me to an Allen Toussaint concert with the Philharmonic when we first started dating. She was really my tour guide into New Orleans culture and still is … COURTNEY: Emily, do you have a favorite thing for Alon to cook for you? EMILY: He’s never cooked me the same thing twice. Like, he’ll do fried rice but with different things in it every time.

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Alon Shaya’s Hummus Makes 5 cups WHAT YOU WILL NEED 1 pound dried chickpeas (2½ cups), soaked overnight and drained 8 garlic cloves, peeled 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ cup tahini ½ cup fresh lemon juice ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling ½ teaspoon ground cumin Salt Canola oil, for frying ½ pound cauliflower, cut into ½-inch florets 2 teaspoons curry powder 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced 1½ teaspoons finely crushed pink peppercorns Chopped parsley, for garnish HOW TO PREP In a saucepan, cover the chickpeas, garlic and baking soda with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over moderately low heat, stirring every 15 minutes, until the chickpeas are tender, 50 minutes; if necessary, add water to keep them covered. Drain the chickpeas and garlic and transfer to a food processor; purée until very smooth. With the machine on, gradually add the tahini, lemon juice, ⅓ cup of olive oil and the cumin; season the hummus with salt. In a skillet, heat ¼ inch of canola oil. Add the cauliflower and fry over moderately high heat, stirring until tender and deeply browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined bowl to drain. Add 1 teaspoon of Pour off all but ¼ cup of the oil from the skillet. Add the onion and a big pinch of salt and cook over moderately high heat, stirring until just starting to soften and brown in spots, about 5 minutes. Add the pink peppercorns and the remaining 1 teaspoon of curry powder and cook, stirring, until 
fragrant, about 3 minutes. Season with salt. Spoon the hummus into a bowl and top with the onion and cauliflower. Drizzle with olive oil, garnish with parsley and serve. the curry powder and toss well. Season with salt and toss again.

photo by Graham Blackall

Martha Stewart is standing there and Daniel Boulud is feeding her caviar, and you back up and it’s, “Oh sorry Thomas Keller” ... it was just all of my heroes hanging out in one big room together. But as the years went on it kind of became more comfortable and approachable. And last year, the year we won, was a lot of fun. COURTNEY: You were in Chicago, not New York ... ALON: We went to NewYork three times,and lost three times. 2015 was in Chicago. It was amazing and overwhelming and I was just so honored and we were so happy. We have

friends and family and employees all rooting for us and then it all happens and it’s ALL HAPPENING LIVE. It’s pretty special. COURTNEY: So one James Beard Award — and I’m sure many more to come. Two dogs. Three restaurants. Where do you see yourselves in four, five years? ALON: Hopefully we’ll be in our renovated house by then! There’s a cookbook that will be in the works at some point. And Emily’s business is really growing and that’s been a huge part of our lives. But for now I think it’s important to focus on the infrastructure of the three restaurants that we have.

“I believe that food tastes better when we build a relationship with the farmers and purveyors who raise and grow our ingredients. Rouses upholds the same standards in supporting our community and the food that comes from it.”​

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Green Chili Zhoug Yields 1 cup or 12 servings WHAT YOU WILL NEED 1 bunch cilantro, chopped ½ bunch parsley, picked and chopped 6 small Serrano chili peppers ½ teaspoon cumin, ground ¼ teaspoon cloves, ground ¼ teaspoon sugar ¼ teaspoon cardamom, ground 2½ teaspoons kosher salt 1 clove garlic 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons water ¼ cup + 4 teaspoons distilled white vinegar Pinch orange zest HOW TO PREP Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until it is a fine puree.

Louisiana Shrimp Shakshouka Serves 6 WHAT YOU WILL NEED 1 cup yellow onions, julienned 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced 1 clove garlic, minced 1 cup bell peppers, julienned 3 cups tomato sauce, San Marzano 1 tablespoon kosher salt 4 each Jerusalem artichokes, boiled until tender 1 cup fava beans, blanched and peeled 6 whole eggs 6 large Louisiana Shrimp, Peeled and deveined 1 bunch green onions thinly sliced Salt to taste HOW TO PREP

photo by Graham Blackall

Heat a large cast iron skillet with ½ cup of olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil begins to smoke, add the cherry tomatoes and blister in the oil for 1 minute until golden brown. Once the tomatoes are blistered, add the onions, garlic, bell peppers, Jerusalem artichokes and fava beans to the pan. Cook over high heat for 2 minutes until all of the vegetables are tender but not turning golden brown. Add the tomato sauce and salt. Bring to a simmer and crack the eggs into the pan in different areas and layer the shrimp in the areas the eggs are not. Place a cover on the pan and cook until the egg whites have set but the yolk is still runny. Remove the lid and pull the pan from the heat. Sprinkle all of the sliced green onions on top. Dollop the green chili zhoug on top (recipe below), drizzle on a little extra virgin olive oil and serve with warm pita bread.

To become a member visit wwwsouthernfoodways.org.

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