ROUSES_MarApr2019_Magazine-R

CHEF NINO ON PASTALAYA, TEACHING AND ITALIAN COOKING WITH A CAJUN TWIST

by David W. Brown

“Brother, are you sitting down?” asks Chef Nino Thibodaux when told that this issue would feature pastalaya, and when asked for his recipe, he exclaims: “I have cooked this pastalaya for tens of thousands of people all across the Gulf Coast. Look here: tens of thou- sands!” Thibodaux is a chef for Rouses Markets. He explains that pastalaya has a long and rich NewOrleans history, going back to the large influx of Sicilian immigrants between 1890 and 1900. “When they came, it changed the language in the streets of New Orleans from French to Italian. Those immi- grants intermarried with the French — and so did their recipes.” His pastalaya, he says, uses bowtie pasta and oregano, along with Rouses andouille sausage and its all-natural chicken. (“There’s no antibiotics, no growth hormones, they’re cage free — brother, it makes all the difference in the flavor.”) His pastalaya recipe is roux-based, with an intense Cajun flavor that soaks into that pasta. “You’ve got Italian, Cajun — a harmony of two nations in your mouth at once — and it’s delightfully different. A pleasant change from what you might be used to.” You have probably met the chef before at his popular cook- ing classes held at Rouses locations across the South. The classes were an outgrowth of a culinary and language school Thibodaux founded called Friends of Italy. “I started these in-home, private cooking parties where I would turn people’s homes into my Italian restaurant and classroom, with wine and fun and laughter.” The classes quickly grew in fame, and 13 years ago, Donald Rouse thought they would be a great addition to his family’s stores. Their shelves were loaded with groceries from across the country and around the world, and the idea was to teach customers what they could do with them. “When Rouses brings something from another coun- try to sell, it is the finest item from that country,” says Thibodaux. “They know, more than ever, that their customers are world travelers and bring a great knowledge of global products. So the Rouse family personally goes to other coun- tries and handpicks only products that meet a high flavor and quality criteria.” For his first class, Thibodaux introduced a first cold pressed olive oil and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and taught students how to make an alfredo sauce and a scampi. He

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