January 2012 Archives
By John Griffin
Posted on24 January 2012.
 Erin Williams fillets red snapper during the Almost Famous Chef Competition.  Michael Andrew Gibson peels potatoes during the competition. Chef challenges are nothing new to those who love TV shows like “Top
Chef” and “Iron Chef,” but it’s not every day one comes to San Antonio.
OK, well, that’s not exactly true, since “Top Chef” spread a lot of love around this city last year.
But that show features kitchen veterans, those who have been calling
the shots in their own restaurant kitchens. On Monday, four rising
chefs, representing culinary schools in Texas and Louisiana, got the
chance to compete for the title of Almost Famous Chef of South Central
United States and the chance to got to Napa, Calif., for the finals.
The competition, sponsored by Acqua Panna and S. Pellegrino, was held
in the kitchens of the Culinary Institute of America’s San Antonio
campus and offered people a chance to see all the work that goes into
preparing a full meal in a two-hour time frame.
 Paul Terrebonne displays his prize skillet and a winning smile. Three of the contestants were from Louisiana. Erin Williams and
Joshua Williams were both from Delgado Community College in Reserve,
La., while Paul Terrebonne was from the Chef John Folse Culinary
Institute of Nicholls State University in Thibodeaux, La. Michael Andrew
Gibson was from the International Culinary School of the Art Institute
of Dallas.
Each had to prepare a meal while several panels of judges asked questions, sampled sauces and watched their technique.
So, while the four diligently chopped mushrooms, carrots, brussels
sprouts and even that New Orleans favorite, mirliton, they talked about
their family influences, such as Joshua Williams’ grandmother, who made a
vast array of gumbos in a cast-iron skillet, or Erin Williams, who
talked about her five kids and what joy they bring to her. Gibson talked
about the billi-bi sauce he made from mussels, white wine, onions and
cream, while Terrebone gave a list of reasons why the Abita Amber makes a
better rice in his dish than the Abita IPA or the Restoration beer.
 Joshua Williams chops carrots as part of his dish. In the end, Terrebone won the right to advance to Napa, where he
could win up to $22,000 and an apprenticeship with a master chef. His
dish was Pan-Roasted Snapper with a Pickled Slaw, Corn Maque Choux Purée
and Abita Beer Rice.
The cook, who spoke so smoothly about his culinary experience in
front of the judges and a dinner party of guests, was left speechless by
the award. He was confident in his cooking, he said, but winning was a
surprise. “I don’t know what I’m feeling right now,” he said, showing
off his trophy, a prize skillet.
 Paul Terrebonne's winning Pan-Roasted Snapper. Chef judges for the event included Jason Dady of Bin 555 and Tre
among other restaurants, Steven McHugh of Lüke and Kent Rathbun of
Abacus and more in Dallas, Austin and many another Texas town, except
San Antonio. (“I want to come here,” he said. But the right deal hasn’t
presented itself.) Media judges included Terry Scott Bertling of the
Express-News, Michele McMurry of San Antonio Taste, and Bonnie Walker
and me from SavorSA.
Stock your six-pack with these beers for a side of health benefits with your buzz.
By Dan Israeli 
Abita Purple Haze If
you happen to find yourself journeying down to N’awlins for Mardi Gras
this year, you’ll probably be drinking a lot of Abita, NOLA’s premier
craft brewery. Abita offers a variety of flavorful brews, few as notable as Purple Haze, a raspberry-infused wheat beer. Purple Haze is brewed with fresh raspberry puree (providing nutrients and vitamins), added after filtration
for a distinctive taste and aroma. What’s best, a serving of Purple
Haze has only 128 calories and 11 carbs, pretty respectable stats for
something so deliciously tasting. Hendrix would be proud. While many wouldn’t equate beer with a healthy diet, it’s been said that a few brews per serving/outing isn’t the worst thing for you—as long as they’re light beers, and hence, low in calories and carbs.
The problem, of course,
is that most “light” beers tend to be “light” in flavor and therefore
your enjoyment. Which begs the question; what’s the point of drinking
two beers if they taste like watered-down crap?
So here’s a list of beers—sans the “light label”—that are either
surprisingly low in cals and carbs, or provide a nutritional/health kick
that few know about. As always fellas, drink in moderation. See the other 5 beers here
City Leaders Place Wager On NFL Playoff GamePOSTED: 10:19 pm CST January 11, 2012 WDSU.com NEW ORLEANS -- Mayor
Mitch Landrieu declared Friday "Black and Gold Day" in New Orleans and
put Louisiana seafood on the line in a friendly wager with his
counterpart in San Francisco.
Landrieu is encouraging people who
live, work and attend school in New Orleans to show their Saints pride
in wearing the team’s colors the day before the team's playoff tilt with
the 49ers.
“It’s an exciting time for our team and our city, and
in wearing black and gold, we can show the Saints organization that we
are behind them as they travel to San Francisco in their march to
another Super Bowl," Landrieu said.
The mayor placed a friendly
wager with San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee on the outcome of the second-round
playoff game. Lee said Monday he’s prepared to offer up Dungeness crab,
sourdough bread, Anchor Steam beer, regional wine and San Francisco
paraphernalia if the Saints win.
Landrieu’s wager includes fresh
Louisiana seafood, a Sucre King Cake, New Orleans music, Abita Beer,
Tabasco Sauce and other New Orleans goods.
“The Saints are truly a
source of pride for the ‘Who Dat Nation’ and we look forward to them
beating the 49ers on the road to a second Super Bowl,” Landrieu said.
“Like our Saints, we also pride ourselves on our cuisine, especially
Louisiana seafood. But we don’t expect to be sending any to the Bay City
anytime soon. We look forward to sampling Dungeness Crab and other San
Francisco treats next week.” Read more: http://www.wdsu.com/sports/30192462/detail.html#ixzz1jG156NEI
Come Saturday, the NFL Playoffs will pit the Detroit Lions against the
New Orleans Saints in a battle for football supremacy. But long before
flesh hits pigskin, one victor has already been declared: The food of
New Orleans crushes the eats from the Motor City.
 “You kidding me? New Orleans wipes the floor with Detroit when it comes to food,” says Chef John Besh, owner of Restaurant August and the newly opened seafood restaurant, Borgne. (For more information on New Orleans recipes read John Besh's Basic Rules of Cooking.)
The man’s got a point. The Big Easy’s abundance of Gulf seafood, long
growing season, and singular blend of Cajun and Creole influences have
given the world spicy sausage gumbo and jambalaya, oyster po’boys and
chicory coffee. What’s the Motor City done for your belly lately? (And
seriously, that’s a question I’d love an answer to.)
And whether you’re gearing up for Saturday's fight or waiting for
Monday's BCS title battle at N.O.’s Superdome, all eyes are on New
Orleans, so we turned to Chef Besh for his take on the Saints' chances,
secrets to amazing game-day grub, and how to keep it simple, New
Orleans-style.
Men's Health: When you go to watch a game at the Dome, what’s your food strategy?
John Besh: Our game days begin rather early. The
Dome is right in the middle of the city -- you can walk to it from any
hotel. But first you'll stop in at a restaurant, then you stop in at a a
couple bars, and then you hit the Dome. That's the way we tailgate in
New Orleans.
MH: Most people think of New Orleans food as a bit
heavy, but your new restaurant, Borgne, is all about seafood and simple
preparations. How do you cook healthy at home?
JB: Right now, we're all in the throes of those New
Year’s resolutions. Here in New Orleans it’s really hard, because we go
from the holidays to sporting events to Mardi Gras. Every day is a damn
party around here. So maybe I try not to eat as much fried food, and
lean more towards the grill or the plancha. Keep the seasonings simple:
Just toss shucked Gulf oysters with a little bit of olive oil and sliced
garlic and throw them on the grill. The oil flames up and gets a
smokiness on the oyster. Done and delicious. (Staying home and thinking
of ordering a pizza? Bake Great Game Day Pizza instead!)
MH: New Orleans will probably see a fair share of Lions fans. Are you rolling out the welcome mat?
JB: I'm excited that they'll have a chance to
explore our city, and share in the abundance of food and drink -- before
we beat them on the football field. We don’t lose in the Superdome.
MH: If your buddies are coming over to watch the game, are you slaving away in the kitchen?
JB: My whole thing is, whatever you can do in
advance, do in advance. The day before the game, make a Zatarain's Crab
boil: Follow the directions on the box, and cook up a pot of big white
Gulf shrimp. Then prep a couple dipping sauces, and people come in and
help themselves. Then you have time to watch the game and actually enjoy
the party. And of course down here we’re all about gumbo. Make a big
pot. Some chicken stock, shrimp, sausage, maybe even some oysters. Those
"iron-pot" dishes only get better overnight. (Another great “iron-pot”
option: Chili. Check out our 11 Rules For The Ultimate Pot.)
ThePostGame brings you the most interesting sports stories on the web.
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MH: And what are you drinking alongside that gumbo?
JB: I'm an Abita beer guy. I was raised with the
guys who brew it, grew up down the street from the factory. I love what
Abita's done: Staying local but still distributed nationally. There's
nothing better than oysters and beer. Well, as long as there's Tabasco
and a little lemon.
SEAFOOD GUMBO
Serves 10
1 cup canola oil
1 cup flour
2 large onions, diced
6 jumbo blue crabs, cut into 4 pieces each
1 pound spicy smoked sausage links, sliced ½ inch thick
1 stalk celery, diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup sliced fresh okra
Leaves from 1 sprig fresh thyme
5 quarts chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 pound medium Louisiana or wild American shrimp
1 cup minced green onions
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Basic Creole Spices (page 13 in My New Orleans)
Worcestershire
Tabasco
4-6 cups cooked Louisiana white rice
1. Make a roux by heating the oil in a large cast iron or
heavy-bottomed pot over high heat. Whisk the flour into the hot oil. It
will immediately begin to sizzle. Reduce the heat to moderate and
continue whisking until the roux is a deep brown color, about 15
minutes. Add the onions, stirring them into the roux with a wooden
spoon. Reduce the heat to moderate low and continue stirring until the
roux is a rich dark brown, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the blue crabs, smoked sausage and stir for a minute before
adding the celery, bell peppers, garlic, and okra. Increase the heat to
moderate and cook, stirring, about 3 minutes. Add the thyme, chicken
broth and bay leaves. Bring the gumbo to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 45 minutes. Stir
occasionally and skim off the fat from the surface of the gumbo.
3. Add the shrimp and green onions to the pot and cook for 15
minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, Creole Spices,
Worcestershire, and Tabasco and serve in bowls over white rice.
-- From My New Orleans: The Cookbook by John Besh/Andrews McMeel Publishing
Written by Stephen Beaumont
alestreetnews.com
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Flying via Houston and New Orleans is hardly the most direct way to
get from San Diego Beer Week to Toronto. But when the good folk at Abita
Brewing invite you to an event called Boudin & Beer just a few days
after you co-host a beer dinner at Stone Brewing’s World Bistro and
Garden, and then offer to pick up the cost of your one-way flight,
that’s how you go.
And so I did: San Diego to Houston; Houston to New Orleans; airport
to hotel; hotel to the Avenue Pub. All in as rapid a succession as
possible.
For those unfamiliar with the Avenue, it has become,
in a stunningly short time, the definitive beer destination in the Big
Easy. Once a typical locals’ joint on St. Charles Avenue, about a 20 -30
walk from the edge of the French Quarter, the pub began its
transformation to NOLA beer Mecca when Polly Watts took over the running
of the place from her father. A couple of beer epiphanies and a few
renovations later, the Avenue now boasts a roadhouse-esque first floor
with a back patio, a somewhat tonier (but still very much bar-like)
second floor and a large balcony overlooking the street below. And New
Orleans being New Orleans, it’s open and serving 24 hours a day, seven
days a week.
Arriving with a serious thirst on, my first beer
was chosen with refreshment in mind, which funnily enough sent me to a
Canadian brew: the raspberry version of the Berlin Alexanderplatz from
Québec’s Hopfenstark brewery, a tart and quenching Berliner weisse with a
decided but pleasing lactic character and gentle suggestion of fresh
raspberries. From there, I made my way through several local, national
and international selections, most in 10 ounce pours, culminating in the
midnight tapping of the 11/11/11 Stone Vertical Epic ale.
Returning
to my hotel not long after, I reflected upon the achievements of Watts
and the Avenue. Serving a city still dominated to a massive degree by
the big brewers, the Avenue is, even more than pioneering beer
destinations, Cooter Brown’s and d.b.a., an oasis of flavour within a
wasteland of banality. That the draft selection changes so frequently it
is almost never up-to-date on the website – but always tweeted and
Facebooked by owner Watts – only adds to the impressiveness of its
courageous approach to a difficult market.
The crack of Noon the
next day found me en route to Abita Springs, the small town about 45
minutes from New Orleans that is home to Abita Brewing. Now a quarter
century old, Abita still suffers from a certain degree of familiarity
breeding contempt, with locals and frequent visitors alike so
conditioned to seeing the brewery’s flagship – and admittedly rather
pedestrian – Abita Amber that they tend to discount its other brands.
It’s
an understandable prejudice, but like most such judgements, one which
leads to the exclusion of some very good, even exceptional beers. The
brewery’s Restoration Pale Ale, for instance, while hardly
hammer-over-the-head assertive, offers perfumey aromatics guaranteed to
enchant any drinker patient enough to take them in. Similarly, the
brewery’s Jockomo IPA benefits from the untreated spring water used in
its the brewing – and the brewing of every Abita beer – to develop a
character that might seem a trifle light to the dedicated hophead, but
nonetheless delivers a fine and well-constructed portrait of its
component hops.
Where I find the brewery really hits its stride,
however, is in its Select and Big Beers series. The former is a
draft-only choice that changes every few months and varies considerably.
During my visit, it was an Imperial Oyster Stout developed by a local
homebrewer, arguably a little light on the saline-edged oyster side, but
making up for it with a perilously silky and approachable body. The
current Big Beer is the company’s 25th Anniversary Double Dog, a 7% ale
which balances its vanilla bean favouring with chocolaty, plummy malt
and drying hoppiness.
Returning from the brewery, I had a
scant half-hour to freshen up for the main event, the Boudin & Beer
party thrown to kick off the weekend-long Carnivale du Vin. Benefiting
the Emeril Lagasse Foundation, which funds food-oriented programs for
local youth, including Cafe Reconcile, a hospitality training program
for at-risk youth, this year’s was the 7th annual Carnivale, but the
first ever Boudin & Beer. I was delighted to be able to take part.
It
was an event that offered more than sufficient value for its $75
admission price, with a multitude of stations serving boudin – a
traditional sausage usually made with pork and rice – cooked by over two
dozen chefs, including Mario Batali, Lagasse, Donald Link of the
ultra-hot Cochon restaurant, and the legendary Paul Prudhomme. (My
favourite, however, were the boudin balls served up by Gautreau’s chef
Sue Zemanick!) Washing it all down was plenty of Abita beer, of course,
but also local wines from the Presqu’Ile Winery, which I didn’t try, and
whiskies from The Glenlivet, which I most assuredly did, plus a handful
of assorted cocktails.
All told, it was a spectacular event and a
pretty exceptional Friday. And, I had to admit, well worth the 1,800 or
so mile detour. |
Craftcans.com 12.31.11 This year
we did something new. We let the public vote on their favorite canned
craft beers of 2011 so thank you to everyone who took the time to vote!
We know that these results don't truly represent the "best" of 2011 as
beer is extremely subjective and not every beer of every style is
available everywhere. With that being said, we'd like to recognize all
of the the great breweries out there and the brewers who use their
skills and creativity to bring us these amazing beers. Support your
local brewery! If 2011 is a
barometer for what is to come, 2012 promises to be an amazing year for
canned craft beer. So, without further ado we present to you the results
of the "Best of 2011" polling as well as some of our own shoutouts
(NOTE: The poll winner is in the middle of the podium and the two beers
beside it are ones that we've chosen to recognize - not necessarily 2nd and 3rd in the polling). Cheers! 
Poll Winner: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
It
must be said that the true winner of this category is us, the beer
drinkers. More and more breweries are choosing to can their beers and
2012 will certainly see a few more of the big players making the move.
The tope vote-getter in the category of most "anticipated cans of 2012"
was Sierra Nevada. Look for 12 oz. cans of their world famous Pale Ale and 16 oz. cans of Torpedo Extra IPA on shelves in the coming weeks!
Judging
by the percentage of votes each of the breweries we chose received,
it's pretty clear that consumers are excited for all of the new cans due
out in the coming year. That is why we've chosen to give shoutouts to
the other breweries in the poll as well. Cheers goes out to Bell's Brewery (which beers will they be canning?), Golden Road Brewing (a brand new canning brewery in LA with a cult following already), Abita Brewing (oldest and largest craft brewery in Louisiana) and of course Cigar City Brewing whose epic beers can't arrive in cans soon enough.
Read the full article here
BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) -
Abita beer has created a special beer to benefit a group founded by a former Saints player.
The new beer, to be released in February, will benefit former Saint Steve Gleason's foundation, the Gleason Family Trust.
Abita needs help to come up with a name for the Imperial Red Ale. To suggest a name, visit Go Team Gleason's Facebook page. The winner will share a pint with Gleason at a special event in early February.
In September, Gleason announced he'd been diagnosed with ALS.
Copyright 2011 WAFB. All rights reserved.
Northshore offers taste of Louisiana
The broad banks of Lake Ponchatrain are a great spot to relax and look across the New Orleans.
Buy Photo
St. Tammany Parish Tourist Commission
By Paul W. Jacob
Special to The Tuscaloosa News
Published: Sunday, January 1, 2012 at 3:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, December 31, 2011 at 6:40 p.m.
For those seeking a quieter experience on their journey to the
BCS National Championship Game next weekend, the Northshore area of St.
Tammany Parish provides a taste of Louisiana cultural setting without
the raucous backdrop of New Orleans.
The Northshore of Lake
Pontchartrain is a collection of small towns that exudes its own local
flavor. And it is within an hour’s drive of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Much
of the ambience of the Northshore revolves around the craft epicurean
culture that is beginning to burgeon in this proud area. At the social
and material center of this evolving foodie movement is the Saturday
morning Farmers Market in downtown Covington. On
our stroll around St. Tammany Parish, my wife and I sampled the local
foodstuffs and chatted with the purveyors. We bought a jar of local
Blood River honey and a glass of kombucha (a fermented mushroom tea that
is good for digestion). There was also a band and a bunch of colorful
citizens dancing joyfully in front of the stage. After
our market session, we borrowed a tandem bike from the Camellia House
and rode along the wonderful Tammany Trace, which spans 31 miles and
allows pedestrians and cyclists to meander through the historic towns of
Covington, Abita Springs, Mandeville, Lacombe and Slidell while
ensconced in indigenous flora. The trace also connects several parks and
provides beautiful vistas of rivers, bayous and streams from atop its
31 railroad bridges. Visitors
may rent a bike from a local shop and set out on the power of two
wheels instead of four. The Abita Brewery tour is also accessible from
the trace by turning left onto Josephine Street. This “tour” is basically a
short video followed by 10 minutes of listening to one of the guides
speak inside the brewery. However, before and after this “tour,” guests
are allowed to take a plastic cup and go behind the bar to fill it up
with the Abita beer of their choice. I enjoyed a glass of their Andy
Gator, a high-gravity brew, followed by the seasonal Christmas Ale. Yes,
refills are allowed and the tour is free. Another
option is to skip the very loud brewery experience altogether and pedal
further on down the trace and stop in at the Abita Brew Pub, which has a
much more relaxing feel to it and also serves pretty good grub. The
Heiner Brau Brewery in downtown Covington is a blue-collar brewing
space created by German brewmaster Henryk Orlik. Orlik. He worked as the
master brewer at Abita before leaving to start his own small craft
brewery, which now makes German-style beers like Kolsch, Bock and
Marzen, for the thirsty local population as well as for the restaurants
of local celebrity chef John Besh. From there it’s a short trek to Bear’s restaurant, the locals choice for the best Po’boy on The Northshore. Del
Porto in Covington is a lively yet intimate place that was named the
best Italian restaurant in the New Orleans area by the Times-Picayune.
The menu changes according to the availability of local seasonal
ingredients, but if the fried octopus with sunny side-up yard egg is
available for an appetizer or the house-made pappardelle with braised
Mississippi rabbit ragu is listed as a main course, do not hesitate to
order either. We spent our
first two nights in the quaint town of Covington at the Camellia House
Bed and Breakfast, a lush and homey place. The innkeepers, Linda and Don
Chambless, have allowed the local flora of this area to be showcased on
their property in such a way that guests feel like they are staying in
an oasis — but only two blocks from downtown. Our
well-appointed room was on the second floor and had outdoor seating on
the breezy veranda that looked down onto an in-ground pool decorated
with fish fountains and a hot tub nestled into the garden. read more here
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