For Paper Chef #10, Owen of Tomatilla! decided that in view of Is My Blog Burning? (IMBB) relaunch and Hurricane Katrina relief efforts in New Orleans, the theme should be a virtual party, with the aim of aid donations from savings made eating at home instead of at restaurants. Owen selected four New Orleans inspired ingredients of beer, sausage, shrimp, and tomatoes for this round of Paper Chef. Of course, cheaper ingredients enable further savings.
The ingredients immediately conjure up images of Tabasco sauce, roux based "gumbo" meat soup/stew and "jambalaya" rice dish with meat and vegetables, often with tomatoes. Terms like pepper and capsicum-based Cajun and Creole spices come to mind. A quick search on Google returns two useful links, Real Cajun Recipes and The Gumbo Pages. The sites provide information on Louisiana Cuisine, which is historically influenced by French, Spanish, Native Americans, Englishmen, and Africans.
Without further ado, the proposed party dishes, complete with French painting and jazz music:
Akudjura New Orleans Platter
Akudjura (Australian native bush tomato), drunken Cajun prawns, and beer-smoked Creole hot sausage chains with "hearts of gold". Green stems of garlic hearts (flower buds) link the rounded sausages with various crusts (chickpea, cajun, parsley or sesame) into a chain. The "hearts of gold" are "Louisiana Gold" pepper sauce seasoned quail eggs in triangular (heart-shaped) paprika rings. For general recipe instructions, refer to the links at the bottom of the page.
In essence, the platter is a symbolic representation of different people with hearts of gold joining together, like links in a chain, to help rebuild New Orleans. The way the the prawn rests on the sausage represents offers of help and support. If you enjoy this platter, please donate to the Hurricane Katrina disaster.
Akudjura and Prawn Cocktail
Skewered Cajun prawn with Akudjura Redback. A simple wheat beer and bush tomato cocktail carrying the message of support by Australians, of $10 millions, to the Hurricane Katrina disaster relief, symbolically shown by an akudjura holding up a prawn. The skewer represents the offer of help to keep New Orleans "above the water", shown by lifting the prawn above the Akudjura Redback cocktail, and also conveys the reliance on outside help. For general recipe instructions, refer to the links at the bottom of the page.
Banana, Foster and Redback Beer
It won't be Australian without beer .... but excuse the pun "Banana Foster". Aussies will have to leave the local New Orleans folks to cook "Banana Foster".
Louisiana is cocktail country according to Southern food expert, Chuck Taggart from "The Gumbo Pages". There is the aptly name "Hurricane Cocktail", a citrus and passionfruit concoction. But Chuck is quick to say "Hurricanes are for tourists. Sazeracs are for natives." The "Sazerac" is made from rye whisky, anise liqueur and bitters, sweetened with a sugar syrup.
For the teetotaller:
Genuine Southern ice tea, made to stringent specifications given by Chuck Taggart, almost resembles a Japanese green matcha tea ceremony, an artform executed to perfection to produce clear fresh tea that taste of tea.
Genuine Southern cafe-au-lait, "Real, New Orleans-style coffee must be dark roast, brewed strong, and must include chicory. In fact, most of the coffee drunk in the Crescent City is a coffee-and-chicory blend."
However, if you are much further South, as in Australia, perhaps the tea and coffee from Paper Chef #9 are the way to go.
Finally, all done with Paper Chef #10. So it's three cheers: Aussie, Aussie, Aussie .... Oy, Oy, Oy!
Related Articles:
Paper Chef #10 Menu
Paper Chef #10 Ingredients
Paper Chef #10 Drunken Cajun Prawns
Paper Chef #10 Beer-smoked Creole Hot Sausages
Paper Chef #10 Louisiana Hearts of Gold
Paper Chef #10 Akudjura and Cajun Prawn Cocktail
Banana Foster Tribute
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