Cooking in the Crescent City

COOKING IN THE CRESCENT CITY Road Scholar’s New Orleans Cookbook with the New Orleans School of Cooking® Dear reader, Founded by the French, ruled by the Spanish and finally made part of the newly formed United States, the culture and cuisine of New Orleans reflect the influences of its past. No other region has contributed more ingredients to the great melting pot of American diversity, and to understand the modern culture you must first step back in time. New Orleans has largely been known as a city of acceptance, where many different cultures have come together to create a signature identity. The result has been a globally blended cuisine inspired by immigrants from the Caribbean, Latin America, West Africa, Italy, Portugal and Greece, and the Native Americans, who have all called this city their home. At Road Scholar, a university of the world, understanding cultures and their historical progression is part of our mission. And to understand the Crescent City, you need to start with its food. That’s why many of our New Orleans learning adventures include classes at the New Orleans School of Cooking, which was recently voted the second best experience in the U.S. and the sixth best experience in the world by TripAdvisor. We’re proud to say that Road Scholar is the longest collaboration the New Orleans School of Cooking has had, teaching thousands of our participants over the last 20 years. Road Scholars are given the history, the importance, the sights and the smells — and finally the finished products — of centuries of New Orleans’ simmering development in order to get a true taste of this unique city. To celebrate New Orleans as Road Scholar’s “2018 Destination of the Year,” we have collaborated with the New Orleans School of Cooking to create this cookbook of favorite, authentic local recipes by the school’s expert chefs. We hope that this book will allow you to bring a piece of New Orleans home with you, while also learning that the history of a city is just as important as the fruit it bears. Sincerely, Your friends at Road Scholar To learn more about the New Orleans School of Cooking, visit www.NOSOC.com. Spinach Tortellini Salad by Chef Ed Sherlock INSTRUCTIONS: 8-10 Servings One hour before mixing up the salad: 1. Add the tortellini to a pot of 1 12 oz. package of boiling water and follow the package cheese tortellini cooking instructions. When the 1 6 oz. package of fresh, pasta is cooked, drain it, put it in an baby spinach airtight container and refrigerate for at least one hour. 1 cup of shredded, aged Parmesan cheese 2. To roast pine nuts, put them in a dry skillet on medium high-high heat ¼ cup poppy seed salad until you can smell them cooking. dressing Then toss several times to get both sides roasted. Remove and place on a ¼ cup pine nuts paper towel to cool. Ideally, it is best ¼ cup of bacon bits if they can be chilled for an hour or so. 4 ounces diced sun-dried tomatoes When ready to serve: 3. In a large salad bowl combine the spinach, pasta, parmesan cheese, pine nuts, bacon bits and sun-dried tomatoes. 4. Once the ingredients are thoroughly combined, mix the dressing into the bowl to your taste. Start off with ¼ cup and add more Chef Ed Sherlock has been cooking professionally if needed. Season with salt and since 1979. He began his career apprenticing under pepper and serve. Master Chef John Segedi, owner of a renowned catering company, and has taken what he learned to Lou- isiana’s culinary capital of New Orleans. Ed is an expert at designing menus, has started many successful restaurant franchises and worked with some of the world’s best chefs. Find New Orleans learning adventures at www.roadscholar.org/neworleans INSTRUCTIONS: 1. For shrimp and mango salad, mix together all of the ingredients (excluding those for the plantain cups). Refrigerate for several hours and toss gently a few times before serving. 2. For the plantain cups, fry the hunks of plantain in oil until golden brown (medium and steady heat). Place on paper towel Shrimp & Mango Salad to absorb excess oil. 3. Place plantain into press and smash to form cup. with Plantain Cups 4. Fry plantains again until toasty brown, place on paper towel and sprinkle with salt. by Chef Julie Barreda 5. Fill the cups immediately with the cold salad and garnish. Serve and enjoy! 6 tablespoons fresh cilantro 4 Servings leaves, half chopped finely and half torn slightly Though born in the U.S., Chef Julie Barreda was raised in a family that blended palettes of interna- 1 teaspoon Joe’s Stuff seasoning, tional cultures. In the mid-1980s, she founded 1 lb Florida gulf shrimp (21/25 or your favorite Cajun seasoning, Private Affair Gourmet Catering on Florida’s Gulf Coast, one size) peeled, deveined, and boiled to taste of the area’s premier catering companies, to bring her favor- 5 small to medium local plum to- Fresh papaya or cilantro, for ite multicultural flavors to as many people as possible. From matoes or 2 local creole tomatoes, garnish there she continued as a consultant and lent helping hands cut in half, squeeze out liquid, to Williams-Sonoma, Art Smith Companies and “The Oprah remove seeds and chop coarsely Winfrey Show,” to name a few. Plantain Cups: 1 ripe medium mango, cubed (you can also use peach, nectarine Green plantains, peeled and cut or pineapple) into pieces 1½ to 1¾ inches wide Round plantain press (wooden; 4 tablespoons red onion, finely found in most Latin stores or in chopped Bed, Bath & Beyond) 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Oil for frying 5 tablespoons fresh lime juice Joe’s Stuff seasoning, to taste 6 to 8 cloves fresh garlic, chopped Find New Orleans learning adventures at www.roadscholar.org/neworleans Crab Dip by Chef Anne Leonhard INSTRUCTIONS: 4-8 Servings 1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté the green onions in butter 8 oz. Philadelphia Cream until the onions are soft. Cheese 2. Add in the cream cheese, lemon 1 stick of butter juice and crabmeat and mix in the pan until warmed through. 1 teaspoon lemon juice 3. Season with Joe’s Stuff and 1 lb. lump crabmeat cayenne, and add brandy to taste. Serve with crackers or bread. Joe’s Stuff* seasoning to taste (can be found online at the New Orleans School of Cooking store) 1 bunch of green onions, finely chopped Pinch of cayenne Brandy to taste * Joe’s Stuff is a naturally low sodium, all- purpose seasoning blend used and loved Crackers or toasted by the family of chefs at the New Orleans bread, for serving School of Cooking. You can use it as a spice rub or sprinkle it in your favorite pastas, vegetables or soups. Get crafty and even add Unlike most of the other chefs at NOSOC, Chef Anne to popcorn, eggs or salad. Add this unique Leonhard’s cooking career began a little later in life. spice blend almost any dish and give it the The day before she was getting married, she realized flavor of New Orleans. You can purchase that she lacked some skills in the kitchen and reached out to Joe’s Stuff by going to store.nosoc.com. her grandmother for help. They spent the day together gath- ering recipes and cultivating Anne’s love for cooking. Since then, you can’t keep her away from the oven as she whips up a crescendo of flavors in everything she creates. You can read more about Anne’s expertise in her cookbook Across the Table, written with fellow instructor Harriet Robin. Find New Orleans learning adventures at www.roadscholar.org/neworleans Cajun Fricassee INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. by Chef Brandon Moreau 2. In a large bowl mix the ground beef/pork, 2 raw eggs, bread crumbs and 2 tablespoons of Joe’s Stuff and roll the mixture into golf ball-sized meatballs, yielding 7-10 meatballs depending on size. 1 cup flour 8 Servings 3. Place on a baking sheet and put them in the oven for about 20 2 yellow onions, diced minutes, or until golden brown on the outside. 1 green bell pepper, diced 1 lb. ground beef or pork 4. Cut the chicken into eight pieces. If using bone-in, you should 3 celery stalks, diced cut two drumsticks, two thighs, two breasts, and in half. Lightly 2 eggs season the chicken with 2 tablespoons of Joe’s Stuff 4 cups beef stock or stock of your (or more, if needed). In a medium pot, ⅓ cup bread crumbs choice such as a Dutch oven, add the 4 tablespoons Joe’s Stuff season- 3 carrots, roughly chopped 4 tablespoons of oil for ing, Joe’s Hot Stuff seasoning, or browning. On medium any Cajun seasoning 3 potatoes or turnips, chopped in heat, cook the chicken bite size pieces until lightly browned 1 2 lb. bone-in or boneless chicken 4 hardboiled eggs, peeled on both sides, 3-4 4 tablespoons oil, for browning minutes per side. Place 4 cloves garlic, chopped the chicken aside. ⅓ cup high heat oil (like canola or vegetable) or bacon fat, for roux 1 bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped 5. In the same pot, brown the Tasso or smoked ham and then set 1 lb. Tasso or smoked ham, diced 1 bunch green onions, chopped aside. Add the 1/3 cup of oil to the pot on medium heat.

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