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2011 American Cancer Society Hope Gala

29 Sep
Top Chef Betty Fraser and Myself at the 2011 ACS Hope Gala

Top Chef Betty Fraser and Myself at the 2011 ACS Hope Gala.

I’m a little late in writing a recap of an event I helped coordinate, but better late than never. That said, for the past five years, I’ve had the privilege of serving as a chair for the American Cancer Society Hope Gala. For the first three years, I was the auction chair and for the past two years, I’ve served as restaurant chair.

This year, we raised over $200,000 to help fight cancer in the greater New Orleans area. A large part of the success is due to the Hope Gala committee: Lorrie Lee, Carla Morphy-Adams, Melissa Pennebaker (overall event chair) and Ali James. We had a great team that worked very hard for about six months to put the event together.

This year, for my task of gathering restaurants I thought of the idea to reach out to former Top Chef contestants to participate and come cook at the event. I was fortunate to get four to come down to New Orleans. Betty Fraser (Season 2), Ed Cotton (Season 7), Hosea Rosenberg (Season 5) and Tracey Bloom (Season 7) we all in attendance and made some great dishes.

Top Chefs at the Hope Gala

Top Chefs at the Hope Gala.

In addition to the Top Chefs, great restaurants all participated including Acme Oyster House, Bayona, Creole Creamery, Besh Steakhouse, Le Meritage, Mike’s on the Avenue, La Petite Grocery, Muriel’s, Ste. Marie, La Cote Brasserie and The Grill Room all came out to support a great cause.

Set in the Shops at Canal Place, Fox 8’s Liz Reyes served a the host for the event joined by emcee Mark Romig. During the event ACS honored this year’s Spirit Award recipients — medical professional who made a difference in the lives of those suffering from cancer.

Overall, the night provided some great food (I’m not biased, I promise) and drink, a high-quality auction, great entertainment by the Bucktown All-Stars, and a platform to showcase the progress being made to fight cancer.

Top Chef Hosea Rosenberg and ACS Hope Gala Volunteer Lorena Poche

Top Chef Hosea Rosenberg and ACS Hope Gala Volunteer Lorena Poche.

The 2012 Hope Gala is set for August 18, 2012 in The Shops at Canal Place. If you would like to make a donation or participate, feel free to contact me to get involved. We never turn volunteers away and we’re always on the lookout for people compassionate about the fight against cancer. To learn more, visit the American Cancer Society’s website.

Photography by Amy Jett (c) 2011.

 
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Posted by on September 29, 2011 in Livin'

 

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Takin’ the Streetcar

28 Sep
New Orleans Streetcar at Sunset

The Streetcar at Sunset

I’ll start out with an admission: for the first three years I live in New Orleans, I never rode the streetcar. Thankfully, I hopped on during my fourth year. There’s just something about taking a streetcar ride through uptown New Orleans that feels so timelessly authentic. Maybe it’s the history of the streetcar itself, maybe its the palatial homes along St. Charles. Whatever it is, it’s definitely an inspirational journey.

What was once something I never paid much attention to is now one of my favorite ways to get around in the city. Think about it. On a standard ride from the beginning of the line to the end of the line you pass Oak Street, Camellia Grill, Tulane, Loyola, Audubon Park, The Wedding Cake House, several daiquiri shops, Fat Harry’s, Superior Grill, Avenue Pub, a Popeye’s, Lee Circle, Lafayette Square, and countless restaurants. It’s like a who’s who of New Orleans all along the same tracks. I’m not sure you could ask for more whether driving, biking or riding. Plus, the $1.25 fare each way really can’t be beat in the days of close to $4 gas prices.

In addition to all the great stops along the route, there’s always something happening along the streetcar route. In fact, just yesterday, a lady was passed out on the tracks near Napoleon causing the whole line to come to a halt. Still not convinced? Only two weeks ago, an errant driver hit a streetlight post and shut down the service. And let’s not forget the tree that fell on the tracks right after Tropical Storm Lee.

The New Orleans Streetcar in Motion

The Streetcar in Motion

While all of those incidents may sound like reasons NOT to take the streetcar, in actuality, they are perfect reasons for taking the streetcar. Point being, it’s never a boring ride. How else can you explain such an unconventional mode of transportation serving generations of New Orleanians?

On a serious note, the streetcar drivers are some of the best designated drivers in the city. We know we like to drink, the city knows we like to drink so they hired us a full fleet of designated drivers at minimal cost to us New Orleanians.

So next time you’re looking for any interesting way to get around (whether you’re sober or not), don’t forget about the New Orleans institution that is the New Orleans streetcar.

 
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Posted by on September 28, 2011 in Livin'

 

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Review: Pho Tau Bay

27 Sep
Pho Tau Bay Logo

Pho Tau Bay Vietnamese Cuisine

Great Vietnamese food isn’t hard to come by in New Orleans, especially on the Westbank. While it took me at least two years to fully discover the Vietnamese restaurant scene, it’s become some of my favorite cuisine. I love the freshness of the ingredients used, the complex combinations of ingredients that create the perfect balance of spicy, cool and crunchy. Another plus is not feeling like you’ve just inhaled the food equivalent of a bus the way some other cuisines do.

One of the best places for Vietnamese in the city is Pho Tau Bay. While it may not be as traditional as some of the other Vietnamese restaurants in the city, it’s definitely one of the most convenient. While I think there is better pho and better banh mis in the city, Pho Tau Bay overall offers a great menu that’s affordable, delicious and quick.

Pho Tau Bay Vermicelli Bowl

Pho Tau Bay Vermicelli Bowl with Pork and Egg Rolls (B3 on the menu)

They definitely have the best Vietnamese egg rolls in the city. Nothing I’ve had elsewhere even comes close. In fact, I usually order them as an appetizer (to share if I’m feeling generous) and I add them in a vermicelli bowl if that’s what I order. The companion nuoc mam sauce really sends them over the top. The wrapper is crispy, but not crunchy and the filling is always fresh and complex in flavor.

After chowing down on the eggrolls, I normally go with one of the vermicelli bowls. While it’s a nice size portion, you can upgrade to a large for only a dollar more. Filled with noodles, lettuce, cucumbers, fried shallots, carrots and meat of your choice, the bowls make for a great lunch or dinner. While I don’t know the ins and outs of the nutrition facts, I can’t imagine them being nutritionally void.

While I’m not crazy about Pho Tau Bay’s banh mis, they’ll do in a pinch. The bread is good, the meat is good, but the pate and jalapeno on traditional banh mis are missing so they don’t quite stack up to other banh mis in the city.

Pho Tau Bay Banh Mi with Pork

Pho Tau Bay Banh Mi with Pork (BM#5 on the menu)

The pho is great at Pho Tau Bay as is the PTB wonton soup. The broth at Pho Tau Bay doesn’t feel overly salt and isn’t as greasy as other broths I’ve had. The herb basket that come with the pho is also one of the most generous in the city. I always feel guilty not using every leaf of basil, every bean sprout, every slice of cucumber and every jalapeno.

To wash it all down, I highly recommend the soda chanh (club soda with lime juice and sugar). It’s always refreshing, isn’t packed with sugar and has a great tart/fizz combo to it.

Overall, Pho Tau Bay offers inexpensive, quality, fresh Vietnamese food in a hurry. It’s one of the best places to go on the Westbank. So if you ever get the urge to venture across the Crescent City Connection, be sure and stop in for some of the best Vietnamese around.

Pho Tau Bay is located at 113 Westbank Expressway (take the Stumpf exit). Hours: Mon.-Wed., Fri.-Sat. 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

 
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Posted by on September 27, 2011 in Eatin'

 

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Review: Dat Dog

26 Sep
Dat Dog Menu

The Dat Dog Menu

When you think of New Orleans, the thought of a hot dog doesn’t come immediately to mind. Enter Dat Dog — the Freret Street restaurant doing everything in its power to change that. And if Dat Dog’s success is measured in terms of hot dogs, sausage, bratwursts, kielbasas and all the other things on a bun they offer, they’re off to a successful start. In fact, they’ve already outgrown the original location and will open in a larger venue right across the street.

I can sum this place up in one word: addicting. I’m not sure there’s a better restaurant in New Orleans where the minimalist approach works so well. Everything is equally delicious. The toppings are out of this world.

Dat Dog Assembly Line

The most beautiful and delicious assembly line in the world.

But the best part may be the buns. The sourdough complements everything wonderfully. Order anything, top it with anything. You can’t go wrong.

On my first visit I went with a bratwurst topped with chili, cheese, onions and mustard. It turned out to be one of the best things on a bun I’ve ever had. I’ve used subsequent visits to venture out. Another favorite? Crawfish sausage topped with Andouille and avocado. Maybe the thought doesn’t sound too appealing, but let me assure the taste was. The Friday-only special Chicago dog is also a great choice.

Dat Dog Fries

Dat Dog Fries

Now about those fries. Crispy. Tasty. Crunchy. Seasoned to perfection. These are some of the best fries in town. Hands down. I’ve yet to try them with chili and cheese, but I can’t imagine it would be a bad idea.

Above all, the thing about Dat Dog that impresses me the most is that it’s consistently great. During my lunch and dinner visits I’ve always been greeted courteously and the food is always top notch. Dat Dog is a simple concept full of complex flavors and an endless variety of ways to dress up a hot dog or sausage.

Dat Dog is located at 5031 Freret Street. Open Tues.-Thurs. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sun. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

All photos courtesy of Dat Dog.

 
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Posted by on September 26, 2011 in Eatin'

 

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Recipe: Crawfish and Andouille Sausage Grits

25 Sep

Fresh Louisiana crawfish (don’t even think about using Chinese tails), smoky Andouille sausage, roasted garlic and the best grits in the world combine to make a great dish that’s a perfect addition to any brunch.
The challenging part will be exercising the patience necessary to wait for the grits to finish cooking. And don’t even think about using anything but high-quality, stone-ground grits.

Crawfish and Andouille Sausage Grits Ingredients

Crawfish and Andouille Sausage Grits Ingredients


Ingredients

  • 1 pound Louisiana crawfish tails
  • 1 cup Andouille sausage (I use Jacob’s World Famous Andouille from LaPlace, La.)
  • 1 cup stone-ground grits (I use white grits from Sciple’s Water Mill in Dekalb, Miss. which has been in continuous operation since 1790. And yes, they’re that good…)
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup Abita Amber (you can drink the rest)
  • 1 head of garlic (peeled)
  • 4 oz. cream cheese
  • 4 TBSP butter
  • Salt, pepper and Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning to taste

Directions:

Louisiana Crawfish Tails in the Grits

My favorite part? Adding in the Louisiana crawfish tails.

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Break up peeled head of garlic and roast on an oven-safe plate (about 12 minutes).
  2. While garlic is roasting, melt 2 TBSP of butter on low heat in large saucepan or Dutch Oven. When butter is melted, pour in grits and stir to coat.
  3. Add in all liquids (heavy cream, Abita Amber and chicken broth) and stir and simmer on low.
  4. When garlic is finished roasting, combine garlic, crawfish, Andouille, cream cheese, seasoning and remaining butter into grits. Leave to simmer, stirring every 5 minutes over low heat for about an hour until grits are creamy.
  5. Season to taste and serve immediately.

Simmering All the Ingredients

Simmer all the ingredients over low heat




This dish is a guaranteed brunch hit, but it’s appropriate for any meal time. You can also reheat any leftovers to make this one-pot wonder last. To reheat, stir in 1/4 cup of liquid of your choice and simmer over low heat until grits are heated through.

 
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Posted by on September 25, 2011 in Brunch, Cookin', Recipes

 

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Love in the Garden

24 Sep

Last night, I attended LOVE in the Garden in the New Orleans Museum of Art’s Besthoff Sculpture Garden. It was a great event with an awesome venue. The food, drinks, entertainment and crowd combined to make a fun night. The Firefly vodka bar helped a lot as well (they may as well have given me a bottle).

LOVE Sculpture

The LOVE Sculpture

Organized by local socialite Annie Flettrich (in what she billed as her “retirement event), the event came off without a hitch. Two other friends of mine, Katie Hardin and Jennifer Jeansonne, also helped organize the event. All did a great job!

Local restaurants including Acme Oyster House, Squeal, Zoe W Hotel, Mondo (with my favorite dish of the night — a chicken pate with pickled watermelon rind), Cafe Noma and Le Meritage. While the food was great, we all know why people go to these events: the open bar. For me, the Firefly bar was genius! I think I had at least a bottle, but surprisingly, no hangover.

The Besthoff Sculpture Garden is one of the city’s true gems (as is the entire City Park/NOMA combo). The sculpture/gondola/green space works extremely well as an event venue. I would highly recommend visiting even if an event is not going on, however.

Sculpture in the Besthoff Sculpture Garden at NOMA

A contemporary sculpture in the Besthoff Sculpture Garden at NOMA

The Mixed Nuts provided the night’s entertainment. And they really know how to get white people movin’ and groovin’. All of the cover songs were spot on and the band has some nice vocalists and a great horns section.

I have to admit, this was my second favorite event of the year behind the American Cancer Society Hope Gala, but I’m biased because I help organize that one. I’ll definitely be back next year and in the years to come.

 
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Posted by on September 24, 2011 in Livin'

 

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Movie Review: Moneyball

23 Sep

Brad Pitt Gives Moneyball the Spark it Needs to Succeed

Moneyball (based on the book by Michael Lewis) tells the true story of Oakland A’s manager Billy Beane (played by Brad Pitt) and his strategy of managing a team with a limited payroll competing with teams with nine-figure payrolls (New York Yankees, this movie is looking squarely at you).

Set during the 2002 season, the A’s are coming off a first round playoff loss and losing their star players Johnny Damon and Jason Giambi.

Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill in Moneyball

Brad Pitt, left, and Jonah Hill star in Columbia Pictures' drama "Moneyball," a film about the unique approach Oakland A's GM Billy Beane used to rebuild his team in 2002.

The challenge: rebuild the A’s organization with one of Major League Baseball’s lowest payrolls.

Enter Peter Brand (played by Jonah Hill), a statistically driven, Yale-educated economist. Together, they throw conventional MLB wisdom out the window and base the roster solely on player statistics. Initially, this experiment looks like a disaster. Fans, the Oakland media and even the A’s manager (played by Philip Seymour Hoffman) are incensed after the dismal start to the season.

Slowly, but surely the season turns around for the A’s as the plan starts to pay off culminating with a 20-game win streak. Beane and Brand’s experiment revolutionizes the league after only one season.

Many critics are throwing out the “O” word for Pitt’s performance. While I think that’s a bit premature, it is one of his strongest performances since Fight Club.

Pitt and Hill have great onscreen chemistry, but the true scene stealer throughout the film is Kerris Dorsey who plays Pitt’s character’s daughter. The scenes between Dorsey and Pitt add an emotional connection that is somewhat lacking in the clubhouse scenes.

The movie completely plays to Pitt’s strengths: quick wits, charm and a little bit of snark.

The Oakland A's are the team in focus in "Moneyball."

The Oakland A's and the team payroll are at the center of "Moneyball."

The hodgepodge of a team features some nice side characters including Scott Hatteberg (played by Park and Recreation‘s Chris Pratt), David Justice (Stephen Bishop) and Jeremy Giambi (Nick Porrazzo).

While this film is about baseball at its core, it does an excellent job exploring the mind of Billy Beane, his backstory and his love of the game. It’s a most unknown story (save diehard baseball fans) that truly deserves the big screen treatment.

Overall, it is one of the better films I’ve seen this year. It’s been a while since a baseball movie performed well at the box office, but I’m confident Moneyball will be one of the Fall’s highest-grossing films.

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 133 minutes

All photos courtesy of Columbia Pictures.

 
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Posted by on September 23, 2011 in Watchin'

 

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Recipe: Peach Tart with Pecan Crust

22 Sep
Peach Tart

Peach Tart from Chez Castle (My Kitchen)

If you’re looking for a simple and cost-efficient dessert that isn’t loaded with sugar and pairs well with any fruit (though this recipe specifically calls for peaches), this tart is ideal.

The hardest part is the crust. But if you’re apprehensive to make the crust from scratch, I’m sure a pre-made crust of your choosing will suffice.

Ingredients

For Crust:

  • 2 cups of vanilla wafers (trust me when I tell you the Whole Foods brand is heads and tails above Nila Wafers)
  • 4 tablespoons melted unsalted Butter
  • 1/2 cup pecans
  • 2 tablespoons sugar

For Filling:

  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 8 oz. cream cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup Chobani plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 ripe peaches, cut into wedges

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Combine vanilla wafers with pecans, 2 tablespoons of sugar in food processor and process until fine (be carefully not to overprocess). Add melted butter and process until crumbs are moistened. Press crumbs into 1/2 thick layer in 9-inch pan. Bake 10 minutes or until crust sets.
  2. While crust is baking, clean out food processor. Add cream cheese, Chobani plain Greek yogurt, egg and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Process until smooth.
  3. After removing crust from the oven, pour the custard into the crust and bake an additional 15 minutes until it sets. Place tart in freezer to cool, 10 to 15 minutes.
  4. In a bowl, toss peaches with remaining sugar. Arrange peaches as pictured. Cut tart into wedges and serve.

This tart really does make an excellent addition to any dinner party. In lieu of peaches, I would suggest berries, bananas, or possibly mango.

 
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Posted by on September 22, 2011 in Cookin', Desserts, Recipes

 

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A Po’ Boy Livin’ Rich

21 Sep

I would put up a disclaimer, but if you’re reading this, you’re obviously smart enough to realize that any opinions I post are mine and no one else’s.

I live in uptown New Orleans. I love this city and this state, but I’m well-traveled enough to have a worldly view of all things around me. My intent with this blog is to chronicle the little joys in my life: food, sports, entertainment (TV, movies, books) and life in general. So you may find recipes, TV reviews, movie reviews, photos, whatever strikes my mood. And as a Gemini, my mood tends to change a lot.

I’m sort of an old soul. I tend to get along with people in their 30s and 40s more than I do with people close to my age or younger. That said, I rarely meet people I don’t like and if I consider you a friend, I’m there for you no matter what.

I tend to speak my mind and always have an opinion. I do possess the ability to see all sides of an issue or argument. I tend to tell people what they NEED to hear versus what they WANT to hear.

I’m sarcastic (although nothing I’ve typed so far is).

Peach Tart

Peach Tart from Chez Castle (My Kitchen)

I love to cook. For me, it’s the easiest way for me to express my creative side. With food there are infinite possibilities based on the ingredients one has in hand. I have the ability to take whatever five to ten ingredients I have and create usually delicious things out of them.

I’m sometimes accused of being too into sports, but I have a very competitive nature and watching sports provides an outlet for that.

I rarely get mad or hold a grudge (life’s too short). I tend to believe that adults are just that, adults. Therefore, I treat everyone with respect and believe that people are going to do what they are going to do and can’t necessarily be controlled. I still, at times, get disappointed in people, but I truly believe that friendships are priceless.

Maybe that all sounds mushy, but I get that way sometimes. It’s not something I regret because I don’t believe in regrets and have none.

This is my first attempt at blogging, so I’m excited about putting my thoughts and opinions down. But as with life, I always enjoy the ride.
You can follow me on Twitter @clark_castle for all the latest and greatest news in my world or email with questions/comments and suggestions at poboylivinrich@gmail.com.

 
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Posted by on September 21, 2011 in Uncategorized

 
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