Review: Babes on Bourbon Street

The Culinary Center of Kansas City has always been one of my most-favorite venues in the KC area…besides a really cool and inviting ambiance, they really have it going on with the classes and events they offer.

Case in point: a few days ago, they were offering an event entitled: "Girls Night Out! Babes on Bourbon Street!" - which promised fun, food and frivolity. And drinks. The best part? This was completely a "demo" class - which meant that the chef would do ALL the work, and I'd get all of the benefits - as in, all I would have to do is eat. And drink. Count me in.

Gathering up my sister, because we were overdue for our monthly "dine and dish" - where we go out for dinner and then dish out on everything under the sun, whether that be husbands, kids or jobs, we headed over to join in the festivities, along with about twenty or so other women. Because this was heading into Mardi Gras weekend, the entire venue was decked out with New Orleans-inspired decorations - including beads, masks, and feathers…and the menu, including cocktails, would all have a bit of a Creole theme.


Our class handbook - which included all of the recipes, and more….



Our instructor for the evening, Bruce, quickly got the good times rollin' by demonstrating the original "Hurricane", the signature drink of Pat O'Brien's bar on Bourbon Street. Many years ago, Bruce was a bartender here, so he knew all sorts of tips and tricks on how to make this drink to perfection. The drink got its name - NOT from a Mother-Nature inspired hurricane - but from the glass that was shaped like a hurricane lamp that it was served in.



Bruce suggested adding a 1/4 oz of passion fruit juice to the mix, if you're able - as it will really give the drink a "Wow!" factor. If you're making large quantities of the drink, you can always substitute Hawaiian Punch for the fruit juices. Also…the 151 Rum gets poured on the very top - right before serving - but always let the drink sit about 5 minutes or so before drinking…as the flavors will have a chance to "settle" and it will taste truly divine. And a bit of trivia: if the drink has rum, it's a true "Hurricane." If it has Vodka, then it's a "Cyclone."



Many years ago, I'd visited Pat O'Brien's bar while vacationing in New Orleans…and I'm pretty sure I'd tried the Hurricane, but being that I'm now old and my memory is pretty shot, I couldn't remember if I'd liked it or not.



The verdict? Yum. Me likey. Me likey rum. In my tum.

My sister then gave it a try:



Did she like it? Eh…not so much. She's not a big fan of the sweet, fou-fou drinks like I am.

Next up was a Creole Bloody Mary…with some interesting ingredients such as Emeril's Bayou Blast seasoning, pickled okra juice, and whole-grain mustard. I'm not a fan of Bloody Marys, so I was a bit hesitant about this one, especially when I saw all of the seasonings that can pack a kick.


Bruce, getting ready to pour the final product…



Note that Bruce substituted Emeril's Bayou Blast seasoning for the Zatarain's Creole Seasoning…but either will work...


My sister loves Bloody Mary's, so I was anxious to see her reaction to this drink:


Hey Mikey! She likes it!!



She gave it a resounding thumbs-up, saying that it had "meat" to it. I, however, hated it - even if I could get past the tomato-taste to it (I hate tomatoes, by the way), I could NOT get past the fact that it was extremely spicy. Gah. I handed my drink over to my sister, who then handed me her unfinished Hurricane, so we were both happy.


Wait…how the heck did my sister get THREE Bloody Mary's in front of her???!! Lush.



Our third cocktail of the evening was something called a Ramos Fizz…which was, frankly, just weird:


Looks deceivingly like a milkshake…but don't let it's "innocent" look fool you….


This drink…is hard to describe. Let me post something that was written about this drink by Esquire Magazine's cocktail reviewer:

"The Ramos Fizz, alias the New Orleans Fizz or the Gin Fizz, breaks all the rules. It's fussy, dated, takes a long time to make and uses too many ingredients, one quite hard to find. It's not an everyday drink, yet you can't mix it up in big batches for company (nor should you order one in a bar). You've got to make these babies yourself, one or two at a time. So why bother?

If the Sidecar is jazz, the Ramos Fizz is ragtime. Sure, it's from New Orleans -- cradle of jazz and all that -- but it harks back to 1888, two years before Jelly Roll Morton was born and thirteen years before the great Louis Armstrong joined us. Like ragtime, Henry C. Ramos's creation is a matter of poise, of balance, of delicacy. This isn't a drink to throw together from whatever you've got lying around; every part of the formula is crucial. The egg white gives it body, the cream lends smoothness, and the citrus provides its cool. The sugar tames the citrus, the gin does what gin does, and the seltzer wakes the whole thing up. As for the orange flower water -- that's for mystery.

To sip a Ramos Fizz on a hot day is to step into a sepia-toned world peopled with slim, brown-eyed beauties who smell of magnolias and freshly laundered linen, and tall, mustachioed gentlemen who never seem to work and will kill you if you ask them why."

My sister hated this drink…so did pretty much everyone in the room, with a few exceptions, notably moi. I kinda' liked it. Maybe I'd had enough Hurricanes at this point that I would have liked anything - who knows - but I especially liked making milk mustaches while sipping this…at which point, my sister implored, "Give me your keys. Now." Whah?? She thinks I'm tipsy, just because I like having some fun and making milk mustaches??? She's such a spoil-sport.

Perhaps it was the sight of some of us (okay, me) making milk mustaches, that had Bruce deciding it was time for us to get some food in our tummies. We headed over to the buffet, where we dined on (all gluten-free, by the way) such delicacies as:


Artichoke, Asiago & Spinach Dip…Salad with a Black-Eyed Pea and Bacon Vinaigrette…and Jambalaya...


Nom. Nom. Nom. Sadly, thé dessert, White Chocolate Bread Pudding with Creme Anglaise, was NOT gluten-free, so that's when I had a "Sucks To Be Me" moment, as I couldn't indulge. That's okay…I just made more milk mustaches from my Ramos Fizz.

Our after-dinner drink was a variation of the World's Oldest Cocktail, the Sazerac Cocktail. For some interesting history on this drink, click HERE. Bruce told us the story of this as he mixed it all together:


And no, I haven't taken a picture of a half-drunk glass…that's ALL the drink you need, trust me.


I took a sip of this, and WHOOOOOAAAAAAA, MAMA!!! That was one strong drink.

I liked it. Sister didn't. Yum. Which means more for me.

Actually, this drink is enjoyed slowly…reallllllllly slowly. Sips…sips…sips…letting it roll off your tongue, where you can then pick up on the subtle flavors that are embedded in this. As Bruce said, this would be a drink to nurse all night at the bar, sipping slowly while enjoying the ambiance and company of friends.

One last drink…a Cafe Brulot Diabolique, which was a very strong, and very hot, coffee…Bruce REALLY heats things up in the kitchen while preparing this:


The picture is grainy, as they'd turned the lights off in the kitchen, so we could experience the full effect of the flames. Awesome.



This black coffee has some magic voodoo dust (cinnamon), as well as cloves, lemon, sugar and brandy. I hated it, but I'm not especially fond of coffee. Sister, sticking true to form of liking everything I didn't - and vice versa - loved it. We make a perfect team when we go out - the Ying and the Yang, so to speak, of the culinary world.

All too soon, it was time to head home…but not without some last-minute fun:




A great evening, full of good food, good drinks, but most of all, good company. I enjoyed having fun with Sister, as well as the other ladies at our table…we learned a lot, laughed a lot, and lived just a bit…which is the whole point of a good Girls Night Out.

Peace.

Smothered Cheesy Chicken

So, in my ongoing challenge to live like I only have 30 days left, I've been making several changes in my life...

...one of which involves cooking.

In my 50 years of living, it was very obvious that I was in what could only be referred to, as a "rut". I had a rather small collection of "go-to" recipes for dinner, and I'd recycle them, over and over, with little variety for the family. Bleh.

That's changed.

In the last week or so, I've challenged myself to step outside my comfort zone in the kitchen, and find some healthy recipes that the family will find delicious. For the most part, I've been pretty successful in this endeavor, and when I see clean plates and hear sighs of appreciation after dinner, I know that my efforts haven't been in vain.

I'll try to share some of these recipes when I can, for those who are interested. And stay tuned for future blog posts, when I discuss other ways that I've broken out of my rut...with some surprising results.

Today was a blustery, chilly day, so I opted for a comforting recipe that was surprisingly easy to make....


Smothered Cheesy Chicken...fresh out of the oven tonight!


Yum...delicious. When I make this again, I'm going to cut back a bit on the fresh parsley, and perhaps add a hint of lemon, to bring out the flavors even more....



Smothered Cheesy Chicken


4 boneless chicken breasts
olive oil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
sea salt & pepper to taste
3-4 oz sliced mushrooms
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or 4 slices)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken in a lightly sprayed or oiled 8-by-8-inch glass baking dish. Brush with oil and sprinkle with oregano and season with salt and pepper. Divide mushrooms and parsley evenly among tops of breasts. Cover each with the shredded cheese. Bake, uncovered, until chicken is no longer pink in the center and cheese is melted, 35 to 40 minutes.

Enjoy!

Review: Legendary KC Restaurant Cuisine

Last weekend, Hubby and I had a wonderful culinary experience....

We participated in a dinner entitled, "Legendary Kansas City Restaurant Cuisine," where seven courses of famous dishes in the Kansas City area were presented and explained. This was held at the Culinary Center of Kansas City, one of our favorite gastronomy experiences.

The chef, Richard McPeake, is a local legend...developing over 30 restaurant concepts in his 35-year career. A lot of the restaurants are now closed, but the dishes live on - and we jumped at the opportunity to feast, once again, on some of our favorites from yesteryear.

We began the evening with steak soup - a recipe that was developed in 1968 and served in the Plaza III restaurant. The Plaza III, in operation since 1963, is a Kansas City landmark - and their steak soup is an award-winning recipe that is FABULOUS.


You'll find lots of copy-cat recipes on Google, but none really capture the true essence of the soup. The Plaza III has a secret ingredient, and unless you know what it is, you won't be able to duplicate the unique taste of the original soup.

This soup did not disappoint - it was as creamy & savory as I remembered. If manners would have allowed me to lick the bowl - I would have.


Once the soup bowls were whisked away, out came the next course - Champignon Magique...or, crabmeat-stuffed mushrooms.


These were also served at the Plaza III, beginning in 1978. Along with the rosemary & thyme-flavored stuffing, the mushrooms are topped with a decadent cheddar cheese sauce, flavored with a hint of Worcestershire sauce. I am not a mushroom fan - at all - but these were very tasty.


Our salad course consisted of a Sliced Tomato Salad, a recipe from The Bristol Restaurant, first developed in 1980.


A light black pepper vinaigrette dressing dusted the top of this, and it was zingy, but refreshing. Served with some blue cheese, it brought in some zip, as well.


The fish dish was a pan-sauteed lemon sole, again from Bristol's...an almost "fish-pancake", if you will, and it was crispy and tasty. Very lightly-seasoned, I found it delightful. Hubby thought it was almost bland, but I thought it was perfect.



I rejoiced in the lightness of the fish dish, because the main course, pan-seared chicken Saltimbocca, with sauteed spaghetti squash, was rather heavy. And the entire plate was very beige. I wish it had some color:


These dishes came from a restaurant long closed, Fedora's, which was a European bistro in the heart of Kansas City. The restaurant at one time had been named as one of the Top 10 bistros in America...but "bistro" and "Kansas City" don't exactly go together - and it eventually closed. Kansas Citians love their steaks, and European bistros aren't going to make the grade.

As far as the dish, I liked the sauce - consisting of a veal demi-glaze, mixed with marsala wine and reduced with butter - but the chicken itself was just too massive...and along with the squash, I was feeling a bit bloated by this point. A half-serving would have sufficed, at this point.

For dessert, a classic from Fedora's was served - chocolate truffle cake.


This is a very dense, flour-less cake, and a little bit goes a long way. Topped with a chocolate ganache, this dessert was just the right finale for a very good meal.

During the dinner, Chef McPeake entertained us with stories behind the dishes and behind the restaurants themselves...it kept us laughing and intrigued as we heard all the "kitchen gossip".

A very delightful Saturday night, indeed.

Peace.

Death By Chocolate

It's a well-known fact that I am a chocolate fanatic.

I've often said that when I die, I hope my family buries me in a chocolate-scented casket with pots and pots of chocolate syrup and hot fudge and chocolate candies and chocolate cakes buried right along beside me...cuz hey, we all need some chocolate in the after-life, right?

And you can never have too much chocolate.

So...when I was perusing my local Culinary school's upcoming classes, my attention was drawn to the all-day "Death by Chocolate" class.

Yes, please.

"Sir, may I have another?"

This morning, I headed over to the Culinary Institute, armed only with some Diet Dr. Pepper and my camera, of course, so I could blogument all things Death By Chocolate class-related. The things I do for my blog readers.....

The class was full...obviously, I am not the only chocolaholic in the area, and we soon broke up into teams of four to take on several sinfully-delicious recipes.

As we approached the first recipe, imagine my shock when one of my fellow team members, Gayle, whipped out a camera and announced, "I have to take pictures. I have a blog."

"I DO, TOO!" I squealed in excitement.

You will have to check out Gayle's blog, A Sweeter Life, HERE.

We then dove in, up to our elbows, into chocolate...

By the end of the day, we had made:

Chocolate Nut Gateaux cake with homemade Chocolate Ganache:



Chocolate Truffle Cake:



Chocolate Orange Souffle:



Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce:


...which we poured over some cream puffs:


...and finally, Grand Marner-injected Chocolate Dipped Strawberries:


And here's a shot of me shooting up those strawberries:


Needless to say, the class was fantastic...and I even managed to bring home a few tastings for the rest of the family.

Not only did I learn some fantastic recipes, but I met a fellow local blogger...and FOODIE!

Peace.

My Sister's Christmas Rum Cake

I found this HERE and had to share...especially since a lot of us are up to our ears with baking. Enjoy!

My Sister's Christmas Rum Cake

Every year around this time, my sister makes an attempt to create what she says is her masterpiece of culinary delight (in fact, she usually makes two or three attempts) but alas, I have yet to sample even a tiny morsel of it.

Here is the recipe she uses:

1 or 2 quarts rum
baking powder
1c. butter
1tsp. soda
1tsp. sugar
lemon juice
2 large eggs
brown sugar
1c. dried fruit
nuts

Before you start, sample the rum to check for quality.

Good, isn't it?

Now go ahead.

Select a large mixing bowl, measuring cup, etc.

Check the rum again. It must be just right.

To be sure rum is of the highest quality, pour one level cup of rum into a glass and drink it as fast as you can. Repeat.

With an electric mixer, beat 1 cup butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add 1 seaspoon of thugar and beat again.

Meanwhile, make sure that the rum is of the finest quality-- try another cup. Open second quart, if necessary.

Add 2 arge leggs, 2 cups fried druit and beat 'til high. If druit gets stuck in beaters, just pry it loose with a drewscriver. Whatever.

Sample the rum again, checking for tonscisticity.

Next sift 3 cups of pepper or salt (it really doesn't matter which).

Sample the rum again.

Sift 1/2 pint lemon juice. Fold in chopped mutter-oops-butter and strained nuts. Add one babblespoon of brown thugar, or whatever color sugar you can find. Who cares about the color of the freakin' sugar?

Wix mell.

Grease oven and turn cake pan to 350 gredees. Now pour whole mess into the coven and ake.

Check the rum again, and bo to bed.

Now you know why.....

Peace.

Pumpkin Lust

It's become very evident in my ever-approaching old age that everyone can always use a little extra "lust" in their lives.

Lust is good.

And Pumpkin Lust?

Even better.

Really. Trust me.

I made several desserts for our annual Thanksgiving Dessert Party, but the clear favorite among everyone was the Pumpkin Lust.

It was SOOO good that next year, I don't think I'm even going to bother with pies or cakes or breads.

Just some delicious, sinful Pumpkin Lust.

Here's the recipe:

Pumpkin Lust

1 stick butter, melted
1 cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tbs sugar
1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese, soft
1 cup powdered sugar
2 (8 oz) containers cool whip (or one 16 oz container)
2 small packages (3.4oz) of Jello Instant Pumpkin Spice Pudding
3 cups cold milk
Nutmeg for sprinkling

Assembled ingredients:


For the crust:

1. Combine butter, flour, chopped pecans and sugar and press into a 9 x 13 in baking dish. Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes. Let cool completely.


For the Cream Cheese Layer:

1. Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and 1 1/2 cups cool whip until smooth. Spread over crust.

For the Pumpkin Layer:

1. Mix pudding mixes with cold milk, whisking for several minutes. Set it in the fridge for 5-10 minutes to let it thicken. Spread over the cream cheese layer. Top with remaining container of cool whip. Sprinkle with nutmeg.


Cut into squares and serve. Keep refrigerated.

And trust me - this is SINFULLY GOOD.

Peace.

Brandy Sauce Recipe

Yum.

To go along with the delicious homemade pumpkin pies for tomorrow, (recipes to follow later), I've whipped up a delicious brandy sauce...

Yes.

Me.

Homemade.

Brandy Sauce.

You read that right. Read it again. Hee.

(I know, I know - me and "homemade" don't normally go together - but bear with me!)

So, here's the recipe (& photos) of the DELICIOUS Brandy Sauce that can be drizzed on top of pumpkin pie.

Killer Brandy Sauce

8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup brandy or Cognac
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg


1. Assemble all the ingredients



2. Melt butter over low heat in a small, heavy saucepan.



3. Stir in the sugar, spirits, water, nutmeg and salt. Cook, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is blended. Remove from heat.


4. Whisk egg until light & frothy. Vigorously whisk the egg into the liquor mixture.

5. Set the sauce over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring gently. Cook until thickened, about 1 minute. The sauce will not curdle.

6. Serve at once OR set aside at room temperature for up to 8 hours OR let cool, then cover & refrigerate for up to 3 days.

7. When ready to serve, reheat over low heat, stirring. If the sauce separates, remove from the heat and whisk in a little warm water.

8. Spoon over pumpkin pie, bread puddings, any cake made with fruit or nuts.

I hope you enjoy this - it is really easy and really, really tasty!

Peace.

Hot Times in the Kitchen

They say the way to a man's heart is through his tummy...so with that in mind, I thought I'd plan a rather "different" date night for Hubs and I last weekend....

We went to our Culinary Institute here in town and participated in Friday night's "Cooking for Couples" class...which can either be a great bonding experience, or a terrific and sure-fire way to start a fight as we each try to assert our prowess in the kitchen.

We began the class by making a tasty scallop tostada appetizer, topped with homemade sauce crema and salsa verde...Hubby got a little bossy about how much salt to put on the scallops, but otherwise, we worked great together as a team:


Heating up those little slippery devils...


EVERYTHING about this dish was homemade...we deep-fried the tortillas; we made the tomato relish; and we made all of the sauces on top...

Here's the finished product on the appetizer - and I'll have to say, these were YUMMY!!!!


Next on the agenda was making dessert.

I know - it would have been wonderful to just EAT the dessert next, but we had to get our little chocolate bouchons in the oven so they could bake...and then take them out so they could "rest."

This is where Hubs and I had a very clear understanding of our roles in the kitchen:


Hubs' role is to whip up the chocolate batter...


...while my role was quality control and clean-up. I'm doing a DARN good job cleaning up this spatula of chocolate batter.

After we'd lovingly put our delightful chocolate bouchons in the oven, we tackled our salads next. We prepared a delicious spinach salad with goat cheese and a peppadew dressing...


Here's Hubs and our friend, Mike, toasting the almonds for our salads (Mike's wife was "cleaning" the chocolate spatula at this time, as well....we worked GREAT together as a team!)

...and our finished product: (and again, YUMMY! Especially the dried cherries...delish!)


After our salads, it was time to tackle the main course: a potato-wrapped tilapia filet with prosciutto, drizzled with a champagne beurre blanc.


We began by wrapping the tilapia in prosciutto, and then wrapping the entire filet in a "nest" of purple potato strings.


While Hubs prepared the fish, I diced the veggies and prepared the sauce...between the artichokes, onions and butter - this sauce was to DIE FOR.

Our finished Main Entree:

It may not be much to look at, but it was very tasty...many layers of flavor that tickled our palate...

Our chocolate bouchons were now ready, and we drizzled them with a homemade vanilla bean anglaise:

I seriously died and went to heaven when I took my first bite of this...

Altogether, it was about a 4-hour evening, and we pretty much walked out of there stuffed to the GILLS (hee, a fish joke!) with wonderful, aromatic, delicious, delectable food.


Still together...

We actually had so much fun, that Hubs is ready to do it again.

I'd do it again, as well - especially if I get to do chocolate clean-up again.

Hey. It's a dirty job - but someone has to do it.

Peace.

P.S. I have complete recipes for anything and everything, so if you're interested, let me know, and I can shoot you off an email with the recipe for what we made.