How do you follow a pizza crawl? For many, a salad and a triathlon might be appropriate, but for the some Emeril’s and Martha Stewart Living editors, you follow a pizza crawl with a Pizza Cook-Off. Previous cooking contests include a Chili Cook-Off and a Taco Cook-Off–the events are similar to a potluck, except a theme is assigned in the invite, and guests are invited to compete with the dishes they bring. The competition has gotten quite fierce at these parties, with the contestants putting more and more effort and creativity into their dishes.

The Pizza Cook-Off entries:

Mallory Cruz entered a White Clam Pizza, inspired by the Vognole pizza, served at Otto. Mal’s version included a homemade pizza crust topped with a creamy garlic sauce, mozzarella cheese, roasted garlic, and clams sauteed in white wine, garlic, and olive oil.

Read more »

Halloween is huge in New Orleans and why not. This city just loves a good costume party. And of course we can’t have a party without food. There is a big block party in my neighborhood which generally means guests milling in and out all night. So I want to cook something that does not require much last minute work and that will hold well. It might actually be cool here so I would also like something to warm up my guests when they come in from the cold.

I also have a plethora of limes. I have a key lime tree in my yard that is over loaded with limes- I mean hundreds of them. I cannot use them fast enough. Seems to me a big batch of Margaritas or Mojitos are definitely in order as well.

I will probably whip up a batch of jalapeño corn bread too.

This pozole recipe is delicious and you do not have to worry about soaking the hominy. You can check out some of Emeril’s other pozole recipes on our website or on The Food Network. Read more »

Yesterday Chef Chris Wilson was in Jackson, Mississippi for the Viking Classic Golf Tournament. He was among many chefs from all over the South asked to participate in this event. Chef Chris prepared a classic Southern dish “Shrimp and Grits” as such, I thought it would be interesting to find out a little history behind this dish and this is what I discovered.

HISTORY OF SHRIMP AND GRITS

• Shrimp and Grits originated in South Carolina, particularly Charleston
• It is thought the settlers of South Carolina were introduced to a version of grits by the Native Americans.
• This simple dish was eaten by local fisherman for breakfast and was often referred to as “Breakfast Shrimp”
• Shrimp and Grits were traditionally made with river shrimp and old fashioned stone ground grits fresh from the mill flavored simply with just a little bacon fat.
• Most communities in South Carolina had a grist mill where hominy was ground. Grits have become an iconic symbol of Southern food and stone ground grits are a must for this dish.
• In 1985, Craig Claiborne published an article about this dish in the New York Times turning this simple recipe into a Southern icon. Chefs across the South began creating their own upscale versions. Soon Shrimp and Grits began to appear on dinner menus in the South’s most celebrated restaurants.
• Today, rather than flavoring the grits humbly with bacon fat, they are flavored with cream, butter, spices and good shrimp stock and have been embellished with spicy andouille sausage, hot sauces, and green onions. Every chef seems to have their own version. There is even a festival dedicated in its honor celebrating every possible rendition of the now hugely popular dish.

It has been quite a while since my last post. The culinary team has had a crazy year here at Homebase and this is the first real break we have had. So I will give you the low down on what we have been doing. First of all I am happy to say that Emeril’s 20-40-60 book hit the shelves this week. This is such a great book geared to those of us who love food but don’t always have time to spend the whole day in the kitchen. We have also spent this year working on Emeril Green, Chef Emeril’s show on Planet Green. This show ties in closely with Emeril’s third book Farm to Fork. Both of these projects have been close to my heart bringing together my dedication to ecological issues as well as my passion for fresh, local and sustainable cuisine. Farm to Fork will be out next March!

I am looking forward to writing about the farmer’s markets in and around New Orleans as well as my own little garden. As well as providing a little insight as far as what goes on in our test kitchen in New Orleans.

 

« Back

Next »

Picture 1 from 5:

You’ve heard all of the hype of cooking with seasonal and local ingredients. And there are reasons for it: it’s healthier, eco-friendly and it reconnects people with, not only their food and planet, but each other. I like to cook; otherwise, I wouldn’t be doing what I do. And I only want to offer myself and others the best – needless to say, I’m a believer. Read more »

Hello Everyone!

My name is Angela Sagabaen and I work as a culinary writer for the Culinary Department here at Emeril’s Homebase. The Culinary Department helps Chef Emeril with recipe development and testing; it’s a fun and unique job and there’s always something new to learn and experience  (not to mention eat).

I’m going to start blogging on the site regularly and I just wanted to introduce myself! I hope to bring you interesting information about food, New Orleans and maybe a tidbit or two on life.

I’m originally from the San Francisco Bay Area and lived in NYC preceding New Orleans. I have been a NOLA resident for 2 years now and would love to show you the city through my eyes. So, nice to meet you and I hope to take you along a fascinating journey.

~Angela

In case you were wondering, this is what I look like.

On Saturday, several Martha Stewart/Emeril Lagasse colleagues and I embarked on a New York Pizza Crawl. One day and 6 pizzerias — all in the search for the best slices in NYC!

 

« Back

Next »

Picture 1 from 27: Here's the Pizza Crawl crew minus me. From left to right: Alison Sickelka (online editor for marthastewart.com), Tiffany Sun (online editor), Todd Hodgson (managing editor), Michelle Buffardi (online editor), Mallory Cruz (sister of Katie Pitre), Katie Pitre (friend and wife of TJ), TJ Pitre (developer) and Paul Kodila (radio producer for Martha Stewart Living Radio).

 

« Back

Next »

Picture 1 from 11: Chef having fun with the food

In case you didn’t know, Emeril’s newest cookbook, Emeril 20-40-60, will be available in stores Oct. 7th!  It’s a book dedicated to the time sensitive cook.  With Emeril 20-40-60 a healthy, delicious, and affordable meal is still possible - it’s gourmet cooking for today’s crazed and budget conscious family.  I thought it would be nice to show some behind the scenes photos from the shoot.  Enjoy!

Emeril 20-40-60 is available for PRE-ORDER NOW!

Ever wanted to be able to create your own doughnut?  Well now you can!  Here’s a fun online tool from Dunkin’ Donuts to help you design and share your dream doughnut.

As mentioned earlier, a group from Emeril’s and Martha Stewart Living has been hosting monthly cooking competitions. The first was a chili cook-off, the second was called, ” Your Signature Dish,” and the most recent was a taco cook-off. The events are a raging success, and at each cook-off, there are more competitors with increasingly creative dishes. The Taco Cook-Off entries included: Tuna Sashimi Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa, Korean Short Rib Tacos, Grilled Swordfish Tacos, Pork Tacos with Roasted Pineapple-Habanero Chile Salsa, Grilled Cod Tacos, Chicken Tacos, and a “Bahn Mexicano” Taco (Vietnamese Slow-Cooked Pork with Sriracha Mayo). Fancy, right?

The way the cook-off works is that the event and theme are announced a few weeks ahead of time and all guests are invited to bring a dish to compete. At the cook-off, the food is served, along with drinks and snacks–like a typical dinner party, but at the end of the buffet-style meals, guests vote for their favorite dish.

When the Taco Cook-Off results were tallied, there was a tie for first place: TJ’s Tuna Sashimi Tacos, and Tim’s Bahn Mexicano Tacos were the favorites, and Brian’s Grilled Swordfish Tacos came in second.

Regardless of winning or losing (which is something a good loser would say) the event was a great time and it was exciting to be a part of competition full of adventurous cooks. And while the winning tacos were amazing, I think that a re-count would reveal the Cod Tacos as #1.

Homemade hard taco shells for TJ’s winning Tuna Sashimi Tacos

Tony’s Braised Short Rib Tacos

Tim’s winning Bahn Mexicano Tacos

The pork for Alison’s Pork Tacos

Tequila, the Official Beverage of the Taco Cook-Off