I am counting down the days to the Eat Local Challenge. I have just 15 days to prepare.

Things to do:

1. clean out the pantry of all processed food
2. clean out the refrigerator
3. make a list of farmer’s markets and purveyors of local ingredients
4. check out what is in season
5. pull together recipes and dust off my cookbooks

I just got back from my trip to HSN. We had an incredibly successful weekend!

For those of you who may not be familiar,  HSN is the acronym for the Home Shopping Network. Chef Emeril is a guest on the show and makes fairly regular appearances throughout the year. This particular appearance featured a TS, which in HSN lingo means a Today’s Special. The Today’s Special item is featured at the top of the hour of every show. This run featured a new fryer the Emerilware EZ Fryer 1.8. It was a hot item that sold out on HSN but is still available here at www.emerils.com. Over the weekend we also sold slow cookers, cookware sets, knife sets, a mini chopper, cookbooks and Emeril’s new line of Red Marble Steaks. We had our work cut out for us. The prep list was long and slightly daunting. Somehow we always get it all done.

There was a lot of energy and good vibes on this trip. As I mentioned in a previous post I had not been to HSN in awhile so getting together and working with the HSN kitchen team was fabulous. I was nervous that I had forgotten how to put together a tv show- that is from a kitchen standpoint- but it was just like riding a bike. You never forget and quickly you find your stride. The HSN kitchen team work together like a well oiled machine, making sure that everything goes off without a hitch. The hours are long and the work is demanding but it can also be a ton of fun.

At the end of the run we had a late night dinner at Cassis, a cute bistro in St. Petersburg. They stayed open late just for us, which was so generous. So after wrapping up a successful taping, we enjoyed a delicious meal together and had some belly aching laughs.

Now I am back in New Orleans, working on the next project.

Show thumbnails as slideshow

alain-firing-up-the-viking-grill.jpg

behind-the-scenes-in-the-prep-kitchen-with-tracy-and-jimmy.jpg

behind-the-scenes-on-the-outdoor-set.jpg

chef-emeril-and-host-talking-about-red-marble-steaks.jpg

chef-emeril-and-host-with-the-viking-grill.jpg

chef-emeril-and-sal-grilling-up-some-steaks.jpg

chef-emeril-preparing-to-go-live-on-hsn.jpg

chefs-mise-en-place.jpg

hard-anondized-cookware.jpg

our-prep-list.jpg

prep-kitchen-at-hsn-tracy-sal-and-alain.jpg

prep.jpg

sal-and-alain-working-the-viking-grill.jpg

sal-rocking-the-grill.jpg

sal-setting-up-the-set.jpg

The Edible Alley is still in a transitional phase, moving now from spring to summer weather.  We harvested our lettuces and greens and have just planted a few more herbs.We planted basil which is not doing as well as I hoped so we may need to plant a few more before it gets too hot.

Charlotte brought in some beautiful Vietnamese shiso plants.  She also sent me a link to share which talks about Vietnamese herbs and plants. It is very interesting and informative.

Link:
Vietnamese Herbs and Plants

Our Padron peppers are beginning to fruit and we will have a small harvest. We planted more Padron seeds which should do well in the hot weather. I look forward to watching them grow.

Show thumbnails as slideshow

padron-pepper-close-up.jpg

parsley-flowers.jpg

sage-and-thyme3.jpg

the-padron-peppers-are-thriving.jpg

vietnamese-shiso-1.jpg

Chef Chris Wilson has been crazy about these little green peppers for quite a while now and I thought would share them with you. Padron peppers originate in Padron, Spain in the Northwest region of the country. They are mild in flavor, for the most part. It seems to me a little like pepper roulette, you can eat a dozen of them without ever getting one that is hot and then you get zapped with a really hot one. They are grown from June to September and there is a festival devoted to them. It reminds me of Hatch chilies which also have a cult following. The Padron’s deserve their cult like status. I like peppers but would never snack on a jalapeno or munch on a bell pepper as if it were an apple but I can eat at least a dozen of these little babies. I was craving them today.

They are simply prepared by blistering them in a hot pan with a little bit of good Spanish olive oil and some sea salt.

We had some Padron seeds which I planted in our kitchen garden several months ago and they are starting to look great. Unfortunately, we lost quite a few plants due to inclement weather. The plants that are left are thriving and we even have a couple of peppers on them.

Chef Chris Wilson and Daphne Derven teamed up together and found an urban farmer to grow the plants for him so that he could use the peppers in some of Emeril’s restaurants here in New Orleans. Pam Broom has a small urban farm in Central City and she grows vegetables and herbs to sell to local restaurants. She has done a fabulous job with the peppers and brought us 3 pounds of peppers last week. We cooked them immediately. They are a little spicy but have a delicate flavor, every once in a while you get a really hot one. If you see these on a menu or if you happen to come across them in your local gourmet market, pick them up. They require very little preparation and make a great snack or could be part of tapas menu. I would love to experiment with them a bit more, maybe stuffing them and then roasting them or making a green chile stew. So many possibilities.

Show thumbnails as slideshow

chef-chris-cooking-peppers.jpg

cooked-padron-peppers.jpg

our-padron-peppers-in-the-edible-alley.jpg

padron-peppers-1.jpg

padrons-in-the-pan.jpg

This weekend, May 14 through the 15th, Chef Emeril will be on The Home Shopping Network.

I leave Friday morning to begin prepping for the show. I haven’t been to HSN in awhile because our team has been so busy here. I am looking forward to seeing everyone there. There is a great kitchen team that we work with and it will nice to catch up with them.

I am taking the camera and hope to post some behind the scene pics in the kitchen and maybe with permission on the set.

Check back for a sneak peak.

“The fresh with the indulgence - that’s very California,” as Barbara Fairchild put it in an interview with Sunset Magazine. And that seems to be the lot of it as I explore through the restaurant scene here in California. In the more reputable spots (from casual to high end), I am finding that many menus include a note at the very bottom in small print, explaining the use of seasonal/local/organic/free-range ingredients. This makes my dining-out choices a bit easier and provides a sense of relief; as a cook myself, my personal preferences also steer towards supporting the community and the environment by eating locally and organically, as much as possible. Not only does this support the underdog directly and provides a sustainable agriculture, but I believe this also results in the best quality ingredients. And I’m not trying to preach here, just sharing my perspective.

Needless to say, I’m chomping my way through restaurants showcasing a medley of vegetables in its dishes, as well as meats.California’s restaurant scene has always been pretty good at making use of their local agriculture and reflecting the diversity of its ever-changing demographics. I am eagerly awaiting to check off my list of the various ethnic restaurants to try…as well as being pleasantly surprised by those with international ambitions.

I gotta say, right now, it’s nice to be a Californian.

 

« Back

Next »

Picture 1 from 4: I was visiting a friend in Sonoma and we decided to have lunch at a restaurant called Flavor. This is the pear bruschetta with blue cheese, drizzled with reduced balsamic vinegar.

I was out for a walk on Sunday and bumped into a wild rooster.

Urban chickens are all the rage! Here in New Orleans people have always kept backyard chickens. I moved back to New Orleans just before Katrina, living Uptown and loving the fact that chickens just wandered around in my neighborhood. I don’t think that many people evacuated their chickens but they not only survived but have proliferated. There are now entire communities of feral chickens. No one really seems to mind. I don’t, it just seems to add to the character of this place. Things are a little different here and we definitely march to a different beat.

I took a few pics with my iPhone and I just thought it was a quirky bit of info about New Orleans that I wanted to share. I have also attached links to articles about the wild chickens of New Orleans.

http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=62102724#

http://www.earthweek.com/2011/ew110422/ew110422g.html

Show thumbnails as slideshow

wild-rooster-in-the-park.jpg

wild-rooster.jpg

I have decided to join the Eat Local Challenge in June! I am thrilled that it is being offered and I signed up today.

The Eat Local Challenge begins on June 1 and lasts 30 days. It promotes not only a healthy community but also a healthy lifestyle. I try to buy and eat as much local produce and products as I possible can but there are times that I sort of fall off the local truck and I think this may be a good way to get back on track.

There are so many reasons to eat locally, for me it is all about supporting my community and a healthy environment. Southeast Louisiana has always been proud of its heritage foods and to celebrate we have festivals honoring a single ingredient or dish. There are crawfish festivals, gumbo festivals and even frog festivals. We are blessed to have access to an enormous variety of seafood and wild game. Our climate supports a long growing season, I still have Swiss chard and beets in my garden alongside the tomatoes and cucumbers.

Urban farms have been popping up all over New Orleans, people are raising chickens in their backyards, interest in  bee keeping has increased and a kitchen garden is becoming a must. Restaurants advertise where they get their milk, meat, and produce proud to display a long list of regional farmers.

People who only eat local ingredients are called locavores. Locavores vary depending on how strict they want to be. Some people are able to go without spices, coffee and tea, sugar and flour. Others try their best to eat as much local and seasonal ingredients as possible but really need their morning coffee. That’s me! I love ice coffee and am not sure I can function without it. I will try to give up wheat products since we don’t grow wheat here but luckily Louisiana does grow its own sugar, there is no shortage of hot sauce and there are salt mines here as well. Instead of California or French wines I will switch to locally brewed beers.

I am both excited and a little nervous about this challenge. I will do my best and keep you up to date on my progress. Posting recipes and photos of local food stuffs. Wish me luck!

Here’s the link:
http://www.nolalocavore.org

I am sure those of you who read our blog and follow us here at Emerils.com wonder what it is we do and what our days are like. I get so many questions from friends and family about my life here and my work.

First of  all, I am so extremely lucky. I have a job that I love and thoroughly enjoy. I work in a creative environment with so many interesting and creative people that inspire me daily. Being able to follow your passion in life is a great gift and something that I am so grateful to be able to do.

The test kitchen team is project oriented, we work on cookbooks, television shows and appearances, articles for the blog or other internet sources, as well as hosting kitchen demonstrations and dinners and we volunteer for events and mentor children in our community. We also have a small kitchen garden which we care for. I spend time in the kitchen and at the computer doing research. We have a wonderful culinary library.

I have so many sources of inspiration ranging from great food magazines, our library, other chefs, and going out to eat and out to the various farmer’s markets and urban farms around town.

I thought I would share some photos and links to some of the things I personally love.

 

« Back

Next »

Picture 1 from 5:

Links:

• hollygrovemarket.com
• ediblecommunities.com
• tarteletteblog.com
• crescentcityfarmersmarket.org
• wholeliving.com

 Jazz Fest is one of my favorite music festivals. I have been going to Jazz Fest most of my life, even when I lived in New York I would fly down for at least one of the weekends. I love the atmosphere, so laid back, everyone is really out to have a great time enjoying the music, the food and usually the weather. It is such a great event, so well organized and of course it really benefits New Orleans.

I will be heading out there this weekend with some friends this weekend. I already know what I going to eat. I guess I usually get many of the same things every year, although I have branched out before. My critic’s picks are as follows: Crawfish Pie, Boudin Balls, Vietnamese Spring Rolls or the Vermicelli Bun with Shrimp, Cochon de Lait Poboy, Crawfish Monica, Quail and Pheasant Gumbo, Rosemint Tea and Strawberry Lemonade.

Speaking of Strawberry Lemonade, Daphne Derven our Special Projects Manager will be volunteering at the Fest this year with Cafe Reconcile selling lemonade. If you are around you should stop by and say hello. The proceeds benefit Cafe Reconcile which is a non profit restaurant located in New Orleans’ Central City neighborhood. It encourages young adults within the community to lead productive, happy and healthy lives. It is an incredibly cool program. Jon Bon Jovi visited the restaurant when he was here last week! www.reconcileneworleans.org

Next week I will post my pics from the fest. I cannot wait to get out there this Saturday and maybe Sunday too. The weather here is fantastic right now! Hope Friday flies by.

 

« Back

Next »

Picture 1 from 1: