Camp Whimsy: Good Eats From The Big Easy

The best thing to do in New Orleans is eat. There are many great restaraunts to choose from offering a range from the less expensive po boy (sandwich) to exquisite jacket required dinners of sea food served with a French flair. Mother's is a great place to grab a po boy, specifically the John G with debris. This classic New Orleans restaraunt is a favorite of locals and tourists alike. I had the fried chicken and it was by far the best I've ever eaten. We had the pleasure of dinner at Galatoire's... souffled potatoes, oysters rockefeller, crabmeat remoulade, filet mignon paired with a lovely white wine...I get all warm and fuzzy just thinking of the lovely meal we shared at Galatoire's. By the end of our stay we were ready for a lighter dinner and chose the tourist hot spot of Pat O' Brien's (home of the famous hurricane drink) where we had a surprisingly nice meal, jambalaya for my husband and a vegetable pasta dish for me.

The Central Grocery Co. is located on Decatur Street, just down from the Cafe du Monde. If you hit the restaraunt at peak meal times you can expect a brief wait in line for one of their famous muffuletta sandwiches.

The muffuletta sandwich contains layers of salami's, mortadella, swiss cheese and the Central Grocery's own olive mix all on a round muffuletta loaf.

The olive mix is the best part. The sandwiches are large and easily shared as they come cut into quarters.

If there is one place to put on your list of must-have meals it should be breakfast at Brennan's.

Breakfast at Brennan's truly is unforgettable, we first had it five years ago on our first trip to New Orleans and have been dreaming of it ever since.

A bloody mary is a traditional way to start your meal, husband went with tradition, I had coffee. Their are a number of delicious things on the menu at Brennan's, but if you want a real treat choose the three course prix fixe and the following selections:

Course 1: Baked apple in double cream. You'll think you've died and gone to heaven.

Course 2: Eggs benedict. Besides the fact they are cooked to perfection, what makes their eggs benedict better than the average is the use of holland rusks, lightly toasted biscuits instead of those awful english muffins. If you want to take it to the next level order the Eggs Hussarde, (eggs benedict with a marchand de vin sauce).

Course 3: Bananas Foster. This world famous dish originated right here at Brennan's. Now you really will think you died and went to heaven. Yep, surely you must be in heaven.

Part of what makes the bananas foster experience so fun is your head waiter prepares it in your dining room. Our head waiter's name was Dago and we had a great time talking with him about tips on preparing bananas foster, the jazz festival and a great onion ring recipe he suggested we try making.

I once tried making bananas foster for a crowd and it ended up tasting more like rum foster. (small batches will yield best results!) Luckily I've prepared this dozens of times since and have finally mastered this dish, as best as an untrained cook can master a dish I guess. My tips for making a great bananas foster are:

1. Use the correct pan (a large flat bottomed skillet works best)

2. Cook the sugar over a low heat and lift the pan as needed to prevent caramelizing which will result in your syrup hardening when you put it over the ice cream

3. Increase the heat and hold one edge of the pan over the flame just before you flambe, this will give you a nice intense flame when you flambe.

It may take a few times to get this recipe down, but in the end you will be rewarded with a taste of New Orleans and the fabulous Brennan's bananas foster right in your own home!

I am already dreaming of our next trip to New Orleans and the fabulous food we will share in this city we love. Sigh.

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I am HUNGRY! I never knew what was in a muffuletta sandwich either...another blog thing I have learned. You totally ate your way thru this city...i will have to go someday and eat my way thru it as well. Yum.

Posted by: laurie - magpie ethel | February 08, 2009 at 11:37 AM