Maplelag, Minnesota: -39 degrees on arrival!

Escape to the Big Easy

We slipped away the day after Christmas to New Orleans for a little "research". Pim's Cups, Soft-Shell Crabs, and enough Oysters and Dixie to wipe me out. Last trip to NOLA landed me in the hospital for 3 days with a nasty case of food poisoning/salmonella and a morphine drip in my arm. The morphine was the only thing that saved me. With a built up immunity I was bullet proof this go 'round. Dinner at Antoine's -- think what you want -- but it was a real highlight of the trip. Sometimes I wish I lived in another era, and from what I can figure, Antoine's put me somewhere around the 1920's for those 3 hours.

Pre-Holiday Prouvé

On the NY Strip

Thanksgiving Day

Dutch Oven Bird

In addition to keeping a pretty fair garden at times, we also belong to a CSA -- Rita's Roots. The fall harvest has just started coming in which means we've got lots of greens and root veggies. I put this organic chicken in the dutch oven with a little olive oil, turnips, carrots, and onions (actually started with the oil and onions on the stove top and cooked them until they were translucent). Added the other stuff, put the lid on tight and put it in the oven at 250 for 4 hours. It all sort of melted together taking on what seemed like a sort of herby sweet flavor of whatever had been in the dutch oven the last time (rabbit, I think). After using the dutch oven I give it a good wipe/scrape with a paper towel, put a little water in it and bring it to a boil on the stove. Then I pour off the water and give it a wipe again, let it cool and store it uncovered. I never want it to get too clean so all those molecules of prior meals can add some magic....

Rack and Sprout

Dave's Cornish

I had just been picked up from the airport when I was told "We're going to dinner!" Great -- but a little early for me at 6:00pm. We met up with dear friend D. Peters W. and his new best friends and RoadFood legends Jane and Michael Stern -- at Dave's Carry-Out in Charleston SC. I opted for the fried fish sandwich, Jane went for the shrimp, Michael had the fried porkchop and some wings, Sandy had the shrimp and deviled crab. D. Peters had the oh so special of the day -- cornish hen with hoppin' john, butterbeans, and green beans.

Weekend at Home

The Pie -- We finally got a little time at home this weekend and worked up some great grub. Sandy made the apple pie 100% from scratch (including the crust) from some apples we brought home from Maine. Wight's Orchard is just down the road from our house, and while it's pretty easy to load up on apples just picking wild ones on the roadside, we hit the orchard stand anyway for a sack and some conversation. The Duck -- inspired by a recipe in Matt and Ted Lee's excellent cookbook -- theirs is a scupernong glazed bird -- we decided to maked due with what we had in the house and used bitter orange. We roasted the bird for @ 4hrs. and it nearly melted in our mouths. That long oven time renders out lots of fat, so it's not quite so heavy. The Rabbit -- rabbit has been on the table at home lots lately -- it's seems so much leaner and better tasting than those big breasted chickens that every grocery store has. Plus a small rabbit is perfect for 2 people. This one came from a mexican tienda -- 5 bucks! Seasoned, floured, and hot peanut oil....

Paris Matched

Here's a sampler from a quick on the road edit of a travel feature I'm shooting in Paris ( that's France, not Texas, Dad). More to come ....