SERVES 8

Custard:
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 ½ ounces unsweetened chocolate
3 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
2 cups half-and-half
¼ cup sugar

Soaking Liquid:
1 ½ cups half-and-half
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
8 ½- inch thick slices of brioche or challah

1. Prepare the custard: In a stainless steel bowl or double boiler placed over simmering water, melt the two chocolates.

2. In large stainless steel bowl, beat the whole eggs and the egg yolks. Gradually whisk in the sugar and beat until fluffy.

3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan bring the half-and-half to a rolling boil. Slowly whisk into the egg mixture. Then, whisk in the melted chocolate. Chill over ice and refrigerate, covered, until needed. (This should be prepared the day before so that the custard will thicken.)

4. When ready to prepare the pudding, combine the soaking liquid ingredients in a saucepan and heat until the cocoa is completely dissolved. With a 2-inch cookie cutter, cut each slice of bread into two inch circles (16 circles). Arrange the circles of bread in 1 or 2 dishes large enough to hold the circles in one layer. Pour the soaking liquid over and soak well, turning so that the bread absorbs as much liquid as possible.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 8 1-cup colds or custard cups.

6. Prepare the pudding: Spoon a layer of custard (about ¼ cup) into the bottom of each of the 8 cups. Using a slotted spoon remove a circle of bread and set in the custard. Spoon over a second layer of custard, a second circle of bread and top with a final layer of custard. Repeat this procedure, filling the remaining cups with custard and bread, and then arrange the cups in a large baking pan. Fill the pan with boiling water, halfway up the sides of the cups. Bake 30 minutes. Cool and refrigerate until needed.
 

CREDIT: Wolfgang Puck of Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel-Air, Spago and CUT (Los Angeles)

SERVES 12

2 cut up fryer chickens

1 lb. smoked or Andouille sausage (sliced bite size)
¾ cup vegetable oil
1 cup all purpose flour
3 onions chopped
5 stalks celery chopped
1 green bell pepper chopped
10 garlic toes chopped
2 quarts water
2 bay leaves
1 bunch Italian parsley chopped
1 bunch green onions chopped

1. Season chicken with salt and cayenne or a Creole seasoning. Brown chicken and sausage in oven, 425 degrees, 20 minutes.

2. While chicken is browning, make a roux using 3/4 cup vegetable oil to one cup all purpose flour. When roux is the color of the bayou after a heavy rain, add onions. Simmer for 10 minutes, add celery and peppers. Simmer another 15 minutes, then add garlic. Stir often.

3. Add about two quarts of water or chicken broth, bay leaves, and season to taste with salt, cayenne, and Worcestershire sauce. When liquid is hot, add chicken and continue to cook on high heat for 10 minutes. Lower heat, cook for 30 more minutes, add sausage. Continue to cook for at least an hour or when meat breaks away from the bone. Skim off excess grease.

4. Let stand to cool. De-boning is optional. When ready to serve, re-heat, add parsley and onion tops. Serve with rice.

5. In Louisiana, potato salad and hot French bread are common side dishes with a bowl of gumbo.

CREDIT: Janice Boo Macomber, author of Tastes, Tails, and Tales with the High Priestess of the Bayou
 

SERVES 4

1/2 cups lukewarm water

3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon envelope active dry yeast
1 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup evaporated milk
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon shortening
Nonstick spray
Oil, for deep-frying
1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
 

1. Mix water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes.

2. In another bowl, beat the eggs, salt and evaporated milk together. Mix egg mixture to the yeast mixture.

3. In a separate bowl, measure out the flour. Add 1 cup of the flour to the yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add the shortening and continue to stir while adding the remaining flour. Remove dough from the bowl, place onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray. Put dough into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Let rise in a warm place for at least 2 hours.

4. Preheat oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.

5. Add the confectioners' sugar to a paper or plastic bag and set aside.

6. Roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 1-inch squares. Deep-fry, flipping constantly, until they become a golden color.

7. After beignets are fried, drain them for a few seconds on paper towels, and then toss them into the bag of confectioners' sugar and cinnamon. Hold bag closed and shake to coat evenly.

Café au lait pot au crème

3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/4 cup coffee beans, crushed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch salt
1 egg, plus 2 egg yolks

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Heat the milk, cream, coffee beans, and salt in a medium saucepan over low heat until just boiling. Remove from heat and steep for five minutes. Strain liquid. Whisk the egg and yolks in a bowl with the sugar. Slowly add the hot milk mixture into the eggs. Add vanilla.

3. Pour into 4 (4-ounce) espresso cups and arrange on a baking dish. Fill the baking dish halfway with very hot water but not boiling, being careful not to splash water into the ramekins. Put in the oven and bake until the edges are set, but the center is still a little wobbly, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove immediately from the water bath to a baking dish filled with ice to chill quickly. Keep refrigerated until serving.
 

CREDIT: Chef Paul Turano of Tryst Restaurant located in Arlington, MA

6 SERVINGS

2 1/2 ounces (5 tablespoons) butter
1 1/2 cups chicken broth, homemade or prepared
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon garlic, peeled and chopped
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Tabasco™ sauce to taste
1/2 cup grits (standard quick grits or stone ground*)
1 1/2 cups preferably Wisconsin Gouda Cheese, shredded

1. Bring the butter, broth, cream, garlic, salt, pepper, and Tabasco to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until garlic is soft, about 2 minutes. Add all the grits, whisking and stirring constantly. Simmer.

2. Continue cooking, stirring often with a wooden spoon as the mixture thickens, until the grits are soft and cooked through, about 10-15 minutes.

3. Fold in Gouda cheese, reserving a little for garnish. Serve immediately.

Home Cook's Note: To turn this sumptuous recipe into an entrée, saute 1 pound medium peeled, deveined shrimp in butter with garlic. Top the grits with the shrimp.

*Fresh, stone-ground grits have the best flavor; the cooking time will be approximately twice as long. If you do use freshly ground grits, you will want to keep a little extra stock available. Because of the longer cooking time, evaporation occurs.

CREDIT: Chef Jan Birnbaum, Courtesy of the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board

SERVES 4

220g of flour (all purpose)
Dash of salt & paprika powder
5g of sugar
2 whole eggs
½ cup of milk
200g of fresh corn boiled
80g of diced bell pepper
40g of chopped spring onion
20g of coriander fresh, chopped
10g of parsley fresh, chopped
23ml of vegetable oil
4 vine ripe tomatos
100g of washed arugula
4 slices of crispy bacon
4 poached eggs

For Roast Tomato:

1. Cut tomato into half. Heat up oven. Sprinkle tomato with extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and pepper and bake in the oven for 40 minutes by 180ºC.

Assembly

1. Sieve flour, paprika, salt and sugar in a bowl.

2. Combine egg and milk, slowly add egg milk mixture to the flour and mix nicely until you have a smooth lump free batter.

3. Then add corn, bell pepper, spring onion, coriander and parsley. Mix all well.

4. Heat up vegetable oil and pan sear corn fritter nicely until golden brown on both sides.

5. Assemble plate. Put 1 fritter on plate and cover with tomato, arugula and bacon. Cover the second fritter and topped with soft poached egg.

CREDIT: Fairmont Singapore

MAKES ABOUT 12 CUPS; 8 SERVINGS OR 16 PORTIONS 

Though Jambalaya most often uses smoked sausage or ham, I use turkey smoked sausage or turkey kielbasa. If you’re not familiar with it, kielbasa is a Polish smoked sausage. In a dish like this, it tastes very similar to American smoked sausage. The varieties I use have only 3 grams of fat for 2 ounces and taste great (see page 17). You’d never guess they’re as light as they are. Always check labels; a few brands of turkey smoked sausage have much more fat.

It’s important to have all of your ingredients measured before you start cooking this recipe, or it won’t be quite as easy as it really is.

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, visible fat removed, cut into 2-inch cubes
3 teaspoons Cajun seasoning, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and coarsely chopped
2 cups coarsely chopped onion (about 1 large onion)
2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic (about 4 medium cloves)
1 1/2 cups converted long-grain white rice, uncooked
3/4 pound extra-lean smoked turkey sausage or kielbasa (3 grams of fat or less per 2-ounce serving), sliced on a diagonal into 1/4-inch-thick pieces
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon ancho chile pepper (see page 15)
Two 14.5-ounce cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes
2 large dried bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne, plus more to taste, if desired
One 14.5-ounce can fat-free or 98% fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth (not low-sodium)
1 1/4 pounds large (21–25 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined

1. Combine the chicken and 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning in a small bowl. Mix until the chicken is evenly coated.

2. Place a large nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Put in 11/2 teaspoons of the olive oil and the bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is just tender but not browning, 10 to 13 minutes. Remove the veggies and set them aside. 

3. Turn the heat to medium-high. Put another 11/2 teaspoons of the olive oil and the rice in the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until the rice is just starting to brown lightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and transfer to a separate bowl from the veggies. Set aside.

4. Turn the heat to high. When the pan is hot, put in the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil. Add the chicken and cook, about 2 minutes per side, until the outsides are browned in spots. Push the chicken to the outer edges and add the sausage. Cook the sausage, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

5. Turn the heat back down to medium and add the veggies back to the pan. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning, the oregano, and the ancho chile pepper. Stir until well combined. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the tomatoes, including the juice, the bay leaves, and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne. Then add the chicken broth and turn the heat to high. When the liquid comes to a full boil, stir in the rice.

6. When it returns to a boil, turn the heat to low and cover the pan. Simmer until the rice is cooked and absorbs most of the liquid, 35 to 45 minutes.

7. About 5 minutes before it’s cooked, stir in the shrimp and continue cooking, covered, for 5 minutes more. Remove the bay leaves. Season with cayenne to taste, if desired. Serve immediately.

CREDIT: Recipe taken from Devin Alexander's THE MOST DECADENT DIET EVER! Copyright © 2008 by Devin Alexander published by Broadway Books, a division of Random House Inc.
 

1 oz. preferably PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur
1 oz. spiced rum
½ oz. triple sec
1 oz. lime juice
1 oz. pineapple juice
Dash simple syrup

1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker.

2. Add ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a Tiki Mug.

3. Fill with crushed ice, stir and top with more crushed ice.

CREDIT: Mixologist Eben Freeman of Altamarea Group

2 oz preferably Denizen Rum
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
3/4 oz agave nectar
2 dashes Angostura bitters
4 mint leaves

1. Add all ingredients into a shaker, shake well and strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass.

2. Garnish with a nice sprig of fresh mint. 

CREDIT: Mixologist Marshall Altier of JBird