Funny Talented Dancing Traffic Cop

From Denny: You are going to enjoy this talented guy. He finds ways to chase away the boredom of the job - and stays in shape doing it!

This video comes from CBS Sunday Morning show. They had profiled the Rhode Island, USA, traffic officer back last summer. CBS followed up with comedian Mo Rocca interviewing him this past Christmas season.

Here I am in February - and still laughing!



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Funny Best of the Week Political Cartoons 27 Feb 2010

From Denny: Every week I collect the best political cartoons and roll them into one funny post. To best enjoy them on a wider blog template that displays well, go here:

Funny Political Cartoons: Political Olympics, Broken Government, Lampooning Toyota - 27 Feb 2010

See Cartoons by Cartoon by David Fitzsimmons - Courtesy of Politicalcartoons.com - Email this Cartoon

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New Orleans Recipes: Crawfish Etouffee, Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, Jambalaya, Sazerac Cocktail

From Denny: Can I tell you there were so many network specials on Mardi Gras this year I'm still trying to catch up on their offerings? CBS brought in Marian Cairns from Southern Living Magazine, a favorite read at our house. What I like about this video is Cairns introduces people to Cajun food by explaining the differences among the recipes and properly defines and demonstrates the terms used.

If you have yet to visit New Orleans, this is your chance to familiarize yourself with some of the foods and try making them at home. This kind of comfort food is perfect for the cold weather we are experiencing across the country.

Though Mardi Gras is enjoyed in several places in the world like France and Spain, well, no one is as crazy as we are in New Orleans, Louisiana! Tourists come from all over the world just to experience the wild atmosphere and take in some tummy warming Cajun and Creole good food.

This year the festivities were kicked off early with the Cinderella football team, the New Orleans Saints, winning the Super Bowl. They partied and danced in the French Quarter as soon as the win was announced. The French Quarter is the gathering place for events much like St. Peter's Square is for the citizens of Rome, Italy where they gather.

Normal Mardi Gras is a week of festivities that ends at midnight on Fat Tuesday. Then Ash Wednesday begins the Lenten season of dialing back on the excess and frivolity, exchanging partying for sacrifice and sobriety. South Louisiana is predominantly Catholic while the northern half of the state is Protestant Baptist. New Orleans has clung to its European culture, still celebrating 300 years later after they arrived in the 1700's.

Just know, like here in Louisiana, feel free to substitute when you can't get an ingredient. We use shrimp for etoufee when we it isn't crawfish season. We make chicken and sausage gumbo all year long, even in the heat of summer as it is an economical dish. We make jambalaya like other people make hamburgers: often! :)


Marian Cairns New Orleans food tradition tutorial:

Jambalaya: is a one-pot sausage and seafood stew; kind of a jazzed-up Louisiana take on paella.

Jambalaya and Gumbo are cousins. The difference is that, in jambalaya, the rice is cooked into the recipe and gumbo, which is more like a stew, is served over rice. Jambalaya can be made with or without tomatoes; Cairns' recipe uses tomatoes.

Étoufée is a richer, saucier recipe that starts with the a roux Every Louisiana cook knows first you make a roux. Roux is used to thicken everything - it's the foundation of all of the classic mother sauces, a 50/50 combo of flour and oil or butter. The key is to stir it - it goes from blonde to chocolate, and the darker it gets, the more flavor it imparts it the recipe. Étoufée traditionally includes shrimp, crawfish, lump crab meat, and is served over rice. You can dip your bread in it if you like. (Denny: That's practically a religion around here!)

Sazerac cocktail: Most people think of the Hurricane when they think of Mardi Gras, but in fact, the official drink of New Orleans is the Sazerac. Legend has it that the Sazerac was New Orleans' first cocktail (in fact in 2008, an amendment was passed making it the official cocktail of the city). Classic ingredients are Peychaud's Bitters, Herbsaint (an anise flavored, absinthe substitute), and rye whiskey (which is distilled from rye grain) - it has a rich flavor that's similar to Bourbon (but Bourbon is distilled with AT LEAST 51 percent corn).

And for dessert, Cairns had the traditional King Cake. There's a little "baby" baked into the cake and, tradition has it, whoever gets the baby is responsible for hosting the party next year. (Denny: I have recipes for King Cake on this blog, just do a search at the top of the page as it's set up to search inside the blog better than other search engines.)

Cajun as opposed to Creole (This often confuses people)

These culinary cousins are all about traditional Louisiana cooking.

Cajun is thought of as more "country" cooking, while Creole encompasses a more refined "city" food though, today, both borrow from each other and blur the lines into one giant "gumbo pot" that creates our country's richest and most diverse regional cuisine.

Creole traditionally refers to a more sophisticated melding of French, Spanish, African, and Caribbean influences (i.e. crab meat, richer more refined sauces), while Cajun, which also draws heavily on French and Spanish influences, includes cooking traditions from the rural communities west and south of New Orleans, folks who were, in many cases, living off the land (i.e. crawfish, Tasso ham which is similar to Italian prosciutto).

The beauty is, gumbo, jambalaya, and étoufée, can fall into both categories since, over the years, they all borrowed from one another (i.e. crawfish in the étoufée instead of crab meat; jambalaya with tomatoes is more Creole, while jambalaya without tomatoes is more Cajun.)


Recipes Featured:

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Crawfish Etoufee
Jambalaya
Sazerac Cocktail



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Chicken-and-Sausage Gumbo

Yields: 4 to 6 servings

Prep: 55 min.
Cook: 3 hrs.

Ingredients:

1 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (Andouille is smokey and spicy)
4 skinned bone-in chicken breasts
Vegetable oil
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
2 celery ribs, sliced
2 quarts hot water
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot sauce
4 green onions, sliced
Filé powder (optional)
Hot cooked rice
Garnish: chopped green onions

Directions:

Cook sausage in a Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until browned. Drain on paper towels, reserving drippings in Dutch oven. Set sausage aside.
Cook chicken in reserved drippings in Dutch oven over medium heat 5 minutes or until browned. Remove to paper towels, reserving drippings in Dutch oven. Set chicken aside.
Add enough oil to drippings in Dutch oven to measure 1/2 cup.

Add flour, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 20 to 25 minutes, or until roux is chocolate colored.

Stir in onion, bell pepper, and celery; cook, stirring often, 8 minutes or until tender. Gradually add 2 quarts hot water, and bring mixture to a boil; add chicken, garlic, and next 5 ingredients. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 1 hour. Remove chicken; let cool.

Add sausage to gumbo; cook 30 minutes. Stir in green onions; cook for 30 more minutes.
Bone chicken, and cut meat into strips; return chicken to gumbo, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaves.

Remove gumbo from heat. Sprinkle with filé powder, if desired. Serve over hot cooked rice. Garnish, if desired.







Jambalaya

Yields: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 (16-ounce) package spicy hickory-smoked sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 large onion, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups uncooked rice
1 (32-ounce) container chicken broth
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 pound unpeeled medium-size fresh shrimp
3 tablespoons chopped green onions

Directions:

Brown sausage in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Drain, reserving 3 tablespoons drippings in pan. Add onion and bell pepper, and sauté 2 to 3 minutes or until tender.

Add garlic, and sauté 1 more minute.

Add rice and chicken broth. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and next 3 ingredients.

Peel shrimp, and devein, if desired.

Stir in shrimp and green onions; cook 2 to 3 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink.







Crawfish Étouffée

Yields: 4 to 6 servings

Prep: 35 min.
Cook: 22 min.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 medium-size green bell pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 large shallot, chopped
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (14-oz.) can low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
2 pounds cooked, peeled crawfish tails*
Hot cooked rice

Directions:

1. Melt butter with oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; stir in flour, and cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until caramel colored. Add onion and next 6 ingredients; sauté 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

2. Add chicken broth, parsley, and chives; cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until mixture is thick and bubbly.

3. Stir in crawfish; cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve with hot cooked rice.

*2 lb. frozen cooked crawfish tails, thawed and drained, may be substituted for fresh.







Sazerac Cocktail

Said to be The Big Easy's first cocktail, it was originally served at the Sazerac Coffee House.

Yield: Makes 1 serving

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
Ice cubes
1/4 cup rye whiskey or bourbon
1/4 teaspoon bitters
1/4 teaspoon anise liqueur
Lemon rind twist

Directions:

Cook 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat 5 minutes, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, and cool.

Pack a 3 1/2-ounce cocktail glass with ice cubes, and set glass aside.

Combine whiskey, bitters, sugar syrup, and a few ice cubes in a cocktail shaker; stir to chill.

Discard ice cubes in cocktail glass. Coat inside of glass with liqueur, shaking out excess liqueur. (For stronger licorice flavor, leave excess liqueur in glass.) Rub lemon rind over rim of glass, and discard rind.

Strain whiskey mixture into prepared glass. Serve drink immediately.

Note: For testing purposes only, we used Jim Beam Straight Rye Whiskey, Peychaud's Bitters, and Herbsaint anise liqueur. Rye whiskey is distilled from rye grain instead of wheat and barley, giving it a smooth, rich flavor similar to that of bourbon.


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Warm Soups 4 Cold Rainy or Snowy Days

From Denny: It's been raining all day and cold, cold, cold - and we have it good in south Louisiana! My relatives in the Northeast have just received another late winter's gift of a new blanket of deep snow. I've been chilly all day.

The pilot light on the hot water heater went out late last night so we woke up to cold water. Not to fear; McGiver was here. I just so happened to remember those electric teapots from my time in Europe, so picked one up here. Not a bad fix in an unexpected emergency. During the hurricane season when we lost power for days, our neighbors figured out we had coffee and started knocking on the door in the morning. Yep, we have a low tech mechanical French Press. I try to always have a back up plan.

While I was exploring the CBS site most of the afternoon today I found these good - no awesome! - soup recipes. I'm a huge fan of really good quality substantial soups and stews so these caught my eye. Katie Lee is also a friendly person who just chats you right up through the camera, bringing these recipes up off the page and practically into your mouth to taste! :) What is great about her too is that she is always thinking of ways to update traditional recipes with an interesting flavorful twist. Now she's speaking my name!



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Roasted Tomato Soup

From Katie Lee: Tomato soup is a classic, but it's difficult to get good tomatoes in the winter to make this soup homemade. We are going to roast our tomatoes first to bring out all of their natural sweetness and make them more flavorful, which will give us that luxurious, "right off the vine" tomato taste in soup. We put it in a pot and add chicken broth to it and season and then you puree it with the immersion blender.

We will puree this soup by using the immersion blender (a hand blender). You eyeball it and it should take about 5 minutes.

Cook Time: 3 hours
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cut in half, seeded, and cored
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into eight equal slices
2 garlic cloves
5 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 bay leaves
3 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)

Directions:

From Katie Lee: I used to always buy canned tomato soup, figuring that making homemade took too much time and effort. Then, my mom passed on this recipe to me. Not only is making homemade tomato soup easy, but it tastes worlds better than its processed counterpart. Roasting the tomatoes makes them even sweeter. If you like your tomato soup creamy, add the heavy cream, or if you are a purist just leave it out.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Place the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and thyme on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Roast in oven for two hours.

Let tomatoes cool to touch. Remove peels, tear into bite-size pieces, and transfer to a stockpot with roasted onion, garlic, and thyme. Add chicken broth and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 40 minutes. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaves and season with salt and pepper. Use an immersion blender or transfer to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Return the soup to the pot and stir in heavy cream. Simmer for 10 more minutes and serve.





Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

From Katie Lee: While on a girls’ trip on my friend Wendi’s boat, I had an Asian-style chicken noodle soup. I came home and tried to copy it, but I couldn't quite get the flavors right. After a few attempts, I finally mastered it and came up with this recipe. I like it spicy, so I serve extra chili sauce on the side.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 medium onion, minced
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
6 cups chicken broth
3 stalks lemongrass, the bottom 3 inches only, each stalk cut into three 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon chili sauce
Juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 chicken breasts, pounded and thinly sliced
2 cups Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
1 cup carrots, peeled and shredded
1 cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 3- to 4-ounce pack rice noodles, prepared to package instructions
Cilantro, mint, scallions, bean sprouts, for garnish

Directions:

In a large stockpot over medium heat, heat oil and add onions, garlic, and ginger. Saute until onions are translucent, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add chicken broth, lemongrass, chili sauce, lime juice, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Increase heat to a low boil, add chicken breasts and cook about 5 minutes. Add cabbage, carrots, and red pepper and simmer an additional 2 to 3 minutes.

Divide rice noodles among bowls and ladle chicken soup into each bowl. Garnish with cilantro, mint, scallions, and bean sprouts and serve with additional chili sauce, if desired.





Roasted Carrot and Ginger Soup

From Katie Lee: High in antioxidants and vitamin A, this tasty and healthy soup is a standby at my house. Roast the carrots first to make them really sweet, then puree with ginger and stock. This soup freezes really well, so you can make a big batch and enjoy leftovers another night.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients:

4 cups carrots (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut in large dice
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely minced
2 bay leaves
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup plain yogurt
Fresh parsley, minced, for garnish

Directions:

Roasting carrots brings out all of their sweetness. For this soup, I added some ginger for a spicy contrast and the bay leaves and worcestshire sauce makes a rich backdrop of flavor. By using plain yogurt instead of heavy cream, it still has a creamy texture without all of the fat.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Toss the carrots with the one tablespoon olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast until fork tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a stock pot or Dutch oven, heat the remaining one tablespoon olive oil and butter over medium-high heat and sauté onions, ginger, and bay leaves until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth, lemon juice, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper and bring to a low boil. Add carrots, reduce to a simmer and cook about 10 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Use an immersion blender or transfer to a blender and blend in batches until creamy. Add yogurt and blend to combine. Serve garnished with fresh parsley.





Wild Mushroom Soup

From Katie Lee: If you love creamy soups, this will be your favorite. Choose your favorite assortment of wild mushrooms to customize to your own taste. Super easy and incredibly rich in flavor. I also like serving this soup as an hors d'oeuvre at parties by spooning it into an espresso cup and topping it with a dollop of creme fraiche and a sprinkling of chives.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes
Serves: 12 - 14

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bay leaf
3 cups finely diced mixed wild mushrooms
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 cups vegetable broth
1 cup heavy cream
Crème fraîche and minced flat leaf parsley, for garnish

Directions:

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, garlic, and bay leaf. Cook until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until tender and any moisture has evaporated.

Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook 20 minutes. Stir in the cream and cook an additional 10 minutes, stirring often. Serve in espresso cups garnished with crème fraîche and parsley.





Grilled Chipotle Three-Cheese Sandwich

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 6 to 8 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients:

1 7-ounce jar chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (I like La Costena brand.)
1/4 cup olive oil
12 slices of Monterey Jack cheese
12 slices of Swiss cheese
12 slices of cheddar cheese
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced
12 slices of sourdough bread (thickly sliced if possible)
3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened

Directions:

From Katie Lee: When I was in college, I worked in a great little restaurant called Kona Bistro. Employees ate for free and after a long shift, I always had this sandwich. Be careful, the chipotle puree is spicy!

Place the chipotle peppers and the sauce in a food processor or a blender and puree until smooth. With the machine running slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Place the chipotle puree in a small bowl and set aside.
Preheat a large, heavy fry pan, grill pan, or griddle to medium heat.

Place the bread slices on a work surface and spread each slice with 1 tablespoon chipotle puree. Layer half the bread slices with two slices of each cheese and a few slices of the tomatoes and onions. Top with the remaining slices of bread, chipotle side down. Spread the top and bottom of each sandwich with the butter.

Grill each sandwich for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until the cheese is completely melted and the bread is golden brown. Slice the sandwiches in half and serve immediately.


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Stop That Cold in Its Tracks: Illness Fighting Foods

From Denny: Want to know some great foods as medicine to deal with life's issues like colds, stomach pains and headaches? Check out this easy to eat and enjoy list!

Colds:

* Mushrooms - boost your immune system. Mushrooms also are considered like a leafy green vegetable and help the liver process toxins easier.

* Salmon - contains high amounts of vitamin D and you need vitamin D to ward off colds.

* Sunflower seeds - contain lots of vitamin E

* Curry spice - helps lower stress levels

* Milk - all that calcium eases muscle aches and pains and soothes you psychologically

* Red bell pepper - high in vitamin C and vitamin A, easy low acid source of vitamin C, the vitamin that lowers and soothes our stress

* Pistachios - loaded with vitamin E, great for lowering cholesterol too, lowers blood pressure and is calming

Headaches:

* Red snapper and salmon - high in Omega 3 fatty acids that are anti-inflammatory. To help fight inflammation - the reason for most diseases like heart disease, diabetes, migraines and asthma.

* Quinoa, an ancient grain, anti-inflammatory full of protein and minerals

* Black beans, anti-inflammatory and aids the liver in digesting toxins better than other beans.

* Cayenne pepper - great anti-inflammatory for lung, sinus and intestional issues, fights cancer too.

Stomach Pain:

* Ginger - proven great for nausea

* Fennel - a digestive aid

* Peppermint oil - a digestive aid

* Fiber - digestive

* Yogurt - helps digest food faster and avoid bloating

* Berries - act like yogurt as ultimate digestive aid


From Fitness Magazine, Pam O'Brien informs us of the focus foods for getting back on our feet when we have been feeling under the weather:

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