The Second (and Shortest) Month of the Year
I am happy to report that winter is getting closer to being over! In fact, just this morning, Punxsutawney Phil predicted that we will have an early spring! Some of my favorite days happen to be in February. First, I am a hopeless romantic, so of course Valentine’s Day is right up my alley. Girlfriends are the best and a great way to honor them is the day before Valentine’s Day, on GALENTINE’S DAY and as it just so happens, one of the most colorful of February holidays, CARNIVAL, also known as Mardi Gras will also be celebrated on February 13th.
How Do You Say Je t'aime?
For me, February is all about love. I was married in February, became a mom in February and Valentine’s Day is, of course, in February. My favorite way to say “I love you” is by cooking something special for someone special. To get things started this month, I think I will shift my gaze to the sensual textures and tastes of French cuisine and take a few lessons from Julia Child. (And who doesn’t love Julia!?)
FEBRUARY 13th is Galentine's Day & Mardi Gras & A Great Day For a Party!
It’s a “2FER” !
Mardi Gras AND Galentine’s Day both fall on February 13th this year. Mardi Gras refers to events of the Carnival celebration and the celebration may occur on any Tuesday from February 3rd to March 9th. It is always the day before Ash Wednesday, (known as Shrove Tuesday), and always falls 46 days before Easter.
Mardi is the French word for Tuesday, and gras means fat. “Fat Tuesday”, as the French coined it, is the day before Ash Wednesday. As the tradition goes, in the days leading up to Lent, fun-loving-party-type folks would fill up on all the meats, eggs, milk, lard, cheeses, sweets, etc., in their homes before having to spend the next several weeks eating only fish and fasting prior to Easter.
So, if NOLA, (nickname for New Orleans), is up your alley, then you are going to love these spectacular NOLA recipes!
Buttermilk Beignets
Equipment
- Deep fat frier (optional)
- Stand mixer with dough hook
Ingredients
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 1½ cup buttermilk
- 4 tsp active dry yeast
- 2½ tbsp granulated sugar
- 3½ cups bread flour plus extra for flouring work surface
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- Oil for frying peanut or canola
- confectioners sugar for serving as much as you think you will need and then double that
Instructions
- Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until small bubbles form at the surface. Remove from the heat, add the buttermilk, and then pour into a stand mixer bowl. Whisk in the yeast and the sugar and set aside for 5 minutes. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, and mix on low speed, using a dough hook, until the dry ingredients are moistened, 3-4 minutes. Increase the mixer speed to medium and continue mixing until the dough forms a loose ball and is still quite wet and tacky, 1-2 minutes longer. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set the dough aside in a draft-free spot for 1 hour.
- Pour enough oil into a large pot to fill it to a depth of 3 inches and bring to a temperature of 375°F over medium heat (this will take about 20 minutes). Line a plate with paper towels and set aside.
- Lightly flour your work surface and turn the dough out on it. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour, gently press to flatten, fold it in half, and gently tuck the ends under to create a rough-shaped round. Dust again and roll the dough out into a ½-inch-to ⅓-inch-thick circle. Let the dough rest for 1 minute before using a chef's knife, a bench knife, or a pizza wheel to cut the dough into 1½-inch squares (you should get about 48).
- Gently stretch a beignet lengthwise and carefully drop it into the oil. Add a few beignets (don't overcrowd them, otherwise the oil will cool down and the beignets will soak up oil and be greasy) and fry until puffed and golden brown, turning them often with a slotted spoon, for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the prepared plate to drain while you cook the rest. Serve while still war , buried under a mound of confectioners' sugar, with hot coffee on the side.
Notes
Lisa's Ya-Ya Babes Seafood Gumbo
Equipment
- 1 heavy dutch oven I use a Le Creuset enameled cast iron dutch oven
Ingredients
Roux
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
Gumbo
- 2 large onions medium dice
- 4 stalks celery medium dice
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1 16 ounce can whole tomatoes chopped
- 1 tsp (each) dried whole thyme, crushed red pepper, salt
- 1 bay leaf
- 7¼ cups chicken stock 58 ounces
- 2 lbs medium shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 lb fresh crab meat
- 1 lb sea scallops
Instructions
Roux
- Heat oil in a large dutch oven. Add flour and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the roux is the color of a copper penny. (This can take a while so be patient).
Gumbo
- Stir in onions and celery. Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add next 6 ingredients and cook 10 minutes. Stir in chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat, add shrimp, scallops and crab, stir and cover the pot. Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes or until the seafood is cooked through.
- Serve over cooked rice.
Fun In February
A Visit to Julia Child's kitchen at the Smithsonian
Have An Entertaining Day!
