Louisiana Roasted Garlic Puree

4 large heads garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Chop off bottom of garlic head, and separate whole cloves, leaving tight outer covering intact. Place cloves in a shallow 8-inch square baking dish, and drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.

Cool and drain; remove skins. Roast garlic may be eaten as is or pur?ed for smoother texture.

To pur?e, put into food processor with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Process 30 seconds or until almost smooth, scraping sides of processor bowl occasionally. Use as a spread for buttered, toasted French bread or as a condiment.

Serve hot or cold.

Makes about 3/4 cup.

Louisiana Dirty Rice

1 pound giblets (wild fowl, chicken,
    or turkey), chopped fine
2 cups raw white rice
1/2 pound loose pork sausage
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup scallion tops
Salt and pepper, to taste

Boil the giblets in a saucepan of salted water to cover until very tender. Drain, reserving the liquid, and set the giblets aside. Return the liquid to the saucepan, adding more water if necessary to make 4 cups. Add the rice, bring to a boil, and cook, covered, over low heat for 20 minutes or until tender. Set aside and keep warm.

In a deep heavy skillet start the pork sausage on low heat; as soon as the fat begins to cook out, add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Continue cooking on low heat, stirring occasionally, until all the vegetables are soft. Add the cooked rice, giblets, parsley, scallion tops, salt, and pepper and stir all together lightly but thoroughly. If possible, add some drippings from the fowl or meat which you are serving. Do not let parsley and scallion tops become scorched.

Vegetarian Dirty Rice
Follow directions for Louisiana Dirty Rice, using 1/2 cup peanuts in place of the giblets and pork sausage, and saut? until golden (about 2 minutes). Replace white rice with 3 cups cold cooked brown rice.

New Orleans Black Muffins

3/4 cup hot water
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup milk
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups chopped dry roasted pecans

In a medium bowl combine the hot water, molasses and stir until the two have blended then stir in the milk.

In a large bowl sift together the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and alt.

With a rubber spatula, fold the liquid mixture and the pecans into the dry ingredients just until flour is thoroughly incorporated but do not over mix. Spoon into 12 greased muffin cups. Bake at 300 degrees F until done, 45 minutes to about 1 hour. Remove from pan immediately and serve while hot.

Serves 12.

Louisiana Hickory-Smoked Andouille

1 (2 3/4-pound) pork shoulder, butt portion
    (do not trim fat), cut into large chunks
4 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon hot paprika
3/4 cup hickory chips

Put pork through a meat grinder, using disc with the largest holes. Add sugar, salt, peppers, thyme and paprika. Mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 

Lay a 20 x 10-inch single thickness of cheesecloth on a countertop. Paint a 4-inch wide strip along the long side of the cheesecloth with vegetable oil. Arrange 1 cup of the pork into a long thin strip along the inner border of the oil. Fold oiled cheesecloth over the pork and roll the strip back and forth to form an even sausage about 12 inches long. Roll the sausage up in the cheesecloth and tie each end in a knot or secure with string. Repeat with four more pieces of cheesecloth and remaining meat until you have 5 sausages.

Soak hickory chips in water for 30 minutes. 

Put a rectangular metal pan in the center of the bottom rack of a kettle grill and mound 15 charcoal briquettes on each side. Open the bottom vents on the grill. Light the charcoal and allow the fire to burn until the briquettes are ashen and glowing.

Drain hickory chips and distribute them over the charcoal. Place sausages on the grilling rack so that they are over the pan. Cover the grill, open the cover vents, and smoke the sausages for about 1 hour and 10 minutes, until they reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. Move the sausages to the edges of the grill, directly over the charcoal. Cook for 3 minutes, flip the sausages over, and cook for 3 minutes more on the other side. Remove the sausages from the grill. When they have cooled enough to handle, peel off the cheesecloth.

When cooked, this sausage can be kept in the refrigerator for 5 days and in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Louisiana Yam Corn Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups yellow cornmeal
2 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 2/3 cup mashed cooked or canned sweet potatoes

Sift all the dry ingredients together and set aside.

Combine the eggs, milk and oil in a large bowl, beat until smooth. Add yams and beat until well blended. Add dry ingredients, stirring only until moistened. Spoon it into two greased eight-inch square baking pans. Bake at 425 degrees F for 40 minutes or until done. Cut into squares and serve warm with butter.

Creole Rice Snack Cakes

1/2 cup rice
1 1/8 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg *
Vegetable oil
Confectioners’ sugar

Pour rice into 3 cups of RAPIDLY boiling water. Cook until tender. Do not cover. Drain, then chill and mash.

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup lukewarm water. Add to rice; mix well and then let rise overnight (outside of refrigerator). Keep covered with a dish towel or loose fitting cover.

Add eggs, sugar and flour to the rice mixture; beat thoroughly. Let rise for 15 minutes; stir in nutmeg.

Drop by large spoonsful into deep, HOT oil. Fry until golden brown, drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.

* Alternative seasonings: Lemon extract, cinnamon, cardamom, orange extract, grated orange zest.

Cajun Style Tip Roast

1 (4 pound) tip roast
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped green bell peppers
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Combine vegetables, spices and oil.

With a sharp knife make 8 to 12 deep V-shape slit pockets, stopping an inch from the bottom of roast. Fill the pockets with the vegetable mixture, reserving some to rub on top of roast.

Bake uncovered for 2 1/2 hours or until thermometer reads 140 degrees F for medium rare beef.

Serve with pan juices.

Serves 6 to 8

Nutrition: Calories 391; fiber 1g; carbohydrates 2g, Protein 61g, Cholesterol 160mg; Sodium 509mg; Fat 14g (32% of calories from fat)