The Essemce of New Orleans

Mardi Gras, jazz bands and a soulful flare is what New Orleans is about. There is the one thing that makes New Orleans what it is and that is the soulfulness of the food. Emeril Lagasse knows to well of that soulful flare for New Orleans cooking. There are many dishes that make New Orleans the city it is. From fresh seafood to the coop New Orleans has many tastes.

Café Du Monde brings a great morning breakfast of beignets and coffee. Beignets are deep fried with powder sugar on top and goes well coffee, milk or hot chocolate. Beignets are not the only food that makes New Orleans the way it is.

Gumbo is an excellent dish. Gumbo is a think chunky soup of sorts. It is made up of meats mostly seafood, chicken and sausage with some greens in it, okra to be exact. The think chunky gumbo then goes on top of rice and ready to serve. The distant relative of gumbo is jambalaya, which is the same as gumbo but without the whole soup aspect.

New Orleans is not New Orleans without po’boys.The po'boy itself dates back in 1929, when brothers Bennie and Clovis Martin began providing free sandwiches from their Martin Brothers Coffee Stand and Restaurant to the city's striking streetcar operators. They referred to the striking men as "poor boys," and filled the bread with combinations like beef gravy and French fries, or mayo, lettuce, and tomato, basically whatever scraps were around. You cannot go wrong with a po’boy. Oysters, shrimp and even gator have been put between two pieces of French bread.

On to desert and New Orleans is very famous and that is bread pudding. Just about every restaurant in New Orleans seems to have a version of this dish, and for good reason.  It’s an amazingly delicious classic. The next desert is Crème Brule. Crème Brule is a quintessential French dessert, but it’s been adopted and raised by New Orleans’ loving arms. Any dessert made with a blowtorch is just inherently awesome. Then Banana Foster is right up the alley. If blowtorch desserts are awesome desserts that are engulfed in flames tableside are pretty epic. Professional tip: wait until your dessert has ceased flaming before consuming. So go on down to New Orleans and tryout all it’s cuisine it has to offer.

How to Prepare the Grill

1. The Fuel Bed: spread out plenty of coals to create a large cooking area to grill your food to perfection. Make the charcoal bed at least four inches thick and two inches high. 
2. Starting the Fire: Sprinkle lighter fluid on charcoal briquettes just before lighting. Let them soak several minutes before igniting. 
3. Time to Cook: Gas grills are ready to cook on. For a hot fire wait 30-40 minutes after igniting fire for a medium heat 40-45 minutes. 
4. Preparing Grill: Just before placing food on the grill, lightly brush the hot cooking rack with oil to reduce sticking. Use long brush in case of oil flare ups. 
5. Flare Ups: If occur use a spray bottle of water to calm the fire.  
6. Open or Covered: Open grills are hotter and cook quicker on the outside and leave the juices on the inside. Covering your grill prevents oxygen from flaming coals and allows your food to cook evenly.

Summer Time is Meal Time: Grill Party Prep

Summer is upon us now and that means hanging out with friends and sharing good times especially outside. When outside he or she might get the urge to fire up the grill for friends.

With grilling it is all about preparation.  There are key preparations for someone who intends on grilling for friends.

1. The first preparation for grilling is figuring out if it is going to rain or not. If you are one of those people who are lucky enough to have your grill area covered then this does not apply to you. 
2. Make sure your grill is clean.
3. The next preparation is figuring out if you have enough lighter fluid, charcoal or even gas for those of you who prefer gas grills.
4. This preparation might be the most important and that is what shall I cook for "me amigos." If you are having a big crowd you cannot go wrong with hamburgers and hotdogs or sausage dogs. If you are me that is not how we are going to do it. I am one of those "go big or go home" kind of guys and loves a nice thick steak, but the pocketbook speaks when you have low funds. 
5. Now that you have decided what you are grilling it is now on to stage five which is drinks. Well coming from the south, lemonade and sweet tea is the way to go but if you are one of those that prefer something else then go with something stronger. Remember drink responsibly.
6. Step six you need to get some plastic wear like plates, cups, utensils and napkins.
7. Now that you know what you are giving to your friends, decide whether you need some more food. This is where you ask you friends to bring something this can be a desert of some sorts like banana pudding or some type of side like baked beans. 
8. Now that everything is taken care of, now it is time to fire up that "bad boy" grill and cook some good food with some good people.