Counting Down To Kick-Off!
OK, I'm not really that much of a football fan. But I do love New Orleans, so I'll be watching the Big Game.
I've traveled to loads of places in the world and I cannot think of another city that gets so fired up about food. There's a super-funky song by Kermit Ruffins called "What is New Orleans?" that really captures the flavor of that special city. He starts out with red beans and rice on Monday, fried pork chops with macaroni on a Wednesday night and goes down the list of dishes emblematic of the city's Creole and Cajun roots.
Last summer, I spent a week eating myself silly in New Orleans, savoring meals at classic spots such as Galatoire's and being blown away by new places: Still thinking about the deconstructed Oysters Rockefeller at MiLa and the exuberant seasonings of every single bite at Cochon.
My last lunch in NOLA before taking off was at Parkway Bakery and Tavern, which serves one of the city's best old-school po'boys. (Not to mention a killer Bloody Mary.) I'm going to do my darnedest to try and recreate the fried shrimp po-boy to munch while cheering on the New Orleans Saints! Dredging wild Gulf shrimp in Louisiana Seasoned Fish Fry and deep-frying 'em.
The tricky part was finding the right bread. I asked a friend who lives in the Crescent City if she had a recipe for the soft French bread rolls that make the foundation for the signature sandwich and she said: Nope. But, she suggested I look for a Vietnamese bakery and I scored! The Anxuyen Bakery in SeaTac, Washington, makes rolls used for Bahn Mi, also known as Vietnamese po'boys.
Ask for that po'boy dressed at a restaurant down South and it'll come with shredded iceberg lettuce, sliced tomatoes and some kind of sauce. I'm making a remoulade spiked with Sriracha.
-- Leslie Kelly
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