Richard Lipton

About three hours from New Orleans, and before you get to Houston, is a smaller city by the name of Lake Charles. That is the location, primarily, of all the major casinos in Louisiana. Harrah's would be the prime example. Imagine soft shell crawfish sushi or teriyaki alligator on a stick served here. Fusion cuisine runs rampant in places such as this, with more varieties and mixed meals than ever imagined. With thoughts of crawfish, alligator and turtle dancing in my head, it seems only fitting that this be the theme of the week. Enjoy these Cajun creations, and Bon appetit!

SEAFOOD ETOUFEE
(Serves 8)

1/4 pound (4 oz / 120 g) butter

1 cup (2 dl) shallots, chopped

1/2 cup (1 dl) green pepper, chopped

1/2 cup (1 dl) celery, chopped

1 Tbsp garlic, chopped

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 pounds (32 oz / 1 kg) shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 cups (16 fl oz / 4 dl / 500 ml) fish stock, hot

2 Tbsp arrowroot

1 pound (16 oz / 500 g) crabmeat

1/4 cup (½ dl) each scallions and cilantro, chopped

Melt butter in large pot. Add onions, bell pepper, celery, garlic, salt

and cayenne. Cook, stirring often, about 12-15 minutes.

Add shrimp; raise heat to medium-high. Cook shrimp until they turn

pink, 3-5 minutes. Add 1-1/2 cups (3 dl) stock. Stir arrowroot into

remaining stock; add to pot gradually. Boil; reduce to a simmer,

cooking about 18-20 minutes. Add crabmeat and cook 3-5 minutes.

Garnish with scallions and cilantro.

CRAWFISH AND TOMATO ETOUFEE

1 onion, chopped fine

1 green bell pepper, chopped fine

1/2 stick (¼ Cup / 1/8 dl) butter

1 Tbsp flour

1, 1-pound (500 g) can tomatoes with puree, chop

1/2 cup (4 fl oz / 125 ml) water

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 pound (16 oz / 500 g) crawfish tail meat

1/2 cup (1 dl) scallions, sliced thin

4 tsp white wine vinegar

1/3 cup (2-½ fl oz / 80 ml) olive oil

8 cups (2 quarts / 2 liters) mesclun*

8 rounds puff pastry

In a heavy skillet, sauté onion and bell pepper in butter over high

heat until softened but not browned. Sprinkle flour over vegetables.

Cook 3 minutes, stirring often. Stir in tomatoes and puree, water

and cayenne. Simmer, stirring, until thickened slightly, about 1-2

minutes. Stir in crawfish; heat mixture over medium heat until just

heated through. Stir in scallions; season with salt to taste.

In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.

Whisk in oil in a stream until emulsified. Add mesclun; toss well.

Spoon etoufee into warm pastry shells brushed with egg and

heated in 375° F (190° C) oven.

*Mesclun is baby greens.

BASIC CUSTARD I

1 quart (1 liter) milk; reserve 1oz (30 g)

3 oz cornstarch

10 egg yolks

6 oz (180 g) sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla

1. Combine the milk and half the sugar with the starch in a sauce pan.

2. Bring to a boil and boil to blend ( BTB ) turn off burner.

3. In a bowl, combine the other half of sugar with the starch.

4. Add the reserved milk then the yolks and vanilla.

5. Stir half the mixture into the sauce pan with milk; BTB (boil to blend,

turn of burner.

6. Pour sauce into remaining cold mixture; stir.

7. Pour into a sheet pan, cover with plastic, cool.

BASIC CUSTARD II

4 oz 120g sugar

1-½ oz (45 g) cornstarch

2-½ Cups (5 dl) milk

4 eggs

1. Combine sugar and cornstarch.

2. Add in milk and eggs.

3. Whip quickly while spinning over flame (moving back and forth

over burner) until it starts to thicken.

4. Continue to cook for 1 minute.

5. Place in a small bowl to cool, covering with plastic directly on

cream to prevent a skin.

6. Refrigerate until set.

CHIFFON CAKE
The cake is very nice served with fresh fruits and a little whipped

cream or soft ice cream.

16 eggs

13 oz (390 g) sugar

13 oz (390 g) flour, sifted

1. Over a bain-marie (double boiler), whip eggs and sugar until

warm (body temperature).

2. Continue to whip the mixture until thick enough to hold a figure 8.

3. Gently (so as not to allow the batter to fall ) fold in the flour.

4. Pour into a lined sheet pan.

5. Bake at 450° F (230° C) for 12-15 minutes.

ULTIMATE CHEESE CAKE
This is a baked cheese cake and best if made a day ahead.

1 Cup (2 dl) graham cracker crumbs

1 Cup (2 dl) sugar

2 oz (60 g) butter, melted

1-½ lbs 3, 8oz / 3, 240 g) cream cheese

4 eggs

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 lb (16 oz / 480 g) sour cream

1. Combine graham cracker crumbs with 2 tablespoons each sugar

and butter.

2. Press into spring form pan and freeze until ready to fill.

Filling:

3. Cream the cheese, 6 oz (180 g) sugar, vanilla and eggs (adding

eggs one at a time)

until smooth.

4. Pour batter over crust and bake at 350° F (180° C) for 50 minutes.

Cool.

5. Combine sour cream with 2 tablespoons sugar and pour over cake

slowly and spread.

6. Bake an additional 15 minutes, cool before serving.

Pies are wonderful things. While the pie crust must remain consistent from

pie to pie, the filling can differ from person to person and from taste to taste.

Pumpkin, grapes, rhubarb, sweet potato and whatever else you want to use

works just as well as apples, cherries or blueberries.

While the tips and article remain small this week, let the recipes speak for

themselves and enjoy these pie suggestions. Bon Appetit.

FAVORITE PIE PASTRY

2-1/4 cups (4-½ dl) flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (1-½ dl) butter, partially softened

5 Tbsp cold water (plus a little extra)

Combine flour and salt. Cut butter into mix, leaving butter the size of peas.

Slowly add water; you may need more or less. Knead gently; refrigerate

until firm. Split dough in half. Roll as desired.

WILD GRAPE PIE

2 cups (4 dl) wild grape pulp

1 cup (2 dl) sugar

3 Tbsp flour

1 tsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp butter

Salt

1 unbaked pie shell

Run the grapes through a colander to gather pulp. Mix in remaining

ingredients. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 425 ° F (220° C) for one

hour.

RHUBARB PIE

1 recipe of your favorite pie pastry

4 cups (8 dl) rhubarb, cut 1-inch pieces

2 Tbsp butter (plus a little extra - plus some melted)

1-1/2 cups (3 dl) sugar

6 Tbsp flour

Place pastry bottom in 9-inch pan with a half-inch overlap. Brush with

melted butter and chill. Combine 2 tablespoons each, flour and sugar

and sprinkle mix over chilled pastry. Heap rhubarb into shell. Mix together

remaining flour and sugar, sprinkle over rhubarb. Dot with whole butter.

Cover with top pastry; crimp edges as desired and add slits. Bake for 15

minutes at 450° F, ( 230° C) then 45 minutes at 350° F (180° C) Remove

from oven; allow to cool before serving.

BLACK AND WHITE FUDGE PIE

Crust:

1 Cup (2 dl) flour

¼ Cup (½ dl) sugar

½ Cup (1 dl) ground walnuts

¼ tsp salt

½ Cup (1 dl) butter

1 tsp vanilla

¼ Cup (½ dl) milk

Blend dry ingredients and cut in butter with a pastry blender. Add vanilla

and milk. Mix gently until a soft ball forms. Press pastry into a 9-inch pie

form and prick with fork. Bake for ten minutes at 425° F (220° C). Cool

completely before filling.

Filling:

½ Cup (1 dl) butter

4 oz (120 g) bittersweet chocolate

3 large eggs

¼ Cup (½ dl) flour

1 Cup (2 dl) sugar

¼ tsp salt

½ Cup (1 dl) walnuts

8 oz (240 g) cream cheese, softened

1. Melt butter and chocolate together over low heat.

2. Beat 2 eggs, add flour, 2/3 of the sugar, and salt. Blend well.

3. Stir in chocolate and walnuts..

4. Set aside ½ cup (1 dl) of batter

5. Spread remaining batter over bottom of pie crust

6. Beat cream cheese, remaining 1/3 of the sugar, egg and vanilla until

smooth.

7. Spread mixture over chocolate batter.

8. Spoon dollops of reserved chocolate batter on top.

9. Swirl gently with a knife.

10. Bake at 325° F (160° C) for 35-40 minutes.

11. Chill 4 hours before serving

CRAB ANTIPASTO

2 small zucchini

2 small carrots, peeled

1 small celery root, peeled

1 pound (16 oz / 500 g) crabmeat, picked well

1 cup (8 fl oz / 2 dl / 250 ml) olive oil

1/3 cup (2-½ fl oz / 2/3 dl / 168 ml) lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire

1/8 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

Salt to taste

Julienne the zucchini, carrots and the celery root. Blanch the

vegetables separately until just tender and shock them immediately

in cold water. Drain and squeeze gently to remove excess water.

Arrange vegetables in piles evenly across 8 plates and top each

pile with an equal amount of crabmeat.

Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce,

Tabasco, and salt to taste in a small bowl. Spoon over the

crabmeat mixture and garnish with the parsley. Serve immediately.

CHOCOLATE RUM CAKE

24 oz (720 g) bittersweet chocolate

1 lb (16 oz / 454 g) butter

4 Cups (8 dl) sugar

16 eggs

2/3 Cup (1-1/3 dl) dark rum

1 Tbsp vanilla

1Tbsp + 1tsp salt

3 Cups (6 dl) flour; sifted

1. Grease and flour two tube pans.

2. Melt chocolate and butter in a medium saucepan.

3. Place in large mixing bowl.

4. Add sugar, eggs, rum, vanilla and salt.

5. Add flour; mix on high speed.

'6. Pour into pans. Bake for 1 to 1-1/2 hours at 350° F (180° C)

7. Cool; remove from pans.

To serve: reheat in microwave, serve with rum sauce.

HERSHEY COCOA CAKE

1-½ Cups (3 dl) all-purpose flour; unsifted

1 Cup (2 dl) sugar

¼ Cup (½ dl) cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

½ Cup salt

1 Cup water

3 oz (90 g) vegetable oil

1 Tbsp vinegar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.

2. Add liquid ingredients and whisk just until smooth.

3. Pour into greased and floured 9-inch (22.5 cm) pan.

4. Bake at 350° F (180° C) for 35-40 minutes or until tester comes out clean.

5. Cool in pan; frost as desired.

** The cake splits easily with a long serrated knife for layering.