A Confederacy of Dunces: The Dinner

The Astoria Book and Supper Club met for the fourth time this past Saturday, September 15th...the meeting was for A Confederacy of Dunces, written by John Kennedy Toole.  Set in New Orleans, I decided this was my opportunity to cook up a Big Easy inspired meal, and that the book would be the perfect conversation starter.   People seem to either love or hate this book and the "Dunces" that it follows, and I would say the guests, myself and my sous chef Liza's opinions on the matter were split 50/50.  On to the meal...

The Place Setting with Menu and Discussion Questions

The Set Table, Pimm's Cup in the pitcher on the left

I set the table as New Orleansy as possible, and the drink I offered for the night was a Pimm's Cup, which personally, I love.  To make it I used Pimm's, homemade lemonade, lemon-lime seltzer and cucumber slices.  It is such a refreshing drink, and it definitely puts a smile on your face.

Homemade Potato Chips and Remoulade

The guests began to arrive, I had them meet in the living room where they were greeted with some homemade potato chips that were seasoned with "Slap ya Mama" creole spices that I bought down in New Orleans.  Crispy, salty and spicy, I was very happy with how they came out, and I have Liza to thank for their perfection (I did start my Saturday slicing the potatoes without a mandolin, I must add).  I made the remoulade sauce the night before, and it came out great, even Miko (my feline) couldn't seem to resist it. 

Sazerac Cocktail

This was my attempt at a Sazerac Cocktail, a New Orleans classic.  I made it with Cognac, a splash of bitters and simple syrup with a twist of lemon.  Definitely puts hair on your chest (and I didn't even use absinthe, which the recipe called for!).

Oysters and Garlic & Herb butter pre-broiling

Once all the guests arrived, they were seated at the table and it was time to stick the first course in the broiler.  Earlier, Liza shucked the oysters, while I put together the garlic and herb compound butter.  We broiled them for about 5 minutes, sprinkled on the Parmesan and threw them back in for another minute.

Broiled Oysters

I'm was pretty happy with the finished product, they weren't overdone at all, and look how cute the little fork looks on the plate!  That was a last minute discovery that made me very happy plating and function wise.

Cheesy Shrimp and Grits

The next course was the Cheesy Shrimp and Grits.  This was my first time making grits, and it's a little dangerous that I still have most of the container left, because they are really tasty with some cheddar cheese added to them! I added sauteed leeks, red bell pepper and rendered bacon to the cheddar grits, and lastly, added raw chopped shrimp to the hot grits, cooking the shrimp just by stirring them in.

Cheesy Shrimp and Grits at the Table

We decided to serve the grits in my old-fashioned champagne glasses, very cute if you ask me!

The Ignatius Dog!

Oh boy, the moment I was waiting for!  This is my Ignatius Dog, an invention I'm pretty proud of.  The main character in A Confederacy of Dunces is Ignatius, and hot dog eating figures prominently in the book.  I wanted to use the Muffaletta sandwich (a classic New Orleans staple) on the menu somewhere, when a light bulb went off, and I realized the ingredients that make up the Muffaletta crossed with a hot dog would actually taste great!  I think it did and my guests thought it did, and this is something you can put together home!  I promise to post an Ignatius Dog tutorial very soon!

Cornmeal Crusted Sole over Corn Salad served with Remoulade Sauce

The fourth course (I must say I was pretty tired at this point, and I think my guests may have been a little full after the giant hot dog) was the cornmeal crusted Sole over corn salad, and it was served with more of my remoulade sauce.  I soaked the sole in buttermilk for a few hours, and then dredged it in some seasoned cornmeal.  I fried it up and then seasoned it again with the 'Slap Ya Mama' creole seasoning.  I roasted the corn earlier, and added it to chopped red onion, jalapeno, scallions, orange pepper and parsley.  I dressed it with a honey and rice wine vinaigrette.

Mardi Gras King Cake

I had purchased a box of Mardi Gras King Cake in New Orleans, because I just didn't know if I would find the little freaky flesh-colored baby that I needed to hide in it, OR if I would be able to find purple, green and gold sugar crystals.  I know so little about baking that I can't even shop for baking...

Where's the baby?

The cake was swirled with a praline brown sugar butter, which gave the cake the perfect amount of sweetness, because this was more like a sweet bread (not to be confused with sweetbreads)...I actually liked it a lot, since I don't have much of a sweet tooth, and it was nice to have a slice with some tea the next morning.

The fourth meeting was a success for sure, and I'm happy to say that I already know what book I want to cook next....