Build Your Own Ignatius Dog!

An ode to the literary character Ignatius J. Reilly and New Orlean's famed Muffaletta sandwich, the Ignatius Dog was one of my latest inventions that I served for the A Confederacy of Dunces book and supper club meeting.  If you follow these simple steps, you too can dine on this hot dog of epic proportions.

From the Bottom Up:
1.) Cut and hollow out (rip off excess bread using your hands) loaves of semolina bread, so they mimic a hot dog bun.  You can just use a hot dog bun, but the classic Muffaletta is made with semolina bread, so you should think about using semolina too!

2.) Layer the roll with thin slices of Virginia Ham, Genoa Salami and Swiss Cheese (you can change this up a bit, but this makes a pretty good combination)

3.) Time to put in the Hot Dog (I prefer to buy the homemade Frankfurters at Muncan Food Corp. on Broadway in Astoria). It goes right on top of the Swiss cheese layer so the heat from the dog melts the Swiss a little bit.  I heated the dogs in a pan with a little water, once the water evaporated I threw in a couple of slices of butter into the pan, just to get the dogs to blister up a bit and get nice and snappy.

4.) Load it up with Olive Salad (recipe to follow)

5.) Serve and eat! 

Lisa's Olive Salad:

Ingredients:

Colossal pitted green Sicilian olives

Carrots (cut into a 1/4 dice)

Celery (about the same size)

Dried Oregano -the higher the quality the better (try buying a bouquet of dried oregano over jarred oregano)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil- Again, the higher the quality the better

Salt and Pepper to taste

To Do:

Chop the olives to be about just a little bigger than the diced carrots and celery.  Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, toss, and store it.  Mix it once or twice a day, and I would say to prepare this at least one day in advance so it could really marinate.  Salt and pepper it accordingly, remembering that the olives are very salty.

Shopping for The Dunces

Shopping for the A Confederacy of Dunces supper was unique because I got to buy some ingredients down in New Orleans, but I also had to use Amazon, I'm sorry to say, because one ingredient wasn't so easy to find.  I made up for that corporate purchase by stopping into many of my favorite local Astoria shops.

I came back from New Orleans with some Slap Ya Mama seasoning and the Mardi Gras King cake mix. After getting back from the south gritless, I did some research, and apparently it's not that easy to find slow grits, and only instant grits are readily available.  That's when I decided I had to go through amazon, and with my free shipping, it was pretty easy to get my hands on a container of real Quaker grits.  I went ahead and picked up an oyster knife for Liza while I was at it.

On Thursday I went over to my favorite Grocery store, Berry Fresh Farms, and picked up a lot of staples I needed for the menu, especially my ingredients for the olive salad (that would go into the "Ignatius Hot Dog") which I made that night to give it ample marinating time for Saturday.

On Friday I stopped into my fish store in Jamaica, Queens after work to pick up 30 Oysters, 8 servings of Sole and 1 pound of shrimp.  I took the subway back to Astoria and stopped into Muncan Foods on Broadway for a half pound of bacon and a dozen of their hot dogs.  This place is a meat lover's dream.  I've shopped here for three out my four suppers, and they never disappoint.  There are so many interesting types of cured and smoked meats from a range nationalities.  It's definitely worth a look.

On Saturday I stopped into The Ditmars Flower Shop for my New Orleans balcony-inspired fern-like center pieces.  This is a beautiful shop, the workers are always helpful and friendly.  The quality is great, and I find the prices to be very fair.  Then I went to Rose and Joe's Bakery under the N/Q for my 3 loaves of semolina bread.  This is great little bakery, and I can't believe I never realized they also sell Sicilian pizza in the back.  I'm definitely stopping there the next time I don't feel like cooking.  For the final stop, I went across the street to Rosario's Italian Deli to pick up the Genoa salami, Swiss cheese and Virginia ham for the Ignatius Hot Dog. Then I got my butt (and Liza's butt) into the kitchen.

If you're an Astorian and have not been to these places, I suggest that you do!

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....

You Must Eat in NOLA Before You Can Cook NOLA

This past weekend I went down to New Orleans to celebrate with a big group of friends. Conveniently, this coming weekend I'm hosting the Confederacy of Dunces inspired Supper.  It was tough, but I found times to escape my own Confederacy of Dunces to take full advantage of trying out some dishes I'll be cooking, buying ingredients, and checking out a statue of our protagonist, Ignatius J. Reilly.

On Saturday morning, while nursing my Bourbon Street hangover, I strolled around the 90 degree streets with my camera and took New Orleans in.  I had to laugh at the "Lucky Dog" hot dog carts parked along many street corners around the French Quarter.  I couldn't help picturing Ignatius wolfing down his dogs, burping away and wreaking his havoc.  If that description doesn't make you want to read the book, I don't know what will.

Could This Be Ignatius' Cart??

Later in the day, I walked through the open air French Market, half of the stalls being very cheesy novelty gifts, the other half fooooood...I didn't eat anything, but I did buy myself some "Slap Ya Mama" creole spices that I plan on using for a couple of the dishes.  I opted to not buy the instant grits they were selling.  I'll test my luck to find some slow grits in NYC.  How else can you make them regular, creamy or al dente?

Next, I went into a gift shop on Decatur and couldn't believe my luck: there was a box of Mardi Gras King Cake mix for sale, that included the requisite plastic baby, and green, purple and gold sugar crystals.  This will make my life much easier, and probably make the cake a lot more authentic looking, since I don't exactly pride myself on baking.

On Monday, my last day in town, I head over to pay a visit to Ignatius' statue on Canal Street.  It did not do him justice on the size scale, but I just love that New Orleans loves him.

I met up with my friends who I had been nagging all weekend about trying a Muffaletta, and we head over to the birthplace of the Muffaletta, Central Grocery.  Guess what? They're closed on Mondays.  So we went to Johnny's Po Boys and guess what?  They ran out of Muffaletta ingredients.  Time was now of the essence, I couldn't miss my flight for a sandwich, no matter how rational that sounds.  So we raced over to Franks on Decatur.  It probably wouldn't have been my first choice, but we sat outside on their balcony, they put my order in ASAP, and I must say, I loved it!

Frank's Muffaletta

The olive salad was very good, with a great olive oil taste.  Salty meat, creamy cheese and tangy olive salad goes verrrrry well on semolina bread!  I can't wait to turn this sandwich into a hot dog on Saturday, and hopefully wow the crowd with my new-found knowledge of New Orleans fare.

A Confederacy of Dunces: The Menu

Very exciting news: the next supper club book will be A Confederacy of Dunces, written by tragic genius, John Kennedy Toole.  The book just happens to take place in New Orleans, and I've decided to host the supper the weekend after my return from that very place.  Fresh off a visit to the Big Easy, I'm sure I'll be very inspired to do New Orleans right! 

To Start:

A Sazerac Cocktail and homemade Cajun-Style Potato Chips

 Char-Broiled Oyster

Shrimp and Grit Balls

A play on shrimp and grits, these are deep fried:  crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside

The Ignatius Dog

What happens when you cross a hot dog with classic Muffaletta!

Crispy Soft Shell Crab

w/ Remoulade Sauce and Roasted Corn Salad

King Cake

w/ a hidden baby Ignatius 

The particulars:
Supper will be held on Saturday, September 15th 2012.
Arrive anytime after 7:30, Dinner will be served promptly at 8:00 PM
The meal is $40, you can always BYOB or partake in my booze, for an additional $15
I will be concocting my version of a Pimm's Cup

READ THIS BOOK!  It's great, and most probably like nothing you've ever read!
Email me if you would like to reserve a seat: leeya448@gmail.com

Shadow Shopping

Last Saturday I did most of my shopping for the Shadow of the Wind supper.  This dinner's shopping list began with the obligatory trips to my favorite Astoria super market, Berry Fresh Farms.  I'm liking it even more since it's expansion, and I'm so happy the prices are still the lowest I have ever seen in Astoria.  On Saturday morning I purchased a bunch of ingredients there, most importantly, I bought the bacalao since it needed to start soaking.  Once I got the bacalao soaking I head into the city for my much anticipated trip to Despana, which seems like THE place to go for all specialty Spanish foods and products.  Let me tell you, it did NOT disappoint.  Much to my delight, there is also a Despana outpost in Jackson Heights, which is very exciting information, and they also sell tapas right there, so it's just a fun place to be. 

All the goodies from Despana

 So, here's what I got: the bomba rice for the paella-you've got to love the packaging! Choricero Pepper Paste, which is  like a sundried pepper paste, very bland alone, almost like tomato paste, it is used to give the Romesco sauce it's peppery flavor.  Manchengo cheese-like the best ever...Dried chorizo-like the best ever...fresh white anchovies, or Boquerones if you will-like the best ever...and last but certainly not least, the Serrano Ham (seriously like the best ever) that the guy hand cut for me, this costs a little more money than the meat slicer, but seems like the right thing to do.  I was particularly excited about the boquerones since they are so hard to find and something that I really really love.  I'm already looking forward to my next trip to Despana, that's for sure.

The Cava

I was pleasantly surprised when I realized that Despana also has a wine shop next door to it's Soho location.  I was a little worried about finding a bottle of Cava in Astoria with my limited time, so it was great to walk right in and have the very friendly and handsome wine guy help me pick out a bottle of cava.  I walked out very pleased.  FYI-it was very good cava...

My Paella Pan!

My final stop on Saturday was at The Broadway Panhandler, it's really a great store if you love cooking.  They also had some sort of a sale going on, and it was hard for me to just leave with the paella pan, a sizzle plate and a much needed loaf pan, that we used for the coconut flan.  My hands were pretty full at this point, so I made my way back to Astoria.

Of course, the next morning I went back to Berry Fresh for round two, but other than that, my shopping was pretty much done!  Quick and easy, and lot's of fun to shop in Despana and the Broadway Panhandler, I definitely recommend both establishments!

Shadow Of The Wind: The Dinner

Last night, Monday July 16th was the third meeting of the Astoria Book & Supper Club, and it was a great success! I was so excited to get my Barcelona on, here's how it unfolded:  The first thing I knew I needed to get done on Sunday was: make the softrito for the paella and the romesco sauce for the third course.  Both recipes, which are slow cooked tomato-onion-garlic type sauces came from Ferran Adria's amazing cookbook, The Family Meal.  If you love to look at pictures in cookbooks more so than following the recipes, this is a must have.  I think it also makes one hell of a gift.  Moving on, Liza, my lovely sous chef came over and made the coconut flan, and other very helpful acts like slicing the manchengo and chorizo, grating the chocolate and roasting the peppers.  Meanwhile, I had been soaking bacalao for a little over 24 hours, and it was time to boil it.  I like to boil it in a half milk half water mixture for about 20 minutes.  After I boiled it, the bacalao flaked beautifully, and I processed it with boiled potatoes, butter, my seasoned salt, my fresh windowsill herbs and some clam juice.  I cleaned and trimmed the peppers, leaving the ones for the boquerones in some olive oil and white vinegar, and the rest as is for the paella.  Then I called it a day.

Monday afternoon, after I dismissed myself early from work, I bought 3 dozen shrimp, a pound of calamari and a bushel of mussels, and got myself home for some much anticipated paella making!  I had never made it before, and I was feeling pretty intimidated, but I rolled up my sleeves and got going.  First, I sauteed some boneless, skinless chicken thighs with some chorizo, took that out and fried the roasted peppers for a few minutes.  Then I fried up two serrano chilis in oil, added diced onion, then minced garlic.  Once translucent, I added the chicken, chorizo, white wine and the sofrito from the day before.  I let this all cook down and thicken, I tasted it and a-salted it.  Once thick enough, I added the stock, a mixture of chicken stock with: lobster consomme from the FCI (YES!) and ground saffron.   Next step was the one weighing on me, I had to evenly disperse the bomba rice throughout the paella pan, and NEVER TOUCH IT AGAIN.  That's a lot harder for me than it should be, and also the reason why my rice making skills end at risotto.  I let the paella do it's thing, paced around, cleaned, organized, prepared, stared at it, set the table...let's just say, good thing I had plenty to do to take away from just wanting to stir it.  When it seemed like the stock was half-way soaked through, I began to assemble the calamari rings, shrimp, peppers and peas to make it really pretty.  When it seems almost totally cooked through, I took it off the heat and covered it, knowing it still had a couple of hours before service.  Me and Liza organized, finished up some odd jobs, and soon enough, the guests arrived!

The Table is Set, I was going for a "gothic" Barcelona theme

The place setting and Shadow of the Wind menu and discussion questions

First Course: Chorizo & Manchengo, Roasted Pepper & Boquerone and Jamon Serrano & Manchengo on Pan de Tomate

 The guests arrived and took their seats, and I poured them a glass of cava.  They toasted, got to know each other, and then I presented them with the first course.  These were some of my favorite little bites, or Pinxtos as they're referred to, in Barcelona. 

Everyone seems to be enjoying their pinxtos

 The next course was the Bacalao and Potato mash, and I served it with some mashed up avoacado and lemon, a very refreshing course on such a hot day.  My guests approved of my change, since originally they were going to be fried croquettes.  It was a good change!

Second Course: Bacalao & Potato Mash with Lemony Avocado

Third Course: Paprkia-Roasted Potato and Camarones al Ajillo with Romesco Sauce

I was very happy with how the romesco sauce turned out, it was very cool and refreshing, and went very well with the potato and shrimp.  This dish was simple, easy and delicious.

The Paella!  I was very pleased...

Fourth Course: Paella served w/ mussels steamed in butter, wine and herbs

Don't you wish this was you right now?

I just like this picture.  I like to see my guests immersed in food and discussion!

The coconut flan

 So, after the success of the Paella, the next stomach churner was to see if the flan would look good and hold up once free from the pan.  Liza and I had over 24 hours to dwell on this, but, as you can see from the picture, everything turned out fine.  Thanks Liza!

Cocnut Flan with Chocolate Toast and Raspberries

 The chocolate toast was fine, not anything to go crazy for, but the flan everyone loved.  I'm not the biggest dessert person, so I don't always get what the big deal is, but people were definitely loving the flan! 

The Aftermath

So, the night came to a close, everyone was full, a little tipsy and they needed to go to work in the morning.  I have to say they were very satisfied, they loved the food, they discussed Shadow of the Wind (almost) the whole time, so I too was very satisfied.  They were great guests, and although I was stressed at some points, I'm already looking back on it as a very successful Astoria Book and Supper Club meeting that will actually be hard to beat.  I mean, Shadow of the Wind is a pretty awesome book, and Barcelona is a very tasty place!