Cookbook Thursday: 'Southern Comfort' soup

Looking for a nice winter soup to warm the insides. How about butternut squash soup with spiced creme fraiche? Here’s a recipe from “Southern Comfort: A New Take on the Recipes We Grew Up With” by Allison Vines-Rushing and Slade Rushing, a husband and wife team in New Orleans. The two opened two acclaimed restaurants in New Orleans and Slade Rushing now heads up the newly revamped Brennan's in the French Quarter. The cookbook was a 2013 James Beard Award finalist.

Butternut Squash Soup with Spiced Creme Fraiche

From “Southern Comfort: A New Take on the Recipes We Grew Up With”

3 pounds butternut squash

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 cups sliced shallots

1/3 cup smashed garlic cloves

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

1 spice purse (1 bay leaf, 1 thyme sprig, 1 star anise, 4 whole peppercorns wrapped in cheesecloth and tied closed with kitchen string)

1/2 cup white wine

1 tablespoon sugar (optional)

8 cups of vegetable stock

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated licorice root (optional)

Spiced Creme Fraiche, for accompaniment (sour cream may be substituted)

            Directions: To roast the squash, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. With a vegetable peeler, remove the skin from the squash. Carefully cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out and discard the seeds. Place the squash on a baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Roast the squash until it is soft and caramelized, about 30 minutes.

            To make the soup, in a large soup pot over medium heat, melt the butter and then add the shallots, garlic, salt, white pepper, and spice purse. Cook until the shallots are soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and cook until the mixture is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the squash, sugar, stock and cream. Cook until all of the flavors meld together, about 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the spice purse and season with the cinnamon, nutmeg and licorice root.

            Puree the soup in a blender, being careful not to overload the blender with the hot soup. (Before turning on the machine, be sure the lid is tightly secured and covered with a towel to prevent the hot mixture from escaping.)

            Strain through a fine strainer and serve with spiced creme fraiche.

Spiced Creme Fraiche

1 cup creme fraiche

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Directions: Whisk all ingredients until smooth.

Cheré Dastugue Coen is the author of “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History,” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “Exploring Cajun Country: A Historic Guide to Acadiana” and co-author of “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets.” She also writes Louisiana romances under the pen name of Cherie Claire, “A Cajun Dream” and “The Letter.” Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.

Best books of 2015

Some Louisiana books and those written by Louisiana authors were chosen for best book lists of 2015. They are:

“Katrina: After the Flood” by Gary Rivlin was named one of New York Times’s 100 Notable Books of the Year, 2015 and one of NPR’s Best Books of 2015.

            “My Sunshine Away” by M.O. Walsh, was one of NPR’s Best Books of 2015.

“Lafayette in the Somewhat United States” by Sarah Vowell was one of NPR’s Best Books of 2015.

“Welcome to Braggsville” by T. Geronimo Johnson was one of NPR’s Best Books of 2015 and one of the 10 Best Books of 2015 by the Washington Post.
            McNeese State University alumnus and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Adam Johnson’s “Fortune Smiles” was named one of New York Times’s 100 Notable Books of the Year, 2015 and one of the notable fiction books of 2015 by the Washington Post.

Cheré Coen is the author of “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History,” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “Exploring Cajun Country: A Historic Guide to Acadiana” and co-author of “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets.” Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.

Two fun Louisiana popular fiction titles out now

Looking for some great popular fiction reads, especially if they’re set in Louisiana?

Ellen Byron may hail from New York City and live in Los Angeles but she nails South Louisiana in her debut “Cajun Country Mystery” set on the River Road between New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

In “Plantation Shudders,” Maggie Crozat has returned home from New York following a nasty breakup, helping her parents run the family plantation bed and breakfast in the small town of Pelican, Louisiana. It’s August, which means the summer festival Fete L’ete is in full swing and visitors to the B&B include a group of women known as the Cajun Cuties, a family from Australia, rabid newlyweds, Georgia fratboys and a tall drink of Texan water.

            Naturally, there’s a murder. An elderly couple expire during a thunderstorm blackout with the woman’s death ruled a homicide. Police Chief Rufus Durand is all too happy to see scandal at the Crozat Plantation; there’s a myth that the Crozats put a curse on the Durand family years ago. Thankfully Durand’s cousin from Shreveport, Detective Bo Durand, is more level headed — and good looking, which helps Maggie bounce back from her love problems.

            It’s a fun and fast-moving cozy mystery with a heavy dose of Louisiana flavor that doesn’t make Louisiana readers’ eyes roll. Byron attended Tulane and did her homework, so the people and their personalities feel authentic. There’s lots of drinking and good eating, for instance, and Byron includes recipes in the back. Some of the details, such as the bakery Fais Dough Dough, are pretty good ideas.

            Byron is a TV writer, playwright and freelance journalist. Here’s hoping there’s more Louisiana cozies in her future.

***

            Adelaide McCauley takes a bad fall and receives a head injury, so doctor and family insist that the elderly photographer move out of her house in Wedding Tree, Louisiana, and into the care of her son and partner. Before she makes the life-changing move, she and her granddaughter Hope Stevens must sort through her decades of things cluttering her house.
            The weeks of this process make up “The Wedding Tree,” the latest novel by Robin Wells of New Orleans. With each box comes a story by Adelaide, reaching back to World War II New Orleans, lost loves and the pain that followed and a woman’s hopes and dreams. Meanwhile, Hope, who’s between jobs and recovering from a painful divorce, finds her heart rekindling love with the widower next door, along with his two adorable children.

            Library Journal said of the book: “Sympathetic, memorable characters, a touching story, gentle humor, and evocative writing.”

New releases

Southeastern Louisiana University English Professor Norman German has published a new collection of short stories, “Dead Dog Lying,” published by UL-Lafayette Press. a series of stories placed along the I-10 corridor from New Orleans to Texas. Many of the characters in the stories take their names from towns along the corridor, such as Elton, Jennings, Iota, Cecilia and Henderson. A native of Lake Charles who earned his doctorate from the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now University of Louisiana at Lafayette), German is the author of several other works, including “A Savage Wisdom,” a reconstruction of the life of Toni Jo Henry, the only woman executed in Louisiana’s electric chair; and the baseball novel “Switch-Pitchers,” copies of which reside by special request in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Book news

McNeese State University alumnus and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Adam Johnson has been awarded the 2015 National Book Award in fiction for his short story collection, “Fortune Smiles.” This award — one of the nation’s most prestigious literary prizes — is given in the categories of fiction, nonfiction, poetry and young people's literature by the National Book Foundation. Flannery O'Connor and William Faulkner are among the many critically acclaimed writers who have won the award. Winners receive $10,000 and a bronze statue.

The collection features six novella-length stories and confronts themes of imprisonment, illness and loss, technological surveillance and the struggle of sympathizing with the morally abhorrent. The stories take place throughout the world, from Louisiana to Palo Alto, Calif., and from Germany to South and North Korea.

Johnson graduated from McNeese’s Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program in 1996. In 2013, he won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction with his novel, “The Orphan Master’s Son,” set in North Korea. His other books include the “Emporium,” a short-story collection, and the novel, “Parasites Like Us.” His fiction has appeared in Esquire, Harper's, Playboy,Paris Review, The New York Times and Best American Short Stories. Johnson is currently the Phil and Penny Professor of Creative Writing at Stanford University, where he teaches courses in fiction and creative nonfiction. He earned his doctorate in English from Florida State University.

Cheré Dastugue Coen is the author of “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History,” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “Exploring Cajun Country: A Historic Guide to Acadiana” and co-author of “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets.” She also writes Louisiana romances under the pen name of Cherie Claire, “A Cajun Dream” and “The Letter.” Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.

Cookbook Thursday: Oyster dressing by Leah Chase

We’re deviating from reviewing cookbooks this week, offering a fabulous oyster dressing recipe by Chef Leah Chase perfect for your Christmas dinner. This recipe comes via the Louisiana Travel web site and Louisiana Kitchen and Culture Magazine. Chase, owner of Dookie Chase Restaurant in New Orleans, is known as the “Queen of Creole cuisine.”

Photo Louisiana Kitchen and Culture Magazine

Holiday Oyster Dressing by Leah Chase

2 pints fresh oysters in liquid

1 pound ground round

10 slices day-old white sandwich bread

3/4 cup water

2 sticks butter

1/2 cup diced onions

1/2 cup diced celery

1/4 cup diced green bell pepper 

1/4 cup diced red bell pepper 

2 tablespoons minced garlic 

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves 

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper salt to taste 

1/4 cup chopped parsley 

2 whole eggs, beaten 

3/4 cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs 

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain oysters, reserving liquid and coarsely chop. Break bread into 1-inch cubes and place in large mixing bowl. Add oyster liquid and 3/4 cup water. Allow bread to soak until water is absorbed.


In a large cast iron skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add ground meat and stir constantly until golden brown. Ground meat should be well-browned, 15-20 minutes. Add onions, celery bell peppers and garlic.  Saute 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are wilted. Add bread, any remaining liquid from bowl and chopped oysters. Blend well into vegetable mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, for approximately 15-20 minutes. Season to taste using thyme, cayenne pepper salt and parsley.
 Pour mixture into mixing bowl. 

Stir and cool slightly, 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beaten eggs, blending quickly into warm mixture to keep from scrambling. Pour mixture into 9 x 13-inch baking pan and top with breadcrumbs.  Bake until golden brown, approximately 30 minutes. Serves 6 to 8.
            Chef's note: Leah Chase suggests placing the bread slices on a cookie sheet covered with clear wrap one to two days prior to making this stuffing or use day-old or stale bread.

Cheré Dastugue Coen is the author of “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History,” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “Exploring Cajun Country: A Historic Guide to Acadiana” and co-author of “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets.” She also writes Louisiana romances under the pen name of Cherie Claire, “A Cajun Dream” and “The Letter.” Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.