Happy Birthday, Drew Brees! Sunday, January 15, 2012

Alas, the Saints will not be coming to Indianapolis for the Super Bowl this year.  It would have been so cool to see my hometown team in my current town – not that I would have actually gone to the game, of course, but I might have caught a glimpse of Voodrew Breesus at the temporary practice field at University of Indianapolis, just a few blocks away from our house.  At any rate, although my heart is heavy, he’s still our hero, and I’m looking forward to next year with the Saints at the Superdome for Super Bowl XLVII!  Geaux Saints!  Who Dat?!  Voodrew Dat!

Osso Buco with Parmesan Polenta

Meanwhile, I will console myself with Osso Buco tonight, and the fact that tomorrow is a holiday.  It seems that I’m experiencing a temporary anhedonia when it comes to cooking.  I can’t seem to work up much enthusiasm for the process these days.  I will rally today, though, and put on my chef’s hat and apron.  It’s unbelievably difficult to find a real butcher in Indianapolis these days, and when you do, the selection of meat is very limited.  I have not been able to find veal shanks anywhere until yesterday at Fresh Market, on the way home from our semi-annual trip up north to Trader Joe’s for supplies.  After re-stocking our kitchen cupboard, we went to our little slice of Louisiana heaven for lunch up in Carmel; if you haven’t been to Mudbugs, you need to get there pronto.  Owned by Abbeville, LA natives Roy and Belinda Leblanc, Mudbugs serves the real thing.  We’ve been there twice now and had the oyster poboy dressed with remoulade sauce; it’s a little different from an oyster poboy in New Orleans, but it combines a couple of classic items in a different way that results in a mouthful of heaven.  Their chicken sausage gumbo is as good as any I’ve had anywhere in Louisiana, including gumbo I’ve made.  Yesterday I tried the daily special: Crawfish corn chowder.  It was yummy.  We’ve also tried the red beans and rice, and let me tell you, it puts YATS to shame.  When I talked to Roy about Louisiana food and told him I detected cumin in the red beans and rice at YATS, he replied, “What was he smoking?” 

Yesterday I was wearing my Saints sweatshirt, and when we walked in, the young lady at the register exclaimed, “Drew Brees!”  She ran back to tell her father that there were Saints fans in the house.  I considered it all a part of drumming up some mojo to help Voodrew Breesus and his incredible teammates win the game.  It didn’t work out that way, but I did find my veal shanks on the way home at Fresh Market.  That’s a good thing. 

Happy New Year/end of the world!

Black-eyed peas, cabbage and roasted beets

Happy New Year, peeps!

Derek and I have had a low-key holiday season this year, the first since 2007 that we didn’t go to New Orleans to be with family and old friends, so I was a little sad and homesick.  We’ve had some fantastic meals, though, and spent some time with our great Indianapolis friends.  2011 was a rather hectic year with a lot of changes that I hope to assimilate this year.  I’m not big on resolutions, since I tend to sabotage them.  As one of my dear New Orleans friends once said, and absolutely without irony, “I can’t make a commitment to anything I can’t divorce myself from.”  That’s kind of how I feel about resolutions. Having said that, I do have some intentions, one of which is to take better care of myself.  It shouldn’t be at all difficult to improve since I haven’t been doing it at all!  Another is to write more often.  I enjoy it and it stimulates the creative part of my brain that’s been in retirement for a while now. 

So here’s to a new year and a new chance.  Now on to some of the great things we’ve been cooking.

Rack of Lamb

Derek cooked a rack of lamb for the two of us for Christmas dinner.  I made creamed spinach and Brandy Milk Punch, which we forgot to drink.  I set the table with our new Dollar Tree $1 plates, candles and a poinsettia.  On New Year’s Eve he made jambalaya for the party at James’ and Shelley’s house, and I wasn’t feeling well, so I didn’t go and forgot to take a picture.  I will say this: Derek’s jambalaya is as good as any I’ve had in Louisiana, and better than most. 

Yesterday I made the requisite black-eyed peas and cabbage, accompanied by some oven-roasted beets.  I don’t know what they’re supposed to bring you in the new year, but if it’s anything that’s the color of beets, I’ll be happy.  Tonight Derek is making a Nicoise Salade with fresh grilled tuna.  I love it and always feel healthy when I eat it, so it’s a good way to start what is likely to be a grueling week at work. 

Happy New Year, peeps, and I wish you all the best of life this year and every year.