I have eaten so, so much since the last time I typed this newsletter: boudin balls and an oyster po boy and a cochon de lait tostada and the best tiny slices of garlic bread at Commander’s Palace. There was a hurricane at Pat O’Brien’s and several pints of Canebrake, the best beer that’s only sold in Louisiana. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg. I love New Orleans. I dream of living there someday, and I think its positive effect on my mental health really does cancel out the physical toll.
… chicken with 40 (or 20, or some other absurd number) cloves of garlic. This is one of my favorite winter dinners. When I have the time to do it right, I use this New York Times Cooking recipe, which is adapted from the 1991 cookbook “American Gourmet.” It’s a shockingly simple set of instructions with a shockingly abundant quantity of garlic — but I promise, all that allium cooks down and mellows out and is positively lovely.
Sunday night, I made this slow-cooker variation, which includes cannellini beans. It was really good, albeit different, from the original and is absolutely worth making on a day when you don’t have time to do much in the way of actual cooking.
Next time I’m craving this dinner, I’m going to try Ina Garten’s version.
… a rose apple tart. To be clear: I haven’t yet. And remember how I confessed my ineptitude at plating? Well, sometimes I worry that extends to all food aesthetics, and I have to remember that I do often bake nice-looking things. So the fact that I’m even considering making one of these is a real triumph of confidence. I hope to have the will do to so this week. And if I don’t, you should — now, or for Thanksgiving, or for some other celebration. They’re beautiful.
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