R-E-S-P-E-C-T

On a brisk, sunny Sunday, Mark and I left our cozy little maisonette in the Garden District of New Orleans and headed into the French Quarter on the St. Charles Streetcar.

We had a few destinations in mind - Frenchmen Street, the French Market, Café du Monde, the Faulkner House Book Shop... and then just walking up and down Royal Street listening to the small but infinitely varied jazz combos playing in the street.

I had it in my mind to find the place to get a muffaletta sandwich, a New Orleans tradition. I heard that the place to go was at the French Market so we wandered in... There were so many food places that it was overwhelming. I didn't see any muffaletta stands, either.

But, as we stood there, we realized we were in front of a really nice looking place called Meals From the Heart Café. (The perfect Valentine's weekend post, eh?) The food looked good; it smelled good; the staff appeared warm and friendly. We bellied up to the counter and placed our order.

Meals from the Heart - perfect for your Valentine! (Photo: Mark Sammons)
Now, this could have been like any number of eateries in NOLA. But it wasn't. There was something distinctly different about the food coming out of the kitchen. It took us a while to figure it out. Aha! ... there was a salad on our plates! In the four days we had been in the city, we hadn't see a lot of vegetables anywhere, and certainly not a green salad!

We struck up a great conversation with the owner - Ms. Averill Doucette Lazard. She confirmed what we had been thinking... People in New Orleans don't eat a lot of salad. And hers was good, too - really fresh greens and ripe red tomatoes.

I love my cast iron Arizona skillet! Thanks Susan and Appy!
Her crab cakes were wonderful, too - fresh and full of crab. She promised 95% crab meat and she delivered. She told me the only ingredients in her cakes were blue crab - always fresh, never frozen - scallions, some bread crumbs and egg.

Respect. That is what Averill has for her food, the city, and culture. She was as gracious to her employees as to her customers: direct, honest, watchful, courteous. And that made for a wonderful dining experience, improbable as that may seem when perched on stools in a crowded market house. Additionally she told us of a few places not to be missed, one of which is Willie Mae's Scotch House. Best fried chicken ever!! If you go to Willie Mae’s, make sure you have the butter beans as your side. Heaven!

Today's recipe is for crab cakes - served just as Averill served them: on an English muffin (hers was whole wheat) and topped with a poached egg. Like hers, the rémoulade sauce is served on the side. And don’t forget an abundant and colorful salad!

Next time you are in NOLA, make sure you get to the French Market and take a meal with Averill at Meals From the Heart. You will have no regrets. And let her know I sent you!

~ David

Crab Cakes

1/2 pound best-quality crabmeat
1 cup fresh, fine bread crumbs, divided
1 egg
2 scallions, chopped 

Louisiana Rémoulade sauce, for serving (recipe follows)

Mix the crabmeat, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, egg and chopped scallion together with a fork, being gentle so that you keep large chunks of crab.

Place remaining bread crumbs on a plate.

Divide crab mixture into four equal parts. Make four patties and dip both sides in the bread crumbs; firm the patties and place them on a plate.

Place a well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium-high heat (Note: Arizona State-shaped skillet otional... sadly, we didn't have the Louisiana-shaped skillet), add a teaspoons of olive oil, and fry crab cakes 3-5 minutes per side, until crispy and golden brown.

Serve with remoulade sauce (recipe follows) or on an English muffins topped with a poached egg, with remoulade sauce on the side.

Makes 4 crab cakes.

Louisiana Rémoulade

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chili sauce
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (click link for homemade recipe)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped green olive
1 tablespoon chopped celery
1 teaspoon capers
1/2 teaspoon salt 


Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Keep refrigerated.

Makes a heaping cup of rémoulade.

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