New Orleans is a place of seasons. Mardi Gras. Abita Strawberry. Football. Perhaps it is the fact that we can’t have everything all the time – just sometimes, when the time is right – that we appreciate these seasons so. With the arrival of September, the start of autumn lurks just around the corner. This weekend, grab a snowball from Hansen’s, and wish summer – and those outrageous Entergy bills – farewell. Until next year, that is.
Ani on Frenchmen
Righteous babe Ani DiFranco will play a solo acoustic show at the Blue Nile tonight at 9 p.m. DiFranco, a feminist icon and resident of the Garden District, will continue her four-gig series at the Nile with shows September 17, and October 1 and 15. Cost: tickets are $15 and available in advance here.
Soul Sister’s Birthday
Soul Sister is, undoubtedly, my favorite DJ in New Orleans. Tonight, get down with the self-proclaimed “queen of rare groove” in celebration of her 35th birthday at the Airline Skate Center in Metairie. Hit the pre-party at 9 p.m. at New Orleans Original Daiquiris (6201 Airline Drive) then head to the rink to bounce and skate (simultaneously?) from 10:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. DJ Brice Nice and the Booty Patrol Skaters will be on hand, and I heard a rumor that there will be cupcakes. Cost: $8 party admission includes skate rentals.
Market Right
After a hiatus during the months of July and August, the Freret Market returns this Saturday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Held the first Saturday of the month, the market boasts local artisans, pet adoptions, tasty food and live music. Major Bacon will play at noon, Anais St. John is on at 1:45 p.m. and COOT wraps it up at 3:30 p.m. Cost: free.
Welcome Euclid
The freshly unveiled Euclid Records is throwing a grand opening celebration this weekend. Hailing from St. Louis, Euclid has chosen our own Bywater neighborhood as home to store number two. On Saturday and Sunday, the party will begin at noon and feature barbeque from Pearl Kitchen and the following musical lineup:
Saturday
- Tom McDermott
- Blind Texas Marlin
- Happy Talk Band
- Meschiya Lake and The Little Big Horns
- Susan Cowsill Band featuring Brian Henneman
- Guitar Lightnin’ Lee
Sunday
- Susan Cowsill Band featuring Brian Henneman
- Kindest Lines
- Felix
- R. Scully and the Rough Seven
- Mountain of Wizard
- MC Trachiotomy
House Party
OpenHouse music knows how to throw a party. After an epic Independence Day bash, OpenHouse is bringing another celebration to Mid-City (219 S. St. Patrick Street) for Labor Day. The party will start early, so plan on arriving at 5 p.m. for music from The Blue Party, Dirty Bourbon River Show, Sun Hotel, Booty Trove Brass Band, DJ YRS TRULY and more. Please wear all white or seersucker, per the request of the hosts. Cost: $10, which includes food and beer.
By: Catherine Root
The other night, I was hosting happy hour when my guests and I started talking about the beloved, somewhat-disgusting-but-completely-delicious dishes from the past. You know, the kinds of things you see in 1970s cookbooks. My friend offered to make us dinner—something that she called “frickadilly.”
I’m pretty sure “frickadilly” is actually frikadeller, officially some sort of Danish meatballs. What I ended up eating was MSG-seasoned turkey in a cream of mushroom soup sauce over white rice. And it was frickin delicious.
Now, the frickadilly, that’s my friend’s down-home recipe, not mine. Mine, if you can believe it, is even more vile-sounding: a spread of cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, pecans, onions, garlic, and strawberry preserves. Oh, but you think I’m kidding.
It’s called a Cheddar Carousel, and it comes out of my mom’s favorite cookbook put out by the Junior League of Kansas City. It’s been a mainstay at every Christmas I’ve ever celebrated. I’ve never been brave enough to serve it to guests in my own home. What if it’s a Midwestern thing?
Of course, when my friend told me that she was bringing over frickadilly, I knew it was my shot. After all, we had a theme: disgusting-delicious recipes from old cookbooks. Opportunity knocked, and I opened the door.
And… I never should have doubted. It was a hit. From my somewhat-embarrassed home to yours, here it is:
Cheddar Carousel
- 1 lb. block of sharp or extra-sharp yellow cheddar
- ¾ c. mayonnaise
- 1 c. chopped pecans
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Dash of cayenne pepper OR ½ t. hot sauce
- 1 c, strawberry preserves
- Grate the cheddar cheese. It’s important to grate your own, instead of buying pre-grated cheese. Pre-grated cheese doesn’t taste as fresh, and the moisture level isn’t as high, which means that the cheese won’t stick together as well in its mold. Besides, it only takes five minutes to grate cheese.
- Combine the grated cheese, mayonnaise, pecans, onion, garlic, and cayenne or hot sauce in a medium bowl. Press into ring mold and chill thoroughly. If, like me, you don’t have a ring mold, you can improvise. Put a small ramekin in the center of your serving plate, and use a rubber spatula (or two) to form the spread into a wreath-shape around the ramekin. Press hard to mold it together completely. Cover tightly with Pam-sprayed plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 45 minutes to an hour.
- After the dish has chilled, remove the ring mold OR the ramekin, and pour strawberry preserves in the center. Serve with crackers or mini-slices of pumpernickel bread.
Believe me, despite how off-putting this dish sounds, it’s fantastic. It’s amazing how savory dishes in particular work that way.
Note that I said savory dishes. While I was happy to host so-bad-it’s-good night, I definitely didn’t want to end up with a so-bad-it’s-bad dessert. If you find yourself debating whether to preserve the kitsch or the flavor of your meal, always choose flavor. To that end, we served the perfect dessert: simple, homey, and served with vanilla ice cream.
Apple Betty
- 5-6 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
- Approx. 2 c. orange juice and 1 c. sugar OR 2 c. orange soda
- ¾ c. sugar
- ¾ c. brown sugar
- Cinnamon and nutmeg to taste (add it by the tablespoonful)
- 2 sticks of unsalted butter
- 1 ½ c. flour
- Put the apples in a large dish. If you are using orange juice, sprinkle ¾ c. sugar over apples and add enough orange juice to cover. If you are using orange soda, add enough to cover (no sugar necessary). Let sit at least 1 hour. Set oven racks at middle and lower-middle positions.
- Grease a 9×13 baking dish and preheat the oven to 350. Combine flour, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cut butter into sugar, either with (a) a food processor, (b) a pastry cutter, or (c) two knives. Quit when the mixture is in pea-sized clumps. If your dough ends up too wet, add a little more flour.
- Drain the apples. Lay a thin layer of apple on the bottom of the prepared dish, cover with a layer of pastry. Repeat at least two other times. On the final layer, be sure to cover all the apples completely—seal them in with pastry. Place betty on middle rack, and place an empty baking sheet underneath to catch falling juices. Bake at least one hour until your kitchen smells amazing and betty is golden-brown and bubbling at edges. Serve immediately, or do ahead and reheat at 250 until fragrant.
Did you know that people with a bachelor’s degree earn nearly a million dollars more in a lifetime than people without one? Yes, that’s right. College is good for more than keg stands and beer bongs. In New Orleans, only about 26% of the population over 25 holds a bachelors degree. The College Admissions Project is out to raise that number, and needs your help. They’re looking for people to assist high school juniors and seniors in the college application process.
Do you remember college searches, applications, visits, and the always-dreadful essays that still haunt your dreams? This can be a pretty painful task for someone enrolled in the 9-hour New Orleans high school days. Having someone who’s been through the process before to point you in the right direction can be incredibly valuable.
Looking to get your foot in the door to become a teacher or community organizer perhaps? This is a great opportunity to work one-on-one with someone who needs your help. Work hands in our community, help someone succeed, and gain meaningful experience. What are you waiting for? Sign up to volunteer now.
For info visit: http://www.collegeadmissionsproject.org/
Cate on 
