Nut

When we first conjured up the notion of this dessert, we weren’t sure if people would go for the chocolate and basil combination in the mousse. But apparently everyone else dug the combination—the basil’s minty quality freshens up the chocolate taste—as much as we did: we couldn’t make these fast enough. When the scorching Crescent City summer rolled around, the kitchen got so hot and humid that the meringues wouldn’t bake properly (they need dry heat to crisp up), so we had to take them off the menu. We still like to make them from time to time when the temperature finally decides to drop.

I learned this recipe when I spent the summer in the kitchen of the Hotel Sofitel in Paris, some twenty-five years ago. Roland Durand, the chef, graciously accepted me as a stagiare, or apprentice, and I was able to work in all sections of the kitchen, including the butcher shop and bake shop. I love this cake for its texture, which is moist and rich-looking but very light, and for its versatility. It goes with so many different things, but it’s also delicious all by itself. I like to dress it up with a Pistachio Crème Anglaise and some raspberries or tart cherries.

If this recipe looks too daunting at first blush, you might consider making it in stages. The syrup for the praline mousse can be made two days in advance, and the cake can be made the day before the dessert is assembled. Or tackle just the cake the first time, and serve it with some strawberry jam and a little whipped cream on the side. Then imagine how good (and beautiful) the cake will be with the mousse on the inside. I prefer to assemble the roulade in the morning and give it all day to get moist and flavorful in the refrigerator. Some sliced ripe strawberries or peaches send it over the top.

These cakelike cookies are so irresistible that we sold zillions of them at Spice Inc., and I still have to make them about twice a year for my friend Daniel when he gets a craving. Although pumpkin tends to suggest fall, these moist, spicy cookies can—and should—be made all year round.

This is the classic almond macaroon. Bet you can’t eat just one!

This dish’s vibrant, savory sauce is my version of muhamarra, a mildly spicy and slightly fruity Turkish red pepper condiment. It is easy to prepare and goes great with just about any grilled meat or fish (or with thick slices of grilled eggplant). Pole-caught yellowfin tuna is a good sustainable choice; its meaty texture and flavor stand up well to the thick pesto-like puree. Swordfish would be a good alternative, cooked the same way as the tuna. A green vegetable, baked or grilled eggplant, or rice pilaf would make a great side dish.

One of my first memories of New Orleans was gathering the pecans off the ground at the naval base where my father was stationed, then sitting around a table with my family at night, watching Adventures in Paradise and shelling the seemingly bottomless pile. We had nutpicks, silver utensils with curved sharp tips, for digging out the tiny pieces of shell trapped in the crevices of each nut meat—talk about tedious! But I was always proud to have the cleanest and choicest halves to offer up for my mom’s approval. I was surprised when I went to France to cook at the jazz festival in Nice and learned that I had to bring my own pecans to make pecan pie (the nuts are not indigenous there)! It followed, then, that I would use local nuts to create this New Orleans rendition of the more classic Trout Amandine.

This pretty, rich-tasting pesto enhances simple grilled fish or meats (try it with grilled chicken thighs). You might also consider serving it on an antipasto platter rolled up in strips of grilled eggplant, or tossed with small balls of fresh mozzarella called bocconcini, or “little mouthfuls.”

Adapted from The Royal Oak Restaurant and Pub. I fell in love with this creamy sauce when I first tasted it back in 1970 at the Royal Oak Pub in New Orleans, owned by Mr. and Mrs. John Newsham. They used to serve it with fried eggplant, and it is one of those texture and flavor combinations that I will never forget: the crisp eggplant nestled into the nutty, garlicky puree (as thick and luscious as butter-cream). Later, when I became a chef, the Newshams were big supporters of my career and even shared with me two of their family recipes, including this one, after Mr. Newsham passed away. I will always be grateful to them for the many food memories, and for their kindness.

This is one of the all-time most popular dishes we have ever created at Bayona. It was the brainchild of another former sous chef, Scott Freer. He had the original idea (duck and peanuts, who knew?), and we tweaked the various components until one day, after tasting the latest version, everyone just stood there silently, grinning in a Duck PBJ reverie. The cashew peanut butter can be made well in advance, as can the grilled onions. However, for super-crisp freshness, the Apple-Celery Salad is best when thrown together right before serving.

This salad was a customer favorite at Spice Inc. It’s best with buckwheat noodles, but it can also be made with somen (wheat) noodles or even spaghetti. This is a great salad to eat all summer long.

This is a crisp and pleasing salad that gives you a chance to show off the subtle, clean-tasting apples you can find in the fall and winter, such as Macoun, Braeburn, or Gala (though it’s great with tart Granny Smith apples any time of year). It gets a mellow richness from Comté, a high-quality Swiss-style cheese that’s made in France, and the nuttiness of the cheese is echoed by the hazelnuts. (Walnuts would be a fine substitute, however.) I frequently use apple cider for the basis of sauces and dressings, because it’s lightly fruity but still fairly neutral, so it blends well with lots of different things. When cooked down or reduced, cider gets almost syrupy, which gives body as well as flavor to the dressing.

This irresistible combination of pungent and sweet flavors—figs, blue cheese, walnuts, and deeply flavored sherry vinaigrette—explains why this house salad flies out the door at Herbsaint.

I created this recipe after tasting Italian chestnut honey. It has a haunting, slightly bitter flavor that might not be for everyone. But for me it was a revelation, not unlike the first time I tasted arugula or an artichoke. Up to that point, honey was honey. But this honey smelled as earthy as a barnyard—I went running through my restaurant having people taste and smell it. In this dressing, I pair it with the rich, nutty flavor of brown butter, which mellows the honey’s sharp edges. Because of the brown butter, this dressing works best with a warm salad. Try it with diced roasted butternut squash; thick slices of grilled onion alongside roasted chicken; or a lightly wilted spinach salad with bacon, apples, and chopped hazelnuts.

These lend a spicy bite to just about any green salad, particularly Crispy Smoked Quail Salad with Bourbon-Molasses Dressing (p. 127). But they’re also a delicious snack to serve with any of the killer cocktails in the last chapter.

In this dish, the garlic tops serve as a roasting rack for the chicken. The garlic bottoms are then flipped halfway through the cooking time, to soak up the juices. Serve with toasted slices of French bread, if desired.