In Season

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Sarah Baker Hansen

Now that the farmer’s markets are in full swing — well, they are starting this weekend — I’ve got a new series running each Wednesday in the World-Herald called In Season.

The first one ran last Wednesday, and it’s about overwintered spinach, a crop you’ll likely see at this weekend’s markets. Each week from now until the end of the season, I’ll be talking with local farmers, chefs and food lovers about what produce and products they are excited to cook with. We’ll find out how people eat seasonally, what they cook in their own kitchens and how to cook with local food in our own homes, whether we shop at the farmer’s market, the neighborhood grocery store or get a Community Supported Agriculture box dropped on our front porch each week.

If Omavore readers have questions about how to prepare a specific seasonal food or want help identifying something they found at a market or in a CSA box, email it to me at sarah.hansen@owh.com or comment on this post.

And in the meantime, check out what to do with that overwintered spinach here.

Photo courtesy of marcussamuelsson.com.

 

Posted in Cooking, In Season, Omaha, OWH Extras | Tagged , , , , , |

Eating for a Half-Marathon

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Sarah Baker Hansen

My husband and I are running the Lincoln Half Marathon this Sunday. This is our fourth one, so we know what to expect by this point. After the months of training and finishing two 12-mile runs, we’re as prepared as we can be. But even so, we wanted to try and eat right this week, to get our bodies as ready as we can for the long run. We’ve been abstaining from alcohol (mostly) for the past month or so and we’re off it completely this week.

This morning I spent some time reading and I’ve planned a few days of dinners for this week. I had a hard time finding any sites that offered a weeks worth of dinners and also recipes, so I decided to make my own.

Tonight, we’re going to dine on leftover Chinese food (salt and pepper tofu, pork and eggplant stir fry, garlicky bok choi and rice.) But the rest of the week I’ll be making dinner at home. If you wanted to follow suit and make Asian the first night of the week, I suggest a visit to one of my favorite food blogs, Appetite for China.

There’s salmon, asparagus and couscous on the menu one night. There’s turkey meatballs with penne pasta, two versions of twice baked potatoes to be served alongside either pork or grass fed beef and a one-pot quinoa and chicken dish with garlic, pine nuts and raisins.

I’ll share all the recipes and photos below. Are you running the Lincoln half or full marathon? What are your week-before-the-race diet tips? Share in the comments.

Credit for photos one and two.

Broiled Salmon and Asparagus, via Everyday Food

Ingredients
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus 1 lemon cut into wedges
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
4 skinless salmon fillets (4 to 6 ounces each)
1 pound asparagus, trimmed
1 cup couscous
Salt

Directions
Heat broiler with rack 6 inches from heat. Whisk together soy sauce, lemon juice, and sesame oil.
On a rimmed baking sheet, arrange asparagus and lemon wedges and brush with sauce. Broil 3 minutes. Add salmon to pan, brush with sauce, and season with salt and pepper. Broil until asparagus is tender and salmon is opaque throughout, about 6 minutes, rotating pan, brushing salmon and asparagus with sauce, and flipping asparagus halfway through.
Meanwhile, bring 1 1/4 cups water to boil. Stir in couscous and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with fork. Serve salmon and asparagus with couscous, drizzled with remaining sauce.

I just bought a big bag of potatoes, so I found a two ways to make them twice baked, my favorite way, this week.

Twice Baked Potatoes, the healthy way, via A Cozy Kitchen

Ingredients
1 large russett potato, scrubbed clean
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Salt and Pepper
2 tablespoons of greek yogurt
Splash of milk (optional)
1/2 tablespoon of chives, chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped

Directions
Using a fork, puncture several holes all over the potato. This will ensure that it won’t explode as it cooks. Place the potato on a microwave-safe plate and rub with olive oil and top with salt and pepper. Cook, on high, for 10 minutes.
While the potato is cooling, add the diced zucchini to a microwave-safe bowl, a teaspoon of olive oil and salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes.
When the potato is slightly cooled, using a knife, slice off the top, lengthwise and scoop out the potato guts into a small bowl. Add the yogurt and splash of milk and mash until nice and creamy. Fold in the chives and zucchini. Add salt and pepper to taste. (Note: I added a good amount of salt until I was satisfied.)
Add the mixture back to the potato skin and cook in the microwave for another 2 minutes.

Super-Fast Twice Baked Potatoes with Creamy Mushroom Spud Sauce, via Runner’s World

Ingredients
3 large potatoes, washed, dried, and pricked all over with a fork
1/2 tsp olive oil, plus 3 tbso olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
3/4 cup vegetable stock
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 pound baby bella mushrooms, sliced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried tarragon
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp thin-sliced scallion greens

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack in middle position.
In a microwave-safe bowl, toss the potatoes with the half teaspoon of oil, the salt and pepper and microwave on high for 8 minutes.
Transfer potatoes to a baking sheet (ideally one with raised sides) and bake until tender – about 30 minutes.
Let the potatoes cool slightly, then halve and scoop out the flesh into a medium bowl leaving enough potato to form a sturdy shell. Gently mash the cooked potato and set aside.
Meanwhile, microwave the stock, milk and mustard in a microwave-safe cup until steamy (3 to 4 minutes).
Heat another 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large griddle pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté until the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms are golden brown. Stir infrequently at first and season lightly with salt and pepper at the end – it should take 6 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and tarragon and sauté for a minute or two until fragrant.
Turn the mushroom mixture into a medium bowl and then add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the empty pan. Whisk in the flour, and then the hot milk mixture, simmering until the sauce thickens, which will take about a minute. Whisk in the Parmesan before stirring the mushroom mixture back into the sauce.
Toss the mashed potato with half of the mushroom sauce, seasoning to taste. Place the potato shells in a baking dish and divide the filling equally between them. Top with the remaining sauce and the scallions.
Bake until warmed through, about 12 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil until golden brown, about 3 minutes longer.

Pasta is a half marathon runner’s best friend. 

One Pot Penne with Turkey Meatballs, via Runner’s World

Ingredients
8 garlic cloves (3 whole, 5 minced)
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup crumbled saltines
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 large egg
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup olive oil
4 slices prosciutto, chopped
1 cup red wine
2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
1 pound penne pasta

Directions
Heat a skillet on medium-high. Add the whole garlic cloves; toast 5 minutes. Remove, then smash and mince. Break up turkey in a bowl. Mix in feta, saltines, oregano, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Combine the egg, toasted garlic, and tomato paste; mix into the meat until thoroughly combined. Form into 24 meatballs. Heat oil over medium in a large pot. Add meatballs and brown on two sides; transfer to a plate. Add minced garlic and prosciutto to the pot; saute until garlic is golden. Add wine; reduce by half. Add tomatoes and enough water (about 1 cup) to thin the sauce. Bring to a simmer; add meatballs and cook (loosely covered) 15 minutes. Add 6 cups of water and remaining 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a simmer. Add penne; cover loosely and cook, stirring frequently, until pasta is tender (15 minutes). Uncover and simmer until sauce thickens. Serve, sprinkling each portion with feta.

I love quinoa, and to turn this one into a full meal, I’ll add shredded chicken or cubes of tofu.

Quinoa With Garlic, Pine Nuts and Raisins via The Food Network

Ingredients
1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup raisins
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions
Place the quinoa in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until toasted, about 2 minutes. Add 1 3/4 cups water (or use low-sodium chicken broth) and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until the liquid is absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, about 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a skillet over medium-high heat, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add the olive oil and garlic to the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer the garlic to the plate, reserving the oil.
Fluff the quinoa with a fork. Add the pine nuts, garlic, reserved oil, parsley, raisins and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and toss.

Posted in Cooking | Tagged , , , , , , , |

Chicken Potato Curry

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Sarah Baker Hansen

I wasn’t really planning to blog about the chicken curry I made for a work pot luck today, and that’s why I only have one, sad photo to share that doesn’t do this dish much justice at all.

I know that crock pot season is coming to an end in most parts of the world, but yesterday in Omaha was cold and dreary and it just felt right to bring out my crock pot one last time to make something warm and savory. Today it’s sunny and warmer and so this will probably be my last wintery post of the season — fingers crossed.

Luckily, though, this curry is pretty light and works for spring, especially if you add some fresh green vegetables at the end and sub the potatoes for another more springy vegetable, if you wish.

I started with a recipe I found on Martha Stewart’s website, and after reading some of the comments changed the recipe pretty drastically. I’ll try and add a better photo of the curry in its finished state tonight, after I eat the leftovers for dinner.

edit: My dinner.

Chicken and Potato Curry, adapted from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
  • 3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, cut into chunks
  • 2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced
  • 16 garlic cloves, or about one head of garlic, thinly sliced
  • 20 thin slices peeled fresh ginger (from a knob about two inches long by two inches wide)
  • 2 tablespoons Madras curry powder
  • 2 tablespoons Sweet curry powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • Coarse salt
  • 1 packages frozen green peas (16 ounces)
  • 1 can unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup chopped cashews (optional, for serving)
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves (optional, for serving)
Directions
  1. In a 5-quart slow cooker, toss chicken, onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder, coriander, and cumin to coat. Season with 2 teaspoons salt. Cover, cook on high setting until chicken is fork-tender, about 4 hours (do not uncover while cooking). Transfer chicken to a large bowl; shred with fork. Return to pot; toss with sauce.
    Note: at this point, if you want to make the dish ahead of time, you can refrigerate it overnight. I did and the flavors had time to mingle, which I think made for a better dish in the end.  If making this in advance, reheat the curry in the slow cooker for at least two hours, then proceed to step two, or reheat in the microwave for a faster end result.
  2. Stir in coconut milk and peas; cover, cook until peas are heated through, about 20 minutes. Depending on your slow cooker, this may take longer. Mine was not entirely hot again after 20 minutes. Plan accordingly.
  3. To serve, garnish with 1/2 cup toasted cashews and 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves.
Posted in Cooking, Pot Luck | Tagged , , , , , , , , |

Spring Giveaway

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Sarah Baker Hansen

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway. The contest is now closed. Congratulations to the winner, Dianna Calvert!

I am so ready for it to be spring; I think we all are. So in the hopes of making it get here a bit quicker, and because its Friday, and because it’s been such a long and draining week, I’m doing a giveaway. Hooray! (Ok, that was totally half-hearted. But the giveaway is pretty cool.)

Earlier this week, Trudeau sent me a big box of kitchen tools, and I’ll be giving them all away on the blog over the coming month. I’ve also picked out three seasonally appropriate cookbooks.

The Trudeau “Toss and Chop” is like a big pair of scissors that cuts vegetables — even tomatoes, it says. Everyone probably needs one of these over-the-sink cutting boards in the summertime. Trudeau makes this one, which has a removable strainer.

For cookbooks, I threw in three new releases: “The Four Season Farm Gardener’s Cookbook” by Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman, who are some of the world’s foremost organic gardeners; Southern Living’s “Little Jars, Big Flavors,” which puts a modern spin on canning; and “Fresh” from Better Homes and Gardens, which teaches home cooks how they can bring farm-to-table eating and seasonal eating into their own homes. The value of this giveaway is more than $100, making it one of the larger ones I’ve done.

How to enter: Follow me on Facebook (facebook.com/omavore) and Twitter @SBHOWH and leave me a comment on this post or at one of the social networks telling me What you are most excited to eat this spring.

(I was excited to eat the kale I planted in my garden, until some critter ate it.)

I will choose a random winner next Wednesday, April 24. Good Luck!

This post is not sponsored by any of the companies. I was provided with the books and prizes by the companies free of charge.

Posted in Cookbooks, Cooking, Giveaways, Omaha | Tagged , , , , |

Review: Brix Midtown Crossing

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Sarah Baker Hansen

The short form: The dish above was one of the best things I’ve tried so far in 2013, and so my expectations were high while I was eating at Brix’s new location, in Midtown Crossing. The restaurant is still uneven — I had problems with a short rib dish and especially with a red wine hollandaise sauce, but there’s lots of good to be had. And there’s also a fun atmosphere and, of course, those wine machines, which I never get tired of.

http://www.omaha.com/article/20130419/GO/704199987/1181#good-picks-at-brix-in-midtown-wine-classic-dishes

Baked brie appetizer

Spinach salad with poached egg and bacon viniagrette

Flatbread appetizer

Beef short ribs

Bruschetta pasta

Florentine eggs Benedict

Posted in Omaha, OWH Extras, Restaurant Reviews, Restaurants | Tagged , , , , , |

Review: Kobe Japanese Steakhouse

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Sarah Baker Hansen

The short form: I was in New Orleans when my review of Kobe Steakhouse came out, so that explains the delay in posting it here. The experience of eating at a hibachi grill is like no other — I found myself having fun in spite of the spectacle. Most of the food we ate hot of the hibachi was quite good. The sushi, on the other hand, not so much. But diners don’t go to Kobe for sushi, they go there for flames and music that comes from spatulas and lots of meat and seafood. If they’re willing to pay the price, which is high, that’s most certainly what they’re going to get.

http://www.omaha.com/article/20130329/GO/703299979/1189#review-kobe-s-steak-house-is-master-of-flash

Vegetables off the hibachi, above, and chicken and lobster, at top

Calamari

Yummy roll, Godzilla Roll and Omaha roll

Las Vegas roll

Posted in Omaha, OWH Extras, Restaurant Reviews, Restaurants | Tagged , , , , |

One man’s matchbooks

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Sarah Baker Hansen

Today in the World-Herald Matthew wrote a great column about one man’s collection of matchbooks that celebrate the rich history of Omaha restaurants.

I was lucky enough to go along with Matthew when he met Rich Yost and his wife, Kim. And I brought my camera, because it’s not every day that a man who owns 208 matchbooks from restaurants invites you over to take a gander.

What I loved about Rich’s collection was that it revealed his wife’s and his tastes in restaurants - diverse, to put it mildly. There are fancy restaurant matchbooks. Matchbooks from buffets. Matchbooks from places that were trendy in the 1980s when I was an Omaha kid that I remember my parents talking about.

See: The Neon Goose, Gallagher’s, A Sidewalk Cafe and Bombay Bicycle Club.  I ate at the Bombay Bicycle Club once and remember loving it for reasons I can’t recall now. It might have just been the name, which still strikes me as rather glamorous. I drew on paper tablecloths at the Neon Goose.

Rich doesn’t discriminate on what kind of restaurants he took matchbooks from. See: Runza Hut, Rax and Lum’s. (I also took these photos for my friend Brad, who might love old-school Omaha even a bit more than I do.)

Rich’s matchbooks capture the history of old Omaha steakhouses, many now gone.

There were places I’d heard of — V. Mertz — and places I hadn’t — Reuben’s, Stuart Anderson’s and Nasr’s, the place Rich and Kim had their very first date.

There was the place I went with a group of girls for a homecoming dance in the mid-1990s.

And the place my husband and I went on our first date and later got engaged, the French Cafe.

See anything that jogs your own memory? Let me know in the comments. And special thanks to Rich for letting us visit and letting me photograph his matchbooks.

Posted in Omaha, OWH Extras, Restaurants | Tagged , , , , , |

New Orleans: Stuff we did

Posted on March 29, 2013 by Sarah Baker Hansen

Right after our plane landed in New Orleans last week, we dropped luggage off at our hotel and headed straight to the Maple Leaf Bar to hear some music, courtesy of the Rebirth Brass Band. I’d never seen a bar so packed or a crowd so into the music as that crowd was. And the music was great — I’m glad to say it was my first (and hopefully not last) brass band experience.

We did a lot of walking around the city. Signs like the one above were all over the French Quarter. Next time I’m in New Orleans, I hope to learn more about the city’s history — it seems fascinating, and it’s older than any other city I’ve been to in the U.S.

I really loved the street markers on every corner in the Quarter.

There’s surprising architecture everywhere. This building is right outside the Sazerac Bar.

Snapped on the sunny/shady patio at Napoleon House on a lovely afternoon.

The ladies’ room door at the Hermes Bar inside the legendary Antoine’s Restaurant. If you go, be sure to peek into the dining room. It’s remarkable.

Picture of Matthew taking a picture of a towering General Robert E. Lee monument.

A gorgeous old tree in Louis Armstrong Park and the entrance to the park at night.

We checked out a few art museums — the Contemporary Arts Center and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. We saw worthwhile exhibits at both — I particularly liked a show that included Mardi Gras Indian costumes worn on the show “Treme” and the photographic work of Deborah Luster that explored violence in New Orleans. Both were on display at the Ogden. At the CAC we saw an installation organized by the creators of the film “Beasts of the Southern Wild.”

Scott snapped this photo of us at the CAC.

We didn’t do a ton of shopping, though I particularly enjoyed meeting the friendly house cat at the Louisiana Music Factory.

I did get myself one souvenir — a vintage Bakelite bracelet circa 1930s that I found at a random antique store in the quarter. Couldn’t leave without it.

Next week, back to normal food programming here. Thanks for reading about our trip. Hope you enjoyed reading the posts as much as I enjoyed writing them.

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New Orleans: What we drank

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Sarah Baker Hansen

Two of my favorite cocktails — the Ramos Gin Fizz and the Sazerac — are New Orleans originals. You know I had to sample them, along with a bunch of their distant craft cocktail cousins, in the Big Easy.

The Sazerac Bar inside the historic Roosevelt Hotel is absolutely gorgeous. It’s like stepping into a pre-prohibition time machine. And the drink I had there was, no contest, the best example of a Sazerac I’ve ever tasted. It was incredibly smooth and balanced — don’t worry, I consumed two during the trip (though not on the same night — those things are no joke.)

I also loved the glasses the bar used to serve the drinks. So pretty.

I took a couple of videos of our bartender making the round of drinks. (Also, I’m on that new app Vine. Follow me there under Sarah Baker Hansen if you are there, too.)

At the Napoleon House, where we ate Muffalettas, I had a Pimm’s Cup, which is the house specialty. You can get the recipe they use here, though I tend to agree with their disclaimer: If I made one at home, it probably wouldn’t taste the same as it did when I drank it on their sunny patio.

The Carousel Bar inside the Hotel Monteleone is one of those “is this really happening?” experiences. This carousel ride — very slow carousel ride — is definitely adults only. Installed in 1949, the Carousel Bar’s 25-seat bar turns on 2,000 large steel rollers, pulled by a chain powered by a one-quarter horsepower motor. Patrons circumnavigate at one revolution every 15 minutes — we timed our revolution, as good investigative journalists would. It took us 14:35 to swirl around once. While we did, I had a glass of wine and Matthew tried their version of an Old Fashioned, complete with swizzle stick. How retro.

Here’s a panoramic I took of the bar, with the carousel on the right and the pretty bar area to the left. Click for a bigger view.

One afternoon we stopped into Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop, which has been continually operating as a tavern in the same building since around 1722. That makes it the oldest bar in the U.S. The website says there’s no electricity in the bar, but that’s not quite the case — there were big-screen TV’s playing the NCAA tournament and a jukebox playing 90s rock, though there were no proper lights, only candles. It was appropriately stinky, though, and when I ventured back toward the ladies’ room it was pitch-black dark, so there’s that. And the bar’s version of a Pimm’s Cup wasn’t too shabby, either.

Arnaud’s French 75 Bar was super stylish. Originally an area”for gentlemen only” when the restaurant opened in 1918, the French 75 Bar has been re-imagined into a very current craft cocktail and cigar bar.

I didn’t snap a photo of the French 75 I drank at Arnaud’s, but suffice to say it was good.

I only had one Ramos Gin Fizz the whole trip (Can you believe it? I sort of can’t.) It was during dinner post-French 75 Bar at Sylvain, and it was proper. If you’re not familiar with the Ramos, you can read one of my posts about it here and learn how to make one here. Get your cocktail shaking arm ready before you start. Just a fair warning.

No post on imbibing in Nola would be finished without a few photos from a midnight stroll down Bourbon Street. It’s an experience, that’s for sure. And no, we didn’t partake in any bead-catching or acts of love. Just gawking.

Tomorrow: Sights we saw and stuff we did in Nola.

Posted in New Orleans, Restaurants, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

New Orleans: What we ate

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Sarah Baker Hansen

Eating in New Orleans is serious business. I knew this going into my vacation last week, and as I downloaded my photos and reviewed my Instagram account, it became pretty clear that food was indeed the main thing we did during our four days there. Though I didn’t take photos of every meal, I took a lot. So today, we start with food.

The first stop on our first morning was totally cliche but also one hundred percent necessary: Cafe du Monde.

Beignets are as good as they look. I couldn’t really tell a huge difference in the coffee with chicory until I had an iced one a couple days later. Drinking the milky cafe au lait cold brought out the slight bitter, tangy flavor of the chicory that I really enjoyed. The cafe was packed even on a rainy morning, which made for great atmosphere.

We hit Napoleon House — open since 1797 — for muffaletta sandwiches. Again, it was as good as it looks. The building’s first occupant, Nicholas Girod, was mayor of New Orleans from 1812 to 1815.  He offered his residence to Napoleon in 1821 as a refuge during his exile. Though Napoleon never made it, the name stuck and now it’s a landmark. The tapanade on this sandwich was as good as it gets and a seat on the patio is worth it even if there is a wait.

On our second night for dinner, we had gulf oysters at Pascale’s Manale, in Uptown, which is famous for its barbecued shrimp. I was more excited about the oysters, though. Diners stand in a counter in the lobby where a man shucks oysters in front of you and hands them to you in the shell. I ate more than my fair share.

The oysters were delicious — and enormous. In Nola, you slide your oyster onto a saltine cracker topped with a mixture of hot sauce, horseradish and Worcestershire sauce. When in Rome, do as the Romans. An oyster on a saucy saltine is better than I’d have imagined.

I also tried a local favorite, Oysters Rockefeller. Created at the legendary Antoine’s restaurant in Nola, Oysters Rockefeller has been around since 1899 and its said the chef who originated the dish took the recipe to his grave. The topping on the baked oysters is green, but the locals say spinach isn’t in there. Primary ingredients are rumored to be parsley, pureed and strained celery, scallions or chives, olive oil and capers. Whatever is in there, it’s tasty.

Another must-do on our list was Cochon. James Beard winning Chef Donald Link and co-chef and owner Stephen Stryjewski are working with locally sourced pork, fresh produce and seafood, focusing on traditional methods and creating authentic flavors of Cajun country.

Pork, pork and more pork. Above, cabbage braised pork cheeks with radish, cucumbers and field peas. Below, Louisiana cochon with turnips, cabbage, pickled turnips and cracklins. And below that, and oyster and bacon sandwich.

Of course, we tried Cochon’s version of Mac and Cheese, which did not disappoint.

We ventured into Treme to try James Beard-winning, Food Network-approved fried chicken at Willie Mae’s Scotch House. Worth the hype? Absolutely.

Tender, juicy chicken met the flakiest fried chicken crust I think I’ve ever eaten. Seriously good. That’s Matthew’s mix of mac and peas above. I took the waitress’ advice and got the butter beans, which were mind-blowing.

We also ate at some restaurants serving more contemporary cuisine, including Sylvain, where I had a delicious burger, and SoBou, where I had a savory beignet that was more like a hush puppy, though I liked the atmosphere.

We also hit three John Besh restaurants: Domenica, which served great pizza and homemade mozzarella; Lüke, a brasserie that will remind Omahans of midtown’s Dario’s; and The American Sector, which is in the city’s World War II museum and serves an amazing bananas foster milkshake.

Tomorrow on the blog: What we drank.

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