No restaurant delivers New Orleans’ kick-up-your-heels exuberance quite like Commander’s Palace where, on any given night, you’ll find owners Ti Martin and Lally Brennan (sometimes accompanied by a full brass band) trailing feel-good Cajun pixie dust as they work the Victorian mansion’s seven dining rooms. In classic “haute Creole” dishes like shrimp-and-tasso Henican, pecan-crusted Gulf fish, crawfish boil quiche and decadent bread pudding soufflé with whiskey sauce, you’ll sample culinary conviviality as Chef Tory McPhail blends flavors from France, Spain, the Caribbean, and the American South. Here, creole seasoning is king. McPhail recommends adding the kick to grilled meats, fish, and vegetables with a Creole marinade or elevating a grilled hot dog by sprinkling Creole seasoning into whipped butter and spreading the mixture inside of hot dog buns.
Recipe (Makes about 2 cups)
1/3 cup salt
¼ cup granulated or powdered garlic
¼ cup freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons dried cayenne pepper, or to taste
2 tablespoons dried thyme
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1/3 cup dried paprika
3 tablespoons granulated or powdered onion
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Pour mixture into a large glass jar and seal airtight. Keeps indefinitely.
In France, salads and vegetables seem so refined, thanks to a delicate dance of acidity that renders humble produce the star of a plate. The key? A creamy, Dijon mustard-infused vinaigrette. Chef Christian le Squer of three Michelin star Le Cinq, in Paris, takes it a step further. He uses two types of oil—olive, and a neutral one—to balance the flavor, and infuses aromatics (say, tarragon for roasted fish, basil, garlic and herbes de Provence for lamb) to create a link between the main dish and accompanying vegetables.
Recipe
1 egg yolk
2 spoons Dijon mustard
2 spoonfuls red wine vinegar
3 spoonfuls olive oil
3 spoonfuls grape seed or canola oil
Whisk together and add a bit of water if consistency is too thick.
Labneh from The Setai in Tel Aviv, Israel
Since ancient times, this thick yogurt cheese—a cross between mascarpone and cream cheese—has been a mainstay of Middle Eastern cuisine. It is is a breakfast staple, smeared on fluffy pita and piled with tomato and cucumber. Topped with za’atar, it’s the go-to ingredient to amplify roasted vegetables or a tangy accompaniment to fish kebabs. At The Setai in Jaffa, guests lounge on the ocean-facing terrace enjoying Chef Shay Dayani’s mezze platter, lemony, pistachio -studded labneh with flatbreads, falafel, olives, crudite and dolmas.