A few weeks ago, my love affair with New Orleans got a little deeper when I experienced lunch at Commander’s Palace, one of the city’s Creole institutions. Of course I was overjoyed when one of my group members lent me his Commander’s cookbook. Paging through it, the first thing that really jumped out at me was the Eggs Basin Street. It’s a high-class spin on red beans and rice. You take leftover rice, self-rising flour, eggs, and milk, and make rice fritters. Then you top them with poached or fried eggs and New Orleans-style red beans.
I finally made this yesterday, and it’s good. Set-your-fork-down-between-bites-to-savor-it good. Smile-because-you-get-to-eat-the-leftovers-all-week good. I will have to keep it in mind for the far-off day when I have people over for brunch in my fabulous grown-up apartment.
