Half of New Orleans was without power on Tuesday, its sewage system was damaged and authorities said it was too soon for evacuees to go home, but the low-lying city breathed a sigh of relief after escaping a direct hit from Hurricane Gustav.

Has the New Orleans restaurant industry fully recovered? There was a nice profile in the New York Times that examined the current state of the dining scene in the Crescent City. It sagely points out that a significant turning point has transpired: for the first time since Hurrican Katrina ocurred in 2005, the New Orleans Times-Picayune has given a formal restaurant review to Mr B’s Bistro.

The Times article also describes the central role that food played in the hurricane recovery effort, most notable how some chefs rode into town in pickup trucks filled with red beans and rice. The local restaurant industry is clearly on the rise since there are are 105 more restaurants than before the storm. However, owners are facing problems in finding qualified workers to staff their new eateries due to the city’s diminished population.

We at 86 Recipes applaud the rebuilding efforts of the restaurants in New Orleans and encourage all readers to pay them a visit.

Congrats to Chef Brian Landry of 86 Recipes Participant Galatoire’s for winning the Louisiana Seafood Cook-Off this past weekend.  Chef Landry will advance to the Great American Seafood Cook-Off in August.

The winning recipe was Sauteed Cobia with Louisiana Crab Butter. 

For a copy of the recipe see Judy Walker’s article at: http://blog.nola.com/judywalker/2008/05/galatoires_chef_wins_right_to.html

Enjoy!

We are looking forward to tonight’s NBA playoffs as the defending champs, San Antonio Spurs visit the Bayou and take on the upstart New Orleans Hornets in an enticing sudden-death Game 7. This is a classic matchup of Old vs. New as the veteran squad of Tim Duncan & Co. bring their 4 championship rings to Chris Paul and his team of young gunners…should be must-see TV. Inspired by this game, we at 86 Recipes take a look at both of these fantastic food towns. The Alamo City may boast some of the best Tex-Mex in world, but it also offers some delicous options in Barbeque and Soul Food. However, Tex-Mex is still the king, and, when you visit the Riverwalk, you definitely should sample some queso flameado, carne asada, chili relleno, menudo, enchiladas, and chalupas. Now, we all know that the Crescent City is the epicenter of creole standards such as gumbo, jambalaya, shrimp remoulade, beignets and the ever-so-tasty mufuletta. However, you can also find some other interesting offferenings in the Big Easy (yeah, we are going all out with city nicknames)…so, when you are exploring the French Quarter and its surroundings, try some Italian, Asian or Latin American. Do you have an opinion in the the San Antonio vs. New Orleans food debate? By the way, we are pulling for the Hornets tonight just because the Spurs need to share the wealth.

Here is a fantastic recipe for Corned Beef Hash…perfect for a Mother’s Day brunch! This recipe is courtesy of LeRoy & Aurora Bautista at Refuel Cafe in Carrollton from the 86 Recipes New Orleans Editon.

Corned Beef Hash

4 Servings
Time: 30 Mins

INGREDIENTS

HASH AND EGGS
1 lb medium red potatoes, skin on, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 lb cooked corned beef, sliced into thin strips
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
8 large eggs (optional)

HASH AND EGGS
1 Preheat oven to 350°F.
2 Sauté potatoes in butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat, stirring, until lightly browned, about 3 mins. 3 Add onion, bell pepper, tarragon and parsley and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, about 3 mins.
4 Stir in corned beef. Add salt and pepper to taste and place into oven while preparing eggs.
5 In a separate nonstick skillet, prepare eggs to your desired doneness; sunny side up is recommended.

PRESENTATION
Remove hash from oven, distribute evenly on 4 plates, place two eggs atop each portion.

Mother’s Day is coming up…have you made plans yet for her special day? Well, if you live in New Orleans, why not treat her to one of these great restaurants for brunch?

Or, you can always cook for her yourself. Try this great recipe from the New York Edition.

Lorin Gaudin, Editor of 86 Recipes New Orleans, visited Jazz Fest last week and gave a culinary review. Her favorites dishes included a Shrimp Macque Choux, as well as Dark chocolate covered strawberries. Sounds delicious!