Frozen Food Frenzy!

By Eugene Lawrence, 12th grade

Can you imagine a grocery store without a frozen food section? Whether you’re a young adolescent or business person, frozen food is often the most convenient and economical option. In an informal survey of family and friends, more than half of them said that they eat frozen food or dinners three or four days a week. This may be a surprise for some, but in today’s world, frozen dinners are vital to American life.

According to the Library of Congress’ Everyday Mysteries website, frozen foods were initially developed for air travel. “Maxson Food Systems, Inc. manufactured the earliest complete frozen meal in 1945. Maxson manufactured “Strato-Plates” – complete meals that were reheated on the plane for military and civilian airplane passengers.” By the 1950s, the TV dinner had been introduced to grocery store consumers. Since then, the frozen food industry, has only expanded and improved. As of today, this industry grosses over 4.5 billion dollars per year.

Some frozen food products can be healthy and authentic, but many tend to be over-processed. Because these foods are frozen, various salts, and excessive ingredients are added to keep them fresh overtime. This means frequent consumers are vulnerable to high levels of sodium and higher rates of obesity.

Obviously, convenience is what makes frozen food products attractive to the consumer.  An example of a successful frozen food is the Hot Pocket, which is made of crispy bread stuffed with various ingredients. They can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Hot Pocket introduced their product in 1983 and today it accounts for 700 million dollars of the 4.5 billion dollar industry.

When asked about his favorite microwaveable food, Junior Kevin Spears, stated, “Them fish sticks be rollin’” [sic].  Spears was referring to Gorton’s Crunchy Breaded Fish Sticks brand. Other popular frozen food items include Totino’s Pizza Rolls, Lean Cuisine, and even TGIF’s own line of meals. All of these foods are tasty, quick, and easy to prepare, but remember to always take your health into consideration. Essentially, eat frozen foods in moderation.

 

Chad’s Bistro: More than a Meal

By Nick Person, 12^th Grade

                Chad’s Bistro, a family run Italian restaurant, is a little treasure hiding in plain sight on West Esplanade and Causeway. Drivers zooms by every day without noticing it, but inside, you’ll find a relaxing atmosphere to enjoy some classic Italian food with your family or friends. This isn’t going to be a restaurant review, but a story of how and why this restaurant came to be.

                In 2005, two brothers, Chris and Sal Organo, opened up Chad’s in memory of one of their youngest cousins, Chad Barcia, a senior at De La Salle High School. Chad was a member of the football team, the track and field team, as well as the rugby club. He was also a member of Campus Ministry. On March 29, 2005, during a rugby game, he fell to the ground and died. The cause of his death was an undetected heart ailment. Chad’s family members started a foundation to have a defibrillator at all school functions and to supply the necessary protective gear; they call it the Chad Barcia Athlete Awareness Foundation.

                The two brothers were in the process of building a restaurant when Chad passed away, so they decided to name it in his honor to keep his memory alive.

               At Chad’s Bistro, you can find his football jersey hanging up when you walk in the door. It is a reminder to all to enjoy life and the family and friends that you have. So, if you are ever out with your family and they ask where you’d like to go eat, I suggest Chad’s. It’s more than just a great meal.

              Chad’s Bistro is open for lunch and dinner Sunday-Friday, 11 am – 10 pm. Saturday 5 pm – 10 pm and is located on 3216 W. Esplanade, ph: 504-838-9935.

A Rodeo of Flavor: Billy Bob’s Smoke House Keeps it Western on the West Bank

 

By Austin Doyle, 11th grade

        

        Walking into Billy Bob’s in the Fountain Park Center on the West Bank, you are immediately greeted with the tantalizing aroma of the various smoked meats. From the exterior, it looks like an upscale restaurant, but walk inside and you are transported into a smoke house, complete with Western décor. There are cacti throughout the lobby and various taxidermy mounted on the walls. We are seated toward the back near the giant bull’s head, (just in case you forgot you were in a BBQ restaurant), and my adventure in the smoke house begins.

        For an appetizer, I start with an order of Buffalo wings, which are tangy rather than spicy. For a drink I ordered a sweet tea which was perfectly sweetened. Other appetizer options are a delicious navy bean soup, Texas toast, onion rings, and a bowl of chili.

       Like many BBQ establishments, Billy Bob’s uses plastic. In fact, everything is disposable: the utensils, the plates, even the cups. This seems like a waste.  It would be a miracle if they haven’t had any calls from environmentalists.

       For an entrée, I ordered a pulled pork sandwich. I was surprised to find that the sandwich did not have any sauce on it. The brisket was delicious. It was tender and the sauce it came with was great. Among the other entrée options are a half chicken, ribs, and sliced pork. You can make it a platter with two sides or choose two meats with one side.

       At Billy Bob’s you have choices: The sauce bottles are labeled Bourbon, Original, and Spicy. I first tried the original, and found that it was more seasoned than the average sauce. The Bourbon sauce tasted more like traditional BBQ sauces. 

       The service was exceptional. The food did not take too long to come out. If my drink got close to half empty, the waiter promptly refilled it. 

       Fountain Park Center holds a “Festival Friday” once a month where they hold a free concert. Billy Bob’s would be a great stop on a Friday night to kick-start the weekend.

 

 

Crackberry a.k.a.The Pinkberry Phenomenon

By Blake Reimmuth, 12th Grade

I never thought that I would ever find my true love—that is until the day I tried Pinkberry. The creamy texture, the bold taste, the fresh toppings; everything about it was absolutely amazing. I still remember the intense ecstasy I felt after my very first bite, so intense that I had goose bumps.

There are currently two Pinkberry locations in New Orleans. The first is located Uptown on Magazine Street across from Whole Foods, and the second is located on Canal Street near Harrah’s Casino. Both are equally good, although the Magazine location is a slightly larger space.

Pinkberry offers a variety of flavors which include Original, Chocolate, Mango, Coconut, Pomegranate, and the current seasonal flavor: Blood Orange. Every few months Pinkberry replaces the current seasonal flavor to match a fruit that’s in season. Pinkberry also only uses entirely organic ingredients. My absolute favorite flavor was watermelon in the summer; it was truly an explosion of watermelon flavor that made me want to live in a watermelon forever. In the fall, a pumpkin flavor was introduced, which in my opinion is a very close second to watermelon. It tasted like a frozen yogurt version of your grandmother’s pumpkin pie.

The two New Orleans locations are currently serving two different seasonal flavors. The Magazine location features Blood Orange, whereas the Canal location has Green Tea. Both flavors are quite delicious. I recommend that you have your Pinkberry Attendant mix the Green Tea with Original; the Green Tea flavor is more subtle that way.

Pinkberry can be ordered in a variety of ways. There is a perfectly sized cup for you depending on just how much you would like to have: Mini, Small, Medium, Large, and if you would like to take some Pinkberry home with you, there’s even a Take-Home size. Pinkberry also offers cones, fruit parfaits, fruit bowls, and smoothies. After selecting your size, you’ll have to choose from a colorful cornucopia of fresh fruit, toppings, and sauces. Strawberry, kiwi, chocolate chips, pomegranate puree’, mochi, graham crackers, berries…I could go on and on.

Pinkberry is also home to some of the best service I have ever received in my life. Every time I enter either Pinkberry location, I’m greeted with friendly smiles and “Hi, welcome to Pinkberry! How may I help you today?” The staff will always go out of their way to make each and every customer satisfied with their Pinkberry experience. Want to try a flavor before you commit to it? They’ll give you a sample. Want to take your Pinkberry home, but afraid it will melt? They’ll bag it up real nice with ice. Not satisfied with your order? Let an attendant know and they’ll swirl you up an entirely new one. I am such a frequent Pinkberry customer that I’m now on a first name basis with some of the attendants. Shout out to Chelsea at the Canal location!

Cherry Berry, Tutti-Frutti, and others are decent, but they don’t even belong in the same food group as Pinkberry. For those of you who haven’t treated your taste buds to a party, you are seriously neglecting them and need to get some Pinkberry ASAP. I promise you won’t be disappointed. If you are disappointed, I will personally put your mouth up to the spout of the Pinkberry machine and make you ingest Pinkberry until you explode! I would also like to take this opportunity to say, “Hi, my name is Blake Reimmuth, and I’m addicted to Crackberry.” Hopefully after reading this article, you will be too.

 

Fuji Hana

 

By Cody Pilotte, 12th Grade

In comparison to other sushi restaurants on the Westbank, the four-year-old Fuji Hana could be considered a four-paw establishment. It’s ideal for a date night with that special someone.

I visited Fuji Hana in January in hopes that it would be as good as my usual sushi picks, Café Zen or Little Tokyo. Upon entering the restaurant, I was immediately seated without any hesitation from the hostess. I expected the place to be cluttered like other Hibachi grills, but the layout is surprisingly spacious. For standard menu items, there’s a main dining section of tables and booths. In another area, only separated by five foot walls, there’s a sushi bar and a rather large section of Hibachi grills. Flames were flying and customers were giggling around all the different Hibachi Grills. “Definitely a good place to bring the kids,” I thought to myself. Not two minutes after being seated, a waiter came with menus and asked about drinks.

Like most casual sushi fans, I went straight to the special roll menu.  It’s rather lengthy. They offer the standards, but then two rolls in particular caught my eye: The Hawaiian and the Filet Mignon. I also ordered a regular crunchy roll and a crawfish roll.

It seemed as if the waiter was spying on me. As soon as I would get about halfway through my iced tea, I was getting a refill. Then, between fifteen and twenty minutes after ordering, he delivered the goods:

Hawaiian Roll

Big flavor. With the first bite, my taste buds were overwhelmed with the sweet and spicy chili sauce on the Tuna and Escolar. The gorgeous eight piece layout (four pieces in two rows) showed the chef’s attention to artistic presentation.

Filet Mignon Roll

A very successful mixture of tender beef and seafood in my opinion. Piece after piece, it was like biting into a sea of flavors as it engulfed every one of my taste buds. The tender filet, marinated with a secret sauce, is cooked on top of a snow crab roll, topped with scallions, roe, and a sweet sauce. Again, Fuji Hana lived up to its aesthetic reputation with an impressive eight-piece special roll. I definitely recommend this one to everybody.

Crawfish Roll

This was your basic eight-piece roll, no special sauce or toppings. Nothing about this roll was aesthetically pleasing nor was the taste that pleasing. When I ordered it, I expected a flavorful seafood sensation, but unfortunately it was a letdown. The roll itself was very bland and I would not suggest it.

Crunchy Roll

This is your typical snow crab filled rice roll that you can find at any sushi restaurant. Just like all other crunchy rolls, it sends your taste buds on an adventure while they try to determine what that distinct flavor really is. Nothing was  unique about it but I would still recommend it.

Fuji Hana gets four paws on account of the great service, creative special rolls, and beautiful arrangements of their food. So, the next time you’re on the Westbank and looking for a good meal or even a spot for a first date, give Fuji Hana a try.

1130 Behrman Highway Terrytown, LA 70056

 

 

Dubus and Jojo’s Wild N’ Crazy Recipes

By Joseph Gray and Richard Dubus, 12^th Grade

Next year, when you’re on your own, you will at some point crave mom’s cake or Mekdessi’s Heavenly Hash.  Instead of attempting to make it yourself, you’ll probably just go for some fattening, expensive, and unhealthy.  Well, we’re here to share a few easy recipes that you might actually attempt.

Cereal Suicide

You’ve got five half-eaten boxes on top of the fridge, but you’re tired of them all. With a Cereal Suicide, you can experience all of the different and wonderful flavors at once, making something unique and wonderful every time you add a new flavor to the mix.

-Every type of cereal that you have in your pantry

-Milk

 

Pour an even amount of each cereal into the bowl.  Add milk.  Caution: Your mind may be blown.

How to Properly Eat Fruit

Whenever you eat fruit, don’t you feel like you’re missing something?  Perhaps it’s just the way you’re eating. You just need to add a little chocolate.

-Sliced up fruit (bananas, pineapples, and kiwi work best)

-Chocolate Syrup

 

Place fruit on a piece of wax paper.  Drown the fruit in chocolate syrup.  Place it in the freezer overnight.  Wake up the next day and enjoy a chocolate covered miracle.

Jobus Runaway Pig

We didn’t think any other country loved bacon as much as we do, but on a recent reporting trip to England (using Google), we discovered an English favorite using bacon and prunes.  Yes, that’s right, prunes.  I know that some of you may not like prunes, but you must remember one of the simple facts of life: anything with bacon is good. 

-Bacon

-Prunes

-Nacho cheese (Our own twist! Or substitute with any cheese, really)

 

Wrap the prunes in bacon, stick a toothpick through them, and throw them on the grill. Dip the creation into nacho cheese.  Gain weight and love life.

Ice Cream on the Go

If you’re like us, you’re probably tired of eating plain old solid ice cream. And in college, you probably won’t  have time to sit down and eat it. We have a solution for your on-the-go lifestyle.  You can now eat ice cream while running, driving, (maybe not driving), in class, in the hot tub, even while you’re skydiving!  On second thought, don’t do this while skydiving.

Ingredients:

-Melted Ice Cream

-Chocolate Syrup

-Various Ice Cream Toppings

-Put in a bottle and go!

 

Butter Cake of Death

This family recipe calls for four sticks of butter. What else do you need to know?

 

-4 sticks of butter (only if you dare)

-McCormick Almond Flavor

-3 Cups of Flour

-3 cups of sugar

-5 egg yolks

 

Mix all of the ingredients well with a mixer.  Then bake for one hour. 

 

*More like ideas. Warning: The nutritional content of the following items are questionable. 

 

 

Senior Daniel Berlier: Kitchen Prodigy

By Brandon Bourgeois, 12th grade

     Most of you should know senior Daniel “Danny” Berlier; he’s been here since 8^th grade, after all. What you may not know is that we are also cousins, as much as he tries to deny it.  Recently, Danny invited me (his favorite cousin) to come visit him at his workplace, Ristorante Filippo’, on West Napoleon in Metairie. Danny has been working there since his 10^th grade year, but he did not become the sous chef until the beginning of his 11^th grade year.

     I arrived at 7 p.m. on a Friday evening.  Blake Mekdessie, also a senior, was there to greet me at the door. Before I went to the kitchen to see Danny, I decided to learn a little more about Mekdessie’s job.

“So, uh, Mekdessie… What do you do around here?” I asked.

“I’m a busboy” he said confidently.

“That’s a bit low on the food chain, isn’t it?” I shot back.

     Then, Mekdessie blew my mind.  He looked me right in the eyes and said “I might be a busboy, but I run this whole show.”  I was speechless.  Mekdessie said “Look, I know the title of busboy doesn’t exactly command respect, but watch this.”

     Mekdessie gracefully walked to table 11. Table 11 had two chairs. In one chair sat the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen. In the other chair sat her less than attractive boyfriend, who, might I add, looked dumber than Jessica Simpson. Mekdessie asked the girl, “Would you like me to take a picture?”

Her boyfriend aggressively jumped in, “No, we’re fine.”Mekdessie kept his cool and said, “I wasn’t asking you.”

Mekdessie then continued to take a picture with the beautiful girl at table 11. Busboy? More like Loverboy.

     I walked into the kitchen, and the smell of crawfish creole hit me like a freight train. I greeted Danny, and he introduced me to the rest of the crew. There was Boone, a waiter. I also got to meet Boone’s kid, who he happened to be carrying around the restaurant (extra tips, anyone?).  I did get a quote from Boone about his job, but it’s not appropriate for the school newspaper.  I also met Natalie, a bartender who could not stop telling me about the cruelty inflicted upon the calf that comes on your plate when you order Veal Parmesan.  Then, there was Joe.  Joe can best be described as “the creepy dishwasher.” There was one rule I was given upon my entry to Filippo’s: DO NOT look Joe in the eyes.  They didn’t have to tell me twice. Finally, I met the other cook, Bobby.  Bobby is Danny’s right-hand man. Together, they are the A-Team of kitchen crews.

     After becoming acquainted with everyone, I was ready to witness Danny’s culinary chops. First, he whipped up some crawfish creole.  T’was spectacular, to say the least. As I was eating my crawfish creole, I had a little talk with Bobby.  Bobby is a genius.  He made a 32 on his ACT, and he seems to know everything about anything, especially when it comes to cooking.  He told me that the modern-day chef is most closely related to a pirate, and I believe him.  Think about it. Both pirates and chefs play with knives all day, both jobs are based on tradition, and both have to be completely in sync with their crew.

     I pondered this for a while as Danny prepared my bread pudding.  When it was finally ready, I took a bite, and then I melted.  It was scrumptious.  While I lay there in a melted puddle on the floor, Danny told me how his job affected his weekend.  “As a chef, I work when everyone else sleeps, and I party when everyone else works.”  Just then, the dinner rush hit. Danny sprinted to his command center, a.k.a the stove, and began to cook like there was no tomorrow.  Sautéed mushrooms flipped through the air like Olympic gymnasts. Tomatoes were sliced and diced like the kids in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.  It was truly a sight to see.  Somehow, in the middle of all the chaos, Danny found time to make me his special item; an item that does not appear on Filippo’s menu: veal sandwich. For the third time that night, my taste buds were VERY happy campers. Eventually, things died down and Bobby called us all into the private dining room for a game of “Bones.”  You probably haven’t heard of Bones. That’s because Bobby learned to play this game during his three month stay in prison.

     Up until that night, I thought that the world’s greatest food was prepared at Taco Bell. Well, it’s not. If you are looking for quality food that’s a bit pricier than what you might find on McDonald’s dollar menu, come see Danny at Fillipo’s. What makes him such a good cook? He loves his job. You see, to “Creepy Joe”, washing dishes is just “a means to an end… a fast buck.” To Danny, being a chef is “plain ole fun.” But you know what they say: You’ll never work a day in your life if you love what you’re doing.  If that’s the case, then I guess “Danny Berlier: Chef Extraordinaire” will be unemployed for a long, long, time.

Taco Bell’s Desserts: An In-depth Review (With a Bonus Item)

 

By Brandon Bourgeois, 12^th grade

Raise your hand if you like Taco Bell! I knew you would. Taco Bell has been around since 1962 (Fun fact: 1962 also represents the number of ‘Volcano Tacos’ I’ve consumed since their permanent addition to the menu in 2009), but up until now, they haven’t had a great selection of desserts. When I found out about their new dessert menu, I became full of joy, just like the time that Paris Hilton was sent to jail.

Last weekend, I walked into Taco Bell on Veterans Blvd. and ordered as much as my thin little wallet could afford. I managed to get a hold of chocolate chip cookies, a churro, and just for a bit of nostalgia, the classic cinnamon twists. Let’s start with the chocolate chip cookies. Chocolate chip cookies may seem simple enough, but perfecting them requires years of practice and dedication, and even the most revered cookie baker in the world has probably produced his fair share of burnt cookies. In other words, they’re hit or miss. At Taco Bell, they’re not just hit; I was hit and sunk. Sunk in a sea of chocolaty goodness, that is. They were warmed (at my request), and gooier than an ice cream sandwich in mid-July. I recovered, and moved on to the churro. It looked tasty, but it tasted even tastier. The churro was thickly coated with cinnamon, just like the aroma of last night’s fist pumping on Snooki. It was delicious, and left me wanting more.

It was time for the cinnamon twists. Anyone who has ever eaten at Taco Bell knows about these little babies. They’re usually crunchy, covered in cinnamon, and spectacularly tasty. This visit was no exception. Each time I popped one into my mouth, I shed a tear of joy.

Upon finishing my three delightful desserts, my bag was still not empty. Did I forget to mention the bonus item?  Hold onto your socks, this could get crazy: Bacon Bombs! Three little “bombs” in one oversized bag. They’re stuffed with bacon and cheese like Mr. Irwin’s pockets are stuffed with student cell phones. They taste of perfectly prepared bacon, and believe it or not, they’re even kind of spicy (Is that the “bomb”?).  Each one is more delicious than the last, and the best part is they cost less than two dollars!

After my last two visits to Subway and Arby’s, I really needed a tasty fast food joint to satisfy me.  Taco Bell never fails to do so. The desserts are still new, which means they’re also cheap. Get them while you can still afford them. If not, you will surely be missing out.

Final Rating: 5 out of 5 Paws

Under the Radar: Arby’s

By Brandon Bourgeois, 12^th grade

     Although there seems to be an Arby’s in every town, the chain is probably the least well-known fast food restaurant around today. Most consumers know about their “famous” roast beef sandwiches and curly fries. But despite these offerings, Arby’s retains a bad reputation and is about as popular as Obama’s healthcare plan, and for good reason.

     On a recent visit to the Arby’s on Veterans Boulevard, I swung open the door, and was immediately hit with the smell of burnt roast beef.  The place was empty—cobwebs covered the corners of this rundown location.  I walked up to the cashier and planned to order various items from the dollar menu.  However, before I could order, I noticed approximately ten apple turnovers huddled under a heat lamp. I called over the nearest employee and said, “Excuse me, m’am, how long do you keep the turnovers before making a fresh batch?”  She replied, “Do I look like I care?  I work here to support my family of seven, not to turn over turnovers all day.”  I regained my composure and ordered five items: A roast beef sandwich, a chicken sandwich, jalapeño poppers, mozzarella sticks, and a large Mountain Dew.

     After a fifteen minute wait, my “fast food” was finally ready.  I decided to start with the mozzarella sticks. They were very cheesy and very tasty. Then I moved on to the jalapeño poppers.  Disgusting. Although I can’t say for sure, I’d be willing to bet that a urinal cake might have gone down easier than those horrid jalapeño poppers.  I decided to give the chicken sandwich a shot.  I took one bite and nearly vomited; it tasted like fish. I wrapped up the fishy chicken sandwich and launched it across the restaurant and into the trash can as quickly as possible. At this point, I was about ready to give up and leave.  However, being your intrepid food critic, I pushed onward. I unwrapped my roast beef sandwich and, according to my precise calculations, found 75% bun, 24% cheese, and 1% roast beef. The sandwich contained only ONE thinly sliced piece of roast beef.  I stood up, clenching my uneasy stomach, and stumbled out the door and into my car. I wanted to cry for hours.  How could food taste so bad? Roast beef does not deserve to be disrespected in such a manner.

     Tigers, do yourself a favor: Stay away from this place. Otherwise, you will waste at least seven dollars on something that should not even be called food. If you are really set on eating a roast beef sandwich, spend the extra money and go to a respectable sandwich shop, such as Martins on Veterans Boulevard. I give Arby’s one paw out of five.  What’s that one paw for? The parking lot was large and empty, allowing for a speedy escape.

Rating: 1 paw