Mr. Lake's New Orleans Forum

Until I can locate a copy of Buster Holmes' Restaurant Cookbook I'll dig up some of his recipes and post them here. Here's his recipe he used to serve at his restaurant on Burgundy and Orleans Streets for .35 cents a plate:

1 lb. red beans
1 lb. smoked hocks
1 chopped fine onion
½ green bell pepper chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
5 cloves garlic
½ stick margarine


Remove any debris from beans then rinse several times in a colander. Put beans in a pot and cover about 2 - 3 inches with water. Add vegetables and ham hocks and cook on low simmer till done. (2 - 3 hours). Add seasonings and margarine and cook five minutes. Serve over rice with Louisiana hot sauce and French bread and butter (or margarine, Chef Buster always useed margarine).

CopCop- is it a kidney bean? Or is there a specific red bean? Thanks.

Coming back at ya' CopCop with another of Buster's recipes for red beans & rice:

Red beans and rice au vin

(verbatim from page 71 of the November 1980 Buster Holmes Restaurant
New Orleans Handmade Cookin')

2 lbs red beans, washed thoroughly and drained
2 slices thick bacon, cubed
2 medium onions, chopped
1 small clove garlic, chopped
3 cups sauterne wine
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
2 (printing doesn't specify) Louisiana hot sauce
salt
water

Marinate beans in water, wine and seasonings mixture overnight.
The next day, pour olive oil into the pot.
Fry bacon in olive oil until soft, but not brown.
Add beans, onion, garlic and wine, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce.
After beans are tender, salt to taste and cook until done to your taste.
Serve over rice.

From the above, I'm left scratching my thinning scalp but I do believe Buster knew
what he was doing... even if the editor didn't quite get it down in print.

All the best,

U119 (remember when fandango first sent you Buster's Garlic chicken recipe, that was my first almost-post
as I had to send it direct to you due to my posting klutz factor back then and I've only changed a little but I have done one thing... I named a stray Havanese pup who showed up here on the ranchito, what else but... Buster "the wonder dog".)

MsRiv, I don't know what Buster used in his recipe, but a lot of folks in these parts use red beans with Carnation Brand label. Nowadays a lot of people use canned red beans, Blue Runner being one of the popular ones, doctored up with sauted onions and garlic and smoked sausage, ham, tasso or hocks added.

Thanks for another Buster's recipe, United! Iforgot that you have a copy of "Buster Holmes Restaurant New Orleans Handmade Cookin". Have you seen how much the used books are going for these days? There's one on the Alibris website for over $500! http://www.alibris.com/booksearch?author=buster+holmes

I'll never forget when you emailed me the garlic chicken recipe. I had been hunting for it for a very long time! Thanks very much again!

CopCop,

How 'bout a xeroxed copy of mine, gratis?
Or I could keep the xerox and sell you mine for just $499 <g>.

United119

Your first offer sounds nice! Thanks, Charles!

First offer it is then and I'll email you for the address..

Mine still has the price tag from Martin Wine Cellar on the inside cover
$5.56
such a price even from Old Steely Eyes.

Best,

United 119