Advocate-Tested Recipe
Baked Risotto
Serves 4-6. Recipe is from Heather Vetter Schaefer.
1 tbl. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup arborio rice
2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 tsp. salt
4 cups rinsed and chopped fresh spinach
1/2 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
11/2 tsps. zest and juice from a lemon
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1. In a large skillet, sauté onion in olive oil and cook until tender. Add rice and stir until rice is thoroughly coated in oil.
2. Add stock, salt, spinach and asparagus, then the lemon zest and juice. Simmer until heated through.
3. Stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and spoon into a 1-quart baking dish sprayed with nonstick spray. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan over the top. Using the back of a spoon, gently smooth the top of the rice, lightly pressing it into the liquid. Cover tightly with a lid or foil.
4. Bake, covered, in a preheated 400-degree oven for 35 minutes or until almost all of the liquid is absorbed. You want it moist but not soupy.

More than 50 teams will compete in a crawfish- cooking competition, local music and a cask-aged beer garden hosted by the Louisiana Craft Brewers Guild. Admission is free, but advance VIP tickets can be purchased for $50 until April 15 and $60 after that will allow attendees to eat and drink all day. Separate food and drink tickets will be available at the event.

The family- friendly festival benefits the Drew Rodrigue Foundation, a non-profit organization that celebrates heroes in the face of adversity in honor of local football coach Drew Rodrigue, a news release says. More info.

The schedule includes Basic Organic Gardenging, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 6; Gardening in Small Spaces, 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. April 9; Citrus Tree Pruning, 10 a.m. to noon April 13; Beginner Backyard Chickens, 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. April 20; Composting, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. April 23; and Fermentation, 10 a.m. April 27.

All classes are taught by local experts. There is a suggested $5 donation per class, except for the April 6 class, which will be $25. Register online.

Participating restaurants include Bin 77, Blend Wine Bar, the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Culinary Productions, Galatoire’s Bistro, Hot Tails Restaurant, Juban’s, Latil’s Landing, Mansurs on the Boulevard, Ruffino’s, Sammy’s, Stroube’s Seafood and Steakhouse and Sullivan’s. Tickets are $50 and proceeds benefit local childhood health and nutrition programs. Visit http://www.crawfetebr.com or call (225) 773-4889.

Spinach Soufflé
Serves 6-8. Recipe is from the Viking Cooking School. A soufflé will always impress your guests. If you have the ingredients and soufflé dishes ready before you begin, the technique is easy to master. For this recipe, make sure the blanched spinach is squeezed as dry as possible so that excess liquid doesn’t affect the texture of the soufflé base.
1/2 stick unsalted butter, divided
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
1 (10-oz.) bag prewashed spinach, tough stems removed
Salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste
3 tbls. all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk, heated to a simmer
2 tsps. Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup grated Gruyère, Cheddar or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, about 4 to 5 ozs.
4 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
7 large egg whites, brought to room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Liberally grease a (1 1/2-quart) soufflé dish or about 8 (6-oz.) soufflé dishes) with 1 tablespoon of butter. Sprinkle the bread crumbs into the buttered soufflé dish or dishes and tap out the excess. Set aside until needed.

2. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and allow to melt. Add the spinach in large handfuls, stirring to wilt before adding more. Cook until wilted but still bright green, about 3 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet to cool completely.

3. When cool enough to handle, finely chop the spinach. Place it in the center of a large, square dampened piece of cheesecloth folded double. Draw up the sides to form a pouch, then twist and squeeze to extract the excess moisture. Set aside until needed. Spinach may also be squeezed dry using a potato ricer.

4. In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for 3 minutes over medium heat. Add the hot milk, whisking until smooth and thickened.

5. Remove from heat and whisk in the mustard, garlic, cheese, chopped spinach and egg yolks. Continue whisking until the cheese is melted, returning the pan to low heat if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and cool rapidly in an ice water bath, stirring frequently to facilitate cooling.

6. While the cheese mixture is cooling to room temperature, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks in a large mixing bowl with a balloon whisk or in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment.

7. Whisk one-third of the egg whites into the soufflé base to lighten it. Then, using a large rubber spatula, carefully fold in the remaining egg whites in two additions.

8. Spoon the soufflé mixture into the prepared soufflé dish or dishes, filling to within 1 inch of the rim for a large soufflé dish or to within 1/2 inch for small soufflé dishes. Run your index finger around the perimeter of the dish to create a 1/2-inch border. This will help the soufflé to rise properly. Wipe the rim of the soufflé dish with a dampened paper towel to clean it thoroughly. Fit soufflé dish or dishes with a buttered parchment paper collar, if desired.

9. Bake until the surface of the soufflé dish is deep brown in color and the center jiggles slightly when shaken, about 25 to 35 minutes (12 to 15 minutes for individual dishes). Serve immediately.

Notes: To lighten up the soufflé, replace the whole milk with nonfat milk and use 2 egg yolks instead of 4. Use lower-fat cheeses such as Parmigiano-Reggiano, feta or goat cheese.

To make the soufflé ahead, place the unbaked soufflé in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours before baking.  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

Chefs Danny Bowien, Mission Chinese Food; John Currence, City Grocery; Donald Link, Link Restaurant Group; Michelle Bernstein, Michy’s; Aaron Sanchez, Food Network, Mestizo Restaurant; David Slater, Emeril’s; Jacques Torres and Besh will present the evening’s food.

As part of the fundraiser, chef Leah Chase will be awarded the Ella Brennan Lifetime Achievement in Hospitality Award. The Ella Brennan award recognizes one person annually that has made a “lifetime commitment to the hospitality industry through extraordinary leadership, personal and professional accomplishments and philanthropic contributions to the community,” a news release says.

The John Besh Foundation will also award the John Besh and Bride Mayor Chefs Move! Scholarships for culinary arts and pastry arts to the International Culinary Center in New York. Tickets start at $250 and run to $325 for VIP admission to the fundraiser and after-party at Borgne. VIP tables for 10 are available for $5,000. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.

Donner-Peltier takes gold at Austrian spirits convention.

Oryza Vodka scored a 91, Rougaroux Full Moon Dark Rum scored 92 and Sugarshine, a clear rum, earned a 94 and won the clear rum category outright.

“We were only in business for a month or two when the submission deadline rolled around,” Beth Donner, company president, said. “Our hope was that we might receive a medal, maybe two, but to win three medals with three products, and have them be all gold, well, that was really the best suprise I’ve had in quite a while.”

The distillery plans two new products in coming months, Rougaroux 13 Pennies Praline Rum and Oryza Gin, and is planning to release a new whiskey, LA1, later this year.

The restaurant’s shrimp and tasso Henican is featured on the cover of the magazine, which also tells the story of Commander’s Palace’s famous jazz brunch and gives an inside look at the Brennan family. “It’s such an honor to be featured in this issue with so many New Orleans establishments that are the heartbeat of this great city,” co-proprietor Ti Martin said in a news release. “At Commander’s, our goal has always been to represent what New Orleans is all about — not just the food, but the way of life, the soul and the atitude that is New Orleans.”

At 5:30 p.m. April 1, mixologist Blake Kaiser will discuss the history of martinis at SoBou, 310 Chartres St., in the program “Martini: Olives Not Allowed.” Cost is $35, or $28 for SoFAB or Museum of the American Cocktail members.

Click here for tickets.