2 cups peas
4 slices pork bacon
3 tablespoons oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and fry until crisp. Remove from the skillet.
2. Reduce heat to medium and add the onions, frying until golden brown and tender.
3. Stir in flour, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce.
4. Add the peas, stirring occasionally until sauce has thickened.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Makes 4 servings

4 eight ounce sirloin steaks
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 small onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 scallions, minced
1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
1/3 cup flour
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 cups beef stock
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the onion, garlic and scallions, sautéing until tender. Stir in the mushrooms and cook for another minute or two.
2. Whisk the flour into the pan and continue to stir until all lumps are removed and sauce is thick.
3. Add the Worcestershire sauce, beef stock, wine, thyme and bay leaf. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered until thickened, about 45 minutes to an hour.
4. Meanwhile, season steaks with salt and pepper and fry or grill until rare. Cover and set aside in a warm place to rest.
5. Remove bay leaf from the sauce and stir in parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Slice steaks into bite sized chunks and top with a large portion of sauce. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Makes 4 servings

From what I can tell, New Orleans seems to draw a lot on French influences. I guess it having a French quarter should be a good indication of that. I haven't had a chance to travel there yet, but I hear that the food is amazing. Gumbo, Jambalaya and spicy dishes involving crawfish and shrimp are what I think of when it comes to New Orleans, along with other typical Southern food fare, like and Barbecued Ribs, Fried Chicken and Corn Bread, sometimes with a good side of Baked Beans. It stands to reason that if you have any appreciation of food at all that you would enjoy something from this region of the globe. I went searching for a recipe that epitomizes the flavors of French-influenced New Orleans cuisine and stumbled upon Marchand de Vin.

My Beef Marchand de Vin was a little thicker than it should be, more like a gravy than a sauce, but that was mostly due to preference. Real marchand de vin, from what I can tell, should leave a good leftover to be sopped up by crusty bread. I enjoyed every part of this dish except the part where I sliced into my finger cutting the steak. My knife skills are still a safety hazard and likely will continue to be until I focus on improving them. The sauce is very potently flavored and would compliment essentially any meat.

I served this up with some plain boiled potatoes and Creole Style Peas. The combination of bacon, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar really made these peas stand out. Shannon enjoyed them as well, though thought that the bites with bacon were considerably better than just the peas, since she has an aversion to pea texture. It's a very easy dish to make and just leave on the back burner, so it's definitely something that I would incorporate into a dinner again in the future.