We all love those sultry summer nights, but New Orleans’ fall season is scrumptious. The Saints marching in the Superdome, the Seafood Festival, Blues and BBQ, the Art Walk…these are just some of the amazing things that make New Orleans so unique in the autumn months. While every city around the United States is ramping up their food festivals, the lovely, rambunctious city of N’awlins, as the locals call it, brings the summer season to a close with a full-on celebration of all that this crisp and refreshing this time of year.
Picture yourself in a cardigan and boat shoes walking through the French Quarter, smelling not the heat and seduction of summertime, but the scents of fried shrimp and fires burning while you head to the New Orleans Film Festival, eating Beignets and drinking bourbon. (more…)
Cajunista Kimber is an enthusiastic young woman who has been working at Beck’s since 2009. Her father is the owner and she started working at the restaurant as soon as it opened, right after she graduated high school. Kimber has been working at Beck’s for so long that she has nicknames for all of her co-workers and says they know everything about her. When asked if she has funny stories about them, Kimber joked that “I have millions but I can’t think of anything work-related right now.”
Her favorite food at Beck’s is the Fried Shrimp Po Boy and the epic fan favorite, the gator gumbo. She recommends eating the gator gumbo with a spoonful of cornbread on every bite. When she is not working at Beck’s, Kimber’s main hobby is photography. She does mostly conceptual and self-portrait photography on an old-school 35mm camera. Kimber enjoys taking photographs and selling prints on the side.
Kimber says “working at Becks is awesome” and is excited about the new breakfast menu. She insists that every Philadelphian MUST try the savory Alligator Eggs Benedict. She enjoys working with the front of house staff and is eager to see how Beck’s continues to grow!
What happens when Beck’s Cajun Café’s staff gets trained as PSPCA volunteers? They stay extra hours so they can cuddle and love on the pets. Pictured is Kimber and Grace with Holly. Holly’s a pit mix and has been at the shelter since Christmas!
The PSPCA has a fantastic pet volunteer trainer, and her name is Jennifer Johnston. She gave our staff a tour of the shelter and shared some interesting facts, that we’d like to share with you!
Clear the Shelters – will be held on August 19, 2017, from 10-5 pm. All pet adoption fees are waived.
The Pit Bull breed was originally intended to be a nanny dog to watch over and protect children. The shelter is full of surrendered or abandoned Pit Bulls.
Kitty Cam – The cat rooms have remote control toys, which you can move remotely using your computer to help entertain the cats in the play room.
The 350 E. Erie location has a mini barn on site that can house up to 28 goats and 14 horses – these animals are considered property and the PSPCA get involved when there are disputes about who owns the animals or neglection of an animal.
The shrimp are jumpin out of the bayou! Quick scoop those clean and crisp shrimp up! Try cooking Chef Bill’s Creole Shrimp Recipe. Guaranteed to get your Taste-buds a hoppin!
Ingredients:
3 TBL olive oil (divided into two equal portions)
16 jumbo shrimp( 16-20 size)
1.25 TBL Beck’s Angel Dust
1.25 TBL Beck’s Devil Dust
1 shrimp bouillon( Swiss Knorr does a acceptable product)
¾ cup white wine ( chardonnay or pinot grisio)
2 cups diced tomato
4 oz celery, small diced
4 oz green bell pepper, small diced
4 oz onion, small diced
4 ea garlic cloves, sliced
2tbl butter, unsalted
½ cup water
4 scallions, sliced on a bias (will use as garnish)
4 cups white or brown rice cooked
Preparation:
Wash and dry shrimp
Toss with olive oil and Beck’s Angel Dust and Beck’s Devil Dust
Add to preheated sauté pan and sauté until halfway cooked (will be pink-white with plenty of “give” to the flesh)
Remove the shrimp and set aside while we stager cook the rest of the ingredients
Add celery, pepper, and onion, sauté till lightly caramelized (about 2-3 minutes)
Now add the garlic, cook till lightly browned about 30 seconds.
Deglaze the pan with the white wine, allow to flame up, and add bouillon cube.
Add the diced tomatoes and water, simmer for 2 minutes
Add the shrimp back to the pan cook for I minute
Cut butter into 4 equal pieces and add to the sauté pan, turn off the flame. Stir in the butter till fully incorporated into the dish.
Divide Creole shrimp into 4 equal portions in wide shallow bowls, pull the 4 shrimp per bowl to the outer edge of the bowl to allow room to put a nice round hot steaming scoop( ice cream scoop ) of rice in the center of the bowl and garnish with fresh scallion.
Need to add some Cajun flare to your next event? Try Beck’s Cajun Catering at your next event.
I Scream, You Scream, We all Scream for Ice Cream! Do the memories come flooding back when you hear those words? Now you can make long lasting memories for your family by attending the biggest event of the summer! We’re so excited to be part of the Reading Terminal Market‘s event, The Philly Ice Cream Scoop on 7/29! Don’t miss this event from 10am-4pm in Center Court!
We’ll be serving up our famous Beck’s Cajun Café’s mouthwatering Banana’s Foster Flambé. We’re teaming up with Bassetts Ice Cream , along with Franklin Fountain, Little Baby’s Ice Cream, Lil’ Pop Shop, Zsa’s Ice Cream, and more than 20 other merchants to dish up delicious frozen treats. Come visit Beck’s on July 29th and order some great tasting Bananas Foster Flambé! – follow Chef Bill’s video steps and you’ll make the best tasting Bananas Foster Flambé! (more…)
Cajunista Laura enjoys the authentic New Orleans grub and family vibes at Beck’s. An enthusiastic young woman with a passion for photography, Laura first heard of Beck’s on a photo shoot with Beck’s manager Kimber. Kimber encouraged Laura to come in for an interview, insisting she would enjoy the upbeat work environment. Laura immediately felt at home at Beck’s. When asked what her co-workers don’t know about her, she responded with a laugh, “they know everything.”
Two of Laura’s favorite meals at Beck’s are the gator gumbo and the shrimp wrap. Laura also enjoys rock climbing, drinking beer, and volunteering at her church’s soup kitchen in her spare time. She keeps grounded with her hobbies and friendly attitude that her Beck’s family and customers appreciate!
“Woofin Awesome, “ is what O.Z. and all his furry friends say about #BecksGives campaign supporting the Pennsylvania SPCA every #WoofWoofWednesday.
Each week, O.Z. and his friends wag their tails while their human friends order a Po Boy for Pups. He loves how Beck’s Cajun Café supports prevention of cruelty to animals and how Beck’s donates 10% of Po Boy sales on Wednesdays to the PSPCA.org
Recently, O.Z. met with Gillian Kocher who is Director of Public Relations and Marketing at the Philadelphia SPCA. As O.Z. states, “Gillian always smells wonderful and she loves to pet me. I really like it when she scratches my belly. But I didn’t always have it so good. Just like many of my furry friends, I was left on the streets to fend for myself. Just when I thought I couldn’t go on, the local SPCA picked me up off the street and gave me a warm place to sleep and some much-needed food and TLC. (more…)
If you have been lucky enough to experience Mardi Gras in person, you’ve probably yelled, “Throw me some beads!” and enjoyed catching lots of treasure. During this flamboyant, loud and fun-filled carnival atmosphere, one tradition that appeals to all ages: an extravagant and gaudy, multi-colored purple, green and gold dessert called King Cake.
The colors that make up the King Cake include purple for justice; green for faith and gold for power.
If you’ve never had a slice of King Cake, and are lucky enough to have the trinket in your slice of cake, you probably are wondering why is there a baby in your cake? Tradition dictates the use of a small trinket, usually, a small plastic baby (representing the baby Jesus) which traditionally awards privileges and brings good fortune to whoever discovers it – in the past, it was made of porcelain or even gold. It also brings obligations including hosting the next King Cake Party.
Mardi Gras, literally “Fat Tuesday,” has grown in popularity in recent years as a raucous, sometimes hedonistic event. Its roots lie in the Christian calendar, as the “last hurrah” before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday.
What is less known about Mardi Gras is its relation to the Christmas season, through the ordinary-time interlude known in many Catholic cultures as Carnival. Ordinary time, in the Christian calendar, refers to the normal “ordering” of time outside of the Advent/Christmas or Lent/Easter seasons.
Carnival comes from the Latin words carne vale, meaning “farewell to the flesh.” Like many Catholic holidays and seasonal celebrations, it has its roots in pre-Christian traditions based on the seasons. As early as the middle of the second century, the Romans observed a Fast of 40 Days, which was preceded by a brief season of feasting, costumes and merrymaking.
The Carnival season kicks off with the Epiphany, also known as Twelfth Night, Three Kings’ Day and, in the Eastern churches, Theophany. Epiphany, which falls on January 6, 12 days after Christmas, celebrates the visit of the Wise Men bearing gifts for the infant Jesus. In cultures that celebrate Carnival, Epiphany kicks off a series of parties leading up to Mardi Gras.
Epiphany is also traditionally when celebrants serve King’s Cake, a custom that began in France in the 12th century. Legend has it that the cakes were made in a circle to represent the circular routes that the Wise Men took to find Jesus, in order to confuse King Herod and foil his plans of killing the Christ Child. In the early days, a coin or bean was hidden inside the cake, and whoever found the item was said to have good luck in the coming year. In Louisiana, bakers now put a small baby, representing the Christ Child, in the cake; the recipient is then expected to host the next King Cake party.
Mardi Gras came to the New World in 1699, when a French explorer arrived at the Mississippi River, about 60 miles south of present day New Orleans. He named the spot Point du Mardi Gras because he knew the holiday was being celebrated in his native country that day.
Eventually the French in New Orleans celebrated Mardi Gras with masked balls and parties, until the Spanish government took over in the mid-1700s and banned the celebrations. The ban continued even after the U.S. government acquired the land but the celebrations resumed in 1827. The official colors of Mardi Gras, with their roots in Catholicism, were chosen 10 years later: purple, a symbol of justice; green, representing faith; and gold, to signify power.
Mardi Gras wouldn’t be Mardi Gras without a sweet supply of king cakes. The popular dessert is a cross between a Danish and a cinnamon roll with a sweet filling. It’s topped with gaudy colors of purple, green and gold, representing justice, faith and power.
The cake contains a small trinket, usually a small plastic baby, said to represent the Baby Jesus. In the past, the baby was made of porcelain or even gold. Tradition holds that the person who gets the piece of cake with the trinket is traditionally awarded various privileges and obligations including hosting the next king cake party.
Beck’s is still taking orders for King Cakes, which may be had at $34.95 for a whole cake or $3.25 for individual portion. Get yours by calling 215-592-0505 or 215-382-2800. The cakes are available for pick up at either the Reading Terminal Market or at 30th Street Station through Mardi Gras on Tues., Feb. 9.
We all love those sultry summer nights, but New Orleans’ fall season is scrumptious. The Saints marching in the Superdome, the Seafood Festival, Blues and BBQ, the Art Walk…these are just some of the amazing things that make New Orleans so unique in the autumn months. While every city around the United States is ramping up their food festivals, the lovely, rambunctious city of N’awlins, as the locals call it, brings the summer season to a close with a full-on celebration of all that this crisp and refreshing this time of year.
Mardi Gras, literally “Fat Tuesday,” has grown in popularity in recent years as a raucous, sometimes hedonistic event. Its roots lie in the Christian calendar, as the “last hurrah” before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday.
Mardi Gras wouldn’t be Mardi Gras without a sweet supply of king cakes. The popular dessert is a cross between a Danish and a cinnamon roll with a sweet filling. It’s topped with gaudy colors of purple, green and gold, representing justice, faith and power.
wjbeck12
Beck's Cajun Cafe Blog 