Author: Emily Gautreaux

Steak Sandwich on Garlic Bread

Sandwiches. They are a staple in any American’s diet. Sandwiches can be simple and easy, like peanut butter and jelly on untoasted white bread. They can be complex and require ingredients you don’t even know how to pronounce, much less have on hand in your kitchen. They can be prepared by the greenest of culinary novices or the most celebrated chefs in the world. But what happens when you take a meat that is loved widely by carnivores and nestle it between two pieces of bread? Magic happens. We call this magic a steak sandwich. And what’s better than a steak sandwich? How about a juicy steak sandwich on crispy, grilled garlic bread. The recipe can be found here.

Which cut of beef makes the best steak sandwiches? Tenderness is the key here!  According to many culinary experts, quality sirloin steak is the best cut of beef to use for a steak sandwich. Sirloin is packed with flavor and is often marbled to perfection, making it the obvious winner, but ultimately, any tender cut of meat will suffice. Some other great contenders are tenderloin, flank steak, and a host of different types of roasts; even leftover prime rib would make a tasty sandwich. Whether you’re relying on what’s in the fridge, what’s available at your local store, or what will be kindest to your pocketbook, the options are endless for this recipe.

Minced garlic or garlic powder? Well, you must first recognize the difference between the two before deciding which route you’d like to take. Minced garlic is superior to garlic powder in most situations because it is fresher and it has a stronger flavor. So in the case of this recipe, playing up the garlic in the garlic bread with minced garlic instead of garlic powder would seem to be the obvious choice. However, if all you have on hand is garlic powder, fear not. It will still get the job done.

This recipe calls for bolillos to serve as the sandwich bread that will be transformed into garlic bread. Why bolillos? Many reasons. First, bolillos, a white bread recipe popular in Mexico and Central America, is an ideal sandwich bread because of its simplicity. It’s also incredibly versatile. The crust is crunchy while the inside is fluffy and chewy. And it makes for some delicious garlic bread.

Here’s what you’re going to need:

Here’s what you’re going to do:

  1. In a nonstick skillet set to medium heat, cook the onions until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Remove the onions and cover them to keep them warm.
  2. Add the steak to the skillet in batches to ensure even cooking. Cook each batch for about 2 to 3 minutes or until done, flipping each strip a few times.
  3. Add the chiles to the last batch of steak and cook them, too.
  4. In a bowl, combine the cooked steak and chiles with the caramelized onions. Add the chopped cilantro and give it all a toss. Cover the bowl to keep the mixture warm.
  5. In a separate bowl, mix the mayonnaise and garlic powder and spread it onto the cut sides of the bolillos.
  6. In a skillet, grill each side of the bolillos until golden brown, about 2 minutes for each side.
  7. Transfer the bolillos to a plate and fill with the steak mixture. Add desired amount of cheese slices.

Unless you’re cooking for vampires, or are one yourself, swapping conventional buns for crunchy garlic bread can only level up your sandwich game. Find more ways to level up in the kitchen here.

 

 

 

Top City Hotels in the U.S. According to Travel + Leisure Readers

Every year, Travel + Leisure asks for readers’ opinions on various travel related subjects. Those opinions are then used to create “Best” lists to guide readers when planning a trip. One of those categories is Best City Hotels, and this year’s top winners did not disappoint.

Readers were asked to choose their favorite city hotels based on certain characteristics, some of which are location, amenities, facilities, and overall value. Here are the top winners, according to this Travel + Leisure article.

The Lowell, New York City

Located in the heart of Manhattan on the Upper East Side, The Lowell has easy access to the posh shops of Fifth Avenue, the major fashion houses of Madison Avenue, and the calming retreat to nature that is Central Park. This is one of the main reasons the hotel is so popular with travelers. Of course, the luxury the hotel provides doesn’t hurt either. Established in 1927, The Lowell has a timeless elegance and grace that is perfectly reflected in its gold, cream, and white color scheme. The Lowell is small for a New York hotel, with just 74 rooms and suites across 17 floors, but many visitors preferred the cozy atmosphere this creates. The hotel even boasts wood-burning fireplaces, which are pretty rare in New York, landscaped terraces overlooking the city, and afternoon tea in the Pembroke Room.

The Loutrel, Charleston, South Carolina

The Loutrel, named for the famous landscape architect Loutrel Briggs, is a 50-room contemporary boutique hotel with a prime location just outside of the residential historic district of Charleston. The hotel just opened in November of 2021 but has already made quite an impression on travelers. Paying homage to Briggs, who designed about 100 private gardens in the area starting in the 1920s, the hotel outfits every corner with greenery and flower arrangements. Rooms are clean and minimalist with floor to ceiling windows. The rooftop terrace is the crown jewel of the hotel, and guests can expect to be wowed by the views of the historic French Quarter any time of day or night.

Pendry Chicago, Chicago

Located in the 1929 Art Deco Carbide and Carbon Building, Pendry Chicago is a contemporary boutique hotel that offers luxury comforts and impressive city views. The rooms are elegantly decorated in black and white, an aesthetic that is fitting for the time period it honors. Customer service is the hotel’s specialty and concierges famously keep on top of guests’ needs through texting. The hotel also houses many popular restaurants and bars, such as the French restaurant Venteux (French for “windy”), the cocktail bar Bar Pendry, and the rooftop bar Chateau Carbide.

 Riggs Washington D.C., Washington, D.C.

The Riggs Washington D.C. is a city hotel located in the building that used to house The Riggs National Bank. It is one of the last remaining Romanesque Revival buildings in the area, and the architecture makes quite a statement. Regular roomsfeature statement wallpaper and upholstered headboards designed by the firm Voutsa. There are also four suitesinspired by four First Ladies that each have fun and unique details. The hotel has guests covered for food and drink with Cafe Riggs, a restaurant that’s open all day, and Silver Lyan, a bar housed in what used to be the bank’s vault. The hotel also has a prime location in the Penn Quarter-Chinatown area, making shopping, dining, and museum visiting very accessible.

These fine city hotels offer the best in luxurious accommodations, delicious food and cocktails, and guest services sure to make anyone feel spoiled. They also have prime locations with killer views. According to Travel + Leisure readers, travelers should not miss an opportunity to check these hotels out for themselves.

For more travel-related news and information, click here.

 

Lake Charles TV Station Set to Rebuild Downtown

Nearly two years after being destroyed by a hurricane, KPLC is set to rebuild, according to this article. In the early morning hours of August 27, 2020, Hurricane Laura made landfall on the southwest shore of Louisiana. At Category 4 strength with sustained winds of 150 miles per hour, Laura was the strongest hurricane to hit that corner of the state since storm records began in 1851. As Laura’s eyewall passed over Lake Charles and its metropolitan area, the storm was still a devastating Category 4. The damage inflicted on homes and businesses was nearly incomprehensible.

One such hard-hit business was the KPLC news station. In a worst-case scenario event, the station’s 400 foot transmission tower snapped in half, causing the top portion to crash down into the station’s broadcast studio, which was housed below, knocking the news station off the air. Station staff had evacuated the studio a mere 12 hours before.

John Ware, KPLC-TV’s general manager, went out to inspect the damage to the station later that morning. “To see the tower sticking through the studio roof into the room that we would have been broadcasting from was absolutely sickening,” said Ware.

Despite the fact that their studio was in ruins, the station and its staff still found ways to get important and desperately sought after information to the people of the Lake Charles area. This included assistant news director and anchor Jillian Corder and a group of KPLC journalists reporting on the ground while their colleagues worked from the WAFBstation in Baton Rouge. Many residents view these journalists’ actions as heroic for never giving up and finding creative ways to show them what things looked like in their neighborhoods and for letting them know when it was safe to return home. “In a lot of stories, you attempt to relate to your subject matter, to your viewer, you try to deliver what you think is important to them,” Corder said. “In the moments after the storm, after Laura, you knew what was important to them — because you were going through it, too.”

The KPLC station has been housed downtown in Lake Charles for its entire 65 year history. A decision had to be made on whether to rebuild in the same location or to move the station elsewhere. Gray Television, KPLC’s parent company, along with KPLC, has spent the last two years creating a plan to move forward. They recently announced their decision to keep the station at its Division Street location. The multi-million dollar project will include expanded television production facilities, two new broadcasting studios, a larger parking lot, and a new building entrance with lots of glass and natural light. “We think it will be a great facelift for the area,” said Ware. “We worked with the city to make sure it reflects the architectural significance of the area.”

The biggest challenge for the rebuild will be the fact that the station will continue to broadcast from the location throughout construction. As a result, the construction will have to be done in phases. But keeping the station downtown is worth this inconvenience, according to mayor Nic Hunter. “We got to a point today where there was a group commitment to come back and reinvest in what has been a historic location and a very important anchor for downtown Lake Charles,” said Hunter. “KPLC has been a trusted source of news and updates in this community since 1954. It’s an important thing when new companies come into Lake Charles; it’s also an important thing when existing companies make the decision to reinvest and retain jobs in Lake Charles.”

Pat Williams Construction, a local company, is leading the project and construction is slated to begin in the first half of August. The building should be completed in about 18 months, weather permitting. “When something’s good for downtown Lake Charles, it’s good for the entire city of Lake Charles.” Mayor Hunter said. “This reinvestment not only affects KPLC, but the bigger picture is the spin-off benefits it has for the surrounding businesses and the surrounding communities.”

For more Louisiana-related articles, click here.

 

 

 

 

 

Louisiana Students Rank Highest on FAFSA Completion

Once again, the National College Attainment Network (NCAN) has determined that Louisiana holds the top spot in the nation for the amount of high school seniors who have completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), according to the Louisiana Department of Education.

FAFSA is a free application that provides the federal government with the financial information needed to determine what loans and grants a student qualifies for. It’s the only way a student can receive federal funding. Included in the FAFSA are all forms of financial aid provided by the federal government, like Pell grants, federal student loans, and work-study programs. Louisiana graduates wishing to receive priority consideration for the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) scholarships must also complete the FAFSA. Aside from this, many colleges and states, and even private financial aid providers, use the information from FAFSA to determine eligibility for aid.

Despite how important the FAFSA is, an analysis of federal student aid data conducted by the National College Access Network (NCAN) estimates that over $3.75 billion of federal aid was left unclaimed by the high school class of 2021 across the nation, which is a direct result of not completing the FAFSA. NCAN estimates that 813,000 of the 1.7 million students who didn’t submit the FAFSA would have been eligible for financial aid, in particular Pell grants, if they had only completed the application.

According to Bill DeBaun, NCAN’s director of data and evaluation, many students think college is out of reach because they can’t afford it. However, they may not realize how much federal aid they qualify for and they won’t unless they complete the FAFSA. “Requiring the FAFSA for high school graduation puts it more prominently on the radars of district and school practitioners, and also students and families; it’s a clear signal states are sending that FAFSA completion is important, and also that considering a postsecondary pathway is also important,” said DeBaun.

 In light of how important the FAFSA is, Louisiana was the first state to make completing the application a graduation requirement. Since making this change in the 2017-2018 academic year, several other states have done the same. In order to graduate, seniors must complete one of four forms: the FAFSA, an opt-out form, a waiver, or a state merit scholarship form that requires no information about family finances.

 A completed FAFSA application isn’t just important to students; the information gathered from them is used to determine a significant amount of postsecondary funding. Because of this, Louisiana’s Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOSFA) runs monthly error reports on submitted applications. The reports can identify missing information so that the office can notify students of the errors and can then help them to fix them.

To make filling out a tedious and boring form more “fun,” some Louisiana state officials have turned the completion of the FAFSA into a friendly competition among high schools.  The state has taken to providing FAFSA workshops and seminars and have even set up tables to fill out the forms at various social events, like sports tournaments. Every month, the school with the most FAFSA gains is announced and those students have bragging rights until the next month’s winner is determined.

Getting students excited about paperwork isn’t enough though, so Louisiana provided trained staffers to guide and support school counselors. Louisiana also sent state workers from the Department of Education and the Office of Student Financial Assistance to all corners of the state to help with any events that might increase the amount of applications completed. They also held virtual workshops via Zoom during the pandemic.

All of this hard work paid off when it was determined that 66.5 of Louisiana’s Class of 2022 had submitted the form, the highest percentage in the country. This was determined by NCAN, who uses a tracker to count applications that are fully completed and processed. More completed applications mean more financial aid reaching the students who need it most.

For more education-related information, click here.

Summer Salad With Corn Za’atar Dressing

Summer is hands-down the perfect season to cook fresh produce, and let it stand out alongside seafood as a lightweight culinary treat. Luckily, this delicious summer salad recipe from Epicurious for a zesty salmon salad with summer corn, heirloom tomatoes, arugula, and a one-of-a-kind za’atar dressing is just the treat for your dinner table this summer.

Ingredients

  • 4 salmon fillets, skinless and 5–6-ounce each
  • 5 ears of corn-on-the-cob, washed and husked
  • 2 whole lemons
  • 3 tablespoons of freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  • ½ a red onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 4 teaspoons of za’atar, plus more for serving
  • 3 whole bay leaves, preferably fresh
  • 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 2 medium heirloom tomatoes or even creole tomatoes if you still have some, cut into wedges (about 1½ pounds)
  • A few sprigs of baby arugula or other baby greens (for serving)
  • ½ cup of extra-virgin olive oil
  • A few dashes of kosher salt, for boiling water

Directions

  1. You’ll want to begin this recipe by taking a large pot, filling it ¾ full with water, and generously salting the water. The recipe author at Epicurious suggests that the pot of water “should taste like the ocean,” so don’t skimp on the salt. Then, thinly-slice half of 1 lemon, and add it to the water along with your crushed garlic cloves, sprigs of fresh thyme, and fresh bay leaves. Place your pot of herbal, salted water on a stove burner and bring the pot to a boil. Allow the water to boil for at least 3 minutes but no more than 10 minutes in order to properly infuse the water with the lemons, salt, and herbal flavors.
  2. While your water is boiling or your pot of boiling water is infusing, you’ll want to whisk your extra-virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, 4 teaspoons of za’atar, and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt into a small bowl.
  3.  Once your water is properly infused and at a satisfyingly rolling boil, you’ll want to add your ears of corn-on-the-cob to the pot of boiling water and cook the husked ears of corn until they each become bright yellow in coloration and tender. This cooking process should take about 6 minutes in total for the 5 ears of corn, and you’ll want to transfer the ears to a nearby plate, allowing them to cool.
  4. After the ears of corn-on-the-cob are transferred out of the pot of boiling water, you will go ahead and reduce the burner’s heat to low and gently add your skinless salmon fillets to the water with a cooking utensil. Be sure to be careful and not add the salmon too harshly to the water. You’ll only want to poach the salmon fillets just until they are cooked through, which should take about 5 minutes. Afterward, transfer the fillets to a cutting board with a slotted spoon or a spatula and flake them into bite-sized chunks.
  5. Meanwhile, use a sharp kitchen knife and slice the corn off of the cob into a large mixing bowl. Add your heirloom tomatoes and red onion to the loose corn kernels. Using a mixing spoon, toss these vegetables with ½ a cup of the salad dressing you made and set aside earlier.
  6. Add the flaked salmon to your corn mixture, and toss the salad very gently just to coat it with dressing. Afterward, transfer pieces of your summer corn, tomato, and salmon salad to a serving platter or divide the salad among individual plates for serving. Top the salad(s) with the baby arugula and drizzle with the remaining za’atar dressing. Consider serving alongside additional za’atar for a better presentation, and enjoy.

For more delicious recipes, click here.

Ash Industries to Expand and Bring New Jobs to Lafayette

A molding company in north Lafayette will soon be expanding the size of its manufacturing facility to be twice the size that it is currently, and with the new space will be a need for 85 additional jobs, according to this article from The Acadiana Advocate.

Currently, Ash Industries employs 67 people at its West Willow Street facility where the company specializes in making customized injection molds for a variety of industries. Some examples of the type of industries that these specialized molds are made for include both military and electronics firms.

According to Louisiana Economic Development, the expansion of the Ash Industries facility’s manufacturing floor by an additional 20,000 square feet will create 85 new jobs, each with an average salary of $40,600, plus benefits. Additionally, according to LED, the expansion of the facility will also result in the creation of 120 indirect jobs inAcadiana. Expanding the manufacturing floor by 20,000 square feet will also involve the installation and adding of a chiller, expanse crane, and water cooling equipment, all of which will make day-to-day processes more streamlined and efficient.

Company President Hartie Spence said of the expansion, “Ash Industries is optimistic about the future of manufacturing in Louisiana and so far has launched phase one of a three-phase program to invest in jobs in our community. The ingredients of economic development in our industry are manufacturing space, a solid employee base, and the latest in cutting-edge manufacturing equipment. ASH’s current expansion will directly support and increase the services that we can provide customers who appreciate the benefits of having their products manufactured in our state.”

The state of Louisiana initially offered an incentive package that included the services of LED FastStart, a workforce development program. LED FastStart is noted as being the top workforce development program in the state of Louisiana, as it’s been recognized for its “innovation, effectiveness, flexibility and efficiency” by Business Facilitiesmagazine.

LED FastStart is a program that provides customized employee recruitment, screening, training, development, and training delivery for eligible, new, or expanding companies all at no cost. In fact, The Economist has described the program in the following manner: “probably the most notable statewide workforce-development initiative comes from Louisiana. Its FastStart program, which launched in 2008, helps companies recruit and train workers.”

By partnering with the LED FastStart program, Ash Industries will be able to benefit from a workforce development team that strives to ensure high-quality, flexible workers who are prepared “one day one and beyond.” In fact, according to LED, “the FastStart team includes dozens of experienced professionals from a range of businesses — manufacturing to corporate headquarters, digital media to customer support centers and R&D. FastStart has designed and delivered comprehensive workforce solutions for a wide variety of Fortune 500 companies, as well as high-tech companies funded by leading venture capital firms.”

In addition to FastStart, Ash Industries is also expected to participate in the Enterprise Zone (EZ Program) and the Industrial Tax Exemption programs. The Enterprise Zone Tax Credit program, as described by Louisiana Economic Development, is a jobs incentive program that provides Louisiana income and franchise tax credits to a new or existing business that is located within Louisiana. This business must also be creating permanent, net new full-time jobs and hiring at least 50% of those net new jobs from one of four targeted groups.

In addition to the EZ Program, Ash Industries will also be taking part in the Louisiana Industrial Ad Valorem Tax Exemption Program (ITEP), which (according to LED), is an original state incentive program, which offers an attractive tax incentive for manufacturers who make a commitment to jobs and payroll in the state.

 For more Louisiana-related articles, click here.