RSS Feed

The St. Mary Parish Courthouse has been evacuated because of a bomb threat for the second time in four days

Franklin police fielded the call about Monday's bomb threat about 8:35 a.m., according to the Police Department.

After the evacuation by Franklin police, the Office of Homeland Security and the Sheriff's office, the building was searched for suspicious devices, and the Chitimacha Tribal Police Department helped again by using its bomb dog.

The detectives division of the Franklin Police Department worked throughout to locate and identify the caller. At this time the building has been cleared and is operating under normal business. The investigation efforts continue into the caller of the bomb threat.

By noon, the building was cleared and people were allowed to return.

On Thursday, the courthouse was evacuated just before lunchtime, and business was back to normal by about 4:30 p.m.

Franklin police continue the investigation into both bomb threats.

For fans of Super Bowl parties, these Louisiana chefs offer some recipes to elevate the spread.
Chef Amy Mehrtens of Copper Vine in New Orleans Superdome said flatbreads are the way to go for game day feasting because they’re easy to make and feed a lot of folks.
Amongst her favorite is a Fig and Goat Cheese Flatbread.
FIG AND GOAT CHEESE FLATBREAD
1 flatbread dough
¼ cup fig preserves
3 oz. goat cheese crumbles
1/16 oz. micro arugula
3 oz. fresh figs, sliced
1 Tbsp. balsamic glaze
Spread fig preserves on the flatbread. Sprinkle with the goat cheese and place 12 slices of figs equally spaced on the flatbread.
Bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and drizzle with balsamic glaze. Garnish with micro arugula.
Bayou Bar in New Orleans is where the New Orleans Saints franchise was christened in 1966, according to the owner. So it’s only fitting that Chef/owner Brian Landry provides a game day recipe.
Boudin Chimichangas are Cajun twists on the Mexican crispy snack and feature two boudin (a slightly spicy Cajun dirty rice style of sausage consisting of pork and chicken liver) stuffed chimichangas served with a side of pit house sauce. Sticky Pork Rib Tips are finger lickin’ good and feature pork brisket rib tips, slow cooked, then fried and served with spicy pepper jelly drizzled on top.
BOUDIN CHIMICHANGA
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 lbs. pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces
½ lb. chicken liver, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
3 medium jalapeños, stemmed, seeded and chopped
2 bay leaves
4 Tbsp. kosher salt
2 Tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. freshly ground red chili flakes
2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. paprika
6 cups cooked white rice
1 cup chopped parsley
1 cup chopped green onion
3 cups pork stock or chicken broth
24 flour tortillas (6-inch)
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear pork shoulder in olive oil until browned on all sides.
Add liver and quickly sear. Add vegetables and seasonings, and cook until tender.
Allow mixture to cool. Chop mixture until small (or pulse in a food processor until resembles ground pork).
In a large mixing bowl add cooked rice, parsley, green onion and 3 cups of pork stock. Mix for approximately 5 minutes until mixture becomes slightly sticky.
Check seasoning, add more salt if necessary.
Place 2 ounces of boudin in the center of a tortilla and fold like a burrito and secure with a toothpick.
When ready to cook, fry in 350-degree vegetable oil for approximately 4 minutes until hot in the center and tortilla is golden brown.
Serve with the below Pit House Sauce.
Yields: 3 lbs. boudin
PIT HOUSE SAUCE
2 lbs. ketchup
2½ lbs. mayonnaise
7 oz. Worcestershire (by volume, not weight)
2/3 cup granulated garlic
2/3 cup black pepper
Salt to taste.
Chef Isaac Toups, Bravo TV’s “Top Chef” season 13 “Fan Favorite,” owner of Toups Meatery in New Orleans and author of Chasing the Gator — Isaac Toups & the New Cajun Cooking (Little, Brown) loves finger foods for game day snacks. Boudin Balls are crunchy sausage filled fritters, served with creole aioli and pickles. His Piggies in a Blanket are always a hit and feature pork sausage and cheddar served up in a puff pastry.
PIGGIES IN A BLANKET
7 lbs. ground pork butt
1/3 cup grated, fresh ginger
2 Tbsp. dried basil
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 Tbsp. Aleppo pepper
¼ cup dark brown sugar
3 Tbsp. kosher salt
Pipe sausage in natural lamb casings, the smaller ones. Once they’re cooked through, portion 3-inch pieces. Then, wrap the sausage pieces and 1-ounce grated cheddar in a 3-by-4 inch pieces of puff pastry and bake until golden brown.
James Beard’s Best Chef South’s Nina Compton is all about the heat on game day! Her Compere Lapin Bywater American Bistro in New Orleans suggests Hot Fire Chicken — spicy buttermilk chicken, bread and butter pickles, pickled mango, carrot and chayote slaw; and Roasted Jerk Corn — whole corn cob, jerk butter, ranch bread crumb, chili powder, lime.
HOT FIRE CHICKEN
Buttermilk Brine
6 boneless chicken thighs with skin
1 qt. buttermilk
2 shallots, julienned
10 cloves garlic, smashed
1 bunch thyme
4 Tbsp. calabrese chili puree
4 Tbsp. Jerk Spice (recipe below)
1 Tbsp. chili flakes
6 Tbsp. salt
JERK SPICE
6 Tbsp. cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp. dark brown sugar
1 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. onion powder
1 Tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
Combine all the dry ingredients and then add remaining ingredients. Brine chicken overnight. Remove chicken, dredge in 2 cups flour and fry in 16 ounces of canola at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes, depending on the size of the thigh. In a medium size mixing bowl, place hot fire sauce (recipe below) and evenly coat chicken.
Yield: 6 servings
HOT FIRE CHICKEN SAUCE
1 qt. Original Franks Red Hot Sauce
25 grams red wine vinegar
250 grams water

Dry ingredients:
15 grams brown sugar
5 grams nutmeg
6.25 grams ginger
125 grams paprika
62.5 grams cayenne pepper
12.5 grams onion powder
12.5 grams garlic powder
6.25 grams cinnamon
Mix together wet ingredients in a large container. Add dry ingredients. Mix together and store until ready to use.
PICKLED MANGO
2 large mangoes
1 qt. white wine vinegar
1 cup sugar
Peel mango and dice into 1-inch cubes. Heat vinegar and sugar together until sugar is melted. Pour over mango and let cool.
CARROT AND CHAYOTE SLAW WITH MOJO
1 large carrot, peeled
1 chayote
1 scallion, julienned
½ bunch cilantro, picked
¼ cup mojo (recipe below)
1 lemon, zested
1 lime, zested
Using a mandolin, thinly shave carrot and chayote, add cilantro and scallions. Dress with mojo and citrus zest.
MOJO
½ qt. orange juice
1/8 cup lemon juice
1/8 cup lime juice
½ habanero
2 whole garlic cloves
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 orange, zested
1 lime, zested
1 lemon, zested
½ cup olive oil
1 cup blended oil
1/8 tsp. ground cumin
Sherry vinegar, to taste
Combine all juice in a sauce pan and reduce to half the volume. Zest garlic and habanero. Bring to a simmer with 1 cup of blended oil and let cool. In a powerful blender add reduced juice, garlic and habanero mix, mustard and emulsify with oil and then adjust seasoning, citrus zest, cumin, sherry vinegar and salt.
To plate: Top chicken with carrot chayote slaw and serve with 5 pieces of pickled mango and pickles.
ROASTED JERK CORN
Overall Time: 45 minutes
½ lb. butter, softened
1 Tbsp. garlic, roasted and chopped
2 to 3 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. thyme
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. ground allspice
½ tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. dried crushed red pepper
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
6 to 8 ears of fresh corn, shucked and each cob cut in half
Lime wedges dipped in chili powder, for garnish
In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients and then fold in the softened butter.
Carefully place corn in large pot of boiling water and let cook for 2-3 minutes.
Remove and when cool enough to handle, brush with jerk butter and wrap in foil. Place on a cookie sheet to roast in 375 degree oven or put on a grill top medium-heat and cook for about 6-8 minutes.
Remove corn from heat and remove foil. Brush again with the jerk butter. Then coat with mayonnaise and top with breadcrumbs, recipes below.
Garnish with chili powder lime wedge.
Serves 6-8/one whole corn cob per person
MAYO
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
4 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 cup vegetable oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper, to taste
Place egg yolks in a food processor. Add mustard and lemon juice. Pulse ingredients until well combined.
With motor running, add oil in a slow, steady stream (mixture should become thick and emulsified). Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
RANCH BREAD CRUMB
1 cup toasted panko crumbs
¼ cup ranch seasoning mix
1 tsp. finely sliced scallions
1 tsp. crispy chicken skin (optional)