Cajun And Creole Cooking

Sunday, July 25, 2010

The Similarities and Differences between Cajun and Creole Cuisine

Although both Cajun and Creole people reside in Louisiana there are some differences that make each culture stand out. In terms of cooking Cajun cuisine is more rustic as Cajun people are located in the outskirts and swamp lands of Louisiana. Creole people on the other hand are found primarily in the City of New Orleans in the French Quarter so their food is considered more of a city type of cuisine as compared to Cajun.

Cajun people are Arcadians who speak french who originally migrated to Louisiana after the British kicked them out of Nova Scotia Canada. They reside now in what is called the Arcadiana region of Louisiana. Creole people were descendants of primarily Spanish, French and Portuguese Europeans first who mixed with other ethnic groups as they came into Louisiana including the Africans that were slaves and free at the time and Cajuns. So Creole food is distinct because of the blending of all those ethnicities into one cuisine. In effect each ethnic group that arrived in Louisiana brought something that went into the pot so to speak.

Both Creole and Cajun cooking has Gumbo. Gumbo is a food that has a traditional base stemming from French soup Bouillabaisse. The difference is that Creole cooking incorporated tomatoes while Cajun for the most part doesn't traditionally. The Spanish brought the spices they used and what they didn't have changed the dish Paella into Jambalaya. Even the Germans contributed by bringing cattle to the area like pigs and chickens which both groups use as staples in their foods. It was the Native Americans that introduced the early settlers in the Louisiana region to corn and Sassafras both which are used by Cajun and Creole cooks. The Africans made their contribution with things like “kin gumbo” or okra which goes into Gumbo. Both Cajun and Creole cuisine uses what is known as the “holy trinity”. The holy trinity is a takeoff on the French “poix”. It consists of finely diced onions, celery and bell pepper. In France “Mire Poix” consists of onions, celery and carrots as opposed to bell peppers. Both also use parsle y, bay leaf, green onions or scallions and dried red pepper.

The Cajuns brought their rustic cooking to Louisiana and adapted it to the ingredients available to them in that area. Its flavorful and simple and is not much to look at. In fact many staunch Cajun cooks complain about the food that is labeled in restaurants as not being authentic because it looks to refined. Cajun food is food that is in pots. There are usually three; one is the main course, one is the accompaniment and the other is the vegetable. Creole food is considered more refined and sophisticated. This is because of all the blending of cultures and the aristocracy that were originally called Creoles that came from European backgrounds. They too use local ingredients and incorporate those extras that the different cultures associated with being Creole brought to Louisiana also. Edit Posts

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Seasoning A New Iron Pot or Pan

Have you ever seen your Grandmother or older relatives use old cast iron cookware? You tell them throw out that old dirty pan and they laugh and say no way, I can't cook with new pots. Well, that's a fact for certain types of cuisine. This is especially true of Cajun, Creole and Southern Cuisine. That black cast iron pot or frying pan is an essential. The thing is that it is purposely made black and old. That is a process called seasoning. It is the “seasoning” process that makes the food taste so good. Seasoning is a process that seals the pores of a new pot and creates a non stick surface. The more its used the more seasoned the pot becomes.

Seasoning a new cast iron pot or pan is quite easy. Here is how it's done. Wash and dry the pot and lid of the new pan thoroughly. Once completely dry coat the pot and its lead with a vegetable oil. Do not use a saturated fat because it turns rancid when you store it and makes the food taste bad. (Saturated fat would be like butter or bacon grease.) Use two tablespoons of vegetable oil to completely coat the pot and lid. You can use a paper towel to coat the pot and lid.

The next step involves two things first. One is to preheat the oven to 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. While the oven is heating up you line a cookie sheet or baking pan that is large enough for the new pot and lid with aluminum foil. Place the pot on the cookie sheet face down and the lid right side up. When the oven is heated for 30 minutes you then put the cookie sheet in the oven with the pot and lid to bake. Leave the pot and lid in the oven for one hour. After an hour turn the oven off. Do not take the pot or lid out. Leave the oven door closed with the pot and lid in there for another 4 to 6 hours. After the 4 to 6 hours remove the pot and lid. Wipe them down with a clean dry cloth and now they are ready to use.

You can also season new utensils the same way. You wash and dry the new utensils thoroughly. It is then recommended you put them directly over an open flame for two to three minutes (not the handles). This removes all the excess moisture. Metal utensils are also porous. You oil them down including the handles like you would a pot or pan. Place the utensils on a aluminum lined cookie sheet or baking pan. Pre heat the oven the same way you would for a pot. You leave the utensils on for one hour only. Remove them when they cool a little they will be very hot, so be careful.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Pain Perdu/Pan Perdu

In Louisiana both Cajun and Creole people make Pan Perdu. We call it French Toast. “Pain Perdu” means Lost Bread. This is because traditionally it was made using stale bread that was about to be thrown away or lost. The word in french for bread which is “Pan” is changed to how its pronounced in Louisiana Pain. Now stale bread is an essential in this recipe. Here is a Cajun and Creole recipe of Pain Perdu for you to enjoy.

Pain Perdu Cajun Style In this recipe you can traditionally use any style of leftover bread. However it is not recommended to use sourdough bread.

Ingredients 1 egg 2 tablespoons Sugar 1 Cup Milk Dash of Nutmeg 2 Tablespoons Butter

Preparation: Beat the Eggs and Sugar together add in Nutmeg and Milk, Dip slices of bread in the Egg/Milk mixture. Fry in the hot butter until brown on both sides. Dust with powdered sugar and then top with your favorite syrup. ( Traditionally cane syrup or molasses was used. In addition to any local fruit or jelly that was preserved from a local fruit.)

Pain Perdu Creole Style Stale french bread was the preferred bread for this recipe. This is not your typical french toast recipe, it uses an egg custard to dip the bread in. Ingredients 2 eggs ½ cup of milk pinch of salt 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp vanilla ½ teaspoon cinnamon your typical french toast recipe.

6 thick slices of day old french bread (older is fine as long as you can cut it and Italian bread works fine too, in fact any crusty bread will work.) 1 tablespoon vegetable oil powdered sugar (optional)

Preparing the Custard: It's the simple milk and egg custard that's the secret that makes Pain Perdue special. In a large mixing bowl whisk together your eggs, milk, salt, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and allspice. Slicing the Bread: Slice the bread into thick slices, at least 1-inch thick and add to the egg mixture. I used a beautiful whole-grain French loaf, but any French or Italian loaf should work nicely. Slicing at a slight angle will make for a longer piece of bread. Soaking the Bread in the Custard: Toss the slices until all the mixture has been absorbed into the bread. Depending on how stale the bread is this may take from 5 to 10 minutes. The secret to this recipe is to completely saturate the bread. This is also why thick slices of stale bread is used as thinner fresh bread would fall apart. Lightly Browning the Bread Before Baking Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large non-stick skillet, over medium heat, very lightly brown the slices in the butter and oil for about 2 minutes per side. Don't cook too dark as most of the browning will occur in the oven as the French Toast Bakes.

Putting French Toast in Hot Oven: Transfer to a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees F. for 10 minutes. Turning Over the Slices and Finishing the Baking After 10 minutes remove, turn over and put back in the oven for another 5 minutes to brown the other side. After 10 minutes on one side and 5 on the other the custard should be cooked on the inside, and the French toast will be crisp on the outside. If it looks like it needs more time cook it longer, but be careful not to cooked very dark as the egg custard may become bitter. Traditionally it was served with powdered sugar but You can add syrup and or fruit sauces.

Friday, July 16, 2010

Stale Bread for Breakfast? Pain Perdu

What do famed poet Henry Wadsworth Longellow and eating stale bread for breakfast have in common?

The answer to that little riddle starts on the beaches of Normandy, finds its way to what we now call Newfoundland and ends up in the bayous and swamps of Louisiana.

Longfellow wrote the epic poem, Evangeline. It’s the story of two Acadian lovers who are forcibly removed from their immigrant homes in Newfoundland and then find themselves trying to eke out lives as near-refugees in Louisiana as they search for one another. Today, we call those folks Cajuns.

And that’s where stale bread enters the picture. In France, they call it pain perdu. It involves soaking yesterday’s bread in an egg custard, frying it in a pan and sweetening it to perfection. You probably know it better as French toast.

But you haven’t had GOOD French toast until you’ve had it Cajun-style.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It can also be the tastiest.

Longfellow would undoubtedly agree if you served him some of that down-home Acadian grub, too.

The Ultimate Guide to Cajun and Creole Cuisine will tell you more about pain perdu, how to make it like a real swamp-dwelling Cajun and will even give you a few Creole variations in case you want to mix things up a bit.

This amazing guide is the ideal introduction to top-notch Cajun and Creole cooking and anyone who spends time in a kitchen needs to grab a copy right away.

Get copy of The Ultimate Guide to Cajun and Creole Cuisine while the price is right and prepare for an unforgettable breakfast.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

The Muffuletta

The is one of two national sandwiches of New Orleans. The Muffuletta came to Louisiana via the Sicilian Immigrants. The origins of the Muffuletta begin in New Orleans in 1906 in the Central Grocery which is still located in the French Quarters today.

The Central Grocery Store is an old fashioned store that was founded by Salvatore Lupo a Sicilian immigrant. He ran the store until 1946 when he retired. When he retired his son-in-law continued to run it. Today the store is still ran by his family members. A grandson and 2 cousins are still there running the Central Store as their forefathers did in 1906.

The “Muffeletta” is actually a type of round italian bread similar to focaccia bread. A traditional muffuletta consists of one muffuletta loaf, split horizontally. The loaf is then covered with a marinated olive salad, then layers of capicola, salami, mortadella, emmentaler, and provolone. The sandwich is sometimes heated through to soften the provolone. Here is a basic Recipe to serve 4

Ingredients 1 10" round loaf Italian bread with Sesame seeds 1 Recipe Olive Salad 1/4 lb Genoa Salami (Oldani is the best,) 1/4 lb Hot Capicola ( you can use regular Ham.) 1/4 lb Mortadella (San Danielle brand is suggested) 1/4 lb Mozzarella 1/4 lb Provolone

Muffuletta Olive Salad 1 1/2 Cups Green Olives, Pitted 1/2 Cup Calamatta Olives (or Black) Pitted 1 Cup Gardiniera (Pickled Cauliflower, carrots, celery, Pepperoncini) 1 Tbsp. Capers 3 each Fresh Garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1/8 Cup Celery, thinly sliced 1 Tbsp. Italian Parsley, finely chopped 1 Tbsp. Fresh oregano (When I have it in my garden) or 2 tsp. dried 1 tsp. Crushed red pepper flakes 3 Tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar 1/4 Cup Pimientos (Roasted red peppers) Recipe follows 1 Tbsp. Green Onions, thinly sliced Kosher Salt & Freshly Ground pepper To Taste (salt may not be necessary)

Directions: Crush each olive on a cutting board with your hand. Combine all ingredients. Cover with: Extra Virgin Olive Oil about 1 - 1 1/2 Cups Put into a bowl or jar, cover and let the flavors marry for about a week.

Assembly: Cut the bread in half length wise. Brush both sides with the oil from your 1 week old olive salad, go a little heavier on the bottom.

Layer half of the Oldani on the bottom half of bread. Then the Mortadella. Then the Mozzarella, then the Capicola, Provolone, and the remainder of Oldani. Top this with the olive salad. Put the lid on and press it down without smashing the bread. Quarter it. You've just created pure heaven. This recipe serves 4

Monday, July 12, 2010

Louisiana Kitchen

What are you making for supper tonight?

Think about your answer.

Is that something you’ve made before? Is it something you make frequently? Do you really, really love that meal?

If you’re making the same things again and again, you’re depriving yourself. The world is chock-full of good flavors, great combinations and mouthwatering meals. If you don’t love your dinner, you need to be fixing up something else.

My recommendation? Turn your kitchen into a Louisiana kitchen. Learn about the French-inspired Creole specialties that leave so many folks in New Orleans smiling after suppertime. Discover the Cajun cooking secrets that make those born on bayou into “redneck gourmets”.

The traditions and flavors of Louisiana cooking are just what you need to add a spark to your meals.

The Ultimate Guide to Cajun and Creole Cuisine is an instruction manual for creating a Louisiana kitchen--no matter where you live.

It explains Cajun cooking and Creole cooking, what distinguishes one from the other and how they overlap. Then, it doles out the recipes--fantastic, easy-to-prepare classics that will bring a new collection of flavors and styles to your personal menu.

Expand your cooking horizons with The Ultimate Guide to Cajun and Creole Cuisine and enjoy your personal Louisiana kitchen tonight. You can grab your copy right here:

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

That's what the Cajuns say. In fact, it's something of a motto down in Louisiana.

Loosely translated, it means, "Let the good times roll!"

Sounds like a great idea, right?

The best way to have a good time is to surround yourself with the right people--your friends, your family and your loved ones. And the best way to create one of those gatherings and to make it something fun to remember is with the right food.

The Cajuns know a lot about that, too.

In fact, Cajun cooking packs some of the greatest flavors you can imagine. Plus, it's real food for real people. The hardscrabble Cajun tradition isn't about fancy plates and elegant sauces--it's about creating tasty, flavorful, rib-sticking meals that will bring a smile to every face at the table.

The Ultimate Guide to Cajun and Creole Cuisine will give you the full background on the Cajuns and their traditions. It will also give you some of the most popular, easy-to-fix Cajun recipes you'll find anywhere. You'll be cooking like a Cajun in a heartbeat and it will be easier than ever to "laissez les bons temps rouler!"

Take a look at The Ultimate Guide to Cajun and Creole Cuisine today and start letting your good times roll!