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Name That Dish!
Guess what? Emeril Lagasse — Food Network and America's original celebrity TV chef — turns the big 5-0 today. The avuncular chef, known for his Cajun and Creole cooking, can stir up a mean version of the dish below.
Burning Question: Are Cajun and Creole Cooking the Same?
It's an age-old question: is there a distinction between Cajun and Creole cooking — or are they really just the same thing?
The answer is somewhere in between. Creole cooking evolved out of the cosmopolitan culture of New Orleans, a city affected by the influx of international colonists who settled there after the Louisiana Purchase.
Definition: Filé Powder
Filé Powder
A spice made from sassafras tree leaves that have been dried and ground. It serves as both a seasoning and a thickening agent when used sparingly. Also known as gumbo filé, this fruity spice plays an important role in Cajun and Creole cuisine, particularly in gumbo.
Name That Dish!
Welcome to the Mardi Gras edition of Name That Dish. Below is a Creole specialty that can contain many ingredients including vegetables, seafood, and meat. Do you know what its called?
'Wich of the Week: Hot Muffuletta
Mardi Gras puts me in the mood for muffulettas, but this year I wanted to move beyond the classic recipe for the New Orleans cold-cut monstrosity. Invented by Sicilian immigrants in the French Quarter around 1906 — the Central Grocery lays claim to the original — a muffuletta actually tastes better after a few hours. Served at room temperature, the signature olive salad soaks the roll, making the salami, ham, mortadella, and cheese deliciously moist and creamy.
Fast & Easy Dinner: Cajun Snapper With Red Beans and Rice
Tonight take a trip down to the bayou in the comforts of your own kitchen. This incredibly uncomplicated recipe takes key Cajun flavors and turns them into a classic, hearty dish. Rice is tossed with red beans and Creole seasoning before being topped with pan-seared snapper.
'Wich of the Week: Fried Oyster Po'boy
If you're a fan of oysters, you may be sneaking the seafood into your Thanksgiving stuffing. But the batter-fried bivalves are even more divine stuffed inside a sandwich — in this case, the famous New Orleans French-bread creation known as an oyster po'boy or oyster loaf.Just how divine is the oyster loaf? In the 1800s, the sandwich was nicknamed la mediatrice or "the peacemaker," because husbands brought them home to placate angry wives.
Noteworthy Nibbles — Sept. 30-Oct.6
Across the country this month Oktoberfest celebrations are in full force. There's something for you, whether you want to savor the last of the Summer with a seafood festival or switch your mindset to Fall by enjoying one of the many harvest celebrations. Have a tip for another event?
A Condiment Worth Making: New Orleans Rémoulade
I adore shrimp, especially in the Summer, but ordinary cocktail sauce doesn't always do it justice. New Orleans rémoulade, on the other hand, has a bold flavor that transforms simple boiled shrimp into an impressive standalone meal.
Most people are familiar with the French version of rémoulade, a mayonnaise-based sauce made with Dijon mustard and capers.
Would You Rather Eat Jambalaya or Red Beans and Rice?
Whenever I'm dining at a Cajun restaurant, I'm always torn between shrimp-tastic jambalaya and red beans and rice with sausage. So I usually end up ordering a po'boy and gumbo instead. But if you had to choose, which one of these spicy New Orleans rice dishes would you pick?
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