Cajun or Creole?
Many people are unaware of the distinctions between Creole and Cajun cultures. Visitors to New Orleans tend to think of the local cuisine as "blackened" dishes, and expect everything to be very hot. This type of food is typically Cajun, and not Creole. The Cajuns are said to be descendents of French Canadian immigrants (the "Acadians", a name which was shortened to "Cajun" over time), who settled in the rural areas of Louisiana, inhabiting the bayous in small communities. The original Cajuns were frontier folk, hunting and fishing for subsistance.
The Creoles are descendents of the Europeans, mostly merchants and traders who immigrated to the city of New Orleans and established their own particular heritage in the New World. Each culture developed its own unique style of cooking. Though both relied heavily on the large variety of indigenous vegetables, rice, and seafood, the Cajuns, like pioneering communities throughout the world, cooked simple and readily available food, using techniques learned from the Native Americans.
Creoles, living in the city, had access to a variety of spices and influences available at the port markets, as well as a more leisurely lifestyle. With this time and leisure, they were able to experiment and create their own cuisine, a blend of the European sensibilities with Louisiana's environment.
To order our cookbooklet, see below for details.
STUFFED BELL PEPPERS
6 large green peppers (blanch lightly)
2 pounds lean ground beef
3/4 pound small shrimp (diced)
1/2 pound ham (diced)
1 loaf stale french bread (broken into fairly small pieces)
1 whole egg
1/2 cup green bell peppers (chopped medium)
1/2 cup green onion (chopped medium)
1/2 cup celery (chopped fine)
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 cup yellow onion (chopped medium)
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
1 tablespoon whole sage leaves
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon basil leaves
Cayenne pepper to taste (exercise caution, cayenne is 8 times as hot as black pepper)
In a large baking pan, wet bread with warm water. Pour off excess water, then add ground beef, garlic, thyme, sage, salt, parsley, egg and peppers.
In a seperate pan, saute yellow onion with green seasonings until lightly done (clearing), then mix with the above. Even the surface across the pan without compacting. Cover the top of the mixture sparsely with bay leaves (laurel leaves), then place pan into preheated 350 degree oven. After thirty minutes stir mixture thoroughly, bringing the bottom of the pan to the top. Total cooking time: 1-1 1/2 hours. Yield: 12 peppers
BREAD PUDDING
1/4 pound margarine, melted
2 1/2 cups milk
1/4 can evaporated milk (3 ounces)
1 egg
1 cup sugar
1 ounce vanilla extract
3/4 cup raisins
1 teaspoon salt
1 loaf stale bread, broken into fairly small pieces(not sourdough)
Place one quart warm water into large mixing bowl. Add the broken pieces of bread to the bowl, allowing it to become completely soaked. Gently squeeze the excess water from the bread, one handful at a time. Set bread on the side. Discard water from mixing bowl. Thoroughly mix all items in bowl, then spread evenly in a deep baking pan. Bake in 350 degree oven for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool before cutting into serving sized portions. Yield: approximately 12 pieces
ORDER THE COOKBOOKLET
To order our 16-page recipe booklet, which includes recipes for Eggs Sardou, Hollandaise Sauce, Crawfish Etouffe, Oyster Dressing, Creole Rabbit, Shrimp Creole, Bread Pudding, Silky Crab Bisque, Red Fish Courtbouillon, Oyster Soup Cafe Au Lait, Apple Cornbread Dressing, Red Beans, Stuffed Bell Peppers, Calas, Pecan Pie, Pralines, Papa Armand's Peach Cobbler, Spicy Bleu Cheese Dressing, Crab & Salmon Cakes Louisiana — plus Martini Olivier, Sazerac, Decatur Gin Fizz and Mint Julip cocktails — send your check or money order for $6.95 (includes postage and handling) to:
