Cajun-Creole
Beignets
(American Southern powdered sugar fritters)
Pillowy puffs of fried dough dusted with snowy powdered sugar, beignets (bane-YAY) are most famously served at the Café du Monde on the banks of the Mississippi River in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Beignets are best enjoyed for breakfast with a hot cup of chicory coffee. Read more »
Corn Maque Choux
(Cajun-Creole corn and peppers simmered in cream; see Creamed Corn recipe variations)
Gumbo
(American Cajun-Creole meat and shellfish stew)
Gumbo, one of the most famous of Cajun-Creole dishes, acquired its name from quingombo, a Congolese word for okra. It came about through a fusion of French, African, Native American and Spanish influences in early Louisiana cuisine. There are two main types of gumbo--those thickened with okra and those thickened with filé powder. This one uses okra. Read more »
Jambalaya
(American Cajun-Creole rice with chicken, shrimp and andouille sausage)
A classic of Cajun-Creole cuisine, jambalaya got its start in the French Quarter of New Orleans when Spanish immigrants cooked up a dish similar to their beloved paella from home. The name probably comes from a French Provencal word meaning "mix up" or "mash up." This versatile one-pot dish's popularity spread to the Cajuns in Louisiana's bayous, who, unlike cooks in New Orleans, made their version without tomatoes. This recipe is for the New Orleans creole "red" version. Read more »
Oysters Rockefeller
(American oysters with green sauce appetizer)
This luxurious shellfish creation was first served at Antoine's Restaurant in New Orleans in 1899. The appetizer is so rich it was named after John D. Rockefeller, the richest man in America at the time. Creator Jules Alciatore took the exact recipe to the grave with him, but poseurs everywhere have been trying to replicate it since. Here is our version. Read more »
