Guest Author - Launa Stout
Want to know what to eat so you can be a southerner?
Seafood, fish, crayfish, crabs, shrimp, oysters, pompano, catfish, bass, flounder, trout, red snapper, redfish, alligator, turtle, frogs, chicken, game, deer, rabbit, squirrel, ducks, wild turkey, geese, pheasant, quail, partridge, sausage, tasso, boudin, andouille, beans, rice, sugar cane, fruits, and vegetables, tomatoes, mild and hot peppers, okra, corn, hominy, cornmeal, grits, eggplant, green beans, squash, onions, mirlitons, sweet potatoes, soybeans, garlic, file, bay leaves, figs, peaches, strawberries, pecans and chicory
And make sure you know the Louisiana vocabulary! -
• Alluvial – rich, fertile land deposited around rivers as a result of flooding; excellent soil for crops
• Bayou – swamps found in Louisiana
• Beignets- deep-fried pieces of bread dough, dusted with a thick coating of confections’ sugar before serving
• Brackish water – a mixture of fresh water and salt water
• Café brulot – hot coffee drink containing strong coffee flavored with brandy, orange liqueur, and sugar
• En papillote – literally “in an envelope”, this cooking technique involves tightly enclosing the food in parchment paper or other wrapper, which actually steams the contents inside the parchment envelope
• Etouffee – literally means “smothered”; the dish begins with sautéing the “holy trinity” of vegetables – onion, celery, and green pepper- in a roux with shrimp or crayfish
• File powder – spice made from the ground leaves of the sassafras tree that frequently appears in Cajun cooking; first used by the Choctaw Indians; flavors as well as thickens the dish
• Grillades – braised round stead similar to Swiss steak usually served at breakfast and accompanied by grits
• Gumbo- from the West African word for okra, guingombo, this soup/stew begins with a roux, then incorporates seafood, pork, chicken, or whatever is available, thickened with either okra(African) or file powder (Choctaw Indians) added at the end and then served with rice
• Gumbo z’herbes – meatless version of gumbo containing seven greens and no meat, often served during Lent
• Jambalaya- name from the Spanish and French words for ham, dish resembles the Spanish and French words for ham, dish resembles the Spanish dish paella. Jambalaya combines rice and seasonings with all sorts of meats, poultry, and/or seafood
• Oreilles de cochon- fried dough dipped in sugar syrup, served throughout the countryside in Louisiana, literally means “pigs” ears”
• Pepper sauce – pickled peppers preserved with salt and vinegar; type of peppers, amount of aging time, and type of container used in aging create differences in the flavor of the suace
• Pralines – cloyingly sweet candy contains pecans and brown sugar; some versions add cream; derived from European version of praline, which consists of almonds and white sugar
• Roux – basis for a thickening made by sautéing equal parts of fat and flour, from French cookery; cooked to different colors from white to brown depending on the desired flavor and outcome
• Tasso – spicy, smoked ham; Cajun specialty used to flavor many dishes
