REGIONAL CUISINE

NEW ORLEANS

Southern region : 3 parts

Tidewater cuisine: Virginia & North Carolinafried chicken, crab cakes, oysters

Low Country Cuisine: South Carolina, Georgia, & Northeastern Florida; low country boil, S&G

Gulf Coast area: Mississippi Delta & Louisiana.

Region: Gulf Coast

• What factor might influence the cuisine here?– HISTORY: Native American. Then conquerors:

influx of Spanish, French, Italian, English, German & African immigrants.

– GEOGRAPHY: Gulf Coast area; swamps

Creole & Cajun

CREOLE• COMES FROM NEW

ORLEANS; FROM HOMES OF RICH FRENCH & SPANISH LAND OWNERS.

• BLENDS FRENCH CUISINE & TECHNIQUES OF ENSLAVED AFRICANS.

• GULF COAST into FL.• SPICY. SOME CARIBBEAN

SPICES.

Cajun• COMES FROM SWAMPS &

BAYOUS IN SW LOUISIANNA.• HISTORY: PG 646• ADAPTED FRENCH COOKING

TO BOUNTY OF SWAMP. ie. Bay leaves, thistle, wild onion & garlic, game.More spicy than creole.

Lets Talk Food

• Trinity: Cajun and Creole has their version. Bell pepper instead of carrot. Foundation of LA cooking.

GUMBO

• CREOLE GUMBO HAS ROUX; CAJUN DOESN’T • Soup w/ trinity, shrimp, brown roux, okra,

file’(thickener made w sassafras leaves)

Making a roux

Jambalaya

• Cajun• Spicy rice dish w chicken, Andouille sausage,

shrimp, crayfish, trinity, veggies, broth, seasonings.

• Andouille – pork sausage w/ strong, smoky, garlicky seasonings.

Red Beans & Rice – Made on Mondays. Women can do chores.

CRAWFISH

ETOUFEE

MUFFALETTA

PO BOY-usually roast beef or seafood on baguette

Pralines

Bread Pudding

King Cake-cinnamon filled dough in shape of circle sprinkled w colored sugar.

Banana’s Foster

Beignets!!!!!!

Café Du Monde since 1862

CAFÉ DU MONDE

Video

• History Channel• http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/

mardi-gras

Carnival• Traditionally, in the days leading up to Lent, merrymakers would

binge on all the meat, eggs, milk and cheese that remained in their homes, preparing for several weeks ofeating only fish and fasting. In France, the day before Ash Wednesday came to be known as Mardi Gras, or “Fat Tuesday.”

• The word “carnival,” another common name for the pre-Lenten festivities, may also derive from this vegetarian-unfriendly custom: in Medieval Latin, carnelevarium means to take away or remove meat.

• Concept of Mardi Gras: Eat, Drink and be merry, for tomorrow we all die.

• 1 Chorinthians 15:32• When Christianity arrived in Rome, religious leaders decided to

incorporate popular pagan local traditions into the new faith, an easier task than abolishing them altogether.As a result, the excess and debauchery of the Mardi Gras season became a prelude to Lent, the 40 days of penance between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. Along with Christianity, Mardi Gras spread from Rome to other European countries, including France, Germany, Spain and England.

Mardi Gras

• A Pre-Lent celebration. (baby Jesus in King cake)

• Celebrated the day before Ash Wednesday.• Purple=Justice• Green=Faith• Gold=Power