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Cajun and Creole Cooking
Cajuns are the folks who live in the bayou country to the west and south of New Orleans. Originally French Canadians, they were exiled to Louisiana in the 18th century when they refused to swear loyalty to England, and their name is a corruption of "Canadian." Unlike "classic" southern cooking, in this case the French influence is that of the country, not the château. Cajun food is simple and full of flavor. It is mostly prepared in heavy, cast iron pots and makes use of the rice and seafood that are so abundant in the Gulf of Mexico. Gumbos and jambalayas are the most well-known Cajun specialties. Peppers, onions, and celery are an inseparable trio in many recipes (eg., crayfish bisque and the various gumbos) and they almost always join a roux. As in the Southwest, the general American aversion to spicy foods is suspended in Louisiana: cayenne peppers and chiles from Latin America have found a regular place in the Cajun larder. They were probably imported by the Spanish, who briefly occupied the area. Likewise, Native American influence is strongly felt in many recipes. The term, Creole, means simply a person with European blood who has been born in the New World. Over time, it also came to apply to those with mixed French or Spanish and African or Caribbean blood. In the world of cooking, it names the French-inspired haute cuisine of New Orleans. Here, tried-and-true French methods met American ingredients head-on. The results were tantalizing: Creole bouillabaisse, shrimp rémoulade, okra beignets, pompano en papillote, chicken Rochambeau, wild goose cassoulet, and of course terrapin stew. Many of the ingredients and methods of Cajun cooking are used in New Orleans as well. Roux is a common first step; crawfish and oysters show up everywhere. But the simple has given way to a complex, distinctive patois that can be heard in the tastes of New Orleans` famous eateries. |
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