Cajun and Creole Food

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Weedygarden

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I don't know the difference between these two types of food, cajun and creole. I'd bet a few of you do.

I saw this on a meme and thought it would be fun to see how many of these foods each of us have eaten. And then, how many have you cooked?

New Orleans Food Test. Give yourself one point for everything you’ve eaten.

Gumbo
Etoufee
Jambalaya (edit added, thank you Wingnut!)
Red Beans and Rice
Muffulettas
Beignets
Poboys
Snoballs
Bananas Foster
Crawfish
Pralines
King Cake
Oysters
Boudin
BBQ Shrimp
Soft Shell Crab
Fried Chicken
Turtle Soup
Alligator
Shrimp Remoulade
Thin fried Catfish
Bread Pudding
Frog Legs
----------------
I've eaten gumbo, red beans and rice, Beignets, Bananas Foster, Alligator, frog legs, catfish (can someone tell what makes New Orleans catfish different, if it is?)
 
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I love everything on that list. We have learned to use Alaskan ingredients to make much of those dishes. Just can’t find a substitute for crawfish up here!
 
I don't know the difference between these two types of food. I'd bet a few of you do.
It's hard to draw a line between the two because they overlap so much with each other.
As near as I can tell, some of the Creole cooking recipes were based on po-folk getting by with whatever they had, (like nutria, which I have probably eaten and never knew it :oops:).
The definition of 'gumbo' is: "whatever she threw into that big pot to feed all those people".
As far as the list goes, I could check all of them except snoball. (ice makes my teeth hurt:().
 
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I have long wanted a thread about this kind of food, because it seems as though there are some that are easy to store and prep for. Red beans and rice is a perfect example, except that some of you have mentioned in other threads that it is not as easy as it seems to make.
 
I have long wanted a thread about this kind of food, because it seems as though there are some that are easy to store and prep for. Red beans and rice is a perfect example, except that some of you have mentioned in other threads that it is not as easy as it seems to make.
Red beans are cheap, and so is rice.
But you gotta have something to put in with it.
Creole baby!!! :D
https://senseandedibility.com/creole-red-beans-rice/
When it comes to this particular recipe, though, we can thank escaped Haitian slaves for introducing it to the good folks of Louisiana.
One of the few differences between Cajun and Creole recipes is that the latter incorporates tomatoes. In this recipe, tomato paste transforms the plain red beans into Creole red beans.
 
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19 out of 23. GOOD STUFF
We do pretty dang good down here. :thumbs:
Most of what we consume comes from within a 120-mile radius of us.
Locally sourced.
Just to name a few: Sugar, strawberries, oranges, shrimp, crabs, oysters, red-snapper, rice, and Tabasco®:D.
And since I am an immigrant from Alabama, I can tell @Weedygarden that yes, you do eventually develop a tolerance for hot spicy stuff.:)
 
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We do pretty dang good down here. :thumbs:
Most of what we consume comes from within a 120-mile radius of us.
Locally sourced.
To name just a few: Sugar, strawberries, oranges, shrimp, crabs, oysters, red-snapper, rice, and Tabasco®:D.
And since I am an immigrant from Alabama, I can tell @Weedygarden that yes, you do eventually develop a tolerance for hot spicy stuff.:)
I love hot spicy stuff. It gives me the hiccups.
 
I love hot spicy stuff. It gives me the hiccups.
I found out that there is a good reason Cajun and Creole stuff is spicy.
It is to improve the flavor of something that would otherwise be bland.
Naked rice is boring. :mad: Unseasoned shrimp is like chewing white plastic:(.
How you season it becomes very important.
For example, nobody would boil seafood in straight water without tossing in a couple bags of something called 'crab boil':
812raCFm04S._SL1500_.jpg

Lots of spices in that bag!
We do dat.:thumbs:
 
We do pretty dang good down here. :thumbs:
Most of what we consume comes from within a 120-mile radius of us.
Locally sourced.
Just to name a few: Sugar, strawberries, oranges, shrimp, crabs, oysters, red-snapper, rice, and Tabasco®:D.
And since I am an immigrant from Alabama, I can tell @Weedygarden that yes, you do eventually develop a tolerance for hot spicy stuff.:)
I think I could about live on strawberries, oranges, shrimp, crab and snapper. Now you've done got me hungry again
 
I think I could about live on strawberries, oranges, shrimp, crab and snapper. Now you've done got me hungry again
Oh, we're suffering terribly bad down here!gaah
Can't you please send us some peanut butter?
bow-gif.76850

boiling-over-jpg.19348

On topic: (Not sure if those are Cajun or Creole, I just call them delicious
yummy-gif.65771
)
 
One of my seven brothers is married to a Korean gal, lives over there year-round... says those Korean peppers can get mighty hot! :oops:

When it comes to habaneros, ghost peppers and the like, I use 'em in moderation... they're good for heating things up and adding zest, lol. ;)
 
Years ago I ate some Korean food that opened every sweat pore in my body. I was drenched after something I ate. I suspect it was some kind of pepper.
Ya' think?
If you knew what they cooked, you'd want lots of pepper in it too! :oops:
Top-25-Korean-Foods-1.jpg

So, which dish has dog in it, and which one is cat?
You think I'm lying?
https://www.hsi.org/news-media/closing-south-koreas-dog-meat-farms/

https://www.animals24-7.org/2016/12/16/largest-dog-and-cat-meat-market-in-south-korea-set-to-close-by-may/
 
Chinese will eat dog as well, but not so much cat.
they put enough ghost peppers on it so you can't taste it!

I'd say EVERYTHING there with meat in it has dog, cat or monkey in it. 🤮
I'll have the fried rice and sprouts TO GO!
Want to know what AUTHENTIC chop suey is made from. the last 12" of a pig's lower intestine, ESPECIALLY that round, brown part!
 
Chitlins anyone? same part.
Nothing wasted but the squeal.
Technically pork.
Been there, slung that. :thumbs:
Yes, you have to sling the, (trying to think of the Pearl-approved spelling since we can't use the emoji nomore), 'previously digested material' out of them before being rinsed.
Once totally rinsed inside and out, you can make great stuff with them, like boudin!!:woo hoo:
Delicious stuff!
Boudin.jpg

And presto! I am on topic with Cajun stuff!
 
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@Supervisor42 , this seems to be a topic that is near and dear to you!
I confess it is.
I mentioned boudin above.
You got anemic kids? People with 'iron-poor' blood?
The right boudin can fix that, it is called 'blood boudin'.
Still sold EVERYWHERE down here! (don't worry, the vast majority of boudin sold in stores is 'regular').
@Magus said 'everything but the squeal', he was right. You don't think that hog's blood falls on the ground, doya'?:oops:
https://mulates.com/2019/07/22/what-is-blood-boudin/
(Yes, I have eaten at Mulate's dozens of times :thumbs:)
 
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Red beans are cheap, and so is rice.
But you gotta have something to put in with it.
Creole baby!!! :D
https://senseandedibility.com/creole-red-beans-rice/
I had the recipe show in a printout form and here it is. I want some! I do have dried small red beans. Did I get the right kind of beans? I got them specifically for red beans and rice. I have a few packages of Andouille sausage in the freezer.

Sofrito: sofrito is used in Puerto Rican cooking and I had some in the freezer that was old. I threw it out. I just looked for a recipe for sofrito, but there are different versions of it. Puerto Rico has their own version.

Creole Red Beans and Rice

Use dried beans (begin the evening before) to create the most flavorful red beans and rice this side of New Orleans.

Canned Beans instructions can be found in the notes.

CourseEntree
CuisineCreole, North American
Keywordbeans and legumes, rice

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
soaking time (or anywhere from 6-12 hours)6 hours
Total Time9 hours 15 minutes

Servings8
Calories732kcal
AuthorMarta Rivera
Equipment
  • 4-quart dutch oven
Ingredients
  • 1 pound (454 grams) dark red kidney beans sorted and rinsed clean
  • 1/2 pound (170 grams) bacon diced
  • 12 ounces (340 grams) andouille sausage (or up to 1 pound), sliced into 1/2-inch thick rounds
  • 1 1/4 cups (65 grams) yellow onion diced
  • 1 cup (149 grams or 1 medium) green bell pepper diced
  • 1 cup (100 grams or 4 stalks) celery diced
  • 1/4 cup (8 cloves) garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup (1 medium) jalapeño pepper seeded and minced (optional)
  • 1/4 cup sofrito optional
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning (Tony Cachere's), plus more to taste
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper plus more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice (optional)
  • 6 cups (1 1/2 litres) ham broth (or chicken broth)
To serve
  • 8 cups steamed white rice
  • jalapeño pepper sliced
  • green onions sliced
  • cornbread or corn muffins
Instructions
Soak the Red Beans (Begin at least 8 hours ahead)
  • Add the sorted and rinsed beans to a large bowl.

    Cover the beans in the bowl with at least 4-inches of cold water. Soak the dried beans at room temperature for no less than 6 hours but no longer than 12.
  • Once the soaking period is over, strain the water from the beans before giving them another rinse under cold, running water.

    Set aside while you begin the flavoring base.
Render the Fat and Sauté the Aromatics
  • Add the bacon to a 4-quart dutch oven.

    Heat the pot over medium-high heat to slowly render the fat from the bacon. After 2-3 minutes of cooking, there should be about a tablespoon of bacon grease in the bottom of your pot.
  • Add the andouille sausage to the pot. Stir the sausage and bacon together, then brown the sausage for 2-3 minutes, or until it takes on a little color.
  • Stir the onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, jalapeño, and sofrito(if you're using it) into the pot with the sausage and bacon.

    Sauté the veggies for 3 minutes, or until they begin to look glossy.
  • Add the tomato paste, cajun seasoning, bay leaves, cumin, thyme leaves, pepper, and allspice to the pot and stir to incorporate everything.
Add, then Simmer the Beans
  • Add the soaked, drained beans to the pot. Stir in the ham broth.

    Bring the liquid in the pot up to a rolling boil. Boil the beans for a 10 full minutes, stirring them occasionally to keep beans from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
  • After boiling the beans for 10 minutes, reduce the temperature to medium-low and allow the beans to simmer for 2 1/2 hours, or until just tender. The beans should offer a bit of resistance when bitten into, but shouldn't be crunchy.

    If they are still too hard, continue simmering for another 15-20 minutes, or until tender.
Serve and Garnish
  • Portion 1/2-3/4 cups of the prepared white rice into your serving bowls.

    Surround the rice with a generous serving of red beans. Garnish the assembled dish with thinly sliced jalapeños, green onions, or nothing at all.

    Serve with a slice of cornbread or a cornbread muffin (or two).
Notes
An important note about red bean lectin:
The soaking, and 10-minute boiling the beans later on in the recipe is not optional. The toxic lectin in the beans is removed during these steps. Pork Alternatives:
  • Turkey bacon (or oil) and chicken andouille or beef polish kielbasa (odesskie) can replace the bacon and the andouille sausage.
  • Replace the ham broth with chicken broth.
To Use Canned Beans Instead of Dried:
  1. Drain and rinse 2 16-ounce cans of dark red kidney beans.
  2. Add the beans to the pot with 3 cups of ham broth instead of 6 cups.
  3. Simmer the beans for only 45 minutes.
Make-Ahead Instructions:
  1. Prepare the Creole red beans and rice as instructed.
  2. Transfer them to a food storage container.
  3. Freeze the beans for 2 months or refrigerate them for up to 3 days.
Storage Instructions:
  1. Transfer the cooled red beans and rice to separate storage containers. You can also combine the two into one large container.
  2. Refrigerate the leftovers for up to 3 days.
  3. Sometimes, as the beans sit, the sauce thickens. If you find your sauce is more of a thick paste, thin it with a bit of ham or chicken broth or water as you reheat it.
  4. Remove the servings of beans you want to eat and reheat them in the microwave or on the stovetop until piping hot.
  5. Spoon the beans over the warmed rice.
Freezer Instructions:
  1. Transfer the cooled beans to a freezer storage bag. Freeze the bag lying flat, so it takes up less space when you stand it up after it freezes solid.
  2. Freeze the rice in a separate bag.
  3. Red beans and rice freeze exceptionally well for 2 months.
  4. Thaw the beans (and rice) under refrigeration.
  5. Reheat the beans thoroughly in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Nutrition
Calories: 732kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 1136mg | Potassium: 856mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 863IU | Vitamin C: 53mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 4mg
 
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