Here are a few Tidbits and ingredients that might help you

 understand New Orleans Cuisine

 

Andouille: (ahn DO ee)

 A spicy (not usually hot), smoked country sausage, usually stuffed with large pieces of pork, used in gumbo and other Cajun dishes.

 

Bisque: (bisk)

 A rich, roux-based soup, often served a side bowl of rice to add to the bisque.

 

Boudin: (BOO dan)

Hot, spicy pork (sometimes including giblets, especially liver) mixed with onions, cooked rice, herbs, and stuffed in sausage casing.

 

Cafe Au Lait: (caf AY oh LAY)

 Hot chicory-blend coffee blended (usually half and half) with hot milk.

 

Cajun: (CAY jun)

Slang for Acadians, the French speaking people who migrated to South Louisiana from Nova Scotia in the eighteenth century. The term now applies to the people, the culture, and the cooking.

 

Chicory: (chick-ory)

An herb whose roots are dried, ground, and roasted; used to flavor coffee.

 

Creole: (CREE ol)

From the Spanish word “criollo,” or “child of the colonies.”  Originally, the French and Spanish sophisticated city or plantation dwellers who either migrated from Europe or were born in Louisiana.  Later expanded to describe slaves born in the colonies, rather than in Africa.  Today in South Louisiana , it often refers to Creoles of Color, members of the black French-speaking community, who have a unique culture and music (Zydeco).  The term also includes a type of cuisine and a style of architecture.

 

Etoufée (eh too fay)

A Cajun word for sautéing.  Meat or seafood, cooked with a roux and the Cajun "Holy Trinity" (onions, celery, and bell pepper).  Usually served with rice.

 

File (FEE lay)

 Ground sassafras leaves, added at the end of cooking, used to season and thicken, among other things, gumbo.  Introduced to the French by local Indian tribes.

 

Grillades (GREE yads)

Squares of broiled beef or veal. Grillades and grits is a popular breakfast, especially in New Orleans.

 

Grits

Coarsely ground wheat or corn, cooked down in water and served with salt and butter. Somewhat similar in appearance to mashed potatoes, but the taste is closer to corn.

Gumbo (gum-boe) - A Cajun/Creole delicacy of South Louisiana, reflecting its rich history:  Wild game or seafood (from the Acadians), thickened with okra (from the Africans), file (from the Indians), and roux (from the French).  A thick, robust soup with thousands of variations, including Chicken and Andouille, Shrimp, Seafood Gumbos.

 

Jambalaya (jam buh LY uh)

Chef’s choice of meats (ham, sausage, shrimp, chicken, tasso) and chopped vegetables (tomatoes, celery, onions) cooked with seasonings, and combined with rice.

 

King Cake (Mardi Gras)

A ring-shaped pastry, decorated with colored sugar in the traditional Mardi Gras colors of purple, green, and gold (representing justice, faith, and power), with a small plastic baby or pecan hidden inside the cake:  Custom requires that the person who gets the baby in his slice of cake must provide the next King Cake.

 

Mirliton (MELe taun)

A hard-shelled vegetable pear with edible innards, it is cooked like squash and stuffed with either ham or shrimp and spicy dressing.

 

Muffuletta (muff a LATE ta)

 This huge sandwich is made up of thick layers of several different types of Italian meats, cheeses, and a layer of olive salad. Served on special, seeded Muffuletta bread (but French bread will do).

Praline (PRAW leen)

Essentially, a candy made of pecans and sugar.

 

Remoulade (ROW moo lad)

A cold dressing made with oil, Creole mustard, chopped green onions, paprika and any combination of spices, served on chilled, boiled seafood.

 

Roux:

Flour cooked in fat (butter, oil or lard) until it is brown with a nut-like flavor and aroma.  Used as a thickening, coloring, flavoring base for pot foods, like gumbos, gravies, sauces, and soups. May be light-gold (for fish and other delicate ingredients) to very dark for hearty dishes.

 

Tasso (TASSO)

A strip of smoked, seasoned pork or beef.  Similar in substance to beef jerky, but used to flavor pot food (gumbo, jambalaya, beans, etc.) or thinly sliced and simmered in a sauce for rice or pasta.

 

The “Holy” Trinity

  Onions, bell peppers and celery, the three most often used ingredients in Cajun/Creole cooking. The Cajun Trinity with garlic added.