catering

Had a client (UT alum) mention to me that he went to his first LSU tailgate and was “completely blown away” by everything from the campus jamming crowd (and as he put it “LSU is a big ass place”), to the sheer enthusiasm of the participants to the amazingly diverse types of  food being prepared…jambalaya, whole roasted pigs, alligator “anyway you can imagine”, gumbo, etouffee, full breakfast spreads, and the list goes on!  His next comment was, “how come you aren’t out there at DKR-TX Memorial bringing the love out this way and adding some diversity to the breakfast taco/bbq status quo”,… his words, not mine…my response, “I haven’t been invited!!!” He promised he would  do his best to change that, so I pass the challenge on to my Austin neighbors…spread the work far and wide that fall is in the air and Gumbo is in season, come one, come all, NOLA Kitchen wants to enlighten the UT masses with the flavors of South Louisiana, it’s good stuff y’all!

The most common question I get from my clients is, “what is the difference between Cajun and Creole?”  The short answer is Cajun is more of a country style of cooking whereas Creole is more of a refined, city style of cooking.  In 1755, the original inhabitants of L’Acadie, now known as Nova Scotia, were exiled by the British for not unconditionally accepting the crown.  Many of these folks made their way down into the bayous of South Louisiana beginning in the year that followed.  These folks, known as Acadie, were referred to as Acadians, which was soon bastardized into Cajuns.  Cajun food can be considered a true indigenous cuisine as the Cajuns had to create an entire cuisine based on the ingredients at hand, granted they brought their cooking techniques, but had to make do with the unfamiliar bounty of their new home.  Creole, on the other hand, was defined as “new born native to the soil”, or more specifically, applied to the “new born of French or European parents living in the West Indies, or more specifically, South Louisiana.”  The cuisine is a rich cacophany of French, Spanish, Italian, Native American, African, German, Polish, British and any other ethnicity who called New Orleans home.  There is more of an emphasis on wine, butter, cream and other fine ingredients that may have made their way from the formal kitchens of France and Spain, most notably.  I guess, the easiest way to define the cuisine is “America’s most unique and flavorful contribution to the culinary world”…enough  said!

A recipe from the chef: who would have thought that Remoulade Sauce can be found on frites in Belgium, roast beef sammies in Denmark, hot dogs in Iceland and most lovingly, on all forms of  seafood in Southern Louisiana? The folks in Amsterdam can also appreciate this treat on seafood too!  I find that this recipe is by far, the most commented on by my clients, one even refers to it as gravy…so here it is, for the world to enjoy.  What’s the point of having a wonderful recipe if it isn’t shared??? -6 ounces of olive oil, 7 ounces of Zatarain’s Creole mustard (if you can’t find it, sub Dijon with a couple tablespoons of Worcestershire and your favorite hot sauce to taste), 1.5 ounce of red wine vinegar, 2/3 cup of finely sliced chives, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, 1/3 cup finely diced celery, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste.  Mix all together, refrigerate and enjoy.