There is more than one match up this Sunday and it is not all about football. I look at most things, like the Super Bowl, and think of what does it have to do with food and wine? Lots!! Although my husband is into football overall, I tend to get into it only for certain teams and/or the teams that represent certain cities. This year as all teams in my home state of California had fear of success syndrome, I will be rooting for the Saints, only because of all the things that great city has been through, their will to win (and a good kicker), and I have been to New Orleans and love the place, when it is not Summer that is. The Colts are a great team and represents Indianapolis well as that city never quits even in the worst of times and wish them luck too. Either team can take it and I think we all just want an exciting game vs. just waiting for the half time entertainment or the Puppy Bowl.

This brings us to wine and food. There is no contest when it comes to cuisine, New Orleans wins hands down only because of its diverse culture and world renowned restaurants. For this article I will provide you with a look into New Orleans and Louisiana culture that makes it one of the wining and dining capitals of the world.

Not to leave Indianapolis and Indiana completely out of this article though, they do have many fun and entertaining things to do, have great restaurants, and have great people to boot. However, there is not an abundance of original cuisine to write about. They do know about tailgate parties as there are many sports teams in Indiana and let’s not forget the Indy 500 infield parties – they really know how to do it as do the Colts fans. Indiana and Indianapolis are known for their fried pork sandwiches, Hoosier Sugar Cream Pie, sweetbreads (most notably as sandwiches), sweet corn, and popcorn – Orville Redenbacher to be exact. They even have an annual popcorn festival in his honor. All of these make wonderful tailgate foods or for you to have at your Super Bowl party if you want to add a bit of a regional theme to your bash. They also have a wine industry there along the Indy Wine Trail where about seven wineries hold court. Also go to Visit Indy for more information on the Indy culture and pay a visit to this great city and not just pass through.

Perhaps you will find some ideas here for your Super Bowl parties and go with regional themes rather than chips and dip, pizza, beer, pretzels, and the like, although any of those sound good to me right now as I have not eaten all day. 

NEW ORLEANS

You Say Cajun – I Say Creole

New Orleans, called the Crescent City as it was built at the crescent of the Mississippi River. But, what can you say about this city that has not been said already – not much. So, let’s approach this from another angle as it appears that at least some basic information is required and that is Cajun vs. Creole. In chatting with a few readers, it became clear that even though there have been some articles on the differences, most of you (me included) did not know the major differences between Creole and Cajun cooking. Both styles make up New Orleans and Louisiana’s unique cuisine.

Before I go any further, there is one thing that crosses party lines, if you will, in both Creole and Cajun cuisine, there are a few staples used in a cross section of both styles of food dishes: 

1. Holy Trinity. Three basic ingredients in most dishes and varies slightly in each region, (1) consists of onions, bell peppers, and celery (sources have stated this is more of the Cajun version); (2) consists of onion, bell peppers, and celery (sources have stated this is the Creole version too, however garlic is often used in place of another ingredient and sometimes in addition to the other three); and (3) onion, bell pepper, and tomato (regions where there is more of a Spanish influence).

2. Roux (roo). This is a thickening, coloring, and flavoring source for most foods cooked in a single pot. This too can vary for most Cajun vs. Creole dishes. Roux for Creole is lighter in taste and appearance and often made with a butter base, while Cajun is darker in taste and appearance and is often oil based (bacon, lard, vegetable, duck fat or others). The lighter version tends to be used in the more delicate dishes and the darker version used in the hearty dishes.

Also, most Louisiana cuisine has both Cajun and Creole versions. What sets them apart are the different cultures and how they use the ingredients and the way they are cooked, even the art of the preparation. It gets tough writing about as there is so much cross pollination now between the two and much debate from experts, including chefs, that it is easy just making it Louisiana cuisine and call it a day!

Creole Cuisine

Let’s put it this way, Creole is gourmet cooking that will please any connoisseur of fine dining. Its roots come from various racial backgrounds of the earliest colonial settlers of French and Spanish descent (mainly in New Orleans), plus African American and Native Indians that were in Louisiana before the Louisiana Purchase by the United States. Germans and Italians can also claim to have influenced this cuisine. Those that lived in New Orleans (the city dwellers) itself were considered Creole and originally were the upper classes that could afford better food and ingredients, as well as a kitchen staff that had chefs of African and Caribbean descent that also brought their influences to Creole dishes.

Most of the well known and more expensive restaurants of the French Quarter and New Orleans were Creole. Now thanks in part to many well known chefs such as Emeril Lagasse and Paul Prudhomme, both Cajun and Creole foods are served often combining both styles in one dish. This could be one reason many people cannot differentiate between the two styles.

A few of the most well known Creole dishes are:

Jambalaya (jam buh LY uh). In a tomato and shrimp base predominantly, the Creole version is also known as Red Jambalaya. It is a mixture of the Holy Trinity (see above), rice, various meats, poultry, and/or shellfish. It can also have andouille (ahn DO ee), a French smoked sausage; although, some would state that adding this would be Cajun.

Gumbo (gum-boe). The Creole style is a one pot dish, considered a soup by many but to most it is a stew that dates back to the 18^th century and gets its inspiration from French bouillabaisse. Gumbo is a traditional Creole dish.  It is made from either seafood or chicken and sausages, with many recipes combining all. It too contains the Holy Trinity and uses okra, an African and Spanish influence, served over rice. Many enjoy a richly buttered French bread with Gumbo, but the ever present cornbread and buttermilk biscuits can go with many a dish in Louisiana. The Creole Gumbo version uses a lighter roux and often includes tomatoes.

Oysters Rockefeller. This was originated in New Orleans through Antoine’s Restaurant in 1899, by Jules Alciatore, the son of the original owner Antoine after he died. Although there is a debate as to whether or not this dish is Creole, it is a true New Orleans dish nonetheless. In New Orleans and much of Louisiana, people have this for breakfast. Now, that is not for the timid! Named after the Rockefeller alive at the time, John D. Rockefeller, as the dish was proclaimed to be very rich by a patron, so the story goes. There are not too many recipes that are easy to follow for this dish, an Antoine’s is certainly not giving it away; however, Epicurious.com has several recipes online if you are game to try this dish at home.

 Cajun Cuisine

Where the Creole cuisine was, at one time, mainly for the upper classes in New Orleans itself, Cajun food comes from a more humble background. Guess you can call it comfort food as it tends to be hearty. The original Cajuns, then known as the Acadians, came from Nova Scotia, Canada by way of being exiled by the British and settled in the Bayou areas and areas outside of New Orleans. Because most were not well off they made use of anything and everything – nothing was wasted. Many people believe that Cajun food is just hot sauce (can you say Tabasco) and spices that would make your toes curl, but that is not necessarily the case with all dishes. Most would prefer to say that Cajun food is simply “well” seasoned. Cajuns have their own version of Gumbo stews that do not contain tomatoes and is a dark roux and then there is the Brown Jambalaya. It can use tasso, a smoked pork, among the other meats, poultry, shellfish, that can be used. As rice is used in most Cajun dishes, as well as Creole, Louisiana is one of the largest producers of rice in the United States. Dirty rice is a favorite Cajun meal; it is of course not “dirty” it is made with pork, chicken livers, and gizzards. Red Beans and rice is also a favorite. Rice as a starch fills a person up and keeps you full for quite some time, so Cajuns quickly learned that rice was a way to make the most of a meal.

There is one thing known as Cajun that I can die for, that is the Beignet (ben YAY). They are fantastic! Think of a cross between a doughnut and a pastry and you have a fried fritter with powdered sugar on top. You can also get them now with filling, but I like the original. I had these whenever I could in New Orleans a few years ago. They are great with a Café Au Lait (caf AY oh Lay) for breakfast or with my favorite dessert coffee, a Café Brulot (caf AY broo Loh) which is coffee (decaf will do too), orange peel, spices, and various liqueurs set aflame. After that, I am a happy camper! You can find Beignets at most coffee houses, but the original French Market Coffee Stand is Café Du Monde.

As this article can go on for pages with all the food of New Orleans, I will provide you with a link to recipes to try yourself and for more information at the following websites:

Cajun Recipes 

Creole Recipes  

Wines of Louisiana

There are a few wineries in Louisiana! The wines tend to be produced to stand up to some of the most unique seasoned foods in the world, its own.  As I cannot claim to have tried any wines produced in Louisiana, I am willing to try. For more information, I have provided links to some of the wineries found that have websites; you should give them a call and find out if they are sold in your area if you want to have these wines with your Louisiana dishes. I could only find seven wineries in general and all but the ones below do not have a working website or contact information:

Pontchartrain Vineyards

Landry Vineyards

Feliciana Cellars Winery

For a few Cajun and Creole recipes and cooking demonstrations please review the following videos I pulled for your information:

Please use your mouse to scroll through the five vidoes selected in the above playlist that includes: Cajun Deep Fried Turkey, Crawfish Etouffee, Beignets, Barbecue, and a chef preparing both Cajun and Creole dishes.

Well let the games begin and may the best team and Super Bowl Party win! 

(revised 2/12/10)