I’m a day late with this post, but we just got home tonight from a six day trip to New Orleans for a family wedding. Thirteen of us shared a house on the water out near Lake Ponchartrain, and I knew I wouldn’t have any computer time, so I didn’t take my laptop. I did, however, have one very new experience and learned quite a few new things, one of which I’ll share tonight.
Friday night, the groom’s family hosted an amazing party at their home with a crawfish boil. I had to get a lesson in eating crawfish from one of Randy’s friends but it was easy after that and delicious! They boiled 110 pounds of crawfish, and then quite a few pounds of blue crabs which were much harder to peel and eat. Included in the crawfish boil were spicy sausages, corn on the cob, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and even some brussel sprouts. It was quite the feast.
My grand-niece, Bella, is an old pro at this. Living in Lousiana has its perks!
Saturday morning five of us took a walking tour of the Garden District.
We had a fabulous tour guide, and I learned all kinds of things. One of the most interesting was the difference between Creole and Cajun. Both terms are used frequently in New Orleans. Creole is anyone who was native born to New Orleans but nationality is not important. Their ancestry might be French or Spanish, or someone who descended from African/Caribbean heritage. Cajun describes people who immigrated from Acadia after the British took over the area in Canada and demanded that the Acadians adopt the king’s Protestant religion. The British forced them to leave and many were shipped south to the Louisiana territories.
When it comes to food, Creole cuisine is considered “city” food, and Cajun “country food.” While many of the ingredients are similar, if the dish has tomatoes in it, it’s Creole. I had both Cajun and Creole gumbo and both were excellent. One had alligator sausage as well, and it was my favorite.
It was a fabulous trip and a beautiful wedding. I’ll have lots more to share once I get the photos organized and edited.
that feast looks delicious – literally finger licking good
The food is certainly colourful. I am not a great seafood fan but I guess I would give it a go. Trust the British to upset the local people. Nothing new there then! Thank you for the information defining Creole and Cajun.
What a feast of crawfish. Thanks for sharing the differences between Creole & Cajun. Last week we watched a special on the Arcadian folk in Nova Scotia & New Brunswick & how they keep the French language & heritage alive in those provinces. I am looking forward to seeing more garden photos.
..and now I’ve learned something new, too. Interesting! That sounds like a lot of crawfish! And I’m sure they were much nicer than the only ones I’ve ever tried, served in the Ikea cafe here
One hundred and ten pounds? Oh my! I can’t envisage that much …Thank-you for the explanation too. What a splendid gathering …
OH! N.O is one of my favorite cities in the US! Does it feel like a whole different country? and its history is so rich and very often tragic.
Thank you for this yummy post! I’m craving seafood all of a sudden 😉
It’s been so long since I’ve been to a crawfish boil – they are so much FUN!
Alligator sausage? Sounds very adventurous Karen!
My dad was born in New Orleans and his favorite food was red beans n’ rice…we never did have crawfish as best I can remember. I had an aunt on my mother’s side who could throw together a mean pot of gumbo at the drop of a hat. That feast you had looks delish!
Cheers~
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