Alison's World & Adrianism: Food

Creole Cuisine in New Orleans, USA

Louisiana Creole cuisine is a style of cooking originating in Louisiana (centered on the Greater New Orleans area) which is a melting pot cuisine that blends French, Portuguese, Spanish, Canarian, Caribbean, Mediterranean, Deep Southern American, Indian, and African influences. It also bears hallmarks of British, Irish, Italian, Dutch, German, Albanian, and Greek cuisines.

There are some contributions from Native Americans as well. It is vaguely similar to Cajun cuisine in ingredients (such as the holy trinity), but the important distinction is that Cajun cuisine arose from the more rustic, provincial French cooking adapted by the Acadians to Louisiana ingredients, whereas the cooking of the Louisiana Creoles tended more toward classical European styles adapted to local foodstuffs.

Broadly speaking, the French influence in Cajun cuisine is descended from various French Provincial cuisines of the peasantry, while Creole cuisine evolved in the homes of well-to-do aristocrats, or those who imitated their lifestyle. Although the Creole cuisine is closely identified with New Orleans culture today, much of it evolved in the country plantation estates so beloved of the pre-Civil War Creoles

Some samples of main dishes include:
Crawfish Étouffée
Jambalaya
Shrimp Alfredeaux
Crawfish Fettuccine
Pompano en Papillote
Red Beans and Rice
Shrimp Creole
Chicken Creole
Trout Meuniere
Sauce Piquante
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Blackened Salmon
Mirliton
Creole Baked Chicken
Shrimp Bisque
Quiche

Ghani's Roast Beef Po-Boy
Court of Two Sisters Restaurant
French Quarter
New Orleans, LA
19 July 2009

My Jambalaya ( a bit like claypot chicken rice, just a bit more dry and no 'lap cheong'!)
Court of Two Sisters Restaurant
French Quarter
New Orleans, LA
19 July 2009

The famous Court of Two Sisters Restaurant
French Quarter
New Orleans, LA
19 July 2009

Cafe Beignet
Music Legands Park
Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA
19 July 2009

Bourban St by night - buzzing with boozers and party goers
Latin Quarter
New Orleans, LA
19 July 2009

Stopping the famous New Orleans Streetcar
St Charles St
19 July 2009

Gorging on Chocolates in Brugge

Everyone knows when you think of Belgium you think of chocolate. Belgium chocolate is world famous for being considered the best of the best.Located in the Flanders, the Dutch-speaking northern part of Belgium, Brugge is a postcard perfect stop on any tour of Europe.

The historical center is not so big and thus quite walkable. The only mode of public transport inside city is bus. Buses are operated by the Flemish public transport company De Lijn. Taxis can be found on the market place and station. Bicycles are easy to rent and make getting around the city very speedy, although the cobblestoned paths can make the rides a little bumpy and uncomfortable

Chocolate Shops here are plentiful and the standard is always high, so too are the boutique-style beer shops. Plenty of arts and crafts too, with some excellent local artists. A fairly cheap option is Stef's on Breidelstraat (betweeen Markt and Burg). If you are willing to spend a little more, Chocolatier Van Oost on Wollestraat is a must for high-quality artisinal chocolate. Word on the street is, that you can get ANYTHING covered in chocolate and moulded.

Ghani drooling
Brugge, Belgium
19 Sept 2008

MIM is Brugge, Belgium
19 Sept 2008

The only reason we came to Belgium
Brugge
19 Sept 2008

The Moroccan Tagine

A tagine is a type of dish found in the North African cuisines of Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and Libya, which is named after the special pot in which it is cooked.The traditional tagine pot is formed entirely of a heavy clay, which is sometimes painted or glazed. It consists of two parts: a base unit that is flat and circular with low sides, and a large cone or dome-shaped cover that rests inside the base during cooking. The cover is so designed to promote the return of all condensation to the bottom. With the cover removed, the base can be taken to the table for serving.

Tagines in Moroccan cuisine are slow-cooked stews braised at low temperatures, resulting in tender meat with aromatic vegetables and sauce. They are traditionally cooked in the tagine pot, whose cover has a knob-like handle at its top to facilitate removal. While simmering, the cover can be lifted off without the aid of a mitten, enabling the cook to inspect the main ingredients, add vegetables, mix the contents, or add additional braising liquid.

Most tagines involve slow simmering of less-expensive meats. For example, the ideal cuts of lamb are the neck, shoulder or shank cooked until it is falling off the bone. Very few Moroccan tagines require initial browning; if there is to be browning it is invariably done after the lamb has been simmered and the flesh has become butter-tender and very moist. In order to accomplish this, the cooking liquid must contain some fat, which may be skimmed off later.

Moroccan tagines often combine lamb or chicken with a medley of ingredients or seasonings: olives, quinces, apples, pears, apricots, raisins, prunes, dates, nuts, with fresh or preserved lemons, with or without honey, with or without a complexity of spices. Traditional spices that are used to flavour tajines include ground cinnamon, saffron, ginger, turmeric, cumin, paprika, pepper, as well as the famous spice blend Ras el hanout. Some famous tajine dishes are mqualli or mshermel (both are pairings of chicken, olives and citrus fruits, though preparation methods differ), kefta (meatballs in an egg and tomato sauce), and mrouzia (lamb, raisins and almonds).