Recipe Mutiny steals recipes from food blogs and recipe sites. Then we publish them. With credit (Naturally).
Monday, February 25, 2019
What Is the Difference Between Gluten-Free and Gluten-Removed Beer?
Earlier this month fitness-oriented Sufferfest Beer Company made history when it became the first acquisition in Sierra Nevada Brewing Company’s nearly 40-year history. Why would the third largest craft brewery in the United States have any interest in a little known contract brewer (though Sufferfest is based in San Francisco, its beers are produced over 1000 miles away at the Sleeping Giant Brewery in Denver)? Sufferfest happens to be one of a growing number of breweries focused on the production of gluten-removed beers, a reflection of the ever-popular gluten-free movement.
Beer is comprised of four core components: hops, yeast, water, and grain. As for that last category, the two most widely used options—malted barley and wheat—are chock full of gluten. However, if you want (or need) to go the gluten-free beer route, there are plenty of options that are brewed with ingredients that naturally don’t contain any gluten such as millet, sorghum, and buckwheat (which, despite its name, is not related to wheat).
New Belgium Glutiny Pale Ale on Drizly (price varies)
A gluten-reduced beer from a major producer.
Gluten-removed beers, however, take full advantage of malted barley and wheat. That’s possible thanks to Brewers Clarex, an enzyme which is added at the start of regular fermentation and proceeds to break down the gluten that crosses its path. The process keeps the flavor imparted by the grains intact while ensuring the gluten level in the beer falls below 20 parts per million (ppm), which meets the United States Food and Drug Administration standard of gluten-free. Sierra Nevada isn’t the only notable brewery to jump on the gluten-removed bandwagon. Stone and New Belgium have released gluten-removed options while Craft Brew Alliance, which is partially owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev, counts the gluten-removed exclusive Omission Beer as part of their portfolio.
Omission IPA on Drizly (price varies)
Another gluten-removed (or gluten-reduced) option to consider.
While they are often billed as such, gluten-removed beers are not legally considered gluten-free. Despite the fact that gluten-removed beers technically satisfy the FDA’s gluten-free standard as far as levels of gluten detected, because they are brewed with ingredients which initially contained levels of gluten above that threshold, they cannot officially be designated as gluten-free. There have so far been few scientific tests on the effects of removing gluten from beer and a recent research study conducted by the Gluten Intolerant Group concluded that the process does not ensure safe drinking for those who suffer from celiac disease.
If you don’t want to take that risk, only drink beers that are marked as “gluten-free” on the label; or if you’re having a gluten-free pint on draft, be sure to double-check with your bartender or do some research online to make sure that it is not actually gluten-reduced. Though gluten-free beers have carried a negative stigma in the past, breweries such as Ground Breaker—which produces a wide variety of innovative gluten-free offerings such as an imperial dark ale brewed with lentils and chestnuts—have helped change that perception.
Ground Breaker Dark Ale on Drizly (price varies)
Naturally gluten-free and safe for celiac drinkers.
For beer drinkers who are able to consume gluten but would prefer not to, going the gluten-removed route is a great option.
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The Big Easy: 11 Effortless Mardi Gras Recipes with Classic New Orleans Flavor
Mardi Gras falls on a Tuesday this year, which means making classic New Orleans cuisine is out of the question for many of us, because many of the city’s most iconic dishes are pretty time-consuming to make. Luckily, there are plenty of shortcuts to quick and easy Mardi Gras recipes that are full of those Big Easy flavors. These slow cooker, air fryer, and Instant Pot versions of New Orleans classics may be nontraditional takes, but they mean you get to savor fantastic food with minimal effort.
So if you don’t have a half hour to devote to making a proper dark roux (the foundation of any authentic gumbo, unless you use filé), let alone the time or stamina to take on the production of a king cake, try these easy Mardi Gras recipes and let the good times roll—right into your mouth. (And consider shaking up a classic New Orleans cocktail with the free time you’ve gained back!)
Slow Cooker Shrimp Gumbo
Chowhound
Traditional gumbo takes a fair amount of active time—at least 30 minutes of stirring the roux alone to build up a flavorful foundation. But this slow cooker shrimp and sausage gumbo employs a few tricks: you toast flour in the oven and mix with chicken stock for an easy shortcut roux, then cook everything in your Crock-Pot, so you can go to work, run errands, or just take it easy while dinner basically makes itself. (If you need something that’s quicker, try an Instant Pot Gumbo—but be sure to be extra-vigilant with your roux, as Instant Pots can easily scorch on the saute setting.) Get our Slow Cooker Shrimp Gumbo recipe.
Instant Pot Jambalaya
Boulder Locavore
A classic andouille and shrimp jambalaya, this comes together in a flash in the Instant Pot—even more so if you use cooked shrimp, but be sure not to add them until the very end. Get the Instant Pot Jambalaya recipe.
Instant Pot 6-Quart 7-in-1 Pressure Cooker, $99.95 on Amazon
A pressure cooker can help take the pressure off at dinner time.
Instant Pot Shrimp Etouffee
Paint the Kitchen Red
If you’re all about the seafood, shrimp étouffée is a fantastic choice, and comes together even more quickly than the standard version (which honestly isn’t all that hard either). Serve with plenty of rice to catch all that gravy. Get the Instant Pot Shrimp Etouffee recipe.
Instant Pot Vegan Gumbo
Cotter Crunch
This vegan Instant Pot gumbo relies on lentils for heft and okra both for traditional flavor and its natural thickening power. Cauliflower rice gets stirred into the pot, but you can serve the gumbo over top if you like. Get the Instant Pot Vegan Gumbo recipe.
Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice
Damn Delicious
Making a big pot of red beans and rice is a timeless tradition and a great, comforting way to feed a crowd, but it does usually take a few hours (which can be part of its charm), and requires an overnight soak of your dried beans. If you want a quick fix that doesn’t rely on canned beans, this Instant Pot version is perfect—and it means you can still use Camellia brand beans, which are much loved in Louisiana. (For another rice-based Cajun classic, try Instant Pot Dirty Rice too.) Get the Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice recipe.
Camella Brand Red Kidney Beans, $9.99 on Amazon
The classic New Orleans brand for authentic red beans and rice.
Air Fryer Shrimp Po Boy
Stay Snatched
New Orleans is home to several peerless sandwiches, po boys among them, and fried seafood po boys are among the best examples of the form. An air fryer makes crispy fried shrimp not only easier but way healthier too. So pile them up on your roll and slather on a little extra remoulade. (While it’s best if you plan ahead and marinate the shrimp in their buttermilk bath overnight, 30 minutes will suffice). Get the Air Fryer Shrimp Po Boy recipe.
Ninja 4-Quart Air Fryer, $99.99 on Amazon
If you're on the fence about an air fryer, check out the review on this mid-size model.
Slow Cooker Beef Debris Po Boy
The Anthony Kitchen
Switching from surf to turf, the roast beef po boy is a lesser-known but equally rapturous sandwich experience, especially when it’s literally dripping with “debris” gravy. Making the roast beef in a slow cooker means you can prep it and forget about it until it’s time to assemble your dinner—and in the interest of maximum efficiency, you could probably skip the searing and use a high-quality prepared gravy with pretty great results. Either way, since you’re eating in the privacy of your own home, get as generous (and messy) with the debris as you want. Get the Slow Cooker Beef Debris Po Boy recipe.
Muffaletta Pasta Salad
Chowhound
Another iconic New Orleans sandwich, muffalettas aren’t hard to make, but you do have to press them under a skillet or other heavy object for at least an hour to get the full experience. Chop all the traditional filling ingredients (salami, provolone, olives, etc.) while a pot of pasta’s cooking and you can toss it together and eat it right away. Not quite the same, but no one will complain. And leftovers are great cold, or at room temp. Get our Muffaletta Pasta Salad recipe.
Easy Crescent Roll King Cake
Butter Lust
Mardi Gras king cake is a hallowed tradition, but making one from scratch is not exactly for beginning bakers, or anyone tight on time. You can mail order them, but if you’re cool with semi-homemade, break out the crescent roll dough and make this easy king cake for a tasty compromise! Plastic baby optional, but highly encouraged. Get the Easy Crescent Roll King Cake recipe.
Air Fryer Beignets
Blue Jean Chef
Many air fryer devotees consider it not only healthier but much easier than traditional deep-frying—and while making this beignet recipe’s yeasted dough from scratch would still take some time, luckily, you can buy the famous Café Du Monde beignet mix in boxes, so combine that shortcut with the air fryer method and you’ll have a delicious powdered-sugar-dusted dessert (or breakfast) in no time! Get the Air Fryer Beignets recipe.
Cafe du Monde Beignet Mix and Coffee & Chicory, $19.85 on Amazon
You can even get the beignet mix along with its classic New Orleans chicory coffee accompaniment if you like.
Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pecan Bread Pudding
The Gunnysack
One New Orleans classic that’s already quick and easy is bananas Foster—but it does take a little gumption to flambé. Bread pudding is perfectly suited to even the faint of heart, and quick and easy too, though you do generally have to wait for the bread to soak up some of the custard before putting it in the oven. Not so with this slow cooker version, which has pecans for a southern accent; just throw everything in the Crock-Pot, turn it on, and go do something else for a few hours, then come back and dig in. (Feel free to use a good-quality jarred caramel sauce to save even more time.) Get the Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pecan Bread Pudding recipe.
Related Video: Eat Like You’re in New Orleans with These Essential Ingredients
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The Best Amazon Cocktail Sets for Your Home Bar
There’s something so chic and grown-up about having a home bar (or bar cart), even if you’re only making mocktails. No matter what kind of mixed drinks you’re crafting, you need the same basic tools in your arsenal—namely, a cocktail shaker, a bar spoon, a strainer, and a jigger or shot glass to measure pours. There are other bar tools that’ll come in handy too, but those are a great place to start—and they often come packaged together in sets, so it’s easy to start building your home barware collection. Here are some of the best cocktail sets on Amazon.
Barillio Elite 23-Piece Bartender Set with Bamboo Stand, $59.97 on Amazon
Barillio/Amazon
In addition to the usual tools (cocktail shaker, strainer, muddler, double-sided jigger, and bar spoon), this classic silver set comes with a sleek polished bamboo stand to keep everything contained, not to mention ice tongs, multiple bottle stoppers and pour spouts, and a recipe booklet. Oh, and a velvet carrying bag in case you want to take your cocktail toolkit on the go.See It
Quench Bar10der Vintage Oak Edition, $21
This mini multitool with a citrus reamer, zester, and paring knife is a handy addition to your cocktail kit, and good for travel too.
Mixology & Craft 11-Piece Bartender Kit, $62.87 on Amazon
Mixology & Craft/Amazon
This cocktail set covers all the basics (shaker, strainer, spoon, muddler, jiggers, spout, plus a corkscrew/bottle opener), and it comes in a rustic-chic wooden crate that you can hang on your wall in case you’re short on surface space—picture this mounted above a bottle-packed bar cart, for instance. Or, if your cart still has some extra room, use the empty crate to hold your bitters and mixers instead.See It
FINEDINE Expert Cocktail Shaker 14-Piece Home Bar Set, $24.99 on Amazon (originally $39.99)
FINEDINE/Amazon
If you’re after a fairly no-frills cocktail set and have plenty of cabinet space to stash it, this one hits all the important points: shaker, strainer, bar spoon, jigger, shot glasses, pour spouts, and a bottle opener to boot (for when you want to have a beer cocktail, for instance), and all comes in at a very reasonable price.See It
Cresimo 12-Piece Stainless Steel Home Cocktail Bar Set, $27.95 on Amazon
If you like the above set-up and price point but would also like a stand to hold it all, here's another option.
VinoBravo Boston Cocktail Shaker Set, $38.90 – $68.96 on Amazon
VinoBravo/Amazon
A Boston shaker usually refers to a metal shaker tin used in conjunction with a regular pint glass (as opposed to the tapered three-piece “Cobbler shaker,” which consists of a tall metal base, a built-in strainer, and a metal cap or lid)—in many cases, Boston shaker sets’ two main pieces are both made of metal, but one is still always shaped just like a pint glass. This basic Boston shaker set includes a strainer, double jigger, muddler, pour spouts, and bar spoon, and comes in several different finishes, from antique brass to copper to this matte-metallic black that would look fetching on any bar. Price varies by color.See It
Quiseen Whiskey Stones, 9 for $8.95 on Amazon
These 100-percent-pure soapstone cubes are great to use in any drink you want to chill but not dilute with melting ice.
ALOONO 11-Piece Copper Boston Cocktail Shaker Set, $39.80 – $56.80 on Amazon
ALOONO/Amazon
Another cocktail set in the Boston shaker style, this includes all the usual basics, plus tongs and a mesh strainer for extra-clarified cocktails. It comes in a few different colors besides this rose-gold hue, including understated silver, and an oil-slick rainbow shade for those after something a little more eye-popping (however, note that the rainbow option lacks the mesh strainer).See It
Mofado Crystal Cocktail Mixing Glass Set, $39.95 on Amazon
Mofado/Amazon
Some drinks are better stirred than shaken (martinis, for one, despite James Bond’s famous order), and a dedicated cocktail mixing glass is an elegant option; this one comes with a bar spoon, jigger, and strainer too. This is great for mixing spirits with ice and/or muddled ingredients and then straining them into another glass to be served neat, when you don’t want the added aeration that comes from shaking.See It
Galrose 7-Piece Iron and Rose Gold Bar Set, $62.95 on Amazon
Galrose Dezigns/Amazon
This basic cocktail set has fewer tools than some, but basically everything you need for most drinks (double jigger, spoon, strainer, and shaker, plus tongs and bottle opener). More importantly, it mixes shiny rose-gold tops with distressed galvanized metal bottoms for a striking accent piece that also happens to have a greater purpose. The accessories stand tall on the magnetic wooden base because they’re obviously too pretty to hide in a drawer.See It
VonShef Premium Black and Gold Cocktail Shaker Barware Set, $47.99 on Amazon
VonShef/Amazon
Another fashion-forward pick, this bright gold and matte black barware set includes (besides the shaker) a muddler, strainer, bar spoon, and double jigger that hang in suspension from the geometric stand. Honestly, this might be a case of form over function (per the slightly mixed reviews), but some of us just can’t pass up pretty things—and much as we love a good black and tan at the bar, this is even better.See It
The Perfect Black and Tan Beer Layering Tool, $9.94 on Amazon
For when you want actual black and tans, this gagdet promises perfect layers.
Bibo Barmaid Smart Cocktail Machine, $149.99 on Amazon
Bibo/Amazon
If shaking your own drink sounds like too much work (it is time to relax, right?), consider this robo-bartender that’s like a Keurig machine for cocktails. You insert the naturally flavored mixer pouch of your choice—plus your alcohol, of course—and then let the machine blend it for you in less than half a minute. You still have to pour it into your own glass, but new technological advances are around the corner all the time…See It
Bibo Barmaid System Cocktail Mixes, 12 for $25.88 and up on Amazon
Make Margaritas, Appletinis, Mai Tais, Tangerine Palomas, and Cucumber Melon cocktails—or rather, have the machine make them for you at the touch of a button.
Once you’re all geared up (assuming you go the old-fashioned cocktail shaker route), check out our cocktail recipes and decide what to mix up first, from classic drinks to more modern options like tea cocktails, wine cocktails, sherry cocktails, and even CBD cocktails if you really want to chill. But these work just as well for mocktails too!
Related Video: How to Use Herbs in Cocktails
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A Case Study in Cocktails: New Orleans Is Home to Some of the Longest-Standing Classics
New Orleans might not lay direct claim to being the birthplace of the cocktail; the credit is a contested one involving matters of semantics and publication. Where the subject is libations, the recording of details can rightfully get a bit fuzzy. But nevermind all that, because New Orleans lives up to one of its nicknames—The City That Care Forgot—and more or less goes about behaving as though the honor is theirs. As the home of the Museum of the American Cocktail, and the preeminent annual bartending conference Tales of the Cocktail, New Orleans owns its piece of cocktail history more so than any other American city, and is indeed the home of some of the longest standing classics.
Daniela Jagemann is director of marketing for the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation, and offers the following insight as to the longevity and ferocity of New Orleans’s cocktail scene, “I think our cocktail culture stems from hospitality in a general sense. In the South, the first thing that happens when you enter a space is that you’re offered a drink; and with that the cocktail culture evolved and continues to do so. The professionals here have always been at the forefront and have taken that seriously and want to maintain (the culture); its existence and resilience.”
A classic cocktail is largely accepted to be a drink still in common rotation that originated between the 1862 publication of self-entitled Professor Jerry Thomas’s “Bar-Tenders Guide,” believed to be the first cocktail recipe book, and the end of Prohibition, in the mid-1930s. Those classics with a New Orleans pedigree provide a storied look into how many cocktails came to be: a peculiar alchemy between the medical, the cultural, the political, the corporate, and the pleasurable.
Jerry Thomas Bartenders Guide: How to Mix Drinks, or the Bon Vivant's Companion, $15.98 on Amazon
First published in 1862, and still a handy source.
Sazerac
Chowhound
If you seek a cocktail to act as a metaphor for all that’s wild and wonderful about American cocktail culture as a whole, look no further than the Sazerac. In some circles, it’s thought of as being the oldest American cocktail. Other libatious scholars are keen to dispute that. It may or may not be the first cocktail to utilize absinthe, whether imported legally, illegally, or made locally. It shifted gears at some point during its tenure, from being a Cognac-based drink, which was popular with the Franco-American culture, to utilizing rye whiskey, which was easier to come by. There’s some suspicion that its back story was somewhat fabricated and post-dated by a business man hoping to profit from its burgeoning popularity. It’s the official cocktail of New Orleans. No, it isn’t.
In a 2009 interview between David Wondrich, beverage scholar and author of “Imbibe,” and the Times-Picayune, Wondrich provides the following texture as to the staunch loyalty of New Orleanians to the Sazerac: “This is the real story. The rest of world went changing and, you could say, (following) other gods. And in New Orleans people found the best cocktail and they stuck to it with just grim determination through Prohibition and every fad and trend.”
Amidst the controversy, here’s at least an undisputed detail: Around 1830 a Haitian immigrant apothecary in New Orleans named Antoine Amédée Peychaud created a gentian-based bitters with a light floral character and a riotous magenta color. It was, and remains, the defining characteristic of a proper Sazerac. You can swap out just about any other ingredient for a different brand or similar-flavored component, but without Peychaud’s Bitters, it’s just not a Sazerac.
As storied cocktails go, it’s possible that the Sazerac is the least ostentatious on the surface. It is prepared chilled and without rocks but down, (no fancy stemware,) and often with a discarded garnish. But its flavor is all strength and voodoo. Whether you subscribe to its claim as the preeminent potion in The Big Easy, any NOLA barkeep worth his or her salt better make you a good one.
Where to have one: Because they’ve staked a particularly audacious claim by naming the bar for the cocktail, visit The Sazerac Bar at the Roosevelt Hotel.
Shake Things Up
Ramos Gin Fizz
If the Sazerac is all about understatement in its appearance, the Ramos Gin Fizz is all about the showmanship. It requires a minimum 15-minute creation process. The shaking of a Ramos nearly requires a brigade (and at one time, had one) for an outcome that is more perfumed, boozy soufflé than beverage. “It’s almost like a shake,” says New Orleans bartender Murf Reeve, an appropriate comparison, given the action involved. “The flavor is light and bright,” even if the effort is anything but.
And where the Sazerac story is haunted by speculation and rumor, the RGF has an air-tight, uncontested tale to support its creation.
Chowhound
It goes: In 1888 Henry C. Ramos put a spin on a pre-existing variant of a Fizz cocktail at his bar, the Imperial Cabinet Saloon on Gravier Street. A typical Fizz consists of gin, sugar, and lemon juice, shaken then topped with soda. A Silver Fizz adds egg white for extra froth. Ramos, in a decadent burst of moxie that could only be born in the laissez-les-bon-temps-rouler spirit of New Orleans, took a Silver Fizz and added heavy cream and orange blossom water. Orange blossom water is a by-product of the distillation of bitter oranges for their essential oil, likely something introduced to the U.S. via the French/Caribbean population in New Orleans. The drink moved with him to a new bar he opened, The Stag, in 1907, where Ramos employed upward of 35 bartenders just to shake the drink in shifts in order to keep up with demand.
Finally, the Ramos Gin Fizz was forever preserved into the archives when Louisiana Governor Huey P. Long flew a New Orleans bartender from the Roosevelt Hotel up to New York City’s New Yorker Hotel to teach the staff there how to make it so he would never be without his favorite drink.
Bartender’s note: If you’re going to order a Ramos in New Orleans or anywhere else on earth, proceed carefully; keep an eye to how busy the bartender is, and an ear to his or her enthusiasm for your request. If either seems amiss, recant, or suffer surly service or a poorly made Ramos. If a bar explicitly lists it on its menu? Fair game.
Where to have one: Basically, if it dares to be on a menu it probably means the bar has done its homework, and you’re more likely to find the necessary enthusiasm in a younger brigade of bartenders: Bar Tonique, and newcomer Angeline are worth a go.
Vieux Carré
Chowhound
Let’s first address the pronunciation here, ostensibly the most complicated aspect of the drink and its history. “VYOO car-AY,” translates to Old Quarter in French, and refers to what we now call the French Quarter in English, where it was born, and after which it was named. For the purposes of sounding more native than less, most N’awlinians will likely call for a “VOO car-AY,” skipping the chewy French-accented “yuh” in the middle of the Vieux. Got it? Good.
And that’s where the controversy begins and ends with this cocktail. The Vieux Carré was created in 1938 by the head bartender at the Hotel Monteleone, Walter Bergeron. Nowadays most new cocktails are riffs on existing cocktail formulas, and it seems likely that even as early as the 1930s the Vieux Carré was a nod to a Manhattan, which by 1938 had been around for a handful of decades. Some part of every ingredient of a traditional Manhattan —rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, and Angostura bitters—is swapped out for a component reflective of Crescent City culture: Cognac, Bénédictine, and Peychaud’s bitters. The result is a lightly haunted Manhattan, or a softer Sazerac. Andrea Heming, of aforementioned Angeline, also credits its versatility, “It’s the perfect blend of sweet, bitter, and strong,” she maintains. “I can make that cocktail for a variety of customers with different preferences, and it never fails to impress.”
Traditionally, Manhattan variations are named for neighborhoods, and the Vieux Carré may have very well been one of the frontrunners on this score.
Where to have one: Since it’s possible to go to the source, even if the original bar is no longer, visit the Carousel Bar at the Hotel Monteleone.
Hurricane
Chowhound
The Hurricane is a bit of a young interloper by classic cocktail standards, developed around the early 1940s, missing the official mark by half a decade or so. But one glance down Bourbon Street on any given night to the crowds with ubiquitous plastic glassware in hand is proof enough of its importance vis a vis staying power.
As cocktail folklore goes, it has a scrappy, can-do story going for it, reminding us of the ongoing ability of New Orleans to roll with the punches. It also reminds us that despite the oftentimes genteel and urbane culture of New Orleans, it is in fact a port city in the tropics. Post-Prohibition, eponymous tavern owner Pat O’Brien was faced with unloading a mess of unpopular rum that he was pressured into buying from his distributor in order to get access to the whiskies that more people sought at the time. In order to offload it, he created a sweet, boozy daiquiri variation with passion fruit nectar and grenadine, and in an inspired PR move that has never met its equal, put the drink in a lamp-shaped glass and gave it away to sailors.
While sweet, ultra-proof libations aren’t necessarily show-off moves for ambitious bartenders, the Hurricane still holds a special place. “The Hurricane celebrates our tropical heritage,” says Reeves. “Making (these) cocktails is always a pleasure as they remind me that New Orleans is unique and magical.”
Where to have one: obviously, Pat O’Briens, but get one to go and take a walk to truly bask in the magical atmosphere. Singing like a drunken sailor? Optional.
A Little More New Orleans
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New Orleans’ Food Scene Is Rich with Surprising History
New Orleans turned 300 last year, and the storied city that didn’t take Hurricane Katrina sitting down is not only back but better than ever. The Big Easy’s culture of food and drink—in restaurants as well as in home cooking—is deservedly well-renowned. Actually, it’s loved. There’s something else about the cuisine of NOLA that makes it stand above the crowd: the fact that the entire “cuisine” is recognizable—not just a dish or two, which is more commonplace—as being native to a city in the United States. We talked to Liz Williams, founder of the Southern Food and Beverage Museum in New Orleans, native New Orleanian and author of the award-winning book “New Orleans–A Food Biography” about this exceptional cuisine.
New Orleans: A Food Biography, $16.32 on Amazon
Read up on the city's delicious dishes rich in history.
Chowhound: In “New Orleans–A Food Biography,” you’ve created a timeline of events tied to the creation of NOLA’s cuisine that range from 1492 to 2010. Can you share your thoughts with us on which of those events were the most important in terms of shaping the city’s food into what it is today?
LW: Some of the things I think are most important to our food don’t really have to do with an exact moment. One thing I think is very important and it’s often forgotten is the whole Colombian Exchange thing, and that there was already eating here when the French people came and founded the city. A base of foods had already been identified by the people who lived here—they knew and were already cultivating oysters, for example, and they knew and were eating bison and creating smoked bison they were able to keep all year—and that is basically the origin of what the Cajuns call “tasso” today. There were tomatoes, pecans, and the filé made from sassafras, so we wouldn’t have what we have without absorbing all of that. There was a baseline to start, and so that’s an important cuisine.
Chowhound: So there was a native cuisine and an original food culture that had to do with what grew well in the area and what the people who were living there were eating when the area was colonized that still affects the cuisine today?
LW: That’s right. The city was founded in 1718 by the Le Moyne brothers. They were French in the sense that they came from “New France” (Canada) but they’d never set foot in actual France. But they were considered French in the way that the French considered every place that became a part of France to be France, which is different than the English, who always knew there was an England and there were the colonies. But the French had a different approach: This was not a colony of France, this was an extension of France.
The brothers were trappers, and very familiar with the native peoples of New France, so when they came here they knew they needed to learn about the food directly from the native people. So they weren’t afraid to eat alligator, and all that kind of thing, because it was French alligator. The English, who by contrast wanted to continue their English identity by eating like an English person, had early settlements where everyone literally starved to death because they wouldn’t eat like a native.
Crawfish Boil, Chowhound
Chowhound: So at that point, the newly settled NOLA was considered to actually be France?
LW: Yes, and soon following that (in Paris especially) the French were developing the restaurant. The Grand Cuisine of France was in its earliest stages of development, so the people who were settling here brought the mindset with them of the whole Age of Enlightenment, which in France was being applied to the Arts—one of which for the French was eating and cooking. So that meant that the mindset for developing a cuisine was already in the people who were here.
Chowhound: So NOLA had started developing a new cuisine of its own even before the 1800s?
LW: Yes. Then in 1763, NOLA was ceded to Spain, so we were actually Spanish until 1803, which was the Louisiana Purchase, and so we were Spanish longer than we were French. A lot of people don’t realize that. And the Spanish brought a taste for spices, because the Moors had been in Spain all this time so that Arab influence meant that as part of the Spice Trade they were much more interested in cardamom, as an example, and all the spices, than were the French. So the taste of spices came in but it was an overlay on this French attitude about food, so it was adopted and absorbed. The Spanish also had a taste for rice, so they were bringing the idea of rice and other things as well. They brought covered markets and a control of food, and they began to license taverns and bars in a way that was done by auction, and that’s how they got the money to run the city. Since this wasn’t taxes like income tax, but instead a tax on drinking, they encouraged everyone to drink, because the more you drank, the more taxes they’d have.
Chowhound: That’s an interesting idea. And so the culture of drinking (and the eating that goes alongside the drinking) was actually built into the concept of creating and maintaining a city that would thrive, economically.
Big Easy Bites
LW: This next point has no exact date but during the 18th century the enslaved Africans were brought to NOLA. People talk about the French—the attitudes were French but the actual cooking was African.
Chowhound: Can you describe which specific cooking techniques were African?
LW: Frying is something that’s very African, it’s not that nobody else fries, but frying as a basic technique of quick cooking—you know it’s so much quicker to fry chicken than to bake it, and all that sort of thing. Also, Africans had the technology to grow rice and they worked in the cane fields because we’re a sugar-producing area. The French who were brought here were predominantly taken from prison—it was mostly petty crime, so there would be pickpockets, and prostitutes, and maybe people from debtors’ prison. Often these people had no skill, so they couldn’t come here to this wilderness and farm, because they didn’t know how! So that technology was brought here by the Africans, and a lot of the foodstuffs that were grown here were grown only because the Africans knew how to do it. The white people who were here didn’t know the technology—they depended on the slaves for their lives.
Chowhound: So far, you’ve told us about the native cuisine, the French influence, and the importance of the Spanish settlers and the African slaves.
LW: Next, two things were happening sort of at the same time. There was the Haitian uprising, which brought a big influx of planters and slaves along with the cooking of the Caribbean, and around the same time was the Louisiana Purchase, which made NOLA (and all of Louisiana) American, which brought in all these Americans who came from other places that were already in existence and that also brought a different taste to the area.
Chowhound: The Louisiana Purchase was in 1803, so already in less than a hundred years, NOLA had experienced the effects of so many cultures.
Chicken and Andouille Jambalaya, Chowhound
LW: So–this is also not an event, but something that’s important. And that is that we are a port. From the beginning, when Europeans began to cultivate coffee first in the Caribbean then in Central America then later in even South America all of that coffee came into the port of NOLA. And all kind of things from the rest of the world came in through the port of NOLA. Tropical fruit was coming in from early on, because once you were there, growing coffee, you might as well bring in pineapples and bananas and all that sort of thing.
Then there was the Civil War. The Emancipation Proclamation after the war gave freedom to enslaved Africans, and that caused an enormous labor shortage and because of that people from the Philippines, China, and Sicily were brought in and brought in all these new food influences. And then from around 1885 to around 1915 there was—because of what was going on in Italy, and in Sicily in particular—tens of thousands of Sicilians came to NOLA, mostly having some kind of relative or some contact already in NOLA. They took over the French Quarter and it was known as Little Palermo. They say that at the time, it was second only to Palermo for the speaking of the Sicilian dialect. It was a huge influx of people and of course that changed the food of NOLA.
Following that, in the 1970s after the fall of Saigon, a huge quantity of people from Vietnam came to NOLA and we have a huge Vietnamese settlement.
And I would say that the last thing that was really significant to our food was Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Chowhound: How did that affect the cuisine? For a while back then, I remember people didn’t believe the cuisine would survive.
LW: I think it caused a renewal of interest in our food and our local cuisine, because there was a diaspora, because you couldn’t be in the city because it was underwater, so people were spread out all over so they were in Memphis, or Seattle, or Minneapolis, or wherever they might have a relative and of course they couldn’t eat the food they were looking for—you couldn’t go to the grocery store and buy a bottle of filé for your gumbo—people couldn’t find coffee and chicory, and they came back feeling that we can’t lose this! We can’t come back as this homogeneous place that’s part of America and just eat frozen pizza and just this kind of thing. So that’s part of it—a kind of food awareness—and also there were many many Mexicans who came into the city to help rebuild, so you end up with taco trucks, and tamales, and refried beans, and all kinds of really good food became available, and then it began becoming oyster tacos, and all this kind of stuff, because that was what was here. Then shortly after the first wave of people from Mexico, people from other Central-American countries were coming to work on the rebuilding of the city. So you had a kind of Latin influx of Latin influences on the food. And that was only in 2005.
Chowhound: There’s so much to the cuisine of NOLA. Is it possible to sum it up in a few words?
LW: In NOLA, you come here as an ethnic group and we just suck you in and we Creolize your food, so it changes your food as well as our food, so it’s a totally different phenomena.
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To learn more about the foods of New Orleans, visit SoFab in New Orleans or read “New Orleans – A Food Biography” by Elizabeth W. Williams
Another Bite of NOLA
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What Is the Difference Between Biltong and Beef Jerky?
In the never-ending swirl of new food trends, biltong has captured the attention of those looking for fast snacks and a healthy, tasty boost of protein. But what exactly is it and how is it different from the traditional jerky that we’re used to?
Though similar on its face, there are some important differences between the two that are worth considering the next time you open your wallet for a quick, salty snack. With origins in South Africa, biltong is a cured meat (often beef) that’s been aged for a few days. One of the major differences between biltong and traditional beef jerky is that biltong is both cured and dried while jerky is just dried, resulting in markedly different texture and taste.
Biltong USA
To make biltong, generally, the meat is left overnight (or longer) in a solution of vinegar and spices. After it’s cured the meat is air-dried with no heat and finally sliced into thin strips or chunkier pieces and packaged or served. Jerky is simply dried either using a low and slow oven or a dehydrator.
Kalahari Beef Biltong (Pack of 3), $22.14 on Amazon
Healthy, protein-packed, and gluten-free!
There are no hard and fast rules on what spices to use in curing biltong, but African spices like coriander, allspice, curry, and clove are some popular choices, giving biltong a distinctly regional flavor. Biltong is also generally healthier than most beef jerkys. Jerky, being dried, can end up tough and thus relies on sauces and flavoring agents heavy in sugar and salt to improve upon the taste. Because biltong is cured, it tends to be naturally tender and gets its flavor from the spices and just a dash of vinegar. There are no official spice or flavor rules for jerky either, and these days you can find the stuff in almost any flavor imaginable, from spicy buffalo, BBQ, and Asian versions with soy, citrus, and ginger.
Krave Beef Jerky
Having less water and sugar, each bite of biltong has a significantly higher percentage of protein than jerky, making it a great low-carb, high-protein snack to power up before physical activity or during those on-the-go, no-time-to-cook moments. More and more biltong manufactures like Brooklyn Biltong are popping up or entering the American market for the first time, but both jerky and biltong keep for months (or longer), and so can be purchased easily online and in bulk with no issues.
Brooklyn Biltong Grass-Fed Biltong, $12 at Mouth
They call it the South African lovechild of beef jerky and prosciutto. We call it delicious.
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The Three Best Cauliflower Snacks That Slay Our 3:00 PM Cravings
Amazon
Cruise down the aisles of your local grocery store and cauliflower is seemingly everywhere. Not just in the produce or frozen food section (let’s not forget the time Trader Joe’s started rationing its wildly popular cauli rice) but in the snack food aisles too. Cauliflower has officially become the swap in for pasta and pizza crust for the carb conscious and now it appears it’s taking down the potato chip too. Makes sense as cauliflower is packed with folate, Vitamin C, K, and B6 and when seasoned and roasted properly is undeniably delicious. But if you’re not near an oven, and need to satiate your craving for something crisp, crunchy, and maybe a little salty, these cauliflower snacks we’ve tried below are doing a pretty good job of killing our hangry spells.
Veganrob’s Cauliflower Puffs, $6.49 on Amazon
Amazon
Cauliflower is essentially a blank canvas that takes on seasoning in a way no other vegetable quite does. And that’s where the Jackson Pollock of cauliflower snacks comes in. If you haven’t become formally acquainted with this probiotic-heavy, vegetable-based snack that actually packs a flavor wallop, you are in for a very serious treat. We can confidently say these are as good—maybe even better—than potato chips, which we know sounds like wellness BS but it’s the truth. Also? These puffs are non-GMO, kosher, and gluten-free. We’ll pause so you can complete your purchase.See It
From the Ground Up Cauliflower Crackers, 20.76 on Amazon
Amazon
This is cauliflower essentially reinventing the Cheez-It. These bite-sized crackers look, feel, and, we’re happy to report, taste like the delicious cracker you’re craving when staring into the abyss that is your empty pantry. A serving size is 40 pieces (which feels generous, but you will be consuming by the fistful), and will clock in at 18g of carbs and 100 calories. Plus, you get Vitamins A, D, E, C, B6, and B1 which all ring in at 10% per serving size.See It\
Cauliflower Crisps by Hippie Snacks, $23.96 on Amazon
Amazon
Here’s a universal scenario: It’s late afternoon, and, surprise, you’re hungry. But 2019 is still new-ish, and so is your resolution to not stuff your face with sugar at 3:00 p.m. Which is why Hippie Snacks’ latest innovation is sort of a godsend in these potential moments of weakness. (You may already know about the brand’s Avocado Crisps and Coconut Clusters.) What you’ll get from these thin little crisps is the obvious health benefits of cauliflower, zero gluten, and a salty hit, which we can credit to the light sprinkling of sea salt and sesame seeds if you opt for the original flavor. We have to admit, we’re also big fans of the Ranch version—a near pitch-perfect combination of onion, garlic, dill, chive, and pepper.See It
Looking for More Cauli Content?
We Tried Whole Foods’ Cauliflower Pizza Crust and Didn’t Hate It
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