Basic ingredients for cooking basics :
* Cereals
Maize - Rice - Wheat (Bread, Noodles)
* Cooking fats and oils
Butter - Canola oil - Coconut oil - Corn oil - Flaxseed oil - Lard - Margarine - Olive oil - Palm oil - Peanut oil - Rapeseed oil - Sesame oil - Soybean oil - Sunflower oil - Tallow
* Dairy
Buttermilk - Cheese - Cream - Milk - Yogurt
* Eggs
* Fruits
Apples - Cherries - Pears
* Legumes
Beans - Lentils - Soy (Miso, Soy cheese, Soy milk, Soy sauce, Soy yogurt, Textured soy protein, Tofu)
* Meat
Beef - Fish - Mutton - Poultry - Pork
* Mushrooms
Champignon
* Seasonings
Herbs (Parsley) - Spices (Pepper, Salt) - Sweeteners (Agave syrup, Fructose, Glucose, Honey, Stevia, Sugar)
* Vegetables
Cucumber - Eggplants - Garlic - Onions - Potatoes - Squash - Tomatoes
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Chinese cuisine
Chinese cuisine
Chinese cuisine (Traditional Chinese: 中國菜 or 中餐, Simplified Chinese:
中国菜 or 中餐) originated from the various regions of China and has become widespread in many other parts of the world — from Asia to the Americas, Australia, Western Europe and Southern Africa. In recent years, connoisseurs of Chinese cuisine have also sprouted in Eastern Europe and South Asia. American Chinese cuisine and Canadian Chinese food are popular examples of local varieties.
Regional cultural differences vary greatly within China, giving rise to the different styles of food. There are eight main regional cuisines, or Eight Great Traditions (菜系): Anhui, Cantonese, Fujian, Hunan, Jiangsu, Shandong, Sichuan and Zhejiang. There is also Huaiyang Cuisine, a major style and even viewed as the representation of the cuisine.
Occasionally, Beijing cuisine and Shanghai cuisine are also cited along with eight regional styles as the Ten Great Traditions (十大菜系). There are also featured Buddhist and Muslim sub-cuisines within the greater Chinese cuisine, with an emphasis on vegetarian and halal-based diets respectively.
Presentation
Pork
Dongpo rou (Trad: 東坡肉, Simp: 东坡肉) Fried pork belly stewed in soy and wine
Pork is generally used over beef in Chinese cuisine due to economic, religious, and aesthetic reasons; swine are easy to feed and are not used for labour, and are so closely tied to the idea of domesticity that the character for "home" (家) depicts a pig under a roof. The colour of the meat and the fat of pork are regarded as more appetizing, while the taste and smell are described as sweeter and cleaner. It is also considered easier to digest. Buddhist cuisine restricts the use of meats and Chinese Islamic cuisine excludes pork. [1]
Vegetarianism
Vegetarianism is not uncommon or unusual in China; though, as is the case in the West, it is only practiced by a relatively small fraction of the population. Most Chinese vegetarians are Buddhists, following the Buddhist teachings about minimizing suffering. Chinese vegetarian dishes often contain large varieties of vegetables (e.g. Bok Choy, shiitake mushroom, sprouts, corn) and some imitation meat. Such imitation meat is created mostly with soy protein and/or wheat gluten to imitate the texture, taste, and appearance of duck, chicken, or pork. Imitation seafood items, made from other vegetable substances such as konjac, are also available.
Chinese desserts
Chinese desserts (甜點) are sweet foods and dishes that are served with tea or at the end of meals in Chinese cuisine. The desserts encompass a wide variety of ingredients commonly used in East Asian cuisines such as powdered or whole glutinous rice, sweet bean pastes, and agar. Due to the many Chinese cultures and the long history of China, there are a great variety of desserts of many forms.
Bing
Bing (餅) are baked wheat flour based confections, these are either similar to the short-pastry crust of western cuisine or flaky like puff pastry, the latter of which is often known as su (酥). The preferred fat used for bing is usually lard. One of the more commonly
known bing is the moon cake.
Candies
Chinese candies and sweets,called táng (糖), are usually made with cane sugar, malt sugar, and honey. These sweets often consists of nuts or fruits that are mixed into syrup whole or in pastes to flavour or give the candies their textures. Tanghulu, dragon's beard candy, and White Rabbit Creamy Candy are a some examples of this category.
Gao
Gao or Guo (糕/粿) are rice base snacks that are typically steamed and may be made from glutinous or normal rice. In Fukien speaking Chinese populations, these are known as Kuei, which are based on the pronunciation of "粿". These rice based snacks have a wide variety of
textures and can be chewy, jelly-like, fluffy or rather firm. One of the more commonly known gao is the niangao.
Jellies
Chinese jellies are known collectively in the language as ices (凍 or 冰). Many jelly desserts are traditionally set with agar and are flavored with fruits, though gelatin based jellies are also common in contemporary desserts. Some Chinese jellies, such as the grass jelly and the aiyu jelly set by themselves.
Soups
Chinese dessert soups (湯 or 糊) typically consists of sweet and usually hot soups and custards, and are collectively known as tongsui in Cantonese. Some of these soups are made with restorative properties in mind, in concordance with traditional Chinese medicine.
A commonly eaten dessert soup is douhua, which is sometimes taken for breakfast
Chinese Popular Cuisine Names
Thirteen Great Traditions- Regional Dishes
Anhui (Hui 徽)
* Ginger Duck (simplified Chinese: 姜母鸭; traditional Chinese: 姜母鸭; pinyin: jiang muya)
* Hay Wrapped Fragrant Ribs(simplified Chinese: 稻香排骨; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: daoxiang paigu)
* Caterpillar Fungus Duck(虫草炖老鸭)
* Dry Pot Tofu (干锅素肉)
* Potato Croquets (土豆炸饺)
* Crab-apple Flower Cake (海棠酥)
* Soy Braised Mandarin Fish (红烧臭鱖鱼)
* Friend Tofu Balls (豆腐渣丸子)
* Fried Pumpkin Dumplings (南瓜蒸饺)
* Silver Fish Fried Egg (银鱼煎蛋)
* 5 Colors Fish Cake (五彩鱼片)
* Jade Rabbit Sea Cucumber (玉兔海参)
* Flower Mushroom Frog (花菇田鸡)
* Bright Pearl Abalone (明珠酥鲍)
* Bagongshan Tofu (八公山豆腐)
* Crab and Fish Stomachs (蟹连鱼肚)
* Phoenix Tail Shrimp (凤尾虾排)
* Fuli Roast Chicken (符离集烧鸡)
* Lotus Seed Pod Fish (莲蓬鱼)
* Cream FattyKingfish (奶汁肥王鱼)
Beijing
* Peking Duck (usually served with pancakes) (北京烤鸭)
Cantonese (Yue 粵)
* Preserved-salted fish (鹹魚, Haam yu)
* Preserved-salted duck (臘鴨, Laap ap)
* Preserved-salted pork (臘肉, Laap yuk)
* Chinese steamed eggs (蒸水蛋)
* Rice congee (皮蛋粥)
* Boiled bok choy with oyster sauce (蠔油小白菜)
* Stir-fried vegetables with meat (e.g. chicken, duck, pork, beef, or intestines) (青菜炒肉片)
* Steamed frog on lotus leaf (荷葉蒸田雞)
* Zhaliang (炸兩)
* Youtiao (油条)
* Dace fishballs (鯪魚球)
* Cantonese seafood soup
* Winter melon soup (冬瓜湯)
* Snow fungus soup (银耳湯)
* Northeast watercress sparerib soup (南北杏西洋菜豬骨湯)
* Old fire-cooked soups (老火湯, Lo foh tong)
* Wonton noodle (雲吞麵)
* Beef chow fun (乾炒牛河)
* Shahe fen (沙河粉)
* Char siu (叉烧)
* Roast goose (燒鵝)
* Roasted pig (燒肉)
* White cut chicken (白切雞)
* Orange cuttlefish (鹵水墨魚)
* Brine-soaked duck (滷水鴨)
* Soy sauce chicken (豉油雞, Si yau gai)
* Little pan rice (煲仔飯, bou1 zai2 faan6)
* Layered egg and beef over rice (窩蛋牛肉飯)
* Layered steak over rice (肉餅煲仔飯)
* Preserved chinese sausage over rice (蠟味煲仔飯)
* Steamed chicken over rice (蒸雞肉煲仔飯)
* Pork Spareribs over rice (排骨煲仔飯)
* Crispy fried chicken
* Seafood birdsnest
* Suckling pig
* Taro duck (陳皮芋頭鴨)
* Roast young pigeon/squabs (烤乳鴿)
* Sour sparerib (生炒排骨)
* Salt and pepper rib (椒鹽骨)
* Salt and pepper cuttlefish (椒鹽魷魚)
* Salt and pepper shrimp (椒鹽蝦)
* Red bean soup (紅豆砂)
* Gou dim (糕點)
* Shaved Ice (刨冰)
* Deng egg (燉蛋)
* Bao yu (燜鮑魚, Bao yu)
* Shark fin soup (魚翅羹, Yu qi tong)
* Hoi sam (海參, Hoi sam)
* Bird's nest soup (燕窩, Yeen Waw)
* Tea smoked duck (茶燻鴨)
Fujian (Min 闽)
* Popiah (薄饼)
* Buddha jumps over the wall （佛跳墙, Fotiaoqiang)
* Yen pi (燕皮)
Hainan
Hunan (Xiang 湘)
Jiangsu(Su 苏 or Yang 揚)
Manchu
Mongolian
* xianbing 馅饼
* niurougan 牛肉干
Shandong (Lu 魯)
Szechuan (Chuan 川)
* Kung Pao chicken (simplified Chinese: 宫保鸡丁; traditional Chinese: 宮保雞丁; pinyin: gōngbǎo jīdīng)
* Zhangcha duck (simplified Chinese: 樟茶鸭; traditional Chinese: 樟茶鴨; pinyin: zhāngchá yā)
* Twice Cooked Pork (simplified Chinese: 回锅肉; traditional Chinese: 回鍋肉; pinyin: huíguōròu)
* Mapo dofu (Chinese: 麻婆豆腐; pinyin: mápó dòufǔ)
* Sichuan hotpot (simplified Chinese: 四川火锅; traditional Chinese: 四川火鍋; pinyin: Sìchuān huǒguō)
* Fuqi Feipian (Chinese: 夫妻肺片; pinyin: fūqī fèipiàn)
* Chongqing Spicy Deep-Fried Chicken (simplified Chinese: 重庆辣子鸡; traditional Chinese: 重庆辣子雞; pinyin: Chóngqìng làzǐjī)
* Shuizhu, or literally "Water cooked", or Dishes (Chinese: 水煮; pinyin: shuǐzhǔ)
* Dan dan noodles and Bon bon chicken
Teochew
* Yusheng
* Popiah (薄饼)
Yunnan
* Crossing the bridge noodles
Zhejiang (Zhe 浙)
Chinese cuisine (Traditional Chinese: 中國菜 or 中餐, Simplified Chinese:
中国菜 or 中餐) originated from the various regions of China and has become widespread in many other parts of the world — from Asia to the Americas, Australia, Western Europe and Southern Africa. In recent years, connoisseurs of Chinese cuisine have also sprouted in Eastern Europe and South Asia. American Chinese cuisine and Canadian Chinese food are popular examples of local varieties.
Regional cultural differences vary greatly within China, giving rise to the different styles of food. There are eight main regional cuisines, or Eight Great Traditions (菜系): Anhui, Cantonese, Fujian, Hunan, Jiangsu, Shandong, Sichuan and Zhejiang. There is also Huaiyang Cuisine, a major style and even viewed as the representation of the cuisine.
Occasionally, Beijing cuisine and Shanghai cuisine are also cited along with eight regional styles as the Ten Great Traditions (十大菜系). There are also featured Buddhist and Muslim sub-cuisines within the greater Chinese cuisine, with an emphasis on vegetarian and halal-based diets respectively.
Presentation
Pork
Dongpo rou (Trad: 東坡肉, Simp: 东坡肉) Fried pork belly stewed in soy and wine
Pork is generally used over beef in Chinese cuisine due to economic, religious, and aesthetic reasons; swine are easy to feed and are not used for labour, and are so closely tied to the idea of domesticity that the character for "home" (家) depicts a pig under a roof. The colour of the meat and the fat of pork are regarded as more appetizing, while the taste and smell are described as sweeter and cleaner. It is also considered easier to digest. Buddhist cuisine restricts the use of meats and Chinese Islamic cuisine excludes pork. [1]
Vegetarianism
Vegetarianism is not uncommon or unusual in China; though, as is the case in the West, it is only practiced by a relatively small fraction of the population. Most Chinese vegetarians are Buddhists, following the Buddhist teachings about minimizing suffering. Chinese vegetarian dishes often contain large varieties of vegetables (e.g. Bok Choy, shiitake mushroom, sprouts, corn) and some imitation meat. Such imitation meat is created mostly with soy protein and/or wheat gluten to imitate the texture, taste, and appearance of duck, chicken, or pork. Imitation seafood items, made from other vegetable substances such as konjac, are also available.
Chinese desserts
Chinese desserts (甜點) are sweet foods and dishes that are served with tea or at the end of meals in Chinese cuisine. The desserts encompass a wide variety of ingredients commonly used in East Asian cuisines such as powdered or whole glutinous rice, sweet bean pastes, and agar. Due to the many Chinese cultures and the long history of China, there are a great variety of desserts of many forms.
Bing
Bing (餅) are baked wheat flour based confections, these are either similar to the short-pastry crust of western cuisine or flaky like puff pastry, the latter of which is often known as su (酥). The preferred fat used for bing is usually lard. One of the more commonly
known bing is the moon cake.
Candies
Chinese candies and sweets,called táng (糖), are usually made with cane sugar, malt sugar, and honey. These sweets often consists of nuts or fruits that are mixed into syrup whole or in pastes to flavour or give the candies their textures. Tanghulu, dragon's beard candy, and White Rabbit Creamy Candy are a some examples of this category.
Gao
Gao or Guo (糕/粿) are rice base snacks that are typically steamed and may be made from glutinous or normal rice. In Fukien speaking Chinese populations, these are known as Kuei, which are based on the pronunciation of "粿". These rice based snacks have a wide variety of
textures and can be chewy, jelly-like, fluffy or rather firm. One of the more commonly known gao is the niangao.
Jellies
Chinese jellies are known collectively in the language as ices (凍 or 冰). Many jelly desserts are traditionally set with agar and are flavored with fruits, though gelatin based jellies are also common in contemporary desserts. Some Chinese jellies, such as the grass jelly and the aiyu jelly set by themselves.
Soups
Chinese dessert soups (湯 or 糊) typically consists of sweet and usually hot soups and custards, and are collectively known as tongsui in Cantonese. Some of these soups are made with restorative properties in mind, in concordance with traditional Chinese medicine.
A commonly eaten dessert soup is douhua, which is sometimes taken for breakfast
Chinese Popular Cuisine Names
Thirteen Great Traditions- Regional Dishes
Anhui (Hui 徽)
* Ginger Duck (simplified Chinese: 姜母鸭; traditional Chinese: 姜母鸭; pinyin: jiang muya)
* Hay Wrapped Fragrant Ribs(simplified Chinese: 稻香排骨; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: daoxiang paigu)
* Caterpillar Fungus Duck(虫草炖老鸭)
* Dry Pot Tofu (干锅素肉)
* Potato Croquets (土豆炸饺)
* Crab-apple Flower Cake (海棠酥)
* Soy Braised Mandarin Fish (红烧臭鱖鱼)
* Friend Tofu Balls (豆腐渣丸子)
* Fried Pumpkin Dumplings (南瓜蒸饺)
* Silver Fish Fried Egg (银鱼煎蛋)
* 5 Colors Fish Cake (五彩鱼片)
* Jade Rabbit Sea Cucumber (玉兔海参)
* Flower Mushroom Frog (花菇田鸡)
* Bright Pearl Abalone (明珠酥鲍)
* Bagongshan Tofu (八公山豆腐)
* Crab and Fish Stomachs (蟹连鱼肚)
* Phoenix Tail Shrimp (凤尾虾排)
* Fuli Roast Chicken (符离集烧鸡)
* Lotus Seed Pod Fish (莲蓬鱼)
* Cream FattyKingfish (奶汁肥王鱼)
Beijing
* Peking Duck (usually served with pancakes) (北京烤鸭)
Cantonese (Yue 粵)
* Preserved-salted fish (鹹魚, Haam yu)
* Preserved-salted duck (臘鴨, Laap ap)
* Preserved-salted pork (臘肉, Laap yuk)
* Chinese steamed eggs (蒸水蛋)
* Rice congee (皮蛋粥)
* Boiled bok choy with oyster sauce (蠔油小白菜)
* Stir-fried vegetables with meat (e.g. chicken, duck, pork, beef, or intestines) (青菜炒肉片)
* Steamed frog on lotus leaf (荷葉蒸田雞)
* Zhaliang (炸兩)
* Youtiao (油条)
* Dace fishballs (鯪魚球)
* Cantonese seafood soup
* Winter melon soup (冬瓜湯)
* Snow fungus soup (银耳湯)
* Northeast watercress sparerib soup (南北杏西洋菜豬骨湯)
* Old fire-cooked soups (老火湯, Lo foh tong)
* Wonton noodle (雲吞麵)
* Beef chow fun (乾炒牛河)
* Shahe fen (沙河粉)
* Char siu (叉烧)
* Roast goose (燒鵝)
* Roasted pig (燒肉)
* White cut chicken (白切雞)
* Orange cuttlefish (鹵水墨魚)
* Brine-soaked duck (滷水鴨)
* Soy sauce chicken (豉油雞, Si yau gai)
* Little pan rice (煲仔飯, bou1 zai2 faan6)
* Layered egg and beef over rice (窩蛋牛肉飯)
* Layered steak over rice (肉餅煲仔飯)
* Preserved chinese sausage over rice (蠟味煲仔飯)
* Steamed chicken over rice (蒸雞肉煲仔飯)
* Pork Spareribs over rice (排骨煲仔飯)
* Crispy fried chicken
* Seafood birdsnest
* Suckling pig
* Taro duck (陳皮芋頭鴨)
* Roast young pigeon/squabs (烤乳鴿)
* Sour sparerib (生炒排骨)
* Salt and pepper rib (椒鹽骨)
* Salt and pepper cuttlefish (椒鹽魷魚)
* Salt and pepper shrimp (椒鹽蝦)
* Red bean soup (紅豆砂)
* Gou dim (糕點)
* Shaved Ice (刨冰)
* Deng egg (燉蛋)
* Bao yu (燜鮑魚, Bao yu)
* Shark fin soup (魚翅羹, Yu qi tong)
* Hoi sam (海參, Hoi sam)
* Bird's nest soup (燕窩, Yeen Waw)
* Tea smoked duck (茶燻鴨)
Fujian (Min 闽)
* Popiah (薄饼)
* Buddha jumps over the wall （佛跳墙, Fotiaoqiang)
* Yen pi (燕皮)
Hainan
Hunan (Xiang 湘)
Jiangsu(Su 苏 or Yang 揚)
Manchu
Mongolian
* xianbing 馅饼
* niurougan 牛肉干
Shandong (Lu 魯)
Szechuan (Chuan 川)
* Kung Pao chicken (simplified Chinese: 宫保鸡丁; traditional Chinese: 宮保雞丁; pinyin: gōngbǎo jīdīng)
* Zhangcha duck (simplified Chinese: 樟茶鸭; traditional Chinese: 樟茶鴨; pinyin: zhāngchá yā)
* Twice Cooked Pork (simplified Chinese: 回锅肉; traditional Chinese: 回鍋肉; pinyin: huíguōròu)
* Mapo dofu (Chinese: 麻婆豆腐; pinyin: mápó dòufǔ)
* Sichuan hotpot (simplified Chinese: 四川火锅; traditional Chinese: 四川火鍋; pinyin: Sìchuān huǒguō)
* Fuqi Feipian (Chinese: 夫妻肺片; pinyin: fūqī fèipiàn)
* Chongqing Spicy Deep-Fried Chicken (simplified Chinese: 重庆辣子鸡; traditional Chinese: 重庆辣子雞; pinyin: Chóngqìng làzǐjī)
* Shuizhu, or literally "Water cooked", or Dishes (Chinese: 水煮; pinyin: shuǐzhǔ)
* Dan dan noodles and Bon bon chicken
Teochew
* Yusheng
* Popiah (薄饼)
Yunnan
* Crossing the bridge noodles
Zhejiang (Zhe 浙)
Cajun cuisine
Cajun cuisine
Cajun cuisine originates from the French-speaking Acadian or "Cajun" immigrants deported by the British from Acadia in Canada to the Acadiana region of Louisiana, USA. It is what could be called a rustic cuisine — locally available ingredients predominate, and preparation is simple. An authentic Cajun meal is usually a three-pot affair, with one pot dedicated to:
The aromatic vegetables bell pepper, onion, and celery are called by some chefs the holy trinity of Cajun cuisine. Finely diced and combined in cooking, the method is similar to the use of the mire poix in traditional French cuisine — which blends finely diced onion, celery, and carrot. Characteristic seasonings include parsley, bay leaf, "onion tops" or scallions, and dried cayenne pepper. The overall feel of the cuisine is more Mediterranean than North American.
Many households were large, consisting of eight to twelve people; thus, regardless what other vocations may have been followed by the head of household, most families also farmed. Feeding a large family, all of whose members did hard physical work every day, required a lot of food. Cajun cuisine grew out of supplementing rice with white meat, game or other proteins were available such as crawfish or any other type of river creature.
Cajun methods of preparation
* Barbecueing - similar to "slow and low" barbecue traditions, but with Cajun seasoning.
* Boiling - as in boiling of crabs, crawfish, or shrimp, in seasoned liquid.
* Deep frying
* Étouffée - cooking a vegetable or meat in its own juices, similar to braising or what in New Orleans is called "smothering".
* Frying, also known as pan-frying.
* Grilling - faster than barbecueing.
* Injecting - using a large syringe-type setup to place seasoning deep inside large cuts of meat.
* Smoking - for flavoring, cooking or preserving meats.
* Stewing, also known as fricassee.
Cajun ingredients
The following is a partial list of ingredients used in Cajun cuisine and some of the staple ingredients of the Acadian food culture.
Grains
* Corn
* Rice — long, medium, or short grain white; also popcorn rice
* Wheat (for baking bread)
Fruits and vegetables
* Bell peppers
* Blackberries
* Cayenne peppers
* Celery
* Cucumbers
* Figs
* Limes
* Lemons
* Mirlitons (also called chayotes or vegetable pears)
* Muscadines
* Okra
* Onions
* Pecans
* Satsuma Oranges
* Scallions (also known as green onions or onion tops)
* Strawberries
* Sweet potatoes
* Tomatoes
Meat and seafood
Seafood
* Freshwater
o Bass
o Catfish
o Sac-au-Lait (white perch or crappie)
o Yellow perch
* Saltwater or brackish water species
o Trout
o Redfish
o Pompano
o Drumfish
o Flounder
o Grouper
o Perch - many varieties
o Snapper - many varieties
* Shellfish
o Crawfish- either wild swamp or farm-raised
o Shrimp
o Oysters
o Blue Crab
Poultry
* Farm Raised
o Turkey (and turkey confit)
o Chicken (and Guinea Hen)
* Game birds
o Dove
o Goose
o Quail
o Duck (and duck confit)
Pork
* Andouille - a spicy dry smoked sausage, characterized by a coarse-ground texture
* Boudin - a fresh sausage made with green onions, pork, and rice. Pig's blood is sometimes added to produce "boudin rouge".
* Chaurice, similar to the Spanish chorizo
* Chaudin - a pig's stomach, stuffed with spiced pork & smoked. Also known as ponce.
* Ham hocks
* Head cheese
* Gratons - hog cracklings or pork rinds; fried, seasoned pork fat & skin, sometimes with small bits of meat attached. Similar to the Spanish chicharrones.
* Pork sausage (fresh) - not smoked or cured, but highly seasoned. Mostly used in gumbos. The sausage itself does not include rice, separating it from boudin.
* Salt Pork
* Tasso - a highly seasoned, smoked pork shoulder
Beef and dairy
Though parts of Acadiana are well suited to cattle or dairy farming, beef is not often used in a pre-processed or uniquely Cajun form. It is usually prepared fairly simply as chops, stews, or steaks, taking a cue from Texas to the west. Ground beef is used as is traditional throughout the southern US, although seasoned differently.
Dairy farming is not as prevalent as in the past, but there are still some farms in the business. There are no unique dairy items prepared in Cajun cuisine. Traditional southern US and New Orleans influenced desserts are common.
Other
* Alligator
* Frog legs
* Nutria
* Rabbit
* Turtle (farm-raised)
Cajun dishes
Basic Favorites
Boudin
Boudin (sometimes spelled "boudain")[1] is a type of sausage made from pork, pork liver, rice, garlic and green onion, and other spices. It is widely available by the link or pound from butcher shops. Boudin is usually made daily as it does not keep well for very long, even frozen. Boudin is typically stuffed in a natural casing and has a softer consistency than other, better-known sausage varieties. It is usually served with side dishes such as rice dressing, maque choux, or bread.
Gumbo
High on the list of favorites of Cajun cooking are the soups called gumbos. Gumbo exemplifies the influence of African and Native American food cultures on Cajun cuisine. The word originally meant okra, which is a word brought to the region from western Africa. Okra, which is a principal ingredient of many gumbo recipes, is used as a thickening agent and for its distinct vegetable flavor.
A filé gumbo is thickened with sassafras leaves after the gumbo has finished cooking, a practice borrowed from the Choctaw Indians. The backbone of a gumbo is a dark roux, which is made of flour, toasted until well browned, and fat or oil, not butter as with the French. The classic gumbo is made with chicken and the Cajun sausage called andouille, but the ingredients all depend on what is available at the moment.
Jambalaya
Another classic Cajun dish is jambalaya. The only certain thing that can be said about a jambalaya is that it contains rice and almost anything else. Usually, however, one will find green peppers, onions, celery and hot chile peppers. Anything else is optional.
Crawfish boil
Louisiana-style crawfish boil
The crawfish boil is a celebratory event where Cajuns boil crawfish, potatoes, onions and corn over large propane cookers. Lemons and small muslin bags containing a mixture of bay leaves, mustard seeds, cayenne pepper and other spices, commonly known as "crab boil" or "crawfish boil" are added to the water for seasoning. The results are then dumped onto large, newspaper-draped tables and covered in spice blends. Zatarain's, Louisiana Fish Fry and Tex Joy are popular commercial blends. Cocktail sauce, mayonnaise and Tabasco are common condiments. The seafood is scooped onto large trays or plates and eaten by hand. During times when crawfish are not abundant, shrimp and crabs are prepared and served in the same manner.
Attendees are encouraged to "suck the head" of a crawfish by separating the abdomen of the crustacean and sucking out the abdominal fat/juices. The practice is known by the common phrase is "Pinch the tail, suck the head." Other popular practices include kissing the tail section of a soon-to-be-cooked crawfish, leading to the vulgar phrase: "Kiss my ass, suck my head, eat me." The phrase has been printed on shirts and posters in years past.
Boucherie
The traditional pig-slaughtering party, or Boucherie, where Cajuns would gather to socialize, play music, dance, and preserve meat does still occur in some rural communities, especially St. Martinville, but the exploitation of every last bit of meat, including organs and variety cuts in sausages such as 'boudin' (sometimes spelled boudain) and the inaccessible bits in the head as head cheese is no longer a necessity.
Other dishes and sides
* Potato Salad, a recent tradition is to serve with gumbo, and usually in it (generally plain, i.e. egg, potato,and mayo solely
* Gumbo z'Herbes
* Couche Couche (Cajun corn mush)
* Boiled Crawfish
* Maque Choux
* Tasso (meat product)
* Catfish (or Redfish) Court-Boullion
* Crawfish Étouffée
* Crawfish Bisque
* Hog's Head Cheese
* Various types of Sauce Piquante (Shrimp, Alligator, Turtle, etc.)
* Cochon de Lait
* Crawfish Pie
* Andouille sausage
* Dirty rice
* Rice and Gravy - usually a brown gravy based on pan drippings, which are deglazed and simmered with extra seasonings and served over steamed or boiled rice.
* Fried Frog Legs
* Pecan Pralines
* Tarte à la Bouillie (sweet-dough custard tarts)
* Seafood-stuffed Mirliton
* Brochette
* Tabasco Sauce
* Cajun Rice
Cajun cuisine originates from the French-speaking Acadian or "Cajun" immigrants deported by the British from Acadia in Canada to the Acadiana region of Louisiana, USA. It is what could be called a rustic cuisine — locally available ingredients predominate, and preparation is simple. An authentic Cajun meal is usually a three-pot affair, with one pot dedicated to:
- the main dish,
- steamed rice, skillet cornbread, or some other grain dish,
- containing whatever vegetable .
The aromatic vegetables bell pepper, onion, and celery are called by some chefs the holy trinity of Cajun cuisine. Finely diced and combined in cooking, the method is similar to the use of the mire poix in traditional French cuisine — which blends finely diced onion, celery, and carrot. Characteristic seasonings include parsley, bay leaf, "onion tops" or scallions, and dried cayenne pepper. The overall feel of the cuisine is more Mediterranean than North American.
Many households were large, consisting of eight to twelve people; thus, regardless what other vocations may have been followed by the head of household, most families also farmed. Feeding a large family, all of whose members did hard physical work every day, required a lot of food. Cajun cuisine grew out of supplementing rice with white meat, game or other proteins were available such as crawfish or any other type of river creature.
Cajun methods of preparation
* Barbecueing - similar to "slow and low" barbecue traditions, but with Cajun seasoning.
* Boiling - as in boiling of crabs, crawfish, or shrimp, in seasoned liquid.
* Deep frying
* Étouffée - cooking a vegetable or meat in its own juices, similar to braising or what in New Orleans is called "smothering".
* Frying, also known as pan-frying.
* Grilling - faster than barbecueing.
* Injecting - using a large syringe-type setup to place seasoning deep inside large cuts of meat.
* Smoking - for flavoring, cooking or preserving meats.
* Stewing, also known as fricassee.
Cajun ingredients
The following is a partial list of ingredients used in Cajun cuisine and some of the staple ingredients of the Acadian food culture.
Grains
* Corn
* Rice — long, medium, or short grain white; also popcorn rice
* Wheat (for baking bread)
Fruits and vegetables
* Bell peppers
* Blackberries
* Cayenne peppers
* Celery
* Cucumbers
* Figs
* Limes
* Lemons
* Mirlitons (also called chayotes or vegetable pears)
* Muscadines
* Okra
* Onions
* Pecans
* Satsuma Oranges
* Scallions (also known as green onions or onion tops)
* Strawberries
* Sweet potatoes
* Tomatoes
Meat and seafood
Seafood
* Freshwater
o Bass
o Catfish
o Sac-au-Lait (white perch or crappie)
o Yellow perch
* Saltwater or brackish water species
o Trout
o Redfish
o Pompano
o Drumfish
o Flounder
o Grouper
o Perch - many varieties
o Snapper - many varieties
* Shellfish
o Crawfish- either wild swamp or farm-raised
o Shrimp
o Oysters
o Blue Crab
Poultry
* Farm Raised
o Turkey (and turkey confit)
o Chicken (and Guinea Hen)
* Game birds
o Dove
o Goose
o Quail
o Duck (and duck confit)
Pork
* Andouille - a spicy dry smoked sausage, characterized by a coarse-ground texture
* Boudin - a fresh sausage made with green onions, pork, and rice. Pig's blood is sometimes added to produce "boudin rouge".
* Chaurice, similar to the Spanish chorizo
* Chaudin - a pig's stomach, stuffed with spiced pork & smoked. Also known as ponce.
* Ham hocks
* Head cheese
* Gratons - hog cracklings or pork rinds; fried, seasoned pork fat & skin, sometimes with small bits of meat attached. Similar to the Spanish chicharrones.
* Pork sausage (fresh) - not smoked or cured, but highly seasoned. Mostly used in gumbos. The sausage itself does not include rice, separating it from boudin.
* Salt Pork
* Tasso - a highly seasoned, smoked pork shoulder
Beef and dairy
Though parts of Acadiana are well suited to cattle or dairy farming, beef is not often used in a pre-processed or uniquely Cajun form. It is usually prepared fairly simply as chops, stews, or steaks, taking a cue from Texas to the west. Ground beef is used as is traditional throughout the southern US, although seasoned differently.
Dairy farming is not as prevalent as in the past, but there are still some farms in the business. There are no unique dairy items prepared in Cajun cuisine. Traditional southern US and New Orleans influenced desserts are common.
Other
* Alligator
* Frog legs
* Nutria
* Rabbit
* Turtle (farm-raised)
Cajun dishes
Basic Favorites
Boudin
Boudin (sometimes spelled "boudain")[1] is a type of sausage made from pork, pork liver, rice, garlic and green onion, and other spices. It is widely available by the link or pound from butcher shops. Boudin is usually made daily as it does not keep well for very long, even frozen. Boudin is typically stuffed in a natural casing and has a softer consistency than other, better-known sausage varieties. It is usually served with side dishes such as rice dressing, maque choux, or bread.
Gumbo
High on the list of favorites of Cajun cooking are the soups called gumbos. Gumbo exemplifies the influence of African and Native American food cultures on Cajun cuisine. The word originally meant okra, which is a word brought to the region from western Africa. Okra, which is a principal ingredient of many gumbo recipes, is used as a thickening agent and for its distinct vegetable flavor.
A filé gumbo is thickened with sassafras leaves after the gumbo has finished cooking, a practice borrowed from the Choctaw Indians. The backbone of a gumbo is a dark roux, which is made of flour, toasted until well browned, and fat or oil, not butter as with the French. The classic gumbo is made with chicken and the Cajun sausage called andouille, but the ingredients all depend on what is available at the moment.
Jambalaya
Another classic Cajun dish is jambalaya. The only certain thing that can be said about a jambalaya is that it contains rice and almost anything else. Usually, however, one will find green peppers, onions, celery and hot chile peppers. Anything else is optional.
Crawfish boil
Louisiana-style crawfish boil
The crawfish boil is a celebratory event where Cajuns boil crawfish, potatoes, onions and corn over large propane cookers. Lemons and small muslin bags containing a mixture of bay leaves, mustard seeds, cayenne pepper and other spices, commonly known as "crab boil" or "crawfish boil" are added to the water for seasoning. The results are then dumped onto large, newspaper-draped tables and covered in spice blends. Zatarain's, Louisiana Fish Fry and Tex Joy are popular commercial blends. Cocktail sauce, mayonnaise and Tabasco are common condiments. The seafood is scooped onto large trays or plates and eaten by hand. During times when crawfish are not abundant, shrimp and crabs are prepared and served in the same manner.
Attendees are encouraged to "suck the head" of a crawfish by separating the abdomen of the crustacean and sucking out the abdominal fat/juices. The practice is known by the common phrase is "Pinch the tail, suck the head." Other popular practices include kissing the tail section of a soon-to-be-cooked crawfish, leading to the vulgar phrase: "Kiss my ass, suck my head, eat me." The phrase has been printed on shirts and posters in years past.
Boucherie
The traditional pig-slaughtering party, or Boucherie, where Cajuns would gather to socialize, play music, dance, and preserve meat does still occur in some rural communities, especially St. Martinville, but the exploitation of every last bit of meat, including organs and variety cuts in sausages such as 'boudin' (sometimes spelled boudain) and the inaccessible bits in the head as head cheese is no longer a necessity.
Other dishes and sides
* Potato Salad, a recent tradition is to serve with gumbo, and usually in it (generally plain, i.e. egg, potato,and mayo solely
* Gumbo z'Herbes
* Couche Couche (Cajun corn mush)
* Boiled Crawfish
* Maque Choux
* Tasso (meat product)
* Catfish (or Redfish) Court-Boullion
* Crawfish Étouffée
* Crawfish Bisque
* Hog's Head Cheese
* Various types of Sauce Piquante (Shrimp, Alligator, Turtle, etc.)
* Cochon de Lait
* Crawfish Pie
* Andouille sausage
* Dirty rice
* Rice and Gravy - usually a brown gravy based on pan drippings, which are deglazed and simmered with extra seasonings and served over steamed or boiled rice.
* Fried Frog Legs
* Pecan Pralines
* Tarte à la Bouillie (sweet-dough custard tarts)
* Seafood-stuffed Mirliton
* Brochette
* Tabasco Sauce
* Cajun Rice
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)