Louisiana Cuisine

[tombarnes]

Why did you have to put that picture of the cafe au lait and beignets up there? Now I really crave them.....thanks Nate...

You are so right about one never being enough. They are especially good in the middle of the night after a pub crawl through the Quarter.

[Mith242]

I've never had beignets. How are they different from other pastries?

[NCB]

Why did you have to put that picture of the cafe au lait and beignets up there? Now I really crave them.....thanks Nate...

You are so right about one never being enough. They are especially good in the middle of the night after a pub crawl through the Quarter.

Haha, no problem.

And I definately agree that beignets are great after a midnight crawl through the French Quarter.

[NCB]

I've never had beignets. How are they different from other pastries?

I really don't know how to explain it. They are just fantastic. The beinet(fried dough) itself is better than any donut I've ever had, and then you add the powdered sugar, and it's just the ultimate pastry.

[Mith242]

I really don't know how to explain it. They are just fantastic. The beinet(fried dough) itself is better than any donut I've ever had, and then you add the powdered sugar, and it's just the ultimate pastry.

Is it anything like funnel cake? That's somewhat popular here. It's some sort of batter that's fried and has powdered sugar on it.

[NCB]

^I guess it would be somewhat similar because of the fact that they are both fried and can be served with powdered sugar, but a beignet is really like nothing else. There are two places on the planet that you can find large amounts of beignets, and those are France and New Orleans. Though in France beignets are normally filled with fruit, rather than powdered sugar on top. It's really quite an interesting pastry.

Honestly, you have to eat a beignet to fully understand how different it is from other pastries. The taste is just very different from your average pastry.

Though I must say, I do enjoy funnel cakes!

[Mith242]

^I guess it would be somewhat similar because of the fact that they are both fried and can be served with powdered sugar, but a beignet is really like nothing else. There are two places on the planet that you can find large amounts of beignets, and those are France and New Orleans. Though in France beignets are normally filled with fruit, rather than powdered sugar on top. It's really quite an interesting pastry.

Honestly, you have to eat a beignet to fully understand how different it is from other pastries. The taste is just very different from your average pastry.

Though I must say, I do enjoy funnel cakes!

Well if I'm ever in New Orleans, rest asured I'll certainly try some.

[NCB]

Well if I'm ever in New Orleans, rest asured I'll certainly try some.

I think that you can order boxes of beignets over the internet or by phone from Cafe du Monde in New Orleans. They wouldn't be hot and fresh, but you would be able to get the "beignet experience."

[Mith242]

I think that you can order boxes of beignets over the internet or by phone from Cafe du Monde in New Orleans. They wouldn't be hot and fresh, but you would be able to get the "beignet experience."

Guess I wouldn't have thought of that. But are they still that good even when they aren't hot and fresh?

[NCB]

Guess I wouldn't have thought of that. But are they still that good even when they aren't hot and fresh?

Oh yea they are still great. In fact, there are tims where I prefer a cold beignet more than one hot and fresh. They are fantastic either way.

Here is Cafe Du Monde's website. You can order a box of beignet mix(it is actually quite easy to make them with this mix) online for around two dollars. They also have different coffee mixes, mugs, and giftbaskets.

http://shop.cafedumonde.com/originals.html

[Mith242]

Thanks for the link Nate. I see you can order the mix, can you also order the already premade beignets too?

[NCB]

^Sorry, I messed up on that earlier. You can order premade beignets if you are in the New Orleans area, but not if you are farther away than that. But I can tell you the beignetmix is great. It's really to use, and they taste great.

[NCB]

I have my own question for you Rod.

Is French Bread a big deal up in NWA at all?

French Bread is a basic part of a meal around New Orleans, and it has always been that way. And to me, dinner without fresh New Orleans French Bread just doesn't seem right.

I never really payed attention to it, but I began to realize as I traveled that French Bread wasn't used much anywhere else across the South compared to New Orleans, and in some places it was impossible to find it. I use French Bread for sandwhiches and Po-Boys much more than I use bunny bread or anything like that, but it seems to be completely the opposite in most other places across the South.

[Mith242]

I have my own question for you Rod.

Is French Bread a big deal up in NWA at all?

French Bread is a basic part of a meal around New Orleans, and it has always been that way. And to me, dinner without fresh New Orleans French Bread just doesn't seem right.

I never really payed attention to it, but I began to realize as I traveled that French Bread wasn't used much anywhere else across the South compared to New Orleans, and in some places it was impossible to find it. I use French Bread for sandwhiches and Po-Boys much more than I use bunny bread or anything like that, but it seems to be completely the opposite in most other places across the South.

No I can't say I've seen french bread used very much. Probably mainly just with Italian food. I think rolls are the bread more used here in Arkansas with meals. So I guess you don't have the baguettes as they do in France, or maybe it was just Paris.

[NCB]

^Baguettes are easy to find and are very popular all over the New Orleans area. I really enjoy them, the only problem is that they become very hard and dry the next day if you do not eat all of it.

[Mith242]

I've always been a big bread person. I like a lot of those nice European type breads that aren't always very easy to find.

[NCB]

I've always been a big bread person. I like a lot of those nice European type breads that aren't always very easy to find.

From hearing about your different likes of history, music, and food, I think you would really enjoy New Orleans.

[Mith242]

From hearing about your different likes of history, music, and food, I think you would really enjoy New Orleans.

Yeah I probably would. I'm not exactly a big party person, so maybe not for Mardi Gras. But maybe outside of that time.

[NCB]

Yeah I probably would. I'm not exactly a big party person, so maybe not for Mardi Gras. But maybe outside of that time.

Yea if your not a big party person coming into NOLA duing Mardi Gras probably wouldn't work out as well.

But I have a feeling that you would really enjoy the French Quarter, with it's great history, cuisine, and music. That could also be said for many other parts of the city as well. I'm also sure you would enjoy some of the more laid back nightlife that the city has to offer, like eating a great dinner while listening to some live jazz at a jazz club. I have always loved doing that.

[Mith242]

Yea if your not a big party person coming into NOLA duing Mardi Gras probably wouldn't work out as well.

But I have a feeling that you would really enjoy the French Quarter, with it's great history, cuisine, and music. That could also be said for many other parts of the city as well. I'm also sure you would enjoy some of the more laid back nightlife that the city has to offer, like eating a great dinner while listening to some live jazz at a jazz club. I have always loved doing that.

That does sound like a great way to spend some time. Although I'm sure I'd also be pretty happy going around taking pics around the city as well.

[NCB]

Although I'm sure I'd also be pretty happy going around taking pics around the city as well.

Yea I can guarantee you would enjoy that.

I'm actually scared that I'm going to need more 512mb memory cards for my camera tommorow. I managed to take over 100 pictures in downtown Covington yesterday in a 40 minute period, so I can only imagine how many pictures I'm going to take when I'm in New Orleans for the entire day tommorow.

[Mith242]

Yea I can guarantee you would enjoy that.

I'm actually scared that I'm going to need more 512mb memory cards for my camera tommorow. I managed to take over 100 pictures in downtown Covington yesterday in a 40 minute period, so I can only imagine how many pictures I'm going to take when I'm in New Orleans for the entire day tommorow.

Yeah I've got to get me another memory card too. I like my pics as big as possible. Then I resize the ones I decide to post here on UP. But I've already run into problems with the few places I've gone with it.

[NCB]

Yeah I've got to get me another memory card too. I like my pics as big as possible. Then I resize the ones I decide to post here on UP. But I've already run into problems with the few places I've gone with it.

I normally have my picture setting on medium-superfine. The medium size is good because it fits nicely on UP, and it still looks great in blowup's.

[Mith242]

I normally have my picture setting on medium-superfine. The medium size is good because it fits nicely on UP, and it still looks great in blowup's.

Oh yeah photobucket resizes them doesn't it? Seems like I remember seeing that. I think that was one of the reasons I picked image shack instead. Although I've gotten to where I try to post some smaller pic sizes. It makes the topic a bit easier to load, especially since I tend to take so many pics.

[Mith242]

To get back to the cuisine topic, I have a question. Red beans and rice was mentioned before. So does it have to be red beans to be New Orleans or Louisiana? That and what kind of seasonings are used in the dish if any? I've been trying to make my own version. I don't always use red beans though. But I have been adding some spices and tabasco along with a little andouille sausage.