Traditional Cuisine From Louisiana And Mississippi

When you take a trip down South you will find not only a different way of life, but a unique way of cooking as well.  Southern states such as Louisiana and Mississippi are so passionate about their food that they consider it part of their identity.   What would be considered traditional cuisine? 

Both States love their Cajun cooking.  A unique blend of spices and seasoning add a burst of flavor to each meal.  Seafood is used generously in Cajun dishes because of the location and closeness to the Gulf and other waterways.  Catfish, Crawfish, Oysters, and Crab are popular among the locals.

There are many cultural influences on the cuisine in both of these states.  Cooking techniques have been derived from France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Africa, and Native American.  When you add all of this knowledge together, plus the use of the natural resources of each state, you have culinary excellence that is deeply held in these cooking traditions.

It’s hard to distinguish between certain Creole recipes from the two states since each has followed a similar culinary path over the years. 

Fried Chicken breasts. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Southerners love to deep fry anything they can get their hands on.  Fried Chicken is one of their favorites across the states.  Locals from Mississippi love their catfish and hushpuppies.   Barbequing is also an important part of the cooking experience in the South.

Both of these states are blessed with crops that are relied on to enhance the culinary experience of the South.  A few crops that Louisiana depends on are sugar cane, rice, okra, greens, and sweet potatoes whereas Mississippi's most valuable resources are soybeans, corn for grain, cotton, and  sweet potatoes.

Food festivals are an important tradition in each state.  Crawfish, crab, catfish, and shrimp often have a festival all their own.  It’s an easy way to become familiar with the local cuisine.  Mississippi also has culinary trails which range over five different regions of the state.

Traditional Dishes from Louisiana

Gumbo – This dish can contain seafood, sausage, chicken, or a number of other ideas, and is much like a thick stew or soup, but often served with a dollop of rice. You'll also start this dish by making a roux, which is a thickening gravy of fat and flour.

Muffulettas – Cheese, ham, salami, on a loaf of Italian bread.

Jambalaya – The ingredients in this recipe are determined by what's on hand, much like gumbo.   You can add chicken, sausage, onions, tomatoes, a mixture of spices, and whatever else comes to mind. Unlike gumbo, jambalaya is a rice-based dish.

Red Beans and Rice – This meal can be as simple as the name, or can include sausage, pork, or seafood.  Typically, however, it is served very simply; just red beans and rice with spices.

Mississippi Mud pie with ice cream, whipped cream, and strawberry. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Traditional Dishes from Mississippi

Mississippi Mud Pie – For the chocolate lover, this is a deliciously rich and popular dessert.

Catfish  – Simple fare that can be pan fried or deep fried to a crispy golden color.

Sweet Potato Pie – Not a surprising dish in the 'Sweet Potato Capital of the World.' 

Hushpuppies – Cornmeal mixed with a variety of ingredients and deep fried to perfection.  A versatile snack, to be sure.

There are certainly differences between the two states when it comes to recipes and cooking techniques.   However, the history and heritage of each state can be seen through the unique cuisine brought about in each tasty dish.

Exploring The Culinary Back Roads Of Louisiana And Mississippi

If you want to embark on a culinary adventure, consider traveling the back roads of Louisiana and Mississippi.  What better way to immerse yourself into a different culture then to dig into the cuisine of the local eateries?

This is a fun way to experience new and enticing flavors to delight your taste buds.  Some of the best places to find that distinctive down home taste of the South is off the beaten path.  So, fill up the gas tank and make sure you’re good and hungry, then see where the back roads take you! 

Local Food Festivals

Dishes typical of Louisiana Creole cuisine. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

No matter where you are in the South, you can tell food is a huge part of the culture.  People celebrate their love of food by holding festivals throughout the year.  Locals and tourists alike can experience everything there is to offer in southern cuisine by just taking off down the road.  If you smell food in the air, there's probably a festival going on somewhere.  Just follow your nose! 

Visitors can participate as 'taste testers' in gumbo, jambalaya, sausage, sweet potato pie, or barbeque cook-offs just about anytime of year.  Crawfish boils are going on in just about every roadside joint in the region.  And, we can’t forget about Mardi Gras.  Even though the big celebration you may hear about takes place in New Orleans, almost every little town in the region has some sort of celebration during the week before Lent.

Culinary Trails

Over the years there have been a number of culinary trails created to showcase the local food and heritage.  These trails span across the states and give visitors the chance to experience the cuisine of that specific area.  Cooks in the region come together and promote their culture, bringing stories of past history to life with their food.  You not only get to experience the cuisine in a different light, but meet the people behind these amazing dishes. 

Mississippi. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In Mississippi check out 'The Delta' trail, which contains such a mixture of many different people and their cultures that each dish shows off the diverse history and culinary abilities.  In Louisiana you will find yourself immersed in the heritage along trails like the 'Bayou Bounty.'  Both of these destinations will give your tastes buds their own little holiday.

Ask the Locals

The locals love to express and share their passion for food and will have no problem giving you suggestions on what to eat and where to find it.  Be prepared to take the side roads if you are serious about immersing yourself in Southern cuisine.  It’s not uncommon to find some of the best dishes you'll ever enjoy this way.

Get out your maps and plug in your GPS.  Be spontaneous, prepare yourself for the back roads, and experience all the tasty cuisine and intriguing culture these Southern states have to offer!

Recipe: Pecan Praline Macaroons

For dessert, or a special treat, try these Louisiana-inspired treats! New Orleans is famous for it's pecan pralines, and this easy and scrumptious recipe shows you why. This one is a twist on the classic praline, and it's so simple you'll want to make it again and again.

Pecan Praline Macaroons
(Makes about 24 macaroons.)

(Photo credit: Pomax)

Ingredients:

3 large egg whites, room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 cup pecans, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a cold mixing bowl, put the egg whites and beat with a mixer until they form peaks. Then, with mixer running, slowly add in the brown sugar, beating until you get stiff peaks.
3. Carefully fold in the pecans using a rubber spatula.
4. On a cookie sheet, drop heaping teaspoons of mixture allowing for room to spread.
5. Bake in preheated over for 30.  Keep your eye on them.  You want the macaroons to be hard and still shiny.
6. Remove and allow to cool at room temperature on a cooling rack.

Learn About Cooking - Louisiana Style

Louisiana is synonymous with Creole and Cajun cuisine.  When these terms come to mind, many think of hot and spicy food that will make you break out in a sweat if you attempt to eat them.  The flavor, however, is what really sets this type of cuisine apart from the rest.  If you’re going to cook a meal Louisiana style, you have to know what ingredients and techniques go into it.  What makes this style of cooking so different from everything else?  Let's take a look.

Spices and Seasonings

Locals use a unique blend of spices and seasonings to give their food a specific bite and flavor exclusive to the region.  A mixture of spices is often used in order to make sure the flavor of one spice does not dominate the other.   A few spices and seasonings you may recognize are cayenne pepper, file powder, cumin, thyme, and parsley.   Each one adds a special touch all its own, but when combined creates a meal bursting with warm, rich flavor.

Location

A traditional Creole/Cajun cuisine crawfish étouffée. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Due to the closeness to the Gulf of Mexico and other waterways, Louisiana cooks use a variety of seafood in their cuisine.  With easy access to shrimp, crab, oysters, and a variety of fish, it only makes sense that many specialties include seafood.   Louisiana cooks also rely heavily on the abundance of Southern crops such as okra, assorted greens, and sweet potatoes.   When combining all these resources together, you have a distinct cuisine that cannot be found anywhere else.

Influences

There are a multitude of cultural influences that have contributed to the distinct taste of Louisiana cuisine.  These unique dishes have a touch of French, Spanish,  African, Native American, and Italian influence, just to name a few.  The cooking expertise from these different cultures, combined with the local Southern influences, bring about the evolution of this distinct cooking style.

Cooking Techniques

When you visit the South, you will notice a good deal of deep fried food.  Just think about fried chicken and you can't help but picture a Southern kitchen.  The term 'barbeque' can mean smoked and slow-cooked just as it could mean cooked with dry rubbed seasonings or sauces.  It's all about the method.  A good Southern cook will have a container for saving bacon grease nearby the stove.  You'll find pastries and pie crusts baked with lard.  Many dishes begin with a dark roux and the Holy Trinity of onion, celery, and green pepper.  These methods are tried-and-true and most Louisiana cooks are wary of straying too far from the basics they learned from their ancestors.

When learning to cook like a Louisiana native, it’s important to immerse yourself in the culture and the techniques.  There are tons of resources including recipes books, the internet, and cooking classes that will help you learn what you need to know.  Everyone has their own cooking style, so there may be a few things you do differently.  But, keep the basics and you'll be able to create a variety of Louisiana cuisine to impress your family and friends... and perhaps even a few locals!

Learn More About Louisiana Cooking:
   

Recipe: Bourbon Black Strap Pecan Pie

Nothing says Louisiana like a good old-fashioned pecan pie, but the distinctive flavors of bourbon and black strap molasses in this version will make it a treat your taste-buds are not likely to forget! Like most pecan pie recipes, this one is pretty simple to prepare - just remember to make it ahead of time, as it will need to have time to cool and set before it's ready to eat.

Bourbon Black Strap Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

3/4 cup black strap molasses
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 tsp salt
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup bourbon
1 1/2 cups pecan halves
1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust

Directions: 

1. Place oven rack in the middle position of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Flour a work surface, lay pie crust out, and roll until smoothed out, then gently place in 9 inch pie pan, crimp edges and set aside.
3. In a saucepan, put the molasses, brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, and salt. Set on stove burner on medium heat. Stir mixture until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.
4. Turn heat up and bring mixture to a gentle boil; let boil undisturbed for 1 minute.
5. Remove immediately from heat and pour into a bowl; set aside to cool to room temperature.
6. When the molasses/sugar mixture is cooled, add the beaten eggs, vanilla, and bourbon, whisking to combine.
7. Add the pecans and fold in with a spatula or large spoon.
8. Pour the mixture into the pie crust.
9. Bake in preheated oven until the filling is set, about 55 to 60 minutes.
10. The pie is done when the crust is golden brown, the filling is dark in color, the edges are solid, and the center doesn't jiggle a lot when you give the pie pan a wiggle.
11. Remove and cool completely at room temperature before serving.

Louisiana Celebrates - Food & Festivals Around The State

If you want to learn about a region's culture, eat their food and join in their festivals!  When a state celebrates, you get a serious taste of what the local history is all about.  When you dive into the cuisine of a local festival, listen to their music, and listen to the people, you can't help but hear the heartbeat of a region.

The state of Louisiana has more than her fair share of festivals.  Louisiana has been referred to as the 'Festival Capital of the World' due to the sheer number of festivals found throughout the state.  At one count there were over 400 festivals throughout the year, some big, some small.  No matter what the focus – music, food, heritage, arts, crafts, dance, holidays – a Louisiana festival is bound to please every participant.  Let's take a look.

Festivals You Might Expect

Crawfish and tiki people. Mardi Gras street costumers in the French Quarter. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We can't talk about festivals in Louisiana without talking about Mardi Gras.  But, do you know what Mardi Gras is all about?  This is a huge celebration in early Spring, culminating with Fat Tuesday (tomorrow!), the  day before Ash Wednesday which is the beginning of Lent on the church calendar.  This festival is all about having a last big party before the sacrifices of Lent begin.  Fat Tuesday is meant to be a 'devil may care' day of decadence; eat, drink, and be merry.  Even though New Orleans has become famous for merry-making during Mardi Gras, other cities, like Mobile and Baton Rouge have huge celebrations, many dating back to before New Orleans even considered having a Mardi Gras parade.

Along with Mardi Gras, seafood festivals abound!   Location demands this abundant resource be celebrated, cooked, and eaten in large quantities.  You certainly expect to find festivals like the Louisiana Seafood Festival or the Bridge City Gumbo Festival.  And, you know there's got to be some good catfish at the Franklin Parish Catfish Festival in Winnsboro.

When crawfish are in season, you can hardly turn a corner without finding a festival featuring these tasty crustaceans.  At the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival in May, you'll be able to sample huge flats of boiled crawfish, along with crawfish baked in pies, cooked up in gumbo, or featured in all sorts of ways you simply can't resist.  Remember, when you search for crawfish festivals, include the word 'mudbugs.'  Otherwise, you might miss out on a few, such as the Mudbug Madness Festival in Shreveport.  Truth be known, you could eat nothing but crawfish, or 'mudbugs,' for months at Louisiana festivals. Crawfish were one of my favorite things about living in Louisiana, and I still miss them all these years later!

Music festivals are also abundant, which shouldn't surprise you in this land of American music.  You'll find the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the Baton Rouge Blues Festival, and the Creole Zydeco Festival, just to name a few.

Crawfish mound (Photo credit: izik)

Festivals That May Surprise You

Once we wander beyond the well known Louisiana favorites, there are some celebrations that may surprise you.  Louisiana is nothing if it is not diverse.  Beyond seafood and jazz, what does Louisiana have to offer?  A lot!

Enjoy a sweet treat at the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival.  Find new and wonderful ways to enjoy tomatoes at the Creole Tomato Festival in New Orleans,.  If you're in the vicinity of  Farmerville, sink your teeth in some sweet goodness at the Watermelon Festival.  If you think yams and sweet potatoes need celebrating, dig in at the Yambilee Festival in Opelousas.  There's even a Rice Festival.  Trust Louisiana to make rice exciting and delicious!

Want more food?  Join in the fun at the Natchitoches Meat Pie Festival in September.  Craving sweets?    Take a trip to enjoy a few slices of  pie at the Lecompte Pie Festival in October.  If you haven't had your fill of music yet, but want to experience something surprising, check out the Voodoo Music Experience in New Orleans or the Zydeco Festival in LaBeau.

Scroll through any Louisiana festival website and you'll find pages and pages of festivals, big and small, literally every day of the year.  You can hardly throw a stone in the state without hitting a festival tent!  Fill up your car and hit the road.  You will never regret exploring the Louisiana festival scene - or it's food.

And if you want to bring some Louisiana flavor to your own kitchen, be sure to check out this week's and last week's recipes for some good eats at home!

Cajun Favorites for Mardi Gras Cooking

Aside from the temperatures, there is plenty that sizzles in the city of New Orleans. From the streets in the summer time to the music in the square almost any night of any given week to the food in dingy diners and white-table-cloth restaurants alike, this city is hot and everyone who spends any amount of time here knows it! Mardi Gras in New Orleans is an entity unto itself. It has taken a hit since Katrina but the people of this great city that have come back and are dedicated to its rebuilding efforts are much like the food and the flare that makes Mardi Gras such a memorable event in this of all cities.

If you haven't had the pleasure of some of the spicier New Orleans cuisine perhaps we should place a warning label on it, but this is something most visitors simply must find out for themselves. One thing is for certain if the first bite isn't hot enough we can certainly bring up the temperature with some aptly named Louisiana hot sauce to be sure!

Red Beans and Rice (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Red beans and rice is a great Cajun favorite. While the beans and the rice aren't too terribly hot by themselves when you add a bit of the hot sauce and some andouille sausage to the mix you'll find the temperature inside might be rivaling the warmest of August days in the sunshine. Be sure to have plenty of water close at hand when you begin your dining experience because while you don't necessarily need it with the first bite, chances are good that you will need it by the last! When cooking red beans and rice, you'll want to brown the sausage a bit first, leaving the drippings in the pan, then add the beans and prepare to have them simmer all day once they've been brought to a boil (a crockpot makes this work nicely). You should season according to your preferences but be sure to add a little bit of salt unless you'll be adding ham in addition to the sausage. Serve the beans over rice, and it's best not to cook the rice and the beans together, though some people certainly use less rice than others.

Another thing you want to remember when enjoying Cajun food is that you want to save room for whatever comes next and you do not necessarily want to know what you're eating at all times. This adds to the enjoyment and mystery of Cajun food - and sometimes ignorance is bliss. In other words, no matter how good it is, never, ever ask what's in it!

If you're learning to cook Cajun food, of course, you won't have the option of deniability. You will learn the good, the bad, and the ugly about many favorites. But don't be afraid to try something new - even if it's out of your comfort zone. Your taste buds may be pleasantly surprised! Cooking Cajun food is part science, part art and helps you experience the Mardi Gras atmosphere even if you're not spending it in the Big Easy. Be sure to check back later this week for some amazing classic Cajun recipes for your Mardi Gras cooking next week! Good luck and "let the good times roll!" 

Recipe: Louisiana Crockpot Chili

Chili is a natural fit for the slow cooker, with a medley of ingredients and spices that blend together over several hours of low-heat cooking, creating layers of hearty flavor. This Cajun version includes the Louisiana flavors of sausage, pork, red pepper, and tomatoes for a delicious twist on chili that will have everyone coming back for second helpings!

Louisiana Chili Time
(Serves 8.)

Ingredients:

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1 lb andouille sausage, diced
1 lb ground pork
2 big onions, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28 oz size) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15 oz size) can diced tomatoes
1 (28 oz size) can kidney beans, drained (or 1 cup dry beans, rinsed and soaked)
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp chili powder
dash or two hot pepper sauce
pinch instant chicory or coffee (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• In a heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the andouille sausage and ground pork until pork is lightly browned; break it up as you cook it.  Remove with a slotted spoon and put in crock pot.
• Add the remaining ingredients to the crockpot and stir well.
• Cover, set on Low, and cook 6-8 hours, until veggies and beans are soft and flavors are blended.
• Taste and adjust seasonings. Add a bit of water to thin it out if desired.
• Serve hot with crusty bread on the side.

Give Your Slow Cooker A Kick With Cajun Flavors

Cajun cooking originated in the Southern swamplands, bayous, and farmland. The Cajun people were hard-working and lived under very stressful conditions. Their meal choices revolved around local foods that were easy to find. To save time and money, and to feed as many people as they could, meals were very often cooked up in one big pot. This makes using a slow cooker for Cajun cuisine a natural.

The one thing you can be sure of is you can cook up Cajun foods in your slow cooker with great success and enjoy those potent Cajun flavors we have all come to love.  As a matter of fact, the key to great Cajun cooking is to simmer the dish for many hours, and that is why slow cooker cooking and Cajun foods go hand in hand.  Let's take a look at some dishes and the ingredients and seasonings that make them stand out from other southern cooking.

Cover of Slow Cooker Cooking

Cajun Meets the Slow Cooker

Jambalaya, gumbo, red beans and rice, and stew are all easy to cook in the slow cooker.  Why?  Because they're not complicated or fussy.  The neat thing about this type of ethnic cooking is recipes are not set in stone.

When recipes were passed from one generation to the next, ingredients were substituted as needed because of what was available at the time. That is probably why there are so many different variations of the same recipe. Shrimp, oysters, crab, wild game, fish, pork, beans, okra, tomatoes, and rice are all staples in Cajun cooking, but are specific to regions.

Because Cajun foods have an exotic multi-layered flavor and that 'bite' we love, many people think that the recipes call for dozens of different or complicated spices and mixes, but that is not so.  There are really just a few very recognizable spices and condiments that give Cajun food its unmistakable taste.  The following are considered essential in every Cajun kitchen and are perfectly suited for the slow cooking method we love – slow cooker cooking.

Cayenne pepper is the most common spice used in this type of cooking. The mature pepper is ground into a fine powder and is used in conjunction with white and black pepper to give recipes a potent kick.

Gumbo powder, called filé powder, made from ground sassafras leaves, is used in gumbos, soups and stews not only to flavor the food but to thicken the sauce as well.

Etouffee (Photo credit: /\ \/\/ /\)

Tabasco sauce is one Cajun spice most of us are familiar with. It is used in cooking and as a condiment on the table. You will find other hot sauces to enjoy, but you don't want to eliminate Tabasco sauce from your kitchen.

Creole mustard is also a common ingredient found in Cajun cuisine. Although it is often used as a spread for sandwiches and as a dip, many recipes also call for it as an added ingredient in sauces, marinades, and other dishes.

Cajun slow cooker cooking is very flexible and tasty. Whether you want exotic dinners or just plain old good eating, Cajun foods and flavors fit the bill. Because many Cajun dishes are traditionally slow-cooked in one pot, you will find it easy to transform your favorite Cajun meals and make them right in your slow cooker.  All you need is the right ingredients, spices, and a little imagination.  Oh, yes, and a hearty appetite!

Be sure to check back later this week for some tasty Cajun recipes you can make in your crockpot!

Mardi Gras Cooking Cajun Style

This time of year always makes me think of my time spent down "on the bayou" during graduate school.... While I didn't love everything about Louisiana, one thing I did love was the food! And during Mardi Gras was no exception. (I have some VERY fond memories of a Mardi Gras table laden with crawfish.... One of the best dinners I ever had in my life!)

Cajun Zydeco A. Kassebaum (28) (Photo credit: EBRPD Public Affairs)Mardi Gras is a special time of year down in Cajun Country. Even if you don't live down around New Orleans you can still celebrate some of the fun revelry associated with Mardi Gras by throwing a grand old meal fitting of King Rex himself. The trick with bringing Mardi Gras to the Midwest or wherever you may be is to also bring the celebratory state of mind that makes Mardi Gras such a fun and enjoyable event for people from all over the world. And if you're having trouble getting into the spirit, a bowl or two of gumbo followed by a hand grenade or hurricane and topped off with some Mardi Gras music should do the trick quite nicely.

A large part of the charm and intrigue of Mardi Gras and the city of New Orleans is the food that has made this city almost as famous as its ability to party. If you are wondering what to cook to bring the spirit of Mardi Gras into your home from afar try any of the traditional favorites. If ingredients prove difficult to come by, you might want to add a little rice, a little spice, and a lot of hot sauces to your favorite family meal.

Those who live in New Orleans often use rice to stretch the budget of the food. Rice is filling and has traditionally been quite cost effective. This makes rice a great meal for many of the families of New Orleans that have traditionally been quite poor. Rice is used in all manner of dishes from gumbo to red beans and rice to jambalaya and many dishes in between. It is probably the one staple of Cajun cuisine that you will find very few restaurants in the city without. Otherwise there are wide variances in cuisine according to cost and culture (though the more expensive foods are typically considered Creole rather than Cajun).

Spices are prevalent in these dishes for much the same reason that rice is. They have traditionally been an inexpensive method of seasoning dishes that would otherwise be quite bland (or that weren't quite fresh, back in the old days before refrigerators abounded). Expect to find plenty of spices and a little bit of heat in most traditional Cajun dishes throughout the city. Some restaurants that cater to tourists have slightly watered down versions of local favorites but for the most part you will find that Cajuns handle the heat quite well though they do keep plenty of iced tea on tap to help combat those dishes that get a teensy bit too hot to handle.

Image via WikipediaIf you want to try something with a little less kick a po-boy or muffaletta might be what hits the spot. These sandwiches are more than a little deceiving in appearance however as they are very filling. French fries are still a Cajun favorite though we also have a popular dish called fried sweet potatoes (yes in the south we fry everything, but it is something a little bit different and the sweetness of the fried sweet potatoes can often counteract some of the heat of other Cajun favorites). You can find recipes for all of these online quite easily though you will probably have a bit of time finding the perfect bread for a po boy anywhere outside the Crescent City. There is a unique "chewiness" to the perfect po boy bread that may be imitated elsewhere but I've never quite found anything to compare and I've been all over the country.

For the perfect finish for your Cajun cooking you should make a point of purchasing some chicory coffee. This is easily accomplished online if your local coffee shop doesn't have any on hand. Historically, chicory was added to coffee and often used instead of coffee because it was much cheaper than actual coffee. This meant it could stretch the more expensive coffee beans and provide a similar taste and texture with that hint of chicory. It's a rather unique flavor and for many people is synonymous with the city itself.

Try out some of these ideas, and you'll find it quite easy to plan your Mardi Gras cooking no matter how far from New Orleans you may roam. And for some great Cajun recipes, be sure to check back later this week - I'll be sharing one of my favorite gumbo recipes, which I've been greatly enjoying this past week!

More Cajun Cooking Resources: