As Chef Paul Prodhomme says, "In The South... "It's All About Taste!" When the taste changes with every bite and the last bite tastes as good as the first, that's Cajun."
For my stay in the South I chose to take a 5-day culinary vacation with Culintour to the "Jazz Capital of the World"..New Orleans!! I stepped back in time to enjoy the culture, history and cuisine of this romantic city. We visited majestic landmarks, dined on savory Cajun and Creole cuisine, and listened to soulful music.
We also spent one morning giving back to the children of New Orleans by participating in a special service project supported by the Collette Foundation. The “Collette Foundation” is a 5-year, $2-million dollar investment focused on improving the quality of life of children in our partner communities worldwide. This employee-run, global initiative connects Collette employees, its partners, travelers and communities worldwide toward a common good. The foundation will touch twenty countries, including the United States, Peru, Mexico, Kenya, South Africa, China, Cambodia, Australia, Italy and Ireland.
In New Orleans, the Collette Foundation is active in supporting the regions Backpack Program. Collette Employees are also active with the Second Harvest network in their respective regions Second Harvest Food Bank Backpack Program. The nation's largest charitable hunger relief organization, America's Second Harvest provides America with over 2 billion pounds of food annually. Through its Backpack Program, America's Second Harvest meets the needs of hungry children when other resources, such as free school meals, are not available.
We rolled up our sleeves at the New Orleans School of Cooking where we created our own bread pudding, Cajun boils and learned how to cook New Orleans style with a group of wonderful people.
We enjoyed a leisurely walking tour of New Orleans’ famous French Quarter where we saw the majestic St. Louis Cathedral, one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks. We continued on to the bustling French Marketplace where we explored Pirates Alley, the Cabildo, the Presbytere and the Pontalba. Then it was off to the Toulouse Street Wharf where we climbed aboard the famous Steamboat Natchez, dubbed Natchez IX and operated by the New Orleans Steamboat Company, for a scenic river cruise from the heart of the French Quarter.
We then enjoyed an elegant lunch at the Court of Two Sisters restaurant, where rich history blends soulfully with jazz music. The delicious food is only enhanced by the music provided by a strolling Jazz trio. We also had the opportunity to learn how to peel a local favorite, crawfish!
To celebrate our last culinary stop with Joan we decided to have a Southern Feast starting with my Low Country Crab Cakes with Remoulade Sauce and Corne Maque Choux. Visit the round-up at Foodalogue to see what everyone else came up with for our farewell feast.
I also served up a traditional Red Velvet Cake (the recipe can be found below). Red Velvet Cake is a favorite in the South. The cake is actually a creation from the Waldorf-Astoria. The hotel cake features garden beets for the color, but Southerners sometimes use food coloring to achieve that classic red colour. In some cases, Red Velvet cake is used as the groom’s cake at weddings, birthdays, holidays and at special pot luck dinners (which are a specialty of the South to show off their Southern hospitality they are so famous for). Traditionally, the cake is decorated with flowers like mums. A small clear glass holder is put in the center of the cake to hold flowers, and then flower tops are placed around the plate. Not only does it taste fabulous, it also makes a spectacular show piece. This cake does take some time and effort to make, but it’s well worth it. It’s a real show shopper in all ways!!! What a way to end Joan's Culinary Journey. Thank you Joan!!!
**Lowcountry Crab Cakes**
1 lb Lump Atlantic Blue Crab meat (picked fresh)
2 T sweet onion, minced
3 T fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 T mayonnaise
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper
Dash salt
1 T lemon juice
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 Large eggs, lightly beaten
1 -1/2 C bread crumbs
1/2 stick unsalted butter
Tartar or Remoulade Sauce (recipe follows)
Lemon Wedges
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Lightly toss lump crab meat, onion, parsley, mayonnaise, mustard, pepper, salt, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, eggs and ½ cup bread crumbs. Form to make eight (8) crab cakes. Heat the unsalted butter at medium heat in a large iron skillet. Roll crab cakes in remaining bread crumbs. Place in heated butter and cook until golden brown, turning once to cook the other side. Careful not to burn!
Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve with tartar or remoulade sauce and a lemon wedge.
**Remoulade Sauce**
This is a quick and easy version of a New Orleans favorite.
1 pint mayonnaise
2 T Creole mustard
2 T grated onion
3 T prepared horseradish
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice
1 T white wine
dash Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp hot sauce
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Mix all ingredients well.
Makes 2-1/4 cups sauce.
**Corn Maque Coux (Smothered Corn)**
A spicy Cajun dish of smothered corn and seasonings (pronounced mock shoo)
12 ears fresh corn
2 T vegetable oil
1 T butter
1 large onion, chopped fine
1 medium-sized green pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 T sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp hot sauce
1/2 cup milk
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Scrape off corn kernels into a bowl; scrape milk and remaining pulp from cob with a knife. Combine oil and butter in a large skillet; heat until butter melts. Add the corn, onion, and bell pepper and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, chopped tomatoes, sugar, salt, pepper, hot sauce and cook, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes, or until the corn is tender. Lower the heat if the mixture begins to stick. Add the milk, stir, and remove from heat.
**Red Velvet Cake**
