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 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 dripping in the pan, then
add the beans and prepare to have them simmer all day once they’ve been brought
to a boil. 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. You
also serve the beans over rice and don’t 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. Sometimes it is
better to wonder in ignorance than to like something and discover the truth. 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. I think I was most dismayed to discover that I was eating
turtle soup one day. It was actually quite delicious (though I’m not sure if I
was more pleased with the soup or the sherry, which is a common add in for
turtle soup, that I found more pleasing) until I discovered what it was. From
that point on I was afraid to try anything that looked remotely different from
what I was accustomed to eating without first wanting all the details of what
was in it. I missed out on a few great dishes I am quite certain and have
learned my lesson to some degree. But cooking Cajun food is part science, part
art and very important to take the Mardi Gras atmosphere away from the Big
easy. Good luck and “let the good times roll.”
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