From Diana Rattray,
Your Guide to Southern Food.
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"First, you make a roux," is the standard opening line for many Louisiana recipes. There's no denying the French heritage in Louisiana cuisine, Cajun cuisine in particular. Because of the scarcity of many things in early Louisiana, the Cajun roux was made with oil and flour and a bisque made without cream, a far cry from the French version of butter, flour, and cream.

According to Mathe Allain from the Center for Louisiana Studies, beef was tough and fibrous before the twentieth century. The French grillade, broiled meat, became beef steak cubes in a rich gravy and served over rice. Chickens were not eaten until past their laying times, thus the tenderizing gumbos and fricassees.

Like the poor Southerners of the nineteenth century, the Cajun diet depended on what was available -- cornbread, molasses, salted meat and beans, and greens in season. Only people living along the coast had seafood, and rice -- now a daily staple -- wasn't introduced until near the end of the nineteenth century. Foods like crawfish, and the popular seasoning mixture of onions, celery, and green peppers were not widely used until the twentieth century, but have fast become a tradition.

Chefs like Paul Prudhomme, John Folse, Justin Wilson, and Emeril Lagasse have certainly played a big part in bringing Louisiana cuisine to all of us through cookbooks, products, and television. Enjoy this wonderful cuisine, whether you're planning a Mardi Gras feast or just want to cook a unique and wonderful American regional dish for your family.

Recipes

Louisiana Chicken
Creole Sauce for Fish or Chicken
How to Make a Roux
Shrimp Creole McGentry
Creole Pork Chops
Chef Johnny's Crawfish Sherry Sauce
Banana Crepes
Shrimp Fritters
Creole Roast Leg of Lamb
Candy's Louisiana Banana Bread
Cajun Cake
Mitzi's Cajun Cake
Cajun Dirty Rice
Crawfish Etouffee
Scallops Creole with Rice
Louisiana Crunch Cake
Microwave Shrimp Barbecue
Pain Perdu (Lost Bread)
Sue's Grits and Grillades
Crawfish Pie
Shrimp and Grits
Squash Acadien
Cajun Chicken Pasta
Seafood Creole
Creole Pizza with Shrimp
Cajun Shrimp with Pasta
Cajun-Style Chicken Croquettes
Spicy Cajun Chicken Strips
Cajun Beer Batter Fish Nuggets
Aunt Marian's Cajun Bread Pudding
Creole Eggs
Creole Chicken Recipe, Crockpot
Ham and Yam Louisiane
Banana Fritters with Cinnamon Sauce

Related:
Gumbo Recipes
Jambalaya Recipes
Red Beans & Rice
King Cake
Beignets, Fritters, Calas
Oysters
Shrimp Recipes
Louisiana Cookbooks