Terms and Definitions
lynnescountrykitchen.net
You are probably asking "What is the difference between Cajun and Creole food?" It is a question that is frequently asked. Generally, Cajun cooking is country cooking and tends to be more robust and hot-peppered flavored. The Cajun uses a variety of sausages, duck, chicken, and pork as well as many varieties of seafood. Crawfish Bisque and Crawfish Etoufee, Sauce Piquant and Andouille Gumbo are examples of Cajun cooking.
Creole food is much spicier than Cajun food, because herbs and spices were hard to come by in the country. Cajun food is, however, much hotter.
ANDOUILLE (ahn-doo-ee) - Plump, spicy country sausage used in Red Beans and Rice and other Creole foodBEIGNET (bin-yay) - A sweet doughnut, but square shaped and minus the hole. Sprinkled with powdered sugar
BOUDIN (boo-dan) - Hot, spicy ground pork mixed with onions, cooked rice, herbs and stuffed in sausage casing
CAFÉ AU LAIT (caf-ay-oh-lay) - Coffee with milk, usually a half-and-half mixture of hot coffee and hot milk
CAFÉ BRULOT (caf-ay-broo-loh) - This after dinner brew is a blend of hot coffee, spices, orange peel and liqueurs. It is blended in a chafing dish, ignited and served in special cups
CAJUN (cay-jun) - Slang for Acadian, the term for the French speaking people who migrated to South Louisiana from Nova Scotia in the 18th century. The term now applies to the people, the culture and the cooking
CHICORY (chick-ory) - An herb, the roots of which are dried, ground, roasted and used to flavor coffee
COURT BOUILLON (coo-boo-yon) - A rich, spicy soup or stew, made with fish fillets, tomatoes, onions and sometimes mixed with vegetables
CRAWFISH - Sometimes spelled "crayfish" but always pronounced crawfish. The resemble little lobsters, and are known as "mudbugs", because they live in the mud of freshwater streams. Served in a variety of ways, including simply boiling them.
CREOLE (cree-ole) - The word originally described those people of mixed French and Spanish blood who were born in South Louisiana. It refers to now as a cuisine and style of architecture
DIRTY RICE - Pan-fried leftover cooked rice sautéed with green peppers, onion, celery, sausage and giblets
DRESSED - Sandwiches made with lettuce, tomatoes and the "works"
ETOUFEE (ay-too-fay) - A tangy tomato based sauce. Crawfish Etouffee and Shrimp Etouffee are New Orleans specialities
FILÉ (fee-lay) - Ground sassafrass leaves used to season, among other things Gumbo
GRILLADES (gree-yads) - Squares of broiled beef or veal. Grillades and grits is a popular local breakfast
GRITS - Coarsely ground hominy grain. Somewhat similar in appearance to mashed potatoes, but the taste is closer to corn
GUMBO - A thick soup with thousands of variations, only a few of which are Shrimp Gumbo, Chicken Gumbo, Okra Gumbo and Filé Gumbo
JAMBALAYA (jum-bo-lie-yah) - Just about everything goes into this dish. Tomatoes and cooked rice, plus ham, shrimp, chicken, celery, onions and a whole shelf full of seasonings
MIRLITON - A hard-shelled vegetable pear with edible innards, it is cooked like squash and stuffed with either ham or shrimp and spicy dressing
MUFFULETTA - A sandwich, with a combination of Italian meats, cheeses and olive salad stuffed inside a plate-sized loaf of tasty Italian bread
PLANTAIN - A sort of vegetable-banana side dish. It is prepared like candied yams, or simmered in sherry, and is delicious as a meat accompaniment
PO-BOY - A sandwich extravaganza! Some people say it began as a 5 cent lunch for poor boys. There are fried Oyter Po-Boys, Roast Beef and Gravy Po-Boys, Fried Shrimp Po-Boys, and Soft-Shell Crab Po-Boys, all served on crispy-crusted French bread
PRALINE (praw-leen) - This New Orleans tradition is a candy patty, the essential ingredients of which are sugar, butter, water and pecans. There are many variations of this theme in French Quarter candy and gift shops
RED BEANS AND RICE - Kidney beans mixed with rice, seasonings, spices and chunks of sausage. This is one of the staples of New Orleans cooking, and is traditionally eaten on Monday
ROUX - The basis of many Creole and Cajun dishes. See Making Roux