This is a dish made in New Orleans. An étouffée starts with crawfish that are finely chopped vegetables such as onion, celery, and bell pepper. A stock or water is added, the ingredients are simmered, then some sort of thickener such as cornstarch is added to make a sauce with the consistency of a thick…
Filé is dried, ground Sassafras leaves. It is used as a thickening agent that adds flavour at the same time. Filé is used in Cajun cooking, in particular in making gumbo. That being said, it’s important to note that there are roughly two main types of gumbo: one which uses okra, and the other which…
Herbsaint Liqueur is an anise-flavoured American-made version of pastis. It is made in New Orleans by Legendre Distilleries. It is a clear greenish-amber colour that you can see through, though it turns cloudy in water. It is not as sweet as Pernod. It is made by the Sazerac company. The company officially refers to it…
Nectar Syrup is made and used in New Orleans. It has an almond-cherry flavour or almond-vanilla flavour. Some people taste one, some the other. Some find the taste reminiscent of the syrup in a jar of North American maraschino cherries. You can buy it in bottles in New Orleans, or make it yourself. Nectar Syrup…
A Ping Pong is a beverage, but the term is used to refer to two different ones: a non-alcoholic drink, and a cocktail. The two drinks are related only by their colour (and their name.) Though the non-alcoholic one can be transformed into an alcoholic one, its taste will be completely different from the classic…
A Sazerac cocktail is an alcoholic beverage made with Peychaud’s bitters, American rye whiskey and Herbsaint, with a twist of lemon. Some modern variations use bourbon instead. Purists insist that the lemon twist should be on the side of the glass and that the twist should never ever actually touch the drink directly. Before starting…