Dina's Creole Table

1.  Everything is spicy Who in the world started this myth that what native Louisianans eat is hot or super-spicy?  Although some of us do like to have a little “kick” of spice added to our dishes, most of us would agree that we definitely prefer to eat well seasoned food.   Good seasoning (and the right measurement of it) is key in creating great dishes.  Seasoning includes not only salt, pepper, fresh or dried herbs, but also onions, bell peppers, garlic and occasionally celery. 2 .  All of our meat and seafood is blackened Blackened is a cooking technique used for specific dishes.  It always makes me laugh when I visit Louisiana Cajun-style or Creole-style restaurants (outside of Louisiana) that are owned and operated by people that are not from Louisiana or do not have any Louisiana ties.   Usually, the first thing that I see on the menu is Blackened Catfish or Blackened Chicken.  Most of the ...

What’s the difference between Creole and Cajun cooking?  Well, there are several differences, but first let’s begin with understanding who Creole and Cajuns are.   Louisiana Creole people have a mixture of various cultures including African, Caribbean, American Indian and whites that were from France or Spain. Creoles settled across Louisiana. Large Creole populations included areas surrounding New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette and Natchitoches.   In the 1700’s, white French-Canadian Catholics left Canada due to religious persecution and they immigrated to a portion of south-central Louisiana called Acadiana.   The Cajun name is broken French for the Acadiana pronunciation.   The Acadiana area is considered more rural than urban.    Louisiana Creole cooking can include both country and city influence.    Creole cooking tends to include more spices which were brought to Louisiana by both slave and freed African and...