Let's Dish - February 2025

If you've talked to me in the library, you know that I am a huge fan of movies and TV. Something else I'm very passionate about (and need to make an excuse to do more) is cooking & baking. I love trying new foods and recipes and sharing that with loved ones. With this blog series, you get to come along for the ride. So, let's dish!

This month I decided to go with a New Orleans based cookbook. My brother made a trip to the city at the end of January, so it felt appropriate. I found Cooking for the Culture by browsing our catalog and was impressed looking through the book. There are great pictures of the recipes and a lot of great stories of the author/chef throughout. It's split up into six chapters: Breakfast and Brunch, Sandwiches and Light Meals, Mains, Sides and Soup, and Sweets and Sips. Each chapter starts with a story from Toya's life in New Orleans and each recipe with something brief about what that particular recipe means to her. The book is filled with plenty of food that you'd automatically think of when thinking of New Orleans.

I made the Fried Shrimp & Rockafella Cream and the cornbread. I love cornbread, but have never made it myself. For some reason, I convinced myself it was more intimidating than it really is. The recipe is definitely a great basic cornbread and I'm excited to start with that and work on finding different add-ins to dress it up. Although, the base recipe with a bit of butter and honey is great.

I don't cook a ton of seafood at home, so with it being a large part of New Orleans food culture, this seemed like a great opportunity. The fried shrimp is easy, just a bit time consuming with the amount (2 lbs!). It had a nice kick to it thanks to the Cajun seasoning, but not overly spicy (you could probably add additional cayenne to the flour and cornmeal mixture. Or maybe even some of your favorite hot sauce to the egg and buttermilk mixture.

I also loved the mix of the crispy breading of the shrimp and the creaminess of the sauce. The sauce also had a nice kick. It's easy to make it more or less spicy with the amount of red pepper flakes. Since I had a decent amount of shrimp leftover, I made my own version of shrimp on a bun (another recipe in the book). I used Hawaiian slider buns, mayo, mustard, and hot sauce. Pickles are also a great addition, like in Toya's recipe.

Another thing I appreciated about the book was the celebration of Black food culture. Throughout the book, there are breaks explaining why certain ingredients are used. One is after the Fried Chicken and Watermelon Jam Sandwich. It explains why watermelon is associated with Black culture (along with friend chicken) and the ways it has been used to mock since emancipation. It also explains that the use of a slice of watermelon on the cover as a way to take back the things used to mock.

Before getting into the mains, there's an explanation of Creole and Cajun. Creole people are a blend of African, French, and Spanish. The food comes from recipes passed down generations by slaves, cooked with the rations they were given and making the best of what was then viewed as lesser ingredients. Cajun people from the Acadian region of Canada, originally French colonists. Their food often came from the wild of land and water, stuff that would often have "gamey" taste. Their seasonings tend to be heavier and spicier to try and mask that flavor some.

There is also an explanation of "the holy trinity" (onions, celery, and peppers). It's similar to a French mirepoix, using peppers instead of carrot. Both are used as a base of their meals. Think of how many soups we cook that start with at least onion and celery! Also, roux. A base for so much of southern cooking. I'm sure most of us are familiar with a butter roux, but it can be made with other fats (1 part flour, 1 part fat). There are also different levels. I personally have not attempted anything past a "blonde" roux (the lightest). And there are a couple different styles of stirring the roux.

Overall, this probably isn't for the novice home cook, but a lot of the recipes are easy. Like with the shrimp, allow plenty of time. While each shrimp only takes about 4 minutes to cook, you'll have to cook in batches to avoid over crowding. It's a great insight into NOLA culture and food and I definitely plan on trying some of the other recipes!