THE BIG EASY

As a foodie, I’ve always been curious about New Orleans’ culinary climate.  Also called The Big Easy, its history, charm and European flair makes New Orleans a mecca for travelers with a taste for history, music, Mardi Gras and of course: food.  The Big Easy is a slang reportedly originated from a jazz club called The Big Easy dating back to the early 20^th century.  Prior to that, New Orleans was known as Crescent City. 

No place else in the world does Mardi Gras like New Orleans.  It is huge, flamboyant, wild and just an all around blast!  If you’re willing to do just about anything to catch those dumb beads, then this is the place for you.  New Orleans is also the home of jazz and blues music.  You can step inside any of the clubs around the French Quarter and listen to all of the music for free.




Famous French Quarter

 If you’re watching your weight, it can be quite a challenge. New Orleans has 21 national historic districts with a great restaurant in every one of them.  It's the home of Cajun and Creole cooking. Today's Cajuns are the descendants of 1,600 French Acadians whom the British forced from their Nova Scotian homeland in 1785. The local Indians transmuted the word Acadians  to Cagians  and, eventually, to Cajuns . Many confuse Cajun cooking with Creole cooking but though there are many points of similarity, there are also distinct differences. Cajun cooking, a combination of French and Southern cuisines, is robust, country-style cookery that uses a dark Roux and plenty of animal (usually pork) fat. Creole cooking places its emphasis on butter and cream. Some maintain that Creole cooking uses more tomatoes and the Cajuns more spices. Both cuisines make generous use of File Powder and the culinary "holy trinity" of chopped green peppers, onions and celery. Two of the more traditional Cajun dishes include Jambalaya and coush-coush (a thick cornmeal breakfast dish).

This is just a brief overview of Cajun and Creole Cooking.  I’d like to dedicate this post to Beignet (Bey-ney), a type of pastry that can be described as a cross between French pastry and an American doughnut.  These are golden squares dusted with confectioners' sugar best served with coffee.  If you’re at the French Quarter and notice a long line of people, I can almost guarantee that you’re at Café du Monde, located at Jackson Square in the French Quarter.  No visit to New Orleans is complete without stopping by this restaurant to savor their coffee and Beignets.  I tell you this place is making a killing!  I was there early in the morning and the lines were already very long and the place packed!  Surprisingly, the lines went pretty fast, probably because they only serve Beignets and coffee and there was plenty of wait staff. 

Bourbon St. Restaurant

As a pastry lover, I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into those delectable, golden-brown squares!  Because of the confectioners’ sugar, I found them quite messy to eat, however, but I must admit they are worth the wait and the mess!

When I got back home to Houston, I thought of making my own version of the Beignets and guess what?  I tweaked the ingredients a little bit and they tasted like Pan de Sal.  Pan de Sal is the classic Filipino dinner rolls, of Portuguese origin.  It means salted bread but it’s actually sweeter than salty.   Below is the recipe for my version of the Beignet, I fondly call Pan de Banio, a cross between the Filipino Pan de Sal and the French Beignet.  The Pan de Banio has all the basic ingredients of the Pan de Sal and the Beignet, the only difference is that they are baked instead of fried; and the confectioners' sugar has been eliminated.

Pan de Banio

½ cup water

1 tbsp. yeast

¼ cup shortening

½ cup sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 cup boiling water

1 cup evaporated milk

3 eggs, beaten (reserve one egg for brushing the top of the dough)

7-1/2 cups flour

Beignets




Pan de Banio


1.        Pour 1/2 cup room temperature water into a small bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let stand for about 5 minutes to dissolve.

2.        Combine the shortening, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Pour the boiling water over the shortening mixture and then stir in the evaporated milk. Wait for the mixture to cool down until it is lukewarm. Then, add the yeast and water mixture and beaten eggs.

3.        Slowly mix in the flour until the dough forms a ball. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

4.       Roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 1-inch squares.   Brush the top with egg white.  Bake in 375 degree oven until golden brown.

EAT, LAUGH, LOVE!