Stacey Meyer - New Orleans Kitchens: Recipes from the Big Easys Best Restaurants

New Orleans is known as The Crescent City. Shaped like a crescent and nestled on the banks of the Mississippi River, it was originally settled by the Spanish and French, and their influence is still reflected today in its culture, cuisine, and architecture. Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, people from France, Italy, Ireland and Germany, and more recently Vietnam, emigrated to the city, each bringing with them their unique heritage and traditions. In many ways, New Orleans is the melting pot of the South. It is a city that has a rich history and its diversity is reflected in its music, cuisine, arts, and architecture. As a port city, people of all walks of life flowed in and out of the community. Historically, the South was mainly rural with just a few cosmopolitan cities. New Orleans, Charleston and Savannah were the centers for arts and culture, but New Orleans had more of a Bohemian quality. New Orleans has always been considered the true southern mecca for musicians, writers, and artists. Its sultry and romantic atmosphere beckons quirky characters drawn to its allures. Artists draw inspiration from its landscape, architecture and people, while chefs draw inspiration from its unique and diverse cuisine and natural bounty of seafood or produce. Artists, musicians, writers, and chefs are all stimulated by the sense of community in New Orleans and are inspired by each other.

Southerners and Northerners alike flock to New Orleans for its music festivals; the Jazz and Heritage Festival being the main draw. Music is an inherent part of the citys soul with its gospel brunches and jazz funerals. In the spring, just before Mardi Gras, you can hear the high school brass bands practicing before performing in the parades. Walking through the French Quarter, trumpets and saxophones resonate in the street. New Orleans is famous for jazz and blues, but all forms of music can be found emanating from its many clubs and bars. There are endless venues for music, including such iconic establishments as Tipitinas and the Maple Leaf. Like everything else in New Orleans, its music has its own unique style and rhythm.

The cuisine of New Orleans is unlike anywhere else in the world. It is deeply rooted in the diverse heritage of the city. Jambalaya, for example, is a rice dish made with shrimp, chicken, and sausage, reminiscent of its Spanish culinary cousin paella. While gumbo is heavily influenced by the citys West African heritage, other famous dishes such as beignets and Trout Meunire Amandine come from France. With so many cultures converging in one spot, it is no wonder the food is as diverse and unique as it is delectable. Another key factor to the citys famous foods is the resources New Orleans and southern Louisiana have available. The Gulf of Mexico provides shrimp, blue crabs, and an endless list of fish. Louisiana cultivates more oysters than anywhere else in the country. The more exotic ingredients like alligator, crawfish, and frogs legs are also cultivated throughout southern Louisiana. This state is also known as sportsmans paradise, where hunting and fishing are not just sports, but ways of life passed down through generations. There are innumerable cookbooks published in Louisiana dedicated to wild game that provide recipes for ducks, doves, venison, rabbits, squirrel, and possum. Fruit trees are grown in gardens and backyards throughout New Orleans. Pecan trees grow throughout the state, and rice and sugar cane are agricultural staples.

Louisiana natives love these heritage foods and the chefs of New Orleans prominently showcase them in their restaurants. New Orleanians love to eat, cook, and talk about food. It is an integral part of the citys culture.