Jasmyne Tea

Cajun Cabin, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

You learn a lot about your partner when you go on holiday together. Our trip to America was our first holiday together in the 4 years we'd been an item, and arguably it was the longest amount of time we'd continuously spent together.

The Mississippi River

I learned that Stephen likes to go to bed early and wake up at the crack of dawn when on holiday. On the other hand, I prefer to stay out late and check out the local night-life, then wake up just in time for brunch.

St Louis Cathedral

I learned not to EVER follow Stephen's directions, and to bring a map.

Jackson Square

Stephen learned that I get really frustrated and verbally abusive towards pedestrians who stop in the middle of the footpath unexpectedly to take a photo or look at a map, making me walk into them. I learned that Stephen is one of those pedestrians.

The Cabildo

I discovered that Stephen has a gentlemanly habit of slowing down his walking pace for me (he has loooooong legs and it's hard for him to walk at a normal human pace).

The Natchez, last paddleboat on the Mississippi

I also learned that Stephen is able to keep a cool head in tense situations, like the time we were almost robbed by the river (that was crazy).

Bourbon Street

And finally, we both learned that we have a similar passion for trying food that is traditional and authentic to an area. In the interest of trying some traditional Cajun dishes, we decided to have dinner at Cajun Cabin.

Cajun Cabin is located on Bourbon Street, a prime location. It has a huge bar to the side with an amazing array of alcohol, and two false trees right in the middle of the restaurant, seemingly growing from the wooden floor. We were seated promptly as it was early and not so busy, then went to work ordering.

Chicken & Sausage Gumbo (Cup) - $5.95

I REALLY REALLY wanted to try a good Gumbo while I was in the South, and this cup fit the bill. A strong, flavoursome stock was thickened with roux and simmered down with small chunks of tender chicken and andouille sausage. It was served with a spoon-full of white rice, and crackers on the side.

Fried Green Tomato Remoulade - $7.95

Another New Orleans classic; succulent, chilled prawns were smothered in a red remoulade sauce redolent with paprika and pickles, and were served on top of battered and fried green tomatoes.

The Gator - $12.95

Stephen's Gator burger contained a mildly spicy, gamey aligator meat patty topped with pickles and served on a slightly chewy bun. The fries were a little overdone, but we liked them that way - the crispier the better!

Beef Brisket Sandwich - $12.95

My burger was piled high with tender, juicy beef brisket smothered in smokey barbeque sauce. It was served with tomato, lettuce and pickles on a squashy sesame seed bun, and with a generous serve of crispy fries.

By this time we were too full for dessert, so we waddled off to explore the wonder that is Bourbon Street at night. If we ever come back to New Orleans (and I really hope we do!), I'll be coming back for the gumbo.

Cajun Cabin

503 Bourbon Street
New Orleans, Louisina
70130

Phone: 504-529-4256

Crossroads at House of Blues, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

There were two main reasons for why I wanted to go to New Orleans: the food and the music, and man, there was plenty of both. Every third store in the French Quarter was a restaurant, and music could be found on every street corner, from a jazz trio busking on Bourbon Street, to a string quintet on Royal Street, and even the New Orleans Navy Band at the French Markets:

 

House of Blues is also a famous music destination. A chain of live music halls and restaurants, the first House of Blues was opened in Massachusetts by James Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Paul Shaffer, River Phoenix and Aerosmith, amongst other backers. The branch in New Orleans is well known for their Gospel brunches every Sunday, as well as hosting well known bands like Machine Head and Flogging Molly. House of Blues also supports local comedy of a Thursday, and a Thursday was when we had come to visit.

We walked down the little alley-way to the Crossroads restaurant, where we were expediently seated. Menus were given, specials were recited and then we were left to decide. We were particularly excited to find that the menu had been designed by Aaron Sanchez, Executive Chef of Centrico, whom I knew of from Iron Chef America.

Our waitress came back to ask for our drink orders. I found it funny that even though I'm barely of legal drinking age over there, I didn't get asked for ID (although this was the case everywhere we went in New Orleans). I went with her recommendation, while Stephen ordered a white Zinfandel, a type of blush wine particular to California.

Rum Runner - US$11.99

This drink was a sweet and fruity concoction which I ordered on the waitress' recommendation. Light and dark rums were combined with various fruit juices and liquers and served in a hurricane glass over ice.

Beringer White Zinfandel - $6.00

Stephen's white Zinfandel was sweet and had subtle notes of pepper and anise. It went wonderfully with what we ordered.

Pulled Pork Sliders - US$9.99

These sliders were simple, but executed brilliantly. The pork was slow cooked in a sweet, tomato based sauce until fall-apart soft, and the potato-based buns were lovely and cushiony, perfect for wiping up any stray sauce.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken - US$17.99

A massive portion of fried chicken made its way over to Stephen, and he was a very happy camper. At least half a bird was on his plate, fried in a buttermilk batter until the coating was deliciously crunchy and the flesh was succulent and tender. Four ice-cream scoops of mashed potato divided the plate, with bits of crispy bacon, chives and cheese sprinkled over them, and a small dish of coleslaw provided a little refreshment from all of the cholesterol-raising goodness - except it was covered in mayo.

Juicy Lucy Burger - US$13.99

Although there was an option to build our own burger, I went for the Juicy Lucy. The bun was lightly toasted and still a bit squishy in the middle, and the beef patty was accurately named - it was so tasty and juicy. Jack cheese was melted on top, and battered and fried jalapenos spiced things up a bit. The chips ("fries") were crunchy and crispy and sent me to my happy place, and three different types of sauce were provided for a bit of flavour.

Seasonal Vegetables - US$2.99

I tried to remain at least partially virtuous by ordering the seasonal vegetables, which came out in a small dish - smothered in butter. Still, the beans and the asparagus were perfectly cooked, and I happily crunched away on them.

Bourbon Bread Pudding - US$5.99

This here was the bread pudding to rule all bread puddings. It was sweet, it was a perfect consistency, not too heavy, and the bourbon lifted the flavour to greater heights. The squirt of whipped cream was a bit sad, but all in all we were very happy to share this dessert.

We finished our night with the free local stand-up comedy show they had on, then retired to our hotel. All in all our trip to Crossroads at House of Blues was a success, and I would definitely recommend a visit to anyone checking out the French Quarter.

Crossroads at House of Blues

225 Decatur Street
New Orleans, LA
United States, 70130

Phone: (504) 310-4999

http://www.houseofblues.com/venues/clubvenues/neworleans/

Cafe Du Monde & The French Markets, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

In the short time I was there, the French Quarter of New Orleans became one of my favourite places in the world. Located in the South-East of Louisiana along the Mississippi River, the French Quarter has a wonderfully rich cultural diversity that is steeped in history.

New Orleans was founded by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville of the French Mississippi Company in 1718 and named for Phillipe d'Orleans, Duke of Orleans. This French colony was then given to Spain as part of the Treaty of Paris in 1763, then was taken back by France in 1801. Napoleon sold New Orleans to the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, which led to an influx of American, French, Creole, Irish, German, Haitian and African immigration, both voluntary and involuntary. This melting pot of cultures has made the architecture, cuisine and even the language and diction of New Orleans unique.

New Orleans is a city defined by the hardships they endure. In 2005 Hurricane Katrina tore a devestating path through the city when the federal flood protection system failed. 80% of the city was left flooded, and many citizens took shelter in the Louisiana Superdome and the New Orleans Morial Convention Centre, but these shelters had little food and less water, and over 1500 people died - some are still unaccounted for. Despite this and other natural disasters, both long past and recent, New Orleans is still a city bustling with life and energy - a city that prides itself on it's ability to bounce back and recover again and again.

When Stephen and I visited, we were lucky enough to be staying right on Royal Street, in the heart of the French Quarter. I knew for certain I wanted to check out the famous French Markets, but Stephen wanted breakfast first, so we stopped by Cafe Du Monde nearby.

Cafe Du Monde is an institution by its own right. It opened in 1862 on Decatur Street, and for over a century has been supplying New Orleans with beignets and cafe au lait.

The dining room is scattered with photos of the cafe in all its previous incarnations, and the staff all wear little paper hats and bowties straight out of the 50's. The menu is very limited; in the way of food, only beignets are sold, and there are only a few different kinds of coffee. We ordered, and our server joined a line of other servers in a canteen-like fashion to pick up our coffee.

Cafe Au Lait - US$2.42

Cafe Du Monde is famous for cafe au lait, which is served in a way unique to New Orleans: the coffee is spiked with chicory and the milk is scalded. Its bitter flavour is iconic to this cafe, and is a great foil for the sweetness of the beignets.

Iced Cafe Au Lait US$3.87

The iced version is like a cafe au lait slushy, and comes in a more generous size. I, personally, prefer the original - everytime I took a sip of the iced coffee I kept expecting something sweet.

Beignets - US$2.42

The beignets were deep-fried square pillows of choux pastry, with a deliciously crispy outer, yet fluffy on the inside. Mountains of icing sugar topped them - apparently it's customary for first timers to blow the icing sugar off the top and make a wish, but we refrained.

So much icing sugar!

We moved on further down Decatur Street to the French Markets. Established in 1791, it's 6 blocks full of enclosed and outdoor shopping (which of course I took full advantage of), but there's about a block of food stalls that we were really interested in, and we found it to be a great introduction to the cuisine of New Orleans.

Muffuletta is the signature sandwich of New Orleans. It's made with a large, round loaf of bread similar to a foccacia in texture, and almost always consists of olive spread, provolone, ham, pepperoni, coppa and salami.

Hot Chocolate - $3.00

We tried a spiced hot chocolate, which was warm with notes of cinnamon and chilli and perfect for the icy weather we were having.

Egg Nog - $3.00

I had never tried egg nog before, and was quite keen. Beneath the cinnamon, nutmeg and custard flavours I was surprised to taste a trace of rum - I had forgotten that it was legal (and even normal practise - my ID wasn't even asked for) to drink in public.

6" Pulled Pork Po' Boy - US$8.00

A Po' Boy is a type of sandwich made with New Orleans French bread. We were sampling lot of dishes, so we ordered a 6" or a "shorty" between us. The pulled pork was soft and tender, cooked in a sweet and mildly spicy sauce until it fell apart. It was served with sharp green tomatoes and salty pickles.

Dirty Banana - US$8.00

In another display of public drinking, we went to The Organic Banana stand and ordered a cocktail. This icy concoction of fresh banana, amaretto, coffee liqueur and chocolate syrup was sweet and fresh, a great way to end a marathon of eating.

New Orleans was extraordinary. The atmosphere was fun and carefree, the shopping excellent and the food even better. There were many more places we visited, but I found the French Markets and Cafe Du Monde to be quintessential experiences of the French Quarter.

French Market District

On Decatur Street
Between St Peters Street & Barracks Street

http://www.frenchmarket.org