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    Secrets of Darkwood Kitchen. Spirited NOLA Recipes that will Sweep you Away...
    Secrets of Darkwood Kitchen. Spirited NOLA Recipes that will Sweep you Away...
    Secrets of Darkwood Kitchen. Spirited NOLA Recipes that will Sweep you Away...
    Ebook199 pages1 hour

    Secrets of Darkwood Kitchen. Spirited NOLA Recipes that will Sweep you Away...

    By Kira Saito

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    About this ebook

    Feeling spiritless? Need to be swept away to a gorgeous antebellum plantation full of mystery, delicious food, history and a cast of colorful characters? The Darkwood cook book, based on the Arelia LaRue series, is the cure.
    Filled with 75 mouthwatering New Orleans recipes from the series, it's the perfect summer time cook book. Explore how the humble rice cala helped free slaves, learn how to make the perfect batch of rum pralines, check out how Louis Armstrong cooked his red beans and rice, learn the history behind the famous Po' Boy sandwiches, mix together your very own Hurricane, cook up a batch of Hushpuppies and much more!

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherKira Saito
    Release dateJun 8, 2015
    ISBN9781311348494
    Secrets of Darkwood Kitchen. Spirited NOLA Recipes that will Sweep you Away...
    Author

    Kira Saito

    Kira is a magic junkie and loves writing YA paranormal romances. Some of her heroes include: Jack the Pumpkin King, Willy Wonka, Larry David, Princess Tiana, the vampire Lestat, Andy and her Maltese Costanza.

    Read more from Kira Saito

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      Book preview

      Secrets of Darkwood Kitchen. Spirited NOLA Recipes that will Sweep you Away... - Kira Saito

      Creole Versus Cajun Cooking

      Although Louisiana cuisine is a big pot of scrumptious gumbo, Creole and Cajun dishes do have their differences. Creole food can be best described as city food while Cajun food is known as country food. Creole food originally has French origins but is heavily influenced from all the different cultures that originally colonized the city. Spaniards brought the bell peppers that, along with onions and celery, compose the holy trinity, Creole's version of a mirepoix, the flavor base of so many dishes. Sicilians introduced canned tomatoes, commonly used in Creole sauces. Filé (ground sassafras leaves), an earthy gumbo thickener, comes from Native Americans; okra is African, while spicy cayenne is Caribbean (Saveur).

      Cajun food is French based but takes a more rustic approach to cooking. A majority of its dishes are hearty one pot dishes that include ingredients such as pork, corn and wild game. Perhaps, the biggest difference between Cajun and Creole food is in the roux (sauce thickener). Creole roux is lighter than Cajun roux and is butter based rather than lard or oil based. Cajun gumbos tend to be darker and thicker than the Creole version of the dish.

      Seasoning and Spices

      You like cooking, don’t you, Arelia? she asked.

      How did she know? It was an embarrassing hobby of mine. I guess that’s why I always ended up working in restaurants and hotel kitchens, so I could be close to all that amazing New Orleans food. It was just something about the way flavors and scents blended together that drove me crazy. I was really big on smells, fanatical actually.

      Punished- Arelia Larue

      The smells, textures and flavors that compose Creole and Cajun cuisine are unlike any other. Savory, smoky, spicy and sweet ingredients blend together to create unforgettable dishes. Contrary to popular misconception, spice and seasoning are not the same. Spice can be best defined as the dry ingredients which lend flavor to a dish while seasoning refers to meats and vegetables used to flavor a dish. Typically, the spices that are used to flavor Cajun and Creole dishes are the same and ingredients can be adjusted according to your desired level of spice and salt. The Creole/Cajun spice recipe in this book can be used in any dish that requires the Cajun or Creole spice.

      Papa Ghede’s Banda Beat Blast (Creole/Cajun Spice)

      My only explanation for what happened next was that the combination of peppers and rum must have made me completely delusional. The sound of savage drums filled the air. Their rhythm mesmerized me and shook me to my very core. Soon, against my will or desire, my feet started to move.

      Arelia - Punished

      This version of Creole/Cajun spice is a bit spicier than most while omitting the extra saltiness that many store brands carry.

      Yields about 3/4 cup.

      •

      2 tablespoons paprika

      •

      1 1/2 tablespoons salt

      •

      2 tablespoons onion powder

      •

      2 tablespoons garlic powder

      •

      3 tablespoons cayenne pepper

      •

      1 tablespoon dried oregano

      •

      1 tablespoon black pepper

      •

      1 tablespoon dried thyme

      Combine ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

      Papa Ghede’s Tip: If you prefer less spice, cut the amount of cayenne pepper in half and add double the paprika. If you prefer extra salt, double the amount of salt. Have fun experimenting with different ingredient ratios. There isn’t a right or wrong way to create your own Creole/Cajun spice mix. At Darkwood, we prefer things with a little extra pepper.

      Sammie’s Homemade Gumbo Spice

      So defensive, muttered Sammie, as he stirred something inside the cauldron with a wooden stick.

      What is that? I asked, as I peered inside. It smells really good.

      Shrimp gumbo, my specialty, he advised.

      I was skeptical. You can cook? But you’re a bird.

      Sammie shook his head. Can you cook, Arelia?

      Yes. I kind of can.

      Then why can’t I? he asked.

      I shrugged. I’ve never seen a canary cook before, that’s all.

      Arelia and Sammie a.k.a Gran Ibo’s yellow canary- Punished

      What gives gumbo that magical touch that transforms a runny bowl of soup into a thick, rich pot of stew? Normally, okra is used to thicken a pot of gumbo however it is a seasonal vegetable and not always readily available (fresh). File powder (dried and ground sassafras leaves) can be used in place of okra. The use of file (dried and ground sassafras leaves) was a contribution of the Choctaws and, possibly, other local tribes (Southernfoodways.org).

      Yields about 3/4 cup

      •

      4 Tablespoons file powder (available in most large grocery stores)

      •

      2 Tablespoons cayenne pepper

      •

      2 Tablespoons paprika

      •

      2 Tablespoons fresh thyme

      •

      2 Tablespoons white pepper

      •

      2 Tablespoons black pepper

      Combine ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

      The Holy Trinity (Wit or Wit-Out Da Pope)

      The Holy Trinity is named after Louisiana’s traditional Catholic roots however the cooking technique is based on the French method of mirepoix which is the basis of many French dishes. The traditional Mirepoix contains onions, celery and carrots, and in a ratio of 2 parts onions, 1 part celery and 1 part carrots, and it is used in the making of stocks, soups, sauces, and stews. Onions, celery and carrots in this combination are aromatic vegetables and also known as the Holy Trinity of French cooking since they are the cornerstone ingredients of the cuisine (http://cajunchefryan.rymocs.com/). In Cajun and Creole cooking, The Holy Trinity is the essential base to gumbo, etouffee, jambalaya, crab soup, oyster artichoke soup, red beans and rice and a variety of other dishes. The Holy Trinity of Cajun and Creole cooking consists of onions, celery and green bell peppers in a ratio of 1:1:1. Some chefs prefer to add garlic (Wit da Pope).

      Cecile’s Wondrous Holy Trinity

      We stepped inside of an empty St. Louis Cathedral. I felt a sense of wonder wash over me as it always did when I was inside the beautiful church. With its stained-glass windows, lavish altars that were always full of fresh flowers and blazing candles, extravagant murals that covered the ceiling and walls, it was the very heart of the city. Almost everyone in New Orleans was baptized here, including slaves, free people, and countless Queens.

      Cecile – Oppressed

      Yields about 2 cups

      •

      1 large green bell pepper

      •

      1 large white onion

      •

      4 sticks celery (large)

      •

      Wit da Pope add: 4-6 cloves of garlic

      Finely chop all ingredients (a food processor can also be used to pulse the veggies). Store excess in an air-tight container until ready to use (in the refrigerator). Darkwood chefs prefer their Holy Trinity wit da Pope. Cecile’s Trinity Tip: Feeling spiritless? Add a spring of fresh thyme to shake up the trinity.

      Darkwood’s Secret Roux

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