Lagniappe (pronounced lan yep or lan yap)
“Lagniappe” derives from New World Spanish la napa, “the gift,” and ultimately from Quechua yapay, “to give more.” The word came into the rich Creole dialect mixture of New Orleans and there acquired a French spelling. It is still used in the Gulf states, especially southern Louisiana, to denote a little bonus that a friendly shopkeeper might add to a purchase. By extension, it may mean “an extra or unexpected gift or benefit.
AREA MAPS
French Quarter Map
Downtown Map
Magazine Street MAP
LOCAL RECIPES
SEAFOOD FETTUCINI from Red Fish Grill – Serves 1
8 Mussels
3 oz. Fish Stock
1 oz. White Wine
4 50/60 Shrimp
2 oz. Fish Pieces, cut 3/4″
3 Oysters
1 tsp. Creole Seasoning
2 tsp. Garlic
2 tsp. Shallots
1 Tbl. Mixed Fresh Herbs
With Red Sauce
8 oz. Creole Sauce
6 oz. Fettuccine
1 sprig Flat Leaf Parsley
With White Sauce
6 oz. Cream
1 Tbl. Creole Seasoning
1 Egg Yolk
1/2 oz. Butter
Method: Cook Fettuccine in boiling water until al dente. Put mussels in a sautee pan with fish stock and white wine. Add herbs, garlic, Creole seasoning and shallots. Cook until mussels open. Add seafood and cook until almost done. For red sauce, add Creole sauce and bring to a simmer, add pasta, toss, and serve. For white sauce, add cream, bring to boil, remove from heat and add yolk and butter. Toss, add pasta, toss, and serve. Arrange with mussels facing up.
SHRIMP REMOULADE NAPOLEON from Red Fish Grill
3 slices Green Tomato, 1/2 inch thick
4 oz. Medium Shrimp, boiled, peeled
2 oz. Spicy Remoulade
1 Boiled Shrimp, head on
1 tsp. Green Onion, sliced
1 cup Flour
2 Eggs, cracked
1/4 cup Milk
1 cup Bread Crumbs
Oil for frying
Spicy Remoulade
2 Tbl. Yellow Mustard
3 1/2 Tbl. Creole Mustard
3 1/2 Tbl. Ketchup
2 Tbl. White Vinegar
2 Tbl. Horseradish
2 Tbl. Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 tsp. Paprika
1/8 bunch Celery
1/8 bunch Parsley Sprigs
1/2 tsp. Bay Leaves
2/3 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Hot Sauce
1/2 tsp. Garlic
1 tsp. each Lemon
1 each Egg
1/3 cup Oil
Rough chop vegetables. Combine with all other ingredients. Place in a blender. Puree until smooth
Method: Combine eggs and milk. Place flour and bread crumbs in separate bowls. First, dip each tomato slice in flour, then in egg wash, and finally in bread crumbs. Deep fry the tomatoes in 350-degree oil for 2 minutes. Allow tomatoes to drain for 1 minute and assemble. Place 1 tomato on the base of the plate, toss 1/2 shrimp with 1/2 of the sauce. Place this mixture on top of the tomato. Top with another slice and repeat. Top with the third tomato, and garnish with head on shrimp and green onions.
STEAMED MUSSELS & LINGUINE – Serves 1
1oz. Olive Oil
1 pinch Crushed Red Pepper
1/2 tsp. Garlic, minced
1 tsp. Mixed Herbs
4 oz. Roasted Tomatoes, crushed
4 oz. White Wine
12 each Mussels
2 oz. Butter, unsalted
1oz. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
5 oz. Linguine, cooked
Method: In a saute pan, heat the olive oil and add garlic, crushed red pepper, mixed herbs, and crushed tomatoes. Add the mussels and deglaze with the white wine. Add 4 ounces of pasta water and cover with another sauté pan and steam the mussels. When mussels have steamed open, add butter and emulsify into the sauce. Heat the linguine in the pasta water. While pasta is heating, remove mussels from sauté pan and line them up along the rim of the pasta bowl. Add linguine to the sauce and adjust seasoning. Place pasta in the center of the mussels and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
LEMON ITALIAN ICE – Serves 6
1 3/4 cup Sugar
2 3/4 cup Water
1 cup Fresh Lemon Juice, strained
Method: Combine the sugar and the water in a medium sauce pan over low heat. Stir occasionally, until sugar is completely dissolved. Increase the heat and boil for three minutes. Remove from heat and chill. After cooled, add chilled lemon juice. Run through ice cream machine.
If no ice cream machine is available, make lemon granita instead of lemon ice. Prepare lemon ice as directed. Pour into a lasagna pan and freeze. Pull from freezer and scrape sides with a spatula every hour until it reaches the desired consistency.
SHRIMP CREOLE from Red Fish Grill – Serves 8
Creole Sauce
1 Onion, diced
1 each Green Bell Peppers, diced
2 ribs Celery, diced
1 1/2 Tbl. Chopped Garlic
2 1/2 Tbl. Dried Thyme
2 1/2 cup Creole Seasoning
1 Bay Leaf
Dash Black Pepper
3/4 oz. Flour
3/4 oz. Butter
3 cups Tomato Filets
1 1/2 cups Chicken Stock
1 oz. Tomato Paste
Method: Prepare blond roux. Combine onions, bell peppers, celery, garlic, thyme, Creole seasoning, bay leaves and cook down. Add roux and incorporate. Add tomato filets and stock. Cook 1 hour, skimming as needed. Puree.
Shrimp Preparation / Presentation
1 lb. Shrimp
2 tsp. Creole Seasoning
1/4 cup Green Onions
2 cups Steamed Rice
Method: Saute shrimp, add Creole seasoning and Creole sauce. Bring to a simmer. Serve over steamed rice. Garnish with green onions.
OSSO BUCCO – Serves 4
4 Veal Shanks
1 Onion, large dice
1 Carrot, large dice
1stalk Celery, large dice
5 Bay Leaves
1 tsp. Thyme (Dry)
10 each Peppercorns (Black)
2 sprigs Fresh Rosemary
1 can Tomatoes, 12 oz. peeled
3/4 gallon Beef or Veal Stock
1/2 bottle Chianti
Salt & Pepper to taste
All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup Olive Oil
Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season Veal Shanks with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour until coated evenly. Sear with oil in a hot oven-proof pot, until all sides are browned. Remove from pot, and add carrot, celery and onion and sautŽ until caramelized. Deglaze with Chianti. Add bay leaves, peppercorns, thyme and rosemary and bring to a boil. Add tomatoes and stock. Place reserved veal shanks back in pot and cover tightly. Bake for approximately 3 hours or until veal is fork-tender.
Sauce: Set aside cooked veal. Strain sauce through a fine sieve and reduce by 1/2. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
ALLIGATOR SAUSAGE & SEAFOOD GUMBO from Red Fish Grill – Serves 8
1 lb. Alligator Sausage, sliced
1/8 bunch Celery, diced
3/4 cup Tomato Filets
1 1/4 Green Bell Peppers, diced
4 oz. Okra
5/8 Onion, diced
1 tsp. Chopped Garlic
1 1/2 tsp. Creole Seasoning
1 5/8 dash Black Pepper
1/2 tsp.Thyme
3/8 tsp.Salt
1/3 tsp.Chili Powder
1 1/2 pints Chicken Stock
1 1/2 pints Seafood Stock
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
1 cup Flour Grilled Small Shrimp for garnish, Oysters for garnish
Method: Make a dark roux with oil and flour. In a heavy pot, add all vegetables and seasonings and sweat for 15 minutes. Add tomatoes and 1 pound of sausage and finish sweating vegetables. Add 3/4 of the roux and mix well. Add stock and bring to boil. Let simmer for 45 minutes, skim frequently. Adjust consistency, (add more roux if needed) and add the rest of the sausage. Bring to boil and let simmer. Cook until roux flavor is cooked out, skimming as needed. Adjust seasoning and remove from pot. Garnish with grilled shrimp, oysters and claw crabmeat. Bring to a boil and serve.
GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN – Serves 6
Grilled Pork Tenderloin
8 oz. Pork Tenderloin, cleaned
1 oz. Prune Sauce
3/4 oz. Rosemary-Garlic Paste
5 each Prunes
Method: Rub pork tenderloin with rosemary garlic paste. Roll tenderloin on grill and put into an oven at 350 degrees. Cook until medium rare or medium. Set aside and rest for 5minutes and slice. Add 1 oz. of prune sauce with 5 prunes and reduce by 1/2. Add butter and mix well. Saute escarole. Place sliced pork on wilted escarole and nape with sauce and prunes.
Rosemary Garlic Paste
Sweet & Sour Prune Sauce
Wilted Escarole (per plate)
2 cups Pomace Olive Oil
6 oz. Chopped Garlic
8 oz. Rosemary, chopped fine
1 oz. Cracked Black Pepper
Method: In a food processor, puree all ingredients.
2 2/3 c.Water
1 lb. Sugar
1/2 btl. Sherry Vinegar
1 lb. Prunes
Method: Place all ingredients in a sauce pot. Bring to boil and remove from stove.
3 oz. Escarole (cleaned & cut)
1/4 oz. Minced Garlic
1/2 oz. Whole Unsalted Butter
1/2 oz. Pomace Olive Oil
Crushed Red Pepper, Salt & Pepper to taste
Method: Over medium-high heat, add oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Add escarole and butter. Toss until escarole is wilted.
CARNEVALE SHRIMP – Serves 1
4 cloves Roasted Garlic
1/3 sprig Fresh Rosemary
2 tsp. Creole Seasoning
1Tbl. Cracked Black Pepper
1 1/2 oz. Lea and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 each Lemon
4 oz. Abita Amber Beer
4 oz. Unsalted, whole butter
8 each Jumbo U12 Shrimp, head on, shell on
Bread for dipping
Method: In a saute pan add garlic, rosemary, Creole seasoning, cracked black pepper, Worcestershire, lemon, shrimp, and beer. Cook over medium-high heat, turning the shrimp occasionally. When the liquid has reduced by 2/3 and the shrimp are pink, start to add the whole butter, stirring constantly and remove from heat. Remove the lemon half and place shrimp in a large bowl and pour sauce over shrimp. Serve with bread. Tip: Try to specify U12 as the size of the shrimp.
EGGPLANT DELIGHT
4 half-inch eggplant rounds
eggwash mixture (3 eggs, 2 cups milk, whipped)
2 cups bread crumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 dozen peeled shrimp
1 tsp black pepper and pinch of salt
pinch of dried basil; pinch of oregano
1/2 cup shrimp stock (from boiling 2 cups water with shrimp shells and heads)
1/2 cup beer
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 stick butter
Method: Peel eggplant. Cut in half-inch spherical shapes. Lightly season with salt and pepper and coat in flour. Follow with egg wash mixture and coat in breadcrumbs. Brown both sides in 1/2 inch vegetable oil at 350 degrees. Remove and place on paper towel. Heat olive oil on medium-high. Add garlic, shrimp, and seasoning. Add beer. Cook one minute as liquid reduces by half. Add stock and Worcestershire. Cook one minute, stirring or shaking the pan. Shrimp should be pink and cooked. Swirl in butter. Serve over hot eggplant.
CHOCOLATE SIN CAKE WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE
10 oz semi-sweet chocolate
10 oz unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 1/2 cups of sugar
8 large eggs
Method: Butter a 9-inch-by-1 1/2 inch round cake pan liberally. Line bottom with wax paped and butter paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the top of a double boiler, melt chocolate over hot water. Add butter and stir until melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Gradually whish sugar into the chocolate mixture until thick. In a separate bowl, beat eggs until foamy. Stir eggs into chocolate mixture until well incorporated. Pour mixture into prepared pan and place in a 14 inch by 11 inch baking pan. Bake in the center of the oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove cake pan and let set for 10 minutes. Invert onto a plate. Serve at room temperature with raspberry sauce.
Raspberry Sauce
2 cups fresh (or frozen) raspberries
3 tbsp sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon Kirsch
Method: Puree raspberries in a food processor. Press through a sieve, discarding seeds. Simmer raspberry puree, sugar, and lemon juice for 10 minutes. Add cornstarch dissolved in Kirsch. Blend in and stir continuously, and simmer for 1 minute. Set aside until ready to serve.
NEW ORLEANS FOOD DICTIONARY
ANDOUILLE (ahn-doo-ye) — Plump and spicy country sausage, used in Red Beans & Rice and other Creole recipes.
BEIGNET (bane-yea) — Sweet, square doughnuts that are heavily sprinkled with powdered sugar.
BOUDIN (boo-dan) — Hot, spicy sausage that has pork, onions, rice, and herbs mixed together.
BREAD PUDDING — There are many versions, but at its best, it’s light, fluffy and smothered in whiskey sauce.
CAFE AU LAIT (caf-ay oh-lay) — A half and half mixture of hot coffee and hot milk.
CAFE BRULOT (caf-ay brooloh) — An after dinner coffee with spices, orange peel, and liqueurs.
CAJUN (cay-jun) — Nickname for Acadians, the French-speaking people who migrated to Louisiana from Nova Scotia.
CHICORY (chick-ory) — An herb that is dried, ground, roasted and used to flavor New Orleans coffee.
COURTBOULLION (coo-boo-yon) — A spicy stew made with fish, tomatoes, onions, and vegetables.
CRAWFISH — Locally known as Mudbugs. Served in many different New Orleans dishes. Only the tail of the crawfish is eaten.
CREOLE (cree-ole) — People of mixed French and Spanish blood who are born in South Louisiana. Now, can also describe a type of cuisine and a style of architecture.
DIRTY RICE — Pan-fried leftover cooked rice sautŽed with green peppers, onion, celery and giblets.
DRESSED — Sandwiches (see Po-boy) made with lettuce and tomatoes.
ETOUFEE (ay-too-fay) — A tangy tomato-based sauce. Etoufee is used in many New Orleans dishes.
FILE (fee-lay) — Ground sassafras leaves used to season gumbo.
GRILLADES (gree-yads) — Squares of broiled beef or veal.
GRITS — Coarsely ground hominy grain. Looks like mashed potatoes, but tastes like corn.
GUMBO — A thick, mostly okra-based soup that is poured over cooked rice. There are many different types of gumbo, including, Chicken Gumbo, Shrimp Gumbo, and Crawfish Gumbo.
JAMBAYLAYA (jum-bo-lie-yah) — Tomatoes, cooked rice, ham, andouille, chicken, celery, onions, and seasonings. Similar to paella.
MIRLITON — A “Vegetable Pear.” The insides are cooked like squash, mixed with ham, shrimp, and spices, and stuffed into the vegetable.
MUFFULETTA — A huge, round sandwich consisting of ham, salami, and other meats, cheese, pickles, and olive salad.
PRALINE (praw-leen) — A New Orleans candy. Flat and sweet, it is made of sugar, water, and pecans.
PO-BOY — A large sandwich served on French bread. Po-Boys can be stuffed with fried oysters, fried shrimp, roast beef and gravy, softshell crabs, turkey, or hot sausage. (See Dressed)
RED BEANS & RICE — Red Kidney beans mixed with rice, seasonings, spices and (andouille) sausage. Traditionally, Red Beans and Rice was served on Mondays, because Monday was wash day, and the Red Beans could simmer and cook all day without attention.
SOUTHERN DICTIONARY
AUTO (should) — “I auto go to work, but Ahm tared.”
AX — (question) “Ah ax you this.”
ABODE — a piece of wood, as “han me a bode to hit thise mule.”
BARN — (hatched) as “I was barn in Kentucky.”
BRAID — (lot braid) what you eat when u’nins is out of bisquits
BALKS — (a square thang) like a “match balks”
CAD — (to tote) as “I cad ma bride over the threshold.”
CHEER — (whut you sit on) Pull up a cheer and set down
DID — (not alive) as “He’s did.”
FUSSED — whut comes before second
FAR — a burnin’ pile of sticks
GULL — a young female human
HEAVEN — A’m heaven some folks in foah dinnah
ICE COOL — a school for younguns bebfore college
LOT — (un-dark) “Jeannie with the lot-brown hair.”
PIN — whut you keep hawgs in – a hawg pin
RAT SHEER — (not there) (here) like “lay it rat cheer.”
STOW — a place that sells stuff
THUD — whut comes after 2nd as “this only my thud mint julep.”
TIN-SIN-STOW — (5&10) “Les go in the tin-sin-stow.”
WEATHER TIPS
The weather of New Orleans can best be described as balmy. Almost daily afternoon sporadic showers make it advisable to carry an umbrella from July to September. The track of winter storms is generally to the north of New Orleans. However, occasionally, one of these storms moves this far south, bringing sudden drops in temperature. New Orleans only experiences snow every five to ten years. In spring and fall, fog is a frequent concern for those traveling by car or bus
IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS
Police (Emergency) 911
Police (Non-Emergency) (504) 821-2222
Crime Stoppers (504) 837-8477
Auto Pound (504) 658-8284
Travelers’ Aid (504) 586-0010
Weather Service (504) 522-7330