What is Cajun?

[solozaur]

Since i first saw the episode with the wedges I looked for the cajun condiment allover, asked friends and nobody even heard of it and I can't find it in stores either.
I even asked my brother too look for the cajun condiment when he went in the UK and he couldn't find it there either!

From my google searches i found out that you can make your own cajun, so can someone please link to a good guide on how to do that?

Generally but not always refers to Louisiana cuisine. Research http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cajun_cuisine

[tokenuser]

Originally Posted by computoman

Generally but not always refers to Louisiana cuisine. Research http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cajun_cuisine

He wasn't asking "What is Cajun" (culture), he was asking "What is Cajun" (seasoning). Niall says Cajun when he is talking about the commercially available spice blend/seasoning.

[trunolimit]

Originally Posted by tokenuser

He wasn't asking "What is Cajun" (culture), he was asking "What is Cajun" (seasoning). Niall says Cajun when he is talking about the commercially available spice blend/seasoning.

Are you part robot? is there anything you don't know?

[tokenuser]

Originally Posted by computoman

Tokenuser probably does not even know what a "coon a**" is.

Depending which side of the bayou you come from, dems would be fightin words.

Originally Posted by trunolimit

Are you part robot? is there anything you don't know?

You don't want to go up against me in Trivial Pursuit.

Hey computoman ... speaking of racial slurs, where else in the world is coon used?

FWIW - I will take Prudomme, Prejean, or Folse over Emeril any day as well, BUT the Emeril Essence recipe is a good match to the commercial blends. If nothing else it makes a good starting point for a new solozaur blend. Salt is only about 15% of the mix, which might seem high, but you don't use that much of it - and salt enhances a lot of other tastes. No need to fear salt, just use it in moderation.

[ronaldo]

Originally Posted by tokenuser

FWIW - I will take Prudomme, Prejean, or Folse over Emeril any day as well, BUT the Emeril Essence recipe is a good match to the commercial blends. If nothing else it makes a good starting point for a new solozaur blend. Salt is only about 15% of the mix, which might seem high, but you don't use that much of it - and salt enhances a lot of other tastes. No need to fear salt, just use it in moderation.

Who said anything about fearing salt? I just like to have more control over how much gets added. If you decide to take that recipe as written and enhance the mayo in a sandwich it makes it too salty. If you are talking about seasoning meat before it hits the grill it is fine. I put some salt in it my mixture but it is a very small amount.

Also, what if I want sea salt instead of kosher?

In any event, I have been making my own now for 6 years and I would never go back to store-bought.

[tokenuser]

If you want to make your own, then I recommend you do Emeril Lagasse's "Emeril's Essence". He is a well known Cajun (more specifically Creole, but that's a different discussion) TV chef in the US with several restaurants.

Recipe for Emeril's Essense. Works best if you yell "BAM!" as you shake it on.

If you want to buy some (online), I have been using the same thing for about 15 years - Joe's Stuff. I uses it on/in just about everything (great in chili and italian meat sauces).

Supermarket brands would be more like a McCormick's Cajun Seasoning. Should be in the spice aisle at the supermarket. Since it is heavily paprika based I am surprised you can't find it in central Europe.

[ronaldo]

Originally Posted by tokenuser

If you want to make your own, then I recommend you do Emeril Lagasse's "Emeril's Essence". He is a well known Cajun (more specifically Creole, but that's a different discussion) TV chef in the US with several restaurants.

Recipe for Emeril's Essense. Works best if you yell "BAM!" as you shake it on.

If you want to buy some (online), I have been using the same thing for about 15 years - Joe's Stuff. I uses it on/in just about everything (great in chili and italian meat sauces).

Supermarket brands would be more like a McCormick's Cajun Seasoning. Should be in the spice aisle at the supermarket. Since it is heavily paprika based I am surprised you can't find it in central Europe.

The problem I have with store-bought and Emeril's recipe is that it has too much salt in proportion to the other ingredients. I don't want to upset the balance of salt in my food if I want loads of seasoning. I make my own. I do a cajun version and a more generic version that I can use on just about anything.

[masherscf]

Early settlers of French Canada before the French and Indian war lived along the Atlantic coast in the region that would become the Canadian Providence of New Brunswick, New Newfoundland, Eastern Quebec and Nova Scotia as well as the U.S. State of Maine. This region was referred to as "Acadia" and the residence were referred to as "Acadians." When the Brits kicked out the french in late 1770's these people relocated to the one-time french territory along the Gulf Coast in Louisiana. Here they melded with the Spanish population and the "Acadians" become known as "Cajun."

I hope that helps.


Read more.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cajun


P.S. It's pretty cool living in the North East along the French/English disputed territories becuase places often have two names... one French and one English.

[tokenuser]

<Sigh>

Originally Posted by tokenuser

He wasn't asking "What is Cajun" (culture), he was asking "What is Cajun" (seasoning). Niall says Cajun when he is talking about the commercially available spice blend/seasoning.

The cajun discussion has me wanting Jambalaya or Gumbo for dinner tonight ... and I have just enough time to pull it off using the crockpot.