Food Sparks: Cajun Cooking at home

We had a different kind of meal last night at a friend's home - a New Orleans themed meal which was a first for us. We visited New Orleans in the early nineties - it happened to be Halloween and our memories of the place were mostly of erotic costumes in rowdy parades down cobbled streets awash with beer. It was fun - something I had always associated with New Orleans, in spite of the sombre stories coming out post Katrina.

But back to the meal. Before dinner, I helped my hostess cut up the corn bread, and being a person who loves bread warmed up, I politely asked her if she would like to warm up the bread. She said "no" and I discovered the wisdom of that after we started the meal.

The jambalaya was delicious - rice with chicken, shrimp and the "holy trinity" of Cajun cuisine - bell peppers, celery and onion. Made in a Le Creuset pot, it retained the moisture and the flavour of a ton of spices. But the blackened chicken liver beat this hands down in terms of spiciness. This is when I realized that the "cool" corn bread actually provided a nice soothing contrast to the hot spicy dishes that are the signature of Cajun cuisine. It literally had a cooling effect - I must have doubled my bread quota for the day, as well as my wine quota. The Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc was a perfect pairing for the spicy dishes and ample quantities were needed. For spices typical of this cuisine, read this interesting article on Cajun cuisine.