New Orleans and Creole Cooking

Question: What takes 2 pounds of sugar, the juice of a dozen lemons, a quart of strawberries, a pineapple, a bottle of champagne, and a bottle of white wine?
Answer: A Champagne Punch (Ponche au Vin de Champagne), New Orleans’ style.

Such is one of the recipes from Sue Laudeman’s cookbook, Elegant Entertaining Along St. Charles Avenue: Authentic Menus and 1890’s Recipes from the Garden District of New Orleans.

I had a chance to go to a series of lectures by Laudeman during a recent cruise out of New Orleans. She works for one of the museums in New Orleans, the Historic New Orleans Collection located on Royal Street. During the lectures she discussed Creole cooking and the history of New Orleans. One of her passions is for the culture of Creole cooking to survive--despite the pressures of modern society, and despite the diaspora caused by hurricane Katrina. Here are a few of the recipes from her book.

TOMATOES STUFFED WITH SHRIMP (Tomatoes Farcies aux Chevrettes Bouillies)
Slice the tops off desired numbers of fresh tomatoes. Scoop out the inner membranes with a spoon being careful not to break the outer skin. Turn upside down to drain. Remove the shells and veins from boiled shrimp. Mix with chopped celery, a couple of hard boiled eggs, a few chopped shallots and a tablespoon of drained capers. Mix together with Remoulade Sauce (see below). Serve on a plate garnished with French endive leaves. Chill and serve.

REMOULADE DRESSING (Sauce Remoulade)

2 Hard-Boiled Egg (Yolks). 1 Raw Yolk of Egg.
1 Tablespoonful of Tarragon Vinegar
3 Tablespoonfuls of Olive Oil
1/2 Clove of Garlic, Minced Very Fine.
1/2 Teaspoonful of Prepared Mustard (Creole or Brown)
Salt and Cayenne to Taste.

A Remoulade is a cold sauce. Put (3) hard boiled yolks into a bowl, and mash very fine, till perfectly smooth. Add the mustard, and mix well. Add the seasonings, vinegar, and salt and Cayenne to taste. Then add the olive oil, drop by drop, working in the egg all the time, and then add the yolk of the raw egg, and work in thoroughly, till light. Then add the juice of half a lemon. Mix well, increasing the quantity of oil or vinegar, according to taste, very slightly. If the sauce is not thoroughly mixed it will curdle.

Then for dessert, have strawberries and whipped cream(Creme Fouettee aux Fraises).

1 Pint of Sweet Cream (Whipping or Heavy)
2 Tablespoonful of Powdered Sugar
6 drops (1/8 tsp.) of Jamaica Rum
1 Pint of Strawberries. 1 Cup of Sugar

Whip cream which is very cold with two tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar and 6 drops of rum until it firms. Set on ice to keep it cool and firm. Stem the berries, sprinkle nicely with white sugar, and set aside for several hours in a cool place. Serve with the whipped cream. Dish the berries first and heap the cream prettily on top.

You can obtain Sue Laudeman's book at http://www.hnoc.org.