Soups
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French Onion Soup
When the weather turns cold here in Southeast Louisiana (and by cold I mean anything below ninety degrees and one hundred percent humidity) most folks' thoughts go immediately to gumbo. I'm certainly not saying that mine don't. It is called gumbo weather for a reason. But sometimes on a cold and rainy night, you need the comfort of French Onion soup. Warm, oniony, and cheesy (not sure if oniony is a word but I don't care). Everything in the bowl just screams "stick to your ribs".
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Crawfish and Mascarpone Bisque
Sometimes you have to wonder how you went so long without realizing that two particular things made a great combo. For instance, how long did people go before they realized peanut butter and jelly went well together? On this particular day, I discovered how well crawfish and mascarpone cheese went together.
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Hearty Beef Chili
Chili: As the dog days of summer draw to a close and the thermometer begins to drop, the thing I look forward to the most is being able to cook my hot soup stew-like recipes. Personally, I can eat dishes like gumbo, chilli, and soup on the hottest days of the summer. I understand though that most people like to wait for the Halloween decorations to start popping up before indulging in the warmer comfort foods which is cool...I guess.
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Crawfish Étouffée
Taken from the French language, etouffee means to smother. That is exactly what you do when making this dish. You smother all those delicious leftover crawfish tails in a spicy gravy, turning some leftovers and some veggies into a fancy stew.
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Beer and Cheese Soup
For some people soup is a cool weather only treat. That makes sense. It's a warm you up, stick to the ribs treat. It's certainly not a food that will help cool your body down after a long day of hiking, kayaking, or some other warm day activity. But in spite of all that, and also in spite of the fact it may make me a bit odd, I love soup three hundred and sixty five days out of the year. And...Beer and Cheese Soup is at the top of my list.
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Turtle Soup
Although it has variations that span the globe, (including China, Europe and even Pennsylvania) nothing has come to symbolize a fancy New Orleans appetizer more than Turtle Soup. Considered a delicacy just about anywhere it's served, Turtle Soup is a very unique dish that you will not soon forget; especially if you're lucky enough to be served this soup seated in one of Nola's grand dame restaurants.
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Gumbo
There is no better culinary metaphor to help exemplify the cultural stew that is Louisiana than gumbo. Seemingly every influence possible is represented one way or another in gumbo. African, French, and even Choctaw are just a few of the cuisines that helped gumbo become what it is today. It's easily one of the most divisive dishes in southern cuisine.
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Tom Kha Gai
Tom Kha Gai is a spicy, coconut milk based soup that originated in Thailand and Laos. Translating to “galangal chicken soup” (galangal, by the way, is a root spice closely related to ginger). It has several different varieties, but the Gai version is my favorite. I think what I love the most about this soup is the way it perfectly balances the sweet (coconut cream/milk) and the savory (all other spices). It does so in a way that only Thai cuisine can accomplish.