Tyler Wright | Special to the 51暗网
It started with a recent purchase of antique luggage that inspired this week鈥檚 edition of Taste of Jasper. It鈥檚 around this time I start planning my March vacation. This year is obviously different, as I will be postponing any future vacation plans until it is safe to travel once again. In lieu of traveling, I have been living vicariously through past trips by cooking up a storm in my kitchen.
One of my most cherished trips was the one I took to New Orleans, La. The Big Easy, as it is affectionately known. For those who have been, this city needs no introduction. For those of you who鈥檝e not had the pleasure of experiencing this gem, it is a one-of-a-kind city. Words simply cannot do it justice.
Originally a French colony, the city still holds tight to its Francophile roots from the Creole style architecture to the cuisine. It does not feel like any other city you would find in America. NOLA is simply NOLA, and there is nothing else like it.
Centuries-old weeping oak and magnolia trees line the streets leading into the French Quarter. The air is humid and alive with the sounds of Jazz. A sound woven into the very fabric of the city. Just like Jazz, the culinary experience is distinctly a big part of the city鈥檚 history and identity. 鈥淟aissez les bons temps rouler鈥� or, 鈥淟et the good times roll鈥� is the Cajun French saying that is the local motto. New Orleanians celebrate every day in a laid back and true fashion. From Jazz Fest to Mardi Gras, this city embodies its nickname the Big Easy. Food plays a major part in these celebrations: crawfish, crawfish etouffee, gumbo, jambalaya, po boys and fresh beignets from Caf茅 Du Mond. The whole time I was there, there wasn鈥檛 a moment where I didn鈥檛 have food or a drink in front of me.
One of my favorites was the king cake. Available in a variety of cake styles, the most common a cinnamon brioche twist, it is served during Mardi Gras. Hidden within the cake is a small baby figurine. The baby symbolizes luck and prosperity to whomever finds it in their slice. That person is also responsible for purchasing next year's cake or hosting the next Mardi Gras party.
I used a recipe written by the late Myriam Guidroz, a famous food columnist for the Times-Picayune, the local newspaper in NOLA.
I started by preparing the Brioche dough and letting it rest overnight. This cake used a fruit and cream cheese filling. I chose apple and infused the cream cheese with maple to add a Canadian touch. The dough was cut and rolled out into 30-by-nine inch rectangles. I spooned the fruit and cream cheese down the center before folding the dough in, one side over the other forming a log. Form into a circle joining the ends and place on a greased sheet. Brush with egg wash and bake at 375 F for 45 minutes to an hour. After the cake cooled, I used an icing sugar glaze and dusted the cake with dyed sugar in the famous Mardi Gras colors: yellow, purple and green. In place of the iconic ceramic baby, I used a maple leaf trinket. I paired this cake with the famous聽
鈥淗urricane鈥� cocktail served at Pat O鈥� Briens. A cocktail consisting of three types of rum and fruit juices. Drinker beware. A few of these and you will be feeling it.
Thank you for accompanying me on this journey to New Orleans, and cheers to future travels when the pandemic is over. Visit fitzhugh.ca for detailed recipe cards and on Instagram at . Laissez les bons temps rouler!
