#creole-cooking

#creole-cooking

In the latest issue of Bon Appétit magazine, we're traveling far and wide. To Mexico City in search of the best gorditas, to Hong Kong to explore cha chaan tengs, and to a truck stop in Wyoming that's turning out first-rate blistered naan, biryani, and more.

"What we didn't expect was the response - customers were coming by, messaging us, and sharing stories about what the restaurant meant to them. It made us realize this wasn't just a place to eat - it had become part of people's routines and memories."

"THE BEST pierogi me and my fiancé have tried ever in NY. Me and him are both Ukrainian and have lived in Poland, and out of all the places we have tried, these taste exactly like homemade traditional Polish pierogis."

The barbecue shrimp arrive swimming in Cajun-spiced butter, with slivered shallots for gentle sweetness and sliced radishes for necessary sharpness. It calls to mind a seafood boil, without as much work.

"This residency is centered around gathering as a method. Through the ritual of dining together, I will explore this form of public convening as a structured mode of inquiry and exchange."

A truly great steakhouse isn't just about the steak. We'd argue that the best steakhouses in the country are ones that put as much thought and effort into the drinks, cocktails, and sides as the meat, and that's one place where Prime 44 West shines.

"I'm certain some wonderful store-bought brands of duck confit may exist, but, in my experience, the homemade product is always more tender and moist."

The territory was named La Louisiane in 1682 by French explorer René-Robert Cavelier de La Salle, in honor of King Louis XIV, who claimed for France the vast Mississippi River basin. When French settlers later founded New Orleans in 1718, the region quickly became a center of French culture in North America.

[To make] Cajun-style deviled eggs, which actually sounds like a great idea, I would mix Creole mustard, Cajun spice, and crispy andouille into the egg yolk mix and garnish a piece of crispy andouille on top with charred corn kernels or crispy fried onions as well.

The best seafood to include in an ultra-rich bouillabaisse is a medley of seafood, starting with 'a collection of rockfish.' Traditional bouillabaisse, from my experience in Marseille where it's from, is made from a combination of rockfish that are easily sourced in that region.

Of the five mother sauces, velouté is extremely under-appreciated and not talked about enough. It's what we as Americans call gravy, which we know has so many various uses. Velouté, which means velvety in French, is made with a light roux (or a mixture of flour and fat, like butter), stock or broth, and some seasoning like salt and pepper, and a bay leaf.

Though they were only serving in town for one night, the chefs and staff behind the Mexico City supernova Masala y Maíz managed to cause what felt like a temporary ripple in L.A. dining during their pop-up last week. It reminded this diner that despite the era's current dedication to culinary and cultural boundaries - you should only cook what you know, write what you know - a spirit of mixture and melding can actually lead to something extraordinary, and not cringey, in practice.

The idea of an Indian meat and three seemed like a perfect mash-up. The LUFU guys really put on a show. They had their tandoor in the parking lot and were making fresh naan for every plate.

Venezuelan cuisine is a vibrant melting pot of its cultural influences, where Indigenous roots, African heritage, and Spanish flavors come together to create rich, satisfying dishes packed with character. Venezuela's food scene shares many similarities with those from other Latin American countries, but focuses more on building layers of sweet, savory, and tangy depth rather than turning up the heat with bold spices.

It's a standard trope in portrayals of assimilated Jews to open with a scene built around a Christmas tree. That's how Tom Stoppard's " Leopoldstadt" and Alfred Uhry's " Last Night of Ballyhoo" begin, and also Ian Buruma's memoir about his grandparents, " Their Promised Land." The idea is, as soon as you show that, you've got the audience's full attention, especially if it's a Jewish audience, because it's so peculiar.

Though these hearts of palm are not actually cabbage, the classic Southern dish got its quirky name both for the palm trees' location in the Florida swamps and for the fact that they're also often colloquially referred to as "cabbage palms." Most modern variations of the recipe also include chopped green cabbage. Made with thick bacon, smoked sausage, and the "holy trinity" of peppers, onions, and celery, this stewed cabbage can be side dish or a well-rounded meal in itself.

Tanya Holland, especially among Bay Area foodies, needs no introduction. She's the award-winning celebrity chef behind Oakland's Brown Sugar Kitchen, B-Side BBQ and Town Fare, and the author of multiple cookbooks. She competed on Top Chef, hosted Tanya's Kitchen Table on the Oprah Winfrey Network and today serves on the James Beard Foundation's Awards Committee. For the Super Bowl this year, she'll be at a cousin's 80th birthday party.