Cajun and Creole Recipes for the Holidays

By James Pumpelly

The second in a series of Louisiana Acadian and Creole recipes, the Holiday Edition spotlights traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas dishes. Drinks, Appetizers, Snacks, Sides, Entrees and desserts are featured, the whole seasoned with Cajun humor and native history.

Recipes range from Cajun Irish coffe with chicory, to crawfish bisque, okra Creole, shrimp-crawfish-okra gumbo, and sweet potato soufflé. Desserts include regional favorites like bananas foster, peach streusel, pecan sandies, German chocolate pecan pie, and French apple-caramel pie. Recipes were selected for ease of preparation and availability of ingredients.
Interspersed among 49 recipes are seasonal articles of interest, including the Festival of Lights, Lake Ponchartrain, The Haunting of St. Tammany, Bonfires on the Levee, and The Brown Pelican.

The Holiday Edition is the second in a series. Cajun and Creole Recipes from The Girl with the Pendant Pearl is the first cookbook in the series - a cookbook highlighting many of the dishes included in scenes from the novel of the same name. (The Girl with the Pendant Pearl)

Printouts of recipes are allowed and encouraged. Bon appetit!

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Dec 20, 2017
• ISBN: 9781543921847

Book preview

Copyright 2017 James Pumpelly

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

ISBN: 978-1-54-392184-7

DISCLAIMER

Excepting renowned places, events, published authors and photographers, the names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents in this book are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons or actual events is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. This cookbook is protected by the copyright laws of the United States of America, and may not be copied for commercial use or gain.

Recipe copying for personal use is permitted and encouraged.

Author’s Introduction

My interest in native cuisines is one of hands-on discovery. Born to Louisiana’s unique natural resources, I was reared among the savory gumbos and jambalayas of Creole and Cajun kitchens. And as an adult, I traveled extensively, taking from varied cultures the arts of their ancient hearths.

Cajun and Creole Recipes for the Holidays is a handy addition to the well-rounded repertoire of the modern cook. Whether for family, for friends, or for a memorable departure from the predictable, you may choose among appetizers, sauces, sides, entrees and desserts; many of which are seasonal favorites.

This cookbook is a compilation of Louisiana recipes, spiced with Cajun humor and a dash of native history.

Bon appetit!

Holiday Drinks

Festival of Lights

Cajun Christmas Eggnog

Quick Party Eggnog

The State of Louisiana Quarter (Cajun Version)

The Secret of a Perfect Marriage

Cherry Cobbler

Bayou Holiday Punch

The Touch of the Master’s Hand

Cajun Irish Coffee with Chicory

Cajun Bloody Mary

Silver Bells

Holiday Snacks

Cajun Pecans

Cajun Seasoning

Cajun Popcorn

Origin of Popcorn

Peanut Popcorn Balls

Quick Beignets

Chinese Lessons

New Orleans Cheese Sticks

Cajun Chicken Fingers

The Reservation

Holiday Appetizers

The Brown Pelican

The State Flag

The Louisiana State Pledge

The Argument

Cajun Crawfish Bisque

Shrimp Stock

Crab Louis on Toasted French Bread

Boudreaux and the Binoculars

Fried Oysters with Garlic Aioli

Garlic Aioli

Which Way to Lafayette

Lumber Loan

Crawfish and Scallop Stuffed Pastry Shells

Holiday Entrées

Cajun Meatloaf

How Thanksgiving Day Became a Holiday

Okra Creole with Cajun Cornbread

Cajun Cornbread

Armed and Brave

Speeding Ticket

Cajun Crawfish Quiche

New Orleans Seafood Stuffed Peppers

Savory Baby Vidalia Onion Tart

Homework

Roasted Hen with Cajun Cornbread Dressing

Shrimp, Crawfish and Okra Gumbo

Blackened Catfish

Cajun Chicken Fried Steak and Country Gravy

Holiday Sides

Dirty Rice

Crawfish Dirty Rice

Cajun Cornbread Dressing

Two Black Eyes

Crawfish and Grits Casserole

The Broken Organ That Halted a War

Cranberry - Orange - Pineapple Salad

Louisiana Macaroni and Cheese

The Silent Treatment

Sweet Potato Soufflé

Lake Ponchartrain

Holiday Desserts

The Haunting of St. Tammany

Cherry Cobbler

Louisiana Peaches

Peach Streusel

Bonfires on the Levee

Peach Cobbler

Moses and the Red Sea

Sweet Potato-Molasses Pie

Sunday School

Pecan Sandies

Beignets and Café au lait

Café au lait

Louisiana Chocolate Cake

Bourbon Frosting

Bananas Foster

Two Burned Ears

German Chocolate Pecan Pie

Double-Crust Pie Dough

French Apple-Caramel Pie

The Natchitoches, Louisiana, Festival of Lights began in 1926. Since then, it has become Louisiana’s most celebrated community Christmas Festival. Held annually on the first Saturday in December, the festival attracts over 150,000 people to historic Natchitoches, a quaint little town beautifully situated along the banks of the Cane River Lake.

Cane River Lake is an oxbow lake formed from a portion of the famous Red River. It runs through the Natchitoches Historic District and is famous in its own right for the numerous plantations located on or near its banks. But within the corporate confines of Natchitoches, it seems just another navigable passage through the village.

During the Festival of Lights, Natchitoches treats visitors to a huge parade, live entertainment by well-known personalities, Acadian food vendors, carnival rides, Cane River Lake cruises, horse-drawn carriage and trolley tours, and to top it all, a spectacular fireworks show over the reflecting lake. Afterwards, over 300,000 Christmas lights and scores of large set pieces light up the town along the scenic Lake.

The Festival of Lights has been listed in the Top 100 Events in North America, as well as one of the Top 20 Events for December. The Festival is also a partner with the Holiday Trail of Lights, a six city event held in December of each year. The participating cities include Natchitoches, Shreveport- Bossier City, Minden, Monroe-West Monroe, and Alexandria-Pineville.

Of these cities, Shreveport is the largest, offering a choreographed laser light show in the Barnwell Garden and Art Center, Christmas in Roseland at the American Rose Center, and a weekly fireworks extravaganza. Candlelight tours of historic homes are offered attractions in all of the towns and cities.

Because all of the above mentioned towns and cities are within an hour’s drive, the Natchitoches Festival of Lights and the more expansive Trail of Holiday Lights comprise a rewarding family experience. And should a family’s schedule preclude the Festival of Lights, it’s comforting to know that the lights remain on through the first weekend after New Years, allowing everyone another opportunity to take in the beauty of a Christmas season so colorfully reflected.

Holiday Drinks

Cajun Christmas Eggnog

Serves 10

This is eggnog made the old fashion