The most popular food in Louisiana has to be seafood! The most popular way to prepare it is to boil it in spices, with the main ingredient being cayenne pepper. Garlic is also added. This spicy combo originates from the Cajun culture of Louisiana, who bring many wonderful other dishes like jambalaya and gumbo as well! When boiling seafood potatoes are often added, which absorb the delicious flavors. People buy large quantities of crawfish from local markets, boil them in large pots with these spices, and pour them out on picnic tables covered in newspapers at gatherings called “crawfish boils”. Laissez le bon temps rouler! (Let the good times roll!) @Denise_Barlock
15 Likes
@lynneannec - all of that fresh, wild caught seafood looks great! And your prices are half the prices what I have to pay in California if I want to purchase wild Louisiana seafood. I guess I am paying for shipping!
What kind of spices do you use? Your own secret concoction or from a bottle?
Fast and easy-to-cook
I like to buy the jumbo size prawns in season when I can and stir fry with veggies.
Tagging @TsekoV - thought you might be interested in seeing what fresh seafood looks like in America and what Cantonese cooking looks like. Yum!
Cheers,
Karen
1 Like
Here in Louisiana one company, is considered the “be all end all” way to season seafood and that is Zatarains. If you want your seafood to taste like authentic Louisiana cajun cooking then it’s Zatarains’ for you. I also recommend Tony Chachere’s and of course Tabasco, made on Avery Island! Your dish looks fantastic @KarenVChin ! Unfortunately, although I love Louisiana and seafood is it’s heart and soul, I’m actually allergic to iodine so it is off limits for me 
1 Like
Hi @lynneannec ,
All these photos look great. Do you have a favorite dish that you love preparing with them?
@KarenVChin , thank you for tagging me and showing me your dish, y-u-m-m-y! I would definitely like to give it a try. When you cook such dishes do you usually follow a recipe or you always go out of the book and cook it the way you love?
Recently I have been thinking of buying a wok pan, to tell you the truth I have never used one. I guess you used the same pan to prepare this dish? I guess it gives dishes a totally different taste, the taste of my second home, the taste of China… : )
1 Like
@TsekoV , get a wok! I used mine for everything - Chinese cooking and non Chinese (make spaghetti sauce, boil pasta). Yes, the beauty of using a wok is it one dish cooking, less pots to wash. Everything cooks faster, but you will spend more time prepping - aka chopping.
I am a “see and taste” cook. Don’t use recipes per se.
Do you have a gas stove vs electric burner? Gas is the best for cooking Chinese. You can easily regulate the heat.
Cheers,
Karen
1 Like
@TsekoV , I am like @KarenVChin , a no recipe kind of cook! I can look and taste to see how my dish is coming along, and I like to create new variations each time too. My favorite thing to make is another Louisiana favorite, red beans and rice. First I soak kidney beans over night. Then I add onion, garlic, bell pepper, Crystal Pure Hot Sauce, and a few more “secret” spices that have been caramelized in butter (hey I never said it was heart healthy!). There is also Cajun sausage. The whole thing is served over white rice. Then more hot sauce is added to taste. Louisiana is a hot and spicy place! My other favorite dish to prepare is to make my own pasta sauce from fresh tomatoes. I serve it over angel hair pasta or on top french bread. I usually serve this with artichoke dressing. This is artichoke hearts, french green beans, Italian brad crumbs, lemon juice and parmesan cheese all sautéed in butter. This is what my daughter calls my Nawlin’s (New Orleans) style cooking, lol. Most of the time we eat keto. If we ate like this all the time it would be delicious but very fattening!
1 Like
@lynneannec - I am coming over to your house! I bet your house smells
divine when you are cooking!
Cheers,
Karen
1 Like
@KarenVChin Come on down, and I’ll cook you up all kinds of good eats. I love to cook all varieties of food. Here is a couple of more photos, lol. Chimichangas, Sunday morning breakfast, Christmas dinner… Oh, and the baking too !
1 Like
Bring Louisiana’s famous boiled seafood in cayenne pepper to life with a Preethi gas stove. Powerful burners and even heat control make large-pot cooking easy, ensuring perfectly cooked seafood with bold flavours, authentic spice infusion, and consistent results every time you cook.
1 Like