Boudin

In addition to beignets, another wonderful Louisiana treat is boudin (pronounced "boo-da", with an almost silent "n" on the end). Usually it's pork sausage mixed with rice, green onions, cayenne pepper and other seasoning, all stuffed into a sausage skin.



You normally buy it cooked, wrapped in butcher paper. You don't eat the skin. You cut it into 4-inch or so segments and squeeze the filling 1) either directly into your mouth, or 2) onto a cracker, which you then add a dash of tabasco to before eating (recommended).

There's actually a pretty awesome boudin review site called The Boudin Link. We usually go to a place called Best Stop, though we tried Don's Specialty Meats last week and it was very nice as well. Also, there are different variations on traditional pork boudin. Last month I tried seafood boudin, which was stuffed with shrimp and crabmeat instead of pork. It wasn't quite as good as regular boudin, but it was still pretty tasty.

If you make you're way down to Louisiana, be sure to check this stuff out.

Pho

One of my favorite dishes, that I've now started preparing at home, is pho (pronounced "fuh"), a hearty Vietnamese soup chock full of meat, noodles, and fresh veggies.

I like both the chicken and beef. I probably prefer beef, but when you've got a cold, nothing beats chicken pho...even old fashioned chicken noodle soup.


Here's how I make it:

I use the soup bases produced by Quoc Viet foods, sold at an Asian market here in Lafayette. If I'm doing chicken, I first boil some chicken (a pack of drumsticks works well) in a big pot of water with scallions and a nice hunk of ginger. You add the soup base and spice packet that comes with it and boil about 20 minutes. It's best if you actually let it simmer at least an hour, though. About 15 minutes prior to serving, you take out the spice packet and add noodles (flat Vietnamese noodles). Meanwhile, you cut up some lime halves, cilantro, mung bean sprouts, and jalapeno for garnish. When the soup is done, you serve it in a big-ass bowl, squeeze in the lime, and add the other garnishes to taste (I usually like a slice or two of jalapeno for spice. Eat with chopsticks and a big soup spoon. You might want to cut the meat off the bone after its cooked to ease eating.

If you've never had it before, seek out a Vietnamese restaurant in your area, or if you're a bit braver, cook up a batch yourself. You'll never go back to canned chicken soup again.

The Beignet

We're heading to New Orleans today to a party with my girlfriend's relatives and later to see an old friend of mine from my undergraduate days.

Hopefully while we're there we'll stop in at Café du Monde for some beignets and café au lait. What is a beignet (pronounced "ben-yay") you ask?

They're basically fried hunks of dough, somewhat like a donut, somewhat like a sopapilla. And they're loaded with a generous pile of powdered sugar.


If you've never had one, you're just letting the best in life pass you by.

What's strange it that they really tend to be a very local phenomenon. I live in Lafayette, which is not far from New Orleans. But while there are plenty of donut shops here, there isn't a single place devoted to beignets. There are a couple of places in town where you can get them, but they're just not the same as the ones in New Orleans, and they're just not popular here.

Anyway, if you do ever get a chance to eat some, here's a simple word of advice: While eating a beignet, do not breathe through your nose. If you're breathing in as you lift it to your nose, you will get a snoot full of powdered sugar. If you are breathing out, you will douse your friend in a cloud of powdered sugar. So just hold your breath, take a bite, and enjoy.