New Orleans for Beginners
What We Did, Where We Went and a Gumbo Recipe
Hi Everyone!
We spent a long weekend in New Orleans recently, celebrating my husband’s birthday. The kids all came along, so there were seven of us descending on the city. We chose NOLA because my husband, Christophe, is French and loves Cajun culture, history, live music, and good food. NOLA has all these elements in spades. It’s also a city none of us know well, so there was lots to explore and much of it would be new to us. I was also looking for a destination with relatively mild weather to make packing easier, and although the weather in today’s world is pretty unpredictable, I felt the southern US was a good bet. At least we wouldn’t need parkas and boots, theoretically.
My husband’s birthday fell the week before Mardi Gras. If I had to visit again, I wouldn’t plan for that week (or Mardi Gras week) unless you are there specifically for that reason i.e. to party! There are almost constant parades, which make getting around a challenge because you’re always crossing a parade route. Ubering was difficult on parade days, and it seemed like everyday was a parade day. These people know how to have a good time! That said, the parades are spectacular and lots of fun to watch. You end up catching a lot of “stuff” (beads, shoes, trinkets, hats, toys, etc) from the floats, so it is something to experience.
When planning this trip, the first step was deciding where we would stay. We needed 4 bedrooms and location was important as we wouldn’t have a car and wanted to walk or Uber to explore. I looked at several hotel options before one of our daughters found The Natchez, an 1830s building renovated into vacation condos with 2, 3, and 4-bedroom options available, all with en suite bathrooms. Our unit had a full kitchen, washer/dryer, dining and living area, and a balcony. The property is located within walking distance of the French Quarter, warehouse district, and close to the St. Charles Streetcar line. We felt secure as the property has key code access and a concierge is available 24 hours a day. If you do have a car, there is ample parking nearby. It was perfect. I would stay there again for a family or couples’ trip, and the price was more reasonable than a hotel for our group.
We started off with an evening Frenchmen Street Live Music Pub Crawl, booked through AirBnB experiences. It was a lot of fun and got us in the mood for our weekend right off the bat. Wear comfortable shoes and bring cash (sometimes they take Venmo) to tip the bands. The highlight was an energetic, seemingly impromptu, jazz band playing on a street corner, late into the night. But it was our first day; we would find out that this town boasts impromptu bands at any time of day, all over the French Quarter.
Everyone wanted to take an Airboat Swamp Tour which we booked through Premium Tours and Transportation. Highly recommend this outfit because the swamp is a 40-minute drive out of town; they picked us up near our condo and brought us back to town. We hoped to see alligators and our intrepid Captain Scott did not disappoint. He impressed us by hand feeding them off the boat. Scary but fun. We also saw bald eagles, egrets, and a racoon who loves marshmallows. The swamp was a beautiful, wild place we felt privileged to be able to visit.
Restaurants we love included Cane & Table (outdoor courtyard table was so nice), Compere Lapin (one of celebrity-chef Nina Compton’s outposts - highly recommend), and of course the inimitable Commander’s Palace. We enjoyed a fabulous birthday dinner here and the staff treated us like royalty. I tried their famous turtle soup (made with alligator snapping turtles, not endangered sea turtles) and was less than impressed. I much preferred the gumbo. The famed bread pudding soufflé was a show-stopper and delicious, but the table-side crepes suzette were even more fun.
Commander’s Palace is located in the Garden District which is a beautiful part of town to explore on foot. You can take the St. Charles Streetcar from the French Quarter, outside of Mardi Gras weeks, and then meander. We loved it so much we booked a Garden District Walking Tour through Trip Advisor. Our tour guide was Lee and he flamboyantly regaled us with stories about the histories of the houses and residents of this gorgeous area. Did you know Sandra Bullock owns a house here? And John Goodman is a resident? Lots of fun.
Magazine Street is a 6-mile shopper’s mecca located mainly Uptown but also stretching through the Lower Garden District, lined with many locally owned shops, galleries, and restaurants. We loved La Petite Grocery, Stein's Market & Deli (classic Jewish-Italian deli), Ruby Slipper Cafe (shrimp and grits, please), Lionheart Prints (for one-of-a-kind prints and stationery), Fleurty Girl, UAL (United Apparel Liquidators, up to 90% off on past season and overstocks. So fun! Found some pieces from The Great here!), and there’s so much more.
The favorite excursion was a New Orleans Food and History Tour with Dr. Gumbo Tours. Our knowledgeable guide was Beth Kennedy and we loved her wit and knowledge of NOLA food culture. The tour began at 3rd Block Depot Kitchen + Bar with a steaming bowl of gumbo. Theirs was delicious, spicy but not too, and thick, topped with a scoop of warm potato salad. Highly recommend this place for food, ambiance, and inventive cocktails.
Love a poboy and I had my favorite one of the trip at NOLA Poboys (908 Bourbon Street). This place is not fancy, but the food is delicious and it’s open until 4am on weekends in case you’re hungry after a late night.
Leah’s Pralines for the pralines, of course, and my fave, Praline Frosted Pecans. Ate the whole bag, very quickly! This cute little shop is as authentic as it gets and they make their confections daily, right there. Delicious.
Gumbo. It’s not much to look at in the bowl, a dark stew with sausage, chicken, and shrimp (usually) and there are many different “authentic” gumbo recipes out there. Even in NOLA, most people agree that there isn't any one recipe. Most are passed down through families.
I will be the first to admit that the dark roux necessary to make gumbo kicked my as$. I have never attempted a roux so deeply brown it verges on black, so I failed in my first attempt, miserably, due to my inattention at key moments. Our tour guide gave us a recipe which I have adapted below. You will notice that the time to make the chocolate brown roux stove top is on the high side (45-120 minutes?!) My impatience got me in trouble the first time I attempted it, so I caution you to stay vigilant and stay by it, stirring, or try one of the other roux-making methods:
Stove top: Place equal parts oil and flour in a dutch oven or cast iron skillet. Stir over medium heat until melted chocolate colored, 45 minutes - 2 hours?! Say what?
Microwave: Equal parts oil and flour in a Pyrex measuring cup or container. Microwave 4-7 minutes, stopping every minute to stir. Not endorsed by Cajun grandmothers, but purported to work.
Oven: Place equal parts oil and flour in a dutch oven or cast iron skillet. Place in a 375 degree oven, stir every 30 minutes or so. Takes up to 4 hours! to obtain that chocolate brown color.
If you plan to make gumbo regularly, I suggest making a double (or triple) batch of chocolate roux and freezing it in ice cube trays or Souper Cubes.
Gumbo
1 c all-purpose flour
1 c neutral oil, I used avocado but most use canola
Holy Trinity:
1 medium onion, diced
4 ribs celery, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced (I added half a red bell pepper too)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T Cajun seasoning, recipe below
6 c chicken stock
12 oz andouille sausage, sliced into ½” rounds
2 c cooked chicken meat, diced or shredded
1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
Hot sauce, to taste, such as Crystal or Tabasco
Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt
Cajun Spice Blend
Use this for gumbo, or for a flavorful rub on chicken, beef, pork, or veggies
1 T sweet paprika
1 T smoked paprika
2 T garlic powder
1 T onion powder
1 T kosher salt
1 T dried oregano
1 T dried thyme
2 t ground black pepper
2 t cayenne, or more to taste
Mix all ingredients together.
In a heavy Dutch oven or cast iron skillet, whisk together the oil and flour over medium heat. Continue to stir to prevent scorching and cook until the roux is a chocolate brown color. Count on 45 minutes if you keep the heat at medium and stand by all the time, stirring. Otherwise lower the heat, stir frequently, and cook for about an hour, or more. Or, try one of the other roux-making methods mentioned above.
Once your roux is the right color, chocolate brown, add in the Holy Trinity (onions, celery, pepper) over medium high heat and stir until onions soften, 5 minutes. Add garlic and Cajun seasoning and stir for one minute. Add stock in 2 cup increments, stirring in between. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
Add cooked chicken, sausage, and Worcestershire sauce to the gumbo base and continue to simmer 10-15 minutes. To finish, add shrimp and cook 5-10 minutes until cooked through. Taste and adjust seasoning with hot sauce, more Cajun seasoning, and/or salt.
I hope you find success with chocolate roux and enjoy your gumbo. Drop me a comment and let me know how it goes. Until next week, happy cooking!
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