My mouth starts watering and my blood flows faster just thinking about jambalaya, etouffee and gumbo. But are these dishes Cajun or Creole? Which culture is the author of these incredible recipes? The Cajuns and the Creoles have been dueling over the ownership of these delectably divine dishes for decades. Cajun and Creole cooks get their inspiration from blending the same regional ideas and food with their different ancestry.

So what is their ancestry? The Cajuns and Creoles both have French roots but Creoles can also be a mixture of African, Spanish, Italian and Native American. Creoles are proud to have family roots in Lousiana, were more cosmopolitan, and settled in what is now called the French Quarter.

A Big Slice is proud to present our very own wine tasting kit, the Bacchus Box, a complete evening of fun in one rosewood box! Challenge your friends to a taste off. May the best wine win! No one, not even the host, knows the identities of the selections. Observe, smell, taste, rank, vote. Was yours the nectar ...or the salad dressing? A relaxed and fun way to discover new favorites. And remember, there is always a next time with the Bacchus Box. Includes everything you need (except wine and glasses) and a free 12 minute instructional DVD. Great gift! To check out the Bacchus Box, click on the bar above. A Big Slice is a very large website (including over 200 recipes!) that is organized thematically. But if you know what you are looking for, just click on the bar above and it will take you to our search page. Type in the term, or recipe in the space provided and it will take you directly to that page. If any links appear to be broken, please let us know at:

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Cajun and Creole cuisine weaves its web with great spices, herbs and roux. Green peppers, onions and celery, "the holy trinity", are culinary favorites in both cuisines. Cayenne pepper, corn, beans and okra are usual suspects in most dishes too.

The Cajuns are considered an ethnic people having come from Arcadia speaking a French dialect. They settled in southern Louisiana but Cajun Country has now spread to the outskirts of New Orleans.

Creole concoctions are usually milder and " prettier" and more sophisticated than Cajun since they use butter and cream rather than pork fat. They add tomatoes to their jambalaya and their gumbo, a no-no in Cajun cooking. The Cajuns use more spice and could care less if their pots of gloriously tasty foodstuffs are not picture perfect. The Cajuns are fussy, however, about their gravy. 

Gravy is brown and Cajuns are totally indifferent to the white stuff. It's never a powder in a packet but must be made from the drippings of slowly cooked meat. And it's thick. Thick and brown and full of meaty seasoned flavors served over their number one staple, rice. Cajun fast food is the boudin, a sausage stuffed with pork, onions, green peppers and cooked rice and eat it like a local by squeezing the inners out of the casing right into your mouth.
Of course, there's the crayfish and the etouffee, made from crayfish fat, and the oysters and shrimp dishes and the beignets.

Now, can you image the great smells that will explode in your kitchen if you have a Cajun or Creole food adventure. You will create a "gumbo ya-ya", that's everyone talking at once about how terrific a big pot of anything and everything can taste.
So what’s the difference between Cajun and Creole cuisine? Who cares!

Their delicious labyrinth of spices, herbs, meats and vegetables, their unique and fascinating customs, their way of making even a funeral a parade, have become the trademark of New Orleans.

And if you decide not to turn your kitchen into a Mardi Gras celebration, another great way to experience these amazing tastes is to take a trip to New Orleans. After the disastrous Katrina destroyed so much, this extraordinary city truly needs our support.