It’s Mardi Gras Time!

It’s that time of year here in New Orleans! It’s Carnival Time and the first parade rolled on  Saturday, February 15^th! This year, Mardi Gras falls on March 4^th, which is a little late compared to last year (February 12). That’s okay because that means king cake season lasts longer!

Speaking of king cakes, NolaCajun offers delicious, fresh baked king cakes that are delivered straight to your door. Our king cakes are made from gourmet Danish pastry dough which are then iced and decorated in the Mardi Gras colors (purple, green, and gold). We offer The Traditional King Cake and Filled King Cake. Our filled king cake comes in a variety of 14 different flavors to choose from:

Apple
Apple Cream Cheese
Bavarian Cheese
Blueberry
Blueberry Cream Cheese
Caramel
Cherry
Chocolate
Cream Cheese
Lemon
Praline
Pineapple
Strawberry
Strawberry Cream Cheese

            For our New Orleans Saints fans, you can purchase our Saints King Cake that is decorated with the Saints black and gold colors. You can also get the Saints King Cake traditional or filled. What a great way to show your team spirit this Mardi Gras season!

We also have Baby King Cakes! These mini king cakes are perfect for a school class or an office Mardi Gras party. They are approximately 5 inches in diameter and feed one person. You get 18 mini cakes for $50.00 which is less than $3.00 a piece!

If you are looking for the perfect Mardi Gras shirt, come take a look at our Mardi Gras Heart and Crown shirt. This shirt is available in purple or white! Perfect for the parade route!

Here at NolaCajun, we cannot wait for the parades to start! And for those that cannot be here in New Orleans for Mardi Gras, we offer these king cakes to you to share a little piece of New Orleans with you this Mardi Gras season!

Ode to Hubig’s Pies

This is it.  The last one for quite some time…

I woke up yesterday morning to what many New Orleanians would consider unbelievably horrible news.  The Hubig’s Pie bakery had burnt to the ground in a five alarm fire.  It began at 4:30am in the fryer room of the bakery.  Luckily, no one was hurt in the blaze.  Four trucks made it out of the bakery for their deliveries before the fire started.  The firefighters were able to contain the fire and saved the surrounding buildings and homes, but the bakery was lost.

When I received news of the fire, I rushed out in search of any remaining pies at our local grocery stores.  They can easily be frozen and if I could stock up, my family’s cravings could be satisfied for the next few months.  Much to my dismay, there were none to be found, I was too late.  In many cases, they had sold out within an hour of the stores’ opening.

When I returned home, I remembered I had bought one at the beginning of the week and had yet to eat it.  So off came the wrapper.  Good bye sweet, flaky crust.  Good bye lemony filling.  Good bye Simon, the cute little baker man…

 

The owners, unsure of how long it will take to rebuild, promise they will reopen.  They must reopen.  Closed for four months after Hurricane Katrina, they are no stranger to adversity.  But the 90 year old bakery will persevere and we will be here waiting.

***We will let our customers know when we are able to offer Hubig’s Pies on our website again.  In the meantime, please help our friends at Hubig’s by purchasing t-shirts from their online store. ***

Home-Made Creole Jambalaya Recipe

Looking to spice things up in your kitchen this summer? This week, try your hand at our family’s jambalaya recipe or do a quick fix with the dinner mixes we offer on our website!

NolaCajun Home-Made Creole Jambalaya Recipe

 

1 yellow onion

1 bell pepper

1 cup celery

6 cloves of garlic

1 link andouille sausage

1 link smoked sausage

4 oz. tasso ham

4 chicken thighs

4 cups chicken broth

Creole seasoning

Dash of Crystal Worcestershire Sauce

2 cups uncooked Zatarain’s Parboiled Rice

Fun Cajun Land Fact:

In New Orleans, we have what is known as the Holy Trinity. In any Creole dish, there are almost always three requirements: onions, bell peppers, and celery. In our world, this ensures that whatever you have decided to cook that day, it will develop with robust flavors and make a bold statement…granted you don’t burn anything.

In a large skillet, slice and cook all sausage until browned. Add cubed chicken thighs and brown together until fully cooked. Next, add all chopped vegetables and seasoning and let cook together until vegetables are transparent and soft. Combine rice in the skillet with a spatula, but be sure not to over work the rice as it may turn mushy once cooked. Add broth and simmer for 20- 25 mins. Taste test as many times as possible to ensure premium flavor & a happy palate and enjoy with family and friends!

If your running low on time and need a quick fix, try our Cajun Jambalaya dinner mixes! All you need is your meat and the box does the rest of the magic for you.

Have you tried our recipes or have any new and interesting ones of your own? Share your recipes with us! We would love to feature it on our blog, Facebook page, Twitter, and Pinterest! This goes for all of our products! We are always looking for great ideas from our loyal customers!

Running of the Bulls

July 14^th, 2012 marks the annual Running of the Bulls, a city wide event where New Orleanians and guests do their best to give the Spaniards a run for their money! The streets of the French Quarter are overrun with patrons dressed in traditional white shirts and shorts tied together with red sashes as they are chased by beautiful “bulls”, the Big Easy Rollergirl’s, New Orleans female roller derby team.

 

 Beginning at 8 a.m. sharp, the “bulls” chase runners and swing plastic Whiffle ball bats at those who dare not to keep up during the mile long run as they storm down Decatur and hopefully arrive safe and sound at whatever bar is closest to the finish line! With a call time set that early on a Saturday morning, a strong cup of CDM coffee might do the body good, but if you’re ready to run with the best of them I recommend a tall Bloody Mary bright and early to prepare your body for hours of day-drinking ahead of you. There are only five rules for this Spanish inspired Cajun run:

• Run at your own risk
• Do not touch the Bulls
• If you go down, stay down
• Do not stand still
• Children under ten (10) use sidewalk.

After the run, if you have survived the spanks and spills, the Big Easy nominee for Best Latin Band, Vivaz!, will be performing tradition Latin music to seduce your hips and tempt your lips for an ice cold beverage. After the festivities, we recommend you spend the remainder of your day in the Quarter socializing with other fellow survivors, trading stories of gallant bravery and defeat! Grab a muffuletta from Central Grocery for lunch or at the infinite number of delicious Creole restaurants and perhaps consider switching from that stout adult beverage to a more family friendly & local favorite like Abita Root Beer to wash the day down! Registration is FREE, just be sure you can afford to let loose and enjoy the beautiful chaos that is New Orleans!

WHAT: 6th Annual Running of the Bulls in New Orleans
WHERE: The Sugar Mill • 1021 Convention Center Boulevard
WHEN: Saturday, July 14th
7:15 am Procession of San Fermin
8:00 AM SHARP El Encierro (bull run) begins

http://www.nolabulls.com/index.asp?id=10