Above, Liz Langlois escapes the city for a day at the beach with Matthew and Abby. Below, husband Dave snags some booty when the Mardi Gras parade passes through town.
Liz Langlois has called New Orleans home since 1992 when she first arrived to attend graduate school. She married a local native, learned to cook regional seafood and gumbo dishes, and even became a fan of Tulane University’s baseball team. Mardi Gras? She hasn’t missed the city’s seasonal soiree in 17 years.
You can’t get much Big Easy-er than that.
And like a true local, Liz is quick to point out that Mardi Gras is not simply about the wild parties often portrayed on the television news. “The media don’t show enough of the family aspects of the event, which is really a shame,” Liz says. “There is much more to Mardi Gras than beads on Bourbon Street. It really is just a nice two-week period to spend time with friends, sit out on the street and watch parades and enjoy the weather.”
And maybe chow down on some of Liz’s mouthwateringly memorable Meatloaf in a Bread Loaf.
It’s one time when Liz’s New Orleans leanings give way to a comforting old
But that’s pretty much the extent of Midwestern influences in the Langlois kitchen. “I grew up around a lot of casseroles, and Dave’s kind of an anti-casserole guy,” says Liz, a research scientist and project manager for the Tulane School of Public Health.
Dave, who runs a small construction company and also serves as a Cub Scout den leader, grew up learning “Nawlins” cooking first-hand from his mother and father. “I tell you, he makes the best fried oysters I’ve ever had,” says Liz of her favorite dish prepared by Dave.
With both of them employed full-time and Liz also working on a Masters degree in geography at the University of New
Liz and Dave are regulars at a favorite open-air seafood market where they buy everything from oysters, shrimp and crabs to fish bones for the stockpot. And they frequent year-round produce stands where tomatoes, squash, spinach and eggplant are abundant.
It’s a far cry from Liz’s time in Africa as a Peace Corps volunteer, a stint which followed her undergraduate studies in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In Cameroon there was no bounty of cooking staples, not even refrigeration. “It was challenging there,” recalls Liz. “That was my cooking hiatus.”
She’s more than making up for it as a naturalized citizen of New Orleans.
Although this is not a traditional Mardi Gras recipe, Liz likes to make this to take along to the Mardi Gras parades. In fact, this used to be a staple for Liz's family when tailgating for Notre Dame football games.
Preheat oven to 350°. Hollow out the top and bottom of the Vienna bread, making sure not to cut through the bottom. Set aside the top of the bread to use as a “lid.”
Put a handful of the remaining bread in the blender to make the 1/2 cup bread crumbs you’ll need. Discard the rest or save for another use. In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, bread crumbs, CHIVES, eggs, CAJUN SEASONING, salt, PEPPER and Worcestershire sauce. Mix. Form into a loaf the same shape and a little longer than the loaf of bread (it will shrink a bit during cooking). Place in a roasting pan. Cut the bacon slices in half crosswise and arrange nicely over the top of the meatloaf. Bake at 350° for 1 hour. In a small bowl, blend together the butter and mustard. Spread the inside of the hollowed loaf with the mixture. Place the hot meatloaf carefully into the hollowed out bread loaf and cover with the top of the bread. Wrap securely in heavy foil for 30 minutes to allow the juices to soak into the bread. This can be served hot, room temperature or cold. The foil wrapped package is great for carrying to a picnic or tailgate party.
Prep. time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour plus 30 minutes resting time
Serves: 8-10
Nutritional Information: Servings 10;
Serving Size 7 oz. (198g); Calories 520; Calories from fat 250; Total fat 28g; Cholesterol 120mg; Sodium 980mg; Carbohydrate 40g; Dietary Fiber 2g.
Starting with homemade turkey stock really does make a difference in this classic Cajun dish.
Slice the sausage into 1/2-inch thick slices and set aside. In a large stockpot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly until
golden to medium brown. This should take about 10 minutes. Add the onions, celery, bell peppers and garlic and cook until the vegetables are softened, about 5-10 minutes. Add the turkey and sausage and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the turkey stock, one ladle at a time, stirring constantly to incorporate the stock into the thickened sauce. Add the BAY LEAVES, salt and PEPPER. Bring to a rolling boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 2-3 hours. Skim off and discard any fat or oil that rises to the surface. Add the GUMBO FILE to thicken, if desired. Shortly before serving, add the THYME. Serve over the rice and sprinkle with extra GUMBO FILE before serving, if desired.
Note: To make turkey stock, remove the meat from a roasted turkey and reserve. Place the turkey bones in a large pot with 1 chopped onion, 3 chopped carrots and 5 stalks of celery. Cover with water and simmer for 1-2 hours. Strain.
Prep. time: 20 minutes plus stock cooking time
Cooking time: 21/2 -31/2 hours
Serves: 8-10
Nutritional Information: Servings 32;
Serving Size 1 1/2 cups (401g); Calories 500; Calories from fat 230; Total fat 26g; Cholesterol 70mg; Sodium 650mg; Carbohydrate 41g; Dietary Fiber 2g.
This is a simple, nutritious side dish traditionally served with smoked sausage or andouille.
Rinse the beans in a colander. Pick out any gravel or other debris. Place the beans in a large bowl and cover with water. Soak the beans overnight. When ready to cook, drain the beans and set aside. In a large stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic and cook until soft. Add the BAY LEAVES and THYME and cook for 2 minutes. Add the beans and ham. Add enough water to cover everything by 1 inch and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the skin on the beans is tender and the beans are softened, about 2-3 hours. Season to taste with salt and PEPPER. Remove the BAY LEAVES and serve over rice with sausage on the side if desired.
Prep. time: 10 minutes plus overnight bean soaking time
Cooking time: 2-3 hours
Serves: 6
Nutritional Information: Servings 6;
Serving Size 1 1/2 cups (344g); Calories 540; Calories from fat 90; Total fat 10g; Cholesterol 20mg; Sodium 460mg; Carbohydrate 91g; Dietary Fiber 3g.
