Plated

From Eating Styles and Worldy Cuisines to Niche cultures and Regional Delights, Plated has your palate covered.

Plated -Ezine Spring Semester | 1

Table of The Future Of Barbecue

Holy Cow!

pg. 16

Pizza: Austin vs Italian

pg. 10

pg. 14

Conviozione Errata

pg. 20

contents Veganism in Austin

pg. 26 Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler

pg. 32

Inside Gumbo

pg. 22

Scales of Veganism

pg. 28

Letter From Dear Food Enthusiasts, Welcome to the very first and only edition of Plated, created to display the cultural value of food in Austin, Texas. In this magazine we have compiled refined works about cultural cuisines commonly seen in our diversity. We have dedicated countless hours of our time to create these pieces which you will feast your eyes upon in the following pages. If you aren’t hungry by the end of this magazine then we might have a predicament on our hands.

Enjoy, Not so sincerely the Editors, Authors etc.

Rebecca Yu

Anjali Velagapudi

ZoĂŤ Haug

Alec Ewe

the Editors

Above: Photo of the editors Rebecca, Anjali, Zoe and Alec leaning on a rail.

Photo provided by Sophia Giulietti

MEAT THE alec Ewe

Despite his passion for incorrect spelling (We aren’t in England), Alec is a hard worker with a fierce amount of determination running through his veins.

Though he can be blunt at times, it’s overridden by passion for the work he does and care for people he works with.

Anjali Velagapudi

Anjali loves many things in life, but her favorite has got to be cheese. Besides that, her great sense of humor and fun personality brightens everyone’s day.

From writing articles to telling jokes, she manages to get things done, and have fun while doing it.

All images on “Meat the Editors” provided by the Editors

8

EDITORS Rebecca Yu

Rebecca has a powerful presence. When she walks into the room, everyone wants to be her friend. Though not the most punctual, she certainly makes up for lost time with her wild stories and playful attitude.

Zoe Haug

Zoe is kind of like your average theater kid, she’s loud and outspoken.

She loves working with photos and visual art, though she’s picky about color schemes. Though her outspoken character is not always helpful, she sure is fun to be around.

Plated -Ezine Spring Semester | 9

The Future of Barbecue Written by Alec Ewe

With time comes change, even in BBQ

10

arbecue may not be as straightforward as you think, and it’s evolving at a rapid pace.

Many pitmasters are just now discovering where their food can really go.

Kerlin, the founder and pitmaster of Kerlin BBQ, said that most Texan barbecue restaurants used Post Oak wood to give the meat a special flavor. This is one of the main defining factors of barbecue.

The capital of Texas is the capital of barbecue: Austin.

Barbecue in Texas has been most entirely defined by the many restaurants that were established in and near Austin.

Now a new generation of pitmasters and barbecue lovers are growing, and the concept of barbecue is growing with them.

Many restaurants have created new styles of barbecue, some influenced by the culture of Texas and life at home, while others are experimenting with new cuts of meat. Even in this new era of barbecue many aspects of what we already know to be traditional Texan barbecue is still sticking around and some restaurants are committed to keeping the concept alive.

Barbecue in Texas is defined by two factors traditionally used in original barbecue recipes. Bill

Evan Leroy is the founder and pitmaster of Leroy & Lewis BBQ, and a prestiged pitmaster within the industry with experience from restaurants such as Freedmen’s.

B

“Texas barbecue is defined by beef, because that is kind of where it started,” Leroy said. This, being the second factor, really is true, as beef is the traditional Texan cut of meat.

of immigration from Germany in the mid 1880s around the time that Texas was being settled happened all at the same time, creating Texas barbecue.”

Leroy & Lewis BBQ have been attempting to change the core aspects of barbecue. They tend to use beef cheek, an underused cut of meat, instead of cuts like brisket.

According to Leroy, the particular factors that influenced the style of barbecue commonly seen today are mostly that of immigration and migration.

“I always tell people there is no reason to open another brisket, ribs and sausage joint in Austin, because half the top ten are here,” Leroy said. “So you have to set yourself aside with something and a lot of barbecue joints do it with their sides but we try to do it with every sort of thing from sourcing to butchering to the sides that we offer to our whole vibe and everything we present”.

“The cattle drives come up north from Mexico, and the smoking tradition is coming in from the East,” Leroy said. “[These] geographical and migratory factors and also influx

Other restaurants are already shooting to the top of the lists of best barbecue in Texas, including the up-and-coming Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ. Valentina’s is family owned and operated and it Plated -Ezine Spring Semester | 11

Leroy & Lewis BBQ serves creative sides and a large variety of meats from their food truck.

Photo courtesy of Leroy & Lewis BBQ.

“There was one defining moment where I went back home and my dad had barbecued and made a brisket and some ribs and chicken and my mom had made tortillas and beans and some fresh avocado there and I sit down to have dinner with them, and I looked at my dad, and I was like, ‘This is it, this is what I want to serve.’ He was like “‘What?’”

Owner and Founder of Valentina’s, Miguel Vidal, said. “Just what we do in this backyard is what I want to bring to everyone.”

And that is just what Vidal has done, he created a side of barbecue that has always been 12

“I would think that as the people that are doing this because it is a tradition, I feel like we are taking up this mantle, almost a responsibility, to put our own mark on it in order to carry it to the next generation,” Leroy said. Every time that barbecue is passed down to the next generation the concept of it changes just a little bit, and now we are witnessing that next generation.

around, but only now has been able to come to the frontlines of the industry.

This is food that is family made Though many restaurants are and has stayed in the backyard working to make a new definition for generations, of barbecue, some just waiting to choose to try come up to to keep the the top.

I feel like we are traditionality taking up this mantle, of barbecue “We have a flowing, just the saying called almost a responsibility, way it has been ‘hecho con to put our own mark for years. Kerlin amor’, made said that his with love. on it in order to barbecue doesn’t Our food, carry it to the next really use any we want to new factors, it’s make sure it generation just traditional comes from Texan barbecue. our heart,” Sometimes Vidal said. “So keeping the business the idea is to treat everyone like traditional is the best way to family; everyone that comes up satisfy customers. for food”.

With the cost of opening up a

“

“

shows in their food.

Barbecue has been passed down and will continue to do so for a long time. Through family and tradition it will continue to be passed on for generations, just like it was decades before now.

new restaurant, traditional or not, most of these new barbecue establishments are choosing to operate as food trucks.

BBQ are all food trucks currently. As they become the next generation they are gaining tremendous support.

Valentina’s covered seating has many family photos and decorations. Photo courtesy of Alec Ewe

“It’s a pretty low overhead, so the rent is pretty cheap, that’s pretty much the only benefit,” Leroy said. “It’s pretty difficult to run a food truck actually.” Starting “We definitely up a food truck is good for getting into the business, though it has its want to open up downsides as well. a brick and mortar location, so very soon, we To run a food truck it takes a want to open up a [location] with a brewery attached,” Leroy lot of effort that isn’t required if said. the establishment were brick and mortar.

Valentina’s also plans to create a permanent location soon, and they “We have to have two places,” have already started the process Leroy said. “A food truck and of doing so. The next generation like a commissary kitchen.” In of barbecue is starting to pick addition to these they must also up momentum and soon may keep open a part time office. overtake Running a food truck like Leroy the & Lewis BBQ is hard, but it’s a great start on the road to success.

Leroy & Lewis BBQ, Valentina’s, and Kerlin

currently recognized tradition of barbecue. As all of these establishments succeed and start to transition away from food trucks, you should keep an eye out for them.

Miguel Vidal stands in front of the original Valentina’s food truck at its new location.

Photo courtesy of Alec Ewe

Plated -Ezine Spring Semester | 13

Holy Cow! Written By Alec Ewe Sirloin These are the basic cuts of meat which are most commonly used in a culinary capacity. Some are more used for barbecue while others are more relevant to a steakhouse or other meals.

Round The round tends to be a large piece of meat and is often cut into multiple sections. It is usually lean and can contain some bone.

The round is great to roast slowly until it reaches a good medium rare consistency.

The round is more often served as a cold cut that is sliced thin than a steak.

Short Loin, Tenderloin, Sirloins Short loin, tenderloin, and the majority of sirloins are the most desirable cuts of meat on the cow. As visualized they are often small and hard to acquire. Short loin includes steaks such as the T-bone, while the tenderloin contains the most desirable steaks such as the filet mignon. These are all the most tender types of meat and are generally grilled and served at steakhouses.

14

Tenderloin Top Sirloin

Round

Bottom Sirloin

Short Loin

Flank

Shank

Brisket Brisket is one of the most iconic and flavorful cuts of meat on the market. It mostly defines Texan barbecue, along with Post Oak pits. Brisket is a must get at most restaurants; its flavorful and tender. Brisket is definitely one of the most common meats available and most every BBQ restaurant serves a variant of it.

R

Pla

Information provided by Danilo Alfaro, Clover Meadows Beef and Hirsch’s Meats.

Graphics courtesy of Alec Ewe

Cheek

Chuck

ate

Brisket

k Nec

Rib

Head

Cheek Beef cheeks are some of the most tender of beef cuts and are a great alternative cut. Although it sounds bad, beef cheeks are actually really tasty, and happen to be somewhat like brisket. Restaurants like LeRoy & Lewis BBQ serve beef cheek regularly on their menu.

Chuck The chuck creates large steaks with a few bones. They tend to to contain a lot of fat, making it great for being made into ground beef. The chuck tends to not be very tender considering its consistency. The chuck is also perfect for making beef stews and pot roast, helping to make the meat more tender.

Shank Beef shank is one of the more useless cuts of meat. It’s tough, tightly bound meat and is hard to chew through. Each cow has four shanks, two sets in total. They are generally classified as being forequarter or hindquarter shanks.

Flank Flank steak is perfect to be grilled and is often marinated to give more flavor and help keep the meat from overcooking. Flank steak consists of mostly meat and almost no fat. It tends to be less tender, though it creates a great flavor when grilled right.

Rib Ribs are a great compliment to any BBQ meal. They consist of meat wrapped around a bone, and when cooked just right, it falls right off. Ribs are usually tender and are mostly defined by the way they are cooked (i.e. the fire, type of rub and of course the sauce).

Plated -Ezine Spring Semester | 15

Conviozone Errata Written by: Anjali Velagapudi

Photo Courtesy of Tasting Table 16

Italian food. A cuisine filled with carbs, cheese, and a lot of sauce. Delicious. But thats all Italian food is. Fat. Or is it?

You’re having a terrible day. Nothing’s going right at all.

Flunking your test that you “studied” for, tripping down the stairs, and stepping in a puddle of mud is what’s happened to you today.

Honey pizza’s here!

What?! The mood of the day has just changed drastically. You can already smell the cheesy pie slices. With that and the smell of marinara sauce on your mind, you race downstairs mindlessly, almost breaking your leg in the process, as you had done before. And there it is.

The perfectly circular, and decorated pizza.

Wow. You thank the Italian gods for making this creation and then ravishly eat your meal.

Then for a second, you wish you could visit Italy. What fun right?

More of this pizza that you love so much. For the people that actually go to Italy, however, they realize that it’s different. Very different.

Italian food. What is it? Something that is only served in Italy?

Something that is made with only traditional ingredients? Or is it just the mindset of trying to make it Italian that makes a food fall under the category?

With a solid amount differing views, we all have a slightly different viewpoint, but there are always stereotypes.

Some true, some very false. Few know which are which, so everybody believes the most popular one. So, which Italian

This picture showcases Cannoli, a traditional Italian dessert.

Photo Courtesy of Giuseppe’s Pizza and Subs.

stereotypes are false?

When people think of Italian food, they may think of pizza, pasta, and things like that.

“Italian” foods if you will. Why? Well to some it could be because of how oily it is. To others it could be about how much it tastes like garlic.

Your classification of Italian food is yours, and it varies person to person. We all agree on certain stereotypes, and sometimes, those stereotypes aren’t always true.

“There are many things that people assume

about Italian food, without actual facts,” Daniel Meglino said.”Even though I grew up mainly on Korean culture, I still eat Italian food and I still know that people’s thoughts about the cuisine are often wrong.”

Meglino is a KoreanItalian student at Westlake High School who has been impacted by both his cultures. He feels more affiliated with his Korean side, but he still believes he’s an expert on his Italian side too.

Many think that Italian food is defined by the

prominence of something in the food.

“I always thought Italian food had a bunch of garlic in it because everything I ate that was Italian seemed to be garlic, like garlic bread... and also pasta; you can taste the garlic in that.”

Sofia Galvan said.

Sofia plays tennis as a freshman at Westlake High School.

She loves Italian food, but doesn’t eat it a lot due to the amount of carbs in it. She considers herself a hardcore pasta stan.

“It’s ridiculous, honestly, how people judge cuisines by how much of a single

ingredient is in them,” Cole Little said.

Little is a 24 year-old with Italian heritage. “I wish people would take the time to learn more about cuisines and what goes into each of them.” he said. “Learning about a culture is a fun experience and I wish people would be more open to that and take the time to actually try to learn before assuming.”

Along with garlic, a lot of people think most carb loaded or fatty foods are Italian (pizza, spaghetti with meatballs, alfredo sauce, etc.). However, for one,

Pizza, a traditionally Italian food, has become a signature piece of American culture. Photo courtesy of Anjali Velagapudi

18

Daniel Meglino, an Italian student at Westlake highschool, eating his lunch which usually consists of at least one piece of Italian cuisine.

Photo Courtesy of Anjali Velagapudi

almost everything these days is carb loaded or fatty and two, for something like pasta, which we probably imagine as something that has a lot of sauce and a lot of carbs, can also not contain them.

Yes, those meals are served, but the more typical type of pasta is Pasta al Pomodoro, which is just a simple pasta with basil, olive oil, and a slight amount of tomato sauce.

Many Italians get offended by the creation of

canned pasta. Canned??

Really?? A meal that’s supposed to be served fresh and feel like it was just made, in a tin can?

Unacceptable. “Honestly almost any canned food should be banned, but who’s great idea was it to literally put noodles in a can?” Meglino said.

Another thing many Italian’s find triggering, as most people would for their cuisine, is the fact that something that was created to be a main dish is being used as a side dish and is being utterly disregarded. This isn’t specifically an Italian thing though, because anybody who creates

a main dish probably wants it to stay a main dish.

This picture features garlic bread, a staple in Italian cuisine.

Photo Courtesy of Anjali Velagapudi.

One of the biggest misconception is that, well, Italian food is just fat. Fatty foods. “I

“

“

Italian food is much more diverse than many people believe

literally though that it was just a bunch of oil when I ate a bunch of pizza and pastas. I went to Italy for vacation once though, and it was so different. I didn’t expect to like the food over there better. I definitely felt less fat after eating it,” Autumn Forgey said.

Autumn is an 8th grader at Lake Travis Middle School. She enjoys all the fine arts. She eats at restaurants frequently, and hopes that she’ll get a chance to open one herself.

Full of oil, fats, and sugars. Yes there are the fatty sides to their cuisine, which is the side we all know. The pastas, the pizzas, the lasagna, yes it’s fatty, but they don’t survive on those alone. Italians are not inhumane; they aren’t some aliens that only eat fats. They have their healthy parts of their diets too. They eat many vegetables and fruits, and often, when at home, they put the nutritious vegetables together with the pasta, balancing the dish, just

like we do here.

“I hate how pizza has changed; it’s become something almost unrecognizable and not in a good way,” Little said. “I can’t wait for the day I graduate and actually earn enough money to buy and make quality pizza.”

Many people, when they think of pizza, they think of a thick-crusted, multitudinously topped, and a lot of cheese. While the latter is true, the others aren’t necessarily. A lot of pizzas aren’t thick crusted, and most of them aren’t pizza-hut thick. Also, the main type of Italian pizza, has one topping: a basil leaf. No mushrooms, pepperoni, olives, or anything else.

We all love our Italian food.

There are two reasons why you wouldn’t. You’re allergic or you actually don’t like it. But even

with that, I think that there isn’t a person in the world who truly, 100% hates the cuisine. And I feel it’s because it’s so diverse. Italian food isn’t just one thing. It isn’t just a bunch of sauce. It isn’t just a bunch of carbs. Yes, we do love that mutation of Italian food, but that’s not what defines it. Italian food is diverse, just like other cuisines, and just like us as well.

Plated -Ezine Spring Semester | 19

Austin Italian vs Pizza

Graphics courtesy of: Alec Ewe Anjali Velagapudi Liora Susswein Zoe Haug

20

While some parts of Ithe different pizzas are similar, the small diffference in proportions is what creates a vast difference between the two types of pizzas.

Austin:

Number Of Toppings

Number Of Cheeses

Ingredients

:Italy

There are many different types of pizzas, and all of them are diverse in many different areas. This is a rough average of the amount of items on a Traditional Italian pizza and an “Austinized pizza�

Plated -Ezine Spring Semester | 21

Information provided by: Pizza Today Food & Wine Hungry Howies

Size Of Pizza Crust

Diameter Of Pizza

Amount Of Tomato Sauce

Austin’s Vegan Community A Gem In The Heart of Texas Written by Rebecca Yu

This mural pictured, found on E Cesar Chavez St., is not only the heart of East Austin, but also many vegan establishments.

Photo by Rebecca Yu

22

exas is known for its meat and for its barbeque, however in the midst of this meat-filled landscape, Austin acts as an oasis in the desert with a thriving veganist culture. This ever growing community of vegans has transformed the capital city into an eco friendly and welcoming society.

T

Austin has been known for its environmental consciousness and unique characteristics that has made Austin different from other cities for decades now. Due to its diversity, many different people are drawn to the city and it is ranked as one of the most vegan and vegetarian friendly cities in the country

by various websites including Huffington Post and Vegan Bits.

This is supported by the abundance of vegan restaurants scattered through all corners of the city and its suburbs.

Even though the vegan community is already extensive, the diet and lifestyle will expand even further, making it the majority of the Austin area.

Marley Angle, a vegan high school student, believes that we are all trying to do the best that we can to improve our world and to treat animals humanely.

Everything makes a difference in the long run. If you are able to stay conscious in the ways that you purchase items and the companies you are supporting, you will be able to impact the world in a better way.

Animal Pictured above is vegan pizza from Counter rights are Culture, a vegan restaurant in East Central a primary Austin. motivation for Photo courtesy of Julie Bishop people to enter the vegan community.

Many people are I said unaware of the animal most people are cruelty that takes place vegetarian. I just just under their noses. gradually got there over The majority of those the years.” involved in the vegan community began with In Austin, the vegan interests in activism like community has been able Sue Davis, who owns to help in limiting and the restaurant Counter stopping the majority Culture in Central-East of animal harm and that Austin. of the environment. In the past few years, the “Animal activism Austin City Council has definitely, I was living in created multiple rulings San Francisco in 1990 to help our environment and I was invited to this including a plastic bag protest against animal ban and city-endorsed testing… it was a PETA composting bins. protest and I went and it just opened my eyes to “Austinites have not what animals and animal been composting testing,” Davis said, “I because it’s not was just onboard right accessible,” Pascale away...so I never really Easterday, an omnivore looked back. I wished I in Austin said, “Now went vegan that day but that the city has become

Plated -Ezine Spring Semester | 23

Pictured above is vegan Avocado Cheescake from Counter Culture, a staple from the East Austin restaurant.

Photo by Rebecca Yu

The City Council added compost bins to Austin on June 25, 2018. They have been stitched into the city ever so seamlessly with the help of the locals.

Even though it is still a new development, it can become a defining trait of Austin’s environmental goal of helping the planet.

24

“

I want to save more animals, so if omnivores come in the door that are skeptical, ... and they leave saying, ‘I will be back,’ that makes my day

“

more environmentally conscious, they have listened to the citizens by providing compost bins to every household in Austin.”

“I feel like Austin kind

of incorporated [composting] because we wanted to be a more environmentally conscious city,” Angle

said.

The citizens of Austin are also able to contribute to the wellbeing of the city, both indirectly and directly. On account of the small influences and choices that the city gives the citizens, they are able to create a new environment in which to thrive. For example, when walking in the park, there are garbage/recycling cans at every corner.

“I would visit Austin and I’d lived here prior and I was just saying to myself, Austin really needs more vegan food,” Davis said, “There’s something missing and someone’s going to do it.

And I [thought], before someone else does, I just need to hop on it. So I moved back here and took a chance.”

Austin has experienced a significant transformation in the past 40 years. Now, it has an accepting and diverse environment in which to thrive. Once a small vegan community set up shop in the city,

more and more local vegan restaurants joined in and created the vast society we have today.

Austin was the perfect place for a new business because of the low prices compared to other cities.

According to Davis, it was a new place to seed the vegan culture. As more people learned about the vegan uprising in Austin, they started to move and explore veganism, even if they weren’t already part of the lifestyle.

“I mainly want to reach omnivores,” Davis said, “ You know, the vegans are going to eat vegan, and they support me and, they’re great, but for me, I want to save more animals. So if omnivores come in the door that are skeptical, and that never had a vegan meal, and they leave saying, ‘I will be back,’ that makes my day.”

With this mindset, the restaurant owners were able to touch new people and tourists with vegan culture as well. Eventually, the community grew large

enough, that everyone within the city knew about the vegan culture.

There is a place for all types of people in the vegan community, big or small. It is very important to know that there are people out there that host functions for keeping up with their fellow business owners and improving the cities that they are a part of. “I host a vegan business meetup,” Davis said, “Once every other month and we’ll share ideas or talk about issues and help each other out.

And I think that’s important not to think of others as competitive, but really build a

community.”

Austin has been known to be welcoming in more ways than one.

Marley Angle shares her experiences with eating out at restaurants in Austin while practicing a vegan diet.

“They’re advocating a lot more vegan friendly options on the menu…

I feel like vegans are really more included [than they have been in the

past],” Angle said, “Now that this is a mainstream thing, there are a lot more people interested in switching to the lifestyle.”

This is comforting to hear for many ears because veganism is an environmentally conscious choice for us as a whole. Something that can be taken into consideration, is

that veganism can be considered a new trend rather than an impacting change in society.

Easterday said that this may be true, but it will still leave some with the lifestyle. Although it may not grow big enough to have a lasting effect on the earth, she continues to say, it is still growing, and still could potentially help many people.

Counter Culture, owned by Sue Davis, is a vegan restaurant with a diverse menu.

Photo by Rebecca Yu

Plated -Ezine Spring Semester | 25

Levels of veganism

By Rebecca Yu A common misconception of vegansim is that there are only two ways to embrace the diet, while in reality, there is a vast spectrum of veganism. People think you can only be a full on veganism, or not one at all.

Ovo-Lacto Vegetarian

Ovo-Lacto Vegetarians are classified a by their Vegan diet with the ommition of dairy and eggs. They do not eat meat or any other animal products.

Vegetarian

Vegetarians are able to eat most animal products, but refrain from consuming any meats. They eat greens and substitutions for meat such as tofu.

26

Vegan

Veganism is classified as a way of life in which people do not consume or use animal products in clothing, funriture, food, etc.

Lacto Vegetarian

Ovo Vegetarian Lacto Vegetarians follow the diet of a vegan with the exception of milk by staying clear of eggs, meat, and all other animal products.

Ovo Vegetarians are closely related to vegans in the fact that they do not eat any animal products.The only animal product they consume are eggs.

Info provided by The Vegan Society, The Vegitarian Soctiety and Vegitarian Nation Graphics courtesy of Rebecca Yu Plated -Ezine Spring Semester | 27

Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler New Orleans in Austin Created by Zoe Haug

S

pices that fill your mouth.

Flavors that sing home and beg for a return visit to the bayou-ridden lands of Louisiana.

Cajun food has a deep rooted history full of culture, celebrations and flavor. When such a unique culture begins to move, it can change both the original cuisine and the cuisine of the location it migrates to.

Austin, Texas has a unique culinary landscape. Texas is a huge melting pot, but Austin is arguably the most melted of all sections of the pot due to many people with diverse cultural backgrounds. Many cultures have found a home in Austin.

Local cuisines follow them, and in this new environment, cultures and cuisines adapt and intermingle.

It’s a phenomenon that results in the tropicalizing of many traditional dishes.

This means taking cultural cuisines and putting them into tacos and gourmet burgers. When the economy in Texas began to boom, with oil and

Etoufee is a classic Cajun dish with a creamy and rich sauce. Usually garnished with green onions, it makes for the perfect meal.

Photo Courtesy of Zoe Haug

28

This Seafood Gumbo is a common order at Cypress Grill.

Overflowing with flavor, people eat it as an appetizer and a full meal.

Photo Courtesy of Zoe Haug

railroads, Cajun culture began it’s migration into Texas.

The food, however, can lessen its presence as you get further away from the border. When you do manage to find a concentrated area of Cajun and Creole, it’s like you never left Louisiana.

Cajun Food is a complicated concept to explain. It’s full of spices and flavor. It’s so diverse and huge that it becomes difficult to put into words.

Despite all the similarities within Cajun cuisine, the differences in the cooking style of different dishes are prevalent. “Define Cajun Food,” Alex Amaro, the Head Chef at Sawyer & Co., a diner-style Cajun restaurant, said. “But I would say Cajun food is homey food for family cooking. Cajun food is what really is outside of New Orleans. So, it’s in the country and in the swamp land and, people: they’re kind of gathered around.”

Along with the final

product that ends up on the table, the time and spices that go into cooking are important. It’s about the flavors that are ever present throughout Louisiana.

“You’re going to have a lot of oregano and then you have the thyme, bay leaves,” Nick Lowell, Former Chef at the local Cajun Bar and Grill, Cypress Grill, said. “I mean those are the golden keys, but you’re also going to have onion, celery.

It’s weird, because from mystudying of Louisiana culture, some [dishes] are going to use a red base,

and some aren’t going to use a red base at all,” Lowell informed.

“So, you can have a chicken jambalaya and it’s going to be red. You can also have one that is completely dark.

It has no tomato duration at all.”

There are not very many Cajun Restaurants in Austin. That’s not to say that there is an inherent lack

of Cajun cuisine, it is more so to state that it doesn’t dominate the food scene.

However, the smiling southern hospitality is ever-present in Austin, and so all sorts of food and cultures are welcome.

“I think Austin is very open to just different types of food, cultures. It’s great how open Austin is with food,” Amaro said.

“Because you’d have anything from Asian

Plated -Ezine Spring Semester | 29

“

to incorporate or tropicalize Cajun food to meet with Austin’s wants. He said that one thing he does is take

“

to Cajun to Creole, Mexico, Spanish.

Like, there’s just so many different types of cuisines

I think Austin is very open to just different types of food, cultures.

It’s great how open Austin is with food

here in Austin. And the fact that all these businesses are doing so well, it just means that the public in general really appreciates that: The fact that they can get any type of food here.”

Grillades meat, a tender and slowstewed pork or beef, and put it into tacos.

This is the perfect marriage of Austin and Louisiana; an Austinite take on a classic.

The widespread food landscape is so iconic in Austin that it may rival the reputation for live music. The most common dish in Austin is probably the taco, and many other cultures put their food into tacos when they come to Austin.

Even though cuisines are widely accepted in Austin, restaurants close down all the time. It seems every time one gets on the road, there’s some new restaurant popping up. This seems to contradict the previous statements made about acceptance of cuisines, but there’s a specific reason that

Amaro also talked about how he tries

30

places close down.

“I might say that they pop up and the disappear pretty fast because people know if you’re not doing it right,” Lowell said.

“I would say Austin is the type of melting pot you’re always welcome until you are unwelcome. And that’s with any cuisine.”

Lowell made a compelling point.

With so many options to choose from, any subpar restaurants will be cut out. Another aspect of the closing and opening of restaurants all over Austin is the health trends that consume Austin. It becomes a challenge to adapt certain cuisines to meet whatever is the latest food fad.

“Cajun food will always exist,” Lowell said. “But Austin, as it grows, it follows the fads and the healthy trends. People really have to slow like the urge to go out and get this very rich, fatty, high in calories and just that type of mill,

versus what the trends are. So, it’s hard to make a gumbo gluten free but it’s possible by using chickpea flour.”

For those who ignore the current trends, a question still arises: what Cajun food exists in Austin?

It turns out that there is a fair amount, despite the common flow of food in Austin.

A lot of popular Cajun food in Austin is that homey food that is so iconic in the south.

“Our most popular dish is biscuits and gravy,” Amaro said, “and we make our biscuits from scratch every morning at 6:00 a.m. So, we make the biscuits. We make a white pepper gravy and just top it with eggs, any style, and homestyle potatoes…

I think it[is the most popular because] the fresh biscuits and the gravy and just the fatty food is very homey and very comforting.

So, people kind of tend to go to that and there’s just something that they really enjoy.”

Between restaurants, these same themes of spices and comfort follow Cajun food, even going all the way back to its roots.

Though Cajun food was born in Louisiana, those original Cajuns had roots elsewhere, and that’s where the flavors come in.

Lowell spoke on the origins of Cajun food, telling about African and Italian influences.

He said that the origins of Cajun food were just these people scraping together whatever they had in order to make a meal, ending with results such as the Po Boy, or Gumbo. This formed a melting-pot cuisine with scraps and spices coming in to make stews and soups.

reiterated. “Cajun food is like jambalaya recipes, gumbo recipes, those are recipes that you do in big Batches.

This further proves It’s meant to bring the point of family the family together. being very important in Cajun culture. These It’s hard to say that it’s specifically one big community meals thing because it’s were collections of leftovers cooked up for just Cajun food. If I had to say anything, I everybody. think it’s very rich and spiced food. But well “I would say Cajun food is something that’s balanced, you know, the kind of brings our kind of sets families together to eat.,” Amaro families together.”

Jambalaya is full of spices, herbs, and everything else perfect in the world.

Photo Courtesy of Zoe Haug

Though Cajun culture isn’t just New Orleans, the Cajun food and culture are still prevalent in New Orleans, where the streets smell of spices and month-old Mardi Gras beads hanging from lamp posts. From Café du Monde to Bourbon

street, these foods and this culture are unique and important to everything that it touches, including cultures and cities.

Though the form the food may change as it moves along, it remains true to its roots, and still tastes of home.

Plated -Ezine Spring Semester | 31

INside Gumbo

By Zoe Haug

Gumbo is a very traditional Cajun dish. It is a rich stew that is the epitome of the Southern Hospitality that is ever-present in Louisiana.

Every family typically has their own recipe or take on the dish, but there’s a basic base recipe that is reflected in nearly every Gumbo. This recipe includes ingredients such as the holy trinity and some sort of meat.

Onion

Onions are part of the Holy Trinity and serve a big role in Gumbo due to their ability to provide aroma and flavor.

Chicken Chicken is not always in gumbo, but it is a classic ingredient. Other options for meat are shrimp or even duck.

Information Courtesy of:

My Recipes

Spicy Southern Kitchen

Jessica Gavin Graphics Courtesy of:

Zoe Haug 32

Celery

Celery is part of the Holy Trinity and is very common in most soups and stew due to their complacent qualities.

Andouille Sausage

Andouille Sausage usually only appears in gumbo, alongside chicken but is very prevelent in other Cajun dishes such as jambalaya.

Green Peppers

Green Bell Peppers are part of the Holy Trinity and add a little more of a herb flavor to the gumbo. They also can soak up other flavors, making them a great addition to most soups and stew.

Roux based broth The flavorful roux based broth is a staple in gumbo and is an iconic part of Louisianian culture.

Rice

Rice is a classic gumbo topping.

Often times, it is gathered in a scoop and placed on top in order to allow it to diffuse into the stew.

Plated -Ezine Spring Semester | 33

34

36