We are, quite unexpectedly, off of school today and it's raining so outside play isn't in the cards and the girls are getting cabin fever.One fun thing we did this morning was make beignets. If you've ever been to New Orleans, you've heard of Cafe Du Monde. Oh, that place brings back such good memories. It's one of the best spots in the Quarter to people watch. The beignets are wonderful pillows of dough, fried to perfection, and covered with a mound of powdered sugar. Couple that with their chicory coffee or a cafe au lait (for those of you who drink coffee) and you've got a really special treat. You can now purchase their beignet mix at many grocery stores and they are really easy to make. We don't do it often as they are so sugary but it's really fun when we do.
If you find yourself in New Orleans, here are a few tips for eating beignets at Cafe Du Monde:
- You will, inevitably, wear black the day you decide to have these little treats. Lean way over your plate to avoid a massive powdered sugar spill.
- You will, without a doubt, get powdered sugar on you at some point. Just be prepared.
- Do not, I repeat, do not inhale when opening your mouth to take a bite of the beignet. You will choke on the powdered sugar.
- When you look at the menu and notice that there are only 3 beignets in each order, do not order one for each person. The 3 are plenty for two people to share unless one of you is pregnant and having one of her cravings.
- If you find yourself in need of a beignet at, say, 1:00 AM, have no fear. Cafe Du Monde is open 24 hours.
- Finally, no matter how hard you try, you will not be able to make beignets at home that taste just like the ones in New Orleans. Ambiance does a lot to the taste.
2 comments:
This was great! Now I know what you craved while you were pregnant with K, living in N.O. Oh, it is lovely to sit at the cafe and savor such a treat. It has been nearly 9 years since I last did so!
I've never thought to try making them at home. I'll have to look for the mix. The donut loving men in my family would LOVE them.
Oh, man! We grew up on beignets. Mom made them often on Saturday mornings and we loved them. Whenever we had friends to spend the night, we'd brag to them that we'd be having beignets for breakfast, only to be met with a blank look or a wrinkled nose....ignorance is NOT bliss when it comes to these yummies!
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I might even try to make some soon...
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