Beignets

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If there was a food item that I could wax poetic it would be the lovely and delectable beignet. Pronounce it with me: ben-yay. Light, fluffy and golden, but with a heartiness that will surprise you it is served with a showering of powdered sugar for that extra punch of sweetness. It's a messy treat, only to be eaten by the brave of heart, for which you are rewarded with a showering of sugar on your clothes. It's the New Orleans culinary rite of passage. And there is no better place than Cafe du Monde to experience this culinary delight.

Cafe du Monde was established in 1862 in the French Market and they pride themselves on being opened 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week except for Christmas Day and hurricanes. As one of the first places to open it's doors post Hurricane K, Cafe du Monde brought a sense of hope and normalcy to the badly beat up city. According to lore the beignet was brought over to Louisiana by the Acadians, 17th century French colonists who settled in Canada's Acadia region and then migrated to Louisiana. Perhaps they wanted warmer weather? I can't blame them!

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I'm forever grateful that the Acadians introduced the fried choux pastry which through time became the puffy square shape pillows of delight we call beignets. It's slightly chewy, not overly greasy version of the American donut but so much better. Hopefully you'll now have the gumption to fly down to New Orleans, sit in a shaded balmy courtyard and eat a beignet with a hot cup of cafe au lait and watch the world drift by. Now that's music to my ears.