Husband in NOLA...what ingredients/foods should I have him bring back for me?

[badmutha]

We got back from a family trip to NOLA a few weeks ago and now my husband's going back for work (sniff, sniff). I'm making a list of stuff I want him to bring back with him: Camellia red beans, Union coffee, and as many cases of Abita as he can smuggle past security. Kidding. I'd actually love to get some tasso and andouille, but don't know how that might work. A Central Grocery muffaletta? What else should I have him bring? Checking a bag is cheaper than an extra plane ticket for me, so I'm trying to make his trip worth my while. :) Thanks.

[panoz]

I know I'm kind of late with this, but this might be useful for anyone reading this post at a later time. When going to on a trip to NOLA, a former native now living in NYC requested that I bring back Hubig's Pies. I've certainly never seen them anywhere else.

[NOLAcarrot]

I was just going to add Hubig's Pies, too! When I wasn't living here, they were one thing I always took home when I visited NOLA. And they keep forever!

[twyst]

Love me some hubigs pies, good call panoz!

[collardman]

My special milestone in the return of New Orleans was when Hibig's were available again.

I just had a milestone birthday and my request for a cake was a Hubig's with candle.

[savory south]

If he can get to Dorginac's Grocery, (Vet's out in Metairie), it's all there:
Zatarain's Root Beer Extract (amazing stuff - John Besh's site has recipes with this)
Creole Country Sausage - tasso, andouille
Sal & Judy's line of seasonings and picked items
Dorginac's own hogs head cheese plus all the stuff everybody else has suggested.

he can buy ziplock bags and containers too for easier packing.

They also buy produce from local farms daily, so he could come back with a bag of whatever's
and they do crawfish and other prepared dishes (crawfish in the back and prepared in the front deli/restaurant area). If he has an afternoon flight, I'd suggest he stop at Dorignac's on the way to the airport. Hell, he could bring back one of their meatloafs for dinner

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Sal & Judy's Restaurant
27491 Highway 190, Lacombe, LA

[noradeirdre]

Zapps Cajun Crawtator chips?

[rasputina]

my favorites

Tabasco's hot n sweet pickles, Louisiana Hot Sauce roasted garlic flavor, Zatarain's crab boil bags ( they sell the huge multipacks here), Tony Chachere's creole seasoning if you cant get it at home. Tasso and andouille from Jacob's World Famous in LaPlace although I think they ship. Luzianne tea if you cant get it locally where you live. Zatarain's Creole mustard.

[Pam in NJ]

Joe's Stuff! it's my most "favoritest" seasoning!

[grant.cook]

Cane vinegar.. unique ingredient you don't see many other places.

Any safely transportable sausage, like andouille, if you find a flavor you like.. I find tasso a bit tougher to find up here in Boston, so I'd get some of that.

Pickled Pork.

Maybe get some Camellia beans, just a local brand..

Konriko seasonings, although they aren't some miracle seaoning..you can find them in local stores if you hunt once in a while..

[roro1831]

I was just going to suggest the pickled meat, I brought some home today. The Konriko spice my unlce gave me a can of the Greek spice, good stuff.

[ilikeNOLA]

If you can Louisiana crawfish tails. I stress Louisiana, there are suppliers out there that use a name like Boudreaux's and they are actually a product of china. French Market Coffee, Blue Plate Mayo. And of course the winning powerball numbers.
Peace Out!

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Blue Plate Cafe
1330 Prytania St, New Orleans, LA 70130

[JazzyB]

Available frozen, a few packages of La crawfish will serrve as "ice packs" for unpasteurized jumbo lump crabmeat, Cochon's tasso and boudin in a small carry on cooler. Zatarain's mustard must be checked in luggage. It loses it's potency as it sits on the shelf (just about everywhere else ). The product you purchase at home will not pack the punch.

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Cochon
930 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans, LA 70130

[fieryepicurean]

What do you use cane vinegar for? I've never heard of this type of vinegar!

[collardman]

Cane vinegar, like rice wine vinegar, has a little more sweetness to it. Like various sambals, they are used to tip a dish in a particular direction.

[badmutha]

Thanks, everybody! Great suggestions--keep them coming! Fortunately, I discovered that one of our local groceries carries a few varieties of Abita, so that should lessen his burden considerably. :)

[Clem943]

Blue Plate mayonnaise. Don't know where you are, but I can't get it in Dallas.

[hazelhurst]

I'd suggest Crystal hot sauce..and perhaps a sampling of the enormous variety we have beyond Tabasco. There is a boatload of seasonings..Zatarain's, Tony Chahere's, Slap Ya Mama, ...it goes on and on. I also plug French market Pure Coffee..the Chicory is godf too bt I have gotten people to swear off The Trendy Coffee of The Month with pure FQ coffee, properly dripped. Agree as to avoind French Market (the merchant secition , not the coffee). They steal more than the taxman...

[TaTee]

Am on my way to visit family and have been asked to bring Community Dark Roast Louisiana Blend Coffee and Chickory, Arnaud's Remoulade Sauce, Tabasco's Red Pepper Jelly and Aunt Sally's Louisiana Pecan Pepper Jelly...available at Dorignacs on Veterans Hwy.

[hazelhurst]

Pepper jellies are a good idea... remoulade is so easy to make that I never bother transporting that.

[texasredtop]

I love the crawfish jelly but haven't seen it in the last couple of visits. Coming in 2 weeks, any ideas where I could find it. We stay at Harrah's but venture out to Metairie a couple of times while there.

[guitarrednfeathered]

I always grab a bunch of pralines. Yes, you can make them at home, but it's always a nice treat/souvenier. I usually pick out a hot sauce too, but that's obviously not indiginous to NOLA.

[lemons]

A vote for the Zatarain's liquid crab boil. Very concentrated, and significantly different from the dry. Years ago, Fitzmorris urged me to switch, and I did. I buy it whenever I see it when I travel and always run out before I see it again.

[twyst]

As a native new orleanian who now lives out of state the only thing Im unable to source from a regular grocery store or easily make for myself is tasso and zatarains crab boil. Everything else seems to be readily available everywhere or is very easy to make for yourself.

[DougRisk]

What about Creole Cream Cheese? Can that also be ordered online? I thought that it was quite hard to find?

[twyst]

I rarely use it, but when I need it I just make it. Its really easy to make, you just need skim milk, buttermilk and rennet.

[DougRisk]

Really?

I was under the impression that the Cream Cheese was made the old fashioned way utilizing the specific bacteria that exists in the area (somewhat similar to a San Francisco sourdough bread).

[twyst]

http://neworleanscuisine.blogspot.com...

Same recipe is in tons of cookbooks etc. It turns out well.

[Hungry Celeste]

Nope--it's just clabbered milk. No special bacteria or local microflora.

[Littleman]

You can order tasso and andouille or boudin online easily. Tell him to get you some Cajun Land Seasoning which is made in Metairie. They sell it in Jacks brewery. Good luck.

[roro1831]

Jax.

[Gastro Travels]

I always bring back Louisiana Crawfish Boil (powder not liquid) I like to boil veggies in it. Louisiana BBQ Shrimp seasoning mix, Louisiana Gold Horseradish pepper sauce, community coffee, pepper jelly.

Just don't shop at the French Quarter Market - prices are insane there, find a grocery store instead, Rouses is good.

[uptownlibrarian]

BBQ Shrimp seasoning is VERY easy to make at home, it's just black pepper and Worcestershire sauce, and I think lemon juice. :)

[LJS2]

We were there a couple of weeks ago and brought back a jar of the Central Grocery olive salad that they use on their muffaletta. They sell it bubble wrapped and boxed ready for check in luggage. We also picked up some seasonings from the New Orleans School of cooking in the FQ.

[Gastro Travels]

olive salad is VERY easy to make at home, it's just spanish olives, pepperoncini and giardiniera chopped up (I don't even add the kalamattas) with evoo and I think lemon juice.