“The Alluvium Cuisine”
2007-11-13 @ 13:06:04
The word Alluvium is a Latin word, literally meaning “to wash against”. The word is mostly used to describe the sediment that is deposited by a river or moving body of water. This sediment is mostly composed of silt, sand, clay and gravel but in some instances gold and even platinum can be found. The areas where the alluvium materials have been deposited are known as Alluvium Plains or Alluvium Deltas, these are some of the most fertile areas in the world.
I give you that back ground because it helps me explain why I call our cuisine “The Alluvium Cuisine”. Here at Crawdads, we are located in the heart of the Mississippi Delta, where the Mississippi river has deposited its Alluvium. Just like the Mississippi River which is fed by hundreds of other rivers, I take my influences from many different sources, Creole, Southwestern, French and even Thai and blend them into my style of cooking. I use the “sediments” deposited from other regions in my life and use them to make my style of cooking unique. These “sediments” are the “condiments” for the fusion of cooking that combines to make the meals we serve at Crawdads.
I love to take the “Delta Food” and blend it with other regions, such as parmesan and crab meat crusted Catfish or taking a pork loin and topping it with a Chipotle sauce. I think that the true measure of a regional chef is to take what is “normal” and make something that is unforgettable. A great example of this is what the Acadians did in New Orleans, they took what was available in the area and blended it with what they knew, which was French Style cooking. Today this is one of the foremost regions in the food industry all because they took what they knew and used what they had.
I give you that back ground because it helps me explain why I call our cuisine “The Alluvium Cuisine”. Here at Crawdads, we are located in the heart of the Mississippi Delta, where the Mississippi river has deposited its Alluvium. Just like the Mississippi River which is fed by hundreds of other rivers, I take my influences from many different sources, Creole, Southwestern, French and even Thai and blend them into my style of cooking. I use the “sediments” deposited from other regions in my life and use them to make my style of cooking unique. These “sediments” are the “condiments” for the fusion of cooking that combines to make the meals we serve at Crawdads.
I love to take the “Delta Food” and blend it with other regions, such as parmesan and crab meat crusted Catfish or taking a pork loin and topping it with a Chipotle sauce. I think that the true measure of a regional chef is to take what is “normal” and make something that is unforgettable. A great example of this is what the Acadians did in New Orleans, they took what was available in the area and blended it with what they knew, which was French Style cooking. Today this is one of the foremost regions in the food industry all because they took what they knew and used what they had.