My family and I got to take a trip to see my grandparents this weekend in New Orleans, Louisiana. They were very happy to see me in my new flat form! While I was there, I got to eat some great food and see some really cool things!
First, we went to visit the Chalmette Battlefield. My grandfather knows a lot about this battlefield, and the Battle of New Orleans that was fought here in 1815. My grandfather said that the Battle of New Orleans wasn't really necessary, because the treaty between the United States and Britain was already signed. General Andrew Jackson and his troops didn't know that the treaty was signed, and he fought anyway. The battle was won by the Americans. We got to see real cannons from the battle, and a huge monument honoring the soldiers that fought in the Battle of New Orleans.
I even got to sit ON the cannon! My mom held me up, because it was very windy, and I did not want to blow away! We got to walk around the battlefield, and it was really cool knowing that a battle was really fought where I was standing! We walked over to the monument, and I got to stand next to it. It was very tall!
After we left the Battlefield, we headed to my favorite doughnut place: Café Du Monde! Café Du Monde is so special because chicory is used to make their coffee! I have always wondered what that meant, so I asked my grandparents when we went to get coffee and beignets, which is a French word for doughnut. My grandmother told me that chicory is part of a plant that makes coffee have a bitter taste. During the Civil War, coffee was scarce, which meant that there wasn't a lot of it around. So, the Acadians from Nova Scotia (Canada) brought this and other French customs to New Orleans. Chicory is actually the root of a lettuce plant. When it is roasted, its able to make an almost chocolate flavor to Café Au Lait, which is what I call the "sweet coffee." While we were waiting on our beignets, we watched the chef make them! First, he makes a giant piece of dough with flour and beignet mix. Then, he cuts the dough into small squares. Next, he throws them into a BIG fryer with oil and the beignets become fried doughy goodness! Finally, powdered sugar is sprinkled over them, and we get to eat them!
I had such a fun time getting to eat beignets with my family and visit the Chalmette Battlefield this weekend! I really enjoyed the tasty beignets the most. My mom even let me buy some Beignet Mix so we can make them at home! I looked up the recipe, with mom's permission of course, and I can't wait to make them for dessert!
Here is the link to the beignet recipe: Café Du Monde Beignet Recipe
Hope you enjoy them as much as I did!
