LAGNIAPPE: In the French Quarter and New Orleans, you'll frequently hear the word lagniappe. It means a little something extra -- FREE. Lagniappe at Banana Courtyard means we "go the extra mile" to make guests feel at home and to get the most out of your visit. For guests who like to preplan their vacation, we email a suggested itinerary of things to do and see, a list of museums, historic places, restaurants, clubs and bars, etc. while you are in town, we help guide you to things to do and see, suggest dance clubs and music venues where local residents go when we get tired of Bourbon Street, we tell you about neighborhood restaurants that tourists normally don't find out about, make reservations for you, give you tips on the best tours, maintain a calendar of events/event calendar, links to music and activities, and MORE . . .
OUR SPECIAL LINGO / JARGON: better known as that "foreign language" you'll think we speak in New Orleans. Locals call it "yat" (where are you at?). We';ve also included some Cajun translation, in case you run into them.
Your first walk out on the streets will tell you that you are in another world! You will quickly notice that many of the locals have a different accent and vocabulary. To help you survive, here is a short English to N'Awlins translation.
| ain? | = | what? |
| an ahnvee | = | a longing or hunger |
| AX, axe | = | ask |
| bag daer (dare) | = | back there |
| banquette | = | Sidewalk |
| batroom | = | bathroom |
| beb (bebe) | sweetheart, darling | |
| BERL | = | boil |
| BERLING | = | boiling |
| BO BO | = | a skinned knee or minor injury |
| cahbin | = | outdoor shed |
| coo-yôn | = | fool, foolish, stupid |
| dat (dot) | = | that |
| dare | = | there |
| dat | = | that |
| dis | = | this |
| don matta | = | doesn't matter |
| drawz | underwear | |
| EARL | = | oil |
| ERSTER | = | oyster |
| freesons | = | goose bumps |
| ga lee (gaw lee) | = | astonishment |
| get down | get out of a vehicle | |
| gep | = | wasp |
| gris gris (pronounced gree gree) | = | used to put a curse put on someone, specially made ingredients put into a bags |
| haint | ghost | |
| haunt- | = | embarrassed |
| hose pipe | = | garden hose |
| HOW'Z YER MOM 'N 'EM? | = | How is your mother and the rest of your family. |
| loan mo | = | lawn mower |
| maw mah | mama | |
| MAKIN' GROCERIES | = | shopping for groceries |
| meenoo | = | cat |
| MO BEDDAH | = | more better |
| MY'NEZ | = | mayonnaise |
| nanny | godmother | |
| N'Awlins, new orLEENS, noo aw-lins, new or-lins, new or-lens, or new or-lee-yuns | New Orleans. I pronounce it new or leens, but I wasn't born here. I don't know any better. . . Confused yet? | |
| nuttin' | = | nothing |
| pa-rân - | godfather (comes from French word "parrain") see there is some reasoning behind the slang, after all! | |
| pass | = | to stop by |
| paw | father | |
| paw paw | grand father | |
| peekon | thorn or pecan | |
| PERM | = | a poem |
| peeshwank | a little person, a runt | |
| pis au lee | goldenrod | |
| pod nah | = | partner, good friend |
| POISE | = | female's handbag (see http://www.poise.cc, ) |
| ro-day | go from place to place, or run the roads | |
| shâ-dear - | in French, it would be "chèr" | |
| shah, shoe | go away | |
| sto, stow | store | |
| tink | think | |
| tree | three | |
| TURLET | = | toilet/WC |
| udder | yes, it could be a cow's teats, but here it means 'other' | |
| WHEY Y'AT | = | "Where are you at?" and is a typical New Orleans greeting meaning, "How are you?" |
| ZINK | = | sink |
You will also notice that New Orleanians do not use the French pronunciation of streets named by the French.
>>> Just found this amazing site that has literal Cajun translation: http://www.freewebs.com/thecajunbayoudictionary/op.htm . Another site, http://www.freewebs.com/thecajunbayou/ which is loads of FUN. Also visit the Southern Yat Hysterical Society, if you need ANOTHER good laugh/chuckle.) Here is yet another site: http://www.cajunradio.org/language.html
DEFINITIONS:
BANQUETTE: Sidewalk
CAJUN: Descendants of the Acadians ( people originally expelled from France to Nova Scotia, expelled then moved to Louisiana's Acadian parishes.
CRAWFISH: Elsewhere known as crayfish. Locals call them mudbugs. It's an edible, freshwater crustacean, frequently boiled with Creole seasoning, garlic, onions, new potatoes, and citrus.
CREOLE: Descendants of the French and Spanish colonists. There are creoles "of colour" and white creoles. The term also applies to their cuisine.
FAUBOURG: neighborhood.
GO-CUPS: Your alcoholic beverage is placed in a cup to go, so you can take it with you in the French Quarter.
GRIS-GRIS: Born of alternative faiths, a powdered substance often used in voodoo charms or amulets. Sometimes used to mean a hex or spell.
LOVE BUGS: Tiny little insects that are stuck together when they mate. A real pain in the !!! when you are driving and they clog your radiator. They are so prevalent, that during mating season, auto stores sell special things that fit in front of your car to keep the critters out of radiator.
MUDBUGS: Crawfish.
NEUTRAL GROUND = median
NUTRIA: A beaver-like, fur-covered, large rodent. There are considered a pest here, as they are destroying vegetation in the marshes and burrowing into our levees. They resemble giant rats, but have long, sharp, orange teeth. (The banana lady thinks they are kind of cute, 'cause they are so ugly, but I loved my Citroen car and everyone else thought it was wierd!.)
PARISH: county.
PIROGUE: Small, flat bottomed boat invented by Cajuns for maneuverability in our swamps.
SHOTGUN: Common architectural style of frame houses on narrow lots in old New orleans. Usually consecutive rooms with door in the middle. Some say its name was derived because you could open all the doors and shoot a shotgun through the house. Some shotgun houses have a middle hall with rooms on each side, resembling the double barrels of a shotgun..
VIEUX CARRE: Now known as the French Quarter, Vieux Carre was its original name. It means "old square", as the city was originally laid out in a perfect square. It isn't now, because of encroachment of the river and levee.
ZYDECO: Dance music of SW LA's black, French and English-speaking Creole population. Several instruments are used, including accordions and rub boards.
'CHEW ON THIS' INFO:
FOOD TERMINOLOGY (and pronunciation) ... a language all its own!
Andouille (ahn doo' e): A spicy pork sausage used in gumbo, Jambalaya or with red beans and rice
Beignet (ben yay'): Lighter than a doughnut, and square (no holes), sprinkled with powdered sugar
Bisque (Bisk): A thick creamy spicy soup served with crawfish, oysters, or shrimp (fantastic with mud bugs!)
Boudin (boo dan'): Hot, spicy pork mixed with onions, cooked rice, herbs, packed into a sausage casing. Two types: boudin blanc is pork and rice, boudin rouge is a blood sausage
Bread Pudding: Custard baked french bread - often served
with raisins and rum sauce.
Cafe au Lait (caf ay' oh lay'): Coffee served with steamed milk. Chicory based coffee is often used.
Chicory (Chick' o ree): Ground-up, roasted seeds from the herb related to endive; used to flavor New Orleans blend coffee.
Cochon du Lait (co shawn du lay): yum! yum! Young pig roasted in a pit until its skin is crispy.
Court Bouillon (coo' boo yon): A rich sauce, made of tomatoes, sometimes other bvegetables, herbs, and spices, used as a topping in various dishes, such as Redfish Court Bouillon.
Crawfish (craw' fish): Spicy fresh water shell fish, also known as "mudbugs" from the bayous!
Creme Caramel: A glazed custard
Dirty Rice: Pan fried rice cooked with green peppers, onions, celery, stock and giblets
Dressed: means you want your sandwich slathered with mayonnaise (Aoli), creole mustard, maybe ketchup, and topped with shredded lettuce and pickles.
Eggs Sardou: Poached egg served with artichoke hearts, and hollandaise sauce
Etouffee' (ay' too fay): "Smothered" with a dark roux (tomato based sauce) of seasoned vegetables, poured over rice--usually served with Crawfish or shrimp
File' (fee' lay): Ground sassafras leaves used to season gumbo and other dishes
Grillades (gree' yads): Thin slices of beef served with a tomato roux
Grits: Ground hominy grain, served as breakfast
Gumbo (Gum bow): Thick, dark roux soup stock served with rice can also have duck, chicken, okra, shrimp, crabs, file' powder and okra (ask me for recipe -- gotta try it!)
Hurricane: Popular fruit punch drink served at Pat O'Brien's. Watch them...they sneak up on you!
Hush Puppy: Fried cornmeal bread ball
Jambalaya (Jum' ba lie' ya): Rice based dish with just about
everything thrown in! Poultry, tomatoes and cooked rice, ham, shrimp, chicken,
celery, onions & and lots of seasoning.
King Cake: Extra large oval doughnut pastry dusted with colored candied sugar and often filled with cream cheese, apple filling, etc. A plastic baby doll is hidden inside the cake--the lucky person who gets the piece of cake with the doll inside buys the king cake for the next party throughout the Mardi Gras season!
KING CAKE MARTINA and VODKA: You can't get any more
N'Awlins than thesee (vodka for those who have everthing): King Cake Martini
Made from New Orleans Spiced Rum, butterscotch schnapps, Vanilla Schnapps,
cream,
with gold, green, and purple psrinkles on the rim. Florida based Lucky
Brands now has
King Cake Vodka, with bottle decorated with brightly colored botttles, mardi
gras masks,
beads, and doubloons. Who could ask for more!?!?!
Mirliton (Mirl' a tawn): Pear shaped vegetable, cooked like squash and stuffed with ham, shrimp and spicy dressing (other folks might call it Chayote Squash)
Mudbugs: crawfish from the bayou! ("Crawfish boils" are a big party in New Orleans!)
Muffuletta (Muf' a lotta) It is a 'lotta' food! Large,
round, fat sandwich filled with salami type meats, mozzarella cheese, pickles,
and olive salad, which is what makes it mmm,mmm good.
Okra: A seeded pod chopped and served in gumbo, or served as a fried dish
Pain Perdu (Pan pair do): French bread served in similar fashion to french toast
Pecan pie: Yep. You know you're in the
South when a pie is made from sugar mixed with pecans.
Plantain (plan' ten): Vegetable banana side dish--cooked like candied yams, served with meats; sometimes for breakfast (great!) Nope. Our bananas and Cuban Mancheko.
Po-Boys: French Bread sandwich split open and served with oysters, shrimp, ham, roast beef and gravy, soft shelled crabs. I guess a po' boy sandwich is anything put between 2 pieces of French Bread
Praline (Praw leen'): Brown sugar, pecan filled, candy
patty. (Yep. You're in the South, so sweet is the name of the game. Sweet tea,
sweet candy, sweet potatoes, the list goes on and on and on and on! Very sweet and so delicious you can't eat just one! )
Red Beans and Rice: Monday night tradition in New Orleans--Kidney beans served with rice, seasonings, spices. Can also be served with chunks of sausage
Red Gravy: Sauce with tomato base
Remoulade Sauce (Rum a laud): Spicy mustard based cocktail sauce
Sauce Piquant (Sauce pee kont): Spicy red gravy or sauce
SHOE SOLE: How do I explain such a delicacy with a name like that?! ? Traditionally, they were made with leftover pie dough, sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. They are flaky oval pastries, about 8 X 4 inches and often NOW have finely minced nuts in the dough. Each shoesole has puffy and flaky parts, so it's a mess to eat, it won't slice, but if you get a piece off the end, you are in bliss. The flatest crispy parts are sticky with sugar that almost caramelized during baking. Yum, yum, double yum!
Shrimp Creole: Shrimp dish served with a garlic, onion, bell pepper and tomato sauce
Praline Cured bacon: See? I'm telling 'ya
the truth. Sugar, sugar, sugar. Sugar cured ham, sugar cured bacon. No
wonder there are so may 'thrifty keepers' in N'Awlins! Eat at Elizabeth's and
you'll need to go back to bed after eating so much fattening stuff.
Tasso: is Cajun-style smoked pork used in a wide variety of
foods, from red beans to biscuits to grits to greens. It is flavored with a
mixture of spices that always includes cayenne, cinnamon, paprika, salt and
pepper and can also include brown sugar, depending on the tasso-maker's personal
preference. You can find it in local markets in Louisiana, and Coop's Place bar
and Cafe smokes thier own. Mmm, mmm, good! 
Trout Meuniere: Trout served with a rich butter sauce
CREOLE VERSUS
CAJUN CUISINES
Sometimes people don't realize that there
are 2-major Louisiana cuisines, Cajun AND Creole. It can be really confusing,
as both use sauces and the "holy trinity" of onion, garlic and bell (green,
mild) pepper. Even more confusing is the fact that there is a Creole AND Cajun
Jambalaya dish (the brown Jambalaya is Cajun, while the pink is Creole (its
color comes from adding tomato sauce to the dish). Maybe this will help you
better understand the differences:
Cajuns (corrupted from term Acadian) trace their heritage to the Acadian French, initially expelled from France (Normandy and Brittany), then from Nova Scotia (Acadia) in 1755, many settled in the Acadian Parishes of South Louisiana. Cajun cuisine is frequently referred to as heavy and "country" cooking. Because the bayou and swamp areas where they lived abounded with fish and wild game, and the soil produced delicious vegetables and fruits, the Cajun cuisine utilizes these ingredients along with herbs and spices, to add excitement and hotness. Brown Jambalaya, boudin sausage, fried alligator, paneed rabbit, boiled crawfish, and blackened fish dishes (made famous by Chef Paul Prudhomme) are examples of Cajun dishes.
Creole dishes tend to be milder than Cajun, and initially evolved from French techniques and recipes. Creoles trace their heritage primarily to the French, Spanish, Africans and Italians. Food is mild in flavor, but complex in preparation, which leads many to say the cuisine is more refined than Cajun. Some examples of Creole dishes are: red Jambalaya. gumbo-- a rich stew made from a roux, which is caramelized flour, and thickened with sassafras (file) then served over rice, also Oysters Rockefeller, crawfish etouffe, shrimp Creole, shrimp cocktail with Remoulade sauce, and many pasta dishes exhibit the Italian influence. Generally, if it has a sauce piquant or is simmered in an Etouffee sauce, it's Creole.
RECIPES
GUESTS WHO HAVE MADE A RESERVATION WITH
US (or for y'all who have stayed with us before), just email me and I will send
whichever recipe you want, from the following. Please just request one, as I
must cut and paste into an email:
FOOD AND RESTAURANT Hyperlinks:
I just realized that I can't be the 'phone book. Too tired to do more. Some Day . . . .
We really wish Peristyle would get a web site. Their Friday 3 course set lunch is one of the best buys in the city!
Brunings is another favorite restaurant, but they don't have a web
site either.