The Professor has Landed in the Big Easy to explore Tulane University

The Professor has landed in the Big Easy to explore Tulane University. http://tulane.edu/

Tulane is in the heart of New Orleans, LA.  This prestigious, private research institution was originally founded as a public medical college in 1834.  It’s areas of study have expanded significantly in the past 179 years and currently offers a wide variety of degrees in business, law, architecture, liberal arts, tropical medicine, public health, engineering and social work.  The size of the student body is much larger than other private schools at just over 8400 undergraduates and 5000 graduate students.  Enrollment may be higher than other private institutions, yet the class size is still intimate with a student/faculty rating of 9:1.  The average GPA of those accepted to Tulane is 3.51.

Being the foodie he is, The Professor couldn’t miss out on experiencing some of the wonderful sensory delights that make up New Orleans.  He headed down to Jackson Square to experience some live jazz music while enjoying a latte and a fresh beignet at a famous cafe.  Unfortunately, he made the newbie mistake of inhaling while eating his beignet.  By the time he was done choking, the powdered sugar had gotten all over his feathers and was difficult to preen.  That’s all part of the experience.  While enjoying his snack, he got to chatting with some local foodies and learned the difference between Cajun and Creole Cuisine.

The fastest way to differentiate between the two styles is Creole cuisine uses tomatoes, whereas Cajun does not.  Both styles have culinary roots dating back to France, but to better understand this cultural icon of New Orleans, one needs to look at the cultural/socio-economic classes of the people.

Creole refers to the original wealthy French and Spanish settlers of New Orleans who arrived with private chefs. Creole cooking tends to be fancy, delicate cuisine originally prepared by servants.  Attributes include rich sauces and time-intensive soups.

The Cajuns were the people who knew how to live off of the land and utilized what was in season at the time.    Cajun cooking is “country cooking” in which socializing revolves around the preparation, sharing and enjoyment of the food – often utilizing one pot.  Cajun cuisine is typically more seasoned and flavorful than it’s Creole counterpart; but keep in mind, that is often misinterpreted as more spicy.

Bottom line, The Professor quickly discovered it didn’t matter which style he chose they all were wonderful!

Crystal Anderson is the president of Crystal Clear College Planning, which helps Seattle-area families plan financially and academically for college. Learn more about our free local workshops on planning for college.