“I would imagine there were clear lines and divisions 60 to 100 years ago,” says Chef John Reilly, who teaches at The Culinary Institute of America. But today the cuisines have blended so much that they’re difficult to differentiate, except by their origins. Cajun—often described as “country” food—originated with French-speaking people from Nova Scotia, called Acadians (and later “Cajuns”), who settled in southern Louisiana in the mid-1700s. As farmers with large families, Cajuns cooked one-pot meals made from whatever ingredients were available. Creole was considered “city” food, brought to New Orleans by the sons of aristocrats who left France in the early 1700s.

By the 1900s, Creole and Cajun cuisines began to blend, and today have more similarities than differences. Both include gumbo and jambalaya, but though each relies on seafood, Cajun uses crawfish or catfish while Creole recipes contain oysters, shrimp and crabmeat. Dishes in both begin with roux—a mixture of oil or butter with flour, used to thicken sauces. And both use what bayou gourmets call the “holy trinity”—onion, celery and green bell pepper. “It’s used in just about all their applications of cooking,” Reilly says.

To experience the cuisine, Reilly suggests an appetizer of gumbo or étouffée (from the French “to smother”; seafood covered in a tangy tomato-based sauce) and, for your meal, a shrimp or crawfish court-bouillon (a spicy stew with fish, tomatoes, onions and vegetables). To bring the flavor home, Reilly says, concentrate on the spices—cayenne, paprika, and black and white pepper.

Fun Facts

• British sailors were dubbed “Limeys” because of the daily citrus they were given in the 1800s to prevent scurvy.
• Limes are most plentiful from May through October.
• Romans floated lime leaves in their baths as a grooming aid and to scent their bath water.
• The top five lime-producing countries are the United States, Mexico, Italy, Spain and India.
• Key lime trees are the only lime trees with thorns.
• Limes are used as a natural shampoo and body wash by the Malays and Burmese
• There are several varieties of limes. The limes found at stores are generally Persian limes.
  Key limes are small with a thin, leathery, greenish-yellow skin.
• The most common lime, the Persian (or Tahitian) lime, does not have seeds because it is parthenocarpic—the flowers do not require pollen to produce fruit.
• No one is certain when the first Key lime pie was created, but many date it to the late 1800s.
• Limes and lemons have a similar flavor, but limes are more fragrant and less acidic. Both are important for their juice.

Kitchen Tips

• To get the most juice from a lime, it should be at room temperature. Roll it under your palm on the countertop until it feels softened.
• When selecting limes, choose ones that are firm and heavy—this means they have lots of juice. Depending on the type and size of the lime, it will take between six and 10 to make one cup of fresh juice.

Even the most serious shoppers will be impressed by the size of Mall of America in Bloomington. Touring the country’s largest mall takes some stamina, so tackle it while you’re fresh. More than 500 stores await your visit—including Build-A-Bear Workshop, where kids can create customized stuffed animals—plus Nickelodeon Universe, an indoor amusement park. After you and your kids brave the park’s roller coaster, carousel and pint-sized train, check out Underwater Adventures, an underground aquarium where guests go nose-to-nose with sharks and stingrays from inside a glass tunnel.

Continue your animal adventure with lunch at the Mall’s Rainforest Café (entrées $11–$20), decorated with faux foliage and tropical creatures to replicate that authentic jungle atmosphere. It serves Congo Catfish for grown-ups, Rasta Pasta for kids and a Sparkling Volcano dessert to share. If the weather is balmy, head to the sprawling playground structure at nearby Hyland Lake Park Reserve. If you’d rather play indoors, there’s the Water Park of America, with a wave pool and waterslides. While the kids splash, adults can relax with a facial or massage at the Trillium Spa at the Radisson Hotel Bloomington by Mall of America.

For dinner, try Jun Bo in nearby Richfield, which serves Chinese-American favorites such as chicken chow fun ($10), and a dim sum selection rivaling those of New York’s and San Francisco’s more famous Chinatowns. The wait staff push carts containing small snacks, everything from pork buns to mango pudding, which makes for a lively, interactive meal.

Day Two: Minnesota Museums and an Evening Show

Start your morning in downtown St. Paul at the Day by Day Cafe, a homey, knickknack-filled eatery serving breakfast standards ($4–$10) all day long.

For children ages 6 months to 10 years, a trip to the Minnesota Children’s Museum is a must. Kids can operate a tot-sized crane, crawl inside a mock anthill and try out the touchable art gallery on the museum’s roof. If you’re traveling with older children, visit the Science Museum of Minnesota for exhibits on everything from animation to Star Wars to the human body. When you’re ready for a break, watch The Alps, the story of a courageous mountaineer’s redemptive climb, at the museum’s IMAX Omnitheater (through June 12).

Break for a burger, malt and fries at the classic Mickey’s Diner. The restored art deco railcar has been featured in many locally filmed movies, including The Mighty Ducks and A Prairie Home Companion.

Spend the afternoon touring the Wabasha Street Caves, once a notorious gangster hideout during Prohibition, and learn about the legends of Ma Barker and John Dillinger along with a bit of geologic history.

End the evening on the Mississippi River with dinner and a show on the historic Minnesota Centennial Showboat, with performances by theater and dance students from the University of Minnesota.

Plan your next visit to coincide with the Minnesota State Fair. “The Great Minnesota Get-Together” is famous for its livestock exhibitions, crop art competition and food-on-a-stick.

Rachel Hutton rode the Timberland Twister at Mall of America—and screamed the entire time.

But the element that unites Indian cuisine is its use of spices. Although many of today’s leading chefs are working to simplify the spice combinations, traditional Indian recipes often call for the use of 10 or more spices in a single dish. “The balance of spices is important,” cautions Dhar. “Many spices and herbs pair well with each other, but there are rules you need to follow.”

Spice of Life  

Indian chefs have a great number of spices to draw from in the preparation of Indian food. Some of the most commonly used are ginger, bay leaf, black and green cardamom, black peppercorn, cinnamon, cloves, chilies, and coriander. “Green cardamom is my favorite because of its versatility,” says Dhar. “It’s an essential part of any good sauce or marinated meat, and even desserts.”

Types of Indian Cooking

Northern and southern India offer two different cooking styles. In the north, kebabs and biryanis (basmati rice with meat or vegetable), breads—such as chapati (flat griddle bread) and nan (leavened bread cooked in a brick oven)—yogurt, and ginger-and-garlic sauces are especially popular. Northern Indian sauces tend to be drier than southern ones; rice often replaces bread in southern India, which allows for soupier sauces. Dhar says that many southern Indian dishes make use of coconut, coconut milk and curry leaves. Dosa (a crepe made from cream of rice) is a popular dish that often comes with a spicy lentil sauce or a coconut chutney, or stuffed with seasoned potatoes.

Technique Counts

The secret to the use of Indian spices is to understand how cooking techniques affect their flavor and when to add them. “When you’re cooking Indian food you need to pay attention to the sequence of adding spices,” says Dhar. “You shouldn’t just throw everything into a hot oil at the same time.”

Did you know that Country Inns & Suites By Carlson has multiple properties in India?  Visit www.countryinns.com today to plan your amazing getaway.

~Emily

Today Fredericksburg remembers its Old World beginnings with German-style fachwerk buildings with exposed beams and masonry fill. Those roots are also evident at the downtown Fredericksburg Winery, where signature labels feature artwork and local history—such as the light Texas Chardonnay “Adelsverein” ($15), named for the society formed by German princes to help emigrants to the new Republic of Texas. Or try the oak-barrel-aged Port Carlshafen ($40), a full-bodied port.

Like many local wineries, this is a family-run operation, headed by no-nonsense Cord Switzer, along with his wife Sandy, brothers Jene and Bert, and mother “Oma,” charged with labeling each bottle by hand. The Switzers are happy to give travelers a taste of the fruits of their labor; prices start at $13, or $40 for port.

For visitors who have more time, the winery lies within walking distance of many of Fredericksburg’s more than 150 boutiques. Homestead offers antiques, while Zertz tempts with items such as cheese trays made from flattened wine bottles. Nearby, the casual Fredericksburg Brewing Company, lined with copper and stainless brewing tanks, features Schinken Schnitzel, a veal cutlet crowned with Black Forest ham and Swiss cheese.

Next, go east, where “bouquet” describes not only wine but wildflowers. Stop and smell the bluebonnets at Wildseed Farms, the nation’s largest wildflower seed farm. Then head over for a tour and a tasting at Grape Creek Vineyards, on the banks of namesake South Grape Creek. Here acres of climbing vines yielded the prize-winning 2002 Fumé Blanc, made from 100 percent sauvignon blanc grapes. The wine is aged in oak barrels for eight months, which brings out a mélange of vanilla, black currant, bell pepper and berry flavors.

Becker Vineyards, with 46 acres of French Vinifera vines, boasts Texas’ largest underground wine cellar. It’s filled with specialties such as the 2002 Viognier, an elegant wine with a hint of violets, peach and apricot, served at a dinner for Australia’s prime minister at President Bush’s Prairie Chapel Ranch, and the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve ($24.95).

Dine at Austin’s restaurant, in Rose Hill Manor near Fredericksburg, open Wednesday through Sunday nights. Specialties such as New Zealand venison medallions are accompanied by an extensive wine list showcasing Hill Country vintages—the perfect end to a day of wine touring.

Hill Country residents Paris Permenter and John Bigley like to pair barbecue and bordeaux.

A: Chocolate has a history of thousands of years in Mexico, stretching all the way back to the Olmec civilization and, later, the Mayan. The Aztecs also drank a fermented beverage made from the cacao bean, which they called tchocolati or xcolatl. Today, Mexicans primarily use chocolate as a hot beverage and in certain mole (sauce) recipes. Two moles that make use of chocolate are mole rojo (red sauce) and mole de guajolote (black sauce). Many regions in Mexico have their own special recipes for these sauces, especially for black mole dishes. A popular dish using chocolate is turkey with mole de guajolote. Another entrée that makes use of chocolate is cerdo en adobo (pork in a spicy roasted sauce). When you make Mexican dishes that use chocolate at home, it’s important to use Mexican chocolate; it is unrefined and should be boiled with the sauce at the end of cooking. Two brands commonly available are Abuelita and Ibarra 

Chef Charles Armstrong first discovered his passion for Mexico and its cuisine about four years ago.

“I love to learn about cultures through food,” says Armstrong.

Mexican Cooking in Your Home
Two excellent Web sites for Mexican food products and information are MexGrocer.com and LatinMerchant.com. Each site features a full range of Mexican foods that you can buy online, from beverages and chilies to snacks and salsas. You’ll also find plenty of tempting recipes for Mexican dishes. If you’re looking for a Mexican cookbook, try Authentic Mexican by Rick Bayless, Diana Kennedy’s The Essential Cuisines of Mexico or Nancy Zaslavsky’s A Cook’s Tour of Mexico for authentic recipes. Want to learn by watching? Check your local listings or watch Mexican Made Easy online on Food Network’s site.

In recent years, the California olive oil industry has blossomed. Here are a few of my favorite California olive oils and where to find them.

McEvoy Ranch Olive Oil Store in San Francisco’s Ferry Building is a great place to start your olive oil odyssey. Produced from olives grown in Marin County, McEvoy Olive Oil (12.7 fluid ounces: $22) is smooth, aromatic and slightly peppery on the finish. Featured in restaurants and shops throughout California, the brand also sells nationally at Whole Foods Market.

I never visit the Wine Country without stopping at Napa Valley Olive Oil Manufacturing Company (835 Charter Oak Ave., St Helena, 707-963-4173), down a little road in St Helena. The oil is robust, rambunctious and straightforwardly delicious—and demands little of your wallet (16 fluid ounces: $7.50).

One of California’s oldest olive oils producers, Sciabica’s, is near Modesto in
the Central Valley. Sciabica’s Sevillano Variety Fall Harvest (5 fluid ounces: $6.50) has taken top awards in international judging, and its Marsala Brand (5 fluid ounces: $5) is a delicious basic oil for daily use.

Also in the Central Valley, you’ll find Bariani Olive Oil which is grassy and full of flavor. It’s sold at Sacramento area farmers’ markets, in specialty shops or by mail at prices 40 to 45 percent less than retail (8.45 fluid ounces: $4.50).

From southern California, Santa Barbara Olive Co.  is America’s No. 1 specialty olive company. It sells different kinds of herb-infused oils, including an Italian oil variety (5 fluid ounces: $5).

Today, there are more than 300 olive ranchers in California, growing 187 distinctive types of olives.

Marlena Spieler is a San Francisco Chronicle food columnist and the author of more than 40 books.

According to popular wisdom, yogurt induces sleep because it’s rich in tryptophan, an amino acid also found in turkey, figs and nuts. Foods high in calcium, carbohydrates, B vitamins and magnesium are also touted as sleep enhancers.

But as easy as it is to find people to bear witness to the power of foods that promote sleep, sleep researcher Dr. William C. Orr says scientific proof for such claims is elusive. As president and CEO of Lynn Health Science Institute  in Oklahoma City, Orr has studied sleep and digestion for more than 25 years. In his research, he has found that the link between diet and sleep has more to do with how much you eat and when you eat it than with the food itself. He has also found that solid food is more likely to make one sleepy after ingestion.

“To promote sleep, eat moderately,” says Orr. “Overeating is stimulating, and distention of the stomach can make you uncomfortable and prevent sleep.”

He also recommends you avoid hitting the hay until at least two hours after a big meal. This allows your stomach to empty sufficiently to prevent acid reflux or heartburn, a common cause of sleep disruption.

Eliminating certain foods from your evening meal, such as spicy dishes and tomatoes, also may reduce nighttime heartburn. “Chocolate is terrible for acid reflux because it decreases the pressure in the little barrier between the stomach and the esophagus,” says Orr. “The same is true of peppermint and garlic.”

Limiting caffeine and alcohol may alleviate insomnia, too. If you can’t live without your daily java, drink your last cup several hours before bedtime. As for alcohol, Orr says that while it does have a sedating effect initially, once it passes through your liver it produces a metabolite that acts as a stimulant. Thus, even a small nightcap can interrupt your sleep.

So what about Weakley’s yogurt cure? Orr says, “I would tell her, if it works for you, do it. But there is no scientific evidence that yogurt is sleep-promoting.”

For writer Melany Klinck, a late-night bowl of popcorn always seems to bring on the z’s.

 Fun Facts

 1. For any cuisine, the holy trinity is the style’s three key ingredients. 

 2. The Cajun/Creole trinity is based on mirepoix, the French trinity of celery, onion and carrot.

3. Creole cuisine is a mix of African, French and Spanish influences. Cajun combines those with Italian and American Indian flavors.

4. In the 1980s, Cajun food became trendy when chef Paul Prudhomme blackened a redfish. Not traditionally Cajun, blackening is now synonymous with the style.

5. Cajun food definitely has a bite to it, but customarily it is a heat that sneaks up on you. If a dish burns your mouth, then it has too much pepper in it.

6. The trinity is sautéed over low heat to slowly “sweat” out the natural sugars and give a dish additional seasoning and zest.

7. Throughout the centuries, celery has been used medicinally as a blood purifier. It originated as a wild plant in marshes from Sweden south throughout Europe.

8. In 1493, pepper seeds were taken from Central and South America to Spain. From there, they later spread to other European and Asian countries.

9. More calories are burned digesting a piece of celery than the piece contains.

10. The sulfuric compounds in onions are what cause your eyes to tear up. To cut down on this unpleasant side effect, chill the onion and cut into the root end last.

Kitchen Tips

• Most recipes say to sauté the trinity until the vegetables are translucent.
• To go the extra mile, cook the ingredients longer, until they are almost a paste.
• A good, basic stock for soups or stews starts with the trinity. Simmer the vegetables
  along with some garlic and parsley in water for an hour.

Preparation Time

Legends tell of slaves who brought the seeds of native African plants to America hidden in their hair. These slaves had to rely on foods that could be grown in gardens tended after their long workdays were done. Eventually, their cooking blended techniques and foods from several traditions, including African, French, Moroccan and Spanish. Corn bread was a staple, as were black-eyed peas, rice and vegetable greens such as collards. Cooks often used pork products for flavoring. “Soul food means more because it comes from creativity and bare bones,” says Blount.

On the Menu

Today, interest in soul food is on the rise again. Many restaurants serve soul food dishes, but often the preparation isn’t quite the same as it was in the past. In many cases, soul food has become more healthful, with smoked turkey often replacing smoked pork products and sautéed greens taking the place of simmered ones. A representative soul food meal includes corn bread, sautéed spinach and a gumbo.

Key Ingredients

The hallmarks of soul food are still simplicity and time in preparation. Salt, pepper, garlic and onion are among the few seasonings chefs frequently use. Chefs also spend long hours in the kitchen. “Soul food is a tradition that is passed on by doing and through storytelling,” says Blount. “It takes time and patience to learn the art of soul food.”