Beans and Rice

Red beans and rice is a traditional dish of Louisiana Creole cuisine, (not originally of Cajun cuisine) traditionally made on Mondays with Camellia Red Kidney Beans, vegetables (onion and celery), spices (thyme, cayenne pepper, and bay leaf) and pork bones as left over from Sunday dinner, cooked together slowly in a pot and served over popcorn rice. It is an old custom from the time when ham was a Sunday meal and Monday was washday. Red beans and rice is one of the few New Orleans style dishes to be commonly cooked both in peoples homes and in restaurants. Many neighborhood restaurants continue to offer it as a Monday lunch special, usually with a side order of either smoked sausage or a pork chop. Red Beans remains a staple for large gatherings such as Super Bowl and Mardi Gras parties.