Because New Orleans (and all of Louisiana) is such a melting pot, and because Cajun and Creole dishes often have similar roots, including French, Spanish, Italian, African, Haitian, Cuban, German, and Native American, some of the distinctions between what's Creole food and what's Cajun food can be hard to make. In his book My New Orleans, chef John Besh explains that Creole gumbo pays tribute to a "rich variety of cultures and ingredients, whereas Cajun gumbo evolved as the essence of peasant food, a way to feed a large number of people making the very best of whatever meager ingredients were at hand," and John Folse's Encyclopedia of Cajun & Creole Cuisine extolls Creole cuisine as a "more sophisticated cousin" to Cajun cooking. Explanations like these work perfectly when comparing elegant Creole dishes to rustic cast-iron Cajun stews, but the waters grow murkier near a pot of jambalaya.

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I have two wonderful places to tell you about, that really couldn't be more different.  Let's start with Dooky Chase Restaurant, located in the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans and headed by chef Leah Chase (read an interview with her here).  Dooky Chase specializes in Creole cooking and offers its own well-loved versions of city classics like gumbo, red beans and rice, and fried chicken.  But one of its most special events is offering gumbo z'herb (pronounced "zairb") on Holy Thursday (known as Maundy Thursday to yankees).  Gumbo z'herb is basically a stew of greens and every kind of meat imaginable.  That's right--just because it's green don't mean it's vegetarian.  It is, however, delicious and light, and so full of vitamin power that you just might find yourself invigorated enough to do some spring cleaning after a bowl of it.   Holy Thursday at Dooky Chase is all about gumbo z'herb, fried chicken, and cornbread, and you must have a reservation if you'd like to eat it in their gorgeous dining room--some families arrive in packs of 12 or greater.  The good news is that you can also call in a take-out order, which is what we did:

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