Editor’s Note: The Historic New Orleans Collection and The New Orleans Advocate present this occasional series looking back on the people, events and traditions that have shaped the Crescent City. The ...

My pantry could be used as a test for culinary knowledge. There are loads of various spices, herbs, oils, sugars, flours, leavening agents and dried fruits. Many times, my husband has asked, “Where is ...

Q–Can you tell me where to find file powder? –Willie Lumford, Chicago. Q–File (pronounced FEE-lay) powder, made from dried leaves of the sassafras plant, is most often used in Creole cooking, ...

This recipe for Mama’s Seafood Gumbo has been a part of my life since childhood. It is one of the original recipes in my first cookbook, “Bon Appetit, Y’all: Recipes and Stories from Three Generations ...

Filé powder has been used by cooks in the Louisiana region for centuries. Filé is the ground leaf of the sassafras tree, Sassafras albidum, a member of the laurel family. Native to North America, the ...