"The Princess and the Frog" Food Ideas

"The Princess and the Frog" food ideas embrace the customs of New Orleans cuisine.

"The Princess and the Frog," a popular animated movie by Disney, was released in 2009. Tiana, the main character, is far from the traditional Disney princess. Taking place in New Orleans, this movie depicts the style, music and cuisine of the area throughout the movie. Creating a menu for a "Princess and the Frog"-themed party will incorporate foods from Louisiana.

Beignets

A beignet, French for fritter, is a traditional New Orleans pastry that is deep fried and served with a dusting of powdered sugar. Beignets are served as a sweet dessert, or stuffed with savory fillings, such as herbs or crab. Traditional beignets are made with yeast, although a basic beignet recipe will often skip the yeast, which is helpful for beginning bakers.

Gumbo

Gumbo, a thick stew originating in Creole cuisine, gets its name from the African word for okra. Gumbo typically contains okra, tomatoes, onions and many different proteins, including chicken, sausage, turkey, seafood or ham. This dish warm you up, so it would work well as a dish for a party held in fall or winter. The main step is starting the dish with a roux, or a one-to-one mix of a fat and a thickener, such as flour. The tomatoes and onions are sauteed, followed by adding the protein, broth and roux. After simmering, the addition of okra thickens up the stew.

Jambalaya

Jambalaya is a trademark dish in Creole cuisine. Containing cooked rice, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, celery, garlic and a protein, jambalaya makes a hearty, complete meal. This will eliminate the need for other "extras" at your party--except dessert, of course. Most often, jambalaya contains pork, beef or seafood, which is sauteed; then vegetables, seasoning, rice and broth are added.

Frog-Shaped Desserts

Desserts are typically kid-friendly and loved by all party-goers. To complete your "The Princess and the Frog" theme, frog-prince Naveen is required. Cookies are simple to make with a frog-shaped cutout and some green icing or sprinkles. For cupcakes, try topping any cupcake recipe with green jelly fruit slices or icing and strategically placed chocolate chips to mimic a frog's eyes. No prince is complete without a crown, frog or not. A chewy yellow candy works well for creating a crown.

References

• Disney Family: Everything Princess and the Frog
• Disney: The Princess and the Frog Movie
• "Food Lover's Companion"; Sharon Tyler Herbst; 2007