Latest news with #CafeDuMonde
Buzz Feed
22-03-2025
- General
- Buzz Feed
'Needless To Say, We Got Takeout That Night': People Are Sharing The Foods They Tried To Make From Scratch But Immediately Regretted
If you've been cooking for a long time, chances are you have that one disastrous recipe that still keeps you up at night. You know, the one you tried to make from scratch, only for it to end up being a complete waste of time and energy. We've all been there. Recently, I asked the Tasty Community about their biggest DIY food fails, and rest assured, it'll make you feel better about your own cooking mishaps. People shared everything from the dishes that they could never eat again to the simple mistakes that turned into chaos. I rounded up 25 of the best stories: 1. "BBQ Sauce. All the recipes that I looked at used ketchup. I decided to make it from scratch. I plucked tomatoes from my garden to make homemade ketchup, which turned out pretty well..." Powerofforever / Getty Images "I followed a recipe for Crockpot BBQ sauce with my ketchup and prepared the ribs for my smoker. The BBQ sauce recipe had the sauce cooking on high for three hours and then low for two. I checked on hour two. When I opened the lid, the smell was terrible. I took a taste, and it was one of the worst things I have ever had. So much time was wasted; it tasted like ash and vinegar. Never again." –Heather, Wisconsin, 42 2. "I found a recipe for honey garlic chicken that involved baking the chicken tossed with flour and seasonings, tossing it with the homemade sauce, and baking it again. The picture accompanying the recipe showed the chicken having a deep golden-orange glaze, perfectly coating each piece." "Once I took it out of the oven, I knew there was no chance of matching that picture. The chicken had turned into highly unappetizing lumpy blobs of grayish brown, resembling a particularly bad hairball rather than a remotely edible chicken dish. I'm not sure where I went wrong, but I will be avoiding that recipe from now on. 😅" –Anonymous 3. "Baklava! By the time I was done, phyllo was on the ceiling and I was drinking a bourbon." 4. "Beignets! I love them so much. I get them every time I pass through New Orleans at Cafe Du Monde. They sell the mix in the grocery store and my mom got it for me for my birthday. THAT WAS THE HARDEST THING I HAVE EVER MADE! They came out so wrong. But I still ate them, lol." –icjellyfish17 5. "Cauliflower crust for pizza. It took forever, burned quickly, and made the house stink like rotten cabbage for an entire weekend. I still won't eat any cauliflower crust frozen products, because that was disgusting. Carbs all day for me!!" 6. "Saw a spin on roasted cauliflower on YouTube. It said to use parchment paper. Went to take the pan out of the had caught on fire and burned my cauliflower as well. Never cooked with parchment again." –Chanté L., Instagram Want easy recipes you can confidently cook without burning down your kitchen in the process? Download the free Tasty app to browse and save 7,500+ free recipes — no subscription required. 7. "Married for a month, I invited my family for Thanksgiving dinner and my brother asked for caramelized sweet potatoes. I sliced them and sautéed them in my mother-in-law's large pan. Used maple syrup, but didn't boil the potatoes first. Oh, the horror of it. I threw the pan out. A memorable holiday." 8. "Mac 'n' cheese that required a roux. Never mind that I've never made a roux before. It came out grainy and tasted of flour. In the trash, it went. Ordered takeout instead." –Stephanie W., Instagram 9. "I tried to make chimichurri and I used the amount of garlic recommended in the authentic Argentinian recipe. I dunno. I think my garlic was too old or something because it tasted like nothing but garlic! Nothing I did helped either; it was just too sharp. Next time!" 10. "Got ahead of myself for the culinary section of our French class. I made a cream puff tower called a 'croquembouche' from scratch. It took me from 3 p.m., when I got home from school, to almost 1 a.m. the next morning. I was exhausted, my caramel was pretty burnt, pastry dough was all over the place, the cream filling was lumpy. But hey, at least I was one of the only kids who didn't just buy something from Walmart." 11. "Croissants. You really need the laminating machines that the professional bakeries have. Waste of time and butter!" –Michelle, 54 12. "Just moved to a different country. Made cookies for our neighbors. Only problem? I used SALT instead of sugar. I didn't try them before I handed them out. Hubby tried one later and spat it out. We joked how the neighbors just thought that was how Americans made cookies." 14. "My boyfriend will never let me live down making GUMBO from scratch at midnight. I found a recipe that said to put flour in a cast iron and wait for it to go dark brown (no oil or butter). Didn't even know it wanted me to make a roux, so after several hours of flour baking in the oven not doing a thing, I decided to continue the recipe. I put the hot flour into the stock with everything else. It was nasty flour water with shrimp and sausage. It was 3 a.m., and I was sleep-deprived, hungry, and defeated — the only thing left to do was to cry. I woke up my boyfriend sobbing, and by some miracle, he was able to fix the flour soup I had made. 10 years later, we still laugh about that night because we both now work in a fine-dining steakhouse." – Sleepingdolphin595 15. "Pho. Lots of ingredients, long process. From now on, I'll just buy it from a restaurant." –Halim T., Instagram 16. "The Pinterest DIY boom of the 2010s led me to believe I could make horchata and egg nog from scratch for a party. I could not. 🤦♀️🥛" 17. "I made homemade stuffing once, including dicing all the veggies by hand and measuring out the spices... only to have it taste exactly like Stovetop. All that extra work for something that would only take 10 minutes to do!" – laughingtiger39 18. "French fries! Way too much work for a soggy result and lots of cleanup." 19. "Roasted a whole chicken. I misread the instructions and cooked at 245°F instead of 425°... Needless to say, we got takeout that night." –Katie E., Instagram 20. "The first time I made homemade mac 'n' cheese, I was a kid and very, very wrongly assumed that I could use whole wheat flour in my roux. Very disgusting lesson learned that day. 😂" 21. "Baked beans. I bought the wrong molasses — blackstrap instead of fancy! Epic fail; tasted like tar on the first bite. Into the garbage it went!" –Phyllis K., Instagram 22. "Candy. Any candy. I'm an excellent cook and baker and I'll never try making candy again." 23. "I tried to make an ice cream cake for my dad's birthday. I used fancy ice cream. It melted in the freezer. Such a sad birthday." –Anonymous 24. "Crème brûlée. As soon as I made it, I was grossed out that it was just egg yolk, cream, and sugar." 25. "I made oatmeal cream pie bars from scratch using what I thought was a reliable source, but it went very wrong once the marshmallow fluff-based frosting ended up tasting like soap the next day. 😭" –Anonymous Do you have any dishes that belong on this list? Let me know in the comments! Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
New York Times
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
The Super Bowl LIX spending challenge: What memorabilia can you get for $150 in New Orleans?
Our mission? To find the best Super Bowl LIX merchandise or memorabilia around New Orleans on a $150 budget. It's harder than it seems when you flip over the price of a T-shirt or hat and you see why this Super Bowl is projected to have a local economic impact of at least $500 million, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Advertisement We never crossed paths during our Thursday spending spree so neither of us knew what the other bought or if there was any overlap. Collectibles editors Brooks Peck and David Betancourt are serving as the judges of this Super Bowl spending challenge. But obviously the readers deserve all their rights to praise or pan any of our choices in the comments, so have at it. Saquon Barkley NOLA Bound T-shirt, NFLPA licensed ($35) I figured I'd start with a traditional sports memorabilia store. So following Thursday's Chiefs media availability, I walked down Chartres St., heading for Jackson Square en route to N'Awlins Sports on Decatur St. On the way, two very much non-sports stores caught my attention and I figured I'd dive in to see what's what. The store sold all of your traditional Saints, NFL, NBA and college gear. With the stipulation of buying at least one officially licensed product, this place seemed like an easy choice. Nothing super unique stood out, but the Barkley shirt brought out the most New Orleans-y element. The NFL's leading rusher dons Mardi Gras beads with a nice backdrop of the city. For $35, it's probably one of the cheaper licensed Super Bowl shirts floating around New Orleans this week. But across the street and about a block away, the combination of beignets and hats were too sweet to pass up. Super Bowl LIX Cafe Du Monde cap, NFL licensed exclusively through Lids ($40) The world famous Cafe Du Monde on a Super Bowl cap? It's a real thing, and the selection is glorious. Fresh out the beignet fryer, the Cafe Du Monde store laid out five versions of its '47 brand caps. Prices ranged from $35 to $50 depending on the hat. I bought the black, pinstriped hat with the Super Bowl LIX logo on the front. On the side there's a milk carton, can of powdered sugar and box of beignet mix marching in a second line with the milk carton holding a flag reading 'Du What Ya Wanna,' which is a play off a song by the New Orleans-based Rebirth Brass Band. David Betancourt geeked out when alerted these caps were for sale. He bought the green pinstriped one with the traditional Cafe Du Monde brand name on the front and a grooving beignet mix box on the side. David's sister, Ashley, then jumped on board and bought every version of the cap! They're such unique hats with ties to the Super Bowl and the beignet shop that's constantly aired during any New Orleans sporting event when coming back from commercials or in a pregame montage. Advertisement Geaux Taylor's Version T-shirt ($30) and St. Travis prayer candle ($20), Fleurty Girl Lauren Haydel's snappy, sassy T-shirt and gift shop will likely go down as a New Orleans fashion institution 20 years from now. Haydel and her crew link so many traditional New Orleans sayings, terms, brands and public figures to T-shirts and gifts. I already knew Fleurty Girl designed numerous Taylor Swift shirts when the music star's tour hit New Orleans a few months ago. So when I walked back down Chartres Street I knew the French Quarter location would come through clutch. The T-shirt sports the Chiefs' red and yellow colors, throwing in the traditional 'Geaux' with 'Taylor's Version' displayed in Swift's famous friendship bracelet beads. And I had to package that with a Swift and Travis Kelce prayer candle, with an inscription 'Patron Saints of Cuffing Season.' The store also sold candles featuring Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, Andy Reid and Nick Sirianni. I wanted to buy a clear purse with Eagles colored trim that read 'Flock Around and Find Out.' But I couldn't afford another $50 buy. Super Bowl LIX shot glass ($15) and commemorative pin ($13), a pop-up NFL Shop store On my way back to the city's convention center, I cut through Fulton Alley for some small final pickups. You can never go wrong with a commemorative lapel pin. And the shot glass can be used by either team's fan base to celebrate a win or to drown sorrows in defeat. (Ed. note: Whether the Eagles win or lose, I'm going to need more than a shot glass. —Brooks) Hello, judges. I lay before you the best haul of the day by far. My wares come from the official Super Bowl store in downtown New Orleans and Swamp Rags, a vintage store in the French Quarter specializing in sports merchandise, among other things. Super Bowl IV pin ($5) The smallest item of this batch may be the mightiest. I loved how far back it goes, all the way to 1970. I believe the thematic inclusion of both the Chiefs — winners over the Vikings in a 23-7 game, the first Super Bowl in franchise history — and location, the first Super Bowl in New Orleans, make it stand out. Symmetry! Advertisement Super Bowl LIX pint glass ($24.99) Here's my pick of the current year's offerings. I loved the stained glass design, and frankly this was the best item I could grab from the official Super Bowl store without incurring a garish charge on the company credit card. I almost blew my entire budget on a Starter jacket at the official NFL Shop, but resisted. Please clap. Super Bowl XXXVI commemorative football ($25) The 2002 title matchup was also held here in New Orleans, and it birthed a dynasty. This was the first Patriots Super Bowl win of the modern era, the culmination of Tom Brady's first season as a starter after Drew Bledsoe went down early in the year. It's a perfect reminder of how no one thought Brady and the Patriots would win this game, which came against the vaunted 'Best Show on Turf' offense in St. Louis. Feels poetic. Super Bowl XXIII bomber jacket ($65) For me, this is the pièce de résistance of the bounty. Super Bowl XXIII saw the 49ers win their third championship with a 20-17 win over Cincinnati that still haunts Bengals fans. It was also held in Miami, the city that's hosted the most Super Bowls, yet the Superdome is the stadium with the most SB visits. This game happened at Joe Robbie Stadium, the first Miami title game not at the Orange Bowl. Did I stretch to make that connection? Sure. The jacket is simply flawless, though, and had to be here. I will wear this in public. Saints Dome Patrol shirt ($60) New Orleans' linebacking corps was so good in the late 1980s and early 1990s that it earned a nickname and clearly inspired hope for the Saints. I couldn't find any information on when this shirt was made, but I'm guessing it was either 1991 or 1992, when New Orleans went 11-5 and 12-4, respectively, though the Saints lost both playoff games. Local ties + cool vintage + the word 'Super Bowl' on the shirt = perfect, to me. My closing argument: I think you'll find a strong array of goods, spanning different eras and uses, which combines for an elite Super Bowl merchandise haul. Blending a mix of current, official goods with vintage items from a local small business felt right. Yes, yes, I went slightly over budget. But I think this was worth it. There's no way Larry beats this. I rest my case. David Betancourt: Despite reminding me that my Washington Commanders didn't make it to Super Bowl LIX with his Saquon Barkley shirt, my vote goes to Larry Holder. The NFLPA shirts (despite not being able to use team logos) are always fun (I've got a 'Hail Jayden' one myself). I think those Cafe Du Monde caps might be one of the hottest items at the Super Bowl. And I'm always a sucker for a nice lapel pin. Even if there's a Philadelphia Eagles helmet on it. Advertisement Brooks Peck: On the one hand, there's a case to be made that Chris should be disqualified for going $30 over budget, but I respect the commitment of going into his own pocket to secure those items. Also, the fact that Larry corrupted one of the judge's impartiality by facilitating hat purchases for him can't be overlooked. With all that said, I'm voting for Chris — he came away with a unique mix of items and a thoughtful narrative through-line that ties them together (sort of). If he's not wearing the bomber jacket the next time I see him, then I reserve the right to change my vote, though. But that means we have a tie! Chime in down below to help us decide the winner. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence in all our coverage. When you click or make purchases through our links, we may earn a commission. (All photos: Larry Holder and Chris Branch)
Buzz Feed
06-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
"We Have Powdered Sugar In Our Warehouse On Standby": This Is How New Orleans' Cafe Du Monde Is Preparing To Serve 100,000+ Hungry Football Fans
Over 100,000 visitors are expected to flood New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX this year, giving local businesses a major tourism boost just before Mardi Gras in early March. Among them is the iconic French Quarter institution, Cafe Du Monde, a place that has perfected the art of selling chicory coffee and beignets by the thousands to locals and visitors alike. To understand how a legendary New Orleans business prepares for such a high-profile event, we spoke to Burt Benrud, the Vice President of Cafe Du Monde, who oversees operations at the historic café. "We're definitely very excited to have the Super Bowl back in New Orleans," Benrud told Tasty. "You know, we've been here on all the previous iterations." He recalled the last time the big game occurred in his city in 2013, calling it "a very special, special Super Bowl." That 2013 showdown was especially memorable because the opposing head coaches, Jim and John Harbaugh, were also brothers, adding additional intensity to an already monumental game. It was also the year Beyoncé gave the halftime show performance of a lifetime. Despite the pressure of coaching arguably the biggest game of his career, Jim Harbaugh still made time to indulge in a New Orleans tradition: stopping by Cafe Du Monde for beignets with his family. 12 years later, the Super Bowl is back in NOLA, and according to Benrud, "The NFL has taken it to another level." What was once a Super Bowl weekend has now expanded into a week-long spectacle. Events hosted by major names and organizations like Shaquille O'Neal, Post Malone, and GLAAD are drawing fans into the city days before kickoff. Benrud remarked on the "very interesting development" that the sporting event festivities have grown to include "more regular people" beyond ticketholders and VIPs. With more visitors expected to be in town on Super Bowl weekend than Caesars Superdome can even hold (its capacity is 83,000), Cafe Du Monde is bracing for a whirlwind. But how does the team handle the frenzy of hungry customers and celebrity appearances? Benrud credits his seasoned staff: "Everyone knows their jobs… Our staff has been with us for a long time." Far from being overwhelmed by the crowds, they embrace the hype. "The exciting part about coming to work at Cafe Du Monde is that you never know who you're going to run into," he said. "There's certainly going to be a diverse number of people coming to the shop, and you get to see everybody who's in town." Among the thousands of football fans this weekend, famous faces are practically guaranteed. Cafe Du Monde has long been a magnet for celebrities, welcoming everyone from Serena Williams to Kim Kardashian — and even Martha Stewart, who stopped by the last time New Orleans hosted the Super Bowl. "You know, I'm looking forward to her bringing Snoop in with her this time," Benrud said with a laugh. In 2019, Amy Schumer shared a viral Instagram post indulging a pregnancy craving for Cafe Du Monde's beignets. With enthusiastic visitors like Schumer coming into Cafe Du Monde each day, Benrud told Tasty they make and sell so many beignets daily that they don't even count them. "What we do count is the number of 50-pound bags of sugar," he shared. While they won't know how many bags of sugar they'll go through this Super Bowl weekend, Benrud is ready for anything: "We have bags of powdered sugar in our warehouse on standby." Even more than the extra business, Benrud recognizes the lasting benefits for New Orleans itself. "[The city] improved the infrastructure in anticipation of the Super Bowl. So, it's all very exciting because those assets will still be here after the game." The upgrades, ranging from repaved streets and refurbished sidewalks to fresh murals and LED color-changing lights on the Crescent City Connection bridge, ensure the city will shine long after the final touchdown. The city is gearing up for the big game with the same tenacity as the football players. And while no one can predict the winner before Sunday night, one thing is for sure: Cafe Du Monde will have fresh beignets and hot coffee for all fans after the Super Bowl. (You can even pick up their beignet-inspired Super Bowl 2025 merch, too.) Found yourself suddenly in the mood for a beignet but nowhere near New Orleans? Try making your own with our home cook-approved beignet recipe — then download the free Tasty app to browse (and save) 7,500+ more.
