Cassoulet, You Say?

Cassoulet is one of those often mispronounced words that no one understands, unless of course you are French, but it is one of the passionate traditions at the Prince Street Back Forty West, as evidenced in their Cassoulet Festival going on for the last five years and occurring this year on Feb. 25.

"I love the Cassoulet Festival because this time-honored tradition offers much opportunity for today's meat-crazed chefs  to come up with their own interpretations of the classic dish," Peter Hoffman, owner of Back Forty and Back Forty West, said to The Daily Meal. "This is the perfect winter slow simmered dish and what better place to eat it than in the front of the fireplace on the second floor of Back Forty West?"

The cassole, hence the name of the dish, is the earthen pot in which this ever more popular casserole is cooked. The rustic French farm dish is so versatile that you can throw just about anything in it and have a successful meal. For example, chef Nick Anderer of Maialino will serve a Cajun cassoulet with suckling pig, Andouille, butter beans, scallions, and filone cracklings. 

Looks like it will be a good day for cassoulet.