Tangy remoulade makes this shrimp and avocado salad a cool choice for warm days

Order shrimp remoulade in a New Orleans restaurant and, depending on where you are sitting, your shrimp may be served with a creamy pinkish sauce studded with spices, a deep red one heavy on horseradish and Creole mustard, a delicate seasoned mayonnaise with lots of fresh herbs, or even a white, creamy sauce with a touch of garlic.

People have their favorites, of course, and one of mine is at Brigtsen's Restaurant, opened in 1986 by chef Frank Brigtsen and his wife Marna in the Carrollton area of the city, just a short stroll from the Mississippi River levee. "This is a great example in Creole cuisine where we've taken a classic French recipe and made it nothing like the French and adapted to our taste," Frank Brigtsen said. "French remoulade is made with mayonnaise, gherkins, chervil and capers, but here in New Orleans, of course, it's totally different."