The Sultry Chef

Cajun Cooking:

When people from out side of Louisiana think of Cajun or Creole Cuisine, the first thing that may come to mind is heat -- something that is so hot it will make you sweat. This may be true for some dishes, but that is a small number. When South Louisianans think of food, they think of flavor. Cajun or Creole Cuisine is a blend of fresh proteins, well rounded spices, vegetables, and herbs to be flavorful, not just spicy. So, next time you think of Cajun or Creole Cuisine, do not think heat and sweat, think about flavorful dishes that make you crave more.

No matter if you travel from Avoyelles Parish south to Vermilion Parish or from Acadia Parish east to Orleans Parish, you will find someone who can either cook a Cajun meal or Creole meal, and probably both. Yes, there is a difference in Cajun Cuisine versus Creole Cuisine. This difference goes way back to when the first group of settlers came to South Louisiana. The Creole Cuisine comes from the Caribbean Creoles who settled in what is known as present day New Orleans. And they wanted to maintain some of the cooking
techniques learned in their homeland, these were people who had the means to eat this type of food. These were dishes that were very rich, made with cream, shallots, herbs, and spices. These sauces were used to top oysters, fish, or shellfish. They also ate a lot of baked goods like pastries, breads, and cakes. This cuisine was referred to as city cooking.

On the other hand, Cajun Cuisine derived from Acadians who started to settle in the areas west of New Orleans. These people did not have the means for expensive ingredients, so they had to live off the land. They learned how to adapt to the environment to sustain themselves. This cuisine was usually cooked in one pot using vegetables, rice, fish, shellfish and strong spices. This cuisine was referred to as peasant food.

Present day Cajun and Creole Cuisine is somewhat different even though the same principals of cooking were used back in the 1700's. Since the first settlers in these
areas started cooking, the cuisine has evolved thanks to the seven different nations
that inhabited the land: Native Americans, French, Italian, English, Spanish, German,
and African. These diverse groups contributed to the distinct dishes that are cooked in South Louisiana today. These dishes were a product of the knowledge of these nations combined with the abundance of natural resources available to South Louisiana either from its land or water.

South Louisiana is blessed with many different crops such as rice, sugar cane, sweet potatoes, and okra to name a few. There is also the Gulf of Mexico and surrounding bays where you can catch fish, shrimp, crabs, and oysters. South Louisiana also has an abundance of swamps and marshes where turtles, frogs, rabbit, deer, crawfish, ducks and geese can be found. When you combine the abundant amount of resources with the unique herbs and spices, you get a cuisine that people just can not get enough of.

So when thinking of Cajun or Creole cuisine remember the spice should be second. Flavor is always first. Cajun dishes such as jambalaya, sauce piquante, gumbo, etouffee and chicken stew should be about flavor. When you think of Creole Cuisine dishes like Oysters Bienville, crawfish bisque, and shrimp romoulade remember the same. These two cultures have evolved and melded into a place where good food and friends are a part of everyday life, and it will continue in that direction for as long as the Cajun and Creole people are around.

This is a part of my website where you can view some of my writing work. :)

Recipe for Happiness:

Ingredients:

3 cups of fun

1 cup of kind words

2 1/2 cups C&U (compassion & understanding)

3 Tbsp. each thyme/time & sage (advice)

1 heaping scoop of generosity

As much humor as mixing bowl can hold

Directions:

Measure out fun willy nilly and spontaneously, adding in kind words slowly as you mix. Add all other ingredients, and liberally season with your favorite spices of life (adventure, spontaneity, laughter, etc.) Mix well.

Pour into cake pan and cook until well done, keeping temperature low enough that it doesn't boil over. When set, sprinkle on a thick layer of hugs and kisses. Cut, serve and enjoy. Recipe feeds as many people as are available to share with love. And remember, happiness is a choice!

The History of Grits

Back in the 70s there was a Midwesterner working near Atlanta who was first introduced to Grits, and loved retelling the story of that first meeting. He said his first morning at the hotel coffee shop he ordered eggs over easy with ham, toast and coffee. The waitress brought him his eggs and ham as ordered but he had biscuits and some funny looking white stuff he had never seen. He liked the biscuits but the white stuff was bland and strange to his taste.

He ordered the same thing next day and said the biscuits were okay but asked the waitress to leave off the "white stuff." His order came as requested but again the "white stuff" came on his plate. After several days of this, he was adamant with the waitress, a 35- or 40-year old wiry white lady that he did not want that "white stuff."

When she brought his breakfast she roughly put the plate before him with the "white stuff" again along with his order and looked him straight in the eye and said, "This 'white stuff' is called Grits and you can either learn to eat them or get your Yankee rear end back where you came from!" She turned and walked away, and he said he ate them out of fear of what would happen if he didn't comply; and he ate grits happily ever after. That rough ol' cowboy from Nebraska learned to cook and eat Grits, and probably by the end of the week, was drinking beer at night with the waitress.

What Are Grits?

Nobody knows. Some folks believe grits are grown on bushes and are harvested by midgets by shaking the bushes after spreading sheets around them. Many people feel that grits are made from ground up bits of white corn. These are obviously lies spread by Communists and terrorists. Nothing as good as a Grits can be made from corn.

The most recent research suggests that the mysterious Manna God rained down upon the Israelites during their time in the Sinai Desert was most likely Grits. Critics disagree, stating there is no record of biscuits, butter, salt and red eye gravy raining down from the sky, and God would not punish His people by forcing them to eat Grits without these key ingredients.

How Grits are Formed:

Grits are formed deep underground under intense heat and pressure. It takes over 1000 years to form a single Grit. Most of the world's grit mines are in South Carolina and Louisiana, and are watched over day and night by armed guards and pit bull dogs. Harvesting the Grit is a dangerous occupation, and many Grit miners lose their lives each year so Grits can continue to be served morning after morning for breakfast (not that having Grits for lunch and dinner is out of the question).

Yankees have attempted to create synthetic Grits. They call them Cream of Wheat. As far as we can tell, the key ingredients of this culinary atrocity are Elmer's Glue and shredded Styrofoam. These synthetic grits have been shown to cause nausea, and may leave you unable to have children.

Historical Grits:

As we mentioned earlier, the first known mention of Grits was by the Ancient Israelites in the Sinai Desert. After that, Grits were not heard from for another 1000 years. Experts feel Grits were used during this time only during secret religious ceremonies kept from the public due to its rarity. The next mention of Grits was found amidst the ruins of the ancient city of Pompeii in a woman's personal diary. The woman's name was Herculaneum Jemimaneus (Aunt Jemima to her friends.)

The 10 Commandments of Grits:

I. Thou shalt not put syrup on thy Grits

II. Thou shalt not eat thy Grits with a spoon or knife

III. Thou shalt not eat Cream of Wheat and call it Grits, for this is blasphemy

IV. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors Grits

V. Thou shalt use only Salt, Butter and red eye gravy as toppings for thy Grits

VI. Thou shalt not eat Instant Grits

VII. Thou shalt not put ketchup on thy Grits

VIII. Thou shalt not put margarine on thy Grits

IX. Thou shalt not eat toast with thy Grits, only biscuits made from scratch

X. Thou shalt eat grits on the Sabbath for this is manna from heaven

Thanksgiving Story (Funny)

One year at Thanksgiving, I went to my brother's house for the traditional feast. Knowing how gullible my sister-in-law is, I decided to play a trick. I told my sister-in-law I needed something from the store. When my sister-in-law left, I took the turkey out of the oven, removed the stuffing, stuffed a Cornish hen, and inserted it into the turkey, and re-stuffed the turkey. I then placed the bird(s) back in the oven.

When it was time for dinner, my sister-in-law pulled the turkey out of the oven and proceeded to remove the stuffing. When her serving spoon hit something, she reached in and pulled out the little bird.

With a look of total shock on her face, I exclaimed, "Stephanie, you've cooked a pregnant Bird!"

At the reality of this horrifying news, my sister-in-law started to cry. It took the family two hours to convince her turkeys lay eggs!

Yep..................she's blonde!

History of Mardi Gras

New Orleanians know how to throw a party! The city's largest celebration, Mardi Gras, has been called "the greatest free show on Earth." New Orleans Mardi Gras began in 1837, the year of the first street parade. The first day of the Carnival season is always January 6th (which is twelve days after Christmas). This is called the Twelfth Night and marks the beginning of the private masked balls that are held until Mardi Gras Day. The Mardi Gras parades consist of floats holding the krewe members, who throw doubloons, beads and other items to the people lining the streets. Many "parade-goers"either wear a costume or purple, green and gold when attending the parades, and scream "Throw me somethin' Mister!" to the krewe members on the floats. Marching bands and celebrities on floats are also included in the parades. Mardi Gras Day (which is always Fat Tuesday), is the last day of the carnival season. Many of the largest parades are held on this day.

History of the King Cake

Epiphany, celebrated in European countries, marks the coming of the wise men who brought gifts to the Christ Child. Epiphany is also called Little Christmas on the Twelfth Night, and is celebrated twelve nights after Christmas. People from all of the world celebrate Epiphany by exchanging gifts and feasting. A very popular custom that is still celebrated is the making of the "King's Cake" which represents the three kings who brought gifts. A plastic baby is baked inside the King Cake, and the tradition is whoever receives the baby in their piece of cake must buy the next King Cake or throw the next party. King Cakes are made of a cinnamon filled dough in the shape of a hollow circle. The cake is topped with a delicious glazed topping and then sprinkled with colored sugar. The three colors of the sugar are Purple (representing Justice), Green (representing Faith) and Gold (representing Power). Today the King Cakes are baked with a wide assortment of fillings inside the cake. King Cake is the preferred dessert and snack in New Orleans during Mardi Gras. Hundreds of thousands of King Cakes are eaten in New Orleans during the Carnival season. Many are shipped throughout the U.S. for those displaced New Orleanians longing for a taste of Mardi Gras.

Everything Happens

The one thing I’m most proud of in this past year is the sense that improbably, imperceptibly, and incrementally I’ve grown to be more me. I used to carry a great weight of remorse about my choices, about living a life that doesn’t conform to cultural expectations, & about having a history marked more by depression & loneliness than joy & connection. The more I’ve accepted who I am & what I’ve done, the more joy & connection I’ve found—& the more joy & connection I’ve found, the more I’ve accepted who I am.

Being depressed is a lot about feeling stuck. It’s a lot about feeling that your life doesn’t change, that you just spin your wheels in the much & the dreck & you’re just so tired. The thing is, however, that change happens. However paradoxical, it’s an immutable fact that everything changes. I’m not one of those people who believe that everything happens for a reason—there’s much in this world that’s entirely random and meaningless, & I’m grateful for that—but everything does happen.

Everything does not, however, happen as you plan, or necessarily as you want, but happen it will. The more work you put into things happening, the better the chance is that what will happen will somewhat conform to your hopes & dreams, but that’s not a given. Only that things change is a given.

Hope

Even when life gives you every reason to give up, remind yourself of the reasons you're still standing.. Yes, sometimes it's hard to stand up for someone who doesn't love you back.. But love is blind. Love is unconditional.. Actually, what is love? It's not something we feel in our heart or something we contemplate or try to understand in our brains.. It's the energy between two people.. That's love. Love is food! Love is family.. Love is friendship.. And that's what we need to stand up for.. We sit and complain about how life isn't fair and how we might never find love.. But we forget the most important thing: Everything turns out okay in the end.. If it's not okay, it's not the end. So what if the love of your life won't talk to you? So what? You can cry and you can worry but that won't make him see you for YOU. You are your best when you are HAPPY. Forget about them.. Forget and live to the fullest.. Find something you LOVE. And when they realize what they've lost, they'll come back... DON'T play "hard to get" unless you know deep down you really don't want them anymore. If they come back, accept them.. or forever regret what could have been..

If you are afraid of showing someone how you feel, don't be.. Honestly, what's the worst that could happen? We are still at the beginning of our lives, there is so much more for us to live for! Life goes on.. Don't let fear hold you back and keep HOPING. Hope got me through the roughest times of my life.. And it will get me through all the others that are bound to come my way.. Don't be a coward, either.. Fear is merely a feeling, cowardice is a choice of action. Be the best you can be, and don't do things you might be ashamed of to live life with no regrets.