Issuu

BEST BOUDIN Our readers weighed in and this link came out on top

46 FALLING FOR CULTURE

A season of plays, ballets and art shows across the region

NAAN-STOP FLAVOR

NOTE DE L’EDITEUR Fall Feasting

NOUVELLES DE VILLES Happenings around the region

DU CHEF

Cook, recipe developer, food blogger and selfdescribed MawMaw Jolie Meaux weaves Cajun history and tradition into her flavorful dishes.

UN VOYAGE AU VILLAGE Treasure Hunting in Breaux Bridge

ÉTAT CULTUREL Tracing the roots of boudin from Europe to the Cajun prairie.

LA MAISON Realtor Lulu David’s Youngville home is a sustainably-minded family oasis created for cozy comfort, large gatherings and lots of houseguests.

64 EN FRANÇAIS, S’IL VOUS PLAÎT À cadiac entre deux époques

RECETTE DE COCKTAILS

Liberty Café’s twist on a classic cocktail brings together the best of fall flavors in Houma

EDITORIAL

Editor Reine Dugas

Copy Editor Liz Clearman

Web Editor Kelly Massicot

Art Director Sarah E.G. Majeste

Lead Photographer Danley Romero

Food Photographer Eugenia Uhl

Home Photographer Haylei Smith

SALES

Sales Manager Rebecca Taylor

337-298-4424

337-235-7919 Ext. 7230

Rebecca@AcadianaProfile.com

RENAISSANCE PUBLISHING

PRODUCTION

Digital Director Rosa Balaguer Arostegui

Senior Production Designer

Ashley Pemberton

Production Designer Czarlyn Ria Trinidad

MARKETING

Fall Feasting

I’M ALWAYS EXCITED when we get that first cool snap in the weather, usually in late October. Though our fall is short and inconsistent, it’s still much anticipated. Moods usually lighten because the heat isn’t as oppressive, and we feel like getting out and doing more with the newfound energy we seem to have.

Besides getting out and going to all of the fun fall festivals, October and November are the perfect months to explore what restaurants have on offer. I’ve never done a progressive dinner, but I like the idea of it. Maybe the closest I’ve come is in Italy — having an aperitivo one place, then onto dinner, and after, gelato and a stroll. But it would be

interesting to do one at friends’ homes or at restaurants in your city. Stop at one place for cocktails and an appetizer, then go to another place for dinner, and so on. You’d get to sample several different spots and would spread out your eating so you wouldn’t get so full so fast. Sounds like a win-win.

In this issue, we’ve done our Best of Dining as a progressive dinner of sorts. Eric Cormier has broken down some of the best meals in the region by dishes — appetizer, salad, entrée and dessert — and has chosen three restaurants and dishes for each. So it would be both a progressive dinner and choose your own adventure night — how fun!

If you’re in the mood to try a new cocktail, Lisa Leblanc-Berry shares a recipe from 531 Liberty Café, which should get you in fall mode. It’s a banana nut oldfashioned, and it sounds delicious. Here’s to a wonderful night out with a cool breeze and a delicious meal that can only mean Louisiana in the fall. Cheers!

What I'm Loving

A FEW OF THE BEST THINGS I ATE, WATCHED AND READ THIS MONTH

WHAT TO DO

Oktoberfest. Find a local spot that celebrates and get yourself a hearty plate of schnitzel, potatoes and sauerkraut. One of my recent discoveries was in Manchac, where Middendorf’s offers a different German meal each week during October.

WHAT TO WATCH

“The Great British Baking Show.” The new season is coming up, so it’s time to watch some reruns. There’s nothing cozier than watching people bake delicious pastries and take tea breaks while waiting for their bread to rise.

WHAT TO READ

“Real Americans” by Rachel Khong. I love stories with multiple points of view and Khong really dives deep into all the things that make us who we are as adults — both the genetics and environment.

Enticing Fall Festivals

‘Tis the season of bountiful harvests and fall festivals celebrating everything from gumbos, gravies and gratons to bourbon, boucheries and blackpot cookoffs with a side of pumpkin pie. Brisk weather invigorates two-stepping fans at Festivals Acadiens et Créoles (October 10-12) in Lafayette’s Girard Park, kicked off by cultural trailblazer Zachary Richard paying homage to the 50th anniversary of his 1975 appearance at the second annual Tribute to Cajun Music. It was the night that Clifton Chenier put on a crown and introduced himself as the King of Zydeco. That concert evolved into Louisiana’s largest Cajun and zydeco festival. The three-day 2025 lineup includes CJ Chenier (Clifton’s son) and the Red Hot Louisiana Band, a set with four generations of the Dopsie family featuring Rockin’ Dopsie Jr., the Lost Bayou Ramblers, Pine Leaf Boys, Leon Chavis and the Zydeco flames, Beau Cheval and Bonsoir, Catin.

AGENDA

OCTOBER 3-5

KBON 101.1 Music Festival

The three-day festival in Rayne features over 20 bands playing Cajun, zydeco, swamp pop and country music. Organized in partnership with the Down Syndrome Association of Acadiana.

OCTOBER 10-12

Louisiana Gumbo Festival

Head to Chackbay, where thousands of hungry fans gather for the Louisiana Gumbo Festival. Volunteers prepare more than 500 gallons of gumbo in the “Gumbo Capital of Louisiana.”

OCTOBER 11-12

World Championship

Gumbo Cookoff

Claw Crazy

Gotcha, a Japanese-style arcade, recently opened in Lafayette featuring rows of claw machines, illuminated under glowing neon lights, packed with colorful prizes ranging from small novelties to high-value wins such as premium handbags and backpacks. Machines range from easy-towin setups to challenging games. More Gotcha locations are slated for Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

Culinary teams prepare more than 100 different gumbos during the “Superbowl of Gumbo.” Categories include amateur chicken and sausage, amateur seafood and amateur mélange.

OCTOBER 16-19

International Rice Festival

Head to Crowley and enjoy rice eating contests, a frog derby, live music, classic car show, carnival, two big parades and the celebrated fiddle and accordion contests.

OCTOBER 17-19

Boucherie & Balloon Festival

Colorful hot air balloons soar over Sorrento during the jambalaya and cracklin cookoffs, live music, crafts and carnival rides. Festival proceeds go to the Louisiana Lions Camp for special needs children and the Louisiana Lions Eye Foundation.

OCTOBER 18

Chuck Fest

Southwest Louisiana’s flourishing music, art and culinary scenes are celebrated with live bands on five stages, inside Luna Bar and Grill and at other downtown locations along with a food court, beer tent, art market and kids’ tent.

LAFAYETTE

Peppery New Repellent

There’s a buzz going around among hunters on social media about a new insect repellent made in Lake Charles that was launched by year-round hunters who wanted to create a next-generation mosquito repellent that was DEET-free, odorless, baby safe, quick-drying, long-lasting and non-corrosive for guns, metal and plastic. Made from a derivative of black pepper, the EPA approved Hunt Refined Repellent recently gained praise from Governor Jeff Landry who ordered a proclamation for its merits.

AGENDA

OCTOBER 24-25

Blackpot Festival and Cookoff Categories include gravy, gratons, gumbo, jambalaya and desserts. All dishes must be cooked in cast iron pots.

OCTOBER 24-26

French Food Festival

Learn about everything from shrimping and trapping to quilting and Cajun cooking in Larose, where attendees sample classic French and Cajun fare prepared by local chefs and volunteers.

NOVEMBER 7-8

Festival of Words

HOUMA

Cozy Cat Connections

Houma’s new Second Chance Cat Café (Louisiana’s first café for felines) offers a laid-back setting for spending time with sociable, fully vaccinated, adoptable cats craving company and their forever homes. You can play with the kitties, enjoy card games, board games, and weekly themed game and movie nights. Drinks and snacks are prepared away from the cat room.

The 18th annual literary festival in Grand Coteau features three award-winning writers providing community readings and writing workshops.

NOVEMBER 8

Thibodeauxville Fall Fest

The festival returns to downtown Thibodaux featuring the famous rubber duck race on Bayou Lafourche, three stages with live music, a food court, car show and arts and crafts booths.

NOVEMBER 8

Mac N’ Cheese Cook-off & Festival

Held in the Terrebone Parish Courthouse Square, this event has a mission to empower people with mental, physical and behavioral challenges. Expect both traditional and creative versions of America’s favorite comfort food.

NOVEMBER 13-16

Port Barre Cracklin Festival

A youth pageant kicks off the fest featuring carnival rides, a parade, crafts, food, and live music (a fundraiser for the Louisiana Lions Club Eye Foundation and Louisiana Lions Camp).

NOVEMBER 22

Smoke & Barrel

Enjoy fine Bourbon, BBQ and whiskey in downtown Lake Charles. The weekend of tasting events features over 80 bourbons, whiskeys and BBQ from top pitmasters.

LAKE CHARLES

Treasure Hunting in Breaux Bridge

Breaux Bridge is home to several outstanding antique shops so whatever you’re searching for, the odds are good you’ll find it here. Lagniappe Antique Mall located in the old Domingue Motor Co. reigns as the largest, with 17,000 square feet of collectibles, antiques and handmade art and furniture. Janell’s Gifts & Antiques at 200 E. Bridge St. and Something Old Something New at 801 Berard St. combine the old with some new with a few unique items thrown in.

BAYOU BARISTA COFFEE

102 REFINERY ST. 337-298-5220

@BAYOUBARISTA

LAGNIAPPE

ANTIQUE MALL

124 W. BRIDGE ST. 337-507-2036

BREAUXBRIDGEANTIQUES.COM

@LAGNIAPPEANTIQUEMALL

CAFÉ SYDNIE MAE

140 E. BRIDGE ST. 337-909-2377

CAFESYDNIEMAE.COM

@CAFESYDNIEMAE

DINING

All that treasure hunting can make you hungry. Café Sydnie Mae, named for community leader Sydnie Mae Durand, serves up Cajun and Creole staples for dinner and weekend brunch with occasional live music accompaniment. Look for a hearty seafood gumbo, a crawfish Teche Wellington and decadent bread pudding. Since Breaux Bridge is the Crawfish Capital of the World, don’t miss the café’s yummy crawfish étouffée.

COFFEE

You’ll need energy to search for treasures, so fuel up first on freshly brewed coffee and craft espresso drinks at Bayou Barista Coffee. This drive-through java spot owned by Jared and Cathi Soileau began as a food truck traveling through Acadiana but now has a brick and mortar spot at the corner of Refinery and Berard streets. If cool is your jam, try their frappes and iced “Moo-cha Latte.”

A Culinary Journey in One Link

TRACING THE ROOTS OF BOUDIN FROM EUROPE TO THE CAJUN PRAIRIE

IT’S BEEN SAID that “Happiness is a hot piece of boudin.” In South Louisiana, roadside stops and meat markets are distinguished by their boudin — whose is hottest, whose casing is tougher, whose rice and meat mixture has the best texture.

According to the state’s famed Chef John Folse, the Germans who came to Louisiana in 1725 are responsible for teaching the Cajuns how to make sausage. Boudin derived from this sausage-making process, with the addition of rice and vegetables, like onions and bell pepper, to the meat filling. The Germans also introduced the Cajuns to all forms of charcuterie and the boucherie (community butchering usually with pigs), which resulted in smoked meats like andouille, chaudin, tasso and chaurice.

Boudin also has roots in France, where boudin noir (black boudin) and boudin blanc (white boudin) were popular in the 1300s. Boudin historian Robert Carriker notes in his book “Boudin” that the earliest recorded mention of the stuffed sausage in

Louisiana dates to May 9, 1805. “The journals of Lewis and Clark recount how their French fur trapper, Toussaint Charbonneau, fashioned a buffalo intestine into a casing, filled it with meat and kidney suet, baptized it in the Missouri River with ‘two dips and a flirt,’ then boiled and fried it in bear grease. This innovative creation was dubbed “boudin” and celebrated as a “forest delicacy,” he writes.

Before 1930, the only way to get a link of boudin would have been to attend a boucherie. Small-town grocery stores like Johnson’s in Eunice started selling it as a Saturday tradition during the 1940s, and more followed suit. Today, there are more boudin shops in Acadiana than you could taste in a day.

Looking back to that Saturday tradition, locals around Acadiana often start their morning with a link of boudin, which has led to early-morning “boudin tours” for those who are serious about their links. Lafayette Travel’s Cajun Boudin Trail recommends trying “one boudin after another, link after steaming hot link, to form a chain that connects, or literally links, the Cajun prairie towns to the Creole bayou communities.”

Boudin is best understood through taste. Each link is different and unique, because each community has their own recipe. At The Best Stop in Scott — designated the Boudin Capital of the World in 2012 — you’ll find pork, spice and a touch of liver in the recipe, not to mention smoked boudin and chaudin, described as “Cajun pork haggis.” At Earl’s in Lafayette, the boudin is thick with green onions and more rice than pork. Johnson’s Boucaniére may have moved from Eunice to Lafayette, but its hot boudin recipe remains the same, relying on a good dose of black pepper. In Duson, the links at Menard’s are “dark, piquant, and meaty, with a notable green onion crunch,” according to Lafayette Travel.

Each link of boudin is its own culinary journey. There are even those stuffed with crawfish, shrimp and cauliflower (in place of rice) now. Like most Cajun foods, boudin has evolved with the times to fit our current palate, but there’s still nothing like a hot link on a Saturday morning.

Rice, Spice & Everything Nice

CELEBRATE BOUDIN IN PRINT, IN PERSON AND ON YOUR PLATE.

BOOK “Boudin: A Guide to Louisiana's Extraordinary Link” by Robert Carriker ulpress.org

EVENT

The Scott Boudin Festival April 10-12 scottboudinfestival.com

RECIPE

Boudin King Cake by George Graham acadianatable.com

Organic Style

REALTOR LULU DAVID’S YOUNGVILLE HOME IS A SUSTAINABLY MINDED FAMILY OASIS CREATED FOR COZY COMFORT, LARGE GATHERINGS AND LOTS OF HOUSEGUESTS.

FOR THREE YEARS, Lulu David worked on the design of her new home in Youngsville’s Sugar Mill Pond neighborhood. Owner of Lulu David Real Estate Co., the seasoned Realtor had a clear vision. “From the beginning, we wanted the house to feel like it could be sitting in a little coastal village in Europe, something with that effortless, timeless beauty,” says David. Perhaps more important, however, David knew what would be appealing if they were ever to decide to sell the house.

“I know what buyers notice, what makes them feel at home and what features become dealmakers,” says David, who also designed the family’s former home. “To me, great design isn’t just about how it looks, it’s about how it lives and how it holds its value over time. Our home has an open entertaining main space floor plan with split bedroom floor plan. We have tons of square footage under roof with plenty of entertaining spaces, such as a bonus room attached to the [primary bedroom] which could be used as an office, nursery or workout room.”

David worked with architect Jarod Hebert and Hays Homes custom home builders to realize her dream of a style she dubs “Alys Beach meets Mediterranean villa.” The home’s exterior is

clad in stucco and the team focused on using sustainable building materials that will stand up to Louisiana’s often brutal climate and weather events.

“All of our shutters, balcony railings, cantilevers and even the tongue-and-groove ceilings are made with Acre products,” says David. “It has the look and warmth of wood, but it will never rot, warp or splinter. More and more homes are making that shift to sustainable, lifetime materials and it’s definitely a bigger upfront investment, but we knew it was worth it. These are details we’ll never have to replace, and they’ll keep that Mediterranean character intact for a lifetime.”

Inside the two-story home, form and function dominate. Built for entertaining and hosting, each of the four bedrooms

Lulu David worked with architect Jarod Hebert and Hays Homes custom home builders on what she calls her “Alys Beach meets Mediterranean vila,” a two-story, fourbedroom stucco home crafted using a host of sustainable materials.

has an en suite bathroom. The upstairs theater room includes built-in bunk beds and the kitchen comes with a scullery and sizable walk-in pantry with access to the three-car garage.

“Downstairs, we have two of those bedrooms plus an office, and the heart of the home opens to a central courtyard with an outdoor kitchen, an al fresco dining area and even an outdoor shower, perfect after a dip in the pool,” says David, who describes the pantry’s garage access a game changer for organizing and prep. “There’s also a convenient half bath right off the pool and courtyard for guests. It’s a layout that feels thoughtful, functional and ready for whatever life throws our way.”

Shared living spaces are awash in warm neutrals with pops of muted color, natural

materials, soft textures and clean lines creating a sense of calm throughout the home, while the central courtyard brings the outdoors in. David chose limewash from JH Wall Paints for those spaces, while the family’s more private spaces are painted in moodier colors, like the earthy green of Benjamin Moore Vintage Vogue. By seamlessly blending her modern sensibility with Old World flair, David avoids sacrificing warmth and elevates cozy comfort.

“I wanted to create a mood that feels warm and organic, like a home that has soul,” says David, who loves that theirs is the home family loves to visit during the holidays and where the neighborhood kids want to

The kitchen comes with a scullery and sizable walk-in pantry with access to the three-car garage, which David describes as a game changer for organizing and prep. Throughout the interior spaces, David chose warm neutrals with pops of muted color, natural materials, soft textures and clean lines for a sense of calm.

hang out. “The whole house just feels collected, welcoming and effortless, like it’s been here for generations but still lives beautifully for today.”

FORK YEAH

A FULL-COURSE GUIDE TO THE REGION'S BEST EATS

BY ERIC CORMIER

FORK YEAH

Famed food personality Julia Child once said, “People who love to eat are always the best people.” ¶ In this annual Best of Dining feature, we focus on the people who love to cook for those who love to eat. ¶ We are showcasing kitchen creations from Lake Charles to Morgan City. ¶ Each of these dishes is prepared using fresh, high-quality ingredients by enthusiastic and talented cooks and bakers who are driven to serve their patrons delicious food. ¶ Under each course, three choices are provided. This was done because Louisiana has many wonderful dining establishments and menus. ¶ So which ones are best? ¶ You choose. ¶ To some, a five-course meal is a luxury from a bygone era. Use this feature for inspiration. ¶ Slow your roll, gather a few of your favorite people and hit the road. Regard it as a grand culinary adventure. ¶ No matter where you go, you will be around the best people. Guaranteed!

PHOTOGRAPHY BY COLLIN RICHIE

A P P E T I

On SoLou ’s menu, the crabmeat cheesecake is noted as “Chef Peter’s signature appetizer!” ¶ If you ask staff, they will not just sing the praises of Chef Peter Sclafani’s cheesecake, they just about insist (in a nice way of course) that you order the appetizer. ¶ “Oh my God. The cheesecake is savory and buttery,” explains Front of House Manager Brigitte Harrison. ¶ Anything with crabmeat is the first step in a soul-inspiring culinary adventure. ¶ Here is how the restaurant describes the dish: “Lump crabmeat, cream cheese, fontina, romano, parmesan, lemon butter sauce, truffle aioli.” ¶ That description will bring you to happy tears the way Clifton Chenier’s “I’m Coming Home (To See My Mother)” will. ¶ Back of House Manager Alyssa Batiste said fresh crabmeat is used in the dish. ¶ “Yes, and we make this everyday. About three or four crabmeat cheesecakes are made every day from scratch,” she said. eatsoloulafayette.com

Just because this flavorsome appetizer is called a shipwreck does not mean the flavors have collided the wrong way.

The Shipwreck Fries are described on the menu as:

Hearty portions of CajunCeltic fusion dishes are what Chef Jimbo Bittner dreams of.

“A hearty portion of golden, crispy fries generously piled high. They’re lavishly smothered in our signature crawfish tasso cream sauce, creating a rich and savory foundation. A melty blend of cheeses crowns this culinary treasure, and it’s all topped with a succulent sautée of shrimp,

SHIPWRECK FRIES

crawfish and calamari.”

In case you are wondering what inspired Bittner to mess around in the kitchen with all these ingredients, his answer is, “We needed a Lake Charles version of poutin!”

“Everything blends well with the Shipwreck Fries,” he said. “And customers love it!

It’s a lot of food and they will share it at the table.”

The crawfish tasso cream sauce alone is worth a bowl and spoon. It is one of Bittner’s best kitchen innovations.

CRAWFISH BOULETTES

CRAWFISHTOWN USA

2815 GRAND POINT HWY. HENDERSON 337-667-6148

CRAWFISHTOWNUSA.COM

General manager Corey Hebert will not disagree with

the notion that his family restaurant produces and sells an addictive menu item.

“Heck, I eat them all the time too!” he said of the boulettes.

Crawfish Town USA’s crawfish boulettes are made with onion, bell pepper, celery, lots of butter, crumbled French bread and lots of seasoning.

They are offered on the menu and in the store area.

“People rave about them. Some will sit at the restaurant bar and eat them.

Lots are sold as appetizers,” Hebert said. By the way, the boulettes are sold frozen too.

“There is so much you can do with them. We place them on the seafood platter. But you can plop them into a crawfish étouffée or crawfish stew, or air fry them and place in a bisque,” Hebert said.

Restaurant staff make the boulettes everyday, and it makes sense … lots of Crawfish Town USA eaters need to feed their fix.

If you are in Opelousas and hungering for a salad you will never forget, head downtown — across from the St. Landry Parish Courthouse — walk into Back in Time and ask for the Pearl Harbor salad. ¶ “We make it from scratch. Everybody who orders it, loves it!” said longtime café employee Stephanie Roberts. ¶ The Pearl Harbor consists of a lettuce spring mix, bacon, sauted chicken, broccoli, Mandarin oranges, strawberries, feta cheese and a nut crunch (ramen noodles, cashews and a few other ingredients that are sautéed in butter — that owner Wanda Juneau and her staff will not share completely). ¶ Diners who ate the salad shared these comments on Yelp.com: ¶ “Pearl Harbor salad hit the spot.” ¶ “I had the Pearl Harbor salad. It was delicious and the ingredients were very nice and fresh.” ¶ One patron even wrote on the site that the dish “will have you swearing love and devotion for Miss Wanda.”

→SALAD

TROPICAL FRUIT SALAD

THE ORIGINAL CASTALANO’S 1023 SIXTH ST. MORGAN CITY

985-384-6188 THEORIGINALCASTALANOS.COM

Ask Mary Grace Gray what her favorite salad is at The Original Castalano’s in Morgan City.

With a smile and a look of peace and serenity, she will utter, “Our tropical fruit salad.”She is not the only one.

This refreshing treat is the type of menu item that has people in the lower Atchafalaya River region flocking to the business seeking salad refuge.

“It is savory and sweet. Filling and satisfying,” said Gray, who happens to the be owner of the eatery that has been open since 1995.

What ingredients are combined to provide this version of kitchen-based bliss?

Vibrant green lettuce, cheddar Jack cheese, strawberries, pineapple, mandarin oranges, pecans and a poppy seed salad dressing.

Some patrons top the salad off with grilled shrimp, tuna, salmon or chicken.

“Everyone says it is filling, but the salad does not make you feel too full,” Gray said. “When I sum it up, this salad is light and you feel like you ate something healthy and delicious.”

STERLING SALAD

TONY’S PIZZA

335 E. PRIEN LAKE RD. LAKE CHARLES 335-477-1611

TONYSPIZZAINC.COM

In 1975 Sterling Dickson had his mind set on eating a highprotein diet in order to stay energized for basketball.

The salad — keto before keto — not only gave other athletes in his era energy, it fed coaches, a future basketball Hall of Famer and is a top seller at Tony’s Pizza.

The Sterling (having your name on a salad — at a Lake Area pizza institution that your family founded — guarantees immortality) is a fan favorite.

“I was at McNeese State at the time and kind of a little fitness dude. I made this salad because it had lots of protein. Coaches and players we played basketball with back then ate it. Even Joe Dumars when he came to town to play basketball before he went to McNeese State,” Dickson said.

The Sterling is a lettuce mix with Tony’s homemade meatballs, roast beef rolls, sliced ham and turkey, cheese, tomato, eggs, Greek olives and peppers.

SOUP

CRAWFISH ÉTOUFFÉE

RICE PALACE

2015 N. CHEROKEE DR. CROWLEY 337-783-3001

Point of writer privilege, if I may.

Yes, crawfish étouffée is prepared with a smothering technique.

True, it is viewed as an entree by many.

Question — don’t you order gumbo as a soup or appetizer sometime?

“Une petite portion d’étouffée d’ecrevisses, s’il vous plait.”

And I want it from the Rice Palace prepared by prep cook Kathy Johnson.

For 18 years, she has been making the base, of which plump crawfish tails are gently placed in as the dish cooks.

“I put a lot of time and love into it,” Johnson said.

Yes she does … Lord have mercy, this étouffée is good, velvety and spicy.

If you get a chance to sneak a glance into the kitchen and see the Rice Palace staff working, two 6-inch pans should be on a burner.

Johnson uses them two or three times a day to make the base because the étouffée is ordered a lot — as an entree, or appetizer (soup).

SPICY MISO SOUP

Soups, soups, soups and more soups are offered here at Katsu Ramen Bar, a restaurant neatly tucked away in a strip mall on Ambassador Caffery in the Hub City. ¶ Watching a patron ponder what soup to order is exciting for owner Kayla Liu because it guarantees they will come back. Her soups are good! ¶ Unsolicited suggestion: order one new one on each visit. ¶ The spicy miso ramen soup is the best way for newbies to get ushered into the restaurant’s soup ordering log (not real, but you get the picture). ¶ The soup is mild with pork broth, pork belly, marinated boiled egg, corn, bamboo shoots, seaweed, green onions, fish cake, shredded chili pepper, sesame seeds and wavy ramen noodles. ¶ “And add some black garlic oil to the spicy miso to enhance the flavor,” Liu said. ¶ Repeat customers should then order the tonkotsu ramen, shoyu ramen (pork belly), vegetable ramen, black garlic ramen, seafood ramen, spicy miso beef ramen, and there are more to go. ¶ Remember — eat one at a time! Savor the flavor! katsuramenbarla.com

SIRO’S BISTRO

112 ARNOULD BLVD. LAFAYETTE

337-233-7476 SIROSBISTRO.COM

A commitment to patience is what owners Mark and Charlene Stroud have made towards their restaurant and one of their signature soups.

Siro’s is a Europeanstyle bakery that offers sandwiches, appetizers, salads, wraps and soups of which the loaded potato soup stands supreme.

“We make the soup with potatoes, onions, salt and pepper and heavy cream,” said Mark Stroud. “It is very simple. We do not like to adorn the soup with too many flavors.”

The time needed and utilized by the Strouds and their team to prep the vegetables, boil the potatoes and season at the right time is noticed when the soup is served and eaten.

“We don’t use a lot of water in the boil process. Just enough to cook the potato until it falls apart. Then we mash it. When we serve it, customers will get little parts of potatoes, but it is mostly smooth,” Stroud said. “Customers like it.”

Delicious, chargrilled pork. Just contemplating that within the deep synapses of the mind can make the liver quiver with joy. ¶ The cooking team at Vestal outdid themselves with their pork porterhouse that is served with strawberry kimchi, frissée, guajillo, and queso fresco. ¶ “We wanted to do something different. A pork porterhouse is an uncommon cut. You get the pork chop and pork loin. The best of both worlds,” said Executive Chef Sullivan Zant. “Besides, most things taste better off the bone.” ¶ If you have not been to Vestal, understand, these folks are not afraid of beautiful fire. They let their inner chefs Francis Mallmann and Victor Arguinzoniz — modern fathers of the open fire cooking movement — shine while cooking with oak wood. ¶ A lot of time goes into prepping and preparing the kimchi and sauce. ¶ “The dish is smoky and peppery with an acidic sweetness. The cheese is light and refreshing,” Zant said. vestalrestaurant.com

The father of Lake Charles cool cuisine has done it again. Chef Dave Evans pulled

getting rave reviews.

Fish Augustine is a pan-seared grouper, with Gulf shrimp and roasted poblano cream sauce served over asparagus.

Evans — who founded Luna Bar and Grill — opened

Augustine earlier this year with a specific goal of displaying a new level of culinary magic to his fans.

“Our poblano sauce for the dish is made with green and red bell peppers, onions, garlic, and poblanos. All of

that is roasted and cooked down. It leads to an amazing and beautiful sauce with a golden color,” he said.

The dish has been an instant hit in Lake Charles.

“I, along with my team, have gone

down the wormhole, tasting, researching, testing and cooking dishes I’ve wanted to prepare for years. Our grouper dish is one of the amazing results of that work,” Evans said.

TECHE WELLINGTON

CAFE SYDNIE MAYE

140 E. BRIDGE ST. BREAUX BRIDGE 337-909-2377

CAFESYDNIEMAE.COM

From day one, when David Puckett and his wife started operating the downtown Breaux Bridge restaurant, the Teche Wellington has been astounding patrons’ tastebuds.

“It is our number one selling dish. It brings constant joy to those who order it,” Puckett said.

The restaurant’s menu describes the Teche Wellington like this — Louisiana crawfish and shrimpstuffed pastry topped with brandy cream and sautéed seafood.

“People come from Lake Charles, Alexandria, East Baton Rouge and all other points for this dish,” Puckett said. Puckett and his team spent time improving the dish — the recipe has evolved 11 times specifically.

“Preparation is laborious. The prep crew prepares the seafood, the pastry and the sauce. It is a lot of work, but a lot of love goes into the Teche Wellington,” Puckett said.

The finished product is a beautiful, perfectly baked pastry with a golden crust, creamy sauce — and delicious Louisiana seafoodinspired flavor.

E S S E R

The baking team at Poupart’s like to plan their fancy fruit tarts around what is in season. ¶ Issac Fort, Poupart’s pastry chef, also indulges his artistic spirit. Fort likes to design the tarts in order to enhance their visual appearance. ¶ “There are not a lot of bakeries that do like us and that is to make decorative presentations with nice designs,” Fort said. ¶ He has been inspired by Lauren Ko who wrote the New York Times bestselling book “Pieometry: Modern Tart Art and Pie Design for the Eye and the Palate.” ¶ Combining design with fresh fruits leads to Poupart’s tart masterpieces. ¶ “I especially enjoy when peaches are in season. They have a nice color. We add an apricot glaze that gives the tart a shiny glossy look,” Fort said. ¶ By the way, Fort said Poupart’s tarts are top Valentine’s and Mother’s Day gifts. ¶ “Want to make momma happy? Bring her one of our tarts,” he said. poupartsbakery.com

BOURBON PECAN PIE

CANE RIVER PECAN COMPANY PIE BAR 254 W. MAIN ST. NEW IBERIA 337-547-2345 CANERIVERPECAN.COM

One nut on planet earth has the distinct honor of being represented daily by a passionate, creative and eloquent ambassador.

The pecan is that nut, and Jady Regard, the chief nut officer of Cane River Pecan Company and Pie Bar, is the dignitary.

Every day Regard and his staff create pies, and the bourbon pecan pie is his homage to the pecan, which happens to be part of the walnut family.

“We’ve been making it for years. I like to make mine in a black iron skillet. At the pie bar, we make a traditional 9-inch, deep dish pie with a pound of pecan halves. It is beautiful,” he said.

The pies get a few brushes of Maker’s Mark as a finishing touch, and a tablespoon of Steen’s molasses helps cut the sweetness of the pie.

“That ingredient makes this a phenomenal pie.”

Spoken like a true ambassador on behalf of the pecan’s international followers.

STRAWBERRY CHAMPAGNE CAKE

PRONIA’S DELI AND BAKERY 3101 KIRKMAN ST. LAKE CHARLES 337-478-0785 FACEBOOK.COM/ PRONIASDELIANDBAKERY

Jileen Heath recalls the day her father — Bryan Bergeron — decided to invent what has become one of Calcasieu Parish’s must-have culinary baking creations.

“He walked across the street (Kirkman) to the convenience store. Bought a bottle of Champagne. Made a cake batter and poured the Champagne in,” Heath, who works in the bakery, said.

The rest was history. Heath’s family owns Pronia’s Deli and Bakery. The strawberry Champagne cake is the business’ top seller.

“Our filling is made with fresh strawberries. The cake is not overly sweet. Not bitter,” she explained.

Around 2012, Bergeron tasted a similar cake.

He figured he could bake one just as good or better.

“Today, we still use real Champagne in our cake. We use real bottles and pop them open, and pour the liquid into our batter. That is what makes the cake so popular. It is very effervescent, light and refreshing,” Heath said.

BEST BOUDIN

BOUDIN

OUR READERS WEIGHED IN AND THIS LINK CAME OUT ON TOP

By JEREMY MARSHALL

Photography by JOSEPH VIDRINE

HE GREATEST BOUDIN ever made can be found in the heart of Acadiana, in a cross section of towns vying for pork supremacy defined by extravagant self-appointed monikers that belie a deep cultural pride. Jennings, LA, calls itself the “Boudin Capital of the Universe,” whereas Broussard has taken upon itself the title of “Intergalactic Boudin Capital of Positive Infinity.” While incredible boudin can certainly be found in either town, the best boudin in Louisiana, as voted upon by Acadiana Profile readers, can be found in Scott, Louisiana, affectionately known as “The Boudin Capital of the World,” at Kartchner’s Specialty Meats.

Located just off I-10, Kartchner’s Specialty Meats is an Acadiana institution that has been steadily growing in stature and flavor since opening its first location in Krotz Springs in 2008. A multi-location enterprise, with the Scott location half owned by Doug Miller and half by Willie and Ginger Kartchner, Kartchner’s Specialty Meats boasts over 250 types of soups, gumbos, étouffées and tenderloins, yet is most known for its boudin. Utilizing a family recipe passed down to Logan Kartchner, son of Willie and Ginger and manager of the Scott, Lafayette and Crowley locations alongside Miller, their award-winning boudin is a classic one, almost infuriating in its simplicity, utilizing a proprietary combination of spices, meats and rice that form the perfect flavor. But as

Doug likes to say, it’s not just the taste that sets Kartchner's boudin apart, but the love and care that goes into its creation.

“We use the original Kartchner's recipe, yet what separates our boudin from our Acadiana neighbors’ is that ours are always home- and handmade,” says Doug. “Visitors from other states might think they know boudin, but locals in Scott and the surrounding areas certainly know the difference when they taste it.”

From humble origins as a railroad depot in 1907, Scott, Louisiana became a hotbed for proto-foodie culture in the 1960s, known the world over for its specialized Cajun cuisine. Soon, Scott fostered delicious competition between rival Cajun food vendors and restaurants, with visitors and locals alike reaping the delectable rewards, and boudin becoming the most prized dish of all. Traditional Cajun boudin rarely fluctuates much in style or consistency, with the usual pork

and rice mixed with a batch of proprietary spices, all stuffed into an intestinal casing. The eccentricities of differing recipes are often subtle, but for Kartchner’s, the difference comes down to ingredients and an effort to create a complete, transformative culinary experience with every bite.

“We make sure that the rice is whole grain, our meat is top tier and the overall quality is consistently the highest it can be,” says Logan. “It’s important for us to always remember that our customers don’t just eat with taste but with texture and smell as well.”

Acadiana Profile Magazine readers understand what sets Kartchner's apart and put their voting where their mouths were. For both Doug and Logan, this distinction is just one more validation that they’ve got something special cooking up in Scott, proudly upholding a legacy of happy customers and a cultural heritage of bulging bellies to boot.

A SEASON OF PLAYS, BALLETS AND ART SHOWS

FALING FALING FALING FALING FOR CULTURE

BY CHERÉ COEN

ACROSS THE REGION

ON ANY GIVEN YEAR

LOUISIANA’S BLESSED WITH A RICH TAPESTRY of culture, filled with both popular and classical concerts, lively dance and theater and vibrant visual art. This fall, South Louisiana adds to that repertoire, reaching into the past and future with an homage to the legendary Clifton Chenier, who would have turned 100 this year, and the emergence of new arts venues and special events.

LAFAYETTE

100

Years of Clifton Chenier

THE INCOMPARABLE HERMAN FUSELIER, star of KRVS’s “Zydeco Stomp” radio show and author of “Ghosts of Good Times: South Louisiana Dance Halls Past and Present,” hosts Louisiana Crossroads at the Acadiana Center for the Arts (ACA) in Lafayette. In September, Louisiana Crossroads honored the legendary “King of Zydeco” Clifton Chenier with special musical guests and friends, including Chenier’s son, zydeco musician C.J. Chenier who now helms the Red Hot Louisiana Band.

It’s just one event among many that honor the man who changed music history.

“The music world changed when Clifton Chenier was born 100 years ago,”

said Fuselier, who works as executive director of the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission in Opelousas, Chenier’s home town. “Clifton took zydeco music out of the cotton fields of Southwest Louisiana and put it on a world stage. He became a Grammy winner and a Lifetime Achievement Award winner with music in the Grammy Hall of Fame. That same Lifetime Award has been won by Hank Williams, Johnny

Cash, Michael Jackson and Prince.”

Valcour Records recently released a tribute album to Chenier that included The Rolling Stones, Lucinda Williams, Taj Mahal and Steve Earle.

“The Rolling Stones didn’t blink when they were asked to perform on the new tribute album,” Fuselier continued. “That shows the respect Clifton commanded in the music world. He was and always will be the King of Zydeco.”

LAFAYETTE

Fall at the ACA

THE SPECIAL PERFORMANCE to honor Clifton Chenier is only one of many at the ACA, which offers visual art gallery openings (many of which tie in with Lafayette’s Second Saturday ArtWalk), theater, dance, literary events and arts education. On Oct. 24-25, “Ten Tiny Dances” ® will be performed on a 4-foot by 4-foot stage in ACA’s Moncus Theater.

“It will be all local performers and local choreographers,” said Rachel Adams, ACA marketing manager.

Special ACA events include Gulf Brew fundraiser featuring regional breweries on Oct. 18 in downtown Lafayette, now in its 17th year, and the Sept. 13 block party on Vermilion Street with bands, food vendors and the Festivals Acadiens et Créoles poster unveiling. The block party celebrates the upcoming Louisiana Music Museum to be housed in the former 1890s Lafayette Hardware Store next to the ACA.

For information on what’s happening at the ACA, visit acadianacenterforthearts.org.

Chaos Theory

CHAOS THEORY, a series of random chaotic systems represented in patterns and other feedback loops, has been the goal of art shows at the Brimstone Museum in Sulphur since 2008. Chaos Theater 2025 continues the community-driven show which invites artists of all genres — including gamers, cosplayers and those working in pop culture — to participate.

This year’s theme is “Chaos Theory: Future,” and the show runs through Nov. 15.

Learn more about Chaos Theory and the museum’s other events at brimstonemuseum.org.

NEW IBERIA

Broadway on the Bayou

THEY DON’T CALL the Iberia Performing Arts League (IPAL) “Broadway on the Bayou” for nothing. The performances

LAKE CHARLES

White Linen and Chuck Fest

The City of Lake Charles and the Arts & Humanities Council of SWLA started what hopes to be an annual event in September, a downtown promenade of folks in white linen enjoying art galleries titled White Linen Night. Coming up on Oct. 18, Arts & Humanities Council continues its fall programming with Chuck Fest, a festival that started as a grassroots celebration of everything wonderful about Lake Charles and has now become something residents look forward to once the weather turns lovely. There will be Louisiana-based music on multiple stages performing everything from funk and blues to country, food vendors, local artwork for sale and much more.

“It’s a free, 12-hour festival that shines a spotlight on everything we love about Southwest Louisiana,” said Lee Ann Stenvick, executive director of the Arts & Humanities Council of SWLA. “It’s the kind of event where you run into everyone you know, make a few new friends and discover something unexpected around every corner.”

For more information on Chuck Fest, visit chuckfest.org. To learn more about what’s coming up with the Arts & Humanities Council, including new exhibits and programming at the Central School Arts and Humanities Center, visit artscouncilswla.org.

SULPHUR

LAFAYETTE

Beyond Botanicalthe

Opelousas native Mare Martin wants viewers of her art to explore our connection with the natural world in her exhibit “Mare Martin: Beyond the Botanical” at the Hilliard Art Museum in Lafayette. The earthy studies, which runs through Feb. 14, includes paintings and sculpture.

Harriet Joor (18751965), Manon Bellet (French-born, Louisiana-based), and Hannah Chalew (Louisiana-based) weave a dialogue between ecology and craft through different decades and contexts in their exhibit, “Fragile Matter,” through Jan. 31, 2026. Joor was a celebrated Newcomb artist and former University of Louisiana at Lafayette professor, whose ceramic works represent one of the founding gifts of the museum’s permanent collection.

Icelandic artist Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir, also known as Shoplifter or Shoppi, offers an installation commissioned for the Hilliard now through July 25, 2026.

Hilliard’s upcoming events may be found at hilliardartmuseum.org.

at the historic Essanee Theater in downtown New Iberia routinely feature large casts and full orchestras. The community-based theater produces five large shows a year, closing out 2025 with “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” Oct. 17-26 and “Elf The Musical” Dec. 5-14. The season rolls through 2026 with “Fiddler on the Roof” March 20-29 and “Freaky Friday The Musical” May 22-31.

Tickets and more information may be found at ipaltheater.com.

The New Basin Arts

TEN YEARS AGO, Clare Cook opened Basin Arts in downtown Lafayette to give visual and performing artists gallery and studio space, but also to offer arts classes and events. This fall, Basin Arts begins its 10th anniversary year by opening its new space at a 10,000-square-foot transformed warehouse at 126 South Buchanan Street in partnership with the Lafayette Public Trust Financing Authority (LPTFA).

“We were busting at the seams and the LPTFA wanted their building to have a more active use,” Clare said of the warehouse space that was recently used to store equipment for a Los Angeles film company.

The new facility will include the Dirk Guidry Art Studios as an anchor tenant and offer larger spaces for galleries and studios, a theater and an intimate performance space. With the new venue, two events may happen at once without interference from the other.

“A lot of the programming will be what you know from Basin Arts but we’ll be able to expand that footprint,” Cook said.

The new and enlarged Basin Arts will open in October with a grand opening Nov. 8 to coincide with Lafayette’s Second Saturday ArtWalk. Check out their fall and winter programming at basinartslafayette.com.

LAFAYETTE

Happy Birthday ‘

Avatar’

IT’S POPULAR among many millennials and Gen Zs and now audience members can relive their favorite show with “AVATAR: The Last Airbender in Concert - The 20th Anniversary Tour” on Oct. 23 at Lafayette’s Heymann Performing Arts Center as part of the Performing Arts Serving Acadiana (PASA). The concert features a live orchestra performing Jeremy Zuckerman’s iconic score from the animated fantasy TV series synced to scenes on a full-size cinema screen.

LAFAYETTE

On Nov. 14, PASA presents the play “In Honor of Jean-Michel Basquiat” starring actor, writer and director Roger Guenveur Smith to be performed at the Theater at Baranco, a performing arts venue located at Baranco Elementary School in Lafayette. Then on Dec. 3, it’s Scott Bradlee’s “Postmodern Jukebox: Magic, Moonlight & Mistletoe.”

For more information on PASA, visit pasaonline.org.

The Nutcracker and the Mouse King

IF IT’S DECEMBER, you know it’s “Nutcracker” time. Every year the Lafayette Ballet Theatre produces the annual two-act ballet, composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and based on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s 1816 fairy tale,

“The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.” The ballet features principal guest artists and local contracted dancers with dozens of local ballet students in the cast. This year, the Lafayette Ballet Theatre celebrates its 25th anniversary of the holiday performance and information is available at lafayetteballettheatre.org.

For a Louisiana version of the famous ballet, F.I.R.E. Expressions Performing Arts Conservatory (promoting faith,

MORE ON STAGE

This fall, have a good laugh at Le Petit Theatre de Terrebonne (Houma Little Theatre) with “Four Old Broads” Nov. 14-23. Next year, the community theater will offer “The Tin Woman,” Feb. 27

inspiration, relationship and experience through dance) presents “The Creole Nutcracker” that celebrates Creole culture through dance, music and storytelling. And here’s some lagniappe: F.I.R.E. creators Jazmyn Rene Jones and Leigha T. Porter have written a children’s book for the holidays titled “Clarice and the Creole Nutcracker,” illustrated by Herb Leonhard. For information on “The Creole Nutcracker” and Conservatory offerings, visit thecreolenutcracker.com.

ARNAUDVILLE

Bring a dish!

NUNU ARTS AND CULTURE COLLECTIVE in Arnaudville promotes artists, spoken word presenters, musicians, historians and so much more. It’s a community space where residents gather to speak indigenous languages, learn artistic expressions and find their people.

This fall, Nunu exhibits work by artist and illustrator Charles Chaisson and presents Phyllis Griffard’s film, “Louisiana Grass Roots” paired with her “Hidden in Plain Sight” exhibit along with Nunu artists’ interpretations of both, plus a live drawing exhibit. The center also brings back its Boo Bash Costume Party in time for Halloween.

“All this is peppered with potlucks, Cico’s singer-songwriter circles, Creole tables, French tables, drum circles, Living Room Concerts and occasional art workshops,” said Gene Paquette who runs publicity for the collective.

Learn more and sign up for their newsletter at nunu-arts-and-culturecollecti.constantcontactsites.com.

through March 8, “Out of Sight ... Out of Murder,” April 24 through May 3 and the award-winning musical “Chicago” July 17 through Aug. 2. Tickets: houmalittletheatre.com

Abbey Players at 200 S. State St. in Abbeville delights all ages

with “Cat in the Hat” Oct. 3-5, followed by “The Rocky Horror Show” Oct. 23-26, “Artifice” by Anne Flanagan Dec. 12-14 and 19-21, the musical “Urinetown” Feb. 27-March 1 and March 6-8 and “Head Over Heels” May 8-10 and May 15-17. Tickets: abbeyplayers.com.

SPEND THE DAY IN OIL CENTER THE

CASHMERE SHIRT JACKET

CAPUCINE

WULF JEWELRY

Cooking Culture

COOK, RECIPE DEVELOPER, FOOD BLOGGER AND SELF-DESCRIBED

MAWMAW JOLIE MEAUX WEAVES CAJUN HISTORY AND TRADITION INTO HER FLAVORFUL DISHES.

WHETHER OR NOT you’ve heard of Jolie Meaux, it’s possible that you’ve eaten her food at a restaurant pop-up or sipped a cocktail she crafted during a bartending shift. Maybe you’ve landed on the Acadiana native’s long-running blog “Porch Wine & Gravy” or noshed on a dish made from one of her recipes. If you live in Lafayette, you may have even met Meaux and been invited to have a drink on her porch.

MELANIE

A perfect bite of savory, crunchy comfort food

MEET THE CHEF

JOLIE MEAUX

MOST MEANINGFUL ITEM IN KITCHEN: My MawMaw’s baking dish. I don’t use it, but I do look at it when I feel frustrated or tired. It reminds me to keep the history and traditions alive. Your hands are the most important tool in the kitchen. • MUSIC TO COOK BY: If I’m in the kitchen, there’s music playing — always. K.C. Jones and Dolly Parton are daily must-listens, but beyond that, my collection is too big to list. Anyone curious can check out my Spotify playlist — it's over 1,000 songs strong, which should give you an idea of just how much time I spend in the kitchen, with music pushing me along every step of the way.

While Meaux doesn’t identify as a chef, others bestow that title — as well as Queen of Cajun Cooking — upon her because, well, if the crown fits. Case in point, she cooked for the late Anthony Bourdain and his crew in 2017 when the CNN "Parts Unknown" host was in town filming a boucherie for the show. Meaux wears many chapeaux, including cook, food blogger, recipe developer, bartender, thrifter, real estate agent, traveler and mother of three. But cooking is the constant in this multi-hyphenate’s itinerant career.

"Growing up, I loved reading and cooking,” says Meaux. “I’ve always been a bit of a jack of all trades — if my MawMaw did it, I wanted to try it too, whether it was gardening, knitting or anything else." While Meaux aspired to culinary school, it wasn’t practical, so she learned in Cajun home kitchens at the knees of her MawMaw and tantes, devoured culinary textbooks and added to her skills bit by tasty bit.

“That early comfort sparked a lifelong curiosity, not only in my own culture’s cuisine but in the culinary traditions of others,” says Meaux. “It was loud, messy and full of love, and it laid the foundation for everything I know. I find inspiration everywhere: from watching the women in local markets prepare chicken salad with care and tradition, to observing chefs in crisp white coats perform Michelin-starred molecular gastronomy with precision and creativity.”

What began as a way to make a living doing something she loved became something that looks more like a calling.

“My mission with my culture’s cuisine is not only to share it far and wide, but to do so using as many historic methods and ingredients as possible,” says Meaux. “I devote a great deal of time to researching how our ancestors prepared these dishes, with the hope of keeping those traditions alive — honoring the past while presenting it in a way that is both engaging and relevant today.”

SMALL BITES

POTATO SALAD CROQUETTES

PREP TIME: 45 MIN COOK TIME: 30 MIN SERVES: 12

POTATO

SALAD

3 pounds red potatoes

6 eggs, boiled and peeled

1 small red onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, finely diced

2 celery ribs, finely diced

⅔ cup Blue Plate mayonnaise

2 tablespoons Creole mustard

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

2 tablespoons dry ranch seasoning

1 tablespoon Creole/Cajun seasoning

1 tablespoon hot sauce

¼ cup green onion, thinly sliced

CROQUETTES

4 cups potato salad

1 cup flour

1 tablespoon Creole/Cajun seasoning

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons water

2 cups panko bread crumbs oil for frying (I use peanut oil)

POTATO SALAD Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Place potatoes in boiling water. Cook until fork tender. Strain and let cool.

2 Small cube potatoes and place in large bowl. Small

dice boiled eggs and add to potatoes. Add remaining potato salad ingredients except green onions. Mix well. Top with green onions. Chill for at least 1 hour.

CROQUETTES Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, coarsely mash potato salad with a potato masher. Roll into 1½-inch balls (about 1½ tablespoons of mix); place on a parchment-covered pan. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.

In a medium Dutch oven, pour oil to fill halfway, and heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375F. Mix flour and Creole seasoning in a medium bowl. In another medium bowl, whisk eggs and 2 tablespoons water. In another bowl, place bread crumbs. Working in batches, dredge balls in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Dip in egg mixture, letting excess drip off. Dredge in bread crumbs, shaking off excess. Fry until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and let drain on paper towels. Serve on top of bowl of gumbo or as an appetizer with a dipping sauce.

An Autumnal Old-Fashioned

531 LIBERTY CAFÉ’S TWIST ON A CLASSIC COCKTAIL BRINGS TOGETHER THE BEST OF FALL FLAVORS IN HOUMA

To make infused bourbon, roast 2 cups walnuts at 425 degrees for 2 minutes. Cool, chop and place walnuts in a 1-quart mason jar. Fill to the top with bourbon and seal tightly. Infuse for 48 hours. Strain bourbon with a coffee filter and chinois.

THE SEASONALLY INSPIRED Banana Nut

Old Fashioned is the perfect cocktail for crisp autumn days. Created at 531 Liberty Café by mixologist Gina Domangue, it echoes the warm and inviting flavors of fall baking with cinnamon, brown sugar, nuts and bourbon. Like many Thanksgiving desserts, a pinch of salt is used to balance the cocktail’s sweetness from the banana liqueur perfumed with Cognac.

“We infuse bourbon with roasted walnuts,” says Chef-owner David Sonnier. “It pulls out that rich, nutty flavor. We’re always adding creative new cocktails and mocktails for our customers in recovery.”

The former executive chef of Milano, Houma’s shuttered upscale Italian haven (now Ember Kitchen + Cocktails) and line cook under New Orleans Chef Brian Landry at John Besh’s Borgne (now Rizzuto’s Prime), Sonnier was previously a chemical engineer who traded spreadsheets for sauté pans.

“I always wanted to do something I loved,” he explains. “I opened Liberty Café nine years ago and we’re still evolving.”

Chef Sonnier’s passion for fresh local ingredients shines with his farm-to-table menu. The cozy 75-seat café and 25-seat Kingfish Tavern, known as Houma’s hidden gem, has the buzz of fervent foodies and cocktail fans.

“A lot of people come for our seasonal specials,” says bar manager Leah Rogers. “We’ll be running the new Banana Nut Old Fashioned for the holiday season.”

In a shaker, combine 11/2 oz. house-infused walnut Maker’s Mark bourbon, 1 oz. Giffard Banane du Brésil liqueur, 1 pinch salt and ½ oz. homemade brown sugar cinnamon simple syrup. Fill with ice and stir with a bar spoon until chilled. Strain into a large rocks glass with a large ice cube. Garnish with 2 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters and a cinnamon stick

In Louisiana, we love to eat and celebrate, and no matter the season or time of year there’s always a special occasion to mark with food, family and friends. This 15-month calendar of Louisiana’s finest cooking highlights a recipe for each month, plus two bonus recipes to keep you cooking all year. SCAN TO ORDER

Dr. Surinder Gupta still has it. ¶ More than 20 years ago, I met him at a function that he was catering in Lake Charles. After eating some of the food (I recall getting seconds), it was obvious that Gupta was special. ¶ Indian food was featured on the buffet. Chicken tikka masala, butter chicken and a few curries were prepared. The food was fresh, and the flavors were layered. ¶ This was just a sampling of Gupta’s menu, but it was apparent he had it. Many

MASALA INDIAN KITCHEN

skilled cooks possess it. They cannot explain it, but they have a mental cooking mechanism, a deep appreciation for quality produce and proteins and a highly developed instinct for flavor patterns.

Gupta’s skills are on display at Masala Indian Kitchen in Lafayette.

“I’m an eating savant. When you eat my food, you will go ‘googoo-gaga’,” he said while laughing.

When you walk into Masala, a certain intimacy greets you. The orange and red-hued lights are dimmed to soften the ambience while natural lighting from the windows enhances the sensual feeling in the dining area. The tablecloths — topped with small lit candles —are clean and crisp.

Gupta’s wait staff is attentive and comfortable explaining the varying textures and flavors of the dishes featured on the menu.

Gupta, who was born in the northern section of India — south of Kashmir — learned cooking basics from his grandmother.

“From seven years old until I was nine, I watched her. She lived with us and would tell me she knew how much I liked food. She said if I got married one day and my wife did not cook, I would starve,” Gupta recalled.

TRY THIS 1

Eventually, Gupta married his wife, Shashi.

“She is a wonderful cook. What we do here at the restaurant is a combination of her and me,” he said.

Reading their menu is exciting alone.

For instance, the tandoori mix grill is described as a combination of tandoori seasoned chicken, chicken tikka, malai kebab, seekh kebab and tandoor shrimp. The meat on this dish is moist, and seasonings like garam masala, red chili powder and ginger are used wonderfully.

Curries — tomato gravies with onions, cilantro and a combination of Indian spices — are velvety and flavorful.

If you are a chaser of ﬂavor, then focus your sights on this appetizer. Chicken that is marinated in a spicy sauce, then battered and fried. The dish is ﬁnished with bell peppers and onions.

Those who grew up not wanting to eat their spinach turned their noses up to it and felt green thinking about it. Here's your chance to enjoy. In this dish, the spinach is puréed, and cooked with tomatoes, onions, cream and wonderful spices.

CHICKEN 65 SAAG BAINGAN BHARTHA

A sense of completeness. Flavor-induced fulﬁllment. Or maybe ecstasy. Gupta and his staff roast and then mash eggplant and cook it with peas, tomatoes, onions and Indian spices. Delicious.

Even the naan — a leavened dough baked bread — is prepared daily and is a perfect complement to the dishes. Naan is perfect for soaking up the gravies and sauce remnants left on the plate.

“All my life, I have gone for the wow factor. I want a diner to taste something they eat here that leaves them speechless,” Gupta said.

For more than two decades, Gupta has been in the kitchen sampling and making sure the food prepared at Masala meets his standard. At 78 years of age, he still has the kitchen touch.

La cuisine à Mémère

À CADIAC ENTRE DEUX ÉPOQUES

MÉMÈRE TENAIT UNE CUISINE QU’ÉTAIT, dans beaucoup des manières, à cadiac entre deux temps : des fois, en arrivant à sa maison pour le dîner de dimanche qui suivait la messe matinale, la senteur profonde et presque palpable de café fort qui te saisissait à la porte t’arait amené au stove, ayoù sa douce odeur trouvait sa source dans une vieille grègue à café, cobi et bien-aimé, un tour en aluminum terni qui se baignait dedans un fossé d’eau chaude posé en haut la flamme éternelle de la brûleuse à gaz ; d’autres fois, par exemple, le café de l’avant-midi venait d’une machine à café égoutté, et l’odeur émanant de la grègue portait aussi avec elle les légères notes de rinçure brûlé et de plastique échaudé qui compose le nez

puissant du café typique de beaucoup des offices et des cafétérias modernes. Pareillement, le riz qui accompagnait presque chaque repas cez Mémère — tout le temps blanc et tout le temps à grains moyens — passait la journée ordinairement en haut du stove lui aussi, cuit et réchauffé à la vieille manière, dedans une chaudière simple qui semblait toujours, comme par conjo, se remplir elle-même avant de se térir, comme dans la vieille histoire pour la ouangateuse et les deux petits orphelins ; mais des fois le riz de notre dîner nous espérait dessus le comptoir, dedans une cuisineuse à éctrécité qui partageait une plogue après le mûr avec la machine à café, à côté du toasteur, du microwave et d’une collection gran -

dissant d’autres appliances modernes.

Le ménage à Pépère et Mémère était plein de pareilles incursions dans la modernité, des adoptions de technologies modernes qui coëxistait avec une vraie réticence à abandonner complètement les artefacts et les coutûmes engravés de la vieille mode. Jusqu’à le jour de sa mort, pour exemple, Mémère ostinait qu’elle tient un garde-manger bourré et cordé avec des lampes à coloïe, une alternative à l’éclairage à éctrécité que nous-autres on prend tout pour acquis ces jours ici. Et au contraire de la majeure partie des maisons d’aujourd’hui, la dépense à Mémère — une chambre d’une grosseur considérable — restait toujours bien approvisionné, un héritage d’un temps quand un voyage à la grosserie était une excursion de tout une journée, entrepris pas plus qu’une fois par semaine, et d’un temps aussi quand le contenu des douzaines de jarres, boëtes et sacs qui garnissait les tablettes était dans tous les cas élevé ou produit drète dessus l’habitation même. Quand moi j’étais petit, donc, à part d’une maintée de jardinages, proche tout quelque chose qu’était sus le plat le dimanche avait été ageté à la grosserie, et la viande pour le riz et de la sauce venait pus d’une jarre de graisse ou de sel, ni directe de la basse-cour, mais putôt de la boutique, avec un séjour la nuit d’avant dans la glacière.

Bien sûr, la génération à Pépère et Mémère était loin d’être la première — et sera pas proche la dernière — à faire seulement en partie la transition entre deux temps profondément différents, mais ça reste quand-même à voir si le tournage de la roue durant notre siècle présent effectue des changements aussi grand que les ceux qu’a été vu dans le siècle passé.