TEXTalk flavour

A Taste of the Bayou By TERESA K. HERNANDEZ Photos by KIM SEGHERS

Fresh seafood

is always just a few steps out the back door and in your backyard when you live on the bayou in Louisiana. For the families who live along the bayou, it is long-standing tradition to concoct recipes using a variety of fresh seafood or whatever else happens to be onhand, - the catch of the day - and to invite all their friends and family over to enjoy the feast on the back porch. “Living right on the water, my husband raised soft-shell crabs he caught from the bayou for a hobby for many years,” says Kim Seghers. “When we had guests over, they would always inquire about the big white boxes that were set up along the back fence. This is where we kept the soft-shell crabs until they were ready to shed.” One evening after a big crawfish boil, Kim and her husband Harold were in the kitchen prepping some of the soft-shell crabs and peeling leftover crawfish to freeze. That is when they came up with the idea of making Louisiana crawfish and soft-shell crab over angel hair pasta. It quickly became one of their favorite dishes and one their friends and family frequently request. Kim, a mommy blogger, frequently shares family recipes and ideas on her blog This Ole Mom. After living in Central Texas for many years, Kim moved back to Southern Louisiana, where she lives with her husband and 4-year-old son Ryan. She “lives to cook,” especially traditional Louisiana and family recipes she enjoyed as a child growing up on the bayou.

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FEBRUARY 2014 TEX APPEAL

Angel Hair Pasta with Louisiana Crawfish & Soft-Shell Crab Yields: 4 servings INGREDIENTS:

4 fresh soft-shell crabs 1 lb. peeled crawfish tails 2- 16 oz. bags of Louisiana Seasoned Crispy Chicken Fry cooking oil for deep fryer 8 oz. package of angel hair pasta 1 cup milk 1 stick butter 1 tbsp mustard

4 eggs salt & pepper to your liking  *optional a sprinkle of cayenne pepper ¾ cup whipping cream (plus 1 tbsp cornstarch) ½ tsp cornstarch ½ cup fresh parsley ½ cup green onions (optional: 1/2 cup chopped green onions to garnish)

2 tsp minced garlic