Louisiana Culinary Trails – Prairie Home Cookin’
As promised, I am taking you across the state with food and cooking, reflective of the varying people and cultures as we go.
The typical Americans pretty much associates Louisiana cuisine with “Cajun cooking” these days, but there is so much more variety than that, not only in preparation but also ingredients.
For your reference, the Louisiana Travel Association divides the state into these geographical and cultural regions:
- Sportsman’s Paradise – Includes parishes in the northern-most region, from Shreveport to Monroe.
- Crossroads – Includes parishes in near-central region of the state, including the city of Alexandria.
- Cajun Country – Heading south, down to the Gulf, from west to east, including Lake Charles, Lafayette, and Houma.
- Plantation Country – To the east is the upper “toe” of the boot of Louisiana and borders Mississippi, and includes St. Francisville and Baton Rouge.
- Greater New Orleans – From the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, southeast through New Orleans, all the way down to the bird’s foot delta and fishing mecca of Venice.
Today, we’ll take a gander at the finger-licking good food of Cajun Country, also called the “Prairie” of Louisiana.
Enjoy, and as always, I welcome your thoughts and comments!
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Personally, I’d like to go meet the “Goat Lady”!!!
BW
For some reason my computer is logging me out on its own.
I love goat cheese. Mom used to keep at least one goat most of the time and we milked them since she had to have goats milk while expecting my youngest brother. He couldn’t tolerate anything other than goats milk too.
When the shot of someone pouring those crawfish out of the boiler came up, I started drooling!! Really enjoyed the article.
Why am I NOT surprised that your dear mother, and you, had a goat and milked her? Did y’all make goat cheese? Funny, my younger brother had to have goat milk, too, but we lived in the city and could not have a goat. I doubt my mother would have milked her anyway! Ohhhh, I way past ready for some crawfish!
OMG….. Joe and Tommy have returned to the gator boys!
Loved the video, not much on goat milk. Goat cheese in mighty fine. We had many spanish goats years ago. Used them to keep the brush down. I like them best on the pit. Crawfish? bring them on just plain ol’ good eats. I just like Southern food.
Its all good. Bill (aks, Chilefarmer)
Well, I didn’t know that, but I do know this . . . . I doubt Jessie will be hunting gators this September with her mom, Liz, because she is expecting a baby.
Liz is hunting with her hubby. Junior is back with his wife, 2 sets of Landrys, Bruce & Ron without Tyler, RJ & J Paul, Jerome and David, That was all I saw in the show.
That video made me so homesick for South Louisiana and not to mention “HUNGRY”! loved it now I want to go home and make me some shrimp stew and garlic bread with some smothered okra, yum……
The only goat product I’ve ever had is…BBQ’d goat. I haven’t had it in years though. My dad used to buy it from a guy he worked with. However, I noticed a little grocery store not far from our camp that sells it sometimes. I tried to buy some last Spring/Summer but they were out. If I see the sign again, I’ll stop and ask them to hold me some till we’re headed home. As far as the Goat Lady…I’d love to observe their operation.
I only ever saw “cabrito” cooked and sold at a genuine Mexican restaurant outside of Dallas back in 1981. I don’t think I care to eat it. I do like goat cheese and yogurt, though!!! Satsumas all gone?
Yep, STILL have Satsumas! Maybe 50 at the top and unable to get them without at least a 6 foot ladder. Of course ours is in Ms.
BTW, I goat taste a lot like chicken. Ya got to cook it low and slow.
I thought this segment would include the boudin/cracklin trail.
And then there was the first time we got my Mama into Cajun country, back in the early 90s. We went out to eat in Breaux Bridge, and she did a double take at the menu. She’d come across the Boudin balls. She was afraid to ask, but she did, and we told her all about the way the Cajuns could cook up those “private parts” of the Great Swamp Boudin so they were almost as tasty as Rocky Mountain oysters. I’m not sure she ever forgave us for that little episode!
You DID NOT tell her that? Poor Mama!!! (They’re not nearly as good as garfish balls, though!!)
Oh, if you got some good goat, you’d like it. When I was in Liberia, goat was a delicacy. The beef cattle that came to market from time to time had walked all the way from Guinea — you can imagine how tough they were. Chickens weren’t much better. They were kept for their eggs, and it often was a scrawny old rooster who made it to the table. “Goat soup” — that is, goat cooked with greens and peppers and served over rice — was pretty good.
I’ll still take a good gumbo or shrimp over goat, though. Right now, I’m ready for about anything. Yes, I’ve had supper and no, I’m not hungry. But my goodness, that all looks good.
If you’re talking to me, I was raised to try anything once and to eat what’s put in front of me and be thankful. So, if I go to your house and you feed me goat, so beeeeee it!!!
Had “cabrito” outside of Mexico City in the mountains on our way to Acapulco. Didn’t know what it was until afterwards. Roasted over a spit like a whole pig. Wonderful. Also had iguana in a pot pie. Thought it was turkey. We don’t eat so weird after all, I suppose.
Goat or Cabrito was not that uncommon in West Texas. It usually hit the table for an outdoor wedding, a quinceanera (a sweet 16 or comming out party)or a charreadia (Mexican Rodeo). Or an combinaton of the above. Cabrito is normally very snall young goats. They are pretty good eatting. Anyone that will slurp down a oyster really can’t turn your nose up to much LOL. Don’t get me wrong, I love oysters, just think how hungary that first person was to try eatting one…..
Great video! Can’t wait to see the rest in the series! Love goat milk products of any kind!
Which part of the state we’ll we be “eating” next?