Cajun Food Where You Find It
Cajun French: le piment fort (lu pee-mon for) – hot pepper
Big plumb Jalapeno Peppers are hard to pass up. So when we saw these green treasures staring at us, in our basket they went. We were already planning what the stuffing would be and discussing how to cook them before we even left the market. These were grilled on our electric pit and they were very tasty, full of flavor.
Mais C’est Bon!
Cajun French: la gombo fevi (lu gom-bō fā-vee) – okra
Saturday was overcast but farmers market junkies are not deterred by weather, so we headed out to the farmers market in Ponca City OK. The market is held in the shadow of The Pioneer Woman Statue on one of the streets on the grounds. The market was small yet we always appreciate the line of vendors sharing their variety of vegetables and fruits. These fresh from the garden, picked the day before or the morning of the market, produce are what encourages us get up early on a Saturday morning and come away with freshness you could not find in a supermarket. Continue reading “Farmers Market – Ponca City OK”
Barnhart Gardens – Tonkawa OK
Cajun French: le melon doux (lu m’lon doo) – watermelon
Talking with farmers at various markets makes our food purchases a little more personal. Besides the freshness of local items we also get the personal touch of the farmers. Not often do we get to sit and chat with farmers. Recently we enjoyed a visit with farmers at a local farm stand, Barnhart Gardens, in Tonkawa OK. Continue reading “A Visit With Local Farmers”
Cajun French: le manger (lu mon-jā) – food
In our locavore quest for farmers markets, it is not often we take part in a tradition dating back three centuries. The Habitants de la Poste de Vincennes knew the importance of fresh locally grown food in the early 1700s. The farmers would gather at the market and sell their items. Today this tradition is continued at the Vincennes Historic Farmers Market in the Riverfront Pavilion. Continue reading “Farmers Market – Vincennes IN”
Cajun French: la pomme (la pom) – apple
Farmers market – the name resonates with us. They are so much a part of our travels and at times determines which direction we head. Some markets are so so and other are exceptional, large and small, great selection or mainly the same items. For us, none of that matters. What matters is local, fresh and seasonal. And the creme de la creme is making two markets while parked in one location. Continue reading “Farmers Market – Montague, MI”
Cajun French: le jardinage (lu jar-deen-aj) – vegetables
The morning dawned rainy and cool. Normally no problem, but we were headed to an outside farmers market. A little rain never stopped us before so we bundled up, put rain boots on and headed out. For a small town, East Jordan had a decent farmers market. Continue reading “Farmers Market – East Jordan, MI”
Cajun French: la chevrette (la shuv-ret) – shrimp
New Orleans BBQ Shrimp does not have BBQ sauce or anything related to BBQ. In fact, no one is sure how the name came about. What is sure, the original BBQ Shrimp was developed at Pascal’s Manale Restaurant in New Orleans in the 1950s. The recipe was based on a dish had by Vincent Sutro, a regular at Pascal’s, while visiting Chicago. Unfortunately Sutro could not remember the exact ingredients; something about shrimp, butter and pepper. So chef Jake Radosta went into the kitchen, came out with a dish and served Sutro. Sutro said it was not the dish he had in Chicago, but it was better than the dish he had. BBQ Shrimp was born and has been on the menu ever since. Today many restaurants and home cooks prepare BBQ Shrimp, each having their own twist.
Being Cajun, we add our own twist to the recipe. To be honest, it is the way it was prepared in Laurie’s family. The Cajun Trinity is smothered down in olive oil before adding anything else. We like it this way because the trinity gives the gravy some substance, especially when dipping bread.
We admit there is an enormous amount of butter. But then that is what makes the gravy so good. Don’t shortchange on the butter. It is not an everyday dish, so make it and savor every bite.
Mais C’est Bon!
Cajun French: la cuisine (la kū-zeen) – kitchen
Railroads built our country and we observe that heritage wherever we travel. Not only in towns and cities, but also in buildings. These railroad buildings are now home to a variety of businesses and some are even homes. The White Timber Logging Company operated in Boyne City, MI, in the late 1800s. One of their buildings built in 1899 is now home to Stiggs Brewery and Kitchen. Continue reading “Stiggs Brewery and Kitchen – Boyne City, MI”
Cajun French: le manger (lu mon-jā) – eat
With all the hustle bustle on Mackinac Island, we decided not to have lunch there. Upon our return to St. Ignace, lunch was the order of the day. We had two requirements for a lunch place – outdoor patio and quiet. Two restaurants met our needs and we were very happy to have chosen Mi Patio. Continue reading “Mi Patio Bar and Grill – St. Ignace, MI”
Cajun French: la bière (la bee-air) – beer
Enjoy
After a day of hiking and walking piers looking at antique boats, a barstool sounded great. A brewery in a state park sounded even more interesting. So after viewing Tahquamenon Falls from various angles and lookouts, we headed to Tahquamenon Falls Brewery. Continue reading “Tahquamenon Falls Brewery Paradise MI”
