As I’ve covered in a previous blog post, my father collected and restored antique cars. Yellow Bird (1922 Chevrolet) was always the constant in our family, but we also had various other cars that he owned throughout our youth. Another family tradition was that we gave the cars names. My mom’s brown station wagon was “Buckskin Bill”. It was just …
Cajun French Soul food in the heart of San Francisco
A few years ago, I was in San Francisco for a work-related conference and my husband and I were looking for some new restaurants to try while we were in town. I love using Trip Advisor and Yelp when I travel to find new restaurants and attractions. On a whim, I thought “Let me see if there are any Cajun …
Pizza with a Cajun twist
If you’re in Lafayette and you haven’t been to Dean-O’s pizza, what in the hell are you waiting for? You’ve never had pizza like this before. Ever. Let me try to explain Dean-O’s to the uninitiated: Take pizza baked in a wood fired oven with a thin, crispy crust, give it a Cajun spin and you’ll end up with Dean-O’s. …
What being Cajun means to me: Resilience
As I outlined in a previous post, I’m writing a series of blog posts about what being Cajun means to me – the traits typically found people who identify with the Cajun culture. In previous posts, I blogged about resourcefulness , our joie de vivre and the incredible value we place on our family. In this week’s post, I’d like to talk about …
Good, clean family fun – Antique Car rallies
As mentioned in a previous post, my father bought and restored a 1922 Chevrolet that we nicknamed “Yellow Bird”. This car is like a family member to us – and some of our favorite memories as a family were when we’d participate in Antique Car rallies and caravans. It’s likely a little known fact that there is an Antique Automobile …
Keeping your Cajun culture alive even if you live out of state
Many native Cajuns have left South Louisiana – some for greater job opportunities, others due to a devastating hurricane or because other members of their family moved. Whatever the reason you’re no longer in Louisiana, you can still celebrate the Cajun culture through our unique culinary traditions and customs. 1. Learn to cook authentic, Cajun food Anyone who knows anything about …
Meet our unique family member: Yellow Bird
Describing my father as a unique individual would be an understatement. He had varied, interesting hobbies and an outrageous sense of fashion. One of his more prevalent hobbies was collecting and restoring antique automobiles. My mom remembers that she and my father originally had a beautiful navy blue 1932 Chevrolet as their first antique automobile. She described it as car …
A community comes together – the story of the Gulf Coast Benefit Concert
Today I’d like to revisit an important event that occurred on July 1, 2010. Five years ago, after the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig, I felt helpless watching the residents of Louisiana suffer as a result of this accident. This situation was not only impacting the region in an emotional and financial way, but also environmentally. The oil & …
Get ‘dat boudin in my belly
I love boudin. I’ve loved boudin ever since I was a kid. My father’s house was right near a great little convenience store/meat market that sold EXCELLENT boudin. I’d head there anytime I was visiting for a few links of boudin for lunch. For those of you who don’t know what boudin is – here’s an explanation… Boudin resembles sausage, …
What being Cajun means to me: Family
As I outlined in a previous post, I’m writing a series of blog posts about what being Cajun means to me – the traits typically found people who identify with the Cajun culture. In previous posts, I blogged about resourcefulness and our joie de vivre. In this week’s post, I’d like to talk about how family is vitally important in …