ISSUE 8 2025
SPECIAL FEATURE
“EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR THE PERFECT EVENT!”
EVANGELINE MAID BREAD
GENIUS OF BREAD AND MARKETING
FRANK GERAMI
THE LEGEND OF PARTY CENTRAL
RANDY LEBLANC
ARCHITECTURAL ARTIST OF HOUSE JEWELRY
SUNDAY DINNER GUYS DIY DINNER PARTIES
CHARLIE HOHORST LOUISIANA PHOTOGRAPHY MEETS ART
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• Publisher/Owner
Joan Broussard
• Editor Lilly LeMaire
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Art Director Ann Reh
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Ad Designer
Mandie David Kiddy
• Writers
Paul Angelle
Scott Brazda
Stephen Rogers
Jason Stoner
• Contact us 337-501-5626
joan@roux.vip
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ROUX, a magazine and more, is owned by Louisiana natives. In our culture, we say, “Good things start with a ROUX.” A roux is the foundation of the flavor of Louisiana — loved locally and globally. Stir dat!
Visitors from around the world are as fascinated by our South Louisiana culture as we are. They travel here to soak up the unique beauty, warm hospitality, delicious food and one-of-a-kind music. They want to eat gumbo, boiled crawfish, drink sweet tea and mint juleps, enjoy Mardi Gras, dance to Cajun and zydeco music, and experience the Louisiana Sportsman’s Paradise –boating, hunting and fishing.
ROUX is the cutting-edge authority for anyone who is passionate about Louisiana, food, drink, music, shopping, travel, sports and leisure.
Please enjoy this issue, this foundation of flavor, as it is a showcase of Louisiana’s finest.
This issue is dedicated to my big brother, David Broussard. Love you Dave!
Merci et laissez les bon temps rouler! Joan Broussard
joan@roux.vip
By Scott Brazda
“I THINK IF YOU WERE DOING A DOCUMENTARY,” begins Mike Calkins, “you would want to tell the story of a young man who, with almost no education, from a rural town in south Louisiana, came back from World War I and turned something into a multi-million dollar, 100 year-old brand that still produces a great product.” There’s a slight pause, and then comes the smile of a proud grandson.
“And of course, that man was my grandfather, Joe Huval, and that brand is Evangeline Maid Bread.”
In the latter part of the second decade of the 1900s, infantryman Joe Huval was in Europe fighting for his country. “He was stationed in France and assigned to be a baker,” recalls his grand-daughter Nanette Guchereau Pirie. “Luckily, he spoke french which helped him when he’d go into villages, talk to the people and find out how they made their bread. Then, he’d add his own special touches and make the bread.”
But even as he was baking bread and feeding his fellow soldiers, Huval was sending money home to his young wife to help her with living expenses in Acadiana. The thing is, she was living with her parents and didn’t spend any of that money; it was put aside and waiting for Huval’s return. “When he returned to Youngsville, my grandfather took that money (about $50) and bought his first baking pans and supplies,” says Pirie. “So, those dollars he sent home from Europe was essentially the seed money for what would become Evangeline Maid Bread.”
August 19, 1919 signaled the start of the Huval Baking Company, right there in the family kitchen in Youngsville, with Huval baking the bread and then peddling it, going door-todoor. Slowly but surely, he outgrew the space, moved into Lafayette, and eventually settled on the corner of Simcoe and St. John streets in Lafayette in 1937. He had 18 employees, all of whom became extended family members. “Papa Joe was a very generous man, and he was very loyal, too,” explains 82year old Adam Mouton, Huval’s oldest living grandchild. “If you worked at the bakery for him, you had a job for life unless you really messed up. He took care of people.”
Huval also took care of the community. Pirie recalls how-even before that move to Simcoe-- in the heart of the Great Depression, her grandfather did his best to help the residents of Lafayette survive. “He’d been able to purchase some larger quantities of basic ingredients like flour, but the smaller, competing bakeries in the city couldn’t do so. He gave them some of those essentials so they could stay in business and feed their families and employees. That’s the kind of man he was.”
As the company grew and expanded its reach outside of Lafayette in the late 1930s (going south to St. Mary and Iberia parishes), it was time to create the trademark, and lock down the name we all know so well: Evangeline Maid Bread.
“My mother, Mary Helen Huval, was the oldest daughter, and she became the first Evangeline Maid put on the bread wrapper,” says Pirie. “She was in her late teens or early twenties, and they did not want the ‘Evangeline Maid’ to look like a little girl. She posed for it, a man at the bakery did the sketch and sent it in, they took her picture and added the logo. She was quite proud of it.”
Joe and Nanette Huval had 10 children (two of whom died
shortly after birth), and for a number of years Evangeline Maid was literally a family business. “There were six daughters and two sons, and all of the kids worked at the bakery at some point,” offers Mouton. “They made pastries, which we sold in the retail shop.” In terms of careers, adds Calkins, the two boys planted roots in the company, at least for a while. “Uncle Joe (Jr.) was involved in operations and delivery, and Uncle Pat worked in management and sales.”
It was an exciting and most special time, furthers Mouton, who worked there in high school and college “Hot bread would come out of the oven, and I would dump ém out.” Evangeline Maid Bread ruled in Acadiana. “The smell, ah, the smell. Wow. You could smell our baking bread all across the city.”
In 1947, Huval and Evangeline Maid Bread took on a partner as Lafayette businessman Frem Boustany purchased a 50% stake in the Huval Baking Company. “Mr. Boustany had a great, successful business background and brought some really creative ideas to Evangeline Maid,” says Mouton. One such innovation brought to south Louisiana? The resealable bread wrapper.
Thirteen years later, came the unveiling of what would become a structural Lafayette icon and special memory of this author’s youth: a billboard of sorts, featuring the super-sized, slowly spinning loaf of Evangeline Maid Bread. “Amazing that it’s survived,” smiles Calkins, “because I believe it’s quite old.” And the fact that the giant loaf is still revolving and still grabs the attention of children of all ages when they drive by? “A spinning loaf of bread coupled with the smell of baking bread is hard to pass up!”
And approving that ultra-sized attention-getter was one of Huval’s final moves with Evangeline Maid because, shortly thereafter, he sold his interest in the company to Boustany. “Selling the company was a very big decision for my grandfather because that was his life,” recalls Pirie. “But he was at an age that he needed to retire. He had land in Broussard, had built a house, had a farm and a ranch.”
But why not keep Evangeline Maid in the Huval family? “None of the boys wanted to take over the company,” explains Mouton. “They didn’t want any hard feelings, didn’t want to make decisions, and didn’t want to earn big money while other family members just got dividends.” And Pirie adds that a Huval presence was still going to be there. “He had a good offer, and it was going to be a big change. But the world wasn’t going to come to an end. My dad and my uncle were still there,
so those in the family who wanted to work there still had jobs.”
Note: By way of elementary school field trips, I made at least two or three visits to Evangeline Maid in the late sixties or early seventies, and the thing I remember the most was a parting gift the company gave to each visitor: a mini-loaf of Evangline Maid Bread. “And the mini-loaves? Not only did they give those out during field trips; they also threw out the mini-loaves during Mardi Gras parades,” chuckles Mouton.
Boustany owned the company until 1976, at which time he sold it to Flowers Industries (now Flowers Foods). The company that started with one (Joe Huval), then grew to 18 workers, now has over 200 employees who-- still in the 87,000 square-foot facility on W. Simcoe Street-- bake more than a million pounds of bread and buns each and every week.
Huval, meanwhile, enjoyed his property in Broussard and relished in having his ever-growing family visit on a regular basis. “24 cousins, we all went to school together, all had dinner at my grandfather and grandmother’s house every Sunday,” says Pirie. “We played together and we all got along.” And what kind of bread was served at these Sunday dinners? “You couldn’t bring any other bread besides Evangeline Maid into the house,” remembers Mouton. “If you did, and if my grandfather noticed, you’d catch hell!!”
Joe Huval died in September of 2011 at the age of 92, and Pirie says, even then, the family was reminded of his most generous heart. “At his funeral, we had so many people come up to us and say things like, ‘If it wasn’t for your grandfather, I wouldn’t have had this job, and this opportunity to make it in life’.”
The legacy of Joe Huval’s Evangeline Maid Bread, how it remains a major player (taking up major shelf space) in southern grocery stores, rings loudly with his grandchildren. “His is the quintessential rags-to-riches story, right in our own backyard,” surmises Calkins. “He was a wonderful man, a community-minded philanthropist when perhaps it wasn’t fashionable to be one.”
And as for the bread itself? Mouton says, “It was a good product at a decent price. People gotta eat, as my grandfather would say. Good product, not cheap, better than a lot of what you see today.”
Calkins believes, over the course of 104 years, Evangeline Maid has certainly earned its place in the hearts, minds, tastebuds and memories of so very many people.
“I think the logo and the name are synonymous with bread in south Louisiana.” R
Lafayette Native and Maker Lives His Work
Paul Angelle
“EVERY BIG JOB I GET BRINGS both excitement and anxiety,” explains Randy LeBlanc. “There’s an equal combination of loving the challenge, and fear that I may have bitten off more than I can chew.
“I know myself,” he adds. “I love that quote Do Good Work. While I do take risks, it’s always with integrity. I always finished the job… it’s not the clients’ fault it was harder or took longer. It comes down to having values.”
ELeBlanc is an award-winning blacksmith from Lafayette, Louisiana. He is the owner of Metal Head, Inc. The values, instilled in his foundation from different sources, have led the him to where he is today... a happy, healthy family man doing what he loves to do.
“I was a ‘Maker’ before ‘Maker’ was term,” explains LeBlanc. “I’ve always been a doer. I was in gifted programs and all that when I was young, but I was a marginal student at best.
“I was in college working in industrial design,” LeBlanc says. “I took a class called Hands On Steel with Eddie Cazayoux. That’s where it started… It was like a high-end shop class, and I loved it.”
Cazayoux is a legend in local architecture circles. He served as the director of the School of Architecture at the University of Louisiana for 13 years. He taught architecture for over 30 years.
LeBlanc attended St. Thomas More High School in Lafayette. While STM provided a solid foundation of education and character, there was no ‘shop’ class. There were no ‘industrial arts’ offered. The artistic vision required to work with metal attracted him. The tradesman’s skill and the strength required led him to a passion he was unable to escape.
“I loved woodwork, and I still do, but metal spoke to me,” clarifies LeBlanc. “With metal I can make something beautiful, something useful and functional.”
LeBlanc spent six years in the Louisiana National Guard. He’s inspired a lot of people along his journey to where he is today.
“Randy and I served together in the Guard. We attended USL at the same time,” says Lafayette resident Steve Schollian. “He’s a very talented guy, his
creativity is natural… like a fish to water. I wish I had half of his abilities.
“You can’t help but like the guy,” adds Schollian. “He’s never met a stranger. One of the random things I remember about him is that he has an amazing ability to mimic the sound of a cricket. Another thing he did when we were in college he cut the roof off his car to make it a convertible.”
LeBlanc, who never actually took any welding classes, finished college in Sculpture. He loves, admires, and identifies with the historical role of the village blacksmith. He’s not offended when he’s called an artist. He values both form and function and drives all his work toward accuracy and consistency.
Recently, a big job materialized. Bendel Gardens is one of Lafayette’s most established and revered neighborhoods. Developed on the old Bendel Estate, it had a massive ornate iron gate entrance. The owners discarded the gates when the city paved the streets to the neighborhood. The gates resurfaced recently and were road weary with missing parts. In 2020, a prominent local resident who grew up in the neighborhood acquired the gates. He wanted to recreate the original entrance at his home in Lafayette. He wanted the gates restored to their original state.
His contractor said that there was only one metal shop in the state who could pull of the job. The shop in question being Metal Head Incorporated [LeBlanc’s business in Lafayette]. But the owner, who usually loves a challenge, turned it down.
“The sheer weight and scale of the gates looked like too big of a challenge,” remembers LeBlanc. “I had restored the gates at the University of Louisiana Alumni Center. They were similar in age, and I knew how much work it would be.
“I was confident that I could forge the missing portions,” adds LeBlanc. “But it would have been a solo mission and the gates weighed over 1800 pounds per leaf. I had no idea how I was going to able to move them around all by myself.”
The contractor returned and asked a second time, and LeBlanc turned it down again.
The contractor’s third request involved the gates’ delivery to LeBlanc’s
shop. LeBlanc felt like refusal was not an option. And he finally agreed to tackle the project. While this job came with some excitement… it also came with a giant dose of anxiety.
“It needed to be as historically accurate as possible,” explains LeBlanc. “The scale was huge – the simple act of moving them was a big deal. The client was sparing no expense, and being a Lafayette history nerd, I couldn’t resist. It was important to both the client and I that we got everything ‘perfect,’ and we got it as close as possible. I am happy with the result, and so is the client.”
LeBlanc completed the project in about 8 months. Completion came in the
Spring of 2021. The mission culminated Metal Head Inc.’s 20 years in business. To this date, it is LeBlanc’s biggest and most favorite job.
“I can’t help myself,” laughs the ever-smiling LeBlanc. “When I drive by something I’ve done… I have to point it out. My family always reminds me that I’ve already told them. Those jobs are all a constant reminder that I’m doing something I love, and I’m proud of my work.”
With regard to being a craftsman and true to his trade, LeBlanc is open to both the old ways as well as new technology.
“I’d give myself a C+ as far as adopting new technology,” says LeBlanc. “I use AutoCAD, I have a plotter, and I use lasers and stuff, but I weld on a giant 150-year-old anvil that isn’t made anymore.
“I run into old timers who insist on doing everything the ‘old’ way, and I respect that,” inserts LeBlanc. “I’m a perfectionist. I love that I can measure, design, print and line up a project directly on the material. I appreciate that everything lines up, everytime.”
LeBlanc admits he doesn’t know how blacksmiths did it long ago. It’s impressive that amazing, consistent projects completed without the help of modern tools. Technology is available and it works. LeBlanc convinced that old world blacksmiths would have enthusiastically embraced today’s technology.
“They were the laziest people in the community if you think about it,” theorizes LeBlanc. “They were always looking for ways to make things easier… they were inventors.”
LeBlanc’s business is thriving, and he’s clos-
ing in on a quarter century. He feels blessed to be able to love what he does. The pride and passion he puts into and receives from his work isn’t his whole life. He recently brought in an employee who shares his passion for working with metal. That new employee is a Cazayoux. He is the grandson of the instructor who introduced LeBlanc to his passion back in the late 1900s.
“As far as my business goes, I don’t have a plan for tomorrow,” admits LeBlanc. “I’m like a rudderless ship, and I’m okay with that.
“Seeing a fellow artisan approach metal with the same passion as me has helped. I can at least think about the future now,” Leblanc says. “My wife (Monique) is the reason my business is profitable. She helps me focus on the whole ‘artisan versus business owner’ struggle inside my head.”
The LeBlanc’s have two very talented daughters, Cadence (18) and Josie (16). And Randy knows it’s time to consider his next chapter.
“I know what I need to do,” explains LeBlanc. “I need to grow the business. I need to support a few metal artisans like myself, and that’s going to take time… I know I can’t do what I do forever. I’d love to move into more of a teaching role.”
LeBlanc wants to pass on his experience and passion. He finds nothing noble in leaving this world having kept knowledge all to himself. Styles, materials, and technologies have changed over the years. Building a team to keep it going for at least the next 25 years is likely the plan. R
By Paul J. Angelle, Jr.
“MY
explains Party Central owner Frank Gerami, III. “He was in business for himself his whole life.
M“Party Central started in the mid 1990’s,” adds Gerami. “My dad had an oilfield background, and he and his partners sold their oilfield company. He dabbled in some other businesses for a while. Then he decided to act on his feeling that there was a need in the market for an event rental place.”
Original owner Frank Gerami, II passed away in 2020. He began his rental business journey a quarter of a century before that. Having experience renting equipment, he expected the business to focus on serving the oil field... But that would change.
“He was exploring equipment rental opportunities,” says Gerami. “But at some point, he saw opportunity in a similar but different direction… He landed in the event space. Party Central would rent tents, tables, chairs, and stuff like that. That’s how it all got started.”
With over 80 employees, Party Central serves a diverse customer base. They work with event planners, wedding planners, and venues. They also serve nonprofits, sporting events, and corporate functions of all sizes.
“We also do a good bit of rental business with the oil field,” shares Gerami. “They host gumbo cook-offs, golf tournaments, skeet shoots, and crawfish boils. Too many things to list.”
Gerami knows event planning means preparing for anything. A customer might call and already know exactly what they want. One might have an idea of how many people they’re having and some hint of an idea of what they’re trying to achieve.
Regardless, Party Central will provide options, give advice, or create an entire event. Some clients will call the day of the event. Larger events involve weeks, sometimes months of planning.
“We do site visits,” explains Gerami. “We recommend certain layouts based on the flow of the people attending. We consider the look and the feel that
they’re trying to create... and we present and propose many different options.
“We will get involved as much or as little as the customer wants,” laughs Gerami.
When asked about planning the perfect event, Gerami shared a secret. Party Central the five C’s of event planning... They are: Concept, Coordination, Control, Culmination and Closeout.
When planning a perfect event, many unknowns can come into play. This is especially true with outdoor events because of the weather.
“Having a having a plan in place if you need to make a change at the 11th
hour is crucial” explains Gerami. “This is especially true here in Louisiana. It’s important that everybody understands what that plan looks like in case we have to execute it.
“We also want to make sure that the placement of food and drinks is strategic,” Gerami adds. “You don’t want to have bottlenecks in the room, you want to keep the flow moving. There are questions we always ask. We do this to be able to give customers an idea of what’s possible. We also help them see the creative vision of what they are trying to do.”
With regard to entrepreneurship, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Back
in his college days Gerami frequented BJ’s Pizza. In June of 2023 he heard the 40-year Lafayette institution was closing… He jumped into action.
“I was always a BJ’s fan,” admits Gerami. “I lived in Bayou Shadows apartments next door when I went to UL… So yeah, I was a frequent patron.
“When I saw they were closing I reached out to Kamal Borchalli, the owner, and one thing led to another,” adds Gerami. “Before you know it, we had a deal… and then I remembered I didn’t know anything about the restaurant business.”
Realizing he needed help, Gerami reached out to a couple of his buddies. They jumped in and helped give the old restaurant a facelift and held a grand reopening at the end of January 2024.
Additionally, Gerami explains the contribution he envisioned almost 20 years ago.
“Party central isn’t our only division,” says Gerami. “We also have Event Solutions. Event Solutions is a business that we created in 2006. It was a vision of mine to support the company.
“Party Central was getting a lot of requests for sanitation services,” remembers Gerami. “We often needed restroom trailers and portable toilets for some occasions. “So, we decided to start a business to support that need. It started with restroom trailers... That turned into acquiring assets like temporary fencing, shower trailers, and handwashing stations.”
Upscale events call for nicer facilities than the standard Port-A-Potty... And the accommodations provided, more appropriate. The services aren’t only for black tie events. You can find them everywhere, from construction sites to sporting events.
Party Central recently merged their old store with their two warehouses.
They built a new facility at 1701 Willow Street near Scott, Louisiana.
“When you take the Party Central Event Solutions employees across the board... We’re around 85 today,” estimates Gerami. “There’s administrative staff, event planners, marketing, sales, setup crews, and drivers. On the Event Solutions side we have service drivers, delivery drivers, and mechanics.
“We also get a lot of requests for what I’ll call custom builds,” adds Gerami. “Somebody may want a specific bar with a specific look and a specific color. We do a
good bit of our own in-house fabrication to accommodate our customers. So, we also staff painters, electricians, and carpenters. We need to be able to create and build these specific requests.”
A perfect example of a partner who can help plan the perfect event, Party Central does more. The company also provides services to disaster emergency response crews. They’ve set up base camps with generators, A/C, showers, lights, and more. They’ve stepped up in times when the community needed them most, and Gerami is very proud of that. R
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U U
Did you know that can accommodate your special celebration?
nique menus can be designed & prepared from any region. nique menus can be designed & prepared from any region.
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Discover the food that made us famous! At famous! At Pat's Fisherman Pat's Fisherman Wharf Restaurant Wharf Restaurant you can tuck you can tuck away into a platter of stuffed away into a platter of stuffed crabs and broiled shrimp, chow crabs and broiled shrimp, chow down on a thick and spicy down on a thick and spicy gumbo, or slice into a thick and gumbo, or slice into a thick and spicy rib-eye steak. Or you can spicy rib-eye steak. Or you can sample favorites pulled from the sample favorites pulled from the local bayou like frog legs, local bayou like frog legs, alligator, camp style crawfish alligator, camp style crawfish etouffee, boiled crawfish. etouffee, boiled crawfish.
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By Jason Stoner and Stephen Rogers
Peruvian food is simple and a fusion of Latin and Asian flavors.
Rogers kicked off the evening with a welcome cocktail—the El Capitan. The cocktail contains a few ingredients: Pisco (Peruvian Spirit), Sweet Vermouth, and Angostura Bitters, and it is garnished with a skewered pitted Amarena Wild Cherries. It’s potent and delicious! This is a classic riff on a sweet Manhattan. The combination of vermouth and Pisco dates back to the 1850’s when vermouth was first introduced to Peru with the arrival of Italian immigrants. Pisco was the dominant spirit, and it was a natural progression to mix with the fortified wine. The origin of El Capitán is unknown but is probably from the 1920s when it was popular with army captains in southeastern Peru.
We served Shrimp with Garlic and Mushrooms accompanied by homemade Marraqueta (a
traditional Chilean/Peruvian bread) as our starter. Similar to the concept of NOLA BBQ shrimp. Cooked in garlic-infused olive oil and served with bread for dipping in the sauce.
Peru’s famous dish—Lomo Saltado. Sirloin steak is cut into bite-sized pieces and marinated in soy, cumin, oregano, and vinegar. The steak is then stir-fried in a wok with tomatoes, onions, and peppers. We served it with white rice and Yuca fries. The dish is typically served with french fries, but we wanted something more unique—the yuca fries were fabulous dipped in the Spicy Aji Amarillo Sauce!
Rogers dessert was over-the-top! He made Frejol Colado—a black bean pudding. I would have never imagined black beans in a dessert—so creamy and delicious. I have never experienced anything close to the flavors of this dessert—A sweet little taste of Peru!
Left to right: Stephen Rogers mixes the cocktail— the El Capitan; the dessert —Frejol Colado; Bird of Paradise; the wine— Quinta Das Carvalhas Douro Tinto. Opposite page: Shrimp with Garlic and Mushrooms
Quinta Das Carvalhas Douro Tinto
This Douro Tinto hails from Portugal with tones of black fruits, black olives, ink, and peppercorns. It’s medium-to-full-bodied with sleek tannins and pairs well with red meats and hard cheeses.
The temperate climate was the inspiration behind this month’s tablescape. The idea started with the beautiful tropical runner featuring colorful tigers, deer, birds, and flora. I balanced this with a simple khaki and creamstriped tablecloth. The vase was given to me by one of our children at Christmas. The design is reminiscent of aboriginal art, featuring an orange snake and concentric circles of blue and green. A quick trip to Michael’s Arts and Crafts gave me an artificial bird of paradise and colorful succulents. I purchased the battery-operated candle set a few autumns ago. I love the faux wood grain in them. They lend a subtle naturalness that ties in my mother’s vintage woven wood bread bowl. The main large succulent and the bird of paradise dictated the
fringed orange linen napkins. Simple oval ceramic plates, seated on black slate chargers, allow the food to present well. I love these bottle green coupe and tall wine glasses. They are simple elegance.
Joey Lagneaux of Lagneaux’s Meat Market. Joey hand-cut the beautiful sirloin that went into the main course. We also purchased the Gulf Shrimp for our starter from Lagneaux’s.
Lori Babineaux from City Girl Farms supplies local restaurants with micro-greens and edible flowers. Find Lori out at Hub City Farmers Market every Saturday morning.
Michael King from the Royal Mushroom Company for supplied the mushrooms for the shrimp starter.
We use Graze Acadiana Olive Oils exclusively in our kitchen and they play an important role in our Sunday Dinners—head over the Graze and check out their huge selection of premium Oils and Vinegar.
Playlist: Peruvian Classics on Spotify R
INGREDIENTS:
¼ cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1 lb. shrimp, cleaned
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced
Salt and pepper
½ teaspoon chili pepper (optional)
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
Rosemary sprigs to garnish
Thick bread slices
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the garlic and fry until lightly golden. Don´t let them turn brown because they will turn bitter. Transfer the garlic to a plate.
2. Add the shrimp and sauté for 3 minutes, just until they turn pink. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the plate with the garlic.
3. Add the mushrooms to the skillet and stir until they look cooked, (about 5 minutes) and juicy. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Incorporate the shrimp and garlic, add the chili pepper, if using, and heat through. Add the parsley right before serving.
5. Put the shrimp in a dish, top with rosemary sprigs, and serve with bread on the side.
Nourish your skin naturally with our tallow-based skincare, crafted in Lafayette, LA. Inspired by a personal journey with my daughter’s eczema, we create rich, deeply moisturizing lotions using time-honored, natural ingredients. Packed with vitamins A, D, E, and K, our tallow lotion mimics the skin’s natural oils, offering effective hydration and barrier repair—perfect for sensitive, eczema-prone skin. Free from harsh chemicals, it's skincare you can trust for the whole family.
McCollum Owner
These dishes not only taste great, but are simple to prepare, and easy on your budget. So, let’s get cooking!
THE GURUS
Keith is a traveling product representative (read salesman) who sells grills. His job takes him all over the U.S., mostly in the Central and Western regions. Curt loves to write and has written professionally since 2009, and his personal blog is called “From the Boot.”
Want to know how to get the most out of your grill? Want to know how to reverse sear, how to keep fish from sticking, or what’s cross ventilation? Be sure to tune in on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. or anytime online at kdcg.com and Facebook. R
This can be made hours before cooking, and they reheat very well…not that there’s going to be any left over.
Note: The shells are filled raw. There is no need to boil prior to filling.
INGREDIENTS:
1½-2 lbs. Fresh pork sausage (casings removed)
8 ounces Cream cheese (softened)
14 Manicotti shells (large)
2 lbs. Sliced bacon
Louisiana Love Seasoning Blends
1 cup Louisiana Love Potion #7 BBQ Sauce
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
¼ cup White wine (dry)
This dish is pure decadence. Melty, cheesy, crunchy French bread meets a rich and creamy Mulatto sauce!
INGREDIENTS:
1 loaf French bread
8 ounces Havarti cheese (sliced)
8 ounces Provolone cheese (sliced)
2 each 12-inch-long bamboo skewers
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1-1½ lbs. Fresh pork sausage (casings removed)
1 medium Onion
2-3 cloves Garlic (chopped)
2 cups Water
2-3 tablespoons Dark roux
1-pint Heavy cream
Louisiana Love Seasoning Blends to taste
½ cup Green onions (sliced)
METHOD:
1. Slice bread into 1½ inch slices. Add 1 slice of each cheese between the bread slices.
2. Insert the skewers lengthwise to secure the bread and cheese slices together. Loosely wrap the loaf with foil and set aside.
3. Place a heavy skillet over medium-high heat add olive oil and sausage. Cook until sausage is lightly browned.
4. Add onions are garlic, cooking until onions are clear. Add water and bring to boil.
5. Add roux stirring until dissolved. Add cream, bring to boil, then reduce to simmer.
6. Season to taste with Louisiana Love. Roast bread on 350° grill or oven for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and outside of bread is crispy.
7. Pour some of the sauce in the bottom of a platter or tray. Remove bread from foil, place in platter, and top with remaining sauce.
8. Top with green onions. Stay hungry!
METHOD:
1. Prepare a hardwood fire and set grill to 350°
2. Place sausage and cream cheese in a bowl and mix using hands or hand mixer.
3. Using the back of a spoon fill the manicotti shells being careful not to crack them. It may be easier to fill half from each side of the shell.
4. Wrap each filled shell with 2 slices of bacon.
5. Season the outside with Louisiana Love Seasoning.
6. Combine BBQ sauce, olive oil, and wine in a suitable bowl and set aside.
7. Place shells over a low fire or indirect heat. Turn shells every 10 minutes and baste with prepared sauce.
8. Total cooking time is 30-45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°.
9. Remove and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
reads the Lafayette, Louisiana-based band’s website. “The ultimate EMO experience bringing the glory days of emo, pop-punk, post hardcore live to you. In person, at a show, on YouTube and maybe even on TikTok.
“Ready to hear Paramore, Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Newfound Glory, Blink-182 and more?” the site continues. “It’s never too late to channel your ‘elder EMO’ and come out to re-experience one of the greatest eras of hard rock and punk.”
The band learned in April that they would be opening for double-platinum producing, alternative rock icons – Fuel at the Cajun Heartland State Fair in May. Roux magazine caught up with the band weeks before their biggest show to date.
CRYRS, a local 5-piece band, practices in Tim Benson’s Music Academy of Louisiana. Benson (Burt Timson), who plays guitar and handle screams for the band, puts the origin of the band in perspective.
“We’ve all been in different bands over the years,” says Benson. “I run a music school... It seems obvious that I’d be in a band. I need to be able to connect with other musicians.”
“I’ve been in bands since I was 15 or 16 years old,” adds Lee Gauthreaux (Leedrumsalot), the band’s drummer. “When one breaks up, you find another band & find more people to keep playing.
“It just takes a while sometimes to find the right people and make it work,” lays out Gauthreaux.
“Guitar Hero saved my life,” explains K-Rox (known only as “K-Rox”) of the journey that led to her current role singing in for the band. “I was listening to Hannah Montana before Guitar Hero... now I listen to Metallica almost exclusively.
“I kinda got into EMO stuff a little bit, because I was elementary school when it was everywhere,” admits K-Rox. “Eventually I really got into 80’s thrash & heavy metal… Metallica, Megadeth, & Iron Maiden were everything, but I also like those hair bands like Def Leppard & Van Halen.”
K-Rox admits she draws heavily from David Lee Roth and Def Leppard for her performance style, she feels Roth is one of the greatest performers of all time.
Gauthreaux, Benson, & K-Rox have all been in bands together. K-Rox met Benson when he started giving her guitar lessons.
“We’ve had a lot of Names,” laughs K-Rox.
As to the Bands’ name… that came from Brandon Bordelon (B-Rad), who plays Bass and sings.
“Tim had a few ideas for names, I had a few ideas too,” remembers Bordelon. “We voted mostly based on how people could perceive it.
“There’s a band called LVVRS, and it had no vowels in it, and we chose to go with the same approach,” adds Bordelon. “Otherwise, it wouldn’t have had the same effect... We aren’t exactly a group of criers.”
“And we all said we wanted a name that would stand out,” says Benson. “We always write it out in all capital letters.”
CRYRS had their first gig on October 30, 2022, at the
Grant Street Dancehall in Lafayette.
“That was our coming out gig,” remembers Benson. “It was well-attended, and I could really see the potential this band had.
“Our fourth show was in Baton Rouge at Chelsea’s Live,” adds Benson. “That was like 500 people, and that was the show where we walked out, the vibe was really great, and I felt like this is what it could be like.”
The band agreed they had turned a corner with the show at Chelsea’s, but their experience in Destin, Florida at Club LA six months later felt bigger.
“It was a very professional setup,” remembers Tyler Faulk (T-Bang), another of the band’s guitarists. “We showed up, and they had guys ready to help us... They were just on top of everything.
“This is how everyone should do it,” says Faulk, who apparently knows how to build stuff.
“Tyler is really good at building things,” injects K-Rox. “He built all our stage boxes.
“I take care of the website, our travel arrangements, and (for some reason) the band’s finances,” laughs K-Rox.
K-Rox & Benson hail from Carencro, Bordelon is from Marksville, and Gauthreaux’s from all over as his father was in the Navy.
“I went to high school in northern Virgin,” explains Gauthreaux. “I’ve been down here for 20 years so.”
Faulk’s origin is less clear.
“I actually grew up in the sticks,” details Faulk. “Near a place called Ester... Near Intercoastal City. I went to high school in Abbeville.”
The band considers themselves a tribute band and honors the music by playing it as well as they possibly can.
“Lately we’ve been doing more than two shows a month,” injects K-Rox. “We are 5 solid musicians actively running around the stage, performing, and jumping off things.
“Mostly for 3 hours straight,” adds K-Rox. “It’s a full-on performance… No 15-minute breaks or anything like that.”
“Typically, bands play for 45 minutes… an hour max,” chimes Gauthreaux. “We do more than twice that, and we never have an opening act.”
Benson is quick to distinguish CRYRS from any other cover band.
“If you put a viable product together, you’re going to be successful,” says Benson. “Our viable product is that we pay tribute to these songs really well… We put production value behind it.
“People will pay to have a great experience,” he adds.
“And it helps when everyone is delivering a solid 9+ performance,” K-Rox says laughing with the rest of the band.
When asked about their motivation to continue playing music while juggling families and careers, the band had some similar [but different] experiences.
“There’s burnout,” explains Faulk. “Every now and then… But with everything else in mind, I know I’ll miss playing.
“I made the mistake once of selling everything because I thought I was done with it,” Faulk adds. “Damn, I shouldn’t have done that.”
“I did that in college,” admits Gauthreaux. “Every now
and then I’d need some extra money. Oh, I got this cymbal I need to sell and get some gas money… But then, like 10 years later, I’m recording, and I need that that thing.
“And so, I came to a point where it’s like, I always come back,” adds Gauthreaux.
“I tell myself not to sell anything anymore. But I mean, it is a lifestyle. There’s a difference between people who play music and musicians- We’re all musicians.
“We all know life for us would be pretty bleak without music,” remarks Bordelon.
“I’ve always been one that has actively tried to run away from it,” interjects K-Rox. “Because I come from a music family. My dad played drums for Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys for decades and I’ve seen what touring looks like. I see what it does to families. I’ve seen the other side of it.
“I was always like no,” K-Rox continues, “I’m not gonna go that route. But I always find myself running back into it… and loving it… and having this like crazy love, hate relationship with it.”
The band stays on the same page through communicating and compromising as best they can.
“We’ve all had to give up ground on our own personal things,” explains Benson.
“But if it’s for the greater good, then it makes sense.
“There are certain bands that we may love,” adds Gauthreaux. “We may have obsessed about them since they came out. But does the general public that’s coming to see us have that same reaction?”
The band created a document from the beginning called ‘The CRYRS Standard.’
“It’s these 5 tenets of what we try to live up to and remember,” adds Benson. “One of them is - We all operate as one voice.
“So, whenever we have disagreements, we try to talk it out and kind of understand everybody is coming from,” adds Benson. “We try to come to a consensus on some level. We don’t want to carry that frustration over.”
“It’s like dating four people without any of the benefits of dating four people,” jokes Gauthreaux.
The commitment to a quality performance, the growing interest in the genre, the fact that they’re so into the music, and because they’re local are more than enough reasons to check CRYRS out at your earliest opportunity. You’ll be glad you did. R
By Paul J. Angelle
The businesses, the landowners, and the government officials we’ve met have been welcoming and encouraging,” explains Kristopher Guidry, co-owner of Wanderlust Rentals, a kayak rental service based in Lafayette. “But it’s not just that… I’ve learned a lot at each and every stop we’ve made.
“I’ve learned things I didn’t know about my own culture,” Guidry adds. “It’s one thing to start a business, and then having to go through all the hoops and coordinate everything… But everyone we talk to is so encouraging and generally excited about the project.”
Guidry and his cousin Reed Rudasill came into partial ownership of some family land a few years ago when their grandfather passed away, leaving some
property behind that touched the Vermilion River in Lafayette, Louisiana.
“We tossed around ideas about boat rentals and stuff when were thinking of how we could use the property together,” says Rudasill. “The idea of kayak rentals didn’t come into our heads until we started kayaking ourselves and whenever someone who didn’t have a kayak wanted to join us… the only option was to buy one.
“Any rental options were usually part of a single location or a tour,” he continues. “There was no other option on the Vermilion River to simply rent a kayak, and we could see interest was increasing.”
Honestly, the whole thing just started basically solving a problem,” emphasizes Guidry. “We wanted to go kayak and down the Vermilion River, and our friend wanted to come with us.
He didn’t have a kayak, and we called everywhere in town.
“We couldn’t find anywhere that we could just rent a kayak and take it out on our own accord,” adds Guidry. “It was only guided tours. So, we saw a problem to solve there, and it just kinda snowballed into what we’re actually doing now. We expect it to be way more and grow into a lot more than of a service than just kayaks.”
Wanderlust Rentals emerged, essentially, as a way for the two cousins to tackle a problem. The business is unique as it’s based on a model that allows customers to rent at one location and return at a different location. What really makes the idea so different is the fact that the rentals are 100% self-service.
“Actually, Reed came across the self-service model, and we vetted out
different technology suppliers and different ways of executing this business model,” explains Guidry. “We came across this ‘share kayak’ service and started going down that road of using this to be the first multi-point selfservice kayak rental that no one around here has ever seen.
The idea that it’s a multi-point service means that a customer can start at 1 point, go down the river to the next the next kiosk. If the customer would like to stop at, they could return the kayak there, and then go about their day and not have to paddle back upriver or drive it on top of their vehicle. The service is like the “Lime” or “Bird” scooters implemented briefly in downtown Lafayette a few years ago.
“It’s going to be returned to a geo-fenced area so it can’t just be left anywhere,” reassures Rudasill. “That was the problem with the scooters... They were leaving them literally in the streets. Our system will keep them from being left on the rivers or in people’s yards, or anything like that.”
Wanderlust is putting their own spin on the model with their multi-point setup, as the local waterways are rivers with currents as opposed to lakes.
“The technology we’re using is more popular in Australia,” adds Guidry.
“It’s very popular in Australia,” says Rudasill. “It’s also popular in the Netherlands, but the company is from Europe.
“Initially we were gonna manage it and run it ourselves… kind of like everybody else has done in the past,” continues Rudasill. “A setup where you have a little warehouse, you supply the kayaks etc. That was our first kind of concept, and we’d also have a manned management business for short term rentals.”
Then something hit the young entrepreneurs… the idea of using modern technology where it never really existed before. The cousins decided to come up with and build their own self-service system using smart locks, cameras, and the internet.
“We were gonna build out the whole system ourselves, make it a self-service business just like we saw online in Australia and then we realized we didn’t need to re-invent the wheel,” explains Rudasill. “There already exists this software and technology. So now, we’re using technology and software that is out of Sweden. It’s used in a couple of other European countries.”
There are some locations throughout the United States that are using the smart lock system and software, but this technology is only being utilized on lakes.
“In the past, renters would either bring the kayak back to that same spot
on the river or get dropped off upriver and finish at the spot,” says Rudasill. “We want to have about 6 locations up and down the Vermilion River to choose from. Somebody can start at the nature station and on the north side, and then they can paddle down the river with the current to our next location, which would be near Vermilionville. That’s two of our locations. They’d be able to stop, unload and then leave their kayak there. They would not have to worry about anything else.”
The concept, which is now in business, is a setup where renters can just leave their kayak. Once they lock it back up, the transaction completes… all based off a downloadable app (ShareKayak)that requires a waiver up front.
“In Lafayette, where we have a big presence of services like Uber and Lyft, it’s gonna work great,” says Guidry. “Even if you don’t take a car at all, you can literally Uber to where you’d like to start, finish it out and then go home after. It’s easy… All done through phones, Wi-Fi, GPS, and QR codes.”
The cousins expect new customers will experience an initial learning curve, so they take every chance they can to educate people on the process. The business will not be 100% self-service, as Wanderlust Rentals welcomes groups for scheduled rides. Those require more on-site coordination and planning.
“We are looking to build value,” says Guidry. “We’re looking to partner with a new, local tour bus company out of Lafayette (Evangeline Expeditions). Part of the bus tour involves kayaking down the river, and the group ends up where the tour began, and they can get in their cars and go.”
Neither Guidry, who has worked in construction most of his career, nor Rudasill, who has a lawn care business, had any experience with adventure rentals. While both love the outdoors, neither were all that into hunting or fishing. The idea behind Wanderlust Rentals just made sense.
“We started kayaking not too long ago,” explains Rudasill. “And we both love being able to work for ourselves - to be entrepreneurs. “Instead of working 40 hours a week for somebody else, we work 80 to 100 hours a week for ourselves, and we plan to grow this.
“We’re not just going to be selfservice.” He adds. “That’s gonna be just one of our arms. We’re also gonna be doing ticketed events, especially for parties greater than 15. We’ll be able to drop off some a group of people with the kayaks with the paddles where they can then paddle down river. To add even more value, we’re looking to partner with certain landowners as
well as restaurant owners along the Vermilion, and Bayou Teche in order to have endpoints where they can grab a bite of food, or they can grab a drink. To really be a whole unique experience for the Acadiana area.”
With technology, the software, and the smart locks Wanderlust Rentals will soon rent out more than kayaks, but canoes and paddle boards as well. The company is ramping up with other branches and other offerings.
“We’re going to start branching out, depending on the location,” explains Rudasill. “With all the small towns that we’re working with along Bayou Teche, we may be able to quickly implement other things.
“We can rent out bikes and scooters… even golf carts,” Rudasill continues. “The town of Washington is interested in us running out and with golf carts, and we’re looking into the logistics. But they’re interested in golf carts being rented out on their street. So those are kind of some of like along those lines. We met up with the Mayor of Washington, and went over there to approach him for our kayak rentals, and he was interested in that, of course, but also, he said they had just passed an ordinance allow golf courts on their roads. So he was also looking at golf courts and bikes, just to kind of get more people traveling throughout the town.”
The setup will resemble a high school locker equipped with smart locks on the doors. So anything that can fit inside of a locker can be rented out.
“Poche’s, the meat market out in Breaux Bridge, has a good chunk of land along Bayou Teche,” says Rudasill. “That’s one place we want rent out our kayaks, and we’re in the process of working out a deal right now, but they’re also interested in renting out camping gear and tents, because they would be open to campers camping out on their property.”
The cousins are now contemplating multi-day day excursions with camping gear included.
“We take the hassle out of the process,” says Guidry. “We solve the logistics problem and make it easier for more people to experience a beautiful resource that too many people never get to experience.”
Wanderlust rentals is aware of their impact on the river and offers rewards for removing trash and debris from the river. The cousins are committed to not only exposing more people to the local rivers but helping make them even better.
“Everybody’s excited about what we’re having to offer,” says Guidry smiling.
There’s a lot to smile about.
It was at the early age of fourteen when Charlie Hohorst III would fall in love with photography. After his grandparents gifted him their entire collection of “National Geographic” magazines, it was then he imagined his destiny of becoming a photographer. He would often daydream while thumbing through hundreds of photographs from all over the world. Many new scenes of discovery would continue to stimulate his interest in travel and photography. With each passing day, Charlie dreamed of someday doing what he loved. He decided at that moment to plan his path in fulfilling his desire to become a photographer.
Charlie III held on to his dream and in 1987 he earned a BBA from Ole Miss with an emphasis in International Business. Ultimately, his degree would lead him to his first professional job with McIlhenny Co., the makers of TABASCO pepper sauce. Although Charlie did not bring his camera along, he was able to visit six continents experiencing many diverse cultures. His dreams of documenting these unique destinations would only continue.
Over the next two decades, Charlie Hohorst III founded and operated an
e-commerce company in partnership with his late father, Charles Hohorst Jr. It was his late father that introduced Charlie III to the outdoors through hunting and fishing. Many weekends were spent outdoors bonding with nature. Charles Jr. also loved the outdoors and had a strong desire to capture nature’s beauty. In his later years, his father became a professional photographer. He focused his efforts mostly on the beauty of Louisiana’s natural wildlife. He captured the mysteries of Louisiana swamps and marshes. He photographed waterfowl and shorebirds that passed through the state’s wetlands. With a collection of beautiful waterfowl photographs, Charles Jr. published his first work, a coffee table book titled “Wings of Paradise” filled with breathtaking images. While battling a terminal illness, Charles Jr. worked diligently to publish his second book, but his fate was met before his goal became a reality.
With his untimely passing, Charles Jr. left behind an arsenal of professional equipment. After he was no longer able, Charles Jr. carefully packed away his cameras. Unfortunately, he was never able to share his secrets in capturing the perfect shot.
He advised his son to start with his Canon G11. It was one of many essential lessons between father and son, “figure it out”!
Three years passed before Charlie III picked up the Canon 1D Mark IV which he still shoots today regardless of the advancements made in camera technology. After finally pursuing his lifelong dream, Charlie III decided to share nature’s beauty with others by creating a virtual studio named HohorstStudio.com. It’s within these digital pages that Charlie III shares his work along with his late father’s art of wildlife and nature’s treasures. Both Charlie III and his father have an exceptional eye for detail, sharp observation, manual dexterity, patience, and a sense of one with the outdoors. It’s reflected in the detail of their timeless works.
Hohorst Studio includes many subjects, not only Louisiana outdoors, landscapes and birds, but also abstracts and new mixed media. Charlie III is taking he and his father’s photos to the next level by offering their works for commercial and residential environments. Hohorst Studio not only offers 8x10 matted, fine art paper prints, but also offers large canvases to fill your walls with outdoor inspiration. R
