Acadiana Profile April-May 2015

getting in shape

expanded home section

A Local Guide to Health & Fitness P. 48

6 Stylish Kitchens & Baths P. 20

Dark Roux’s root vegetable salad topped with an arugula pesto with locally produced goat cheese.

7

places with flavor p. 52

seafood hotspots 3 Destinations P. 34

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contents A Little Extra Editor’s Note Nouvelles de villes Newsbriefs Le visiter Calendar lagniappe

NOTE DE L’EDITEUR

home+style 15 Shoes: Stepping in Style pour la maison Knives: Slice and Dice la maison Kitchens & Baths À la mode

food+drink 33 Seafood Hotspots de la cuisine Crawfish Recipes recettes de cocktails Cajun Spiced Julep sur le menu

culture 69 personnes Dr. Bob Carriker la musique

Sean Ardoin & Zydekool

les artiste Connor McManus en francais

Pâquer Les Oeufs de Pâques

features spring travel 42

Exploring the springs of Arkansas by paris permenter & john bigley

health & fitness 48

Acadiana health experts weigh in on keeping you healthy from head to toe. by suzanne ferrara

best new restaurants 52 7 Places With Flavor

by cheré coen | Photos by denny culbert

Dark Roux’s root salad showcases root vegetables (pickled, roasted and raw) with goat cheese, arugula pesto, guanciale, sprouts and garden flowers.

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acadiana profile april/may 2015

lagniappe

learn french Pâques

What is one way you plan on being healthier this spring?

[pak] n. Easter example: Demain, nous aurons une chasse aux œufs de Pâques.

APRIL/may 2015 vol. 34 | № 2

Editor in Chief

Managing Editor

Associate Editor

Art Director

Lead Photographer

re-reading “I plan on

Web Editor

Harry Potter. Its healthy for the pieces of Sales Manager soul... or the soul if you are

Voldemort.”

Errol Laborde Sarah Ravits Melanie Warner Spencer Sarah George

did you know?

Danley Romero Kelly Massicot Rebecca Taylor (337) 298-4424 (337) 235-7919 Ext. 230

“I’m going to do more yoga and meditate.”

Rebecca@acadianaprofile.com

Sales Intern

Traffic Manager

Distribution Manager

Jean-Paul Poullet

Earth Day is April 22. To help your local and global community, plant a tree or ride your bike to work. Calculate your ecological footprint at earthday.org/ footprint-calculator and see what you can do to reduce your footprint.

Erin Duhe John Holzer

Director of Marketing & Events Cheryl Lemoine

“I’m going to jog outside more now that the

weather is nice.”

Administrative Assistant Subscriptions Production/Web Manager Production Designers

Denise Dean Sara Kelemencky Staci McCarty

behind the scenes

Ali Sullivan

Monique DiPietro

Chief Executive Officer

President

Alan Campell

Vice President

Errol Laborde

Vice President of Sales

Todd Matherne

Colleen Monaghan

Like us on Facebook (Facebook.com/AcadianaProfile) and follow us on Twitter (@acadianaprofile) for daily updates, happenings in the area and other news!

We want to hear from you, and we’ll post a question every week – post your answers and you could be published in the magazine!

Lead photographer Danley Romero’s young daughter gets serenaded by zydeco musician Sean Ardoin at a photo shoot. For more on Ardoin, read La Musique

by Michael Patrick Welch on pg. 74.

Renaissance Publishing LLC • 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123 • Metairie, LA 70005 • (504) 828-1380 • (877) 221-3512 128 Demanade, Suite 104 • Lafayette, LA 70503 • (337) 235-7919 ext. 230 Acadiana Profile (ISSN 0001-4397) is published bimonthly by Renaissance Publishing LLC, 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005 (504) 828-1380 and 128 Demanade, Suite 104, Lafayette, LA 70503 (337) 235-7919 ext. 230. Subscription rate: One year $10; Foreign Subscriptions vary. Periodicals postage paid at Lafayette, LA, and additional mailing entry offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Acadiana Profile, 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005. Copyright 2015 Renaissance Publishing LLC. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the consent of the publisher. The trademark Acadiana Profile is registered. Acadiana Profile is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photos and artwork, even if accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. The opinions expressed in Acadiana Profile are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the magazine or owner.

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acadiana profile april/may 2015

note de l’editeur

by sarah ravits

balancing acts Eating the best regional food doesn’t mean you have to compromise your health.

We take food seriously – in the most fun

Sarah Ravits, Managing Editor

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acadiana profile april/may 2015

photo by marianna massey

way possible. Every year, new eateries pop up in Acadiana – some focusing on local cooking traditions and others that are on point with national culinary trends, and we love the diverse options that the area has to offer. Our food expert Cheré Coen really took one for the team with this issue, as she was faced with the difficult task of choosing the best newcomers for you to try out (pg. 52). We suspect she wasn’t too upset.

Each spot she chose is full of flavor, and the chefs and entrepreneurs behind the ventures are obviously passionate about what they do – just as Acadians are passionate about what they eat. Our other culinary experts, Jyl Benson and Marcelle Bienvenu, complement this cover story by giving you intel on seafood hotspots (pg. 34), and cooking with crawfish (pg. 36), respectively.

On top of that, Home Shopping (pg. 18)

by Ashley Hinson gives you a guide to kitchen knives that’ll help you chop your ingredients to perfection.

To balance out all the cooking and eating you’ll be doing after you put this issue down, Suzanne Ferrara checked in with local health and fitness experts to help you get in shape both mentally and physically (pg. 48). These professionals offer advice to keep you motivated and find a routine that works best for your schedule, and there’s great news: It’s not as difficult as you think, especially with the right attitude.

Though we always focus on the faces and places of Cajun Country, our travel writing duo, Paris Permenter and John Bigley, have explored the sunny springs of Arkansas (pg. 42), in case you’re looking for a place that’s within driving distance for your spring vacation. As usual, we welcome your input and feedback, and hope you enjoy the magazine!

nouvelles de villes

by lisa leblanc-berry

Savoie’s in its early days

Crawfish Bliss Breaux Bridge

New Video

Bon Anniversaire Pour Vos Soixante Ans!

Lake Charles

opelousas

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Prendre en Bateaux sur le Teche the bayou teche

The Cajun Classique, a fiveday wooden boat cruise down Bayou Teche, is held April 13-19, starting in Breaux Bridge and finishing at the Bayou Teche Wooden Boat Show in association with the Bayou Teche Black Bear Festival in Franklin. “The Cajun Classique will touch all four parishes of the Bayou Teche, with overnight stays in Breaux Bridge, New Iberia and Franklin,” says tour director Cory Werk. The cruise covers more than 70 miles in two days. Stops are slated for experiencing local culture, including visits to restaurants, plantation homes, rice mills, the Tabasco plant and Jungle Gardens as well as a discussion with a Cajun boat builder.

Information, cajunclassique.com.

All That Jazz New Iberia

A stunning new mural to honor legendary jazz musician William “Bunk” Johnson, who lived in New Iberia and is credited for teaching Louis Armstrong and other jazz greats, was recently unveiled and celebrated. Funds received from an ArtsSpark grant were used to create the colorful, elaborate 40-foot mural by artist Jennifer Lee Smith. Enhanced with vibrant LED lighting, it is located at 1505 S. Hopkins St.

photos courtesy: Savoie’s Sausage and Food Products; artist jennifer smith; cajunclassique.com

Congratulations to Savoie’s Sausage and Food Products, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year.

What began as a small Cajun grocery store near Opelousas has grown into a multi-million dollar family empire with 110 employees.

Savoie’s specializes in such products as smoked sausages, tasso, boudin, rice dressing mix and roux. A new line of frozen entrées was launched in 2001. Savoie’s is now creating a line of premium frozen appetizers, including jalapeño boudin bites and fried seafood appetizers for their expanding market which includes Mississippi and Texas. Plans are underway to expand into Arkansas and Alabama via major retailers such as Winn Dixie, Walmart, Albertson’s and Kroger’s. Information, savoiesfoods.com.

The first-ever commissioned song with a video portraying the Lake Charles area has been orchestrated and released by the Lake Charles/ Southwest Louisiana CVB. Wendy Colonna, a native of the area, wrote the song for the piece, titled “My Southwest Louisiana Home.” Over 50 people in the community came together to make the video Information, visitlakecharles.org/musicvideo.

You can “suck the heads” and “cut da rug” May 1-3 at the spirited Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival, with 30 bands including such headliners as Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys and Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie.

Enter your critter in a crawdad race, take Cajun dance lessons or watch the zydeco dance contests while sampling the cuisine ( bbcrawfest.com). Also, check out new arrivals at the multi-vendor antique mall, Bayou Town Flea Market (214 Guilbeau St.), which has cool vintage cameras, unique furniture and other rare “finds.”

Visit Joie de Vivre Coffee and Culture Café’s new bring-your-own instrument Saturday jam, and sample the grillades and pecan pancakes. Information, 107 N. Maine St.

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calendar

by judi russell

around acadiana Gatherings and activities around Acadiana. april

may

3, 10, 17. Downtown Alive! Parc

International or Parc Sans Souci, Lafayette. (337) 291-5566.

1-2. Relay for Life of Iberia Parish. New Iberia High School, New Iberia. (337) 519-1978.

3-5. Laotian New Year

1, 8. Downtown Alive! Parc

Celebration. What Thammarattanaram Temple, Coteau. (337) 364-3403.

International or Parc Sans Souci, Downtown, Lafayette.

(337) 291-5566.

3-5. Patterson Cypress Sawmill

Festival. Kemper Williams Park, Patterson. (800) 256-2931.

1-3. Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival. Parc Hardy, Breaux Bridge. (337) 332-6655.

10-12. 3rd Annual Scott Boudin

2. 19th Annual Herb & Garden

Festival. 125 Lions Club St., Scott. (337) 233-1130.

Festival. Parc on Marie Street, Sunset. (337) 662-5225.

10-12. Bayou Teche Black Bear

Festival. Downtown Main Street, Franklin. (800) 256-2931.

2-8. Ragin’ Cajun Country Road Bicycle Tour. Beaver Park, Lafayette. (800) 755-2453.

10-12. Bayou Teche Wooden

7-9. Rayne Frog Festival.

Boat Show. Downtown Franklin.

(337) 828-3706.

Gossen Memorial Park, Rayne.

(337) 334-2332.

10-12. Cajun Hot Sauce Festival.

9. 2nd Saturday ArtWalk.

713 NW Bypass (Hwy. 3213), New Iberia. (337) 365-7539.

Downtown Lafayette.

(337) 291-5566.

11-16. Dewey Balfa Cajun & Creole Heritage Week.

Vermilionville, Lafayette.

(337) 234-8360.

Q-ing on the Bayou – Boat Poker Run. Delcambre Boat Docks, Delcambre. (337) 2984510.

11. 2nd Saturday ArtWalk.

Downtown Lafayette.

(337) 291-5566.

14-16. Crusin Cajun Country Cruise In. Bouligny Plaza, New Iberia. (337) 367-1631.

16-19. 15th Annual Washington Catfish Festival. 143 Veterans Memorial Hwy., Washington.

(337) 828-3627.

21-24. 4th Annual Krotz Springs Sportsmen’s Heritage Festival. Nall Park. (337) 5663527.

22-26. Festival International de Louisiane. Downtown, Lafayette.

(337) 232-8086.

22-23. Creole Zydeco & Okra Festival. 203 New Market St., St. Martinville. (337) 394-2233.

24-26. 30th Annual Etouffee

25. Memorial Day Ceremony.

Bouligny Plaza, New Iberia.

(337) 344-9397.

Festival. St. John Francis Regis Church grounds, Arnaudville.

(337) 754-5912.

25. Grillin in the Park. New

Iberia City Park. (337) 365-5651.

25-26. 13th Cajun Woodstock

(Benefit for St. Jude Hospital.)

City Park, Church Point.

(337) 280-8710.

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PROMOTE Go to AcadianaProfile.com and click on “Submit an Event” to let us know about your festivals, shows or special events. The sooner we get the information, the better able we are to help you.

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acadiana profile april/may 2015

The modern Lafayette home of Steven and Cindy Hebert, built in 2014, is distinguished by a sleek, open kitchen with bold pops of color and randomly spaced glass globes over the large slate island.

style+home Ă la mode 16 Stepping in Style by sarah ravits

pour la maison 18 Slice and Dice

by ashley hinson

la maison 20

6 chef-friendly kitchens and spa-like baths designed for celebration and rejuvenation in the Cajun Culinary Nation by lisa leblanc-berry

style+home À DEla LAmode CUISINE

1.

FYI : Before fringe was fashionable, it was worn by Native Americans of the Plains to repel rainwater from the wearer. In the 1920s, it became a decorative embellishment for flappers, and is now also associated with the hippie movement.

1. “Contemporary”

wedge with criss-cross strap

by Volatile, from Little Town.

2. “Ceyla” espadrille

in caramel leather

by Dolce Vita, from Shoe La La.

2.

3. “Vermont” block-heeled sandal with fringe by Very Volatile, from JuJu’s 4. “Sumner”

platform wedge in taupe nubuck

by Dolce Vita, from Shoe La La.

3.

5. “Marcie” gladiator

sandal in new tan

by Pierre Dumas, from JuJu’s.

stepping in style Add some bohemian flair to your wardrobe with these funky springtime sandals. by sarah ravits photo romero & Romero

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JuJu’s. 101 Settlers Trace Boulevard, Lafayette. (337) 406-9300; 7808 Main St., Houma.

(985) 876-3766. jujusboutique.com.

4.

5.

Shoe La La. 201 Settlers Trace Blvd., #3010, Lafayette, (337) 984-8618. shoelala.net Little Town. 1116 Coolidge St., Lafayette.

(337) 268-9499

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style+home pour la maison

slice and dice 4 must-have knives for every kitchen by ashley hinson photo romero & romero 1. Ideal for slicing

fruits and vegetables, the versatile Wüsthof paring knife adds precision and style to a kitchen essential, from The Kitchenary at Heymann’s.

2. The esteemed

German label Wüsthof, delivers the highest quality of a classic with this serrated knife, from The Kitchenary at Heymann’s.

3. The Ken Onion chef’s knife has a curved blade and a long, easy-togrip handle. The impregnanted surface of the knife prevents it from sticking, from E’s Kitchen.

4. Shun’s Premier

Combination honing knife gently corrects blades’ angles from daily wear and tear and features two surfaces: one for daily honing, and a microribbed surface for weekly honing, from E’s Kitchen.

3 4 2 1

The Kitchenary at Heymann’s. 456 Heymann Blvd. # C, Lafayette. (337) 264-1037. thekitchenary.net E’s Kitchen. 1921 Kaliste Saloom Road, Lafayette. (337) 534-8928. eskitchen.com

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Honing steels are meant to realign the knife’s edge, which normally drifts after regular use. Use the same number of strokes on each side and hone at approximately 20 degrees.

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style+home la maison

hearth and soul Six chef-friendly kitchens and spa-like baths designed for celebration and rejuvenation in the Cajun Culinary Nation by lisa leblanc-berry

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facing page A wall of glass orange tiles from Triton Stone is topped by a Brazilian walnut border that brings in elements of the outdoor kitchen.

Globes by Kichler from Teche Electric hang in varying heights over a large slate island, the social hub for parties featuring grilled fish and duck gumbo simmered atop the Jenn-Air gas range. top The open dining area has sliding glass doors overlooking the courtyard.

photos by sara essex bradley

Foodies who love to

entertain inevitably opine that everyone ends up in their kitchen during parties. Some of the most inspired kitchen remodels and grand estates designed for entertaining have developed from such observant epiphanies.

When creating an expanded entertainment area and a more efficient “work triangle” for functionality and beauty, a cleverly orchestrated custom kitchen island is an essential component for revolutionizing your work and party space.

Equally important are the little personalized details for the frequent foodie host. Extra touches can ease your tasks, such as adding a lower countertop for those who bake (a 30-inch height for rolling out pastry), under-lit counters and cabinets in the prep zone, a double oven with an integrated

rotisserie, a dishwasher drawer near the sink to manage all the dirty glassware (great for wine-pairing dinners), plus such items as a digital electric smoker (for cold smoking), a sous-vide machine, warming drawers and a convection microwave.

I’ve found all of these items invaluable for gourmet dinner parties (available online), along with such essentials as my hand-made Japanese chef’s knives in the Samurai sword technique (gleaned from a weapons shop).

In the realm of smart design, a great kitchen island optimally functions as the most alluring social hub in the home. A second refrigerator in the pantry for large parties and holiday feasts is also worth consideration. Since I’m the only French-trained gourmet in the family, and prepare all our holiday feasts, frequently cater

wine dinners as a personal chef and teach Cajun-French cooking classes, I use the kitchen island as both a hands-on learning center and also as a stage for entertaining.

Guests settle around the kitchen island to sip cocktails, watch, graze and eventually engage in the latest gossip, political debates, disclose illicit romances and win over family feuds. Tip: Always display the most elaborate, visually appealing hors d’oeuvres on the kitchen island as bait.

While the kitchen island serves as the heart of the home, and a stage for entertaining, a luxurious spa-like bath nourishes the soul.

It’s the icing on the cake after the feast. A devoted host deserves to recuperate and hibernate in the luxury of a soaking tub. What follows is our compilation of homes selected for their diverse

kitchens and baths that reflect the joie de vivre and spirit of Acadiana.

Sleek and Chic

“I’ve been told that our kitchen island, which is definitely the focal point of the open area, is the largest one in Lafayette Parish,” says Steven Hebert, COO of Coldwell Banker Pelican Real Estate. He collaborated with his wife, Cindy (who fashions the interior décor of their various residential properties) for two years before their “California modern” River Ranch (Lafayette) house was built in 2014.

The open gourmet kitchen was inspired by a modern kitchen in Austin that the couple “fell in love with” while touring Texas homes.

“The island is a 5 1/2-foot by 8-foot wide piece of slate that comes down on one side all the way to the floor, so you get the

contrast in colors,” Steven explains. “It was designed without a cooking element or a vegetable sink. Our kitchen island is always the main place where everyone gathers as we entertain while cooking, which we love to do.”

Steven’s duck hunting and fishing trips result in big gumbo parties and spring barbecues highlighted by fresh seafood on the outdoor grill.

Large glass globes in various sizes from Teche Electric Supply are spaced out randomly over the kitchen island, adding a whimsical element to the Hebert’s busy entertainment hub.

Metallic paint was applied to the upper kitchen cabinets above dark stained cabinets to render a modern effect.

The minimalistic, streamlined indoor kitchen is distinguished by a bold, eye-catching pop of color: A wall of acadianaprofile.com

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this page When designing the kitchen for their new house with architect Patrick Touchet, Denise Minvielle came up with the idea of installing a dishwasher two feet above the floor to alleviate back strain. facing page The roomy kitchen, centered by a large island that is ground zero for parties, features splashes of teal in the color palette for a Caribbean vibe. The materials used give the room a classic, clean feel.

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Caribbean-Inspired

The lovely new Abbeville home of Eugene and Denise Minvielle, completed in August of 2014 was designed with entertaining in mind.

A cypress island with a dark gray quartz countertop is the focal point of the spacious kitchen, where generous appetizer platters attract guests who linger and visit. Owners of Minvielle Lumber Company, the gourmet couple enjoys hosting game-day soirées and informal dinner parties.

acadiana profile april/may 2015

Friends arrive for casual gatherings via a charming stone pathway that leads past the garage and up a large screen porch adorned with a swing that is conveniently positioned near the kitchen door. A second story was added over the adjacent garage to accommodate a game room, a work-out room and an office. Otherwise, the 4,500-squarefoot house, constructed

by Prejean Builders, is a one-story dwelling that was inspired by the colors of the Caribbean.

“Since the kitchen is spacious and opens onto a breakfast area, we needed a large island,” states Denise, who explains that the drawers are situated to provide easy access to cookbooks, bowls and baking dishes. “The island was designed for ease while working and hosting get-togethers.”

The dark gray island is illuminated by industrial lighting from Abbeville Electric Supply, rendering a contemporary effect.

“The glass backsplash and quartz countertops

photos by sara essex bradley

12-by-4-inch orange glass tiles that was designed to be devoid of cabinetry; it is centered by a large stainless steel hood.

The dramatic wall is topped with a sleek border of Brazilian Ipe. “It was a bold choice, but worth it,” says Steven. The dark, durable hardwood reflects the same material used for the fence surrounding the outdoor kitchen. It is flanked by a second island, a gas fire pit and an outdoor living room that can be viewed from the interior living and dining areas surrounded by sliding glass doors topped by glass transoms.

“One of the primary design elements was to wrap the kitchen, dining and living rooms around the courtyard and make it an extension of the living areas,” Steven point out. “It’s all very open, and there are great views from one area to the other.”

remind me of sea shells on the beach,” she adds. “I wanted a gray and teal kitchen to complement the Caribbean-influenced architectural style of the house. It had a Louisiana look but was different from the majority of homes that people were building.”

One of the custom features Denise insisted on adding in the kitchen was a raised dishwasher. “It’s about two feet off the ground, so I don’t have to bend over to unload the dishes. It’s fabulous!”

Denise exclaims.

“We had 38 people around the kitchen island for the last ball game, and the flow was great,” she points out. When invited to the Minvielle home, friends and family look forward to Denise’s legendary shrimp sauce piquant, gumbo and crawfish etouffée.

The Minvielle’s moveable feast starts with appetizers and cocktails around the island, and often moves into the formal dining room, depending on the occasion. “We just love to cook. This is the perfect house for entertaining,” she concludes.

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Gourmet Party Palace

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A pair of intricately designed custom islands was created as the central focus of the open kitchen. One is for the chefs as a cooking and demo station, while the second island is designed for dinner guests who like to participate, complete with seating.

The lavish Europeanstyle kitchen extends to a spacious great room, living and dining rooms that are connected to an elaborate wine cellar. It is all one large area designed around the kitchen islands as the central entertainment hubs.

The spacious pantry just off the kitchen

acadiana profile april/may 2015

is appointed with a second set of appliances to accommodate the staff during large parties. Exotic animals mounted in a nearby trophy room showcase the couple’s hunting trips and enjoyment of wild game.

“They actually created their entire house around entertaining,” says Monique delaHoussaye Breaux, president and principal designer of Posh Exclusive Interiors in Lafayette; her distinguished client roster includes residents of South Louisiana, New York, Texas and Florida.

Breaux conceptualized the interior design for the vast estate from

concept to completion, from the opulent colors and design details to the elegant furnishings and fabrics, collectibles and various Old World architectural elements.

“The gourmet kitchen, which overlooks a large, formal garden, reflects the formality found throughout the home, including the handburnished applications and decorative moldings of bronze and gold, the jeweled knobs on the cabinets, and the backsplash that was done in France,” she remarks. A handpainted picture of the 10,000-square-foot main house surrounded by

The gourmet kitchen, with marble flooring inset with walnut, features two islands that showcase chefs preparing elaborate dinners as guests mingle around the adjoining keeping room and living and dining rooms connected by stone archways. A large pantry with extra freezers and an extensive wine room equip this 10,000 square-foot European-style house designed for entertaining.

Interior designer Monique delaHoussaye Breaux created the elegant, lavish interiors.

a vineyard is depicted in the backsplash tile design. “The kitchen with double islands was very much front and center of how they designed the estate.”

photos by chipper hatter

Located in the heart of St. Martin Parish, this sprawling estate was built seven years ago to accommodate the owners’ love of hosting multi-course dinner parties that showcase the wines sampled during their travels to various vineyards. As passionate oenophiles and gourmets, they are equally devoted to wild game, and enjoy hunting locally and on various continents.

Top chefs from around the world are hired for their gourmet soirées that include sophisticated wine pairings and chef demonstrations.

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Master Bath Bliss

Just as foodies are particular about their kitchens, those who work hard and play hard want all the creature comforts they can look forward to after the sun goes down over the rivers and bayous of Acadiana.

Spa-like Glamour

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acadiana profile april/may 2015

topThe iridescent glass tiles Breaux implemented when designing a curved wall behind the soaking tub cast a shimmering glow when the lights are dimmed and the crystal chandelier throws a star pattern on the ceiling for a celestial effect. right Breaux selected a textured vinyl ottoman. The awardwinning designer’s extensive experience with textiles and soft-goods construction enhances her creation of innovative, glamorous accents.

designed with creamy, soothing colors. “Within the oval topper are little spots that throw a star pattern on the ceiling, so in the tub at night, she can turn off the lights and have a celestial feel,” Breaux remarks.

Jeweled hardware with gem designs was added to the pulls on

the drawers. “I use my hardware as sort of my signature jewelry,” says Breaux, who specializes in couture-inspired

interiors and is now designing and manufacturing her own line of products (poshinteriors.com).

photos by scott richard

The serene master bath was designed by Monique Breaux for a glamorous young Lafayette couple with a new transitional home that was recently completed.

“The client wanted a spa-like feel complete with a floating tub,” Breaux explains. “She also wanted natural light, so we incorporated a transom into the window.” The designer decided that putting a

floating tub wouldn’t do the room justice, so for added depth, she created a curved wall that incorporated iridescent glass tiles, which were carried over into the marble flooring’s unique medallion.

“We needed to have an artisan come in to get all those tiny glass squares perfect in creating the medallion,” she points out. “The Venetian plaster walls blend beautifully with the glass tiles.” Hisand-her walk-in closets are situated beyond the doors on either side of the floating tub. A textured vinyl ottoman adds a dressy touch to the room.

An oval crystal light fixture with a sheer shade softens the feel of the master bath

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This spa-like master bath was created as a luxurious getaway for a busy interior designer who travels frequently. The contemporary paintings on concave metal, eyecatching chandelier and wall of Bisazza glass tiles in shades of bronze complement a floating tub anchored with dark rocks for added dimension. “I’d see colors all day long, so when I designed my own bath, I wanted to keep it all the same colors,” says Breaux, whose philosophy of couture design for clients of Posh Exclusive Interiors extends to her own residence, which is continually being upgraded.

Breaux has launched her own line of furniture and fully designed rooms that are sold via the internet (buyposhrooms.com) and are delivered to the client’s door, with a turn-key option.

Luxurious Escape

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and forth to New York.

“The idea was to leave it open, but I wanted to have dark overtones.

The marble floor looks like wood grain; it’s a very unique marble,” she states. “The walls

acadiana profile april/may 2015

have a suede texture, which blends in with the marble flooring.”

Various shades of bronze tones serve as the color scheme.

Bisazza glass tile was utilized for the wall

behind the floating tub. Mirrored walls add dimension to the room. “I like the textural elements of the rocks I placed under my tub,” the designer comments. Beside the

photos by Melissa Oivanki

Breaux designed her own personal master bath as a restful environment, and as respite from her busy schedule which includes frequently flying back

tub is a large glassed-in shower flanked by his-and-her vanities and spacious closets.

“About a month ago, I began a bath remodel.

It started around a Christmas gift that my husband gave me,” Breaux recalls. “It was a large, salon-grade paraffin wax device for the hands that I kept in my closet since it took up too much counter space,” she reflects. “I decided to finally rip out the entire linen cabinet and the TV area and redesign the space, so now the device is handy.” The new master bath remodel is still underway.

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Maax Jazz soaker tub, Hansgrohe faucets, a European Amba towelwarming rack, quartzite countertops with mirrors that are sunken into a 6-inch niche above the vanities, custom wood cabinets with Amerock Bar Pulls hardware (also used in the kitchen) and a large, frameless glass wall on the shower complement the modern, serene master bath in Steven and Cindy Hebert’s River Ranch residence.

“We’ve been married 31 years and this is our 11th house,” says Steven.

“We’re already thinking about the next design.”

Soothing Serenity

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glass mosaic tiles adorn the rear shower wall.

“The shower is by far my favorite because it’s just one open space that you just walk into and relax,” says Steven. “The faucet has a rainfall showerhead and the floor slopes to the back wall where

acadiana profile april/may 2015

there is a stainless steel liner drain that runs the width of the shower.

The outside wall is a large 4-by-8-foot piece of glass that you walk around to enter the shower.”

A European Amba towel rack was installed over the tub. It not only

warms the towels, but also radiates heat. “To keep Cindy all warm and cozy, we installed a Toe Kick Heater under her vanity that blows warm air over the floor at her feet,” Steven adds. “Due to it being a relatively small space, we recessed a

large vanity into the wall that’s situated to the side of Cindy’s vanity, which is wired for all her ‘implements of beauty,’ not that she needs them!” he exclaims. “But it makes a great and handy, wide-open access for all of her sundries.”

photos by sara essex bradley

While designing their new home, Cindy and Steven Hebert decided to create a serene escape for a spa-like experience. “The master bath design started with us wanting a cool, free-standing tub and an open shower without a door, and the rest evolved around that,” Steven notes.

The walls were painted in Sherwin Williams Repose Gray for a soothing effect.

Les Gomez of Gomez Design Group, Inc. conceptualized the T-stack of “Reed Glass” opaque windows that were installed as a focal point near the shower and a “Jazz” model tub from Maax Tubs, purchased at LCR Plumbing Warehouse.

“The windows bring in plenty of natural light, yet they don’t require shades for privacy,” Steven points out. Floor-to-ceiling black porcelain tile was installed on the walls to contrast with the white porcelain floor tiles.

Multi-colored vertical

advertising

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acadiana profile april/may 2015

food+drinks sur le menu 34 Seafood Hot Spots by jyl benson

de la cuisine 36 Crawfish Recipes

by marcelle bienvenu

recettes de cocktail 40 Cajun Mint Julep by sal agnello

It’s been said that only two things can ruin a mint julep: too much sugar or not enough liquor.

FOOD+DRINK

DE LA CUISINE

Boiled crawfish at Hawk’s are highly sought-after for their freshness and purity of flavor.

seafood hotspots The Best in Acadiana by jyl benson | photos romero & romero

You will need a map

to find Hawk’s, and even then you should still plan on getting lost. There’s one on the restaurant’s website, and the employees are accustomed to lost souls calling again and again as they try to find their way.

Growing up near Rayne, Anthony Arceneaux frequently

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had dinner harvested from his family’s crawfish pond. “Dad was always a clean freak about crawfish: He would wash and wash them, again and again,” he recalls.

In 1978, after securing a peaceful legal emancipation from his parents (anything to escape washing those crawfish) when

acadiana profile april/may 2015

he was 15, Anthony obtained a $60,000 loan from the Farmers Home Administration, bought some boats and traps and leased 480 acres around Rayne.

He lied his way out of afternoon classes in high school and began calling himself a crawfish farmer, ultimately working his way up to 12,000

acres. His father, Hawk, followed him into the business in 1982. By 1983, they were so loaded down with crustaceans they opened Hawk’s Crawfish in a shed-like structure on their middle-of-nowhere property so they could move more of the swarm. The senior Arceneaux, obsessive

as ever about the purity of the crawfish, found a purging technique developed by Texas A & M University.

In the beginning, Hawk’s started with select, live, handgraded crawfish, then placed them in the well for up to 24 hours. It was a labor-intensive, expensive process, resulting in an average

9-percent loss due to crawfish death and the sheer volume of dirt the bugs gave up in the process.

Indulging the elder Arceneaux’s idiosyncrasies paid off for the family: Hawk’s was an instant success due to the clean, fresh flavor and purity of the product. People started driving hundreds of miles to the 1,000-square-foot shack in the middle of nowhere to experience the connoisseur’s boiled crawfish. The meat is pearly white and the fat is golden yellow. There’s none of that black, gritty goo to deal with.

Today, the restaurant, which has expanded four times in its 30-year history, has its own extensive purging facility and it is only open from early February until the beginning of May, more or less. “When we can get the most highly select crawfish that are at least medium-large.” Hawk’s moves an average of 7,000 pounds of boiled crawfish a day. Every batch is boiled and seasoned to order.

Forty miles and a world away in the tiny, picturesque waterfront community of Lake Arthur, Regatta sounds a siren’s call to the diners who pour in for steaks and seafood. As polished and bustling as Hawk’s is simple and straightforward, Regatta rises up amid a shore-side thicket of cypress trees and stumps, with panoramic views of the town’s eponymous body of water.

Cajun Claws. 2272 Rees St., Breaux Bridge. (337) 332-2439. cajunclaws-breauxbridge.com.

Hawk’s. 415 Hawk’s Road, Rayne. (337) 788-3266. hawkscrawfish.com.

Regatta. 508 Hawkeye Ave., Lake Arthur. (337) 774-1504. regattarestaurantla.com.

bonus bite Don’t feel like sitting is a restaurant but still want top notch crawfish? Partake of Breaux Bridge’s finest via Cajun Claws, a drive-through operation, and enjoy them less than a mile away under a tree in Parc Hardy.

Opened in 2012, it has been an economic driver for the region.

By the time he was 42, owner Greg Trahan had amassed a hefty enough fortune to retire and travel the world.

His exploration led him back to his hometown, Lake Arthur, a community with a population of fewer than 3,000. What he found was a stagnating community, its people largely complacent and indifferent to the lack of growth, industry and opportunity, despite the area’s inherent natural beauty and charm.

“I remembered the big sailboat regattas that I grew up with,” Trahan says. “They just didn’t do it anymore.”

Trahan committed to invest $2 million of his own money into creating a hub for pulling traffic into Lake Arthur. The result was Regatta. He outfitted the adjacent harbor with 25 slots for boats and yachts as well as accommodations for sea planes. Today, as many as 3,000 people travel from throughout the region to dine each week, and most weekends find the harbor full and the decks jammed.

In addition to the excellent boiled seafood and game be sure to check out the Kubuki shrimp – gigantic shrimp wrapped in won tons skins and fried to golden then covered with a sweet and spicy sauce.

It’s a fun dish to share.

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FOOD+DRINK

DE LA CUISINE

“In the Spring a fuller crimson comes upon the robin’s breast; In the Spring the wanton lapwing gets himself another crest;

marvelous mudbugs 3 crawfish recipes

In the Spring a livelier iris changes on the burnish’d dove; In the Spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.”

– from Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s poem Locksley Hall

by marcelle bienvenu | photo eugenia uhl

In Louisiana, a young

man’s fancy may turn to thoughts of love, but likely as not, he is probably more concerned about the price and availability

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of live crawfish for a backyard boil. The price for our beloved freshwater crawfish (live and peeled tails) begins to drop after Easter and I, for one,

acadiana profile february/march 2015

take advantage of the slump in price to put up crawfish etouffee, crawfish bisque and crawfish pies to store in my freezer for later use. And this year, I’m

thinking outside the box and making a list of other uses for those miniature lobsters.

The good news is that crawfish are an excellent source of

high-quality protein and are low in calories, fat and saturated fat.

They also are a good source of vitamin B12, niacin, iron, copper and selenium.

Shrimp & Crawfish Fettuccini Ingredients

Melt the butter in a heavy, large Dutch oven on medium heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, and celery and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes, or until they are wilted and lightly golden.

Add the flour and stir to mix. Cook, stirring often, for two to three minutes.

Add the parsley, shrimp and crawfish. Cook, stirring often, for about five minutes, or until the shrimp turn pink.

Add the half-and-half, cheese, jalapeno peppers and garlic. Stir until the cheese is completely melted and the mixture thickens, about five minutes. Season to taste with salt and cayenne.

Arrange the fettuccini in a three-quart casserole and pour the seafood mixture evenly over it. Sprinkle the top of the casserole with the Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the mixture bubbles. Serve hot.

3 sticks butter 3 cups chopped onions 2 cups chopped green bell peppers 1 cup chopped celery ½ cup all-purpose flour ½ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves 1½ pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined 1½ pounds peeled crawfish tails 2 cups half-and-half 1 pound Gruyere or Fontina cheese, cubed 2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeno peppers 2 teaspoons chopped garlic Salt and cayenne 1 pound fettuccini, cooked and drained 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Makes about 12 servings

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Crawfish Fritters Season the eggplant with ½ teaspoon of the salt and cayenne. Heat the two tablespoons of vegetable oil in a skillet over mediumhigh heat. Add the eggplant and cook, stirring, until slightly soft, 2 or 3 minutes.

Add the onions and cook stirring, until soft, 3 or 4 minutes. Add the crawfish and cook, stirring, until they throw off some of their liquid, about 3 minutes.

Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

In medium mixing bowl, combine the eggs, milk, baking powder, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon cayenne in a mixing bowl. Add the flour, ¼ cup at a time, beating until the batter is smooth. Add the eggplant and crawfish mixture, and fold to mix.

TIP blanch & store your own crawfish To blanch Place live

crawfish in enough boiling water to cover completely. Bring back to a boil. Quickly remove from water and let them cool.

TO STORE Pull off tails, peel and de-vein.

Remove the fat before freezing. Crawfish fat becomes rancid and causes unpleasant flavor changes in as little as two to six months. Dip tails in a weak solution of lemon juice and water (1/3 cup to 1 quart water) for about 1 minute.

This helps prevent the blue color that often develops when frozen crawfish are cooked.

Drain and package in freezing containers or freezer bags. Barely cover crawfish with cold water, unless you are vacuum sealing them. Seal airtight.

Freeze at 0 degrees F or below. When properly prepared, packaged and frozen, crawfish should maintain high quality for about nine months or longer.

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Heat about 4 fingers of the shortening in a deep pot or electric fryer to 360 degrees. Drop the batter, a heaping tablespoon at a time, into the hot oil.

When the beignets pop to the surface, roll them around in the oil to brown them evenly. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with the seasoning mix and serve immediately with the remoulade sauce for dipping.

Crawfish in Spicy Creole Mustard Ingredients

1 medium eggplant, peeled and chopped 1½ teaspoons salt ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 tablespoons vegetable oil ½ cup chopped yellow onions ½ pound peeled crawfish tails 3 eggs, beaten 1½ cups whole milk 2 teaspoons baking powder 3¼ cups allpurpose flour 4 cups solid vegetable shortening for frying Seasoning mix (combination of ⅛ each of salt, cayenne, black pepper and garlic powder) remoulade sauce

¼ cup Creole mustard 2 tablespoons sweet paprika 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon salt

Makes about 2 dozen

½ cup cider vinegar

remoulade sauce

Dash of hot sauce

Put all the ingredients except the oil in an electric blender or food processor.

Cover and blend at low speed for 30 seconds.

With the motor running, gradually pour in the oil in a steady stream. Sauce will thicken. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve. * Since the mayonnaise is made with a raw egg, it’s best to use within 24 hours.

Makes about 2½ cups

acadiana profile april/may 2015

½ cup finely chopped celery ½ cup finely chopped parsley 1 teaspoon minced garlic ¼ cup ketchup ¼ cup prepared yellow mustard 3 eggs, at room temperature 1⅓ cups vegetable oil

Combine all of the ingredients (except for the 1 tablespoon chopped parsley and 2 tablespoons chopped green onions) in a mixing bowl and whisk until all is well blended.

Refrigerate for 24 hours or up to one week.

Ingredients

When ready to use, whisk again. To serve, toss the rinsed crawfish tails in some of the sauce, according to your personal taste. Add the reserved parsley and green onions. This is excellent served with party crackers or toasted chunks of French bread, or atop assorted mixed salad greens, or in tomato or avocado halves.

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Whenever I have a crowd over for a crawfish supper, this is THE ONE. It’s very rich, creamy and oh, so delicious.

Makes 8 to 10 appetizer portions

¼ cup Creole mustard ½ cup olive oil 2 tablespoons rice or red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic 1 tablespoon ketchup ⅛ teaspoon (about 6 dashes) Tabasco sauce Zest from ½ lemon, finely chopped 1 pinch chopped parsley, plus 1 tablespoon chopped in reserve 1 tablespoon chopped green onions, plus 2 tablespoons chopped in reserve Cracked black pepper to taste 1½ pounds peel crawfish tails, rinsed

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FOOD+DRINK

recettes de cocktails DE LA CUISINE

cajun mint julep This variation contains rum instead of bourbon recipe by sal agnello | photo eugenia uhl

Cheers to your health: Mint plants contain the antioxidant rosmarinic acid, which can help relieve seasonal allergy symptoms.

Ingredients

2 ounces Old New Orleans Cajun Spice Rum Brown sugar cube Dash of water Fresh mint Place brown sugar cube in the bottom of a julep tin, add a dash of water and handful of mint. Lightly muddle the mint into the sugar, and coat the interior of the tin. Add crushed ice to fill the tin half way and pour in the rum. Stir to get the tin cold and top off with crushed ice. Garnish with a short straw and a healthy handful of mint.

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FOOD+DRINK

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DE LA CUISINE

acadiana profile february/march 2015

Spring is in the air, and spirits rise along with the temperatures as an abundance of family-oriented activities, attractions and festivals pop up like seasonal flowers on the landscape of two popular Arkansas towns: Eureka Springs and Hot Springs. Each an easy drive from Acadiana, these two “springs� are a natural choice for a vernal vacation.

By Pa r i s Pe r me nte r and Jo hn B i g le y

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hot springs Known as the “Valley of the Vapors”

and “Spa City,” for centuries Hot Springs has been a destination for visitors making pilgrimages here for the healing properties of its thermal waters. These spas, some dating back to the early 1900s, helped transform the city into a boomtown; during its heyday, the city’s Central Avenue was lined with elegant bathhouses. Today, visitors can still get a feel for the historic bathhouses at The Buckstaff Bath House, which has offered transcendental treatments to weary travelers since 1912.

If you’re searching for a more energetic experience with H2O, Magic Springs and 44 |

acadiana profile april/may 2015

Crystal Falls Water and Theme Park makes a big splash with the young and the young at heart. Traditional rides range from carousels to roller coasters and, for those eager to take the plunge, the park offers thrill rides such as the Boogie Blast, the Seven Falls Slide Tower, and the Rapid Falls Raceway.

Water is a running theme in Hot Springs, and on May 16, onlookers will be in a lather as they line the streets of historic Bathhouse Row to cheer on the costume-clad competitors who will try to ‘clean up’ in the annual Running of the Tubs. Attendees get in the spirit of the sudsy showdown

by donning powder room paraphernalia including bathrobes and shower caps and other whimsical costumes as they propel their tubs through downtown streets.

For more aquatic-themed adventures, choose an amphibious expedition aboard a Hot Springs National Park Duck Tour, which takes tourists down Bathhouse Row and past landmarks in town including the high school where former President Bill Clinton graduated. As the tour approaches Lake Hamilton, your land vessel (a World War II-era amphibious landing craft) becomes a boat with views of the scenic shoreline and elaborate

LEFT: A waterfall of natural hot springs

pours into a small pool. Steam surrounds the area because of the hot water on a cold morning. TOP RIGHT: Buckstaff Bath House. BOTTOM RIGHT: View from Garvan Woodland Gardens viewing platform.

lake homes, such as the historic Hamilton House Estate. Another favorite water tour is on Lake Hamilton’s Belle of Hot Springs Riverboat, a 15-mile excursion. Narration by the cruise’s captain offers insight into the area’s history and mysteries as passengers enjoy either an afternoon or evening tour.

Sightseers will be in seventh heaven as they enjoy a bird’s eye view of the town and surrounding Arkansas countryside from Hot Springs Mountain Tower. Perched atop Hot Springs Mountain and upgraded several times over the years, the 216-foot tower has been a local landmark for over a century. woodland gardens photo by Brandon rush

MORE INFORMATION

buckstaffbaths.com magicsprings.com hotsprings.org/events/event/1023 belleriverboat.com rideaduck.com nps.gov/hosp/index.htm garvangardens.org

The Ouachita Mountains and Hot Springs National Park are just two of the scenic sites that can be spotted thanks to a panoramic view stretching for an astounding 140 miles.

Visitors can converse with nature while taking a constitutional along one of Hot Springs National Park’s many trails, which range from short but sweet strolls along the botanically themed (and under half-mile) Floral Trail and Honeysuckle Trail to the more extensive 10-mile trek along the Sunset Trail. Beloved for its beauty in springtime, walkers on their way to see the Balanced Rock on the Sugarloaf Mountain

section of the trail are greeted by the vibrant blooms of phlox and fire pinks.

Expand your horticultural know-how at the University of Arkansas’ Garvan Woodland Gardens, a petal-filled paradise which includes the interactive Evans Children’s Adventure Garden, complete with a waterfall, a rock maze and wading pools; Daffodil Hill, which is painted with Mother Nature’s kaleidoscope of colors (including 235 types of Narcissi); and the Asianinspired atmosphere of the Weyerhaeuser Bonsai Garden and Learning Center.

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eureka springs Hearing “Ozarks,” many travelers picture

the Missouri Ozarks, home of the wildly popular community of Branson. However, Arkansas is also home to its own Ozarks, a quieter version that recalls pioneer life and a rich history in a part of the state well known for its scenic beauty.

One of the best-known destinations in Arkansas’s Ozark region is the historic city of Eureka Springs, a community that combines Ozark charm with Victorian elegance. This hilly city, filled with narrow, winding streets, is known for its historic buildings. And although it may not be as well known for its waters as 46 |

acadiana profile april/may 2015

Hot Springs, Eureka Springs has a rich spa history as well. In fact, these springs drew early residents to this town--as many as 10,000 by 1879--which accounts for the city’s extensive Victorian architecture.

But spring is definitely a time to get out and enjoy the outdoors – and Eureka Springs offers a unique opportunity to enjoy a vintage view of springtime in the Ozarks. You’ll know you’re on the right track when you hear the conductor shout “All aboard!” on the Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway. Leisurely excursions on the company’s 1940s diesel locomotive (and explorations of stationary

railroad-themed exhibits) begin with Saturdayonly sojourns in April, and then gain full speed in May with expanded schedules. Passengers can also enjoy an epicurean adventure as they dine in style in the Eurekan Dining Car. If a presentation of horsepower is more your speed, check out a celebration of a classic American car at the annual Eureka Springs Mustang Show. Taking place May 23 at Pine Mountain Village, automobile admirers can take a trip down memory lane as they watch an array of vintage vehicles and modified Mustangs cruise along the streets of the historic business district during an hour-long parade.

MORE INFORMATION

esnarailway.com eurekaspringsmustangshow.com bluespringheritage.com eurekavantour.com onyxcaveeurekasprings.com

LEFT: Sunrise in the Ozark Mountains TOP RIGHT: Downtown in the fall BOTTOM RIGHT: Visitors at Serenity Spa

Whether you have a green thumb or are all thumbs, the bouquet of botanical beauty at the historic Blue Spring Heritage Center is a perennial favorite of anyone with a love for floral finery. Visitors can propagate their love of flower power amid the profusion of pansies, primulas, Himalayan blue poppies, and forgetme-nots that welcome warm weather visitors to the site’s many themed gardens. These include the Medicine Wheel Garden, which honors the planting patterns of Native Americans; the Three Sisters garden, an homage to the ecosystem; and the Woodland garden, which offers a haven for native plant life.

Guides garbed in Victorian attire are the driving force behind Eureka Van Tours, a 2 1/2-hour road trip past landmark edifices from the 1800s, among them Eureka Springs’ Crescent Hotel and Spa (which has a reputation as the country’s most haunted hotel). Other sights on the tour include the train station, Hatchet Hall – the house that temperance movement leader Carry A. Nation once called home –and more than 100 centuries-old buildings that are enjoying a new lease on life as restaurants, galleries and shops.

Want to take a short break from the springtime sunshine? Visit a site that’s cool in more

downtown photo courtesy eureka springs capc; serenity spa photo courtesy purdy art co.

ways than one. The temperature will tumble to 57 degrees as visitors admire stalagmites and stalactites on a self-guided, half-hour tour of Onyx Cave Park. The cave offers an easy walking trail and an onsite rock shop selling onyx jewelry and other gift items.

Whether you choose Eureka Springs, Hot Springs, or a combination of the two destinations, one thing’s for sure: spring has sprung in scenic Arkansas. For more bloomin’ good activities in Eureka Springs and Hot Springs, visit eurekaspringschamber.com and hotsprings.org.

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acadiana profile april/may 2015

the road to a

HEALTHIER YOU Acadiana health experts weigh in on getting healthy from head to toe.

by Suzanne Ferrara

Illustrations jane sanders

Maybe you’re not quite happy with what you see in the mirror. Maybe you’ve walked up the stairs, and it’s taken you more than a minute or two to stop breathing heavily. Or perhaps you’ve put on your favorite outfit, and your body and outfit are out of sync. So this is it: It’s time to take a positive step forward, and embrace a healthier lifestyle. And the time is now.

Get Moving!

“You can’t afford not to get moving,” says Gigi Kaufman, owner of Gigi’s Downtown Fitness Club in Lake Charles. Kaufman knows first-hand the importance of physical activity. “I work with a lot of deconditioned, unhealthy people who are inactive because of their lifestyle, job, social media and depression; it’s pretty scary.”

The benefits of physical activity and exercise are endless: preventing diseases, improving your mood, helping you lose weight and enhancing longevity of life – and the list goes on and on.

Despite the benefits, however, Kaufman sees an uptick in the number of people who are becoming more sedentary.

“We are moving less, and this is not normal,” says the 35-year fitness professional. “We have to

get people to move more.” And she does: Kaufman works every day with companies trying to improve the health of their employees. “I tell them not to look at exercise as losing weight; look at exercise as becoming healthy. Look at the benefits you are going to get: losing weight is just a byproduct that will happen when you are healthier.”

All of her coaching and advice begins with learning about the behaviors and lifestyles of each person she meets, something Kaufman says is imperative for success. Once she does that one-on-one assessment, a plan to become healthier is mapped out for each person.

Kaufman isn’t alone in her quest.

In the heart of Cajun Country, David LeBlanc, a Lafayette personal trainer and conditioning coach, is on the same mission. “If you do not carve out time for exercise and fitness now, you will soon have to carve out time for sickness,” LeBlanc says. “If you are not healthy, you are not happy. It is the most important thing you can do for yourself before education or job hunting; you will feel good about yourself and feel healthy.”

LeBlanc says people make working out more complicated than it is, and no matter your fitness level, you just need to start moving

today. “Your body doesn’t know how old you are. It just wants you to move,” he says. overcoming Obstacles From psychological strongholds to medical ailments to leading a sedentary lifestyle, there’s a host of reasons and excuses people don’t work out. Acadiana-based experts in the field are quick to tell us the most common obstacles and how to overcome them with ease.

“People have tons of excuses; the No. 1 reason, though, is they say they don’t have time, and that is the worst excuse. If it is important to you, you will make time,” says David LeBlanc. If time is stopping you from exercise, treat your fitness routine as a real appointment.

“You have to say, ‘This is my health care’ – and be selfish about it; if not, that time will get stolen from you.” LeBlanc believes the best time to work out is early in the morning before you go to work and before the kids have to get up for school. “No one calls a meeting at 5 a.m., and many things come up throughout the day that rob you of exercise,” he points out.

Gigi Kaufman says finding the answer begins with looking at the person’s behavior. In a one-onone consultation, she not only

discovers the obstacles in life that keep people from wanting to be healthy, but she also finds behavioral programs that can help them overcome the problem areas. “It is a psychological thing,” she notes.

Kaufman says people who need help today are not part of the generation she dealt with in the past.

“I find people today are working more than one job, they are sitting more and they are tired at the end of the day.” She also believes people have the notion you need a lot of money to get fit. “They immediately think, ‘I don’t have the finances so I can’t be healthy’, which is not the case.”

As for exercising with medical conditions, finding someone who is skilled enough to help you adjust your workout program is crucial. There are exercise moves and physical activities that you can do around injuries or problems, and a skilled coach or trainer will help you make necessary modifications.

Lafayette internist Dr. Stephen Salopek says it’s critical to consult your doctor before you exercise.

“By discussing your plans with your doctor, he or she can also identify any underlying conditions that need to be evaluated before you start working out.”

Another reason many people avoid getting in shape is the intimidation factor. They are daunted when they walk into a gym and are surrounded by people who have been seemingly working out their entire lives. “They walk into a gym and they don’t know what to do,” says LeBlanc. “But the only real competition is between them and themselves.”

Kaufman says she finds many people won’t ask questions because they’re not comfortable. “It is up to the facility to make that person feel comfortable to the point they can go up to anyone and seek help and get help.” acadianaprofile.com

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Recipe for Success “Making a commitment is No. 1, and doing something you can stick with.”

When personal trainer and conditioning coach LeBlanc meets one-on-one with a client, he lets them know immediately that a plan for consistency and making a lifestyle change is critical. “It is not about going on an exercise and diet binge; it is something you are going to do for the rest of your life and not just for a wedding or a vacation. There are so many people who go through the yoyo effect of losing weight and gaining it back.”

LeBlanc takes the “principle of individuality approach” when it comes to getting fit, recognizing that everyone adapts differently. Depending on individual needs, he suggests one-on-one training, exercising with a small group of two to three, or training with a large group of 50. “In one of my classes, I have people from 16 to 65 years old, and I make changes in the program to fit each person,” he says. This is something an experienced trainer realizes, namely because “the goal at the end of every class is everybody feeling the same level of exhaustion, but the intensity level is relative to everyone’s fitness level.”

If you took 30 years to get out of shape, getting back into shape is not going to happen in a matter of weeks. LeBlanc says for some of his new clients who have never exercised before, working out one day a week is overload. In those cases, he may suggest a 20-minute duration once or twice a week. “When your body gets use to that,” adds LeBlanc, “you can increase your workout from there.”

Kaufmann says developing a realistic plan to which a person can make a lifetime commitment is key. “Once we address consistency issues with a behavioral program if necessary, we find activities they enjoy. I keep the workout very simple so they will do it and achieve success, and once they feel successful and feel good, they will want to do more. When it comes to being fit, I stick to the basics because exercise trends come and go. I want people to last for a lifetime with fitness.”

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replacement, cold-pressed juice is a healthy alternative meal or snack option. “It is more important than ever to take responsibility for your own self-care,” confirms Howell, “and we are providing those tools for a healthy lifestyle.”

Mental Fitness There’s a plethora of physical activities that can boost your brain power, too: Movements like aerobics and dancing take coordination.

Exercises with complicated agility movements and different footwork patterns are especially beneficial.

Amber Berry, owner of Twisted Sisters, a spin, yoga

Juice It It may come as a shock, but when your mother fussed at you at the dinner table and told you to eat your peas, she really did know what she was talking about.

According to the Food and Drug Administration (and not just Mom!), eating lots of fruits and vegetables can reduce risks for cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and Type-2 diabetes. They’re also a good source of potassium for healthy bones.

As the dietary guidelines for Americans focus on more fruits and vegetables in our diets, more juice bars are opening throughout the country, including south Louisiana. The FDA now recommends up to two cups of fruits for men and women per day, and when it comes to vegetables, the suggestion is two-and-a-half cups for women and three for men.

In our fast-paced lives, often complicated by the abundant temptations of south Louisiana cuisine, it’s difficult to make

acadiana profile february/march 2015

sure we give our bodies the proper amount of fruits and vegetables. Juice and smoothie bars offer a quick, convenient way to supply our bodies with those nutrients.

Patti Howell, a Holistic Health Coach and owner of The Beet juice bar in Lafayette, knows firsthand the power of blending fruits and vegetables. Some of her regular customers are fighting life-threatening diseases like cancer and pick up their cold press juices every week.

“We believe we are what we drink,” says Howell. She blends pure, natural, unpasteurized juices, tonics and superfood smoothies which are chock-full of nutrients and living enzymes that help digestion. In her coldpressed concoctions, Howell uses locally grown organic fruits and vegetables, and the formula for success is working: her business has grown rapidly, and she now supplies many area fitness centers with her juices.

Whether you’re working out, or you’re simply on-the-go and you need a snack or a meal

and Pilates studio in Houma, offers among many classes including a new “booty barre” class that is not only a fun way to get in shape but also a great way to boost your brain fitness. “It is a fantastic combination of ballet, yoga, Pilates and barre work. Any level can do it. We do it to music, and it’s fun for any fitness level.

In addition to physical movements increasing brain power, staying mentally active by playing games can help strengthen connections between brain cells. Add games that you enjoy to your weekly routine, such as: Sudoku, Boggle, Scrabble, Simon and/or crosswords and jigsaw puzzles to keep your brain active.

Also, taking a class in something new that interests you, joining a book club and simply talking to friends regularly are all ways to keep you brain active.

Long-term Prescription No single ingredient from the health tips mentioned above will get the job done.

Experts agree that all elements – physical, diet, mental – need to be come into play in order for you to become a stronger, healthier and improved person.

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Acadiana’s diverse culinary scene grows by leaps and bounds every year. Lafayette alone has seen new restaurants opening monthly, but it’s the variety that gives us foodies pause, from the traditional Cajun and Creole to a fusion of flavors and farm-to-table cuisine. There are even those eateries, such as The Duke in Houma, daring to not only cook outside the box but also batter and fry the box itself.

Here are a few new restaurants contributing to the vast culinary landscape of Acadiana. by

Cheré Coen // photos

Denny Culbert

best new

BEST NEW BESTNEWRESTAURANTS RESTAURANTS

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Chef Kevin Thompson of Favorites Southern Kitchen presents his seafood cioppino.

restaurants

SUGGESTED DINING: ASIA clockwise:

Favorites’ seafood cioppino // Asia’s crispy duck // Favorites’ buttermilk pancakes Foster

FAVORITES SOUTHERN KITCHEN/ ASIA The dining scene at L’Auberge Casino and Resort in Lake Charles continues to evolve.

In December, the café morphed into Favorites Southern Kitchen, while Asia expanded both its kitchen and floor space and added a sushi bar.

The casino cafe has long been known for its breakfast and several down-home dishes such as the crawfish grilled cheese sandwich, but now Favorites Southern Kitchen offers an expansive menu, updated décor and seating in the newly opened terrace overlooking the resort’s lazy river.

“It was like a breakfast destination,” Chef Kevin Thompson says of the original cafe. “Now we’re pushing it as a destination for not only breakfast but for lunch and dinner as well. The ambiance is very different.”

The breakfast everyone loved is still there, Thompson explains, though there are now quiches, casseroles and freshly made cinnamon rolls. The expanded dinner menu now includes wine service and dishes such as the short ribs braised in 54 |

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Starter: The Rock-N-Shrimp serves up crispy fried shrimp accented by a spicy mayo sauce, so good you might want to enjoy it as an entrée. For sushi, try the Lake Charles roll that consists of crawfish, avocado and that delicious spicy mayo.

Main course: The crispy duck slices up roasted duck with scallions and steamed rice topped by Hoisin sauce. For something more on the wild side, try the Hunan shrimp served with baby corn, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, snap peas water chestnuts and a spicy sauce.

Dessert: Asia doesn’t serve desserts, but the aptly named Desserts store is only a few feet away, serving up a wide variety of gelato, chocolates and pastries, all house-made.

Abita beer and the spinach and frisée salad topped with a poached egg that’s breaded in Panko crumbs and flash-fried so it’s crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside.

“It allows us to be more cutting edge,” Thompson says of the 24-hour restaurant, which now follows a bistro style. “We run the gamut with what we offer but we still offer the comfort foods you enjoy.”

Asia opened with the resort in 2005 as a small restaurant serving up Asian-fushion specialties. Because of its popularity, the resort soon expanded the restaurant to increase seating.

“We had already expanded once, and it still wasn’t big enough,” says Stephanie Miller-Vincent, director of L’Auberge food and beverage.

Its latest expansion increased seating to 122, plus a private dining room and sushi bar, Miller-Vincent says. The recent renovation, which opened in December, also allowed the resort to increase the kitchen capacity to allow Chef Vilavong Prasith to enhance the Asia menu.

Favorites Southern Kitchen // Asia // L’auberge Casino Resort // Lake Charles // llakecharles.com

SUGGESTED DINING: FAVORITES SOUTHERN KITCHEN Starter: New on the menu are seafood beignets, a portion of five beignets comprised of shrimp, crawfish and crabmeat topped with a chipotle aioli. “It gives us a chance to showcase what Louisiana has to offer with its seafood,” Chef Kevin Thompson says.

Main course: The Louisiana-style seafood cioppino combines lobster, shrimp, grouper, redfish, mussels, clams and crabmeat in a saffron-tomato seafood broth.

The dish is accompanied by steamed red potatoes and crusty bread for dipping into this goodness.

Dessert: Choose between the key lime cheesecake topped with either a mango purée or a raspberry purée or the bananas Foster sundae: bananas cooked in Myers rum and cinnamon until they are glazed, then served over homemade banana gelato and topped with fresh whipped cream.

BEST NEW RESTAURANTS

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Asia’s Lobster Roll

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Chef/ owner Ryan Trahan adds strawberry snow to his brĂťlĂŠed cheesecake dessert.

BEST NEW RESTAURANTS

left:

Chef Cory Bourgeois plates the catch of the day. right: Dark Roux’s root vegetable salad.

dark roux Ryan Trahan has long advocated farm-to-table cuisine, promoting locally produced food products of Acadiana. He opened Lafayette’s hip Brick & Spoon with Bryan Jewell but wanted to get back to his core ambitions of keeping everything Louisiana.

After selling his interest in Brick & Spoon, Trahan opened Dark Roux Dec. 29, 2014, in the same restaurant space on Kaliste Saloom Road in Lafayette.

His menu features dishes

by Trahan and Chef Cory Bourgeois that incorporate produce and meats from local growers such as Gotreaux Family Farms, Mary Mary Markets, Urban Naturalist, Inglewood Farms and Bread & Circus Provisions.

In fact, except for his organic corn grits that hail from California, everything on the menu begins in Louisiana.

“Almost everything is purchased in Louisiana and about 75 percent comes from the Lafayette area,” Trahan says.

In addition, produce such as oregano, chives and collard greens is grown in the restaurant’s gardens, in the surrounding parking lot and even throughout

the eatery. Items such as bacon, sausage and even the kombucha tea are all made in-house.

The alcohol also has a local connection, Trahan says, including Louisiana-produced beer and wine from France, Spain and German, three countries with cultural ties to Louisiana.

Trahan is a self-taught cook from Lafayette while Bourgeois cut his teeth in New Orleans.

Both are in their 20s and collaborating on a new, burgeoning food scene.

“We are very similar culturally but have different food backgrounds,” Trahan explains of the team.

3524 Kaliste Saloom Road, Suite 101 // Lafayette // 337/504-2346 // darkrouxla.com

SUGGESTED DINING Appetizer: The root vegetable salad topped with an arugula pesta with locally produced goat cheese is a prime example of Dark Roux’s commitment to serving only Louisiana-grown products.

Entrée: Dark Roux’s catch of the day arrives fresh from Gulf waters and served with locally grown sides. For instance, the pan-seared red snapper with ham consume is served with charred bok choy and crispy shallots.

Dessert: A blood orange flavors a cream mixture that’s frozen with liquid nitrogen to produce a powder that looks like snow. This “snow” then tops an ice cream-stuffed marshmallow that arrives on a stick to enjoy like in the good ol’ days.

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clockwise:

Funky dining atmosphere // co-owner Reneé Gary // crispy catfish appetizer

SUGGESTED DINING Appetizer: Very thinly sliced catfish that’s lightly battered and fried make up the catfish fries appetizer that comes with a creamy artisan tartar sauce. The cream and perfectly seasoned corn and crab bisque is a favorite among customers.

Entrée: Fresh Louisiana bluepoint crabmeat makes up the crab croquettes that are panko-battered and fried and served on a toasted croissant with a housemade New Orleans-style tartar sauce.

Dessert: All desserts are made in-house but the pistachio cake is one hailing back to co-owner Renée Gary’s roots, a cake flavored with crushed pistachios in both the cake and whipped cream-powdered sugar frosting that’s finally topped with coconut.

FRICASSéE CAFÉ & BAKERY Opening a restaurant seemed a natural fit for Acadiana natives Eddie and Renée Gary.

“Eddie and I both love food and we love to cook, and we’ve entertained guests for years,” Renée Gary says. “People always said, “You all should open a restaurant.’”

Suggesting is one thing; doing is quite another. The

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restaurant business is not for the faint of heart. But the Garys, who have run Nanny’s Candy Company in Carencro for 26 years, envisioned the prospect as a retirement job, one with limited hours.

They opened Fricassée Café & Bakery in Carencro last summer, in the house once belonging to Eddie’s grandparents. The building

also contained the office for Nanny’s Candy Co., but that operation has since moved next door (restaurant patrons will get a delicious whiff of pralines upon arriving).

Fricassée serves Creole and Cajun lunches weekdays, offering fresh produce, meats and fish dishes. The kitchen is helmed by Chef Larry Nico Jr. of Lafayette.

“Everything we do is fresh,” Renée Gary says.

“Nothing we do is frozen.”

Popular items include the creamy corn and crab bisque, the stuffed shrimp appetizer, catfish fries with an artisan tartar sauce and the housemade chicken salad.

Seafood platters and poor boys are offered as well as the old-fashioned Angus beef burgers.

Café Fricassée has become so popular with the locals that the Garys now offer dinner hours Fridays and Saturdays, featuring boiled crawfish

during the season, crab cakes with a horseradish aioli and lots of fried seafood and beef options.

“The place takes on a completely different ambiance at night,” she says. “We really kick up the menu as well.”

3823 N. University Ave. // Carencro // 337/886-6353 // facebook.com/fricassee

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Crab croquettes served on a toasted croissant with housemade tartar sauce

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The Homeboy Taco features Panko breaded shrimp, cabbage, raw radish, green onion, cilantro and sweet Thai chili sauce.

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BEST NEW RESTAURANTS

top: Rustic modern dining room of Urbano’s. bottom:

Argentino Taco with sliced steak.

Urbano’s Taqueria As a child growing up in Honduras, Ricardo Valerio was ambitious, selling fruit on the streets at age 12 and cooking steaks streetside at 14.

Even though he later owned a bar and worked in the hotel industry in his native country, his father, a USL graduate, encouraged him to come to Lafayette to study.

Valerio graduated USL (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette) in engineering but found it difficult to get a job since he wasn’t a U.S. citizen. He reinvented himself once more and opened Urbano’s Taqueria, a hip Latin American taco eatery.

“I’ve always wanted to bring something different to Lafayette,” Valerio says.

Urbano’s is a “world inside a tortilla,” Valerio explained, incorporating the tastes of Latin America within its cuisine and not just Mexico. “We’re urban; we’re street food.”

The menu remains simple: 28 tacos with names and corresponding flavors such as the Jamaican Surf with grilled shrimp pineapple, rotisserie corn, jerk sauce and lettuce and tomatoes; or El Cubano with honey ham, pulled

SUGGESTED DINING Appetizer: Nothing starts a meal better at Urbano’s than their homemade margaritas coupled with fresh guacamole or fried salted plantains. Natural or Mexican sodas are available for non-alcohol drinkers.

Entrée: You’ll want to tango enjoying the Argentino Taco that combines sliced steak that’s been marinated for 48 hours and coupled with queso fresco, spring mix and chimichurri inside a six-inch corn tortilla.

Dessert: Urbano’s version of the tres leches cake – a sponge cake with three types of milk – is owner Ricardo Valerio’s mother’s recipe but topped with a shot of Kahlua. Because of that alcohol infusion, Valerio calls the dessert tres boracho, or “three drunks.”

pork, sweet sauce, spinach, queso fresco and corn.

For those who want to remain closer to home, culinarily speaking, there’s the gringo taco with Angus beef or shredded chicken and lettuce, tomatoes and cheese.

Tamales are made with plantain leaves, Valerio’s grandmother’s recipe, and he recently introduced rice and salad bowls.

The restaurant has taken off so well, Valerio has purchased the two Bullrito’s franchises in

town and plans to open the second Urbano’s soon.

He also runs a food truck and offers party planning.

Valerio chalks up his success to ambition, perseverance and sweat.

“Nothing is impossible,” the 30-year-old

said. “I came here without a single penny and now I have all this. It’s about hard work.”

2023 W. Pinhook Road //Lafayette // 337/5340529 // facebook.com/ Urbanostaqueria

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The Duke The latest addition to the Houma culinary scene is an eclectic diner that doesn’t shy away from innovation, though your cardiologist may have some concerns.

The Duke on Main Street in downtown Houma serves up hearty and innovative fare such as The Hangover Burger, which starts with an eight-ounce beef patty topped with a fried egg, grits, cheese and bacon and served with a helping of gravy fries.

“It’s a heart attack on a plate,” kitchen manager Rick Voisin says with a laugh. “It’s pretty messy.

You need a lot of napkins.”

The buffalo fries are a top seller: fries loaded with cheddar cheese, chicken bites, blue cheese crumbles, bacon and two dressings, The Duke’s homemade buffalo sauce and basil blue dressing.

“It’s just stacked up in a giant plate,” Viosin explains. “It could probably feed four people.”

clockwise:

The Hangover Burger // buffalo fries // pop art wall in dining room

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Other dishes include the “Meat-A-Butter Sandwich,” an eightounce patty topped with peanut butter and bacon on toast and the pulled pork nachos that combine shredded pork, buffalo sauce, bacon, jalapenos, onions, tomatoes, cheddar cheese and avocado ranch dressing. For something truly unique, try the American sushi, a hot dog with blue cheese, onions and bacon inside a bun that’s battered and fried and then cut up like sushi and topped with sauces.

Make sure to save room for dessert – again, don’t tell your physician. Choose from the fried Oreos topped with ice cream or the fried cheesecake or bring in your own sweet dish, from candy bars to cakes, and The Duke will batter and fry them.

“We will fry anything for roughly two bucks,” Voison says.

7819 Main St., Houma // (985) 262-0203 // thedukerestaurant.com

SUGGESTED DINING Appetizer: Big enough to feed several people are the buffalo fries which starts with French fries, then cheddar cheese, The Duke’s homemade buffalo sauce, chicken bites, blue cheese crumbles, homemade basil blue dressing and bacon on top.

Entree: Get out plenty of napkins for the Hangover Burger, eight ounces of beef on a biscuit with grits, a fried egg, cheese and bacon with gravy fries on the side.

Dessert: The Duke will fry anything you bring them for $2, but for something fried on the menu we suggest the fried Oreo cookie with vanilla ice cream on top that’s topped by a drizzle of chocolate syrup.

BEST NEW RESTAURANTS

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Deep fried Oreos drizzled with chocolate syrup.

The Duke Appetizer: Big enough to feed several people are the buffalo fries which starts with French fries, then cheddar cheese, The Duke’s homemade buffalo sauce, chicken bites, blue cheese crumbles, homemade basil blue dressing and bacon on top.

Entree: Get out plenty of napkins for the Hangover Burger, eight ounces of beef on a biscuit with grits, a fried egg, cheese and bacon with gravy fries on the side.

Dessert: The Duke will fry anything you bring them for $2, but for something fried on the menu we suggest the fried Oreo cookie with vanilla ice cream on top that’s topped by a drizzle of chocolate syrup.

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White chocolate cranberry pecan cookies

BEST NEW RESTAURANTS

Le Petit Gateau Mary Bergeron worked in the oilfield regulatory compliance for 30 years, but when her company went under, she started considering a new career.

Marrying her love of baking with Acadiana’s lack of a tea salon led to her opening

Le Petit Gateau bakery and tea parlor in Sunset.

At first, she considered opening a place in Lafayette, but competition was stiff and she worried about getting lost in the busy culinary scene.

“In Lafayette, I would have been just another bakery,” she says. “Sunset, it’s a good fit.”

Bergeron opened Le Petit Gateau in Novem-

ber, selling items one would find in a French bakery – éclairs, palmers, croissants and cookies, even a traditional French king cake during Carnival with a religious medallion inside. Jumping over the Channel, so to speak, Le Petit also serves up English tea service beneath crystal chandeliers and among comfortable chairs and chaise lounges. There’s

even a “hat tree” filled with exquisite handmade hats for those who want to dress the part, a favorite with young girls.

Le Petit serves up both the traditional English High Tea and a Royal Court Tea by reservation.

High Tea consists of three courses of tea sandwiches such as cucumber, egg salad and chicken-almond croissant plus scones and

desserts. The Royal Court Tea includes soups and salads and the sandwiches are “more involved,” Bergeron explains.

“The last one we did was a roasted duck sandwich.”

The bakery is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays with Sunday reserved for private parties. Bergeron hopes to expand hours and services as the bakery finds its legs, and include events such as storytime, holiday parties and larger food offerings for the lunch crowd.

829B Napoleon Ave. // Sunset // 337/662-3000 // lepetitgateau.co clockwise:

Chickenalmond salad on a croissant // Seven Princes Flowering tea // owner Mary Bergeron

SUGGESTED DINING Main Course: Chicken-almond salad on a croissant is one of the many sandwiches served at High Tea, but many times patrons may purchase a larger sandwich for lunch.

Dessert: The white chocolate cranberry pecan cookies offer something chunky in each bite and the restaurant’s scones are moist and soft, a perfect accompaniment to tea.

Tea: The Mother’s Day Tea is naturally decaffeinated but carries a delightful taste of spearmint and the China Milky tastes of cream after being brewed, a “surprise tea” says owner Mary Bergeron. The flowering teas sink to the bottom of the glass pots and open as they brew. “It makes this beautiful display,” Bergeron says.

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culture les personnes 70

Though a native of Washington State, Dr. Bob Carriker of UL’s History Dept. has lent his culinary two cents and left a tasty mark on his adopted home. by will kalec

la musique 74

Zydecool’s Take on an Evolving Tradition by michael patrick welCh

les artistes 76

Following inspiration and vision he explores thoroughly before brush touches canvas, Lafayette’s Connor McManus showcases his talent in galleries both near and far. by will kalec

en français 80

Pâquer les œufs de pâques par david cheramie

“Red Tree” by artist Connor McManus. Acrylic on canvas, 2014.

culture LES CULTURE DE LA personnes CUISINE

a common link Though a native of Washington State, Dr. Bob Carriker of UL’s History Dept. has lent his culinary two cents and left a tasty mark on his adopted home. by will kalec | photo by romero & romero

So come on, Bob

Carriker – critic of meat-stuffed casings, creator of our latest guilty pleasure, and curator of UL’s History Department – admit it: all these links are pretty much the same. If you’ve had one you’ve had them all. Pork. Rice. Some spices. Cook it up.

Boudin is boudin, right?

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“NO!” he yells emphatically through a laugh, thus disturbing the Sunday morning tranquility. “No, not even close! I swear, they’re all different – the way they cook the rice, whether they use long-grain or medium-grain, whether they grind the pork up or leave it in chunks, the amount of fat, whether it’s dry, wet, spicy, mild.

It defies logic that there could be this much variance when the core ingredients are simple, but that’s what makes it unique.”

Point taken.

For more than a delicious decade, Carriker has showcased that porkinfused passion to print (well, digital print, technically) as the webmaster of boudinlink.com, a living, always-expanding bible of boudin. Brandishing an extensive library of reviews, Carriker’s quest for the perfect “snap” has taken him from Carencro to California, from super-ritzy supermarkets to one-pump gas stations on rural routes GPS struggles to find.

A bit of a spatula-wielding mad scientist, Carriker also isn’t shy to chip-in his own contributions to the Cajun culinary scene. The 9-to-5 history professor created the Johnson’s Boucaniere Parrain Special, a brown-bagger’s dream sandwich consisting on smashed boudin balls, melted cheese and barbecue sauce. Then, this past Carnival season, Carriker unleashed his greatest delectable hybrid – the boudin king cake. Demand for the boudin-infused

sweet Mardi Gras staple far exceeded the supply Carriker could pump out on his own, so he teamed with Twins Burgers and Sweets of Lafayette to increase production.

Asked if any of his boudin mash-ups bombed or tasted terrible, Carriker pauses for a second before replying, “No, not really” – a confident retort from someone whose left an authentic fingerprint on this eclectic region despite migrating from the Pacific Northwest.

“I much prefer to be a part of what’s going as opposed to an observer of what’s going on,” Carriker says. “That’s just always been a part of who I am.

Moving here, I didn’t want to be on the outside looking in. I wanted to be a part of it – embrace the community completely, which was easy because the community was so open and accepting of us.”

The genesis of Bob’s metamorphosis into “Dr. Boudin,” happened shortly after accepting a faculty position at UL in 1997.

Accustomed to co-workers bringing doughnuts, bagels or cupcakes into the office on special occasions, Carriker marveled when a peer plopped down a steaming tray of boudin instead. As he embraced the Cajun custom with a full mouth, he kept his ears open (while chewing) to those around him. Local loyalty dominated the conversation. The woman from New Iberia bragged on the boudin from the shop down the street while the guy from Cecilia dismissed

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LES personnes

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acadiana profile april/may 2015

that notion, arguing the links around his neck of the woods topped every other.

Without a dog in the hunt, Carriker set out to find who (if anyone) was telling the truth.

“As a guy who was looking to learn more about where he lived, and as a guy with a soft spot for regional foods, I would go out and find those places so I could join the conversation next time,” Carriker says. “And I realized quickly that they’ve never tried the other places, so I found myself adding more to the conversation.

“Basically all my websites start with a crazy idea and you go, ‘Oh, that should be a website,’” Carriker says. “It’s gotten to the point where I’ll invite some friends over and say I’m making Philly Cheesesteaks and they’ll joke, ‘Oh, are you making a website about those, too?’

Honestly, I didn’t know this website would have the legs its grown, and honestly I didn’t anticipate having the voice I do.”

Yeah, about that voice.

To put it nicely, Carriker doesn’t mince words.

In one review, he referred the owners of an establishment as “posers.” While that seems a bit harsh, that place got off easy compared to a shop in Texas, the only place to ever get a failing grade. Their uncooked (yes, uncooked) boudin provided the awful inspiration of this line from Carriker: “OK, it is an abomination to call this boudin.” Of course, such criticism sometimes elicits a response. For instance, one shop owner whose business received a mediocre mark

from the website actually showed up to the place of employment of the guy who co-created boudinlink.com with Carriker.

But it’s not like Carriker is purposely looking for reasons to shred establishments like so much succulent pork. Quite the contrary. Over the years, boudinlink.com has handed out 15 perfect A+ grades.

Thirteen of those stores reside in the unofficial boundaries of Acadiana: Rascal’s Cajun Express in Duson; Kartchner’s Grocery in Krotz Springs; Billeaud’s in Broussard; Billy’s Boudin in Opelousas; Bourque’s Super Store in Port Barre; Don’s Specialty Meats in Carencro and Scott; Cormier’s Specialty Meats in Jennings; Johnson’s Boucaniere in Lafayette; Market Basket in Lake Charles; Redlich’s City Cash in Basile; Sausage Link in Sulphur; Sonnier’s in Lake Charles; and T-boy’s Slaughter House in Mamou.

“I’m not saying my palate is the palate, but you do get one person’s consistent analysis across the board,” Carriker says. “But trust me, critics have there own critics. I used to get a lot of, ‘Who do you think you are?’ and ‘You’re a Yankee!’

They were so funny. I took it seriously, but I never took it personally. I understood these people’s passion.

“But when you get to review, 60, 70, 90 links of boudin, it gets harder to criticize,” Carriker continues. “When you reach those numbers, you’re not really an outsider anymore.”

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culture lA DE LA musique CUISINE

alternative creole Zydecool’s Take on an evolving tradition by michael patrick welch photo by danley romero

To listen to Zydecool, visit acadianaprofile.com.

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acadiana profile april/may 2015

Sean Ardoin labels his

band Zydekool “Alternative Creole” to head off anyone who might try to box up his music.

“Whenever people encounter zydeco for the first time, that becomes their idea of what zydeco is,” Ardoin explains via phone from Lake Charles, where he lives.

“People who came at zydeco in the ’80s, they’ll be ‘John Delafose, that’s real zydeco.’

People who came in the ’90s think it’s Boozoo and Beau

Jocque. Problem with that is, whenever you leave town, Terrance Simien, Sunpie Barnes, Rockin Dopsie Jr., C.J. Chenier, Buckwheat Zydeco, they’ve come what zydeco is.”

Ardoin admits: “What we’re doing here in Louisana currently is not what the world thinks zydeco is.”

With Zydekool’s Alternative Creole, he aims to keep it Creole – meaning keep it mixed. “It’s a really fun blend of zydeco, rock ‘n’ roll, funk, pop, R&B and reggae. And hip-hop, yeah,” Adroin says.

“When we say we play Alternative Creole, it gives us the opportunity to retake ownership of the music – because then we get to explain what that is and how it’s different.”

Specifically, he says, “Creole music sounds to the untrained ear exactly like Cajun music. The differences are very subtle; the songs are the same, and they’re saying the same thing, but back then it was filtered through more country and folk and Celtic and feel, while Creole music was filtered through R&B and blues. Then you have our line – my grandfather and my dad and them – we have the little accordion, and we sung mostly in French but more traditional. But after Boozoo and Beau Jocque, every music that had a black man and an accordion became zydeco.”

His point is, “Zydekool is not really going against the grain; we’re just going back to our roots.”

Ardoin keeps the more traditional aesthetic of Creole music alive by participating in the Creole United project, a group whose six members represent three generations of Creole band leaders: Andre Thierry, Jeffery Broussard, Rusty Metoyer, Edward Pollard, plus Sean and Lawrence Ardoin. The accordion-heavy sextet will play the Kennedy Center and Library of Congress in July.

on the upbeat Bois Sec’s Legacy

Alphonse ‘Bois Sec’ Ardoin is given credit for founding Cajun and Creole music. From Evangeline Parish, Bois Sec (a nickname meaning “dry wood,” because young Alphonse hated the rain) played a pre-cursor to zydeco music called “la la music” or “la musique Creole” with his longtime partner Canaray Fontenot. Th duo started the Duralde Ramblers in 1948, and in the 1970s, the Ardoin Family Orchestra with three of his sons.

“Growing up it was music everywhere,” says Bois Sec’s grandson, Sean Ardoin. “Every weekend there was music. My grandfather and dad and them would come back from a gig and sometimes the gig would spill over into the house until 4 or 5 in the morning, wake up the next day playing music.”

After a long and hard battle, Bois Sec was officially recognized for his achievements. “Bois Sec was the first man to record [Creole Music],” says Sean. “So all of the standards pretty much come from his songs. In the ’80s at Acadia Village the history books were rewritten and [Bois Sec Ardoin] was given credit for being the father of our music.”

Bois Sec passed away in 2007 in a Eunice nursing home.

“We always gotta keep pushing the music forward, but we can’t lose our roots,” says Ardoin. “But in Zydekool we set out to create new Creole standards. If we don’t, all we will be allowed to do is ‘Cornbread,’ ‘Boogaloo’ and ‘Gotta Find My Woman.’ If we try to do anything creative at all, they look at us kinda crazy.

“I think the renaissance of Black Creole music in Louisiana is about changing the name,” he puts simply. “Then after we get popular, maybe we can start calling it Zydeco again – once we’ve established a better reference point.” acadianaprofile.com

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culture les artisteS

the artistic process Following the inspiration and vision that he explores before the brush touches canvas, Lafayette’s Connor McManus showcases his talent in galleries near and far. by will kalec You’ll notice, as

you peruse Connor McManus’ online art portfolio, that one of these paintings is not like the others.

It’s titled “Please Touch Me.” It’s not an adaptation of a Rorschach splotch, a phase McManus explored exhaustively not too long ago. It’s not an intensely zoomed-in snapshot of nature, a phase McManus isn’t quite through with just yet. It’s, it’s….well, it’s hard to explain – but the process used to

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complete it explains so much about McManus, the artist.

“I had this idea, like a joke in my head,” he says of the piece done in 2011 while studying at Brown University. “But I sat down, and thought for the first time, ‘How can I make this work?’”

The focal point of the painting is a highway billboard, brightened by a frame of lights and illuminated further from the cars zooming past. In it, a man wearing makeup lays

acadiana profile april/may 2015

on the ground, hand supporting his head as peacock feathers conceal naked body parts that otherwise would surely cause some fender benders.

McManus says the billboard photo was inspired by a high school senior portrait – sans feathers and with clothes, of course. If not for the absurdity of the billboard image, the painting flirts with being photographic.

Visually impressive, “Just Touch Me” marked a turning

point in the Lafayette native’s approach toward his craft. Where he once slapped on some Radiohead, shut his bedroom door and winged it for a night, McManus meticulously plotted the content of this 5-by-7 canvas, using Photoshop and drawings as a creative mixed-media roadmap to follow.

“Now, at a certain point, it switches over from honoring what I designed to where it becomes a painting – using intuitive

decisions to finish the piece,” McManus says.

“I’m more interested in figuring out processes, working through them, and improving on them until it gets boring. In high school, I’d sit down, slap on an album and paint. And whatever would be done in an hour would be a painting. It’s not like that anymore.”

The process works, apparently.

Represented by Jeffery McCullough Art and Design, McManus has pieces hanging at

Perch in New Orleans and has had work displayed throughout the state and in New England. In mid-April, McManus will be prominently featured in The Big Easel Festival at Lafayette’s River Ranch – a homecoming of sorts.

Encouraged by a mother who kept her son well-stocked with brushes, markers, chalk and charcoal, McManus’ talent flourished relatively early. He attended the Lafayette High School Arts Academy headed by Kathy Reed, and before that spent a summer at the prestigious Interlochen Arts Camp in northern Michigan.

“It was intense,” McManus says of the experience.

“You’re doing art for eight hours a day, so it’s not exactly vacation. But that’s what I loved. I hung with the ‘weird, art kids’ and I guess I was one myself. The token

hipsters of Lafayette – going to Artmosphere on the weekends, wearing feathers in our hair. That was us.

We were ‘those’ kids.”

McManus studied Visual Art at Brown University in Rhode Island. While there, he was inspired to delve into the first “phase” of his theninfant art career (and, really, still-infant career considering he’s only 24) when a classmate showed him a Rorschach ink blot being used for a project. Intrigued by the natural abstract qualities of the psychological tools, McManus found the painting process somewhat liberating compared to detail-heavy pieces like the aforementioned “Just Touch Me” painting. While still making decisions about color and rough composition, McManus admitted that his hands were “sort of out of it” when

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compiling this section of his art portfolio.

“What is abstract painting? From the observer’s point of view, you go up to it, project your own ideas on it, and you think it to be whatever you want,” he says. “I sold a couple paintings where the buyer saw something that I didn’t see or intend for them to see, and that’s the reason she fell in love with it. So the Rorschach style was just an extension of that: Who are you?

What do you see? How do you respond to this?

“It’s not about what the painting is.

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acadiana profile april/may 2015

It’s what you are.”

More recently, McManus has been inspired to bring forth the unique structural qualities of the oft-ignored natural splendor that surrounds us. In acrylic paintings like “Live Oak at Jackson Square” or “Sunblown,” McManus believes he’s captured the beauty and weirdness of things – like trees – that we see every day, but never really examine.

For these pieces, which he’s focused on after work and on the weekends for the past year, McManus mirrors the prep process he

originally developed in college, never deviating much from his original vision.

“I’m not really looking for Connor McManus signature that I can repeat over and over,” he says. “I don’t know what I’ll be painting in a year or two. The changes come from different influences, and you just never know what those are going to be.

That’s part of the fun.”

To see more of Connor McManus, visit connormcmanus.com

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culture en français, s’il vous plaît

pâquer les œufs de pâques par david cheramie

Selon la tradition

chrétienne, la période du Carême, les quarante jours entre Mercredi des Cendres et le jour de Pâques sans compter les dimanches, est marquée par l’abstinence et l’abnégation en préparation de la Résurrection de Jésus-Christ. Chacun sait que la viande est strictement interdite le vendredi pendant ce temps, comme c’était le cas autrefois pour tous les vendredis de l’année. Au Moyen-âge, les Catholiques devaient « faire jours maigres », c’est-à-dire journée sans viande, le mercredi aussi, et ce toute l’année. De nos jours, et surtout dans l’Acadiana où les fruits de mer sont si abondants et succulents, on peut penser que ce n’est pas un grand sacrifice de remplacer un sandwich au jambon avec cinq livres d’écrevisses bouillies, à tel point que le Pape François a dû rappeler à ses ouailles l’esprit de pénitence qui doit accompagner le jeûne pascal. C’est un temps de réflexion sur le sens de notre mortalité et sur le renouvellement de l’esprit.

Mais qu’est-ce que toutes ces

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questions religieuses et philosophiques ont à voir avec des œufs? La prochaine fois que vous mangez un gombo de marécage avec des œufs durs dedans, sachez que jadis les œufs étaient interdits aussi pendant le Carême. Les Chrétiens ne pouvaient pas les manger, mais on ne pouvait pas empêcher les poules de les pondre.

Afin de ne rien gaspiller, les fermiers les faisaient bouillir et les garder jusqu’à Pâques. En plus du symbolisme associé avec la renaissance de la vie au printemps, les œufs jouaient un rôle pratique dans l’observation de la fin du Carême. Qui n’a pas participé aux chasses aux œufs cachés dans les trèfles bourgeonnant à cette époque de l’année, d’abord comme chasseur, plus tard comme cacheur? Aussi, à la Maison Blanche, le

acadiana profile april/may 2015

Président et sa famille invitent d’autres familles à rouler des œufs sur le gazon. La tradition veut que ce soit Dolly Madison qui ait inauguré la pratique en 1814, non pas à la Maison Blanche bien sûr, mais devant le capitole. Cet événement était abandonné et repris plusieurs fois avant de se faire rétablir définitivement par Mamie Eisenhower.

Avec notre tendance en Louisiane de ne pas faire comme les autres, on peut aisément croire que le « pâquage » n’est qu’une autre particularité de chez nous. Il consiste d’un combat de deux adversaires, chacun muni d’un œuf dur coloré. L’un tient son œuf au-dessus de l’autre et on cogne les pointes ensemble. L’objectif est

de briser la coquille de son concurrent. On le fait un peu partout en Acadiana, mais les villes de Cottonport et de Marksville, au sommet du triangle, organisent des concours le weekend de Pâques. Dans plusieurs villes, notamment à la Ville Platte, on prend cette coutume très au sérieux. Certains commencent à faire bouillir des œufs des semaines à l’avance et s’entrainent comme des athlètes de haut niveau.

Ce n’est pas du jamais vu que certains essaient de tricher en mettant du vernis sur la coquille ou même en utilisant des pierres en forme d’œuf!

Et pourtant non, les batailles d’œufs ne sont pas particulières au sud de la Louisiane. Elles remontent à la nuit des temps et ne sont pas uniquement associées au christianisme. Le séder

de Pessa’h peut avoir la distribution d’œufs durs qui vont finir en armement succédané à la fin du repas. Dans la ville d’Assam en Inde, elles s’appellent Koni-juj.

Elles se pratiquent également à travers l’Europe. En Grèce, c’est tsougrisma et aux Pays-Bas, les enfants se battent dans un jeu de eiertikken. Dans les trois cas, on peut traduire les noms plus ou moins par « taper des œufs ».

En français louisianais, l’origine de l’expression « pâquer des œufs » est plus difficile à cerner. On peut croire qu’avec son association pascale, on a simplement converti le nom de la fête religieuse en verbe. Ce n’est pas impossible, mais je crois que l’explication la plus plausible est qu’il vient du son que font les œufs quand ils se cognent.

Pour les plus compétitifs, c’est le son de la victoire quand ça fait craquer l’autre. La pression de gagner est énorme; c’est presqu’une question de vie ou de mort, ce qui est quand même dans l’esprit de la célébration de la Résurrection.

For an English translation, visit acadianaprofile.com.