Acadiana Profile December-January 2013

Syrup cake, sugar cookies and “pigs’ ears”

December 2012/January 2013 $4.95

www.acadianaprofile.com

In Every Issue 4 Free-lancing A Boy With Influence The continuing saga of Eli Judice

table des matières

by trent angers

6 Nouvelles des Villes News Briefs From Around Acadiana by william kalec

10 De la Cuisine Holiday Memories There’s nothing quite like the beloved food of your childhood to transport you back in time. by marcelle bienvenu

14 Les Artistes Piecing It Together Composed of everyday, ordinary objects, the work of New Iberia’s Shawne Major sparks a personal, emotional attachment while sending a collective message. by william kalec

18 La Maison An Engaging Endeavour As a showcase displaying the many aspects of their adventurous lives, the home of José and Phyllis Mata remains constant in the charm that it resonates. by betty tujague

54 Personnes d’Acadiana

34 14

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A Family Meal With the assistance of her two daughters, Glenda Broussard of Breaux Bridge cooks plate lunches for the common man and culinary stars alike. by william kalec

58 Sur le Menu Taco Well Acadiana may not be best known for its Mexican food, but when a taco craving hits, there are plenty of great places to satisfy it. by jan risher

62 Visiter The Best Things to See and Do in Cajun Country

64 En Français, S’il Vous Plaît Le Gombo by david cheramie

Features 26 Bar None From daiquiri bars to dives, there are plenty of great places in Acadiana to grab a cold one. by zachary lasalle

34 Lost Desserts In search of forgotten recipes. by marcelle bienvenu

44 Les Nouvelles Voix d’Acadiana One of our traditions is to occasionally provide profiles as written by ULL journalism students.

Their range of topics is impressive.

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december 2012/january 2013 | www.acadianaprofile.com

December 2012/January 2013 Vol. 31 No. 6 Executive Editor Trent Angers Managing Editor Eve Kidd Crawford Art Director Jennifer Hronek Associate Editors Sarah Ravits, Haley Adams Intern Johanna Gretschel Sales Manager Rebecca Taylor (337) 298-4424 • Rebecca@acadianaprofile.com Sales Assistant Erin Maher Distribution/Newsstand Manager Christian Coombs Executive Assistant/ Subscriptions Kristi Ferrante Production/Web Manager Staci McCarty Production Designer Sarah George Chief Executive Officer Todd Matherne President Alan Campell Executive Vice President/Editor in Chief Errol Laborde

Renaissance Publishing LLC 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005 (504) 828-1380 • (877) 221-3512 100 Asma Blvd., Suite 365, Lafayette, LA 70508 (337) 235-7919 Acadiana Profile (ISSN 0001-4397) is published bimonthly

by Renaissance Publishing LLC, 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005 (504) 828-1380 and 100 Asma Blvd., Suite 365 Lafayette, LA 70508 (337) 235-7919.

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 2012 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 selfaddressed 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. www.acadianaprofile.com | december 2012/January 2013

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freelancing

by trent angers

I received a phone call from Chad Judice of Lafayette in the fall of 2010 saying that he was working on a new book, a sequel to his heartwarming volume titled Waiting for Eli: A Father’s Journey from Fear to Faith.

Eli Judice sleeps in a New Orleans hospital following a medical emergency.

partly because I believe – that is, I know – that abortion is the taking of human life, an act that is rightly reserved for the Divine, not the doctor impersonating the Divine. Also, I was attracted to the project because every publisher worth his salt wants to publish “books that matter” or “books that make a difference.”

A few months after that first call from Chad, I heard from him again. This time he told me he’d written a chapter about a guy who read Eli’s story and, in essence, had a religious conversion because of it.

That really got my attention.

miracle involving a precious special-needs child who survives a life-threatening medical episode?

How could a publisher say no to a book proposal containing such inspiring stories?

So we decided to go forward with publishing the book – about a child whose story touches the hearts of readers; brings grown men to their knees; and evokes a keener appreciation of the value of all human life, including the most vulnerable among us.

It contains several heart-rending episodes, including the evening when Eli had a seizure. Present in the Judice home that night were Chad and his wife, Ashley; Ashley’s parents, Randy and Ann Guillotte; Eli; and his older brother, Ephraim. Chad describes the scene like this: Randy began running down the hallway carrying Eli and yelling in a calm but assertive voice, “Ann! Ann!” I sat there a moment frozen in time in a state of shock. Quickly regaining my senses, I ran behind Randy in the hallway. Then I heard Ashley and Ann repeatedly saying, “Eli! Eli! Eli!” When I got to the doorway of our room, Ashley was holding Eli upright and administering back blows to try to force a foreign object from his throat, in case something was stuck there. It was one of The continuing saga of Eli Judice the most sobering moments of my life.

I could now imagine an intriguing bit Laying Eli on his back, Ashley and Ann of writing about how Eli’s story touched both said in a panicked voice: “Call an the guy’s heart and soul to the point that ambulance!” he was drawn away from a life centered I quickly dialed 911 and began giving on materialism to one that made a lot information to the emergency responder more time for God and family. It’s a true on the other end. As I tried to focus on conversion story that many of us would delivering the necessary information I could do well to emulate. hear Ashley and Ann administering CPR. By now, I was starting to think that “Come on, breathe!” Ashley was saying perhaps we should take a long, hard look with desperation in her voice. at this manuscript.

By the time I hung up Eli was lying on But what sealed it for me was Chad’s his side and crying. call to report a miracle involving his son He was breathing! Thank God! ap that occurred on an Easter Sunday in a hospital in New Orleans.

Copies of Eli’s Reach can be obtained Who wouldn’t like to read about a online at www.acadianhouse.com.

A Boy With Influence

I had edited and our company, Acadian House Publishing, had published his first book, a thoroughly captivating story whose central character is Chad’s son, Eli, a child born with a dreaded birth defect called spina bifida.

Chad explained that his second book would be about the impact of the first, about how Eli’s story had motivated and inspired many who read it. In essence, it would be the continuation of the saga of Eli Judice. It would be titled Eli’s Reach.

At first, I was only mildly interested.

Then Chad pointed out that the new book would contain stories of two or three women who, after reading Waiting for Eli, had chosen to bring their unborn babies to term rather than abort them.

That got my attention. questions or comments about this column can be addressed to tcangers @ cox . net .

I became more interested 4

december 2012/january 2013 | www.acadianaprofile.com

portrait by robby bishop

sur le web

If you can’t get enough Acadiana Profile, check out our Web site at AcadianaProfile.com. Flip through the issue archive, renew your subscription, or read the English translation of En Français, S’il Vous Plaît. You will also find content from all of Renaissance Publishing’s publications, including Louisiana Life and New Orleans Magazine.

For up-to-the-minute information about Acadiana events, recipes and fun photos, make sure to like Acadiana Profile on Facebook and follow @AcadianaProfile on Twitter.

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Go online to AcadianaProfile.com, and click on “Submit an Event to Acadiana Profile” to let us know about festivals, shows or special events coming up in your town.

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www.acadianaprofile.com | december 2012/January 2013

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nouvelles des villes

by William Kalec

Post Office Named in Honor of Fallen War Hero ABBEVILLE – The United States Senate approved naming the post office on Veterans Memorial Drive in honor of Vietnam War hero Richard Franklin Abshire.

Sen. Mary Landrieu made the announcement official in the fall of 2012. A House of Representatives resolution in the same matter was authored by Rep. Charles Boustany.

In 1968, Abshire served as platoon sergeant with Company G, Second Battalion, Fourth Marines, Ninth Marine Amphibious Brigade. On May 2, Sgt. Abshire’s unit and a sister company took part in a coordinated attack against a well-entrenched North Vietnamese Army force occupying the village of Dinh To. The Military Times wrote of Sgt. Abshire’s valor that day:

“As the Marines entered the village, they were taken under devastating enemy small arms and automatic weapons fire which inflicted numerous casualties and temporarily halted the lead platoon of each company. Directed to establish a defensive perimeter, Sgt. Abshire immediately deployed his men into advantageous firing positions and commenced directing a heavy volume of accurate fire into the enemy emplacements. As the enemy fire increased in volume and accuracy, it became apparent that the North Vietnamese force was preparing to launch a counterattack.

Rapidly obtaining grenades from his fellow Marines, Sgt. Abshire boldly exposed himself to the full fury of the enemy fire and threw several grenades into the enemy’s ranks, temporarily halting their assault.

Returning to his unit, he moved from position to position, despite intense enemy fire, to pinpoint hostile targets and encourage his men. As their ammunition supply depleted, he ordered his men to withdraw across a river and resolutely provided covering fire, which enabled his men to

reach positions of relative safety. After expending his ammunition, he was attempting to rejoin his unit when he was mortally wounded by enemy fire.”

For his heroism, Sgt. Abshire was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross – a highly regarded military decoration.

Local School Chef Competes on Chopped ST. MARTINVILLE – Lynette Thomas, the food services manager of St. Martinville Primary School, was selected to participate on the Food Network TV series Chopped.

The cafeteria-themed episode originally aired on Sept. 25 and featured Thomas competing against three other school chefs. The program still appears in reruns.

Prior to the show’s air date, a Food Network camera crew filmed the longtime St. Martinville employee at the school as she helped whip up hot lunches. The crew also interviewed Thomas extensively and shot footage of her around the school. Earlier

this year, Thomas also received an Everyday Hero award from the American Federation of Teachers for going above and beyond in stressing the importance of academics and for organizing special events centered around students’ birthdays.

Eunice Named a “Best-Kept Secret” EUNICE – The secret is out.

The Web site SmarterTravel. com recently named Eunice, the soulful prairie Cajun town that stretches into portions of three parishes, one of America’s Best-Kept Secrets.

Eunice shares the honor with a couple of surprisingly large metropolises – Philadelphia, Seattle and Brooklyn – along with such quaint communities as New London, Conn.; Salida, Colo.; and Independence, Mo.

Cajun Music Hall of Fame 6

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photo courtesy the cajun music hall of fame

Lafayette General Medical Center

nouvelles des villes

Eunice is home to tourist attractions such as the Cajun Music Hall of Fame, the Prairie Acadian Cultural Center and the annual Courir de Mardi Gras celebration.

Says SmarterTravel.com: Billing itself as Louisiana’s “Prairie Cajun capital, Eunice is a hot spot of Acadian culture – the kind of place you should visit if you’re looking to indulge in a crawfish cookoff or to kick up your heels to homegrown Cajun and zydeco music. When not dancing or dining, visitors can learn about the unique history of the local people at the Prairie Acadian Cultural Center, which features historical artifacts as well as cooking and craft demos.

Moreover, a host of justopened attractions are adding new allure to the old town,

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including new restaurants serving spicy Cajun dishes (try Ruby’s Cafe), trendy boutiques and specialty shops.”

Lafayette General Starts Expansion, Improvements LAFAYETTE – Lafayette General Medical Center recently broke ground on its new $52.5 expansion and renovation project that will feature a new emergency department and surgery platform. Initial construction is already under way with the demolition and reworking of the old cinema lot next to the Wellness at the Townhouse building for employee parking.

As part of the official ceremony held in the main lobby of the hospital, the flag celebrating LGMC’s 100year anniversary was raised

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to honor the hospital’s rich history. The flag will remain

access from the emergency helipad landing area on the

hanging in the lobby for the duration of the construction project. When construction is complete, the flag will be buried near the foundation in a time capsule.

The emergency department and operating room expansion will increase bed capacity from 31 to 45, and two new trauma rooms will be added.

A new elevator offers direct

West Tower roof directly to the new emergency department and surgery areas below.

The new surgery area will have 13 state-of-the-art operating rooms. A new six-story parking garage will contain approximately 340 spaces and will face South College Drive. A new turn lane will be added on South College for traffic to access the garage. ap

www.acadianaprofile.com | december 2012/January 2013

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de la cuisine

Holiday Memories There’s nothing quite like the beloved food of your childhood to transport you back in time.

By Marcelle Bienvenu | Photographed by eugenia uhl

Christmas to me is associated with aromas of creamy grits and soft scrambled eggs, pain and fragrances. During my childhood, Papa, perdu (lost bread) and a bowl of fig preserves Mama and we children attended the joyful put up the previous summer. There were times midnight Mass at St. Martin de Tours, where that breakfast lasted for a good two hours, and the fragrance of fresh pine and cedar garlands because of that, Tante May called it an oldtickled my nose. Following Mass, we returned time Creole déjeuner. Like a Creole goodbye, it home for a breakfast, which usually included seemed like it lasted forever. thick slices of baked ham accompanied by Once the breakfast dishes were cleared, it skillet-baked corn bread drizzled with thick was time to begin the preparations for the cane syrup, all washed down with either café celebration meal, which was served at 2 in au lait or hot chocolate. the afternoon.

By the time we’d changed into gowns or The roast emerged from the oven and was set flannel pajamas and snuggled under mounds aside to rest. Mama’s stove had two ovens and of quilts, Mama would have shoved a huge six burners. One oven held a large roaster filled stuffed pork roast in the oven to bake well into with mallards and pintails (wild ducks shot by the next morning. The house was redolent with Papa at his camp) while the other was reserved the incredible aroma of that roast mingling for a casserole of sweet potatoes, another of with the garlic, onions and peppers that were corn Creole (Mama’s favorite holiday dish) stuffed in it. and yet another for the ubiquitous green bean I remember too the appearance, often while casserole sprinkled with those canned frenchwe were still in robes, of Sheriff Fuselier, Papa’s fried onions. Of course, there were always rice closest friend, at the front door dressing with oysters, peas with “Now Christmas is bearing a bag of gifts. A big bear onions and mushrooms and of a man, he hugged and kissed chicken and oyster patties for come us all while doling out small good measure.

Let’s beat up the presents to us, a bottle of good On the dessert table sat Aunt drum, bourbon for Papa and a tin of Eva’s many-layered coconut his wife’s melt-in-your-mouth cake; pecan pies from Aunt Lois; And call all our pralines made with raw sugar and platters of pralines, divinity neighbors together, from the local sugar mill. To this fudge and rum balls. Oh, how And when they appear day, I can still conjure up the we ate! scent of him – Old Spice mingled Alas, my parents, as well as Let us make them with a whiff of whiskey! the aunts and uncles, are gone, such cheer.”

More often than not, my two but the menu has more or less great-aunts, Tante May and Aunt remained the same, and oh, Belle, who lived nearby, gathered the aromas bring back so many – Washington Irving with us for a hearty breakfast great memories.

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de la cuisine

Mama’s Stuffed Pork Roast 1 10- to 12-pound fresh ham shank 1 large onion, finely chopped 1 large green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped 10 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon salt, plus more for seasoning the outside of the roast 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper, plus more for seasoning the outside of the roast 1 teaspoon black pepper Vegetable oil 2 cups water (or more as needed) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Set the roast on a large cutting board or platter. Combine the onion, bell pepper, garlic, salt, cayenne and black pepper in a small bowl, and mix well.

With a sharp boning knife, make several deep slits in the roast spaced several inches apart. Using your index finger, stuff the seasoning mixture into the slits, packing it in firmly. Season the outside of the roast generously with more salt and cayenne pepper. Rub the roast lightly with vegetable oil.

Place the roast in a heavy roasting pan, and put it in the oven. When the bottom of the pan begins to sizzle, carefully add the water. Bake the roast until it browns evenly, 30 to 45 minutes.

More water can be added if the pan becomes too dry. This will mix with the roast drippings and make a dark gravy that can be used now for basting the roast and later poured over steamed rice.

When the roast is well-browned, reduce the heat to 350 degrees; cover; and cook until the juices run clear and the roast is tender, 3 to 4 hours.

Remove from the oven, and cool slightly before carving. Serves 12 to 14.

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Corn Creole 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or bacon drippings 1 cup chopped yellow onion 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper 2 cups cream-style corn 1 large egg, beaten 2 cups milk 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal Salt and cayenne to taste Fine dried bread crumbs Butter

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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the oil or bacon drippings in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions and bell peppers, and cook, stirring, for about 4 minutes or until soft and lightly golden. Add the corn, the egg and the milk. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the cornmeal, and stir until the mixture thickens. Season with salt and cayenne, and pour into a lightly oiled baking dish. Sprinkle the top with bread crumbs, and dot with butter.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until bubbly and hot. Serves about 6.

Sweet Potato Pone 1 egg 1 cup sugar 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter or margarine, softened 2 cups grated raw sweet potatoes 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup milk 1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Beat the egg with the sugar and butter in a mixing bowl until creamy and smooth.

In another bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, salt and milk, and mix well. Add the butter mixture to the potato mixture, and mix well. Pour the mixture into a lightly buttered baking dish, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven, and sprinkle the top with the pecans. Return to the oven, and bake for 30 minutes or until the mixture sets slightly. Serves 6 to 8.

Cina’s Pralines 1 pound light brown sugar (about 3 cups) Pinch salt 3/4 cup evaporated milk 1 tablespoon butter 2 cups pecan halves Mix the sugar, salt, milk and butter in a large, heavy pot over low heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves. Add the pecans, and raise the heat to medium. Stirring often, cook to the soft-ball stage (235 degrees on a candy thermometer). Remove from the heat, and cool for several minutes. Stir rapidly until the mixture begins to thicken and coats the pecans.

Drop by teaspoons onto parchment or waxed paper. When the candies have cooled, gently lift them from the paper, and store them in an airtight container.

Makes about 2 dozen. ap

www.acadianaprofile.com | december 2012/January 2013

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les artistes

Piecing It Together

Composed of everyday, ordinary objects, the work of New Iberia’s Shawne Major sparks a personal, emotional attachment while sending a collective message.

BY WILLIAM KALEC

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There are no acrylic purples or pinks on the artist’s palette, just Goodwill prom dresses and wholesale panties – like 400 pairs of them. Big ones, too. Made in China. Shawne Major bought them on eBay a couple of years ago, figuring they’d serve the dual purpose of providing a base layer and symbolism for an expansive 9-foot-by-14-foot piece on the excesses of consumerism.

“I buy all sorts of weird stuff, though it’s not weird to me because I know the connection it provides for the statement I’m trying to make,” Major says. “But I can’t imagine what the seller at the other end is thinking.”

For such a predominantly rural area, Acadiana’s art scene must seem surprisingly robust to outsiders, without a doubt a healthy artery attached to the cultural heart of the region, along with

travis gauthier portrait

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les artistes

music, cuisine, language and traditions.

You’ve got your landscape painters and your portrait painters and your photographers and a couple of decent sculptors.

Then there’s Shawne Major, who’s not really any of those things.

Her conceptual pieces (which are usually enormous) can be loosely classified as texture-rich tapestries where a hodgepodge of items co-exists in chaotic harmony to collectively express a broader message or feeling. To get an idea of the depth of clutter woven into these creations, here’s a list of the things comprising Major’s 2012 piece titled Maelstrom: electrical cords; chain; plush toys; beads; plastic toys including snakes, bats, horses, balls and Frisbees; costume jewelry; baby shoes; shell necklaces; ribbon; braid; a dissected umbrella; dog collars; Christmas lights; scarves; plastic tubing; an oxygen mask; dolls; sprinkler tubing; hats; a dissected crocheted afghan; and doll hair sewn onto a base of prom and bridesmaid dresses on poultry netting.

“There’s so much junk being made now that it’s an obvious choice,” Major 16

says. “It seems like a vernacular language – everyone can relate to little plastic cars, even if they hate them. I like to use recognizable objects because there’s a response to it – stuff you played with or stuff you had to throw out.

“The work is undoubtedly abstract. But at the same time, you can go in and find a relationship with elements within the exhibit because you know them.”

The intensity of Major’s collages eliminates any chance of museumgoers giving her gallery pieces a halfhearted glance while strolling.

First, the sheer size and splash of color freeze you. Standing at a distance, patrons are able to absorb the entirety of the artist’s vision. After that, natural curiosity draws you in as your eyes beg to dissect all the components while pondering what it all means.

“Sometimes it’s political; sometimes it’s personal,” Major says. “I don’t have a problem with

december 2012/January 2013 | www.acadianaprofile.com

people who want to know why I make the work, [but] I don’t feel that’s important. I think it’s important that they interact with the work at some level, but I don’t think they need to know what was going on in my head when I made the work. Everyone should get their own experience out of it.

I don’t like work that you can look at once and ‘get.’ I’d prefer you get something new from it each time you look at it.”

Exhibits featuring Major’s talent have been housed at the Chicago Cultural Center, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans, the Marcia Wood Gallery in Atlanta and most recently the Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum in Lafayette – a homecoming of sorts, for it was while Major attended University of Southwestern Louisiana (now ULL) that she first veered from the typical artistic path.

Originally, Major was simply a painter who

worked in acrylics. The thick composition of the paint doubled as a quasi-adhesive as Major, enabled by the free-rein style of mentor Allan Jones, pressed an item onto the canvas. Major can’t remember what her “gateway” object was (a button, she guesses), but the initial experimentation turned into a habit.

After awhile, she ditched the paint altogether. The objects, she says, intrigued her more than globs of orange or yellow ever did. The only obstacle preventing Major from switching media completely was how to adhere these random objects together without a base canvas? Glue would obviously do the trick, but Major wanted the attachment process to be both functional and emblematic. As a child reared in New Iberia, Major watched her grandmother and other friends and relatives tackle craft projects with a needle and thread, so she decided to do the same – to sew the objects and materials together.

“I’m not a seamstress by any means,” Major says. “I can’t really use a sewing

machine, but I’ve always sewed. I had great-aunts who sewed, and they’d come over with my grandmother, and they’d show me what they were working on.

So sewing seemed like an appropriate method because it related to my experience. It felt like a language that I could speak with. My work isn’t about the adhering process, but it’s more like the accent to the language I use.”

Because of the extensive gathering-and-construction phase, Major’s pieces take anywhere from six months to several years to finish.

Given the time period, Major tries to obey a set of self-made rules – perhaps to

stick with red objects or linear objects – so as to not wander too far from her initial inspiration, though she confesses those rules are often broken.

“I’m not using raw materials,” Major says. “I’m not using wood or anything virginal. The objects have significance already. Somebody made it. Somebody chose the color for it. Somebody said, ‘This is done.’ What I love is making those finished products create a new sense of symbolism. Let them be something else – even if that something else is just a feeling or an emotion. Let them speak to people and speak another language other than their original function.” ap

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la maison

An Engaging Endeavour As a showcase displaying the many aspects of their adventurous lives, the home of JosĂŠ and Phyllis Mata remains constant in the charm that it resonates.

By Betty Tujague | Photographed by craig macaluso

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december 2012/January 2013 | www.acadianaprofile.com

Left: The Matas’ kitchen is highly functional and inviting. Phyllis says it’s her comfort area where her creative juices flow best. The blue-green of the walls was chosen to match the color of Phyllis’ jadeite pieces, which are highlighted in the cabinet by the salmon background. Copper-hued crown molding and bar stools also add to the bright and cheery effect. Sets of vintage drinking glasses passed down from Phyllis’ family are displayed in the built-in wall cabinet in the kitchen. It also holds a set of plates from New Iberia’s former Hotel Frederic circa 1940. Below: Crape myrtle trees offer a Southern touch to the Matas’ Greek Revival-style home. The square columns, dentil moldings and triangular roofline are characteristic of this style. Being located downtown makes the Matas’ home a gathering place for viewing parades and other festive New Iberia events. Bottom: José and Phyllis are seen here on the front porch, where they relax to watch the daily comings and goings in town.

The South has seen a resurgence in the desire for front porches, a place where passersby stop to chitchat and maybe step up for refreshments and more lengthy conversation. But to José and Phyllis Mata, this social custom has prevailed since 1994, when they moved into their two-story Greek Revival-style home in downtown New Iberia on East Main Street.

“The architecture we chose is reminiscent of New Orleans, where I lived before moving here,” explains José. “The classic, timeless look suited this area. It appears as if it’s been here a long time and fits in with the older period homes around us.”

la maison

The search for a smaller community in which to practice family medicine brought José to the area; he and Phyllis celebrated their new home the same year they came together in marriage. Today their 5,000-square-foot home reveals a journey brimming with collections at once nostalgic and nouveau, displayed in a way that visually expresses the Matas’ personal touch.

“I started collecting when I was young,” Phyllis says, “shopping at antique and vintage stores after I had dropped my children off at school. It was not

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december 2012/January 2013 | www.acadianaprofile.com

Top left: The bar was included in the home layout because it reminded Phyllis of her life as a young adult. The cherry wood cabinets and granite countertop dressed with framed vintage album covers have a rich appeal. Glassed-front cabinet doors reveal collections of bar shakers and glassware. Set on top is a lamp with a “blackamoor” statue as the base. Top right: A Duncan Phyfe table provides the formality to this room as it awaits the next dining occasion. An Aubusson rug from Samir Oriental Rugs in Lafayette enhances the look. The adjoining living room and foyer also contain this rug style. The classic oil painting with deep-blue flowers was done by Ralph Andrew Richards of New Orleans. Bottom: Above the mantel in the living room is a painting by Southern artist Eddie Mormon portraying his vision of Royal Street in New Orleans. The Kawai piano and the 1940s art deco drop-leaf cocktail bar cabinet, which contains cordial glasses, both play a role in social gatherings. The draped doors flanking the fireplace open to allow guests to step out to a patio.

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la maison

Left: The serenity of the Matas’ bedroom is shown in the simplicity of its furnishings. The upholstered rocker is reminiscent of Phyllis’ grandfather. Abstract artist Kelli Kaufman of Lafayette painted the Southern landscape behind the bed.

The mother and child was a present to Phyllis from her children. Below: José’s study is situated next to their bedroom. Family memories embellish the wall; the center picture is of José’s dad in a red shirt, and his father’s medical diploma is on display, as well. The swans are part of a collection that can be seen throughout the home.

intimidating as I purchased affordable items that I found interesting.”

Depression glass from the 1930s and jadeite dating to the 1950s are just a couple of the types of glassware she collects. The artwork, though, could be considered the framework that enriches and enlivens the furnishings in this elegant home.

“We were recently married and visiting New Orleans when we discovered an original impressionist oil by Eddie Mormon, a Southern artist, which I purchased as a surprise birthday present for Phyllis,” José says. “It was the first of many that we have added since, with a good portion having been painted by regional artists.”

Included in this prestigious circle are fellow Iberians and friends, among them Wayne Peltier, Jerome Weber, Carl Groh, Dan Spiller Jr., Hannah Lane and Jeanne Wattigny, just to name a few. Their timeless renditions, along with other pieces, blend well with the dramatic style of the rest of the home.

“I wanted a formal living and dining room that reminded me of old New Iberia, when Sunday dinner was an impressive occasion done in an elaborate setting,” Phyllis says.

Michele Skinner Broussard of Jolie Mur in New Iberia helped the Matas achieve their goal with her creative faux finishing. The two marble columns that herald entry to the living room show her expertise, as does the nearby mantel that she painted to give an “old Paris” feel. Ceiling medallions in both dining and living rooms are also examples of her work.

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Above: Included in the grouping of artwork in the den are two Jerome Weber oils, one of which shows Main Street in New Iberia at Christmas while the other reminds Phyllis of her parents’ backyard. The small square landscapes are by Ted Ellis of New Orleans, and the larger abstract was a gift from Phyllis to José by Damien Cruz, an artist from Havana, Cuba. The mid-century modern cabinet below holds the other “blackamoor” lamp of the set plus fan and head vases.

Although formal, a bit of whimsy can be detected here and there throughout the home. Pictures in the hall from José’s mom hang above the stand that was used as a ticket drop in the Essanee movie theater that opened in 1937 and closed in 1980 (and has now reopened as the home of the Iberia Performing Arts League). This New Iberia keepsake acts as a reminder of a youthful Phyllis. So does the Mount Carmel Gym sign above the arched opening in the kitchen.

“My father retrieved the sign as they were tearing down the gym around the 1980s,” Phyllis says. “He knew I would want it as my mother was coach during that period.” Some of the artwork throughout the home depicts its affiliated school, which Phyllis attended.

Everything in this home seems to have a story behind it.

There is a timeless appeal in the blending of family moments with interesting artifacts, high-end or not. It’s the Matas’ way of sharing their life in a decorative sense.

Phyllis is the catering coordinator for Clementine, a local popular eatery, yet this active couple still finds time for involvement in their community. This generous spirit is reflected in the home the Matas share. ap

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What makes a good bar is as subjective as your favorite drink to order in one. The answers will be different but all equally correct.

To some, the perfect watering hole is a place to get away from it all; others want a place they can bring the whole family for a good time. Some want an energetic sports crowd or a raucous live music venue; others want a relaxing atmosphere with a nice view. There are those who just want a place that’s close by with cold beer and cheap prices and those who will seek out a bar that concocts the perfect cocktail. The Acadiana area has places to satisfy all these tastes and then some, which makes sticking out in the crowd harder and harder to do.

First-time bar and grill owners Dustin and Erik Stark recently dealt with opening a bar and grill from scratch. Field of Dreams, located in Broussard, was their creation from foundation to finish. Before opening, the two brothers say they considered things that would distinguish their place from the rest of the pack and tried to learn as much as they could about how to build a successful business.

“It’s trying to find your niche in the community,” Dustin says. “That’s the big thing. It’s knowing your market, knowing where you are and knowing what is missing.

You know, there [are] a lot of places that, say, don’t have a good live music bar, and

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to be able to fill in that void may not ensure success, but it definitely helps.”

“Knowing your customers is a big thing, and that goes along with finding your niche and finding out what somebody thinks of your place,” adds Erik. “It’s very important that they have an idea that pops into their head.”

In coming up with the plan for Field of Dreams, the Starks say they drew from their personal tastes and the needs of community. Erik says he visited bars from Washington, D.C., to Jackson, Miss., and kept in mind things he did and didn’t like from each. As they are both lifelong sports fans, they say they knew they wanted to build a community sports bar and grill

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that was family-oriented, with good food where people could come to watch the game without hassle.

“I never like a franchise,” Dustin says. “I like the mom-and-pop things, where I feel you get a little more personal touch to it.

Like with us here, we’re family-owned and –operated, and the whole family’s in here.

It’s almost like you can have your tailgate here. You don’t have to do the hamburgers waiting outside of Tiger Stadium. You can come here and get it and not have to clean up and everything else that goes with it.”

Since opening in May, the Starks say they’ve gone through quite a bit of on-thejob training. They’ve had to learn to make changes, tweak what’s not working and become problem-solvers. Not being a franchise, the buck stops at the two of them.

“I would say that a lot of our growing pains [came] from us not being a franchise,” Erik says. “Anything that arose those first few months, we had to make the decisions on, we had to solve ourselves.

We didn’t have a hierarchy to go to or a regional manager or something like that.

And in that as well was advertising and getting your name out because without being a franchise, you know, you don’t have that huge Chili’s billboard out in front of your place to bring people in.”

“When you’re a new place, you have to break somebody’s routine to get them from going to their established bar or restaurant or favorite hangout into your place and make sure that when they come in, they’re having an enjoyable time and that when they leave, they’ll tell people,” Dustin says.

Clearly, people in Acadiana are serious and passionate about their bars. And a great bar, no matter how dedicated the owners, must have employees who are just as dedicated. That means servers; bouncers; cooks; cleaners; and, most important, people who know their way around a bar. A great bartender is sociable, knowledgeable and efficient, but some, like Anson Trahan, a bartender at Lafayette’s Pamplona, take things one step further with their efforts and passion.

Trahan has been with Pamplona since it opened nearly five years ago and has been developing his craft of creating and making cocktails ever since.

Aside from using only the best (often homemade) ingredients, Trahan brings 28

a wealth of knowledge and his own personal flair to every drink.

“I was a creative writing major in college, so I generally start with a story,” Trahan says of his cocktail-making process. “And then I think of each cocktail as a character in the story, and I try to put that character together with their individual parts. The first thing I try to go for is balance. I don’t want it to be overly sweet because, one, I want my customers to be able to have more than one, and two, I just want it to be healthy. It should be a fun experience to taste something new, to taste something you’ve never had before. All said and done, as much as I appreciate my art, my craft here, this is an oasis. Everybody’s going to come to you in their own way. So my main goal is to make people happy.”

For me, Trahan makes the first cocktail he ever created, something he calls a Banshee’s Kiss. He explains the drink in detail as he makes it: He starts with a dry Irish whiskey and then adds a light herbalbased liqueur called Damiana that comes in a bottle shaped like a fertility goddess.

Trahan explains how he came to discover the rare liquid and its whole history; what it pairs with; and how at weddings in the Yucatàn, it’s often a gift given by the mother of the groom to the bride in hopes that it will aid in bearing children. As each ingredient is added, Trahan tells its story and its role in the drink.

He adds lime juice, a touch of sugar and bitters to engage the last part of the tongue; shakes it all up; pours it to the last drop into a short-stemmed glass; and lights the top aflame to make it more aromatic. He blows the quick burst out and shifts any light soot to the side with a sliver of orange peel, which he then places on the rim for garnish.

“I usually tell people that’s what my soul tastes like,” Trahan jokes.

When scouring Acadiana’s bars, you’ll find passionate owners, bartenders and patrons who all have their own stories and reasons as to why they do what they do and go where they go. This is a list of some of those bars where people go. It’s a glimpse, a very small glimpse, of the many places from Houma to Lake Charles that are ready and willing to serve a soulsatisfying cold drink when you need one.

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LUNA BAR & GRILL

LIVE MUSIC BARS The Wild Salmon • Lafayette Tattered dollar bills pinned around a horseshoe bar, a curiously wide-ranging collection of autographed 8-by-10s, tin road signs, old beer posters, college flags and anything else under the sun might be found on or falling off the walls of The Wild Salmon. Shoot a steamy game of pool at the table situated near the kitchen while drinking from a Mason jar and listening to some of the most eclectic live music in town. One night people may be dancing to zydeco and the next shaking the building down to heavy metal. The character-oozing joint is laid-back and caters to any crowd.

Piazza Bar • Thibodaux There are bars that have live music, and there are bars that are made to have live music. Piazza Bar is the latter.

Its polished wood bar wraps around and slightly above the showroom floor.

The lighting scheme creates a tranquil ambiance and complements the rustic

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c brick-and-wood interior. Tables in the showroom are directed toward the small stage where bands and the occasional comedian perform. Daily specials range from all-you-can-eat wings to being allowed to keep your pint glass.

The Boxer & The Barrel • Houma Owner Todd Rowan is committed to live music. With shoulder-length hair and tattoos down his arms, he fits in perfectly with the indie bands that frequently play at his bar. When the mike is open, he’ll even take to the stage himself. The space itself is dimly lit and has a lived-in feel. Scratches on the black wood bar shine through.

The vague doodles and odd initials add character. Original artwork by local artists decorate its walls, and many pieces are also for sale. For late night cravings, Rowan opened The Duke, which adjoins the bar and cooks up heavy bar foods.

Luna Bar & Grill • Lake Charles Known as much for its sandwiches as for its live music, Luna Bar & Grill in Lake Charles also has a wide selection of beers

that go beyond Bud Light and Coors. Luna is situated in downtown Lake Charles and is locally owned and operated by Dave and Nan Evans; Dave does double-duty as the chef, serving up creative seafood-centric Cajun and Creole cuisine. Mondays are open mike night, Wednesdays feature acoustic music, and Fridays and Saturdays have live bands to get the crowd moving.

BURGER BARS Brewski’s • Lafayette “Wild game” normally describes the nail-biting moments patrons watch on the televisions that cover the walls of sports bars, but Brewski’s, working with X-OTIC Burger Joint, brings the wild game to its burgers. Antelope, elk, venison, wild boar and bison are all on the menu, ground and served to order, though, according to owner Kevin Cooper, it’s the boudin burger that has people talking the most. And with 19 beers on tap and a signature Long Island-style “brew juice,” there’s plenty to choose from to wash it all down.

Fat Pat’s • Lafayette After eating at Fat Pat’s, you’ll know why its motto is, “Never trust a skinny cook.”

The family-owned bar and grill sells a couple thousand of their homemade, never-frozen, hand-formed burgers a week, with everything from tartar sauce to peanut butter thrown on top. Daily specials, such as free queso on Friday evenings, are further enticements to visit the otherwise unassuming location at the end of a strip mall. Each booth has its own TV to ensure a good view on game day, as the kitchen heats up and cold beer cools you down.

Field of Dreams • Broussard Last October, brothers Erik and Dustin Stark broke ground on what they felt their home of 12 years desperately needed: a great sports bar. Field of Dreams is situated right off of Highway 90 in Broussard, and the brothers designed every element, from layout to logo. Its spacious interior is decorated with sports memorabilia the two have collected since childhood, and its menu is filled with original family recipes.

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Since opening in May, it’s been whetting the demanding thirsts and appetites of the large concentration of oil field workers and others in the area with its sizable portions of barbecued meats and hard-to-beat burgers, which are seasoned and ground in-house.

DAIQUIRI BARS Dix Daiquiris • Lafayette Only premium alcohols are used to mix daiquiris at Dix. Not surprisingly, their biggest seller, The Dix, is also their strongest concoction. It’s a mixture including Diesel 190, Bacardi Dragon Berry and Bacardi 151. Aside from the “almost famous” daiquiris, Dix offers daily plate lunches and a full menu of food, including duck empanadas and boudin balls. Stop in instead of driving through for Dix’s nightly entertainment, ranging from pay-per-view fighting events to the musical stylings of piano man Hunter deBlanc.

Norm’s Daiquiris • Thibodaux After walking into Norm’s, it might take a second for your eyes to adjust. There’s a lot to take in – it’s full of sights you’d 30

expect in Las Vegas or at a circus. Neon signs in every color, advertising every beer, are everywhere. There are surf boards attached to the bar, model race cars and inflatable doodads hanging from the ceiling, pool tables, arcade games, a jukebox and a life-size stuffed horse.

When you decide to sit down, the daiquiri menu provides plenty of options, as does the selection of poor boys.

Frosty Factory • Lake Charles Frosty Factory has one of the longest bars in Southwest Louisiana. It shouldn’t be surprising, considering that it offers more than 30 different daiquiri flavors, all made with natural juices and premium liquors. Choosing a drink may be a tough decision, but no choice is wrong. Frosty Factory is celebrating 25 years in business and shows no signs of slowing down.

Karaoke is held three nights a weeks, with more than 1,000 songs in every genre to choose from, and every Wednesday night it hosts a comedy show. Pool and shuffleboard tables are also available to occupy the time. The second-story balcony is a particularly nice place to relax and socialize while sipping a drink and enjoying the view.

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c COCKTAIL BARS Jolie’s • Lafayette The farm-to-table mentality doesn’t stop in the kitchen at Jolie’s. Its bar makes what it can, when it can, in-house with locally grown ingredients and a sometimes-labor-intensive attention to detail. Bar manager Tanner DuCote and his staff enjoy experimenting with different flavor profiles, even if that means handpitting 20 pounds of fresh cherries to add the right flair to a seasonal cocktail.

DuCote says he aims to exude beverage knowledge and enjoys the freedom he’s allowed by not being tied to a particular type of cuisine.

Pamplona • Lafayette When your bar’s biggest complaint is that people don’t want to leave, you know you’re doing something right. So says bartender Anson Trahan, who’s been creating cocktails since Pamplona opened nearly five years ago. “Storebought” is not in the vernacular of its bartenders. Every ingredient is unique.

They use spirits not likely to be found in most places, some imported, all picked to complement a cocktail. Juices are freshly

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c squeezed. Sugar is bought from a farmer and often arrives still warm from the mill.

They even carbonate their own water.

Going the extra mile pays off, resulting in truly superior cocktails. Pamplona’s bartenders aren’t just mixing drinks; they’re telling stories.

PUBS MacFarlane’s Celtic Pub • Lake Charles Hardwood floors, deep burgundy walls and a fiery hearth create a warm, inviting atmosphere at MacFarlane’s. It serves more than 140 varieties of beer, each one of which is thoroughly described on the menu. Reading it is like a crash course in beer subtlety. Each style is defined by taste and region, along with alcohol content, which can rise above 10 percent.

Still, they’re not as strong as the 40 varieties of scotch on hand. MacFarlane’s stays true to its Celtic theme in its food menu, as well, offering shepherd’s pie and Scotch eggs in addition to the usual bar foods. “This I’ll Defend” appears on its coat of arms and logo. However, it 32

should maintain its stronghold on the Lake Charles pub market without a fight.

Pilot’s Pub • Lafayette Why not have an aviation-themed pub?

Downstairs is the spacious Fox 2 Room.

In aviation lingo, the term indicates the launch of a guided missile. The room contains pilot memorabilia and keepsakes scattered on the walls. Dogs are welcome inside, though they may not like the loud rock music that’s often played. A slanted ceiling leads the eye upstairs, where the smaller, more intimate Ready Room is located. Here you can get comfortable on a couch and play a game of chess over a drink before taking off.

COLLEGE BARS The Bulldog • Lafayette One dollar. At the right time, it can buy you just about anything at The Bulldog.

On Wednesdays, it’ll buy a burger; on Mondays, it’ll but any well drink or domestic beer. It’s no wonder the frugal college crowd has been packing in for more than 20 years. Drink all of its more

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than 70 beers – hopefully not in one night – and you’ll forever be enshrined as a “big dog,” entitling you to free draft beer on Sundays. It hosts trivia nights and other events to keep people coming back for more. There are few frills – just a few pool tables, TVs, drinks served promptly when you need them and a signature smoky smell that sticks to clothes like glue – but it works.

The Greenroom • Lafayette In a downtown area flooded with vanilla college bars and clubs, The Greenroom offers a different taste. On its aging brick walls are vibrant pieces of original artwork for sale. It’s hip art, often using bold colors and pop culture references. Pool tables lead the way to the back to where the standing shuffleboard tables sit. There are usually a few people dangling what look to be moonshine jugs on their thumbs. They’re called growlers and are filled with beer.

They can be bought and refilled at the bar. Several hard-to-find craft beers are on tap and in coolers, giving the bar a leg up over the competition. ap

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Lost Desserts In search of forgotten recipes by marcelle bienvenu • photographed by eugenia uhl

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“I want the cookies with the dots,” my 5-year-old great-nephew announced.

We were standing in front of the cookie case at a local grocery store. The attendant graciously dropped two of the cookies into a white paper bag and handed it over to J.T. with a smile.

“He always gets the same ones,” she said, laughing.

Clutching his bag, he was happy as we made our way around the store.

I plucked a bag of Pepperidge Farm Milanos (my personal favorite) off the shelf and dropped them in the cart. While we waited for my order in the meat department, J.T. and I discussed our cookies. We agreed that we would enjoy them once we got home to share them with Papa Rock, my husband (who, by

the way, J.T. thinks is my daddy).

Over cookies and cold milk, I explained to J.T. that when I was a youngster, we rarely had store-bought cookies.

“We made little sugar cookies called ti gateau sec. Another great treat, especially for special holidays, were les oreilles de cochon – fried pastries formed in the shape of pigs’ ears and drizzled with cane syrup. Sometimes we made gateau de sirop, a syrup cake that was often served as dessert but also could be Sunday morning breakfast.”

He stared at me with wide brown eyes and then turned to Papa Rock.

“Maybe we could make these sometime,” he suggested.

J.T. is always up for anything. (For example, several months ago, Papa

Rock told him that they could train his chocolate Lab, Cocoa, to talk just like the dog on the Bush’s beans television commercial. J.T. had no reservations and agreed to give Cocoa some speaking lessons.)

J.T. also has the memory of an elephant. A week later he called to ask when we were going to make those pigs’ ears and the “other stuff.”

We settled on a date and invited a couple of his cousins to join us on the appointed day. Everyone was given a task. J.T. and Papa Rock were in charge of rolling out the pastry for the pigs’ ears.

Eli and his sister (known in the family as Sister) were going to tackle the sugar cookies. All of us were going to try our hand at the syrup cake.

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• Combine the butter, mace, nutmeg and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until soft and fluffy.

• Add the eggs, and beat again until thick and smooth. Add the vanilla, and beat again. Add the evaporated milk, and blend.

• In another mixing bowl, sift together the salt, baking powder and flour. Add this mixture to the butter mixture, and stir in one direction until all is incorporated. The dough will be thick and slightly sticky. Form into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour.

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Lightly dust a work surface with flour.

• Divide the dough into two equal portions. Gently pat one portion into a flattened ball, and put it on the flourdusted surface. Gently roll out the dough into a circle about 9 inches in diameter and 1/4-inch thick. Cut the cookies with a 2-inch cookie cutter, and place them on the prepared baking sheet about 1/2 inch apart.

Ti Gateau Sec 1 stick (1/4 pound) butter, at room temperature 1/4 teaspoon mace 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 cup sugar 2 large eggs

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1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/3 cup evaporated milk 1/8 teaspoon salt 3 teaspoons baking powder 3 cups all-purpose flour

• Gather the scrapes, roll it out, and cut more. You should have about 14 cookies per portion of dough. Bake until lightly golden, about 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven, and let cool for about 5 minutes. Then, with a metal spatula, carefully lift the cookies off the pan, and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

• Repeat with the remaining portion of dough. Once the cookies are cooled completely, they can be packed between sheets of wax paper in airtight containers. Makes about 28 cookies.

Now on to the pigs’ ears.

Les Oreilles de Cochon 1 egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

Vegetable oil for deep-frying

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar cane syrup

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup chopped pecans

• Beat the egg until foamy. Add the milk, and blend. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together twice. Add this to the egg mixture, and blend.

• Cut off a small portion of dough about the size of a walnut, and roll it out on a lightly floured board until very thin.

Repeat with the remaining dough.

• Pour about four cups of the vegetable oil into a deep, heavy pot, and heat the oil to 350 degrees. Drop each piece of the rolled-out dough into the hot oil, give each piece a twist with a long-handled fork, and fry until lightly golden. Drain on paper towels.

• Boil the syrup until it forms a soft ball when dropped into cold water, and then drizzle it over the fried pastries.

While the syrup is still warm, scatter the chopped pecans over the pastries.

• Because they are so delicate, I remember my Tante Mae showing me how to gently layer them between sheets of wax paper in cardboard boxes she kept for just such an occasion. Makes 4 to 5 dozen.

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The syrup cake was a favorite of my father’s, and he often requested it on Sunday mornings for breakfast.

He would cut the cake into cubes and submerge them into a bowl of hot café au lait. Mama, on the other hand, liked

to serve little squares of the syrup cake to her lady friends who dropped by for coffee. A bowl of sweet whipped cream was passed around so the ladies could dab a bit on their cake.

As you can imagine, everyone back

Gateau de Sirop

in the old days had her own version of the syrup cake. Mama’s was denser than my Aunt Grace’s, which was moister and richer, made so by the addition of molasses and eggs. Here is Mama’s recipe.

2 tablespoons butter 1 large egg 1 cup pure cane syrup 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup boiling water 1 cup pecan halves Whipped cream

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the butter into a baking pan. Put the pan in the oven just long enough to melt the butter. Remove the pan from the oven, and tilt the pan to spread the butter evenly. Set aside.

• Beat the egg in a large mixing bowl.

Add the syrup and the flour, and mix well to blend. Add the baking soda to the boiling water, and then add the mixture to the syrup-flour mixture. Be careful when adding the baking sodaboiling water mixture as it will bubble.

Pour the batter in the prepared pan; cover the top of the batter with pecan halves; and bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

Serve warm with whipped cream.

Serves 6 to 8.

Papa Rock and I packed each child a bag in which to take their goodies home. I thought everyone was pleased until J.T., when he gave me a goodbye hug, whispered in my ear, “Don’t forget to come get me next week to get some cookies with dots at the grocery store.”

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And Now

a Word From Our Readers

In our August/September and October/November issues, we asked readers to send in some of their favorite lost recipes. We also announced the same on our Web site. Here are some of the best. For their troubles, the winners will each get a $100 gift certificate from Rouses. The response was greater than anticipated. We hope to run some of the other recipes in future issues. Meanwhile, get stirring.

Torte de Vieux Temps 1 block oleo or 1/2 cup Crisco 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 eggs 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 cup milk 4 cups flour

(Good Friday tradition)

Cream the sugar and oleo together. Add the eggs, and beat again. Add the baking powder and vanilla, and beat again. Add the milk and flour, and stir to combine. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Submitted by Anna Elledge of Lafayette

Dot’s Tarte a là Bouille

(Custard Pie)

Custard: 1 large can evaporated milk (reserve can for measuring water) 1 small can evaporated milk (reserve can for measuring water) 1 cup flour 1 cup sugar 4 eggs 1 tablespoon vanilla 1 stick butter Dough: 2 sticks butter 2 cups sugar 5 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 tablespoon baking powder 4 to 6 cups flour Note: This recipe makes three pies. Use

Chocolate Bread

3 cups sugar 3 tablespoons cocoa powder 1 cup evaporated milk 2 tablespoons margarine 16 slices white bread

Submitted by Cindy Roy of Duson In a medium saucepan, mix the sugar and cocoa powder, and then add the milk and margarine. Cook on medium fire, stirring constantly, until the mixture gets to almost the soft-ball stage (235 to 245 degrees on a candy thermometer, or when the syrup forms a soft ball when dropped into very cold water). Lower the heat slightly, and with a fork, carefully dip each slice of bread into the syrup on both sides, coating well.

Do the coating of bread as quickly as possible. Repeat this process until all slices are dipped and well-coated.

Place each slice one on top of the other, but do not stack more than four slices high. You should have a total of four stacks at the end. Then slice stack into fourths to serve. Serve hot or cold.

shallow pie pans and not deep dish.

For the custard: Empty both cans of evaporated milk into a small saucepan, and add one large can of water and 1/2 small can of water to the pan. Heat until it forms a scum on top. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and eggs until smooth, adding some milk if necessary to thin the mixture. Pour the egg mixture into the milk mixture (cooking on stove) slowly, stirring all the while. Cook until thick, stirring rapidly so the mixture won’t get lumpy. Remove from heat. Add the vanilla and butter. Cover. Let cool for 30 to 45 minutes.

For the dough: Cream the butter and sugar.

Add the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla.

Then mix in the dry ingredients. Roll out the dough, and put it in three pie pans, saving some for strips for the tops. Add the custard.

Roll out the remaining dough, and cut strips to place crisscrossed on top of pies. Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes or until browned.

Submitted by Susan Arcement of Thibodaux in memory of her mother, Dorothy “Dot” Gros Arcement of Labadieville ap

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les nouvelles voix d’Acadiana One of our traditions is to occasionally provide profiles as written by ULL journalism students.

Their range of topics is impressive. Here are some bylines of the future.

Jerome Ford o

n any given day, Jerome Ford can be found in his small art studio on Main Street in Opelousas, painting away by lamplight while listening to an array of tunes on the radio.

His drafty studio isn’t much: just four worn brick walls, an assortment of miscellaneous goods and a door. But the magic of Main Street isn’t found in the surroundings of the artist; the magic is in the artist – a warm dark figure, fixed facing the canvas, dampened by sweat and splattered with paint.

“I spend about three hours at a time when I’m here,” Ford says as he dips his brush in a spill of blue atop a makeshift table. He is working on a painting called Darker than Blue – The Story Keepers, a piece inspired by a group of Opelousas women who assemble together every Monday to patch quilts and talk freely amongst themselves.

“Jerome is an artist of detail who incorporates his personal experience and rich Orleans heritage into his eclectic craft,” said Lavonia Malveaux, an admirer of Ford’s work. “His artwork is really explosive; he uses a lot of color.”

Ford holds his brush like a master calligrapher, delicately placing every stroke onto the canvas, breathing life into his creation – a work in progress that is as yet nothing more than a mash of fluorescent greens, blues and yellows.

“I minored in printmaking,” Ford says, “and in

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printmaking, you really don’t know what the end product is going to look like until you get to it. So that’s what I do; I think in layers. The end product isn’t put on until the last layer.”

Much like his painting, Ford’s own life is a blend of intricate layers that play with and complement one another to form an artist who is as unique as his art.

Ford started his art career at Capdau Middle School in New Orleans under the instruction of Richard Thomas, the talented arts program teacher. It had been a longtime dream of Ford’s to participate in the program ever since his years in elementary school.

His yearning for an education in art, coupled with his artistic lineage (Ford is a scion

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| steven hronek photo

and sibling of painters), turned Ford into a pupil eager to learn and to listen.

Thomas was keen on professional training at the college level as well as on encouraging his students to go out and teach art, both of which Ford set out to do.

Ford graduated from LSU in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in studio art with a concentration in drawing.

“I asked one of my classmates what he was going to do when he finished, and with the most serious face, he told me, ‘Work at Walmart,’” Ford recalls.

Devastated by the realization of what a career in art could entail, Ford says he went home and lamented his choices.

The year after graduation, Ford was working as a longshoreman in New Orleans – brutal work. Every day he had to report to the docks by 5 a.m. just for the chance to obtain employment, work a 12-hour shift and then repeat the process the next day. But Ford never relinquished his dream of becoming an artist – and for good reason.

While working as a longshoreman, a friend of Ford’s told him to apply for an art teaching position that wasn’t even open.

However, Ford was hired because of the hardworking reputation of longshoremen.

Soon Ford not only was teaching art but also was back in the studio.

Gradually, his work began achieving acclaim.

“To make it as an artist you have to be

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social,” Ford says. With the selling of pieces to vice presidents of companies such as WWL-TV and Liberty Bank, Ford was becoming a rising star in the art community.

But in August 2005, tragedy struck in the form of Hurricane Katrina, which dealt a punishing blow – not only to New Orleans, Ford’s hometown, but to Ford’s art career, as well.

“It was devastating because I was an up-and-coming artist,” Ford says. “I was meeting people and getting my name out there; it was basically like I was starting over.”

After the storm, Ford moved to Opelousas with his wife, Summer, whom he married three months after the catastrophe, and began picking up the pieces (and paintings) that he lost in the cataclysm.

After being commissioned to paint a mural in Opelousas; working on festival posters; and selling a few pieces to dealers

and buyers, one of whom is Tina Knowles, the mother of singer Beyoncé­, Ford is edging his way back to the pinnacle, all the while mentoring students in the St. Landry Parish talented visual arts program.

“I try to give the kids the same thing that was given to me: a shot at greatness,” Ford says as he applies a hint of crimson to his piece.

Ford doesn’t settle for merely teaching his students painting; he introduces them to a variety of media and encourages them to become sociable. As for Ford, his art career, it seems, has clear skies ahead of it, which he attributes to his faith.

“As an artist, there is no formula for success,” Ford says, “but you had better have some faith in something. Most artists I know have faith. It’d be a scary experience without faith. That’s how I look at life, too. It’s the only formula that works. God. Having faith in God.” ap

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www.acadianaprofile.com | december 2012/january 2013

41

les nouvelles voix d’acadiana

‘‘o

ur biggest fear is not that we are inadequate; our biggest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure,” Tyla Hudspeth, wife of ULL’s head football coach Mark Hudspeth, optimistically proclaimed with a cheerful and upbeat smile. “This is what I believe.”

Tyla Hudspeth’s “powerful beyond measure” was displayed as she ran to the rhythm of her heartbeat’s cadence and the familiar sound of breath mixed with pounding pavement in early 2012 at the inaugural Louisiana Marathon in Baton Rouge. The Louisiana Marathon presented runners with Louisiana’s first multiformat race and drew more than 2,800 runners from 46 states and 12 countries. Participating by running the full 26.2 mile marathon, Hudspeth qualified for the Boston Marathon with a time of 3:38:42, achieving every serious-minded runner’s dream. Her time stood 113th overall out of 637 marathon finishers, accomplishing fourth place in her 25-to-29-year-old age group.

“I used to downplay myself to make other people feel good,” says the onceupon-a-time small-town girl who grew up in a town with one red light, 25 minutes down the road from Florence, Ala. “You owe it to people to be the best you can be.

In high school I actually played certain sports to get out of running. If you played softball, you didn’t have to run. We didn’t have a track because Lauderdale County High was so small. I hated running. I thought about it all year and dreaded it.”

Hudspeth ran her first 5K at the urging of a college girlfriend and placed first within her age group.

“I won by default!” Hudspeth admits. “I didn’t know until the results came out in the newspaper [that] there was no second or third place listed as I was the only one in my age group running.”

But even though the competition wasn’t stiff, running and winning this 35-minute 5K by default is what Hudspeth claims gave her the needed boost of confidence to actually begin running races.

“I thought, ‘Man … I like this,’” she

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Tyla HUDSPETH by linda allen

recalls effervescently. “I even got a trophy!”

She then began her first attempt at training for a 13.1-mile half-marathon.

Hudspeth displays gentle humility as she shares her previous lack of knowledge in the training required for running such long distances.

“Back then we ran 4 miles one day; then we went and ran the entire half-marathon,” Hudspeth sheepishly whispers as she notices Jessica Russo, her current Lafayette running trainer and friend, walk briskly into the room to join in the interview.

“She’s definitely hilarious,” Russo says, teasingly. “Her past training method paralleled the Nike ad – just do it!”

“Well, I didn’t think I could stop,” Hudspeth counters. “I thought if you said you were going to run a half-marathon, you had to run it – you know, no walking allowed. So I ran it without stopping, at a 12-minute-per-mile pace in two hours and 40 minutes.”

The two runners burst out laughing, suggesting that there may be past training mistakes better kept secret.

december 2012/january 2013 | www.acadianaprofile.com

| steven hronek photo

What one word could be used to describe Hudspeth? “‘Adventurous,’” Russo says with a gleam in her eye that reflects a kindred spirit only this breed of runners can identify.

Russo and Hudspeth met and planned their first run together on a return flight from Memphis to Lafayette. This maiden voyage consisted of a mere 5-mile run, stopping three times for Hudspeth to recuperate.

“Jess had never mentioned how fast she was or how many marathons she had run; real runners don’t,” Hudspeth says.

“She slowed down for me, and it was then that I realized she was legit and I was a wannabe. If I wanted to be friends with her, I knew I needed to keep up.”

Russo set out to help Hudspeth train for the Las Vegas Marathon.

“It was love at first flight,” coach Mark Hudspeth says, laughing, as he describes his wife and Russo’s running friendship.

“Anyone who will drive and meet you outside your front door at 4 a.m. is a friend,” Hudspeth says.

Russo is quick to add: “I wasn’t running much when we met, just with guys, you know, and they are different. Everything she is saying helped me. As much as it was a blessing for her, it was for me.”

The two runners agree that working through the pain of an arduous early morning long run can be a beneficial social time, as well. Rising before the duties of dawn, these women share a great deal more than the athletic physiques achieved by training for marathons.

“I don’t enjoy running by myself, and I love getting to know people,” Hudspeth says. “Moving often as we do, those long hours running help you know who your real friends are as we talk about our goals and dreams, the good and painful real points of life, rather than just quick chats over coffee.”

Waking up and running three hours in the middle of the night would seem to be a sacrifice.

“Not so,” Hudspeth says. “I always tell myself that if it’s important to you, you

will make the time. If it is not, you will make an excuse. I used to make excuses like ‘I have to get my child up’ or ‘I have a doctor’s appointment,’ but there is nothing to do at 4 in the morning! “‘Wake up today,’ I tell myself. Today is the only day I have control of, and I am going to go out and train hard, and that’s all I’m going to worry about. Then tomorrow, I’ll do it again.”

Hudspeth says her strategy is to take training as she takes life: one day at a time.

Although Hudspeth says she never thought it possible that she would run the entire 26.2 miles that a full marathon requires, she now says: “I’ve learned to quit saying, ‘I’ll never do this’ or ‘I’ll never do that’ because it seems within a year I’ve checked those things off of my bucket list.

After I met Mark, I really began running.

He is the kind of person who will make you run through a wall. He will make you think you are going to win the marathon.”

The next goal on Hudspeth’s bucket

list is a figure competition, a class of physique-exhibition events for women emphasizing muscle tone over muscle size.

Unlike the beginning of her running days, Hudspeth has been training intensely for this competition with ULL’s head strength and conditioning coach Rusty Whitt.

“Twelve weeks before the competition date, you start this crazy diet cutting sodium and eating certain foods at specific times,” Hudspeth says. “It’s a mental thing like everything else, and I’ll mentally have to push away the Lucky Charms cereal.

“Mark is already telling me: ‘You’re going to win! You’re going to win! You’re going to be that girl that comes up from behind!’” she says with an enthusiastic smile.

It appears Boston will not be the only “road less traveled” for Hudspeth as she vigorously charts new goals to accomplish on her bucket list.

“What can I say?” she asks in jest as a mischievous grin rises across her face.

“The spark has been lit!” ap

www.acadianaprofile.com | december 2012/january 2013

43

les nouvelles voix d’acadiana

THE ST. JULIEN HOUSE by elizabeth rose

T

he St. Julien House in Broussard is one of the few establishments on the National Register for Historic Places whose regular patrons are almost as old as the house itself.

Placed on the National Register in 1983 and now known as La Belle Maison Senior Center, the home was built by the widowed Marguerite Roy St. Julien in 1910 to be next door to her daughter, Mrs. Edmond Comeaux. The Comeaux home has since become Nash’s Restaurant and is also on the National Register. The St. Julien family merged through marriage with the Billeaud family and became Broussard’s elite.

“Well, I used to play here with the little girl [in the Billeaud family] – she was in my class at school, Marian Billeaud,” reminisces Agnes Girouard, 90, rounding her vowels in a true Cajun fashion. “They

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| steven hronek photo

had a large family – don’t know how many boys and one girl – a lot of boys.

They had lost a baby, too. I remember that. Doodle, Johnny, Jimmy, Raymond, Emile, George. There was a George,” she adds with confidence.

As she sits on the enclosed wraparound porch, chatting with six other women and swapping stories about the house, Girouard, and Louise Garfield, also 90, two of the center’s eldest visitors, recall visiting the house when they were girls.

“I knew this house when there was someone living in it,” says an enthused Garfield, who settled in Broussard in the 1930s. “It was a very small house, and the Billeauds sold it to this friend of mine, and we did Girl Scouts together. It was wonderful.

“She bought it for $10,000, and then the

december 2012/january 2013 | www.acadianaprofile.com

restaurant came over to make it, and then they gave her $110,000 for it!” she says, laughing. “So everybody got sick about that.”

The smell of coffee wafts from their petite foam cups. Vintage photographs of Parkerson Avenue circa 1914 hang above the percolator.

“When they [the Billeauds] had their family reunion over here, they brought an old projector in black and white and showed me pictures of the home,” says Bit Owens, 74, who has worked at the center for 18 years as site manager and the sole full-time employee. “It was gorgeous.

I guess they sold it when the kids grew up.

It wasn’t for lack of money; that’s for sure.”

Owens arrives at La Belle Maison, located at 203 E. Second St., every morning and compiles 32 Meals on Wheels for delivery to homebound senior citizens. The home hosts about 30 people 60 and older for lunch Monday through Thursday after a morning of exercising and playing bingo or pokeno.

“On Fridays, we call it our dead day,” Owens says. “This is when all the seniors go get their hair fixed to make their weekend look nice.”

“O-21!” echoes through the closed-in back porch, which has windows spanning three walls. Women perched at tables covered with bingo boards do not break for lunch until someone yells “Bingo!”

Today, lunch is smoked sausage and gravy, delivered by Bateman Food & Nutrition, which caters for both in-house and Meals on Wheels lunches.

As the lunch bell chimes through the

house, the hoary crowd shuffles over to the kitchen bar, appetites at the ready, across original oak floors slick from years of traffic that meet the oak paneling on all walls. The bottom floor boasts 5,000 square feet of former bedrooms converted into social spaces, one with an oak bar with inlaid taupe tile. White lace curtains veil the windows while the hand-carved fireplaces sit unused.

The front porch’s windows, a substitute for the fresh air that once billowed through, are shielded from the sun by forest-green awnings blackened by weather.

The paneled walls in the former living room, now the entryway, were recently painted an off-white color deemed “candlelight” and are complemented by chocolate-brown door frames reaching up to the 12-foot ceilings. The door to each of the four former bedrooms boasts its own stained-glass window above it, a

yellow rose on each. In the double-wide door frame separating the closed-in porch from the entryway, two stained-glass roses intertwine stems as light beams through to illuminate the dark flooring.

Each former bedroom has a forest-green carpet with cream diamonds, matching the awnings and sidings outside. From the front, the house is symmetrical – the roof peaks to two dormers filled with stained glass that frame the balcony. Directly below is the staircase, where white shoe prints from the recent paint job wander across the steps.

The majority of changes to the home occurred when it was converted into the Broussard Steak House in 1977, something else Girouard remembers.

“We came, our class,” she says. “We had our class reunion – we came twice over here. Every year we would get together at the restaurant.”

Girouard returned more frequently, often with her sister, once the home was donated to the Lafayette Council on Aging in 1986 and became La Belle Maison.

“I’d come, and we’d do some ceramics,” she recalls. “My oldest sister would come and eat, but we wouldn’t eat – we would leave. But then we started coming to exercise here, and I didn’t eat either because I didn’t want to stay here all morning, you know? But now I exercise at home and I come here.”

To afford to keep the house running, La Belle Maison’s regulars hold an annual quilt fundraiser as well as rent the home out for meetings, showers and weddings on evenings and weekends.

“It’s just amazing – I was just thinking about it the other day,” Garfield says. “I was just thinking about how I’ve been here so long. I can’t believe that I’m 80 years old – 90 years old! That’s nutty, isn’t it?” ap

www.acadianaprofile.com | december 2012/january 2013

45

les nouvelles voix d’acadiana

STELLY’S SUPERMARKET by markel guidry

S

| steven hronek photo

telly’s Supermarket is more than just a grocery store and restaurant; it’s a cache of historical keepsakes and an ex-officio community civic center.

“There’s some interesting stuff in every

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community that you can find out,” says James Mayberry, local butcher and employee of Stelly’s Supermarket, and for the tiny St. Landry Parish town of Lebeau, Stelly’s is about the only place to experience it.

december 2012/january 2013 | www.acadianaprofile.com

Step inside Stelly’s restaurant, and become entranced by the wafting aromas exiting the kitchen similar to those of Granny’s own kitchen: warm coffee and fried foods. Customers or curious visitors might take a seat at the dark-green bar near the pie case or in the dining area.

However, it doesn’t matter where they sit because wherever they choose, they will be greeted with quintessential Southern hospitality and be surrounded by at least two dozen historical artifacts.

The very walls of the place house a visual record of its history: sketches of Stelly’s in the 1920s; black-and-white photos of Stelly’s in the ‘50s, selling two types of gasoline: Texaco and Shell; and even a grainy gray photograph of Stelly’s under water in 1927.

There are more than the 2-dimensional snapshots of yesteryear. Look around, and find an old-time slot machine housed in a glass case near the door; a wooden telephone booth with sliding doors that moan when slid; a candy cane barber’s pole fixed to the wall; and a plethora of stuffed critters or their heads, ranging from deer to alligator, donated to the store by local hunters.

Established in 1920, the petite groceryrestaurant combo is still somewhat of a haven on the barren strip of Highway 71 between Krotz Springs and Bunkie.

In fact, because of the construction of Highway 71 in 1926, Stelly’s became the highlight of the pint-size town, catering to such luminaries as Gov. Huey P. Long; Cat Doucet, sheriff of St. Landry Parish; country music stars Conway Twitty and Mel Tillis; and a variety of locals, soldiers and travelers.

A bus route used to stop at Stelly’s up until 1985, bringing people from all across America to the humble store.

“Just about anybody in the state that has come here and knows where Lebeau is [it is] because of the business,” boasts Joel Stelly, third-generation owner of the grocery half of the store and the grandson of now-deceased Bernard Stelly, the original owner.

Stelly’s has passed through the hands of three generations: Bernard Stelly and her husband in 1920; Eli Stelly, Eddie Stelly and Russell Huguet, their two sons and son-in-law, up until 1974; and now Eddie Ray Stelly, Joel Stelly and Mike Pilgreen, the grandsons.

Not much has changed with the changing of hands, just the moving of the old building behind the existing one in 1950 and the expansion of the store in 1960, but what has changed is the volume of people.

“It’s not like it used to be since the highway [Interstate 49] came in,” reads a feature article pinned to the wall next to the bar about Ledee Marks – then 67 years old, now 88 and still busing tables after 62 years. “We ain’t busy anymore.”

In its heyday, Stelly’s was bustling with soldiers during World War II who used

to bunk for free in sleeping quarters in a now-nonexistent upstairs. People from a variety of backgrounds and dispositions were attracted to the slot machines, devices that made the Stelly family a small fortune, and locals would come for palatepleasing plates and cozy camaraderie, something they still do today.

However, the roughly 150 locals depend on Stelly’s for more than just meeting and eating.

Mild-mannered, gold-hearted Joel does more than run the grocery side of the store – the only one for miles around. He operates a miniature money institution, cashing checks for the local community from anywhere as far as Palmetto, Lemoine, Morrow, Bunkie and even Opelousas. Stelly’s has also employed a sizeable number of the local population at one time or another.

“I bet they have had 1,000 employees,” estimates Denise Darbonne, Joel’s sister.

“I’m not kiddin’; I ain’t lying.”

In a sense, Stelly’s has become a type of community stronghold that the people of Lebeau have come to depend on to provide a number of their needs.

“If we weren’t here, I tell you, I wouldn’t know what Lebeau would be,” Joel says.

“One slogan [we had] for years: ‘Stelly’s – where everyone meets.’ I just don’t know what Lebeau would become if we weren’t here. Everyone just depends on meeting here [and] eating here.”

Joel isn’t the only one who believes Lebeau wouldn’t be much more than a speck on the map without the store.

Dale Jensonne, a local customer of Stelly’s, admits: “It wouldn’t be nothing here. It would just be a crossroad.” ap

www.acadianaprofile.com | december 2012/january 2013

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december 2012/january 2013 | www.acadianaprofile.com

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www.acadianaprofile.com | december 2012/january 2013

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personnes d’acadiana

As she speaks of humble beginnings – or tries to speak of humble beginnings, anyway – Glenda Broussard’s voice gets lost amongst the unpleasantness of what sounds like her shirt sleeve rubbing against the phone’s receiver.

Making matters more indistinguishable, there’s a bunch of metal clanging in the background. And if you listen hard, you can faintly hear two other female voices – most likely Broussard’s daughters, Kasie and Kayla Rossyion – contributing to the scattered culinary symphony that is Glenda’s Creole Kitchen.

It’s early Tuesday morning, too early for a ruckus. All this noise – it doesn’t quite jibe with the sleepy setting surrounding the restaurant. As Broussard says herself, Glenda’s Creole Kitchen is located “on a country road in a country area with fields to the front and the side of me.”

“What’s going on?” Broussard repeats before laughing. “I’m cooking, of course.

I got my hands on some smothered chicken. We also got smothered okra with chicken and sausage. Let’s see … stuffed turkey wings, smothered pork chops. It’s all got to be done by 10:30 [a.m.], it’s all from scratch, and we never skip on the love when we cook, so I’m busy right now.

The Keebler Elves don’t come in and make everything. I have to cook it.”

It’s been like that for the past 12 years, ever since Broussard rustled up the courage to stick her ladle in Acadiana’s saturated plate-lunch scene. Originally, Glenda’s Creole Kitchen opened as a drive-thru-only service but now houses a bustling dining area.

“You got picnic tables outside, too,” Broussard adds, “and the whole place

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A Family Meal With the assistance of her two daughters, Glenda Broussard of Breaux Bridge cooks plate lunches for the common man and culinary stars alike. by william kalec just reminds you of the good ol’ days.

Remember those? Seemed like everything went well back then. You didn’t have the troubles you do today. I like to think I cook like it’s the good ol’ days – things were good; food was good.”

Today, a fiercely loyal group of regulars

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congregate for the lunch hour (a liberally timed “hour,” Broussard explains), dining on such staples as smothered okra with crabmeat and shrimp on Fridays and stuffed pork roast on the weekends.

But thanks to a couple of recent cable TV appearances, Broussard and the

craig mulcahy photograph

www.acadianaprofile.com | december 2012/january 2013

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personnes d’acadiana

“I want to make you feel like you’re at Grandma’s house.”

Creole Kitchen gang have gladly fed some unfamiliar faces from unfamiliar places – as far away as Russia. In August 2012, Glenda’s Creole Kitchen was featured in a segment of Anthony Bourdain’s Travel Channel hit show No Reservations.

Two months later, chef G. Garvin of the Cooking Channel brought a camera crew to Breaux Bridge for the show Road Trip.

“You talk about nervous,” Broussard says. “I’m a small business. I’m not a bigwig, so I was concerned how they’d respond to the food. I thought Anthony would be like, ‘What’s this little hole in the wall place?’ But he wasn’t like that. He made me feel like royalty.

“He took his first bite and just said, ‘Wow, this is the gravy of the gods.’ I was too relieved, but once that passed, that small compliment really touched my heart.”

Once a dispatcher for the St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office, Broussard worked within the tight confines of a single mother’s budget and saved money by bringing her own lunch from home

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rather than eating out. In time, an audience gathered in the break room every time she peeled back the foil or opened a Tupperware lid. A couple of co-workers paid Broussard to bring in an extra plate or two. Soon she was feeding the entire department.

“It got to the point that I was bringing in so many plates that I said: ‘I can’t fit all of these plates in my car. They need to come to me.’”

Broussard’s passion for cooking blossomed when she was about 8 or 9 years old, she guesses. Her grandmother cooked, and Broussard recalls being able to tell what was on the stove simply by the smells wafting from it. Almost every day after school, Broussard stood next to her grandmother’s hip, absorbing culinary intricacies and secrets you can’t read in a cookbook. Grandmother rarely measured but never leaned on shortcuts – a rule Broussard took as gospel as she doesn’t use any pre- or partially prepared ingredients in her restaurant dishes.

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“To this day, I can taste something and go back to my kitchen and cook that same dish I tasted without a recipe,” Broussard says. “It just becomes a part of you. It’s a personal experience, a sense of yourself.

And when I feed you, it’s a personal experience. What I do might take a little bit longer, but it tastes better.”

Given the swelling popularity of Glenda’s Creole Kitchen, Broussard has pondered expansion on more than one occasion, only to pass on the idea. Yeah, it might bring in additional income, but it wouldn’t be the same, she claims. It would be the same ingredients and the same recipes, sure. But it wouldn’t taste the same. It wouldn’t feel the same.

“I want to make you feel like you’re at Grandma’s house,” Broussard says.

“Come here, and eat, and stay, and talk if you don’t have to go back to work. They’ll come in and call me Tante Glenda, so they view me as part of their family, and they’re part of my family.” ap

craig mulcahy photograph

www.acadianaprofile.com | december 2012/january 2013

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Acme Taco 1605 N. University Ave., Lafayette 337/534-4749 acme-taco.com

sur le menu

Taco Sisters’ Fish Taco

Taco Well Acadiana may not be best-known for its Mexican food, but when a taco craving hits, there are plenty of great places to satisfy it.

By Jan Risher 58

december 2012/january 2013 | www.acadianaprofile.com

Acme Taco serves tacos of a grand variety. It also serves other Mexican dishes, including a wonderful complementary fresh salsa and albòndigas, a meatball-and-beef broth soup, but Acme Taco is, as its tag line says, “not your typical Mexican.”

The restaurant doesn’t look Mexican.

And most of the tacos don’t taste Mexican, but that doesn’t mean they’re not delicious.

Claire Lowry, a self-described finicky eater and Lafayette resident, says she was warned that it wasn’t a traditional Mexican restaurant before she went the first time.

“So I went in with an open mind about finding something I would like,” she says. “And indeed, I actually loved everything I have ever ordered – and what the rest of my party ordered, too.

At Acme, you can’t not share what you order. That would be selfish.”

Lowry admits that she can never remember the names of what she orders because “nothing is just tacos or enchiladas or carne asada. You have to read the descriptions on the menu to understand and appreciate the dishes,” she says. “[It’s] highly recommended – two thumbs up, five stars and a fist bump!”

In the range of tacos Acme Taco offers, here is a sample of the menu items to illustrate Lowry’s point: OMFG! (Oh My Fried Goodness!): Corn tortilla, lettuce, tomato and cheddar cheese deep fried in the shell. With a choice of: carnitas, chicken or shredded beef.

Buffalo: Flour tortilla, buffalo sauce, blue cheese crumbles and celery. With a choice of: chicken, shrimp, crawfish or crunchy fried portobello mushroom.

Southern: Flour tortilla, pepper jack cheese, grilled pineapple and grilled jalapeno, barbecue sauce. With a choice of: carnitas, chicken, shredded beef, steak or portobello mushroom.

Even the décor at Acme Taco is unexpectedly chic. Once inside the nondescript building near the interstate,

Store made ready to cook boneless stuffed turkey rolls and fryers.

Stuffings available are cornbread dressing, pork sausage, shrimp with rice, broccoli and cheese (just to name a few).

www.acadianaprofile.com | december 2012/january 2013

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sur le menu

A selection from Acme Taco

customers find lime-green walls with aluminum wainscoting and interesting architectural details, making the place visually vibrant.

Lowry says, “Everything from the food to décor to the owner taking time to talk to you have made Acme Taco one of my favorite restaurants in Lafayette.”

Malarie Zaunbrecher of Abbeville says she approached dining at Acme Taco with some trepidation.

“I was apprehensive about an Americanized spinoff Mexican experience,” she says. However, after giving the restaurant a try, she decided that, for her, “the food was perfectly balanced between cultures.”

She also appreciated the large selection of entrées for her vegetarian friends and agrees with Lowry that the service has just the right amount of personality and pizzazz – combined with food that lives up to the service.

Taqueria Mi Casita 353 S. Van Ave., Houma 985/262-4251 If you’re in Houma and looking for a 60

good, authentic taco – or good, authentic Mexican food in general – try Taqueria Mi Casita. This place is so authentic that finding someone who works there and speaks English is impossible on most days.

They’ve got an array of tacos, including tripas (tripe) and lengua (tongue), but the most popular taco is the fajita taco.

Monteserrat Flores of Houma, a Taqueria Mi Casita regular, believes the restaurant’s simplicity is at the core of its success.

“It’s simple and almost no one here speaks English, but there are a lot of American customers because the food is good,” she says. “It’s homemade – and I pretty much like everything.”

The owners previously ran Taqueria Guzman in Houma for three years, but in August, they changed the name and added items to the menu, and Taqueria Mi Casita was born.

The small restaurant is gaining in popularity, not only with the local Hispanic population but also with foodies looking for some of the best tacos and most authentic Mexican food in the area.

Taco Sisters 407 Johnston St., Lafayette (337) 234-TACO (8226) tacosisters.com Nearly four years ago, Molly Richard and her sister, Katy, decided to stop talking about how badly they wanted to open a restaurant and just do it.

“We’ve been talking about this for 20 years,” Katy says. “We love to feed people.

We make our food with love.”

december 2012/january 2013 | www.acadianaprofile.com

They settled upon creating smoked fish tacos and salads, plus a brisket burrito – a simple combination that has become legendary. With a giant smoker steadily puffing away on the small back porch at the back of the drive-thru and lots of picnic tables amidst beautiful flower beds, the sisters have been successfully serving up tacos, salads and burritos for a while now. And many people are hooked.

“The food is simple and delicious,” says Wendy Begnaud, a Taco Sisters devotee.

“They don’t mask the ingredients. They let the freshness and ripest tastes of the season shine through. Secondly, they genuinely love what they do and care about their customers. The sisters and their staff engage you when you order and, even when incredibly busy, serve with a smile.”

Begnaud says she dreads fall and the hiatus of the Fiesta Summer Salad, but on the bright side, she believes Taco Sisters’ chicken chili soothes the soul. The steady and ever-present line of cars at Taco Sisters demonstrates that Begnaud is not alone in her “gotta have it” attitude about the California-inspired fish tacos made by two Cajun sisters.

Matt Jones, another loyal Taco Sisters customer from Lafayette, agrees. “The brisket taco is outstanding,” he says. “The sauce is terrific.”

However, it’s the smoked fish taco that is the restaurant’s signature item, according to Molly.

“If you haven’t tried it, you’ve never tasted anything like it,” she says. “We’re not pretending to be Mexican, but that’s what it is – it’s a taco.”

Katy says the fish taco pays proper homage to its creators’ Cajun roots with just enough heat.

Both of the Richard sisters left very different lives to make their dream a reality and manage the restaurant together.

Katy returned to Acadiana after 24 years in New Hampshire, and Molly left her post as longtime publisher of Lafayette’s successful Quik Quarter publication in 2008. Together, they re-invented their lives – and in the process gave the folks in Lafayette another food tradition. ap

www.acadianaprofile.com | december 2012/january 2013

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visiter

Around Acadiana: Gatherings, carnivals and activities around Acadiana ONGOING (Tuesdays & Saturdays). Teche Area Farmer’s Market. Bouligny Plaza, New Iberia. 337/256-4971.

(Tuesdays) Cash & Carry Farmers Market. 801 Enterprise Blvd., Lake Charles.

(Thursdays) Ride, Run & Rukus. The Porch Coffee House, Lake Charles. 337/564-5769.

(Saturdays) Rendez-Vous des Cajuns. Liberty Theater, Eunice. 337/457-7389.

(Saturdays) Old Fashioned Fais-do-do Barn Dance. Lakeview RV Park, Eunice. 337/457-2881.

(Saturdays) Bayou Teche Market. New Market Street, St. Martinville. 337/394-2230.

(Sundays) TECHE THEATER presents Sunday Sessions. St. Martinville. 877/565-1797.

DECEMBER

1 Delcambre Holiday Gumbo Cook-off. Delcambre Shrimp Festival Grounds, Delcambre.

337/658-2422.

Les Nuits Noel. Sunset. info@cajuntravel.com.

20th Annual Christmas Shopping Extravaganza. Crowley. 337/783-9076.

Le Feu et l’Eau Rural Arts Celebration. Arnaudville. 337/453-3307.

Lockport Christmas Parade. Lockport. 985/537-3300.

Noel Acadien au Village

Christmasfest. Thibodaux. 985/446-1187.

1-23 Noel Acadien au Village. Acadian Village, Lafayette. 337/981-2364.

1-30 Christmas Show and Sale. Downtown Art Gallery 630, Houma. 985/851-2198.

1-31 Becoming Louisiana: Path to Statehood Exhibit. Opelousas Museum and Interpretive Center, Opelousas. 337/948-2589.

3-31 Shadows Merry Making Season. Shadows-on-the-Teche, New Iberia. 337/369-6446.

6 14th Annual Christmas Stroll. Downtown Abbeville. 337/898-6600.

6-7 Eunice Choir and Concert Band. Liberty Theater, Eunice. 337/457-1776.

6-8 Kaplan Area Spirit of Christmas. Downtown Kaplan. 337/898-6600.

7 Pearl Harbor Day Memorial Ceremony. Bouligny Plaza, New Iberia. 337/365-1428.

Once Upon a Cajun Christmas Parade. Downtown, Houma. 985/873-6408.

Lockport Christmas Parade

8 Yuletide on the Bayou. Bouligny Plaza, New Iberia. 337/369-2330.

Delcambre Christmas Boat Parade. North Pier Marina, Delcambre. 337/658-2422.

Christmas in the Park. Downtown Gueydan. 337/536-6140.

Breakfast With Santa. Vanderbilt Catholic High School cafeteria, Houma. 985/879-3465.

9 Delcambre Christmas on the Bayou. Main Street, Delcambre. 337/519-2541.

St. Lucy Festival of Light and Christmas Parade. St. Martin de Tours Church Square, St. Martinville. 337/394-2233.

Magic on Main. Shadows-on-the-Teche, New Iberia. 337/369-6446.

13 Mulberry Elementary School’s Annual Christmas Extravaganza. Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center, Houma. 985/872-5328.

15 Christmas Concert by Houma-Terrebonne Community Band. Southland Mall Shopping Center, Houma. 985/637-3894.

Ala Bayou Terrebonne Christmas Boat Parade. Bayou Terrebonne. 985/594-2125.

Children’s Christmas Parade. Houma. 985/563-4112.

Disney Live! Mickey’s Music Festival

21 Disney Live! Mickey’s Music Festival. Cajundome, Lafayette. 337/265-2100.

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31 Thibodaux New Year’s Eve Party. Warren J. Harang Jr. Municipal Auditorium, Thibodaux.

985/446-7260.

december 2012/january 2013 | www.acadianaprofile.com

JANUARY

4-5 Louisiana IceGators vs. Fayetteville FireAntz. Cajundome, Lafayette. 337/704-4423.

4-6 14th Annual Southern Louisiana Boat, Sport & RV Show. Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center, Houma. 985/850-4657.

5 The MET: Berlioz’s Les Troyens. Acadiana Center for the Arts, Lafayette. 337/233-7060.

6 12th Night Rendezvous. Plantation Inn, Houma. 985/868-0500.

8 Broadway Series: STOMP. 1373 College Road, Lafayette. 337/291-5555.

8 The Backyard Series. Vermilionville Performance Center, Lafayette. 337/482-1320.

10 University of Lafayette Men’s Basketball vs. South Alabama. Cajundome, Lafayette. 337/8512011.

11 Louisiana IceGators vs. Pensacola Ice Flyers. Cajundome, Lafayette. 337/704-4423.

11-20 Tuesdays With Morrie. ACTS Theatre, Lake Charles. 337/433-2287.

12 University of Lafayette Men’s Basketball vs. Arkansas State. Cajundome, Lafayette. 337/8512011.

IceGators

Krewe of Aphrodite Tableau and Ball. Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center, Houma. 985/879-3269.

13th Annual Chili Cookoff. Terrebonne Livestock & Agricultural Building, Houma Air Base, Houma. 985/851-6977.

2nd Saturday ArtWalk. Downtown Lafayette. DowntownLafayette.org.

12-13 Home Show 2013. Lake Charles Civic Center, Lake Charles. 337/478-7893.

17 A Night at the Museum. Bayou Teche Museum, New Iberia. 337/606-5977.

Thibodaux Chamber of Commerce Banquet. Warren J. Harang Jr. Municipal Auditorium, Thibodaux. 985/446-7260.

19 Krewe of Ambrosia Tableau & Ball. Warren J. Harang Jr. Municipal Auditorium, Thibodaux.

985/446-7260.

The MET: Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda. Acadiana Center for the Arts, Lafayette. 337/233-7060.

Broadway Series: West Side Story

Aquarius Tableau & Ball. Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center, Houma. 888/948-1355.

21 Broadway Series: West Side Story. 1373 College Road, Lafayette. 337/291-5555.

22 AllStars Series: Los Lobos Acoustic “En Vivo.” Acadiana Center for the Arts, Lafayette.

337/233-7060.

Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet. Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center, Houma. 985/876-5600.

23 PASA Presents: Moulin Rouge – The Ballet. Heymann Performing Arts Center, Lafayette.

337/291-5555.

23-27 Eighth Cinema on the Bayou Film Festival. Acadiana Center for the Arts, LITE, Pack and Paddle and Lafayette Parish Library, Lafayette. 337/235-7845.

24 University of Louisiana Lafayette Men’s Basketball Florida International University. Cajundome, Lafayette. 337/851-2011.

Exposed Festival’s WinTour 2013 featuring Ionia and Saint Diablo. The Station, Broussard.

337/839-2920.

ULL Men’s Basketball

25 Krewe des Chiens People Ball. River Oaks, Lafayette. 337/501-7693.

Louisiana IceGators vs. Pensacola Ice Flyers. Cajundome, Lafayette. 337/704-4423.

26 CALMEX 27. Managan Center, Westlake. 337/244-9938.

Krewe of Ambrosia Mambo. Warren J. Harang Jr. Municipal Auditorium, Thibodaux. 985/4467260.

Krewe of Hercules Tableaux and Ball. Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center, Houma. 985/876-5877.

Rodeo. Houma Air Base Arena, Houma. 985/868-3484.

27 AllStars Series: Travis Tritt – Solo & Unplugged. Acadiana Center for the Arts, Lafayette.

337/233-7060.

30 Joel Savoy’s Honky Tonk Merry-Go-Round. Central School Theater, Lake Charles. 337/2337060.

31 University of Louisiana Lafayette Men’s Basketball vs. North Texas. Cajundome, Lafayette.

337/851-2011. ap

Moulin Rouge – The Ballet

don’t see your event? see page 5 for submission information. www.acadianaprofile.com | december 2012/january 2013

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en français, s’il vous plaît

Pour toute sa célébrité, ses origines restent aussi obscures et épaisses que le gombo même. En français louisianais, le mot désigne deux choses : la soupe et

Le Gombo par david cheramie

Pour un état avec une réputation bien méritée pour une cuisine diverse et extraordinaire, il semblerait logique que la compétition pour nommer notre plat national soit rude. Rien qu’avec l’énorme variété d’ingrédients – les gibiers comme le canard, le chevreuil ou la dinde; les fruits de mer comme la chevrette, la crabe, l’huître ou plusieurs espèces de poisson; les fruits tels la plaquemine, le melon français ou la pomme de mai; les légumes comme la brème, la ciblème ou le giraumon; les graines comme le riz et le maïs; et bien sûr les animaux domestiques et exotiques comme la poule et le cocodrie, le cochon et le poisson armé, ou la vache et le ouaouaron – on peut imaginer et créer des centaines de recettes. Néanmoins, parmi tous les plats qu’on peut cuisiner, le jambalaya, le ragoût, la bisque, l’étouffée, le far, le boudin, la daube, la panse bourrée, le maque choux, … (enfin, vous avez compris l’idée), il n’y en a qu’un qui mérite le titre de plat national par excellence des Cadiens et Créoles de la Louisiane : le gombo!

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un légume que les Français appellent la corne grecque et les Américains l’okra.

Le nom est d’origine africaine, peut-être du bantou ou plus probablement du bambara. Et pour compliquer la chose, on peut faire du gombo avec des gombos.

Dans ce cas-là, on l’appelle du gombo févi, févi étant un autre mot africain pour gombo. Les premières références historiques au gombo qu’on peut trouver datent de l’Achat de la Louisiane au début du 19è siècle. Auparavant, les Acadiens d’avant le Grand Dérangement préféraient une soupe de la Toussaint, faite avec des navets, des choux et parfois du porc. Aussi, les réfugiés de Saint-Domingue ont amené un plat similaire fait avec des gombos, le calalou.

Heureusement pour nous, les Acadiens ont rencontré les Africains et les Haïtiens en Louisiane. Avant que la réfrigération ne soit la norme, le gombo aux fruits de mer, ou gombo de marécage comme on dit chez nous, était plutôt rare, surtout

loin des côtes. Le gombo de poule, cuisiné de mille façons différentes, se trouve sur toutes les tables depuis avant la Guerre des Confédérés.

Le gombo joue un rôle central dans un des rites le plus emblématique dans l’Acadiana des prairies, le courir de Mardi Gras. Selon le professeur Barry Jean Ancelet, il y a plus d’une vingtaine de courses, chacune avec ses propres coutumes et chansons. Elles ont néanmoins quelques éléments en communs : les coureurs masqués, le capitaine non-masqué brandissant un fouet, de l’alcool et de la musique bien sûr, mais surtout un but précis. Les Mardi Gras ont une mission presque divine : collecter les ingrédients nécessaires pour le gombo communal. Arrivant à la fin de l’hiver et avant la saison maigre du Carême, la cuisson du gombo revête un symbolisme de solidarité et de survivance. De ce point de vue, le gombo devient quasiment sacré, une idée renforcée par la présence de la sainte trinité de piment doux, oignons et céleri.

Il y a non seulement une quantité impressionnante de façons différentes de cuire un gombo – avec ou sans roux, avec ou sans œufs, avec ou sans viande dans le cas de gombo z’herbes – un débat terrible qui soulève des passions sans limite existe sur la meilleur manière de manger du gombo. Toute l’année? Seulement en hiver?

En hors d’œuvre? Comme plat principal? Et n’allons pas oublier la grande question qui divise les Louisianais plus que l’élection du shérif de la paroisse : la salade de patate, dans le gombo ou à côté? Il doit y avoir des familles entières qui se sont déchirées à cause de cette question épineuse.

Pourtant, la vocation du gombo est de nous rassembler, quelles que soient vos origines.

Telle l’abondance d’éléments qui le composent, tout le monde est la bienvenue autour de la table quand le gombo est servi. Quelle que soit votre position sur ces questions, je suis sûr que nous sommes tous d’accord sur l’importance de la diversité pour faire un bon gombo. ap

for an english translation , visit www . acadianaprofile . com .

december 2012/january 2013 | www.acadianaprofile.com