Acadiana Profile December-January 2017

the NĂŠnaine special from johnson's boucaniere. its a boudin stuffed grilled cheese on a biscuit with bbq sauce. see more from johnson's on page 66.

sweet, savory, old and new boudin creations for every taste

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features Célébrer le mode de vie acadien

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my oh my, cakes and pies Delectable desserts for your holiday table and beyond recipes by stanley dry with photographs by eugenia uhl

Thislightandmoist dulce de leche cake is sure to ecome a favorite at family gatherings.

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the best boudin in acadiana A boudin spot to satisfy every craving, sweet or savory by cheré coen with photographs by denny culbert

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monodramatic Sophisticated styles awash in black, white and shades of gray styling by tracee dundas with photographs by theresa king cassagne

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contents december 2016 / january 2017 | volume 35, number 6

12 lagniappe

A little Extra 14 note de l’editeur

Editor’s Note 18 nouvelles de villes

News Briefs 22 le visiter

Calendar of Events

food+drink 37 sur le menu

Locavore: The importance of locally-sourced foods on the Acadiana table 40 de la cuisine

The Ice Man Cometh: Sourcing the ‘good ice’ for better cocktails 44 recettes de cocktails

Golden Grapes: xxxxxxxx

home+style 25 la maison

Elements of Design: Melding a finely tuned modern perspective with Old World sensibilities 32 pour la maison

Coffee Contraptions: Pleasing to the eye and the palate 34 À la mode

Winter White: Accessories that sparkle + shine

culture 96 les artistes

Save the Last Dance: Lafayette photographer Philip Gould examines the beauty and tragedy of Acadiana’s dancehalls 100 les personnes

Feel the Heat: Pepper purveyor Troy Primeaux of Lafayette primes pump for world record 104 la musique

On the Cover The boudin-stuffed grilled cheese biscuit at Johnson’s Boucaniere in Lafayette is called “the godmother of grilled cheeses,” by the owners. The barbecue sauce adds a an unexpected twist.

What’s your favorite boudin? See if it made the list on page 56.

Hommes de Fer: Isle Derniere brings hard rocking music to Acadiana en Français 108 soirée

Fête Fabuleuse: Our fourth annual Tops of Acadiana party at the Grouse Room 112 en français, s’il vous plaît

Namasté, Vous Autres

lagniappe

Learn French saucisse (n) sausage. A cylindrical tube of meat. example: Nous allons manger des saucisses pour le déjeuner.

What is your favorite holiday tradition?

Editor in Chief Managing Editor Copy Editor Art Director Lead Photographer Web Editor Editorial Intern

Vice President of Sales “I love our tradition of getting and decorating our

Christmas tree. My family

is from New Hampshire and we get our tree from

Sales Manager a local farm that takes you in a horse-drawn

sleigh, lets you pick and

cut down your own tree, then takes you back with

cocoa and apple cider

Account Executive donuts. While we decorate the tree, we always light

a fire in the fireplace and

watch ‘Fantasia.’ It’s pretty much the most New

England Christmas-y day

Sales Intern imaginable.”

Errol Laborde Melanie Warner Spencer Amanda Orr Sarah George Danley Romero Kelly Massicot Marie Simoneaux Colleen Monaghan (504) 830-7215 Colleen@acadianaprofile.com Rebecca Taylor (337) 298-4424 (337) 235-7919 Ext. 230 Rebecca@acadianaprofile.com Nikole Reich (407) 574-0066 (337) 235-7919 Ext. 231 Nikole@acadianaprofile.com Kaila Jackson

Traffic Coordinator Terra Durio Distribution Manager John Holzer Director of Marketing & Events Cheryl Lemoine Event Coordinator Margaret Strahan Administrative Assistant Denise Dean Subscription Manager Sara Kelemencky Subscriptions Mallary Matherne Production/Web Manager Staci McCarty Senior Production Designer Ali Sullivan Production Designer Monique DiPietro Chief Executive Officer President Executive Vice President

Todd Matherne Alan Campell Errol Laborde

translation: Let’s eat sausages for lunch.

“My favorite holiday tradition would probably be college football on Thanksgiving day.

Most families make it a point to turn off the TV come feast time, where as with us, we either find our way to the tailgate or at the very least enjoy the games from home, making sure our plates of turkey are in close proximity to the tube.”

Did You Know?

Acadiana’s beloved snack, boudin is enjoyed for any meal, including breakfast. Combine a hot link with a Coke for what many refer to as a “Cajun Breakfast.” Boudin is found throughout the region, from inside specialty butchers to roadside gas stations. Scott, Louisiana holds the title of Boudin Capital of the World, where there are more boudin purveyors per-capita than any city in the state and sales account for $5 million annually.

— Marie Simoneaux

Behind The Scenes

“My favorite holiday tradition is watching ‘A Christmas Story’ with my family after eating our Christmas feast!

Even though we watch it every year, it still manages to make me laugh each time.”

2016 AWARDS Award of Merit to Melanie Warner Spencer for Single Story Award of Merit to Danley Romero for Single photo Bronze to Will Kalec for Magazine Writer of the Year Bronze to Danley Romero for Portrait Series Silver to Denny Culbert for Photo Series Gold to Denny Culbert for Magazine Photographer of the Year Gold to Sarah George for Art Direction of a Single Story Gold to Sarah George for Overall Art Direction Finalist for Magazine of the Year

Thank you from the Acadiana Profile staff to everyone who attended the Tops of the Town party in Lafayette and congrats to our honorees. right to left Editor in Chief and Executive Vice President Errol Laborde, Vice President of Sales Colleen Monaghan, President Alan Campbell, Art Director Sarah George, Managing Editor Melanie Warner Spencer, Sales Manager Rebecca Taylor, Director of Marketing and Events Cheryl Lemoine, Event Coordinator Margaret Strahan, and Chief Executive Officer Todd Matherne.

Renaissance Publishing LLC • 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123 • Metairie, LA 70005 • (504) 828-1380 • (877) 221-3512 128 Demanade, Suite 104 • Lafayette, LA 70503 • (337) 235-7919 ext. 230 Acadiana Profile (ISSN 0001-4397) is published bimonthly by Renaissance Publishing LLC, 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005 (504) 828-1380 and 128 Demanade, Suite 104, Lafayette, LA 70503 (337) 235-7919 ext. 230. Subscription rate: One year $10; Foreign Subscriptions vary. Periodicals postage paid at Lafayette, LA, and additional mailing entry offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Acadiana Profile, 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005. Copyright 2016 Renaissance Publishing LLC. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the consent of the publisher. The trademark Acadiana Profile is registered. Acadiana Profile is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photos and artwork, even if accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. The opinions expressed in Acadiana Profile are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the magazine or owner.

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Like us on Facebook (facebook.com/acadianaprofile) and follow us on Twitter (@acadianaprofile) for daily updates, happenings in the area and other news! Please consider our planet and recycle this (and every) magazine.

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note de l’editeur

One year while discussing Christmas plans, my grandfather suggested

we make grasshoppers to enjoy after dinner. Everyone enthusiastically agreed and in the coming years, this sweet, minty, boozy dessert cocktail became a staple at family celebrations around the holidays and year round (and still is to this day). I didn’t know it at the time, but the grasshopper was invented by Philip Guichet Sr., a Lafourche Parish native who later came to own the famed Tujague’s restaurant in New Orleans.

It’s not surprising that a drink concocted by a person from Acadiana would gain popularity all over the United States. With the wealth of food and drink originating from, or associated with the region, it’s easy to build a holiday meal (or any meal) with only fruits of land, sea and the imaginations of Acadiana and Acadians. This makes cooking up fabulous food features a fairly easy job.

What’s not an easy job, however, is picking favorites when it comes to local eats. But that won’t stop us from trying to do it. In this issue, we explore and exalt one of the most heralded foods of Cajun Country — boudin. Our “The Best Boudin in Acadiana” piece on page 56, offers up a mouth-watering array of both traditional and nontraditional versions of this beloved food. If you are looking for dessert ideas (and aren’t into drinking dessert in the way of a grasshopper), look no further than Stanley Dry’s delectable recipes in “My Oh My Cakes and Pies!” on page 46. (On a side note, Dry’s second book, “The Essential Louisiana Seafood Cookbook,” published by Renaissance Publishing, was released in October. Get it at LouisianaSeafoodCookbook.com.) Are you on the hunt for stylish looks to get you through the holidays and these precious few cooler days? In “Monodramatic,” on page 68, sophisticated, smoldering and chic are a few words that come to mind when flipping through this year’s fashion spread, featuring clothing from some of Acadiana’s best boutiques and designers.

As we edge into 2017, I’d like to propose a toast and raise my grasshopper to Guichet and the many Acadians like him who innovate, create and inspire all of us. May your holidays be bright and your new year (and beyond) be filled with friends, family, great food and countless reasons to celebrate. Cheers!

sales team

Rebecca Taylor Sales Manager (337) 298-4424 (337) 235-7919 Ext. 230 Rebecca@AcadianaProfile.com

Nikole Reich Account Executive (407) 574-0066 (337) 235-7919 Ext. 231 Nikole@AcadianaProfile.com

Melanie Warner Spencer, Managing Editor (504) 830-7239 | Melanie@AcadianaProfile.com Colleen Monaghan Vice President of Sales (504) 830-7215 Colleen@AcadianaProfile.com

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Renaissance Publishing is proud to announce the following honors from the International Regional Magazine Association: Sarah George Gold - Art Direction of a Single Story

Sarah George Gold - Overall art direction & Finalist for Magazine of the Year

Denny Culbert Gold - Magazine Photographer of the Year, Silver - Photo Series & Melanie Warner Spencer - Award of Merit

Danley Romero Award of Merit - Single Photo

Danley Romero Bronze Portrait Series

Will Kalec Bronze Writer of the Year

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acadiana profile december 2016/january 2017

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nouvelles de villes

by lisa leblanc-berry

Sunset photograph by david simpson

From Acadie to Acadiana Activist, poet and singer-songwriter Zachary Richard’s theme song “Toujours Batailleur” was selected as the No. 1 song in Acadie, New Brunswick.

The world premiere of Phil Comeau’s new 60-minute film, “Zachary Richard, Toujours Batailleur” was recently launched during the 30th annual International Film Festival held in bilingual Moncton, in the Canadian Maritimes. Half the film was shot in Louisiana, with a focus on the history of the Acadian people, traced to the three Maritime provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island). You can see Richard (who sings his militant song “Réveille” in the new film) performing during the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra’s Christmas Concert Dec.17 at the Heymann Performing Arts Center (1373 S College Rd.; Tickets: (337) 232-4277, acadianasympony.org).

Terrebonne

St. Landry

French Immersion

Healing Hearts

The United Houma Nation has formally announced plans for the L’Crevisse Cultural and Educational Project, a multi-million dollar nouveaux commanditaires initiative to establish a French immersion school and a cultural center in Terrebonne Parish. Architectural plans by worldrenowned French architect Rudy Ricciotti were recently unveiled during a reception hosted by the Consulate General of France, Grégor Trumel.

In January, Camp Bon Coeur hosts its annual Retreat Weekend, which includes programs and activities for both children and adults affected by congenital heart defects, at the Lost Bayou Scout Camp in St. Landry. The fun weekend (Jan. 13-14) includes guest speakers and discussions on issues including raising a child with a heart defect and living with a heart defect.

Call 337-233-8437 for registration information.

Oyster Love Now that oysters are at their best, take a scenic drive to Sunset to enjoy fresh, salty bivalves at the new U-shaped charbroiled oyster bar that chef-owner Troy Bijeaux and his wife Melissa have installed in Café Josephine (818 Napoleon Ave., 337-6620008, cafejosephinesunset. com). The former meat market-turned-bistro is situated under the Sunset water tower. Grab one of the 18 seats at the new oyster bar and watch the talkative, affable chef flaming the oysters while you nibble on complimentary tassoflecked mini biscuits followed by sizzling hot oysters, spicy dark-roux gumbo and an entree such as succulent ribeye topped with buttery lump crabmeat.

Lafayette and Houma Opelousas

Dreams Come True at Cajun Grammys Though the awards festival was postponed after Acadiana was hit hard during the August flood, the Grammy-style “Le Cajuns” trophies were finally handed out during the 28th annual Cajun Music Awards and Festival in Opelousas. Jr. Hebert and his Maurice Playboys claimed seven of the top eight honors: This included Hebert winning Best Accordionist of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Best First CD for “Coursais un Reve” (Chasing a Dream), Best Traditional CD of the Year and Band of the Year.

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Kids Cooking A new cooking school, Mix It Up Culinary Entertainment, is scheduled to open in late January at 127 Arnould Blvd. in Lafayette. The school was originally launched in Houma by owners Chris and April Sins. Hands-on classes and parties are offered at both locations (mixituphouma.com).

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nouvelles de villes

Stocking Stuffers for the New Year

Food blogger George Graham’s newly published cookbook, “Acadiana Table: Cajun and Creole Home Cooking from the Heart of Louisiana,” is a compilation of the author’s top recipes. The south Louisiana native takes classics and reinterprets them to fashion unique, innovative dishes that are sure to inspire. The hardcover tome with vivid color photographs was released in October.

Erath

History Unfolds In May of 2016, the Acadian Museum in Erath acquired a unique piece of history — a diary and large scrapbook put together by Corrine Broussard during the historic 1930 visit to Grand Pré by Cajuns. Twenty-five “Evangeline Girls” accompanied by nine chaperones and led by Sen. Dudley J. LeBlanc, Sr. embarked on this epic journey to commemorate the 175th anniversary of the Acadian Deportation. Broussard, the group’s spokesperson, gave several public addresses in French. It is believed that this was the first group of Cajuns to make the journey back to their ancestral lands in Nova Scotia since the Deportation. Warren and Mary Perrin are editing and annotating the diary and scrapbook in preparation for the creation of an unusual new book projected to be released in the spring of 2017. Having recognized the historic nature of the event, the late Louisiana artist George Rodrigue painted “The Saga of the Acadians,” a series of 15 paintings executed between 1985 and 1989, chronicling the Acadian journey from France to Nova Scotia in the 17th century, from Nova Scotia to Louisiana during the Grand Dérangement of 1755 and finally the first official return visit from Louisiana to Grand Pré in 1930 by the 25 “Evangeline Girls.” The last painting in the series “Return to Acadie,” is shown in the collection.

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Readers who are fascinated by New Iberia author James Lee Burke’s complex and beloved Cajun character, Detective Dave Robicheaux (the “star” of 19 books of fiction since 1987) will enjoy Patricia Gaitley’s new book, “Robicheaux’s Roots: Culture and Tradition in James Lee Burke’s Dave Robicheaux Novels,” that delves into various aspects of Cajun culture. From his take on food and music to supernatural beliefs, it’s a delicious read for those who are drawn into the world of this colorful Cajun detective who fights his own demons while fighting for justice.

La Paroisse d’Iberia: Merci au CODOFIL! New Iberia was recently named the most French Friendly Parish in Louisiana by CODOFIL (the state agency for francophone affairs) and Centre International.

French-speaking Convention and Visitors Bureau assistant director of communications, Céline Alis, was credited for her abundant contributions in the bureau’s efforts to promote the Louisiana French brand that attracts many French speaking visitors from around the world.

acadiana profile december 2016/january 2017

New Iberia native Shane K. Bernard, who resides near Bayou Teche, renders a colorful history of the storied inland waterway in his new book, “Teche: A History of Louisiana’s Most Famous Bayou,” released in November. He surveys everything from the coming of steam-powered sugar mills and riverboats to epic floods, yellow fever and the miseries of the postbellum era, how the coming of the railroad and highways caused the slow decline of the bayou’s value, followed by the myriad modern efforts in redesigning the Teche. He examines the current efforts at revitalizing the bayou, and describes his own personal journey down the Teche’s 125-mile course, which includes profiling the amiable people who reside along its banks.

Writer, storyteller, singer and professor emeritus of Francophone studies at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Barry Jean Ancelet teamed up with artist Denise Gallagher for this beautifully illustrated, enchanting new children’s book.

Jean-le-Chasseur et ses chiens is an adaptation of a traditional Louisiana French folktale about a boy hunting with his three intuitive, heroic dogs. Written in a style that represents its origin in oral tradition, the 32-page fantasy tale is designed to capture the attention of readers of all ages. Ideal for those who want to give something authentic and memorable as a children’s gift from Acadiana (French with English translation; softcover).

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calendar

by kelly massicot

around acadiana Gatherings and activities around Acadiana December 1-23. Noel Acadien au Village Christmas.

Lafayette. 337-981-2364. acadianvillage.org 1-3. Holiday House at Christmas Under.

Lake Charles. 337-527-0357.

brimstonemuseum.org/events 2. Festival of Light. Lafayette.

theoilcenter.com 2.

Sulphur Kiwanis Christmas Parade.

Sulphur. 337-794-6041.

2.

DeQuincy Christmas Activities & Parade. DeQuincy. 337-786-6451.

2-3. Houma Cajun Christmas Parade.

Houma. 985-873-6408 3.

Al Berard Music Festival. Arnaudville. alberard.com

3.

Christmas Festival and Parade.

Sarepta. 318-847-4333

3.

Carnecro Country Christmas. Carencro.

337-280-9570

3.

Delcambre Holiday Gumbo Cook-Off. Delcambre. 337-519-4362

3.

Papa Noel Celebration and Lighting of the Military Christmas Tree. Breaux Bridge. 337-205-2279

3.

Santa’s Hot Chocolate Run. Lake Charles. 337-494-7000. literacyswla.org/santas-hot-chocolate-run

3.

Houma Downtown Christmas Festival.

Houma. 985-873-6408. houmachristmasfestival.com

8.

Opelousas Children’s Christmas Parade.

Opelousas. 337.948-2589.

9.

Life Church Winterfest. Sulphur.

337-527-5433. life-swla.com/welcome

10.

Swamp Stomp Half-Marathon.

Lake Charles. runsignup.com/Race/LA/ LakeCharles/TheLakeAreaRunners SwampStompHalfMarathon

January 6.

Mardi Gras 12th Night. Lake Charles.

337-425-8623. visitlakecharles.org/swlamardigras

13-14. Annual Louisiana Fur and Wildlife Festival. Cameron. 337-250-6322.

lafurandwildlifefestival.com 12-15. Mid Winter Fair Rodeo. Lafayette.

337-400-7964. frontierrodeocompany.com/

midwinterrodeo.php

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home+Style Inspiration, décoration et accessoires chic pour la vie

la maison

elements of design Melding a finelytuned modern perspective with Old World sensibilities

By Lisa LeBlanc-Berry Photos by chad chenier

Lafayette Interior designer

Mindy Gromer Bernard treasures vivid memories of childhood excursions to craft shops and furniture stores with her mother. Her fond recollection of these early forays into the colorful world of design served as the lodestar of an eventual career.

“While my mother was shopping, I would go and arrange the furniture and grab items off

A French walnut buffet was Mindy’s first antique purchase. The gold leaf antique Bergere chair is from Round Top Antiques.

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the shelves to decorate with,” Mindy says. “I always knew that’s what I wanted to do when I grew up.”

Years later, after Mindy graduated from the Art Institute of Houston, she moved back home to Acadiana and worked for several acclaimed interior designers and decorators.

“When I met my husband, Matt, he began encouraging me to go out on my own,” she says.

Soon after Matt and Mindy were married, they began building their new home in the

facing page: A vibrant Brooke Hoogendoorn painting complements the serene living room. It resides above a custom limestone fireplace from Architectural Supply. above: Hexagon travertine mosaic tile enhances the master bath; a soaking tub is accessorized with a gold Kohler faucet and a Calcutta marble tub surround. top right: “It’s the coziest room in the house,” says Mindy of Matt’s study, with its leather and blue linen Chesterfield sofa, chenille hounds tooth ottoman and mounts gleaned from hunts. bottom right: The elegant baby’s room has a linen bumper with crocheted trim, a silk dust ruffle and custom silk draperies.

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heart of Lafayette. Meanwhile, Mindy was contemplating her own design firm. It wasn’t until a serendipitous encounter at a beauty salon that her dreams began to materialize.

“Fate stepped in,” Mindy says.

“By chance, I ran into Karen Hail.

I had helped her with her home a few years back. We were both getting a manicure and we just started talking.”

Shortly thereafter, the two women became business partners.

As the Bernard’s four-bedroom, one-story Acadian-style residence began to take shape, the partners opened Entre Nous, a full service interior design studio and retail showroom that displays furniture and accessories ranging from antique pieces to transitional, contemporary and midcentury modern collections.

Design services include everything from bedding to custom window treatments, color selections and wall coverings.

“I discovered we were going to have a baby while we were building the house and also setting up the business. We had a lot going on,” Mindy says. “They say if you surround yourself with good people, good things will happen.

I couldn’t ask for a better partner than Karen. She’s the business side of Entre Nous, while I’m the design side. Along with Rachel Harris and Melanie Rich, we have a great team.”

Thanks to the oversight of Matt’s father, retired builder Bob Bernard, the young couple finally completed their custom Acadianstyle dream home that borrows top right: Gold leaf striping and brass cap feet embellish the oval dining room table. The mixed media on canvas is by Natalie Domingue. bottom right: The master bedroom has a French king bed from Le Marché Antiques and a Jenny Jones rug. facing page: The kitchen’s quartzite countertop island and the knotty alder wood island flank an antique Turkish runner.

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The hand-painted Tabarka tile extends from the counters to the ceiling. Freezer and refrigerator columns on opposite sides create symmetry.

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nuances from South Louisiana’s rich past. Now three years old, it is situated on property the couple fell in love with, largely due to the massive old oak tree in the front.

“We built the entire house around that beautiful tree,” Mindy says.

Designed “to look old” though it is a new construction, Mindy and Matt’s handsome residence reflects a distinct architectural style that is not only beloved in Acadiana, but is also gaining popularity throughout the Gulf South.

Devoid of clutter and traditional heavy furniture, the understated, serene interior is at once inviting. The common areas and master suite strike a purposeful balance between casual and elegant.

The ambience is especially appealing during the winter months, when the fireplaces are ablaze indoors. The enticing, sweet aroma of burning, crackling wood in the outdoor fireplace on cold winter evenings draws their friends into the courtyard, beneath the stars. They enjoy gathering around the fire near the outdoor kitchen during evenings filled with football games and simmering gumbos.

The powder room features neutral grays augmented with gold and silver accents, including the metallic wallpaper and gold leaf sconces. Mindy transformed a console into a vanity with a marble countertop and vessel sink. Embellished with an antique Turkish rug, the stately room is adorned with antique egg prints. Linen Roman shades diffuse the natural light that pours in from the grounds designed by landscape architect Michael Cullen.

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acadiana profile december 2016/january 2017

Since Mindy and Matt love to entertain, they created a gourmet kitchen with two custom islands.

“He does the gumbos, while I specialize in Italian,” she says.

“This is the heart of our home.

I usually put out the hors d’oeuvres and flowers on one island, while the other island is our work place, complete with a sink and bar stools.”

The Bernard’s formal dining room seats 12, to accommodate frequent dinner parties.

Aside from installing several fireplaces in the residence and adding graceful brick arches rather than doors for an open flow, Matt’s father utilized a combination of antique brick flooring and Dirty-Top antique pine flooring with its original, rough-sawn marks still visible “so that it would look rustic,” Mindy says.

Travertine flooring lends a touch of elegance in the threeand-a-half baths.

“I would say that our overall style is traditional,” Mindy says of the varied architectural nuances. “My husband, Matt, and I are definitely old souls stuck in 30-something-yearold bodies. This is reflected in the concept of our home.

We designed it to appear as though it has been here for many, many years, even though it’s actually new.”

Such blended sensibilities reflect Mindy’s decorating philosophy as well.

“I like mixing antiques with fresh new pieces and some modern elements,” says Mindy. “I basically like one-of-a-kind items, whether it’s a 19th-century chair or a contemporary painting by a local artist.”

Indeed, Mindy’s Old World sensibilities are noticeable in the new residence. But her

modern approach to the décor reflects her minimalist leanings and unmistakable panache.

Clean, neutral fields of colors infused throughout the home are serene, yet rich and consonant. In the interest of simplicity, the living room walls are painted in Benjamin Moore Monterey White, thus allowing the art to emerge. This includes a bold abstract painting by Brooke Hoogendoorn that is situated above a limestone fireplace.

The more casual keeping room (a cozy space popular in the colonial era which is often near the kitchen and usually features a fireplace) is enlivened with regional abstract art, brick fireplace with an antique wooden beam, and a deep gray velvet sofa with a lone bench cushion that you can sink into.

A velvet day bed in front of the living room’s fireplace is a favorite spot for the couple to cozy up on chilly winter evenings. A splendid view of the quaint courtyard is enhanced with seasonal flowers and water features.

French doors in the elegant master bedroom open onto the same courtyard, where a gurgling fountain renders soothing sounds. Painted wooden beams frame a bumpout seating area surrounded by windows. A coffee bar in the master bedroom was an essential element while designing the home.

“The first thing I do when I open my eyes is make coffee and enjoy it in the sitting area overlooking our back yard,” Mindy says. “We are really enjoying the house. It is ideal for our family, we love the location, and I’m just a five minutes from the shop. It’s everything we dreamed of and more.”

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style+home

pour la maison

coffee contraptions Pleasing to the eye and the palate by amanda arceneaux | photo by romero & Romero

Some say bad coffee is

better than no coffee at all, but you don’t have to settle thanks to these easy to master home-brewing gadgets and accessories. You’ll soon feel like an experienced barista in your own home.

1. This classic French Press by Bodum is an essential for every coffee enthusiast. Available at The Kitchenary, 456 Heymann Blvd., Lafayette. 337-264-1037. thekitchenary.net 2. Created 75 years ago by an eccentric chemist and still on display in art museums (like New York’s Museum of Modern Art) the Chemex is the ideal blend of form and function. This Bauhaus inspired brewer is used and sold at Reve Coffee Roasters, 200A Jefferson St., Lafayette, 337-5348336. revecoffeeroasters.com

3. Taking their name from the French word for “dream,” all of Reve Coffee Roasters’ beans are micro-roasted in Acadiana (and can be shipped the same day for the freshest cup imaginable). Grab a bag of beans in downtown Lafayette or visit revecoffeeroasters.com 4. Add a little glam to your morning coffee routine with this gold-trimmed pedestal sugar dish and gold plated coffee spoon.

Find an assortment of these at The Kitchenary, 456 Heymann Blvd., Lafayette. 337-264-1037. thekitchenary.net

5. Eliminate waste with this stylish matte red pour over that brews just enough for one perfect cup. From The Kitchenary, 456 Heymann Blvd., Lafayette. 337264-1037. thekitchenary.net 6. This sophisticated yet quirky laurel wreath mug by IMM Living comes with a dry erase marker so you can customize as the caffeine gets your creative juices flowing.

Pick one up at Genterie Supply Co., 408 Jefferson St., Lafayette.

337-401-3833. genterie.com

1 Sumatra Wahana is a medium roast with hints of spiced berry and watermelon.

2

3 4

5

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acadiana profile december 2016/january 2017

style+home

À la mode

winter white Accessories that sparkle + shine

1

by amanda arceneaux photo by romero & Romero

Viewed from the side these 3-inch Spike Lattice earrings show an added dimension. The “spikes’ protrude ever so slightly for extra depth.

2

3 5

4

6

All that glitters isn’t

gold. Sometimes it’s silver and crystals that complete the look for your holiday season parties. Add a little glitz to your ensemble with these shimmering accessories.

1. Exclusive to Dillard’s these Antonio Melani Carean Peep Toe Pumps in silver satin have a jeweled and rhinestone detailing that wraps the stiletto heel.

Dillard’s at Acadiana Mall, 5725 Johnston St., Lafayette. 337-9898139. dillards.com 2. With its signature logo medallion this leather Trapunto Envelope Clutch by Tory Burch is the perfect way to carry your evening party essentials. Find it at Kiki in River Ranch, 1910 Kaliste Saloom Road, Suite 600, Lafayette. 337-4060904. shopkikionline.com

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5. Be striking with Alexis Bittar’s Spike Lattice post earrings.

Crystal encrusted and made of matte rhodium and 10 karat matte gold from Kiki in River Ranch, 1910 Kaliste Saloom Road, Suite 600, Lafayette. 337-406-0904. shopkikionline.com 3. Sometimes it’s the scarf, like this delicately embellished sheer one, that pulls your ensemble together.

Visit Ballins, Ltd. in the Oil Center, 321 Heymann Blvd., Lafayette. 337593-0873. ballinsltd.com

acadiana profile december 2016/january 2017

4. Make a statement with these deep V, crossover and geometric openwork rings from Hemline in River Ranch, 1910 Kaliste Saloom Road, Suite 200, Lafayette. 337406-1119. shophemline.com

6. Try OPI’s polish in My Voice is a Little Norse or Kyoto Pearl for some added shimmer this holiday season. Buy OPI and get your manipedi at PascaleSpa, 1118B Coolidge Blvd., Lafayette. 337-232-6449. pascalespa.com

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acadiana profile december 2016/january 2017

food+drink Ça c’est bon

sur le menu

locavore The importance of locally-sourced foods on the Acadiana table

by Jyl Benson | Photos by Romero & Romero

Award-winning cheeses and a vigorous attention to detail keep Wanda Barros’ chef clients happy and returning to Belle Ecorse Farms again and again.

Wanda Barros operates

the lush Belle Ecorse Farms, a 10-acre microdairy farm and goat cheese plant in St. Martinville, on land her French Acadian family has been working for decades.

She refrains from milking her small, happy herd of dairy goats from October until the first signs of spring appear, allowing for milk that’s

food+drink

sur le menu

flavorful and high in butterfat.

Her lovingly handmade, national award-winning cheeses include fresh, soft chèvre, goat milk feta, and soft-ripened/ bloomy rind cheeses. As is evident in the superior quality of her cheeses, Barros labors vigorously over her products.

She was the first person to tell me about Chef Manny Augello (featured in theOct/Nov 2016 Best Chefs issue), the then 24-year-old Executive Chef at Jolie Bistro in Lafayette, who was establishing the

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restaurant as a pioneer in the state’s nascent farm-to-table movement. Augello had many farmers and small purveyors on their toes. He would be the first customer to arrive at farmers markets when they opened.

Now the chef and owner of Bread & Circus Provisions (B&C), Augello has inspired a generation of chefs in — to patronize local growers and artisans and he is still first in line at the farmers’ markets.

acadiana profile december 2016/january 2017

“Some of my favorites have always been farmers who grow a small number of things but grow them really well,” Augello says. Based on the season, in addition to Barros’ goat cheeses, diners are likely to find watermelon and strawberries from Robin Farms in Churchpoint, eggplant and peppers from David Richter, tomatoes from Anthony Accardo in Convent,

and grits and polenta from Glen Domaingue in Abbeville. Jamie Vickery’s Red Wattle hogs are the foundation of Augello’s extensive charcuterie program at B&C. “At an early age it was instilled to me the importance of making do with what you have available and using those ingredients to yield the least amount of waste possible.”

A native of Palermo, Sicily, Augello says those are the fundamentals of farm-to-table.

“For many years I was unaware that there was a choice to cook with a different approach,” says Augello.

“It wasn’t until I worked in restaurants that were not family-owned that I was

Jamie Vickery’s Red Wattle hogs are the foundation of Bread and Circus’s chartcuterie program.

exposed to this ass-backwards way of operating a kitchen, coming up with menus. I didn’t get it. It seems so much harder to get along with the craft when you’re not taking a moment to listen to the world around you.

“I couldn’t give a shit whether or not a producer is throwing loads of extra money into acquiring a seven letter stamp so that in turn they can charge me more for their goods.

What is important to me is that respect is given to the product from conception to transaction; the producer makes an uncompromising statement to ethically and humanely source and raise their product; that there’s an obvious effort by the producer to uphold their environmental responsibility to the seasons and the earth. And lastly, the less waste the more brownie points.”

Bonus Bite In addition to the authentic Neapolitan pizza, Italian soul food and masterful charcuterie at B&C, locally sourced ingredients make up the bulk of the menus at several other chef-driven restaurants in Acadiana. Check out the menus from Chef Collin Cormier at Pop’s Po’boys, Chef Katie Gross at Ruffino’s on the River, Chef Ryan Trahan at Dark Roux and Chef Paul Krato at POUR for brilliant marriages between top-notch ingredients from local farmers and artisans an masterful culinary creativity.

Locally sourced ingredients are also at play in Collin Cormier’s popular, commercially available Swamp Pop line of sodas.

Belle Ecorse Farms 337-394-6683, belleecorsefarms.com Bread & Circus Provisions 258 Bendel Road, Lafayette, 337-408-3930, bandcprovisions.com Dark Roux 3524 Kaliste Saloom Road, Lafayette, 337-504-2346, darkrouxla.com Pop’s Po’boys 740 Jefferson St., Lafayette, 337-534-0621, popspoboys.com POUR 605 Silverstone Road, Lafayette, 337-981-8085 Ruffino’s on the River 921 Camellia Blvd., Lafayette, 337-706-7333, ruffinoslafayette.com acadianaprofile.com

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food+drink

de la cuisine

This bourbon punch will sparkle on your holiday table.

the ice man cometh Sourcing the ‘good ice’ for better cocktails by marcelle bienvenu photo & styling by eugenia uhl

Those who know me well

know I have an ice fetish especially when it comes to making cocktails. I often bring along a bag of “good ice” to just about any kind of gathering where I will be having my usual Dewars and soda. Some of the hosts (and hostesses) are offended and explain that the ice in the home freezer is made with filtered water, and thereby their ice is “good.” But usually what I get are those half-moon ice cubes (well, they cubes) that

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acadiana profile december 2016/january 2017

are white, not clear. The ice has a chemical odor and sometimes gives me a headache. No kidding. Allow me to tell you how this fetish came to be. Dr. J. L. “Putsie” Beyt, Sr., who was often the mixologist on duty at my parent’s gatherings in the 1950s and ‘60s, taught me the importance of good ice.

“Good ice is the basis of a good drink,” he said. “If it’s made with unacceptable ice, you just as soon pour it down the drain.”

Now, you’re lucky if you can find “good ice” in the bags of “crushed ice” at the supermarket. Trust me, I’ve tried them all. There are some better than others. The thing is to find good clear, crushed ice that doesn’t melt too quickly, thus diluting your drink.

Imagine my surprise when I found out about a St. Martinville High School alum in New Orleans who makes “custom cut craft ice.”

Chuck Avery of Melt New Orleans (meltneworleans.com, 504-208-0913) offers “melt options” — assorted sizes of cubes. Avery is a certified sommelier and guided the wine program at Lilette on Magazine Street. A visit, arranged by Lilette’s chef John Harris, to the Toronto Temperance Society pinged his creative juices.

Avery was impressed with their massive selection of glassware in which their drinks are served.

“I was astounded at their hand-crafted, classic-inspired and cutting edge cocktails,” says Avery. “I couldn’t get the experience out of my head. If you don’t have good ice, then you don’t have a good basis for a really good drink,” says Avery.

(See, Dr. Putsie knew what he was talking about.)

Avery uses a box freezer that freezes from the bottom up, using the process of reverse osmosis. The result is extremely

BOURBON PUNCH This is a great holiday drink.

1

(6-ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed and undiluted

1 (6-ounce) can frozen lemonade

concentrate, thawed and undiluted ½ cup fresh lemon juice 2

cups bourbon

1

(2-liter) bottle lemon-lime carbonated beverage, chilled

1 (10-ounce) bottle club soda, chilled

Combine the orange juice, lemonade, lemon juice and bourbon and mix well. Chill for several hours. When ready to serve, add the lemon-lime beverage and club soda and mix.

Pour over good ice to serve.

Makes 3 quarts

over-filtered, pristine water. It takes three days to make two blocks (40-inch by 20-inch by 15-inch), about 40 gallons, each block weighing about 300 pounds. To cut the ice into various shapes and sizes, Avery uses a band saw, like those used primarily in woodworking, which allows better control in making precise cuts of ice. Avery says a 2-inch by 2-inch cube is ideal for most glasses.

“And with that in mind, you should also consider selecting the right kind of glassware to accommodate this size. A shot of 1 ½-ounces to 2 ounces looks very generous with the two-inch square ice cube,” he says.

I was in ice heaven while Avery cut about 50 cubes for me to bring home. They are now safely stored in my home freezer and I can’t wait to show them off during the holidays for brunch or during the cocktail hour.

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de la cuisine

BLOODY MARY, MY WAY

CHRISTMAS COLLINS

Where would we be without a spicy Bloody Mary to get us through the holidays?

This drink was created by a good friend and great bartender, Jeff Markel, for holiday enjoyment.

4 cups good quality,

thick tomato juice 1 teaspoon salt

1 oz. cranberry and orange infused

vodka or gin

1 teaspoon black pepper

1½ ounces rosemary-orange syrup

½ teaspoon celery salt

½ ounce fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

½ ounce fresh lemon juice

8-10 drops of Tabasco, or to taste

½ ounce good quality cranberry juice

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

2

4-5 jiggers vodka

lime wedges for garnish

In a large pitcher, combine all of the ingredients and chill for at least one hour. Stir again before serving. Pour into tall glasses over good ice and garnish with lime.

Makes about 4 drinks

ounces soda water

Combine the first five ingredients to a shaker cup with good ice and stir thoroughly. Pour soda water into a rocks glass and then slowly pour in stirred ingredients. Add more ice if needed and stir gently.

Garnish with cranberries and a sprig of rosemary.

Makes 1 drink

Singapore Sling I recall having this cocktail on the patio at Commander’s Palace in New Orleans and I believe it got its name because it was made by “slinging” the mixture (to mix it) from one glass to another.

2

tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice

1½ ounces gin ⅓ ounce simple syrup ½ ounce club soda

Cranberry-orange infused gin or vodka In a large glass container put 1½ cups dried cranberries and the zest of 1 large orange. (Use a vegetable peeler to zest the orange to make large pieces.) Add a bottle of your choice of vodka or gin. Reserve the bottle.

Seal tightly and let infuse in a dark place for about 4 to 5 days.

Strain the mixture and pour into the reserved liquor bottle. Save cranberries for garnish when you make your cocktail.

½ ounce cherry brandy

slice of orange

maraschino cherry

Fill a 12-ounce glass with good ice. Crushed, not cubes.

Squeeze the juice over the ice, then pour the gin and simple syrup over the ice and mix well.

Add the club soda to almost fill the glass. Float the cherry brandy on top and garnish with the orange and cherry.

Makes 1 drink

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acadiana profile december 2016/january 2017

rosemary-orange syrup Bring 2 cups of filtered water to a boil and stir in 2 cups sugar.

Stir to dissolve and drop in 4 to 5 sprigs of fresh rosemary and the zest of 1 orange (large pieces).

Return to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and let cool then strain through a mesh strainer and bottle. Store in the fridge.

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food+drink

recettes de cocktails

golden grapes Warm up with a sweet, citrusy wineinfused libation

3

Bottles of Tunica Muscadine wine from Feliciana Cellars

1

Bottle Paul Beau VS cognac

2

cups of sugar

by nick dietrich photo & styling by eugenia uhl

Clear, glass cups show off the amber liquid, further tickling the senses.

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acadiana profile december 2016/january 2017

4 oranges 8

sticks of cinnamon

10 cloves 1

whole nutmeg (crushed)

5

fresh bay leaves

Combine all ingredients, except cognac, in a pot and simmer for an hour. Reduce heat and add cognac. Strain. Keep warm and serve in tea cups.

MY OH MY

Recipes by Stanley Dry with Photography by Eugenia Uhl

This is an excellent not-too-sweet choice for breakfast and for pairing with coffee or tea in the late morning or mid-afternoon.

Other dried fruits and nuts can be substituted for the cherries and walnuts, if desired.

The holiday season is also the baking season, the time when many who never bake do so nonstop. I would wager that the sales of flour, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, shortening, nuts, dried fruits and all the other essentials skyrocket between Thanksgiving and the New Year.

Cakes and pies are favorites this time of year, but frequently those who are comfortable making bars and cookies are reluctant to undertake something more ambitious.

This month’s recipes are a good place to start. None of them are difficult to execute and the flavor payoff is high.

Your friends and family will be pleased and you will experience the satisfaction that comes from expanding your repertoire. If you are already an accomplished baker, making these pies and cakes will be — well, a piece of cake.

Dried Cherry and Walnut Coffee Cake

Mascarpone Cheesecake

Mascarpone, the rich and creamy Italian cheese best known for its starring role in tiramisu, makes an elegant cheesecake.

If you would prefer a non-chocolate crust, use graham cracker crumbs or breadcrumbs and eliminate the instant espresso.

Similarly, the brandy in the filling can be replaced with an orange liqueur, liquor, or another liqueur if desired.

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Whether to use pecan halves or pieces is a decision that has split families. Using a combination of both may be a peaceable solution.

Pecan Pie

Most pecan pie recipes call for corn syrup, and some historians believe that pecan pie was created as a way to market Karo. Be that as it may, I am not a big fan of corn syrup, but I do love cane syrup, hence this recipe.

Dried Cherry and Walnut Coffee Cake Ingredients ¾ pound unsalted butter, softened 1¾ cups sugar 6

large eggs, at room temperature

2

teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3

cups all-purpose flour

TIPs

Butter Why, you might wonder, do recipes for baked goods usually call for unsalted butter, even though salt is often in the list of ingredients.

Using unsalted butter allows the baker to control the amount of salt. If you substitute salted butter, reduce or eliminate the salt called for in the recipe.

Mascarpone Cheesecake

Pecan Pie Ingredients

Ingredients Crust

1½ cups chocolate wafer crumbs 3 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon powdered instant espresso

Crust

1¼ cups all-purpose flour ¼ teaspoon salt 8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter 4 tablespoons ice-cold water Filling

¼ pound unsalted butter, melted

4 large eggs, at room temperature

Filling

1 cup light brown sugar

16 ounces mascarpone, at room temperature

½ cup cane syrup

1 cup milk

16 ounces cream cheese, softened

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup dried cherries, chopped

4 large eggs, at room temperature,

lightly beaten

5 tablespoons unsalted butter,

melted and cooled

½ cup sugar

1¼ cups pecan halves,

pieces or a mixture

1½ teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt

1 cup walnuts, chopped

powdered sugar

Preparation Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer), cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla extract.

In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to mixer in three portions, alternating with the milk and mixing on slow speed only enough to incorporate dry ingredients. Stir in chopped cherries and walnuts. Transfer batter to pan and smooth top with a rubber spatula. Bake in preheated oven until cake slightly pulls away from pan and a tester comes out clean, about 50-60 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn cake out onto a rack. When cake is completely cool, dust with powdered sugar.

Makes 12 or more servings.

Eggs Baking recipes almost always specify “room temperature” eggs.

Simply take cold eggs from the refrigerator, put them in a bowl and cover them with warm water to take off the chill.

Baking Times Baking times can only be approximate for several reasons, the principal one being that ovens vary greatly and are often not calibrated accurately.

When you set your oven to 350 F, for example, the actual temperature may be significantly different.

2 tablespoons brandy

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Preparation Preparation Preheat oven to 350 F. To make crust, grease a 9-inch springform pan. Process chocolate wafers in blender or food processor to yield 1½ cups. Combine with other ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Press mixture in the bottom of springform pan and bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Cool.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer), mix mascarpone and cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs, sugar, brandy and vanilla and mix until smooth and well combined.

Pour filling into cooled pan, smooth top and bake until cake is lightly browned and pulls away slightly from the pan, about 55 to 60 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool.

When completely cooled, cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours before serving.

Makes 12 or more servings.

To make crust, combine flour and salt in mixing bowl. Cut butter into small pieces and mix into flour with a pastry blender, two knives or your fingers until mixture is like coarse meal with pea-sized clumps of butter. Add water, one tablespoon at time, until dough begins to come together. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, form into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least two hours before proceeding.

Preheat oven to 425 F. Roll out crust and fit into a 9-inch pie pan.

Trim off excess and fashion edge as desired.

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs with a wire whisk until well mixed. Add brown sugar, cane syrup, vanilla, salt and melted butter and whisk to combine. Stir in pecans. Pour filling into crust and place on a rack in the lower third of oven. Reduce heat to 325 F and bake until filling is set and crust has browned, about 40 minutes. Cool pie on a wire rack.

Makes 8 servings.

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Apple pie evokes strong feelings. Many devotees have ironclad rules about what should and should not go into apple pie.

What kind of apples?

Which seasonings and how much of them? What to use for a thickener?

This recipe uses almond flour, which adds flavor, unlike flour, cornstarch or tapioca. But if you don’t have almond flour, use one of the others.

Apple Pie

A sweet Madeira should be used for this cake, and a glass of the same wine is an excellent accompaniment.

Madeira Pound Cake

Madeira, the fortified Portuguese wine made on the island of Madeira, was extremely popular in the early days of the Republic. Madeira comes in a variety of styles, ranging from dry aperitif wines to sweet dessert wines.

Dulce de Leche Cake

You could make your own, but La Lechera Dulce de Leche, which is widely available in the Hispanic food section of supermarkets, is an excellent time saver.

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acadiana profile december 2016/january 2017

Dulce de leche, the rich confection made from cooking sweetened condensed milk until it thickens into a caramelized, jam-like substance, is the perfect consistency for filling and frosting a cake.

Apple Pie Ingredients Crust

2 cups flour ¼ teaspoon salt 14 tablespoons cold unsalted butter 7-8 tablespoons ice cold water Filling

5-6 large apples ½ cup sugar 2 tablespoons almond flour ½ teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

pinch salt 2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1½ tablespoons unsalted butter Glaze

TIPs

Apples What is the best apple to use in a pie? Opinions vary greatly. Some prefer a tart apple, such as Granny Smith. Others like to combine several varieties with different characteristics — sweet, tart, crisp, soft. Since this is not prime apple growing country, we don’t see many varieties that aficionados recommend, but Golden Delicious comes highly recommended and is widely available.

1 tablespoon milk 1 teaspoon sugar

Preparation To make crust, combine flour and salt in mixing bowl. Cut butter into small pieces and mix into flour with a pastry blender, two knives or your fingers until mixture is like coarse meal with pea-sized clumps of butter. Add water, one tablespoon at time, until dough begins to come together. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, form into two discs and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least two hours before proceeding.

Preheat oven to 425 F. Peel, core and thinly slice enough apples to yield 6 cups.

Combine sugar, almond flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and toss with apples in mixing bowl. Add lemon juice and vanilla and toss again.

Roll out one disc of dough and fit into a 9-inch pie pan. Roll out the other disc and cut into half-inch strips. Add apple filling to crust. Cut butter into small pieces and scatter over top of apples.

Make a lattice top using the strips of dough. Cut off excess dough, tuck the ends of the strips under the bottom crust, press to seal and fashion border as desired.

Brush lattice crust with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Place pie in lower third of oven, reduce heat to 350 F and bake until crust is nicely browned, filling is bubbly and apples are tender, about 50-60 minutes. Cool pie on a rack.

Madeira Pound Cake

Dulce de Leche Cake

Ingredients

Ingredients

¾ pound unsalted butter, softened

½ pound butter, softened

1½ cups sugar

2 cups sugar

6 large eggs, at room temperature

4 eggs, separated

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon salt

⅓ cup Madeira

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk

Glaze

2 (13.4 oz) cans La Lechera

½ cup Madeira

When paired with an appropriate dessert, a sweet wine is a wonderful way to end a meal. But the wine should be sweeter than the dessert. A pound cake is a good choice to serve with a dessert wine, while a dulce de leche cake would be too sweet.

Ice Cream?

What do you like with your apple pie?

Some prefer ice cream, others like whipped cream and still others want a wedge of sharp cheddar cheese.

It’s all a matter of preference. Don’t forget that apple pie is great for breakfast.

Dulce de Leche

3 tablespoons sugar Preparation Preparation

Dessert Wines

Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease and flour a 9-inch tube pan.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer) cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla extract.

In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to mixer in three portions, alternating with the Madeira and mixing on slow speed only enough to incorporate dry ingredients. Transfer batter to pan and smooth top with a rubber spatula. Bake in preheated oven until cake slightly pulls away from pan and a tester comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Turn cake out onto a rack, then invert on another rack.

For the glaze, combine Madeira and sugar in a small pan and heat only enough to dissolve the sugar.

Brush cake all over with Madeira glaze.

Makes 12 or more servings.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour three 9-inch cake pans.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer), cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla extract. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to mixer in three portions, alternating with the milk and mixing on slow speed only enough to incorporate dry ingredients.

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into the batter. Divide batter among the three pans and smooth tops. Bake until cake pulls slightly away from the pan and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool on a rack for about 5 minutes, then turn out on another rack.

When cake has completely cooled, invert one layer on a plate and spread with half a can of dulce de leche. Place another layer on top and spread with the remainder of that can of dulce de leche. Place third layer on top. First, frost the side of the cake with more dulce de leche, then the top.

Makes 12 servings.

Makes 8 servings.

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Billy’s Boudin and Cracklins in Scott is famous for its boudin balls, utilizing the pork sausage with rice and seasoning that usually makes up a boudin link but is instead rolled into balls and fried.

Bread & Circus of Lafayette stuffs boudin into a brioche-style pastry that’s fried, then sprinkled with powdered sugar to form a “Bounut.” Add cane syrup to the mix for dipping and it’s a spicy-sweet concoction sure to please.

Robert Carriker knows his boudin.

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette professor, who heads up the public history program, founded BoudinLink.com, a website that reviews boudin. He also organized the annual Boudin Cookoff held every fall in Lafayette and is the author of “Boudin: A Guide to Louisiana’s Extraordinary Link,” — but it’s not just the taste that inspires Carriker to celebrate the sausage so dear to the hearts of Acadiana. It’s the culture that lurks behind the link and its incredible versatility.

“It lends itself to be used in so many ways,” Carriker said. “It adds something that no one else is doing and it really works.”

In recent years Carriker has seen boudin used in many ways. The French Press in Lafayette, for instance, serves it up for breakfast with its Sweet Baby Breesus, three buttermilk biscuit sliders with bacon, fried boudin balls and Steen’s cane syrup. Boudin kolaches have been spotted across Acadiana, as well as pizzas, egg rolls — even King Cakes!

Since Carriker moved to Louisiana in 1997 the demand for boudin has increased, with four boudin festivals happening every year, including Carriker’s own Boudin Cookoff now in its ninth year. Even driving down Interstate 10 with its numerous billboards promoting the sausage indicates its immense popularity.

“You can see it’s definitely on the increase,” he said.

So where are the best places to enjoy boudin, including those thinking outside the boudin casing? Here’s a list to help you get started.

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acadiana profile december 2016/january 2017

the

Since boudin has long been a breakfast food in Acadiana, it’s natural that it would morph into donuts and kolaches.

Now, there’s the “bounut,” a gourmet donut stuffed with boudin, then dusted with powdered sugar and served alongside cane syrup for dipping at Bread & Circus Provisions of Lafayette. The dish arrives as a beautiful presentation, offering a crispy outer layer with fresh, house-made boudin inside. Talk about taking boudin up a notch.

“It’s a brioche-style donut dough that involves chicken fat instead of lard,” says Manny Augello, chef and owner. “The boudin’s no fuss, just straight to the point.”

The bounut is only available at the restaurant’s Saturday brunch.

Bread and Circus Provisions 258 Bendel Road, Lafayette 337-408-3930 bandcprovisions.com

In addition to running BoudinLink.com, organizing the annual Boudin Cookoff in Lafayette and reviewing all things boudin, Robert Carriker experiments with boudin as well. He’s tested out pancakes, pizza and stuffed peppers, the latter being a boudin-stuffed serrano inside a boudin-stuffed jalapeno inside a boudin-stuff poblano.

“I’ve done experimenting over the years for my own enjoyment and to put out on social media,” says Carriker.

His biggest creation to date was the boudin king cake, a savory king cake stuffed and topped with boudin and Steen’s cane syrup. An article came out about his merger with savory boudin and sweet dough king cake the response was overwhelming.

“By 10 a.m. that morning I had 300 potential orders from people,” says Carriker. “I tried raising the price and I still got requests.”

Carriker approached Twin’s Burgers & Sweets of Lafayette to make the boudin king cake at its facility. The owners received his recipe on Thursday and had boudin king cakes on the shelves by Monday morning.

“People were lined up and it went like gangbusters,” says Carriker.

Twin’s Burgers and Sweets Lafayette and Youngsville boudinkingcakes.com

THERE’S MORE! Keller’s Bakery in downtown Lafayette takes the king cake dough and stuffs it with boudin, then twists the dough into a circle. Finally, the cake is drizzled with Steen’s cane syrup and topped with cracklin’ crumbs. The original at Twins uses a hamburger bun dough stuffed with boudin and topped with cracklin’ crumbs, bacon bits and cane syrup. If you order the king cake at Twin’s, the box comes with a bottle of Steen’s.

Keller’s Bakery

Youngsville and Lafayette • 337-235-1568 • facebook.com/Kellers-Bakery-Downtown

Boudin king cakes — a king cake dough that’s stuffed and topped with boudin, cracklins and Steen’s cane syrup — was created by boudin connoisseur Robert Carriker and has taken Acadiana by storm. This unique savory and sweet dessert by Twins Burgers and Sweets of Lafayette and Youngsville has become tremendously popular during Carnival.

Boudin Pizza Scott McClaskey and Kirk Miller wanted to give Lafayette something unique and delicious in a pizza pie so they created Pizza Artista, a fast-casual restaurant that allows guests to create their own flavors on a pizza round or choose one of the duo’s specialty pizzas.

Naturally, since this is Lafayette, Pizza Artista offers The Boucherie, a pizza that comes loaded with boudin, cracklins, cheeses and drizzles of Steen’s cane syrup.

Or the Classic Cajun, a combo of meats — including boudin — with a spicy red sauce and mozzarella.

Pizza Artista

5409 Johnston St., Lafayette (and soon to Lake Charles) 337-706-7631 pizzaartista.com

Deano’s Pizza in Lafayette created a boudin pizza years ago but a Baton Rouge restaurant contested their use of the name. To avoid a copyright fight, Deano’s held a contest for a new name and “The Cajun Violation” won. This specialty pizza pie contains fresh boudin, caramelized onions and pepper jack cheese on the restaurant’s olive oil crust.

Deano’s Pizza 305 Bertrand Drive, Lafayette 337-233-5446 deanospizza.com

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Rabideaux’s Sausage Kitchen in Iowa serves up a wide variety of boudin, in addition to specialty meats and plate lunch specials.

There’s fried boudin balls, smoked boudin, boudin sandwiches and boudin ball burgers but die-hard boudin lovers may prefer the old-fashioned links, shown here.

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There are so many boudin producers in southwest Louisiana, the Lake Charles Southwest Louisiana Convention and Visitors Bureau created a “Boudin Trail,” offering a handy guide and map to the boudin attractions.

Visitors come to LeBleu’s Landing and Sausage Link Specialty Meats in Sulphur to sample its menu of south Louisiana specialties, such as poor boys, seafood platters, boiled crawfish and steaks. Arrive early in the morning and you’ll find folks picking up trays of hot boudin in the adjoining market to haul to the office to enjoy, says General Manager Crystal Tyler.

The market section — Sausage Link Specialty Meats — does occasionally experiment with the Cajun sausage, grinding it up as stuffing for chicken or serving up boudin burgers.

“We take boudin and pat them into patties and then we fry it,” says Tyler. “Every once in a while we put the chicken on our buffet (in the restaurant).”

LeBleu’s Landing and Sausage Link Specialty Meats 202 Henning Drive, Sulphur 337-528-6900 lebleuslanding.com

Walk into Rabideaux’s Sausage Kitchen of Iowa (pronounced I-O-Way) and a massive display case greets you. Visitors will find a wide variety of meats, fried treats and plate lunch specials. Boudin offerings include fried boudin balls, smoked boudin, boudin sandwiches, boudin ball burgers — even a kid’s meals of two boudin balls or a link of boudin. They believe in starting them out early. If you’re a fried food lover, don’t stop at the boudin balls. Rabideaux’s also fries up items such as corn on the cob, meat pies and shish kebab.

Rabideaux’s

105 U.S. 165, Iowa 337-582-3184 rabideauxs.com

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The Cajun Prairie Scott considers itself the epicenter of boudin activity in Acadiana and others agree.

In 2012, the Louisiana State Legislature designated the town as the “Boudin Capital of the World.” Naturally, boudin lovers will have their fill of places to sample in Scott, plus the annual Scott Boudin Festival held every spring.

The Coffee Depot, a delightful coffee shop and restaurant that was once the old Scott train depot, then a feed and seed, has been lovingly restored and now serves as the town gathering place. The boudin is sourced from neighboring producers but the Depot cooks up a boudin patty to serve on a biscuit for the breakfast crowd.

The patty owns a slight crust with a soft center and hint of spiciness goes down well with a cup of the restaurant’s chicory café au lait. Diners can even top off their breakfast with a plate of beignet fingers.

The Coffee Depot 902 St Mary St, Scott 337-704-2280 thecoffeedepot.biz

While you’re in Scott, be sure to visit the boudin experts at Billy’s Boudin & Cracklin, Early’s Supermarket, Don’s and Best Stop, among others, all but a short skip and a jump away.

T-Jims Gro. & Market in Cottonport creates traditional boudin of pork, rice and a dash of seasonings stuffed into hog casings — but they get very creative on occasion. For the 2104 Boudin Cookoff in Lafayette, T-Jim’s produced a sausage patty stuffed with boudin and gouda cheese that was then wrapped in caul fat that won the market a second place trophy in the “Unlinked” category.

In 2013, T-Jim’s offered a boudin pupusa, an El Salvadorian corn cake served with salsa rojo and crema.

T-Jim’s Market and Grocery 928 Kaufman St., Cottonport 318-876-2351 tjims.com

Down Interstate 49 to Sunset, Janise’s Supermarket, a favorite boudin stop among traditionalists, also won acclaim in the Boudin Cookoff’s “Unlinked” category with its unique boudin and fig pie.

Janise’s Supermarket

147 Oak Tree Park Drive, Sunset 337-662-5512 janisessupermarket.com

Boudin balls, such as these created at Billy’s Boudin and Cracklins in Scott, have become quite the rage, rolling the sausage ingredients into a ball and frying as opposed to the links.

“They are showing up more frequently all over the place,” said boudin connoisseur Robert Carriker, creator of BoudinLink.com.

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Boudin experimentation abounds in Lafayette and its many sister cities. The region offers both meat markets where boudin may be purchased and eaten from the paper its sold on or in sophisticated dishes at some of the city’s top restaurants.

Boudin lovers can also start the morning off at Johnson’s Boucaniere in Lafayette, known for its smoked meats, plate lunches, barbecue and, of course, hot boudin. For breakfast, the downtown restaurant has a popular dish — the Nénaine Special, a boudin-stuffed grilled cheese biscuit with the in-house barbecue sauce. It's what owners call “the godmother of grilled cheeses.” For lunch, try the Parrain Special,

boudin-stuffed grilled cheese on Evangeline Bread hamburger buns with barbecue sauce named in honor of boudin aficionado Robert Carriker, whom the owners have nicknamed the “godfather of boudin.”

Johnson’s Boucaniere 1111 St John St. 337-269-8878 johnsonsboucaniere.com

And that’s just a sampling of the many new boudin dishes coming out of Acadiana these days. Do you have a special boudin place we haven’t mentioned? Post your favorites on our Facebook page.

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acadiana profile december 2016/january 2017

The popular egg rolls at Hook and Boil of Broussard feature boudin mixed with cheese.

Owners claim it’s one of their best sellers.

A LITTLE EXTRA FLAVOR Over at Poché’s Market, Restaurant and Smokehouse in Breaux Bridge, they add seafood to their boudin. Their crawfish boudin, for instance, combines fresh crawfish tails smothered in butter, onions, bell peppers, celery, garlic and fresh parsley with the market’s own special sauce and rice and stuff the delicious combination into hog casings.

PochE’s Market, Restaurant and Smokehouse

3015 Main Hwy, Breaux Bridge 337-332-2108

Hook and Boil of Broussard, which specializes in boiled seafood (hence the name), has won quite a following with its sophisticated boudin egg rolls.

The made-in-house boudin is rolled with cheese into an egg roll wrapper and fried, then served with a sweet pepper jelly/cane syrup sauce.

“So you have the sweet and the spicy sauce to dunk the boudin in,” says General Manager Heather Girouard.

“It’s our best seller, besides our boiled seafood.”

Hook and Boil 209 N. Morgan Ave., Broussard 337-330-8443 hookandboil.com

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acadiana profile december 2016/january 2017

Black jumpsuit with choker, plunging neckline by Karlie; fashion ring, both from Hemline. Winter white cashmere sweater by 360 Cashmere, winter white slacks by Rachel Zoe, both from Parklane Boutique; White fur from Raffaele’s Fur, Necklace by Kendra Scott from Brother’s, ring from Hemline

MONODRAMATIC Bring on the drama with a modern take on a timeless monochromatic palette that includes fur, texture, and chiffon

Photographer: Theresa Cassagne. Fashion Stylist: Tracee Dundas. Makeup Artist: Glenn Mosley. Hair Stylist: Kelly Snesrud. Models: Kathleen Alexander and Brianna Hunter.

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Off-white, mock turtleneck sweater dress

by Nicole Miller from Parklane Boutique; White mink cape with silver fox trim from Raffaele’s Fur; Crystal headband from Fashion Statement

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acadiana profile december 2016/january 2017

Black and white fur collar wrap sweater

by Frank Lyman, black mohair belt, black leggings by Alberto Makali; all from Raffaele’s Fur; Black and white weave bucket purse from Ballin’s; ring from Hemline

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(ABOVE) Black perforated dress by Shilla from Brother’s; Black and taupe beaded, tassel necklace from Fashion Statement; Gator bracelets and cuff from Mark Statonco (RIGHT) Black A-line dress with asymmetric, drawstring hem by Red Square Babette and black faux fur infinity scarf from Ballin’s; Silver pendant necklace from Brother’s; Black cuff from Fashion Statement; Animal print double-breasted trench coat by Free People from Hemline; Black cold-shoulder cocktail dress by Vouge from Brother’s; Silver necklace from Ballin’s

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Mink fur with silver fox trim on collar and cuff from Raffaele’s Fur; Fashion ring from Hemline

Stripe shaggy, cropped box faux fur jacket by Amuse Society from Hemline; Earrings by Kendra Scott from Brother’s; Gator bracelets and cuff from Mark Statonco

(LEFT) Black beaded and chiffon gown by Alberto Makali from Raffaele’s Fur; beaded lariat necklace from Ballin’s; Crystal

hair accessorie and rhinestone ring from Fashion Statement; White jersey gown with bateau neckline and back beaded butterfly applique by Janique Kourosh Babaian from Parklane Boutique; Crystal chandelier earrings and fashion ring from Hemline (ABOVE) White croco texture moto jacket by Bryan Lars and white croco texture pants by Alberto Makali, both from Raffaele’s Fur; Stud earrings from Fashion Statement; Multi crystal beaded charmed bracelets from Dianna Rae Jewelry; Black and silver beaded cuff from Brother’s; Black gator envelope clutch from Mark Statonco; Fashion rings from Hemline

Black long sleeve peplum blouse with mesh cutout by Artelier Nicole Miller from Parklane Boutique; Vermeil and crystal necklace from Dianna Rae Jewelry; Fashion earrings and ring from Hemline; Druzy stone cuff from Brother’s

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acadiana profile december 2016/january 2017

Two-piece set, white tunic top with three quarter sleeves and black and white polkadot wide leg pants by Mack and Mack from Ballin’s; Stud earrings from Fashion Statement; Grey Chinese freshwater pearl strand and labradorite teardrop gemstone pendant both from Dianna Rae Jewelry; Long grey and ivory beaded necklace from Brother’s

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STEEL MAGNOLIA PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Cheryl Scurlock Owner of Decorating Den Interiors Firmly established as one of the area's top design professionals, Cheryl is sought after by clients across South Louisiana for her design expertise, unique skill set, and versatility.

Cheryl says, "I enjoy helping clients enhance their home's aesthetic and functional potential through custom designs that include everything from simple one-room facelifts to whole-home renovations and furnishings. I see a person's space as a personal oasis that reflects the owner's taste and style and believe new decor has the power to change lives dramatically."

Cheryl has donated design time and products to many organizations over the years, including The Boys & Girls Clubs of Acadiana, Episcopal School of Acadiana, and the Lafayette Health Clinic, and is an active member of the Acadian Home Builders Association and Professional Women in Business.

CLOTHING FROM PARK LANE: Nicole Miller top ,Joes Jeans

STEEL MAGNOLIA PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Dr. Ann Laurent DDS, Owner of Dr. Ann Laurent’s Dental Artistry After graduating from LSU School of Dentistry in 1983, Dr. Ann Laurent was one of only three female dentists in Lafayette. Today, she remains a trailblazer for aspiring women with a practice that helps patients achieve harmony when their outer smile mirrors their inner one.

Her personal sense of spirituality informs her passion for beauty and healing in mind, body and spirit, evidenced by her enrollment at the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation and support of Fr. Richard Rohr’s Center For Action And Contemplation, Bridge Ministry of Acadiana, and Women’s Symphony League. Balancing her compassionate heart is a zest for friendship, food, and music. “I hope and pray that this synthesis of artistic expression in social action reveals itself in my work, my relationships, and my life!” In the words of Kahlil Gibran, “Work is love made visible.”

CLOTHING FROM PARK LANE: Black Halo

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STEEL MAGNOLIA PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Dr. Kelly L. Cobb MD, Owner of KLCMD and Nouriche Aesthetics and Wellness Healthcare in America stands at a crossroads, and Dr. Kelly Cobb is excited to help Acadians navigate through with her integrated approach to primary care that empowers patients and makes them a partner in their care. A Lafayette native who understands the regional tendency to “work hard, play hard,� Dr. Cobb connects the dots for patients on their environment and what affects their health, including food choices, stressors, exercise, and coping skills. Dr. Cobb enjoys the challenge, privilege, and responsibility of moving primary care forward in this time of change. Beyond her internal medicine and aesthetics practice, Dr. Cobb supports local organizations such as Faith House, Cajun Soccer Club, the National Alliance on Mental Health Acadiana, and the Acadiana Symphony.

CLOTHING FROM PARK LANE: Tadashi

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STEEL MAGNOLIA PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Dr. Maria M. Doucet MD, President of Doucet ENT, APMC Founder and President of Doucet ENT, Dr. Maria Doucet offers a full spectrum of Head & Neck Surgery, Audiology, Allergy Testing, and Cosmetic & Reconstructive Facial Plastic Surgery for adult and pediatric patients. A Louisiana native, she understands the culture and people of Acadiana and prides herself on offering state-of-the-art medical care while engaging every patient in the decision-making process of treatment.

Maria’s southern charm, style, and

genuine love of life shine through in all of her endeavors, both professional and personal. One of Acadiana’s “Faces to Watch,” she is an active leader in the community through charity events and sponsorships and has served on various boards including at The Natural History Museum, CME of Acadiana, and numerous hospital committees. She also served in Leadership Lafayette Class XX and as President of the esteemed Lafayette Parish Medical Society in 2014.

CLOTHING: Lanvin Paris

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STEEL MAGNOLIA PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Natalie Durel Broussard Keaty Real Estate Expert Natalie Broussard guarantees her clients a positive real estate experience. Whether it is residential, commercial or farm land, Natalie is known for her consistency, discipline, and client service. She thrives on client satisfaction and helping others. Natalie enjoys staying involved in the community and showing support for Acadiana’s local businesses and non-profits, a mindset she attributes to growing up in a community-oriented family of business owners. The Cajun way is deep-seeded in her soul. “I am extremely grateful for the trust and referrals of my clients. They are the reason I have surpassed my goals and each hold a special place in my life. I am thankful for each journey,” says Natalie.

CLOTHING FROM PARK LANE: Rachel Zoe Jacket, AG jeans

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STEEL MAGNOLIA PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Dr. Michelle Carr D.C., BS, Owner of Carr Chiropractic Clinic Passionate about the education and treatment of neuromuscular skeletal conditions affecting patients of all ages, Dr. Michelle Carr stands out in a profession dominated by men. She seeks the absolute best treatment and care for patients with a variety of therapies and advanced medical technologies, helping patients achieve total health and wellness everyday. She recently became certified in Whiplash & Traumatology through the Spine Research Institute of San Diego, evidence of her commitment to continued education, and now works with Lafayette’s top attorneys.

In addition to serving as a member of the Texas Chiropractic College Alumni Board, Dr. Carr is an active member in the local community with the Junior League of Lafayette, Women Who Mean Business, and the Daughters of the American Revolution. She owes her success to her own steel magnolia: her mother Adele.

CLOTHING FROM PARK LANE: Nicole Miller

STEEL MAGNOLIA PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Pallavi Dutta Baruah Simon Owner of Edible Arrangements As the owner of one the largest, freshest, and sweetest gift services in Acadiana, Pallavi Simon believes in the art of living green and the gift of giving. Organized and driven, Pallavi wakes early to greet the day with exercise and reflection before planning her agenda and achieving the day’s goals. Her positive influence and philanthropic scope extend beyond the region to India, where she started the HariNarayan Dutta Baruah Foundation in 2014 to aid in health education efforts and improve the lives and well being of children.

CLOTHING FROM PARK LANE: Theia

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culture Joie de vivre

les artistes

save the last dance Lafayette photographer Philip Gould examines Acadiana and the world through his images

By William Kalec Portrait by romero & Romero

Philip Gould has photographed

a bevy of distinct locales across the globe, so the fact that he’s holding a camera while the guy next to him is holding a machete isn’t necessarily strange.

Nor is the location, really.

Sure, it sounds like they’re deep in a South American rainforest instead of a waltz away from Highway 31 in St. Landry Parish, but when it rains like it’s been raining in recent months, plant life tends to grow faster than nieces and nephews you haven’t seen since the last family gathering. No, what’s peculiar about all of this is what Gould and Co. are hoping to find once they whack through all this thorny brush — The French Club, a dance hall that’s been closed for 55 years.

“Photographically, Louisiana is an incredibly generous state,” says Philip Gould.

culture

les artistes

Included in the new book, “Ghost of Good Times,” released in October, Gould’s French Club photos illuminate a place left in the dark for decades.

The book is authored by local writer Herman Fuselier, whom Gould couldn’t praise enough and credited more than once for coming up with the idea. A liberal sheen of dust and dirt blanket an interior styled for a

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different day. While the music played inside dared patrons not to move their feet and the pours were heavy-handed, the place was doomed before the first dance. Apparently, the French Club neighbored a church, and the priests believed a place to pray and a place to party shouldn’t coexist so closely, so the dance hall owner eventually caved to the pressure.

acadiana profile december 2016/january 2017

“And in many of these cases, they had a Last Night, they turned off the lights, and they locked the doors — that’s it,” Gould says. “It’s like nothing has happened. There are cases of JAX Beer, unopened. The liquor licenses from 1958 to 1961 hang on a bulletin board.

The chairs and tables look like they haven’t moved in 50 years. It was truly this amazing

moment where you just go, ‘Holy Smokes.’

“Time stood still, but nature did not. Louisiana’s climate of rain, wind and pervasive humidity just marched on and left a patina of decay. What’s left is another sort of beauty.”

Page after page validates Gould’s claim, as snapshots of rotting and rusted authenticity show just how

long ago it was when these humble establishments were the entertainment epicenter of Cajun communities, back when live music swam through a sea of cigarette smoke to our ears, not via oversized speakers in a sterile, cavernous corporately-owned casino or arena today. Though Gould was able to capture a sizeable portion of these long-forgotten

landmarks with his camera, a few of these weekend temples toppled within the last five years — missed opportunities that sparked a sense of immediacy to do this book now.

“There is a time and a place for a project or an idea and

this project is pertinent to this moment,” Gould says. “These projects come together and almost do themselves. I just do the looking and take some photos as I go.”

Obviously, there’s a little more to it than that. Gould’s selective

eye and talent to gain access to the places and trust amongst the folks he photographs has evolved ever since landing a job at The Daily Iberian in New Iberia after graduation from San Jose State in 1974. Lured away a year later by a paper with a larger

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circulation in Dallas, Gould ditched all that and returned to Louisiana to document the region through pictures. Gould laughs when recalling how patrons at his first exhibit, a photo collection of Cajun people that debuted in 1979, figured the artist attached to the show must

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be an old man considering the amount and diversity of images on display.

Gould was 28.

“I was fortunate to photograph the Cajuns before Mulate’s, before the great national discovery of the Cajun culture,” he says. “There was an

acadiana profile december 2016/january 2017

interesting innocence to people back then. They were jokesters, often amusing themselves at my expense. They were welcoming.

Incredibly practical. But I don’t think they were aware of what was to come.

“At the core, the people are the same. The context is a bit

more contemporary now, and I think (Cajun) people are a bit more aware of what distinguishes them now as a culture from a multitude of cultures in the United States. But still, it was a different time.”

Over the years, Gould’s images have documented how much has

changed — from the landscape, to the landmarks, to the way of life — yet even still, there’s no confusion where these photos originate, as the content in each is unmistakably Louisiana.

“Photographically, Louisiana is an incredibly generous state,” Gould says. “This is an amazing

place to photograph for a whole list of reasons. One: a tremendous sense of tradition. There’s a reverence for things from the past. Two: The landscape. And finally, there’s a nice sense of quirkiness that emanates from Louisiana and the people here.

Time and time again, amazing

things have happened and I was lucky enough to be there with my camera.”

So, Gould is asked, if Louisiana has been overly giving, do you think you’ve said ‘thank you’ for its generosity?

Gould pauses for a good five seconds, laughs, and then

says, “I feel when I take a photograph and put it on my website, or Facebook, or what-have-you, in some way I’m giving it back to people here. It’s my responsibility to share it….By presenting the photographs, people here get a sense of themselves.”

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culture

les personnes

feel the heat Pepper purveyor Troy Primeaux of Lafayette primes pump for world record

By William Kalec | Photo by romero & romero

“No one is gonna die off [a pepper] from what I know of. You might think you’re gonna die, but you’re not gonna die,” says Troy Primeaux.

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Prior to picking pungent

peppers, “Primo” produced popular pieces in packed places using a pick. Try saying that three times fast. Not easy, huh?

Now, try saying that P-laden sentence while biting into a merciless pepper cross-bred to be 400 times hotter than a jalapeño, spice so intolerable its creator equates the sensation somewhere between “cocaine and a car wreck.” No chance.

Yet, ask Lafayette musician and potent hot pepper grower Troy Primeaux (whose friends call him “Primo”) and he’ll tell you the line of volunteers willing to do the impossible would stretch like Gumby — to clarify, that’s eat the hot pepper, not tackle the tongue twister.

“It’s not unlike drugs, it’s that escapism,” says Primeaux, who sounds like a wellespressoed Spicoli. “I guess it’s a safe drug. No one is gonna die off it from what I know of.

You might think you’re gonna die, but you’re not gonna die.

And when it’s all said and done and you’re done having a panic attack, it’s worth the ride. It’s an out of body experience. You start seeing lights and your nervous system is fully engaged.

“Just put the toilet paper in the fridge, man.”

Already well-known among Indie music aficionados for playing a mean guitar in the Southern rock band Santeria, Primeaux eventually married a “good girl” and traded in groupies for a garden, growing peppers that he claims are bigger superstars than he ever was on stage. The latest legend ready to set the chili cultist circle on fire is the “Louisiana Creeper,” a potentially recordsetting hot pepper Primeaux created by crossbreeding two already-hot peppers, and is gently nursing through its infant generational stage.

Once the plant is stabilized — meaning the pepper seeds used to grow more peppers are plucked from the sixth to eighth generation of the pepper — Primeaux thinks the “gnarly-looking” Creeper will exceed 2 million Scoville Heat Units — the measure used to quantify culinary spice.

This new creation follows Primeaux’s 1.4 SHU 7-Pot Primo pepper (a cross between a Trinidad 7-Pot pepper and a Bhut Jolokia) which stirred up a tingling sensation a decade ago among the dedicated group of tongue masochists who live to eat these edible fireballs.

“The chili cultist are obsessive,” says Primeaux, who sells these peppers, seeds and sauces while his better half, Kara, makes a popular line of pepper jellies. “I get emails all the time: What’s your next pepper? I want it! I want it!

I want it! They’re the star of the show. I’m secondary. They wanna eat them, they wanna see videos of them, they want it all, man. These are rock star peppers. Their legend will live on longer than I will. I might not carry on, but my name on that pepper will carry on.”

He means that literally — 7-Pot Primo is named after Primeaux, the choice of a friend and pepper expert who kept inquiring what Primeaux was going to call this thing.

The details of this whole endeavor — like what he’s going to name his peppers — are sort of done on the fly, considering Primeaux fell into this professional passion only after realizing that bouncing from stage to stage every night as a rocker probably wasn’t conducive to a happy marriage.

With that established, though, Primeaux takes the science of breeding peppers and the quasi-art of growing them with all sorts of seriousness.

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les personnes

“I’m paranoid about my peppers,” Primeaux says. “Are people gonna jump the fence? Who knows, man? So I bug-net the plants. It’s a cutthroat business. I’ve heard of stories about guys stealing crossing crops, and I put too much effort into this for that to happen.”

Much like a thoroughbred trainer will study the bloodlines of a horse’s mother and father to determine whether it’s better suited for sprints or long distances, dirt or turf tracks, Primeaux looks deep into the genealogical past of peppers when determining which to crossbreed. Then, Primeaux — part Dr. Frankenstein, part Cupid in this process — manually pollinates flowers on the parent pepper plant, thus creating the edible hybrid.

So, how does Primeaux know the peppers he crosses are gonna make you wanna dunk your mouth in a tub of Ben and Jerry’s? Simple science, mostly, chased with a dash of logic.

“You know there’s obviously more to it than this, but ‘heat’ and’ heat’ makes ‘hot,’” he says. “But I’ve been fortunate.

My buddy tells me, ‘You either got really good luck or you’re some sort of genius.’”

Whatever the secret behind Primeaux’s scorching success, this much is certain: The Louisiana Creeper won’t be his last manmade spicy spawn. For a while now, he’s been in talks with ULL (his Monday-Friday employer) to create a bright red pepper named — what else?

— the Ragin Cajun. And should the Creeper surpass the Carolina Reaper’s 1.9 SHU — the current record holder for the world’s hottest pepper. Primeaux knows better than anyone that sooner rather than later someone else will organically manufacture one that’s more sweat-inducing.

“This is like the space program, but with peppers,” Primeaux says. “Who knows how high and how far we can go?

Some people say 8 million. Some say 5 million. Then there are scientists who say the pepper couldn’t withstand that kind of capacitance and would just melt to mush.

I don’t know, man. But I’d like to find out.

“This is good for me,” Primeaux says, later. “If I was growing bell peppers, I don’t know if I could live with myself. It’d be like ‘What happened to you?’ But from rock ‘n’ roll to growing hot peppers, it’s a little bit on the edge. So it’s fitting.”

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culture

la musique

hommes de fer Isle Derniere brings hard rocking music to Acadiana en Franรงais

By Michael Patrick Welch | Photos by david simpson

Chuck Waguespack (bassist), Brian Berry (lead guitar) and Rocky McKeon (voice, rhythm guitar) keep Louisiana French alive in a whole new heavy way.

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A movement is afoot among young

people from Lafayette to New Orleans and points between, to preserve the specific language of Louisiana French.

Young Cajun and Creole bands such as Lost Bayou Ramblers, Pine Leaf Boys and Beausoleil sing much of their music in regional French. The celebrated Arcade Fire-esque rock sextet, Sweet Crude, brings Louisiana French to a younger, indie-rock audience.

“But in this area, there’s not really anything that sounds like this kind of ‘70s throwback proto-metal,” says Staffland Studios owner Chris Stafford of the hard rocking Acadiana band, Isle Derniere, whose second album he’s been recording since 2012. “It’s definitely different than anything that’s going on, among the bands from here that sing in French.”

Isle Derniere singer Rocky McKeon says there are several reasons why there aren’t many French-singing hard rock bands.

“Because Louisiana French doesn’t sell as well as something in English,” says McKeon. “You have a very limited audience when you sing in French. It only reaches a certain demographic.”

Though truth be told, there isn’t much rock n’ roll sung in the area in English either; not in McKeon’s hometown of Houma, or Thibodaux where Brian Gerry lives, or Raceland where bassist Chuck Waguespack lives, or even in Lafayette where you can find drummer Nick Person.

“We played in Lafayette at Festivals Acadiens et Creoles, and there’s usually the lawnchair brigade — the older generation in lounge chairs in front of the stage — but when we started to play they packed up their chairs and left,” says McKeon. “Then you did see the younger generation coming toward the stage though.”

In general, Isle Derniere would rather be paired with a band that sings in French, than another hard rock act.

“Around Lafayette and whatnot, they’re usually playing with a Cajun band because to them, the French is a very important part of their band, maybe even more so than the style of music they play,” says Stafford.

Also the accordion player and guitarist for young progressive French-singing band, Feufollet, Stafford says, “Rocky the singer writes all of his music in regional French, and is one the foremost young people that’s really pushing for the preservation of

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la musique

French in Louisiana. One of his band’s main goals is to promote French.”

To that end, along with the band’s first self-titled EP sung entirely in French, Isle Derniere has also released Louisiana French versions of Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man” (retitled “L’homme en fer”), and “Quand la levée casse,” aka Led Zeppelin’s “When the Levee Breaks.” McKeon also helped compile the “Dictionary of Louisiana French,” provided the translation into French of the book “Heartoffact: The Visionary Environment of Kenny Hill,” by Karin Eberhardt, and in 2008 was awarded Le Prix de la Création prize for his poem entry “L’argent a peur” from the website MondesFrancophones.com.

“I grew up hearing French at home when my grandparents would visit,” says McKeon.

“My aunts and uncles would all speak French at all of our family gatherings. Then I went on to study French in high school, then studied it further at Nichols State University in Thibodaux.” With a scholarship from the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL), McKeon eventually studied French abroad in Belgium. “I came back home speaking French like a Belgian.

But I worked with some friends locally to straighten my accent out.”

Today, while working diligently on the band’s first ever full-length album, Isle Derniere hasn’t had much time to perform.

The group can be caught just once a month or so at local music venues like The Boxer and the Barrel or the Brick House in Houma, or in Lafayette at Blue Moon Saloon or Artmosphere.

“I don’t normally work on music that’s this heavy,” says Isle Derniere’s producer Stafford. “Most of what I record is a lot of Cajun music, roots-based stuff — I am recording the new Feufollet album myself — and that’s the scene I work in. They bring me in all these new metal bands, but I’m not the biggest metal fan, so when we’re recording [Isle Derniere] we’d pull up some Black Sabbath, and I’d try to make these guys’ drums sound like that. We’re coming from that reference point for this album.

For me it’s fun to try and dig into that style, and try to give it that same sonic quality.

It’s definitely heavy.”

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SoirĂŠe

fĂŞte fabuleuse The fourth annual Tops of Acadiana Party at the Grouse Room photos by travis gauthier

On Nov. 18, Acadiana Profile celebrated

its Tops of Acadiana at the Grouse Room.

Attendees enjoyed food, drinks and dancing, as well as an awards presentation for the

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Tops of Acadiana honorees. The annual event highlights the readers and editors favorites from throughout the region and is the premiere event of the magazine.

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en français, s’il vous plaît

namasté, vous autres par david cheramie

Notre culture est tissée

de fils venus de l’Europe, de l’Afrique et de l’Amérique, nord et sud. Depuis la fin de la guerre du Viêt-Nam avec l’arrivée des réfugiés dont certains parlaient français et d’autres cultivaient le riz et pêchait la chevrette, l’influence asiatique se fait sentir de plus en plus fort, notamment dans la poursuite du restaurant servant le meilleur pho.

Pourtant, la première colonie asiatique en Amérique était probablement établie en 1763 au bord du Lac Borgne par des rescapés philippins d’un galion de Manille commandé par l’Espagne. Le village, détruit par un ouragan en 1915, s’appelait Saint-Malo et a peut-être fourni quelques combattants qui ont pris les armes contre les Britanniques aux côtés de Jean Lafitte cent ans avant. Plus tard, une autre communauté s’est créée dans la baie de Baratarie où les habitants « dansaient les chevrettes », c’est-à-dire qu’ils marchaient sur ces crustacées séchées au soleil afin d’enlever la carapace. Enfant, lorsque je demandais d’où venaient les petits sachets de « chevrettes sèques » qui se trouvaient à côté des caisses au magasin, on m’avait toujours parlé du village sur pilotis de « Little Manila ».

De nos jours, la cuisine indienne est de plus en plus populaire et même le Festival International de Louisiane a honoré la musique et la culture de l’Inde pendant sa dernière Fête du Festival. Bollywood et le curry ne sont pas les seuls produits culturels indiens pour lesquels l’Acadiana cultive une appréciation grandissante.

Aussi surprenante que cela

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puisse paraître, le yoga, après un progrès lent et régulier, a pris de la vitesse dernièrement et ne semble pas ralentir.

Une des pionniers dans la région est Sally Hébert. Elle a grandi aux Opélousas mais vit à Abbéville. Dans les années 70, elle et son mari Calvin ont lu un livre sur le yoga, attisant leur intérêt. À l’époque, il n’y avait pas de classes de yoga aux alentours. Ils ont glané ce qu’ils ont pu d’autres livres qu’ils ont pu trouver sur le sujet. Ils devaient voyager loin, jusqu’aux côtes est et ouest pour approfondir leurs connaissances. Petit à petit, ils ont participé aux ateliers dans des villes de plus en plus proches : Atlanta, Austin, la Nouvelle-Orléans et le BâtonRouge. Au début, les gens ne

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savaient pas trop quoi penser ; est-ce que c’est une religion ou tout simplement bizarre ?

Depuis une dizaine d’année, elle voit une plus grande acceptation de cette discipline venue d’Asie comme le constate aussi James Hébert, pas de lien de parenté, qui le pratique depuis la fin des années 90.

Son intérêt a commencé lors qu’un ami et collègue, un instructeur de yoga certifié de surcroît, a partagé ses connaissances sur les philosophies orientales. Quelques temps après, il se trouve sur le tapis en train d’essayer d’assouplir son corps dans les positions traditionnelles en prêtant attention à sa respiration. Seulement quelques classes individuelles existaient, les clubs de sports

et les centres de rééducation ne l’ayant pas encore offert régulièrement. Les premiers instructeurs étaient des physiothérapeutes ou des masseurs qui utilisaient le yoga comme supplément de traitement. Selon lui, le point tournant est arrivé quand le gymnase de Red Lerille a commencé à offrir des classes de yoga autour de l’an 2000.

Comment le yoga avec sa discipline physique et son emphase sur le bien-manger, voire le diète végétarienne ou même végane, peut-il s’accorder avec notre joie de vivre et sa devise « Laissez les bons temps rouler » ? Sally pense que la connexion est évidente : afin d’apprécier à fond la vie, il faut se sentir bien dans sa peau.

James reconnaît que la pratique assidue de yoga présente un défi chez nous, mais remarque sa popularité croissante.

La ténacité nécessaire à le poursuivre pendant des années, un héritage de nos ancêtres enhardis par maintes épreuves, peut-elle expliquer le succès du yoga, attesté par le pullulement récent des cours de certification ? Enfin, un plus grand intérêt dans les options alternatives pour se soigner ne rappelle-t-il pas la curiosité renouvelée pour les remèdes que nos grandmères concoctaient à partir des plantes du jardin et de la forêt ? Quelle que soit l’origine, l’Acadiana adopte toujours la meilleure partie des autres cultures.

For an English translation, visit acadianaprofile.com.