bright, bold jewelry
P.16
Where to Eat Now
Pop-ups, food trucks and casual dining spots P.38
city of the year
Inspired by the produce of Louisiana, this sweet potato smoothie doesn’t compromise on nutritional value or taste.
n w o r homeg s e p i c 5 Re ocal L h t i w r Flavo t Swee
G: UDIN kberry, L C c IN
la to, B Kale! a t o P d ge an n a r O
pg. 50
P.60
acadianaprofile.com
| 3
contents A little extra Editor’s note Nouvelles de villes Newsbriefs Le visiter Calendar lagniappe
NOTE DE L’EDITEUR
home+style 15 Jewelry pour la maison Kitchen storage la maison A rural, country-style home À la mode
food+drink 29 Seafood hotspots Light recipes recettes de cocktails Prismatic Blade sur le menu
de la cuisine
culture 67 Pig and Plough is a slowfoods dinner series that promotes collaborations with chefs who cook with local ingredients. For more on other pop-ups, dinner series and casual eateries, check out pg. 43.
personnes Cody and Samantha Carroll la musique Zydeco Radio les artistes Chryl Savoy en francais
L’écrevisse: Mythe et Realité
features where to eat now 38 Pop-ups, food trucks and supper-time hotspots by cheré coen
smoothies 50 5 healthy recipes by sarah Ravits
health and fitness 56 Classes by claire salinas
city of the year 60 Morgan City
by will kalec
4 |
acadiana profile february/march 2016
lagniappe
learn german
What’s your favorite form of exercise?
vorfahren n. ancestors example: Louisianians haben viele Deutsch Vorfahren. translation: Louisianians have many German ancestors.
february/march 2016 vol. 35 | № 1
Editor in Chief
Managing Editor
Associate Editor
Art Director
and Lead Photographer “Walking biking are Web Editor the only two things I seem to be able to Sales Manager do consistently because they are fun to me.”
“I really enjoy Zumba and Jazzercise classes because they energize me and they aren’t repetitive – so I don’t get bored.”
Errol Laborde Sarah Ravits Melanie Warner Spencer Sarah George Danley Romero Kelly Massicot Rebecca Taylor (337) 298-4424 (337) 235-7919 Ext. 230
Rebecca@acadianaprofile.com
Sales Intern
Ryan MacKowiak
Linzee LeJeune
Traffic Coordinator
Distribution Manager
Jessica DeBold John Holzer
Director of Marketing & Events Cheryl Lemoine
Event Coordinator Margaret Strahan
Administrative Assistant
Subscription Manager
Sara Kelemencky
Subscriptions Mallary Matherne
Production/Web Manager
Senior Production Designer
Denise Dean
Staci McCarty Ali Sullivan
“I love running outside.”
Production Designer Monique DiPietro
Chief Executive Officer
President
Alan Campell
Executive Vice President
Errol Laborde
Vice President of Sales
Todd Matherne
Colleen Monaghan
Like us on Facebook (Facebook.com/AcadianaProfile) and follow us on Twitter (@acadianaprofile) for daily updates, happenings in the area and other news!
did you know? Though Cajun culture has the most notable influence in Louisiana, the sausage in your gumbo is likely more German than French. In France, andouille is stuffed with chitterlings and is described as “an acquired taste.” Louisiana’s version of comes out of its German roots. The chunky pork and smoky flavor has become the standard for gumbo and jambalaya. Many are surprised to learn that German descendants comprise Louisiana’s largest cultural group. The “German Coast” or “La Cote des Allemands” was first noted in the 1724 census, 40 years before the Acadiens arrived. German was the largest spoken language in Louisiana from 1848-1900. The culture began a decline during World War I when the state legislature passed Act 114 which made all expressions of German culture and heritage, especially the printed or spoken use of the German language, illegal. The past decadea have seen a resurgence of German culture, for example Oktoberfest has become popular with Germans and nonGermans alike, so put on your lederhosen and drink a beer to your German ancestors!
behind the scenes
Please consider our planet and recycle this (and every) magazine.
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.
6 |
acadiana profile february/march 2016
Web editor Kelly Massicot samples a green smoothie (and likes what she tastes). Check out our homemade smoothie recipes on pg. 48.
note de l’editeur
fitness & food Fresh recipes; new fitness routines; and cool, casual restaurants abound We like to cover a lot of ground,
and that’s reflective in this latest issue of Acadiana Profile. During our travels throughout the region, we realized that one of the unsung heroes in the area is Morgan City, our official city of the year. It has a thriving music and restaurant scene and family-friendly activities in a picturesque setting; entrepreneurial opportunities; and genuinely nice, welcoming residents. We love the celebratory atmosphere of Carnival, but we also know that sometimes it can wreak a little havoc on your body (if you do it right, argue some). We’ve crafted some healthy smoothie recipes, with an emphasis on local ingredients, that can give you an energy boost or serve as a meal replacement. In keeping with our “healthy” theme, we also sent writer Claire Salinas on a mission to discover some of the most fun fitness classes in the region to help you get in shape, maintain your health, and/or change up your routine. Of course, we also want you to treat yourselves, which is why our food writer Cheré Coen scoped out some of the hottest new pop-up restaurants and casual eateries with truly innovative menus. If you feel like cooking at home, Marcelle Bienvenu shares some easy, healthy, fresh meal ideas on pg. 32. But before you start cooking at home, turn to pg. 18 and check out some affordable kitchen accessories that can easily help you get a little more organized. Wishing you a happy and healthy transition into springtime! Sarah Ravits Managing Editor
8 |
acadiana profile february/march 2016
acadianaprofile.com
| 9
nouvelles de villes
by lisa leblanc-berry
multiple Daves New Iberia
Artfully Devoted
Rolling the Dice
Lafayette
charenton
A $20 million investment is slated for the tiny town of Charenton in St. Mary Parish as the Chitimacha Indian Tribe renovates and expands its Cypress Bayou Casino Hotel. Added gaming including a new high-limit area for gamblers, a new restaurant (Café Delphines), new retail operations and an expanded pool area with a pool bar, lazy river and pool-side cabanas are underway (cypressbayou.com).
On Top
Avery Island
After weeks of tallying votes, USA Today readers named their top overall favorite food factory nationwide. The Tabasco Pepper Sauce Factory Tour at Avery Island ranked among the top 10 (Tabasco.com).
The Connection
Grand Coteau/Catahoula
Photographer John Slaughter’s new book, Catahoula: Louisiana State Dog (Paperback; November 2015; UL at Lafayette Press), is filled with intriguing color photos of the compelling breed with humanlike eyes. The owners’ stories explain their widespread 10 |
acadiana profile february/march 2016
appeal. Slaughter opened Catahoula’s restaurant in his home town of Grand Coteau in 1996, and filled it with large photos of Cataholas including his own dog, which he dubbed “a very old soul.” Foodies listen up: Grand Coteau Bistro has replaced Catahoula’s; it opened
in late fall, 2015 and is well worth visiting, co-owned by former “Chopped” champion, Chef Christopher Thames (Tip: Try the seared salmon with roasted beets for dinner or the French toast stuffed with pungent goat cheese and sweet thyme honey for brunch).
lafayette strong pavilion photo by travis gauthier; catahoula: louisiana state dog photo courtesy ul at lafayette press
As a dedication to the community’s tragic July 2015 movie theater shooting in Lafayette, students and faculty from the UL-Lafayette School of Architecture and Design collaborated with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Acadiana Center for the Arts, Lafayette Consolidated Government, Lafayette Public Trust Financing Authority and eight other universities (including Delhousie University in Nova Scotia) to create the new Lafayette Strong Pavilion, located at 400 Camellia Blvd. Also known as the Camellia Gridshell Pavilion, the open-air dome-shaped $77,000 structure, spearheaded by Professor Geoff Gjertson, was ceremoniously unveiled in January. It’s the first installment among five gridshells underway; a fifth will be built in Nova Scotia this summer. Fifty artworks for the new Camellia Art Sculpture Park are also in the works. The first art installment, titled “Endless Angels,” is an ethereal 15-foot-tall bronze sculpture depicting four ascending figures with connected wings. It was created by internationally acclaimed sculptor Russell Whiting, known for pioneering the art of carving steel with the oxy-acetylene torch that produces complex, heavily textured surfaces. Upon touring Whiting’s other commissions at his art-filled home near Henderson, we viewed a towering 6,000-lb. steel sculpture of a life-like buffalo, which was en route to the corporate headquarters of philanthropist William “Bill” Goldring, Chairman of the Sazerac Co., the largest distilling company in the U.S. “He also owns Buffalo Trace Bourbon and has other buffalo-inspired artworks in his extensive collection,” explains Whiting.
If you’re visiting New Iberia April 8-10, keep a lookout for Detective Dave Robicheaux look-alikes during the first annual eponymous fest in honor of that complex Cajun sleuth created by local author James Lee Burke. Held in the city’s historic district, the inaugural Dave Robicheaux Hometown Literary Festival kicks off Friday night with a bayou jam session, and a cochon du lait featuring live music at Shadows-on-the-Teche. This is where you may come across a multitude of Dave Robicheaux posers during the Look-Alike Contest. Academic panel discussions, actors performing vignettes of Burke novels and one-act plays, live music and local food at Bouligny Plaza, local storytellers, bouree lessons, showings of “In the Electric Mist” with Tommy Lee Jones (who stayed in New Iberia during the filming) and a Saturday night fais-do-do will get fans dancing in the streets. Visit IberiaTravel.com/Dave-Robicheaux-Literary-Festival.
calendar
by judi russell
around acadiana Gatherings and activities around Acadiana. february
9. Krewe of Hephaestus
2. Cajun Ground Hog Day.
Mardi Gras Parade. Morgan City. (985) 380-8224.
Bouligny Plaza, New Iberia. (337) 365-6773. 4-9. Cajun Country Courir de Mardi Gras. Various locations, Eunice. (337) 457-7389. 5. Krewe of Adonis Parade.
Morgan City. (985) 380-8224. 5-9. Le Fete de Mardi Gras
a Lafayette. Cajun Field, Lafayette. 800-346-1958. 6. Lake Fausse Pointe
Mardi Gras Parade. Lake Fausse Pointe State Park, St. Martinville. (337) 229-6173. 6. Baldwin Mardi Gras
Parade. (985) 380-8224. 6. Cypremort Point Mardi
Gras Parade. (985) 380-8224. 6. Dionysus Mardi Gras
Parade. Berwick. (985) 3808224. 7. Carnival D’Acadie (Mardi Gras). Downtown Crowley. (337) 783-0824. 9. Family Affair Mardi Gras
Parade. Main St., Loreauville. (337) 229-6001. 9. Grand Marais Mardi
Gras Parade. Grand Marais, Jeanerette. (337) 365-8185. 9. Half Fast Krewe of
Frank’s Mardi Gras Parade. Opelousas. (337) 407-2288. 9. Mamou Mardi Gras.
Downtown Mamou. (337) 4683175. 9. Franklin Mardi Gras
Parade. (985) 380-8224. 9. Mardi Gras on the Bayou.
Along Bayou Teche in Franklin. (387) 828-6345.
12 |
acadiana profile february/march 2016
25. St. Mary Community Concert Association. Schreier Theater, Municipal Auditorium, Morgan City. (985)385-2307. 25-27. 11th Annual Eagle
Expo. Morgan City and Stephensville (985) 380-8224.
march 1-April 30. New Iberia Azalia Trail. Iberia Parish, New Iberia. (337) 365-1540. 3-6. Black Heritage Festival. Civic Center, Lake Charles. (337) 436-9588. 6. 31st Annual Here’s the
Beef Cookoff. Yambilee Fair Grounds, Opelousas. (337) 945-0364. 9. Krewe of Coteau Mardi
Gras Parade. Francis Romero Memorial Park, Coteau. (337) 577-5099. 13. Zydeco Marathon &
½. Cajundome Convention Center, Lafayette. www. zydecomarathon.com 20. 31st Annual World
Championship Crawfish Etouffee Cookoff. North West Community Center Pavilion, Eunice. (337) 457-2565. 20. Easter Cantata. Pharr
Chapel, Morgan City. (985) 384-7984, 26. Acadiana Dragon Boat
Festival. Bouligny Plaza, New Iberia. (337) 352-2180.
acadianaprofile.com
| 13
14 |
acadiana profile february/march 2016
Keith and Karen Johnson’s serene master bath, situated in a wing of their charming country retreat, features his-and-her vanities, diagonal travertine flooring and a relaxing MicroSilk bath that renders oxygen-rich microbubbles.
style+home Ă la mode 16
Colorful, funky jewelry by claire salinas
pour la maison 18 Kitchen storage solutions by Claire salinas
la maison 20
A rural country-style dream house strengthens family ties to Acadiana for a couple planting roots. by lisa leblanc-berry
style+home À DEla LAmode CUISINE
4. Turquoise Jewel Wrap Bracelet. Maven Womenswear.
2
5. Watermelon Tourmaline Rose Gold 14K Pendant & Chain and Watermelon Tourmaline Rose Gold Slice Earrings. Dianna Rae Jewelry.
1
4
6. Chrysoprase Ring Sterling and (below) Chalcedony Bezel Ring. Dianna Rae Jewelry.
3
5
6 7
rocking it
8
Bold, colorful gems and stones are hot this season.
7. Inverted teardrop bracelet, light blue. Francesca’s. 8. Teardrop necklace. JuJu’s Boutique.
by claire salinas photo romero & Romero 1. Crye and oval basic bracelet. Francesca’s. 2. Marble tri-stone drop earrings. Maven Womenswear.
9
9. Convertible short to long necklace, black. Maven Womenswear.
3. Tessa earrings in green by Shira Melody Jewelry. 7 Chics.
7 Chics. 201 Settlers Trace Blvd.#2019, Lafayette, (337) 704-2632 Dianna Rae Jewelry. 500 Settlers Trace Blvd. #1, Lafayette, (337) 706-7316 Francesca’s. 5725 Johnston St., Lafayette, (337) 406-8123 JuJu’s Boutique. 101 Settlers Trace Blvd., Lafayette. (337) 406-9300 Maven Womenswear. 201 Settlers Trace Blvd. #2021, Lafayette. (337) 704-2668 16 |
acadiana profile february/march 2016
style+home pour DE LA la CUISINE maison
2
1
4
3
spice it up Add these accents to make your kitchen full of style and substance. by claire salinas | photo romero & romero
Technically spring begins on March
22, but the weather in South Louisiana permits us to start on spring cleaning – and spring socializing – a little earlier. As you may be preparing to host dinner parties, warm-weather celebrations
1. These colorful farm-
themed cannisters that come in a set of three are perfect for storing dry products such as noodles, rice or sugar. Their chalkboard labels provide an easy, low-maintenance way to keep track of the goodies waiting inside each container. Kirkland’s, 3001 Louisiana Ave., #100, Lafayette, (337) 233-4134.
18 |
or festival gatherings, there are little things you can do to get organized and make your life a little less chaotic as a host or hostess. One way to do that is to look into some affordable and accessible storage solutions that’ll
2. With four spacious compartments, this bamboo silverware tray is a stylish and affordable storage solution to keep your utensils organized. Seville Bamboo Organizer Tray from Target. 3225 Louisiana Ave., Lafayette, (337) 769-7515.
acadiana profile february/march 2016
3. Store your favorite
spices in this cool, contemporary spice rack made of stainless steel. It’s magnetized, so spices can be stored at an angle that allows for easy access. Mastrad (set of six) Spice Jars with Stand. E’s Kitchen, 1921 Kaliste Saloom Road, Suite 121, Lafayette, (337) 534-8928.
brighten up your kitchen and also make it less cluttered. We found some stylish items that are both functional and fashionable, so that when you’re searching for that important ingredient or utensil, it’ll be right in front of you.
4. This vintage-inspired utensil holder, in a lightly distressed ivory color, helps keep clutter off your counter and is dishwasher-safe. Ivory Vintage Rooster Utensil Holder. From Kirkland’s.
A blend of contemporary and vintage-looking functional accessories in the kitchen makes it a space that is a comfortable yet chic.
acadianaprofile.com
| 19
style+home la DE LA maison CUISINE
for the long and winding road A rural countrystyle dream house strengthens family ties to Acadiana for a couple planting roots.
by lisa leblanc-berry photos by chad chenier
During a leisurely
evening stroll down a quiet country street on the outskirts of town, Karen and Keith Johnson came across a sea of fireflies sparkling in a field. “They were so beautiful. They were right over a big patch of land that was full of trees,” Karen says. “We decided to build right there.” The secluded family property, momentarily illuminated by the tiny lightening bugs whose intermittent flashes signal availability for potential mates, would be the site of the newlyweds’ dream house. The serene setting spoke of a familiar natural
beauty that was close to Karen’s heart. Ever since childhood, she had taken long walks and bike rides along that same winding road, but had somehow missed this perfect spot. Karen grew up further down the street, just beyond Lafayette’s edge. It was once flanked by untouched fields stretching for miles, purchased by her great-great-grandfather long before her time. Family members later built homes on the contiguous tracts. Some still reside there, including Karen’s father, her adult children and their children, various aunts, nieces and cousins.
But the land that was canopied in magical flashes of light during that steamy starlit night was beyond the familiar. “It isn’t near the other homes, so this property gives us just enough privacy,” she assessed. “We need that, because our time is special. Keith often has to leave town for his work.” Karen’s second marriage to Keith in 2008 joined the Lafayette native with a strapping Texan willing to settle wherever she wanted to plant their roots, and build whatever kind of house his bride desired. “I’m from a close-knit Cajun family,” she
explained. “I’ve always lived near family, on the same street.” Karen had five grandchildren residing nearby. Keith had five grandchildren of his own. So the design of their new one-story 3,300-square-foot home, completed in 2013, would include a covered outdoor living room equipped with antique brick flooring and a large fireplace, and an outdoor kitchen area. A dining porch would be just around the corner. Several other deep wrap-around porches were added to enhance their new open-air country lifestyle. This included
facing page The Johnsons selected antique heart pine wide plank flooring throughout the home, with the objective of a relaxed country feel. An artist, Karen selected the accents and décor to mirror their laid-back lifestyle. The entrance foyer is adorned with a framed pressed palm and baskets filled with cotton and pinecones. above Karen’s unique bottle collection decorates the dining room, furnished with an antique farm table and church pew. It connects to a large butler’s pantry equipped with a bar sink and an ice maker, then the kitchen which is flanked by a second, larger pantry.
acadianaprofile.com
| 21
22 |
acadiana profile february/march 2016
a more elegant front porch with ample seating. Hefty concrete columns, generous French doors with custom board-and-batten shutters, slow-spinning ceiling fans dangling from a tongueand-groove wood ceiling painted sky blue “to keep the wasps away,” and flickering gas lanterns completed the laid-back Southern vibe. “I love nature,” Karen explained. “We can see the beautiful trees on the property from almost everywhere. Sometimes, we’ll spot a coyote, or some other wildlife nearby.” A couple luxuries were not overlooked, including a soothing and sizeable master bath with travertine flooring, his-and-her sinks with builtin mirrors and streamlined sconces, and a MicroSilk bath enhanced with oxygenrich micro-bubbles for “soaking the stress away.” The master bedroom is equally serene, fashioned with antique pine beams and center-match pine boards covering a lone wall for that subtle country effect. An antique cypress sliding barn door was installed; it leads into the sun room that opens onto the spacious outdoor living area overlooking an expanse of trees. The master’s center-match pine board effect was repeated in the two guest rooms, which also lead to splendid porch views. Since Keith’s work requires time in Texas, he was reluctant to leave Karen with the lion’s share of tasks at the onset. So they approached Gayle Carmouche, the award-winning owner and president of LaFosse Construction, to handle the project. Her reputation as a builder of high-quality custom homes with superior
craftsmanship was just what the Johnsons needed. “Gayle was really wonderful, and so was her crew,” Karen stated. “She’s like one of the family now!” Gayle rejoined, “Karen wanted the design to be casual and rustic with clean lines, rather than ornate, and she didn’t want any clutter. The house is basically Karen’s vision. She really put her heart and soul into it.” The design of the house is firmly tied to the land around it. A wall of windows surrounding the living room provides a sweeping view of the tree-lined property. Another panoramic view is provided with a multitude of windows in the smaller, cozy den. Deep window seats, a fireplace that stays ablaze most winter evenings, and the overstuffed chairs serve as enticements for watching movies or taking in good books and afternoon naps. The gourmet custom kitchen opens onto the living room, dining room and den, providing superb views from all three sides. “The kitchen is the axis, and the hub of the home,” Gayle explained. “We used elliptical brick arches between the rooms. Karen wanted just enough definition, but she top Venetian plaster was placed over the brick fireplace surround in the den to create a subtle finish, notes builder Gayle Carmouche, president of LaFosse Construction. “Gayle’s like family now,” says Karen. bottom left The Walker Zanger tile used for the kitchen backsplash compliments the ice blue leathered granite-topped island. An elliptical brick arch opens onto the living room. bottom right The serene master bedroom has antique pine beams and an antique cypress barn door opening to a sun room.
acadianaprofile.com
| 23
24 |
acadiana profile february/march 2016
wanted the rooms to be very open. The kitchen had to be spacious enough for her large family. She cooks, and wanted everybody to be able to visit.” Favoring a soothing neutral color palette, Karen decorated with an understatement, using rustic forms and natural elements. She worked with interior designer Leigh Blakeman on the material finishes and color selections, and was assisted by Kim McClaine on the remaining interior décor tasks at hand, including the furnishings and accents. “Karen is very artistic. She has an eye for color,” Gayle stated. When detailing, Karen seemed to find just the right touch for the smallest spaces. She placed baskets of pine cones and cotton on a table in the foyer, above which a lone, handpressed palm was framed as a demure centerpiece on an unpainted shutter. This minimalist botanical touch was repeated in the formal dining room as a pair of pressed elephant ears, and placed above a weathered church pew. The room is rarely used. “We usually eat around the kitchen island or outdoors,” Karen revealed. For the utility/laundry room, she installed a Dutch door (the top swings open separately) after giving it an antique finish, to keep her little Yorkshires, Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, safely tucked away when company comes over. The subway tile backsplash and granite countertops give the otherwise functional space a polished look. With an eye for understated elegance, and with the help of her devoted builder and team, Karen was able to create the kind of serene environment that perfectly suits the couple’s country lifestyle together. She reflected, “It’s very light and airy. We’re really enjoying the openness. I’ve always found that less is more.”
Top Center-match pine boards were butted together on walls in the guest bedrooms, adding to the casual country aura. Each of the three bedrooms open onto a variety of generous porches that surrounded the house, all with splendid views of the tree-lined property that’s been in Karen’s family for generations. bottom The master bedroom suite has a sunroom that’s adorned with an original George Rodrigue Blue Dog painting. It opens onto a huge covered outdoor living room and kitchen with a fireplace.
acadianaprofile.com
| 25
PROMOTIONAL SECTION
Junior League of Lafayette
Kitchen Tour
Domingue Home
Talk About Good Kitchens! Junior League of Lafayette is excited to announce its newest special event! The Kitchen Tour will feature six kitchens in the heart of Lafayette that are either newly built or recently restored. Inspired by the homeowners’ interests, the exquisite kitchens range in style from traditional to modern and are sure to impress all who step inside. Whether you are spending an afternoon with friends or gathering ideas for your own kitchen remodel, you’ll enjoy your time viewing these magnificent kitchens all while supporting Junior League of Lafayette. Join Junior League of Lafayette on Saturday, March 19th from noon to 4 p.m. for an afternoon of fun and fabulous kitchens! Visit juniorleagueoflafayette.com to purchase your ticket. Tickets are $25 each and every ticket purchased includes one Something to Talk About cookbook. Kitchen Tour is an event to benefit Junior League of Lafayette.
JUNIOR LEAGUE OF LAFAYETTE MISSION Junior League of Lafayette is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.
Our Value to the Community Junior League of Lafayette • Has been serving the Lafayette community since 1957 • Leverages local nonprofit partnerships to better the community • Offers direct assistance in the form of resource and enrichment grants awarded to nonprofit agencies • Trains its members to assume leadership positions within and outside the Junior League • Members sit on outside boards of nonprofit agencies throughout the community Scan for More
Information
In one year: • •
590+ membership of women 20,714 member volunteer hours supported community agencies and programs
• 2,082 hours training women as civic leaders • 1,800+ individuals served through several community programs
• $140,000 raised and given back to support community programs and as grants awarded to local nonprofit agencies
President Maggie Simar President Elect Julie Broussard Co-Chairman Frances Attenhofer Co-Chairman Caroline Bonin
PROMOTIONAL SECTION
Homes Featured on the Tour
The 1400 block of East Bayou Parkway, The Voth Home - Comfortable elegance abounds! Feast your eyes on all the beautiful details in the THREE kitchens this home offers.
The 100 block of Asbury Road, The Domingue Home - Enjoy the mix of traditional and contemporary styles this home has to offer as you make your way to the gorgeous transitional style kitchen.
The 100 block of Twin Oaks Boulevard, The David Home - This stunning traditional outdoor kitchen with its beautiful fireplace is one you won’t want to miss.
The 300 block of Ducharme Lane, The Saterfiel Home - The cool tones and beautiful dĂŠcor of this kitchen remodel will take your breath away!
The 300 block of Princeton Woods Loop, The Brashier Home - You will love the classical and timeless feel of this City French kitchen.
The 200 block of Irene Circle, The Hickey Home - Looking for a kitchen with a bit of funk? This new twist on a farmhouse kitchen is sure to inspire your remodel!
28 |
acadiana profile february/march 2016
food+drinks sur le menu 30 Seafood in Acadiana by jyl benson
de la cuisine 32
4 easy, healthy kebab recipes by marcelle bienvenu
Seasonal herbs, vegetables and lean meat make for simple yet delightful meals, especially during Lent.
recettes de cocktail 36 Prismatic Blade by Nick dietrich
FOOD+DRINK
DE LA sur leCUISINE menu
seafood in acadiana 6 places to visit
La Bam Breme (fried eggplant, grilled catfish, crab cake, fried shrimp and oysters stacked high over crawfish etoufeé) at Crawfish Town
by jyl benson | photo romero & romero
Perhaps it is divine
payback for the miseries the French Acadians endured at the hands of the British during Le Grand Dérangement when the they were forced from their homes in Nova Scotia to resettle in southwestern Louisiana and start 30 |
again with nothing, but centuries later Louisiana’s Acadians are in possession of an enviable culture undeniably rich in music, art, and gastronomy. While most world cuisines are based on the bounty of either the land or the sea, the
acadiana profile february/march 2016
Cajun pantry is based on both: game, fowl, and domestic meat – mostly pork – pour in from the prairies along with vegetables and spices, and both finfish and shellfish are hauled in by the bushels from the rivers, lakes and bayous. When it comes
to eating and living, well, in general, the Acadians have it all. If you grew up in Louisiana, there’s as good chance you have a childhood memory of visiting one of the Don’s Seafood restaurants scattered throughout the state
and into Texas. Some of us literally cut our teeth on their children’s menu. The original Don’s opened in Lafayette in 1934 as Don’s Beer Parlor, but the thoughtfully expanded building and its crowd-beckoning
neon lights are so lovingly maintained as to bear no signs of age. The place glows in the evening light with glossy paint, scrubbed sidewalks and well-heeled patrons. Devoted old-timers, families with children and young hipsters pack the sprawling restaurant and its two waiting rooms and bars for the classic, potent Old Fashioned (complete with cocktail monkeys, maraschino cherries and rock sugar stirrers); silky-rich crabmeat au gratin; big, juicy steaks; luscious crawfish étouffée; towering fried seafood platters; and dense, buttery bread pudding for dessert. Joseph Dupuy began harvesting and selling oysters for 5 cents a dozen in 1869. Three generations and 146 years later his namesake Abbeville restaurant, Dupuy’s Seafood & Steak, is still a go-to for the saltiest, plumpest, creamiest bivalves around. Locals also flock to the white clapboard eatery, which recently underwent a modern facelift for live music, fried seafood and Cajun dishes. Outdoor seating is a plus. There is a running competition with nearby Shuck’s for who serves the best oysters, and locals are firmly divided into two camps.
Crawfish Town USA 2815 Grand Point Hwy., Henderson, (337) 667-6148, crawfishtownusa.com Dupuy’s Seafood & Steak 108 S. Main St., Abbeville, (337) 893-2336, dupuys.com Johnson’s Boucaniere 111 St. John St., (337) 269- 8878, johnsonsboucaniere.com Pont Breaux 325 Mills Ave., Breaux Bridge, (337) 332-4648, pontbreauxcajunrestaurant.com Shucks! 701 W. Port St, Abbeville, (337) 898-3311, shucksrestaurant.com The Original Don’s Seafood & Steakhouse 301 East Vermilion St., Lafayette, (337) 235-3552, donsdowntown.com
bonus bite Johnson’s Boucaniere in Lafayette has a cult following for its toothsome boudin, which is made from the family recipe that made Johnson’s Grocery in Eunice world famous. Both a take-out and outdoor dining destination, the treasured boudin here sells out early, particularly on Saturday, so get in line with the rise of the sun. Though the smoking methods and recipes here may be traditional, some of the applications definitely are not: The Parrain Special and Stevie’s Stuffed Grilled Cheese are the stuff happy heart attacks are made of.
When he finally decided enough was enough, the long-time manager of the once world-famous Mulate’s in Breaux Bridge was able to afford the purchase price on the building but not the famous name, so he re-christened the restaurant Pont Breaux and booted the kitchen back into the gear that made it famous in the first place. Come for authentic Cajun cuisine – check out the Swamp Trash Plate with sautéed crabmeat shrimp and alligator over rice – and traditional live Cajun music every night. This is a great place to take the kids. Located in nearby Henderson, Crawfish Town USA’s La Bam Breme, is a towering concoction of fried eggplant, grilled catfish, a crab cake, fried shrimp and oysters presented all threaded together and served atop a pool of crawfish étouffée. If you’re not in the mood for seafood another must-do is the Jacked Up Chicken with its blanket of melted pepper jack cheese and andouille cream sauce. Located inside an authentic barn that dates back to the early 1900s, this place is also exceptionally family-friendly. acadianaprofile.com
| 31
FOOD+DRINK
DE LA CUISINE
for the grill 4 light and easy recipes by marcelle bienvenu | photo eugenia uhl
Part of the fun in making kebabs is the creativity involved. Slice up your favorite vegetables and protein sources and indulge in a meal that’s good for you.
32 |
acadiana profile february/march 2016
The lifestyle and foodways
of Louisiana is sometimes hard on the waistline. While most of the United States takes a breather after the Christmas holidays, Louisianians plunge right into the Carnival season that begins on Twelfth Night (Jan. 6). After the busy holiday season that extends from Thanksgiving to New Year’s, during which there is much feasting, it would seem that everyone would yearn for a quiet time to recuperate. Not so in Louisiana. We roll right into the Carnival season when, on Jan. 6, or Twelfth Night, the King’s Cake or Gateau du Roi is customarily served. It was first served to celebrate the visit of the Christ child by the three Magi but now it officially opens the Carnival season – a fest of drinking, eating and merrymaking. The word Carnival is from the Latin carne (meat) and vale (farewell). Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday. Knowing that the next day after Shrove Tuesday is Ash Wednesday, which opens the Lenten season, a time of fasting, everyone is prepared to stuff themselves with all the good things our state has to offer. What is one to do when pots of gumbo, jambalaya or red beans are simmering on the stove and platters of Popeyes fried
tip If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in warm water for at least 20 minutes to prevent charring and splintering (or catching on fire). You can also soak them in wine or juice for an added depth of flavor. If you notice the ends of the skewers igniting, wrap them in kitchen foil.
tip Brush the kebabs (and/ or the grill) with olive oil or grapeseed oil to prevent them from sticking. Grapeseed oil is preferable for hightemperature cooking. You could also use infused oil if you want to get fancy.
chicken and fried oyster poor boys are de rigeur at parade-watching parties? My philosophy is the same as Julia Child’s – moderation in everything. However, that can be a bit daunting at this time of year. Thankfully, Mardi Gras was early (Feb. 9) this year, so the rollicking and feasting can be done in short order. Since I’m one of those who lives to eat, it can be difficult to change my dining habits, but with a little thought and planning, it can be done. For example, our sub-tropical climate allows us to access the outdoor grill pretty much year-round, and now that spring is almost here, we can plan meals that can be cooked with ease on the grill. Grilling is probably one of the healthiest methods of food preparation since most of the fat content is burned off over the hot coals, and fresh herbs and spices are all that is needed to bring out the true taste and flavor of whatever you’re preparing. Preparations can be simple and quick. Fresh vegetables from your garden, roadside stands and farmers’ markets can be grilled on skewers or in wire baskets; the same goes for shrimp or fish. Steaks, burgers and kabobs take little time on a hot grill.
acadianaprofile.com
| 33
Sesame-Ginger Chicken
Squash and Pepper Kabobs Cut squash (or zucchini) crosswise into one-inch slices. Half the green and red bell peppers (remove the seeds and stems). Cut peppers into one inch squares. In a large bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Add vegetables and toss to coat evenly. Let stand for about 30 minutes. Prepare the grill. Remove the vegetables from the marinade; reserve marinade. Thread pepper, squash pieces and mushrooms alternately onto skewers. Arrange the skewers on rack. Grill, turning occasionally, and brushing with reserved marinade, until lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
Ingredients
1 ½ pounds yellow squash (or zucchini) 1 medium red bell pepper 1 medium green bell pepper ⅓ cup olive oil 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 clove garlic, minced 2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 10 to 12 large button mushrooms, cleaned and stemmed
Makes 4 servings
Chicken and Mushroom Kabobs tip Healthy salads are quite easy. Salad greens (there are so many available these days), tossed with chunks of apples, pears or berries dressed with drizzle of vinaigrette dressing (homemade, not store-bought) and a smattering of crumbled blue cheese or grated Parmesan cheese are very satisfying. During the Lenten season, I devote one day a week to vegetarian meals. A friend, Paul Williams, shared this recipe for quinoa salad. This is where you can be creative. Add whatever vegetables appeal to you. Sometimes I substitute celery for the cucumber, and add raisins or cranberries rather than the dates. Feel free to add fresh herbs, like mint or thyme to the mix.
34 |
Combine 1 teaspoon of salt, pepper, thyme, cayenne and garlic in a bowl and stir to blend. Set aside. Cut the chicken breasts into strips about 3 inches long and 1 inch wide. Place in a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the spice/herb mixture and toss to coat evenly. Toss mushrooms with sage leaves, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and ¼ teaspoon salt. Prepare the grill. Thread the chicken strips onto skewers alternately with the mushrooms and sage leaves. Arrange the skewers on a rack and grill, turning often, until the chicken and mushrooms are lightly browned and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Makes 4 servings
acadiana profile february/march 2016
Ingredients
1 ¼ teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ½ teaspoon dried thyme ½ teaspoon cayenne 1 teaspoon minced garlic 4 chicken breasts halves, skinned and deboned, each about 5 ounces 3 tablespoons olive oil 12 large white button mushrooms wiped clean and stemmed 12 to 16 fresh sage leaves (optional)
Combine sesame seeds, ginger, honey and soy in a small bowl and stir well. Place chicken breasts between two sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap and flatten to about ¼-inch thickness using a meat mallet. Coat the grill with the cooking spray. Place chicken over medium-hot coals on the grill. Baste with soy sauce mixture and cook about five minutes on each side and continue basting with sauce. Serve garnished with green onion strips. Serve over a rice pilaf or with grilled vegetables
Ingredients
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted 2 teaspoons grated ginger 2 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons soy sauce 4 skinned and boned chicken breasts (each about 5 ounces) Vegetable cooking spray Thin green onion strips
Makes 4 servings
Quinoa Salad Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh strainer, rubbing vigorously. Drain. Heat a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat and drizzle with olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the quinoa and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Pour in stock, bring to a boil, cover and turn heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Line a large baking sheet with parchment and spread cooked quinoa over it in an even layer. Let cool. Combine radishes, cucumber, shallots and dill, and toss in a bowl with cooled quinoa. Zest the lemon right into the bowl and fold in. Juice the lemon half and whisk together with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar until emulsified and thick. Toss with the quinoa. Fold in almonds, chopped dates, and Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. CHILL FOR AT LEAST 15 MINUTES BEFORE SERVING. When ready to serve, top with chopped avocado. Makes 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
1 cup organic quinoa 1 ¾ cups vegetable stock 8 small red radishes, well-cleaned and tops removed, small diced ⅓ seedless English cucumber, about 4 oz, unpeeled, small diced 1 large shallot, minced ½ cup chopped dill fronds ½ lemon, zested and juiced, about 1 ½ tablespoons 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar ½ cup sliced raw almonds ½ cup pitted dates, roughly chopped ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 ripe avocado, to serve
acadianaprofile.com
| 35
FOOD+DRINK
recettes de cocktails DE LA CUISINE
prismatic blade Coffee with a kick recipe by Nick Dietrich | photo by eugenia uhl
Ingredients
Directions
4 ounces pourover brewed Hey! Cafe Honduras El Jaguar Coffee
Warm the Ramazotti and tequila in a double shaker warming bath. Add the freshly brewed coffee and transfer to a warmed toddy mug.
1 ounce Ramazzotti 3/4 ounce Siembra Azul Anejo Tequila Float of Combier whipped cream
Shake with Hawthorne shaker. Whip 3/4 ounce of Progress Dairy cream with half an ounce of Combier. Float on top. 1 serving
Created in 1815 by Ausano Ramazzotti, Ramazzotti Amaro Liqueur is Italy’s first bitter liqueur. However, Ramazzotti didn’t gain popularity until 1848, when Ausano opened a bar near the La Scala opera theater and started serving his amaro instead of coffee.
36 |
acadiana profile february/march 2016
acadianaprofile.com
| 37
eat
Where POP-UPS, FOOD TRUCKS SUPPERTIME HOT SPOTS by Cheré Coen
Now
w
Grilled prawns made by chef Collin Cormier from Pop’s Poboys for Runaway Dish's Southern Forged dinner
acadianaprofile.com
| 39
e Eating out doesn’t have to be about four walls and a table anymore. Acadiana has seen the rise of pop-up dinners to bring together culinary genius and support local nonprofits, gourmet food trucks are allowing entrepreneurs experimentation on wheels and special events dining can delight members of a tight-knit community. And in Thibodaux, students at the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholl’s State serve up what they learn while residents reap the delicious benefits.
Pig and Plough offers pop-up dinners that are formal, with up to six courses. But it also hosts casual, familystyle events, like this one at Bayou Teche Brewery in Arnaudville. Either way, the dinners help connect people to local food producers and raise money for various nonprofits in the region.
Banana pudding created by chef Ryan Trahan for a Pig and Plough dinner
PHOTOS BY DENNY CULBERT
pi g plough Tyler F. Thigpen arrived in Lafayette to work at the National Wetlands Research Center and when the ecologist studied the effect of herbicides on human cells for her masters at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, she began to realize the importance of harmful chemicals in food. “That’s where my love of local foods really took off,” Thigpen says. “There’s so much about our food that we don’t know about. It’s scary.”
In 2011, Thigpen helped start the Acadiana Food Circle, a nonprofit organization connecting consumers to local food producers and helping spread the word on healthy, local food choices. Then in 2013, chef Jeremy Connor got the idea to sponsor a series of slow food dinners featuring chef collaborations utilizing South Louisiana foods and Thigpen threw in her hat.
Called Pig and Plough Suppers, these pop-ups dinners have ranged from formal, sit-down dinners with up to six courses to a more familystyle meal at Bayou Teche Brewery. Last December, their third annual Bayou Teche Brewing Fundraiser featured Lafayette chefs Madonna Broussard and Lacey Broussard of Laura’s 2 and Ryan Trahan and Cory Bourgeois of Dark Roux. One of the most creative events they’ve done merged the talents
of chef Kelsey Leger of The Saint Street Inn and Chef Clair Burton of Social Southern Table and Bar on April 13 at Saint Street Inn in Lafayette. Their challenge was to create vegetarian dishes that included locally produced flowers. “There were crickets in the desserts,” Thigpen says. “I think it was one of the more creative popups Acadiana has seen.” All events raise money for local nonprofits. December’s dinner benefited NUNU's Arts and Culture Collective’s Healing Garden Initiative in Arnaudville and the flowers dinner the Acadiana Beekeepers society. To date, the organization has raised about $14,000 for local food causes in Acadiana. throughout Lafayette and Acadiana facebook.com/PigandPlough
acadianaprofile.com
| 41
sloppy taco Brett Stutes always loved to cook, and the idea of bringing home the bacon – literally – lingered in the back of his mind, even when he worked on pipelines. Last March, when Stutes was in between jobs, he decided to try out his recipes to see how they were received by others. He set up tables and pits at Live at the Lakefront, a music series at the Lake Charles Lakefront Promenade’s Arcade Amphitheatre and starting selling his trademark tacos under the name The Sloppy Taco. He had owned the rights to the name for years, so he figured it was about time to test-drive his dream. Stutes attracted a crowd, so he set up shop again at Lake Charles’ Downtown at Sundown, another free music series that incorporates food. “We had a better and better following each time,” Stutes says. “We kept gaining momentum from there.” The next step was to purchase a food truck, which Stutes operated with the help of Daniel Woods; his brother, Derek Stutes; and his wife, “the social media expert” Amanda Stutes. Today, they operate daily throughout Lake Charles, sometimes in 15 locations each month. Their locations and culinary offerings are announced on their Facebook page, followed by hundreds of new fans. Naturally, the menu focuses on tacos, what Stutes calls “the perfect little eating vessel for so many things, especially for those on the go.” Offerings include the chipotle shrimp tacos with cabbage, pico de gallo, queso fresco, fried green tomatoes and a cilantro ranch dressing on six-inch tortillas. Or the namesake Sloppy Taco filled with pork that’s fried and braised and served with grilled ribeye and shrimp, Monterey Jack cheese, purple onions and jalapenos that’s topped with a remoulade sauce. To placate the government and receive a permit that allows him to operate on a daily basis, Stutes purchased a down-and-out diner on Kirkman Street that will serve as his “commissary,” or main kitchen. The storefront is scheduled to open in March. “We’re going from two picnic tables and a pit to a sit-down restaurant in one year,” the Louisiana native says. Lake Charles sloppytacotruck.com facebook.com/TheSloppyTaco (337) 602-6364
42 |
acadiana profile FEBRUARY/MARCH 2016
The chipotle shrimp tacos feature cabbage, pico de gallo, queso fresco, fried green tomatoes and a cilantro-ranch dressing on six-inch tortillas.
PHOTOS BY ROMERO & ROMERO
About a year ago, Brett Stutes started The Sloppy Taco food truck along with his brother, Derek Stutes; and his wife, Amanda Stutes. A sit-down restaurant will open in March in Lake Charles. (Right)The crispy Asian pork taco is one of the many popular taco options.
(Left) Servers grab dishes of Hog’s Head Scrapple with Ghost in the Machine mustard, cornbread panzanella, and kudzu from the plating table, behind the scenes at Runaway Dish’s Southern Forged dinner
PHOTOS BY DENNY CULBERT
Volunteers help construct the dining room for Runaway Dish’s Southern Forged dinner. The portable dining room was designed and built by UL Lafayette architecture graduate student Nick Arcuri as his master’s thesis project.
Grilled octopus with pit smoked potatoes, crab fat aioli, pickled shallots, and mint for Runaway Dish’s Southern Forged dinner.
runaway dish
Denny Culbert fell in love with Acadiana foodways when he arrived in Lafayette for a newspaper internship. He and his wife founded Runaway Dish, quarterly pop-up dinners that pair two chefs with a theme with tickets benefitting local charities. The focus of each dinner is
to introduce chefs to one another, promote collaboration and build an interconnected culinary community. “Each dinner has different layers and incorporates different artists and musicians,” Culbert says. December’s “Southern Forged” Runaway Dish dinner, for instance, combinedchef Collin Cormier of Pop’s Poboys of Lafayette with Mike Gulotta of MoPho of New Orleans. University of Louisiana at Lafayette architecture graduate student Nick Arcuri built the temporary dining structure in the open field outside Johnson’s Boucaniere in downtown Lafayette. The Culberts organize four pop-up dinners a year. In the fall they produce the Runaway Boucherie symposium, bringing together culinary professionals from around the world to learn the time-honored tradition of hog butchering and cooking. Next year there will be two large pop-ups along with smaller affairs, Culbert says. “The original goal of Runaway was to get the chefs working together, and that’s been working wel, so now we’re on to our next phase,” he says. The Culberts also publish a boutique magazine on South Louisiana titled – appropriately – Runaway Dish. throughout Acadiana facebook.com/ runawaydishdinners; runawaydish.org
acadianaprofile.com
| 45
PHOTOS BY ROMERO & ROMERO
The Joie Muffuletta features pulled pork, country ham,, applewood bacon, Provolone cheeseand olive mix.
Husband-and-wife team Robert Domingue and Nicole Jaubert Domingue run Cafe Joie de Vivre in Breaux Bridge, which customers adore. Part of this is because, in addition to focusing on high-quality food, the couple makes sure to give great service and presentation, along with entertainment, often in the form of live music. Once a month, they host "Dinners by Reservation" a special (and popular!) five-course meal where patrons linger for hours.
cafe joie vivre de
The events at Café Joie de Vivre reflect its name, offering Cajun jam sessions, booksignings by local authors, art exhibits by South Louisiana’s best and live performances – happenings that bring out the joy in life. In addition, the café serves up breakfast, lunch and coffee specialties with pastries. But owner
Robert Domingue, who runs the café with his wife Nicole Jaubert Domingue, wanted to take it one step further. “We saw a need for an elegant night where a group or a couple can reserve a table by how many hours they wanted to stay, be entertained and knew that they were not rushed,” Robert
Domingue says. “In other words, we try to focus on taste and presentation and service and entertainment.” Once a month, the café offers Dinners by Reservation, a five-course meal with entertainment where patrons can relax, dine and take all the time they want, Domingue explained. After
participants arrive, Domingue “gauges the clientele,” determining how fast they want each meal and serves them accordingly. Diners have stayed for an hour and as long as four hours, he says. The menu is created by the café’s chef Chris Erwin. A recent dinner consisted of boiled peanut hummus,
bacon shrimp with a pepper jelly sauce, smoked brisket with gouda mac and cheese, red snapper with crabmeat, and, of course, dessert and coffee. So far, the $50 dinners have been a sell-out and Domingue is considering stretching Dinners by Reservation over three nights. The owners recently
purchased a space next door, so there is room to expand. “After the first dinner, 90 percent of the people signed up that night for the next one,” he says. “We’re going to get to the point where we have to turn people away.” 107 N. Main St. jdvcafe.com (337) 442-6354
acadianaprofile.com
| 47
Caramelized onion puff pastry crouton with hearts of romaine lettuce, radish, chives, Parmesan cheese and toasted walnuts
bistro ruth Learning to be a chef in today’s multi-faceted, high-profile culinary environment, particularly in food-centric South Louisiana, can be a daunting career choice. That’s why the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholl’s State demands their students to jump several hurdles before
48 |
completing their bachelor of science degrees. In addition to six labs and two summer internships at restaurants, students must work a semester at Bistro Ruth, an on-campus restaurant where they serve in a variety of positions. Bistro Ruth, named for New Orleans restaurateur Ruth
acadiana profile FEBRUARY/MARCH 2016
Fertel and located in the school’s new Lanny D. Ledet Building, offers students the chance to create and execute a menu, develop recipes, perform as waitstaff and work various jobs in the kitchen, says chef Don Kasten, Bistro coordinator. On the other side of the table, guests may
enjoy the fruits of their wares at 12 spring dining opportunities, from buffet-style meals to a more formal seven-course event paired with wines. The variety of meal preparation gives students a broad education, preparing them for special events such as wedding banquets and restaurant service, both casual and formal, Kasten says. The a la carte meals, for instance, costs $40 to the public and includes four courses: the same first course, either a soup or appetizer, a salad and dessert course and then a choice of four entrées. The more formal Russian
PHOTOS BY ROMERO & ROMERO
Nicholls State University, Thibodaux nicholls.edu/culinary/bistroruth (985) 493-2700
PHOTO BY Misty Leigh McElroy/Nicholls State University
Service dinner pairs seven courses with wine for $70. Spring dinners at Bistro Ruth start about March 1, Kasten says, and reservations are required. For a list of dinner services, dates and costs, visit the web site, then call between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday to reserve a space. In addition to dinners at Bistro Ruth, the students will offer a banquet-style French dinner April 28 in the Nicholls ballroom.
Donald E. Kasten, Coordinator of Student Bistro Activities and Chef Instructor at Nicholls State University, poses next to a portrait of Ruth Fertel, the founder of Ruth's Chris Steakhouses (she's the Ruth in Ruth's Bistro). His culinary students are well-rounded, as they are able to create their own menus, develop recipes, perform as waitstaff and work other kitchen jobs. Spring dinners will start March 1.
acadianaprofile.com
| 49
Smoothies! Recipes by Sarah Ravits with photographs by Eugenia Uhl
In Acadiana, we have an abundance of fresh ingredients available year-round. Thanks to freezers, we can also save produce to use at a later date. If you use fresh fruits or vegetables, consider adding a few ice cubes to keep your smoothie cold. If the produce you desire isn’t in season, you can always use frozen items from the grocery store. However, we strongly believe in supporting local Louisiana and Acadiana businesses, so check out your area farmers markets for fresh ingredients.
50 |
acadiana profile FEBRUARY/MARCH 2016
Berry Splash
For a creamier texture and additional protein and probiotics, add half a cup of yogurt to your favorite smoothie.
1 cup of almond, soy or coconut milk ¾ cup frozen blueberries ¾ cup frozen blueberries ¼ cup frozen raspberries Dash of Acadiana honey
This blend of berries will give you an antioxidant boost. A bit tart in flavor, you can easily add a dash of local honey to give it a boost – or throw in some greens for an easy way to get your daily dose.
LOCAL FARM
Point Blue Farms (Ville Platte)
Apples, blackberries, blueberries, cucumbers, figs, citrus, pecans, tomatoes, honey
La Vie en Rose ¼ cup almond, soy or coconut milk 1 cup frozen strawberries
This Valentine's Day, treat your sweetheart to a heart-healthy smoothie. Strawberries can help control three of the risk factors associated with heart disease: high cholesterol, high blood pressure and high homocysteine levels.
½ cup frozen raspberries 1 banana ½ orange (peeled) or tangelo
The addition of a tangelo (a citrus fruit hybrid of a tangerine and grapefruit or pomelo) gives this smoothie a tart, sassy kick and is packed with Vitamin C.
LOCAL FARM
Eddie Romero's Orchard (New Iberia)
apples, blackberries, citrus, figs, grapes, necatrines, pears, peaches, persimmons
Sweet Potato Blend
LOCAL FARM
Garber Farms (Iota) sweet potatoes
1 cup vanilla soy, coconut or almond milk ½ sweet potato, cooked until soft & peeled 1 banana a few ice cubes
While most of these recipes use raw ingredients, for this one, you'll need to bake or microwave the sweet potato until soft; then peel it and toss it in your blender. Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamins B6, C, D and magnesium, and the addition of banana gives you a potassium boost.Â
Watching your calorie intake? Look at labels carefully. You can save a lot of calories if you make sure the milk or milk alternative you use has no sugar added.
Tropical Twist 1 cup (8 oz) coconut milk ½ tangelo (peeled)
LOCAL FARM
Southern Grove Citrus (Kaplan)
satsumas, navel oranges, grapefruit
1 cup frozen pineapple ½ cup frozen peaches
Give your tastebuds a tropical vacation that benefits your body, too. Pineapple has high amounts of vitamin C and manganese (which is important for antioxidant defenses). It also gives you a vitamin B boost and some dietary fiber.
If you're exercising regularly, consider adding a protein supplement or powder to your smoothie. Some of them enhance the taste and can add nutritional benefits, but ask your doctor or trainer which would work best with your routine.
Green Machine 1½ (10 oz) cups almond milk
LOCAL FARM
Covey Rise Farms (HUSSER)
turnips, Brussels sprouts, peas, onions, cabbage, cauliflower, mustard greens, kale, spinach
Handful kale, peeled off the stalk Handful spinach ½ Granny Smith apple (de-seeded and sliced, but not peeled) 1 kiwi, peeled 5-6 chunks of frozen pineapple A few ice cubes
We all know that spinach and kale are packed with nutrients, but the secret weapon in this recipe might just be the kiwi fruit, which contains vitamins C and K, copper and dietary fiber. It's also a good source of vitamin E, potassium, folate and manganese.
One of the best parts about making smoothies is that you can be creative. Substitute any of these ingredients for ones that suit your taste buds better.
Fit & Fun 11 spots around Acadiana prove that exercising doesn’t have to be a drag.
The Vertical Barre 215 Garfield St., Lafayette, (337) 575-1121, theverticalbarre.com
By Claire Salinas photos by travis gauthier Whatever your fitness preference is, one of these 10 studios is calling you off the couch and into its proverbial arms. Answer the call so you can feel and look good this year.
56 |
acadiana profile FEBRUARY/MARCH 2016
Owner of the The Vertical Barre Laci Lopez describes the studio experience as “satisfying.” This pole fitness studio offers workshops, potluck parties and meditation days in addition to its co-ed fitness classes. The introduction class, Vertical Fit 100, is a blend of a regular and pole workout but it also includes floor work, push-ups and crunches. It’s an intense, slower-paced, 50-minute workout, which helps to build stamina for the 50 minutes of pole calisthenics in Vertical Fit 101. Lopez’s background is in dance, but her first pole fitness class left her so impressed that she left the world of investment banking shortly after to start her own studio. Lopez says, “We're here to provide a space for you to look at life from a different angle, and a change in perspective. Leave your expectations at home, but don't forget your water bottle.”
Rok Haus 109 Grand Ave., Lafayette, (337) 9818116, rokhaus.com This Lafayette rock climbing gym offers memberships, day-long climbing passes and classes such as Climbing 101 and LEAD climbing classes. In Climbing 101, the basic techniques of rock climbing, including body position, conserving energy, footwork balance and how to think about movement in the vertical world are taught. Owner Art Cormier, explains he intentionally makes routes to the top challenging. “Often there is an easy way to the top of the precipice and it involves hiking, but climbers are interested in finding a more challenging way up. Climbing has never been about just getting to the top, but about how you can challenge yourself,” he says. The LEAD climbing class offers instruction in techniques used in outdoor climbing. Cormier enjoys the mental focus required by rock climbing. Cormier says, “For me it’s about being present in the moment and connected to the rock. Climbing is intensely personal, and there’s really no scoreboard. You challenge yourself and even during a short successful climb, you overcome fears and doubts many times.”
Keyon’s Fitness
Dailey Method
409 Fitness Studio
Roll Indoor Cycling
1200 N. Martin Luther King Hwy Ste. 400, Lake Charles, (337) 4911198, keyonsfitness.com
500 Settlers Trace Blvd., Suite 5, Lafayette, (337) 534-0743, thedaileymethod.com/studios/ lafayette-la/overview/
409 West Third St.,Thibodaux, (985) 855-6771, 409fitnessstudio.com
2801 Ryan St. #800, Lake Charles, (337) 429-5260, roll-indoorcycling.com
This Thibodaux Studio offers classes for people at all fitness levels. Most classes are one hour long and offer advanced or simplified modifications. The studio offers a class called P.Y.T., which stands for Pilates-Yoga-Tai Chi.The class was developed by owner, Emily Rini, who combined her training and knowledge from the three disciplines with her previous dance and teaching experience. The class is a combination of those three disciplines, set to music. It works on balance and stretching with an emphasis on core strength. According to Rini, the running joke in the class is if you come to PYT, you'll become a “Pretty, Young Thing.” “We foster a spirit of happiness and community with each class,” says Rini. “Our mission at 409 Fitness Studio is to help our beautiful community make healthy choices by making working out fun, welcoming and inspiring.”
The dim lights and loud music in this Lake Charles studio make it feel as if you are working out in a club. The studio offers a whole-body workout, completed on a bike. Participants progress in class is measured over time with live performance metrics, and they receive an email tracking their ride after each class. Other classes at the studio include the Whole Body Experience, a 45-minute intense cardio workout combined with hand weights on the bike, and Roll Revolution, which consists of a 25-minute bike ride and 25-minute circuit training off the bike. The studio also offers organic cold pressed juices made every day in the studio. Owner Jackie Tabor says, “We are a fitness community for everyone from elite athletes, to fitness enthusiast, to people needing to lose weight or get in to shape. The Roll Team wants to help people achieve a motivational, fun, effective, efficient and safe workout experience to fit people's busy lifestyles.”
This gym operates under the MOSSA platform, a platform whose aim is to get people moving. In addition to Group Groove, the R-30 cycling class and a Group Synergy, the studio also offers Group Fight, which allows you to burn calories and build muscles at the same time. Contrary to the implications of the name, the class does not require people to go into combat with one another. Consistent attendance to the class can result in relief to the lower back and increased strength in the arms. Teacher and assistant manager Lana Bodin says, “We are focused on people’s overall wellbeing, not just the exercise. We want to get more people moving. Louisiana is ranked high on the obesity ladder, so we want to promote better overall health for everyone.”
The Dailey Method is based on the Lotte Berke method, which involves micromovements, which are used to strengthen and condition. Berke created the method by combining her knowledge of yoga, Pilates and alignment. The method went on to expand from New York to California and eventually down to Lafayette, where owner Stephanie Bradley runs The Dailey Method. Bradley says, “I liked the fact that I didn’t know what was coming, and I never looked at the clock to see how many minutes were left in the class.” Some clients have seen improvements with back and neck issues after attending classes at the studio according to Bradley. Most clients are advised to begin with the Barre Class in order to create a larger range of motion in a safe way. Throughout the class, instructors give cues to students to help keep them in alignment. Patrons have the option to buy class packages or to purchase a year-long membership. Says Bradley, “I didn’t want anyone to feel like they were disloyal if they want to go from one studio to another. It was my goal to create a community atmosphere where people did not feel intimidated by taking care of themselves.”
acadianaprofile.com
| 57
Skyrobics 3814 Ambassador Caffery, Lafayette, (337) 417-8000, skyzone.com/lafayette Sky Zone is an indoor trampoline park with locations throughout the United States. The Lafayette location offers a trampoline fitness class called Skyrobics. Jessica Arabie has been instructing aerobics classes for 15 years, but this is her first go round with Skyrobics. Arabie says, “You’re jumping on the trampoline having a good time, but you’re working out and you don’t even realize it.” Although the class is enjoyable, it still offers challenges. A typical class routine includes moves like airjacks, tuck jumps and planks and sky laps. The class borrows a lot of moves from traditional aerobics classes, but the challenge of performing them on a trampoline increases the intensity. Arabie says, “There’s a lot of stretching because unlike a traditional aerobics class you’re going to end up stretching your muscles further than you normally would because you’re on a trampoline.” Participants can choose to pay $10 per class or buy an $80 Get Fit pass, which includes 10 classes.
Project Fit 3814 Ryan St., Lake Charles, (337) 564-6967, projectfit.net This studio specializes in small-group personal training, but also offers regularly scheduled classes. One group class offered by the studio is Swing Fit, which uses suspended training in which the client uses their own body weight. The moves are performed in bands suspended above the ground, which requires clients to engage their core and legs to stay balanced. Owner Allie Davis explains, “We’re the only gym in Louisiana that offers this type of training. It’s almost like how a gymnast would train, and it’s very fun because you actually swing in the air.” The class includes lots of repetition and movements such as squats, the class includes static stretches, such as splits, holding lunges, chess presses and tricep dips. Davis says, “We want to encourage people to think of fitness as a way of life. It’s not seasonal; it’s a way of life. Fitness shouldn’t be something you have to think about, it’s like brushing your teeth. It can help you overcome a lot of obstacles, and create a sense of balance and happiness you can’t get anywhere else.” Evolution Training 407 N Hollywood Road, Suite B, Houma, (985) 226-8846, evolutiontraining.org This Thibodaux school is run by Dr. Ernest “Waffle” Ellender, a clinical psychologist. Ellender believes that “as you become more in touch with your body, you are able to more effectively achieve all of your life goals.” Evolution Training is predominantly a martial arts school, which specializes in Guerilla Jiu-Jitsu, but also offers Crossfit, MMA, kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Guerilla Jiu-Jitsu is a self-defense oriented practice, so classes focus on stand-up grappling. Training for this type of martial art involves techniques used in wrestling and judo for the purpose of blocking against attacks and being able to throw someone to the ground quickly. Ellender feels engaging in martial arts offers people a lifelong journey to fitness. “For $30 a month I could get a membership to a gym, but that’s hugely different than a place where you’re taking instruction,” says Ellender. “Martial arts offers a lifelong development of skillsets under an instructor who walks you through it.”
58 |
Pure Barre 4243 Ambassador Caffery, Suite 117, Lafayette, (337) 993-2454, purebarre.com/la-lafayette/ Pure Barre is a new studio in Lafayette that offers a high intensity, low impact workout which uses isometric movements to sculpt and tone all the areas of your body. The classes offered at Pure Barre are all at the same level, but every routine changes within a month, so clients are constantly getting a new workout experience. During each class participants can burn anywhere from 400 to 600 calories depending on how hard they work and their heart rate level. A typical class will begin with a warm-up and then move into floor work, including planks and pushups; next comes moves at the bar, then abdominal work and some final stretches. Owner Laura Domingue Rafferty
acadiana profile FEBRUARY/MARCH 2016
says, “The whole point of Pure Barre is to trick your muscles and make your body change. You tone and fatigue your muscles until they’re shaking and then you stretch them out. It’s all about strengthening and lengthening. Pure Barre is a community, and it’s all about becoming a healthier and better you.” The Yoga Garden 2513 Johnston St., Lafayette, (337) 232-1884, yogarden.net The Yoga Garden offers meditation classes, yoga therapy, yoga classes and a boutique and tearoom where patrons can meet the people they practice with. Owner Gretchen Kaltenbach is a registered nurse who chose to retire from the medical profession to open The Yoga Garden. Aerial Yoga is one of the most popular studio classes, where
students use a hammock as a tool to get into the traditional yoga postures. The class offers students a core workout and allows them to decompress their spine as well as achieve greater body awareness. The core workout can be a huge benefit to runners. Although the studio is located in the middle of Lafayette, the four-acre lot behind the studio offers serenity in the middle of the city. Kaltenbach explains the goal of The Yoga Garden is to meet people where they’re at. “We would like to help people to maximize their health, whether that is maintaining independent living, regaining use after an injury or achieving a fitness goal. We offer classes that are basic enough for beginners and hard enough for the more advanced yoga practitioners, like Ashtanga yoga. We want to be known as a place where everyone is welcome.”
acadianaprofile.com
| 59
60 |
acadiana profile FEBRUARY/MARCH 2016
PHOTO BY Janice Scribner
hough accurate, it’s somewhat peculiar that Morgan City’s own website prominently displays how far (or close) it is to other towns in Louisiana, trumpeting that the feisty Acadiana hamlet is, “Right in the Middle of Everywhere.” Check the map. Technically it’s true. Seventy miles to New Orleans, a scenic, pretty and at moments Instagram-worthy drive. Sixty miles west to Lafayette, and about the same distance to Baton Rouge, as well. Morgan City’s geographic convenience is undeniable, but before you rush off to leave, take a second to talk to the locals. They’ll be quick to share that most everything we’re seeking can be found without filling up the gas tank. Need a community with affordable housing and a sound educational system? Look no further than Morgan City’s mix of old neighborhoods and newer subdivisions that sprung up during the last decade thanks to a flourishing energy and shipping sector.
Looking for a decent-paying career? Until recently, Morgan City’s unemployment rate was a positive outlier compared to the rest of the country, immune to the perils of elsewhere thanks to the aforementioned happy days in the oilfield. Even today, with the price of oil only now finally getting off the mat after a wicked freefall, Morgan City and St. Mary Parish are labor importers. At the beginning of 2015, Morgan City’s nonfarm jobs increased by 120 to around 23,600. And lastly, say you want to treat your man or spoil the little lady with a night on the town. Well, how about this town? Yes, Morgan City. Ambitious and loyal entrepreneurs have breathed new life into downtown, as bars, restaurants and regular live music events provide even more options for residents besides the standard festivals, outdoor activities and historic landmarks. “You know how they say they wish it was like the old days? Well, it’s like that here,” says Morgan City restauranteur Brian Blanchard. “You know your neighbor and you pull together when
you need to. Everyone looks out for everyone else. They know you, but they care about you, too.” That All-For-One philosophy – along with everything else mentioned above – is the reason why Morgan City is Acadiana Profile’s City of The Year, joining Houma, Lake Charles and Lafayette as recent winners. Like many areas of Acadiana, Morgan City’s economic health is partially tied to the fortunes of the oil and gas industry, and therefore has felt the effects of the drop in price per barrel. Civic leaders painted a realistic picture of the area’s current state, but even in doing so, found the romance in a community that’s been tested many times before. “This is a town built on perseverance,” says Frank Fink, Director of Economic Development in St. Mary Parish. “Hard work is respected, and for those who do work hard, they get a quality of life that you don’t find everywhere, with the many leisure activities all around us…We’ve experienced the good times and we’ve experience soft times in the oilfield and we’ve handled both situations.”
Photo by Alysha Jordan
Photo by will noble
With a population of about 12,000, Morgan City is a place that's gaining momentum as more and more people realize how nice it is to live there. With historic architecture, nature hikes, waterfront views and a thriving arts scene, the city has a small-town feel with some cosmopolitan elements.
62 |
PHOTO BY Janice Scribner
Photo by will noble
Photo by Alysha Jordan
Photo by Alysha Jordan
acadiana profile FEBRUARY/MARCH 2016
Photo by will noble
Morgan City's Shrimp and Petroleum Fest (pictured above), is the oldest statechartered harvest event in the state! Taking place over Labor Day weekend, it draws in tens of thousands of visitors to celebrate these two industries with food, parades and live music.
Photo by Glenn Mills
The town of 12,000 is ideally located, sandwiched near the Atchafalaya River and the International Waterway. Morgan City is the home of the Port of Morgan City, offers easy 4-lane road transit to the east and west, and features a Class I rail system. According to the Louisiana Workforce Commission, one in nine St. Mary Parish jobs was in the natural resource and mining operations field (translation: energy/oil and gas), which explains why the unemployment rate inflated by 1.6 percent during the year. “From 2008 to really 2013 and 2014 – until the recent collapse of oil – we’ve seen a growth in our labor force here, which is a good thing,” Fink says. “And it’s still above what it was in 2008. But there is a softness in the market now, and some people are losing jobs. But the shipyards are still doing well and there’s a lot of economic progress going on.”
The Morgan City Young Memorial campus of the South Central Louisiana Technical College trains students to immediately enter the workforce upon graduation, supplying local industry with the skilled employees needed to fill positions when the price of oil escalates. The roughly 5,000 Young Memorial students can earn certificates, diplomas or associate degrees in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, Business Office Administration, Industrial Marine Electronics Technology, Information Technology, Marine Operations, Practical Nursing, and Welding. SCLTC also proudly offers a Commercial Diving concentration that is annually ranked as one of the Top 5 diving programs in the United States. “These students are taking courses that are needed by the industries that fill this community,” Fink says. “These are students looking to learn a skill that will land them a good job and allow them to be a positive part of Morgan City and the parish.”
Because of swelling enrollment, the SCLTC Young Memorial campus, school officials have OK’d several expansion projects – one of several examples of growth in the Morgan City area. Late last year, construction finished on a $120 million, 64-megawatt natural gas power plant on Youngs Road. The facility serves Morgan City, Houma, Jonesville, Plaquemine, Rayne and Vidalia. The Port of Morgan City also just completed an Operations Emergency Center, housing Coast Guard officials, Port administration and the St. Mary Levee District. Retail/lodging giants like Wal-Mart Super Center and Holiday Inn Express have also taken up residence in Morgan City within the last couple of years. “The construction business has been a shining light over the recent year,” Fink says. “With everything going on in the oilfield, things are still being built, so it mitigates some of the pain and provides jobs. Projects are still moving forward. And that’s necessary, because we know oil and gas is cyclical and when times are good in the oilfield, you have to have the infrastructure and everyday necessities – places to live, places to eat, ways to get around, things to do.”
Brian Blanchard would be lying if he said he wasn’t scared. Blank canvases/unchartered waters/ undefined paths do that to entrepreneurs. They also inspire them. Where others saw plight and dilapidated buildings along Front Street in 2001 – a place so rough Blanchard wasn’t even allowed to venture down it as a teenager – Blanchard saw opportunity. The restaurateur who grew up in Morgan City just cut his business teeth in Lafayette by opening up Imonelli in Lafayette in the late 1980s, envisioned an upscale eatery perfect for dates, a nice place to start a memorable evening out, the kind of place you used to have to drive out of town to find. What Blanchard envisioned was Café JoJo’s – a Cajun Grill and Bar that served as the first breath blown into the resuscitation of downtown Morgan City. “The community support from Day 1 was truly amazing and a real reflection of how special and how passionate the people of Morgan City are and continue to be,” Blanchard says. “Their enthusiasm makes it easy to want to find other ventures to do here – plate lunch restaurants, a dinner theater – there’s just so much potential all around us. Gets me excited just talking about it.” On weekends now downtown, Blanchard describes a scene of soccer moms jogging along the seawall, young couples walking their dogs, and people congregating to listen to live music at Morgan City’s weekly Rhythms on the River series on the banks of the Atchafalaya.
acadianaprofile.com
| 63
Photo by will noble
Photo by Fang Guo
Morgan City is exceptionally enticing to fishermen. Carrie Stansbury of the Louisiana Tourism Coastal Coalition notes that it's conveniently close to the the Atchafalaya Basin. Fishermen can cast reels in both fresh and salt water thanks to the numerous charter services in the area.
Photo by will noble
“Really and truly my goal is to make downtown an area that on any night of the week you see people. Go on a Monday night and it looks like a Friday night with the folks walking on. That’s the dream. And really, as far as industry like oil and gas and the entertainment and service business, one hand washes the other. To lure those large employers, to lure the young professionals and have the educated types, you need a thriving nightlife – things to do downtown. “And when I saw downtown before Café JoJo’s, I thought, ‘That’s what Morgan City is missing.’ Now look at us: Morgan City is picking up steam.” For all that is new and hip, the highlight of the Morgan City social calendar remains the annual Shrimp and Petroleum Festival, the oldest statechartered harvest event in Louisiana. Every Labor Day weekend, visitors in the tens of thousands descend crowd Highway 90 to partake in the raucous music, exciting parades on both land and sea, the blessing of the fleet and enough good food to fill you up forever.
64 |
acadiana profile FEBRUARY/MARCH 2016
“It’s a weird combination for a festival to everyone except Louisianans,” says Carrie Stansbury of the Louisiana Tourism Coastal Coalition. “We know the fishing opportunities that exist by oil platforms. But it’s just a fun time. It’s a chance for us to celebrate the people that work in those two industries and a chance for us as a town to show the rest of the state the class, the welcoming nature and that there’s always something memorable to do down here.
“And that’s not an accident,” Stansbury continues. “We want people to come. There’s so much to offer here. We’ve always been the southern-most gateway to the Atchafalaya Basin, so that beauty is all around us and it’s something we want to share.” Morgan City is a popular destination for outdoorsmen, particularly fishermen who can cast reels in both fresh water and salt water in the same day thanks to the numerous charter services around the area. “No matter how long I’m gone, no matter what’s happening with me, every time I show up at home, it’s like I never left, you know?” Blanchard says. “The people are so kind and warm. Morgan City did a lot for me. You get your personality from this place, your work ethic, your drive, your ability to take tough times and handle them and rally back. The community is responsible for all of this, and all I can really say is, ‘Thank you.’”
acadianaprofile.com
| 65
66 |
acadiana profile FEBRUARY/MARCH 2016
As a child, a Lafayette artist was inspired by the Bohemian era to live a life of creativity.
culture les personnes 68
Though they hail from different parts of Acadiana, the chemistry between husband/wife team Cody and Samantha Carroll has propelled them in the cutthroat Louisiana restaurant scene. by will kalec
la musique 72
Zydeco Radio incorporates oldschool funk and soul grooves. by michael patrick welCh
les artistes 76
Despite her lengthy, celebrated career deemed worthy of a reflective lecture series, Lafayette artist and professor Chryl Savoy isn’t done creating just yet. by will kalec
en français 80
L’écrevisse: mythe et realité par david cheramie
culture LES DE LA personnes CUISINE
cajun couple wears the culinary crown Though they hail from different parts of Acadiana, the chemistry between husband/wife team Cody and Samantha Carroll has propelled them in the cutthroat Louisiana restaurant scene. by will kalec | photo by romero & romero
The happily married couple, who met in culinary school, are forever bouncing ideas off each other for innovative menu items.
68 |
acadiana profile february/march 2016
Love is a look.
More specifically, love is this look, the one Samantha Carroll is giving: a classic gaze of adoration reminiscent of a scene from a movie your girlfriend makes you watch. The better half of Louisiana’s “It” culinary power couple, Samantha can’t keep her eyes off her husband/business partner, Cody. Operators and dual brain-stormers behind two of the hottest places to eat in the state, they’ll get back to the ruthless restaurant grind right after this. But, for now, Sam hangs on Cody’s every word, even though almost every word is, well, kinda gross. Sitting together in a back room of their acclaimed New Roads eatery Hot Tails well before the dinner rush, Cody briefly presses rewind to tell a story from his childhood growing up on a humble grain farm in Pointe Coupee Parish – about how some days began with morning chores, not school. “Before he’d go and get on the bus,” Sam interjects, jumping ahead of Cody’s set-up, “he’d have to deliver a baby calf.” Cody nods his head, like this is normal and no big deal. “Yeah, it’s called pulling the calf,” he says. “And I had to run the cow into the squeeze-shoot, and you take a chain … and you’d have to reach up in there (you know where I’m talking about) and tie the chain and pull the calf out, help the cow. Then, stick your fingers in its mouth, and clear it, and slap it on its ass.” “And send it on its way,” says Sam, who grew up in
less-rural Gonzales. “Yep, he did that before school.” The couple laughs simultaneously at the story’s punctuation. And that’s why this works. All of it – the businesses and life after closing time as a couple with child – is tackled with genuine comfort knowing the person next to you “gets” you like no one else. Before, during and after the Carrolls said ‘I do,’ things have pretty much been better instead of worse. Meeting at the prestigious Louisiana Culinary Institute, Sam and Cody joined forces following graduation and ambitiously opened Hot Tails – a casual yet refined joint with a liberally spiced menu that regularly lures fascinated foodies from Baton Rouge despite the 45-mile trek. Rave reviews begot recognition from a host of publications and prestigious competitions, most notably the title of King and Queen of Louisiana Seafood at the 2013 Louisiana Seafood Cook Off. Riding that wave, the Carrolls flexed their food muscles in the already-swollen New Orleans culinary scene roughly a year ago with the opening of the high-end Sac-a-Lait in the Warehouse District. “Working together, I don’t wanna say it’s easier, because it certainly isn’t easy. But we get to bounce ideas and push each other as chefs and business owners,” Cody says. “We feed off each other. Usually, if we collaborate on a dish, the dish comes out phenomenal. When it comes together, it just contains so much in the way of detail, and you wouldn’t get that with just one chef. “She’ll tell me, ‘That’s an all right idea, but I have a
acadianaprofile.com
| 69
LES personnes
better idea.’ I do it to her, but I have to plan my attack.” “Yeah,” Sam says, somewhat glaring. “But if she’s in a bad mood, I’m smart enough to know not to do it,” Cody says through a smile that could sell anything. “If we’re at home, it’s always the best thing I ever ate.” “It always is, though,” Sam says with a lighthearted fuss. “Whatever. He eats awesome at home. Don’t let him say otherwise.” Cody and Sam began collaborating on a menu for Hot Tails while still at LCI. Instead of diving in and saying “Me too!” in an overcrowded marketplace, the Carrolls took the lessdefined post-graduation path of opening something different some place different. Together they transformed an old convenience store in an understated tourist community into destination dining, brandishing a long list of classic Cajun and Creole cuisine that has been described more than once as “Hardcore South Louisiana.” “Our success here in New Roads can all be traced our attention to detail,” Sam says. “In today’s restaurant industry, everything is about going big and how convenient it is. Here at Hot Tails, we keep it simple but we keep it good – from the workers to the customers. I mean, heck, when we got married there were more customers than family (at the ceremony). They were just a part of the party.” A couple years later – 2013-2014 to be exact – the Carrolls took the food festivities across the country, serving as Louisiana Seafood ambassadors after capturing the crown at the
70 |
acadiana profile february/march 2016
Louisiana Seafood Cook Off in New Orleans. “It’s the biggest competition in Louisiana, and all you have to do is look at the people who’ve won it to know what a big deal it is: John Besh, Tory McPhail, these big-time chefs,” Cody says. “And when we won, we’re like, “Wow, so we’re among these people? Are you sure?’ That’s special company.” The Carrolls prepared shrimp, crab and anything else indigenous to these waters to crowds in Atlanta and the Northeast as well as to entertainment big-wigs at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah. “It was kind of like we were rock stars,” Sam says. “But instead of touring, we just had big ice chests of food, you know?” The Seafood tour injected the couple with the confidence to open a second restaurant, the type of place, as Cody mentioned more than once to critics, that wins national awards. In March 2015, the Carrolls opened Sac-a-Lait. The innovative menu contains daring choices like turtle boudin and drunk pheasant coupled with an one-ofa-kind drink list – all of it delectable examples of the Carrolls’ nonstop culinary creative mind. “You should just see the pages we have in our idea book, or the notes we have in our phone,” Cody says. “We’re inspired all the time, and it doesn’t even have to be food-related. We’ll see something off-the-wall and we’ll incorporate it into food. It’s just crazy. That’s why my computer is running slow. So many notes.”
acadianaprofile.com
| 71
culture lA musique
meet zydeco radio A new generation of Lafayette musicians incorporates old-school grooves. By Michael Patrick Welch | photo By romero & Romero
the world seems
like it’s becoming smaller – with the Internet harboring a million new bands in just about as many new
genres. It was inevitable that even zydeco music would some day be influenced by the modern world, if only a little bit. This
worthwhile experiment comes in the form of young Lafayette band Zydeco Radio, which has mixed old-school zydeco grooves with
big ’70s rock riffs and New Orleans-style funk/blues since August of 2014. “ “We play a zydeco hybrid of some sort,”
Check them out on facebook.com/ZydecoRadioOfficial
72 |
acadiana profile february/march 2016
The group infuses traditional zydeco with funk and ‘60s soul, citing Allen Toussaint and The Meters as a few inspirations.
laughs bassist Seth Rung. “Zydeco’s at the root of it all, but we have a lot of rock, a lot of blues, a lot of energy.” Rung adds, “The bass is real consistent the whole way through, so it’s real strenuous on your fingers.” Zydeco Radio’s 26-year-old singer, Billy McDonald, picked up his main instrument, the accordion, at age 17. “I got into accordion because of my uncle, Roddie Romero,” he explains. “My great-grandfather also had an accordion he used to play, so they always had Cajun music and the food cooking. I grew up going to festivals; my parents loved to dance, and they always encouraged us to play.” Until recently, Billy McDonald fronted the Cajun rock zydeco band, Sons of Voodoo, with his brother, Lane McDonald. “After a while I just got the inspiration to start a new band with music getting back to when we were growing up listening to Beau Jocque and Zydeco Force,” says Billy. “I wanted to play that really in-the-pocket 1990s zydeco music.” But McDonald surrounded himself with a more eclectic ensemble that has helped mix up something new. “One thing that sets us apart is that a lot of zydeco bands are moving toward hip-hop style, which I like and respect, but it’s not where I’m comin’ from, which is ’60s soul, Meters grooves, Toussaint grooves, grooves that are different than what any contemporary zydeco artists are doing now.” McDonald attributes Zydeco Radio’s hybrid sound in part to his guitarist: “Bob Brahan is from Mississippi and grew up listening to a lot of the music from Muscle Shoals and Stax-style soul stuff,” he attests. “My bass player kinda plays that same way.” Bassist Rung agrees. “Bob Brahan is a fantastic guitar player, always in-the-pocket. He’s from Mississippi, and he’s hard into the blues, and also he’s lived in New Orleans for many years, so as a result he has that funkblues guitar picking style.” The result is zydeco with a darker blue hue – plus blistering solos.
acadianaprofile.com
| 73
lA musique
All members attest that it’s drummer Charles Brandt’s rhythms that tie it all together under the zydeco banner. “Charles plays in church every weekend – wakes up real early and goes and plays like, three gigs every Sunday,” says Rung. “So he, too, has like, an R&B-type structure a lot of times, which adds a lot. I think he brings a lot of rhythm and ultimately he brings the ‘cool’ into the band.” Scrubboard artist Trent Ouvre from New Iberia rounds out the quintet. Zydeco Radio is the first band he’s played in. “Ouvre brings like, an artistic quality to that music, if that makes sense,” says Rung. “He’s very outgoing, and he is a visual artist, too. So he has a totally different mindset from us in regards to how music should be portrayed or played.” While talking art, McDonald makes sure to note that “At the same time, the most important element for me is playing stuff that people can dance to. All of us being from this region and growing up around zydeco music, it’s very important to all of us that people dance.” This dance-first attitude has already won the band gigs for great big dancing crowds of friends at Festival International and Festivals Acadiens et Creoles. “When we do a two- or three-hour dancehall gig, people like to hear the standards,” says McDonald. “We spread out the originals but we do a lot of covers as well, especially zydeco B-sides that people aren’t used to hearing, like ‘Treat Me Right’ by Tony Delafose.” For this balanced selection of old and new, Zydeco Radio recently won Downtown Lafayette’s Downtown Award for “Favorite Band.” Along with playing many shows in its native Acadiana, the band’s modernity sometimes gets Zydeco Radio in front of crowds who’ve never heard authentic zydeco. McDonald cites a recent shows during Austin, Texas’ South by Southwest: “It was one of those shows playing for people who maybe don’t know much about what zydeco is and aren’t exposed to it,” he remembers. “The doors were open, though, and while we’re playing we could see people walking by and stopping and then coming in to hear something they don’t normally get to hear. It ended up being a packed house.”
74 |
acadiana profile february/march 2016
acadianaprofile.com
| 75
culture les artisteS
unfinished business Despite her lengthy, celebrated career deemed worthy of a reflective lecture series, Lafayette artist and professor Chryl Savoy isn’t done creating just yet. By Will Kalec
To the impressionable
child, art imitated life – the life she would one day live, which conveniently enough would be a life of art. Actually, Chryl Savoy can probably explain the first chapter of her story much better than that tonguetwisting sentence. “See, really, this all started with a movie, Moulin Rouge,” she begins. 76 |
Right, Moulin Rouge. Not the cheesy recycled flick from a couple years ago with that Christina Aguilera song that played insistently when you were stuck in traffic. Savoy is speaking of the original, the 1952 classic directed by John Huston and starring a young Zsa Zsa Gabor, the one she watched with her family in a theater outside their hometown of Mamou.
acadiana profile february/march 2016
In a movie filled with memorable scenes and quotable lines, the sequence that Savoy couldn’t shake involved main character, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, a struggling French artist who takes a nightclub owner’s offer to sketch a promotional poster in exchange for free alcohol for a month. “I thought, ‘Well, you can draw when you’re little, but when you get
older you have to do adult things, like being a doctor or a lawyer,’” she recalls. “But when I saw that, that was it. Oh, wow! You can do that? I was totally into drawing and painting and sculpture. Art was part of my life from that moment.” Like, literally that moment. Immediately after the movie, Savoy closed the door to her room and sketched the entire evening.
Finished drawings were left on her bed and fell to the floor when Savoy slept. Her parents made her pick them up the next day. From the floor, Savoy’s art has been displayed in museums both near and far over the course of her four-decade (and still counting) creative voyage – from just down the road at UL’s Hilliard Museum or the
New Orleans Museum of Art to all the way to Monterrey, Mexico at Galleria de Academia de Artes Plasticas. Savoy studied abroad at The Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, Italy and received degrees from LSU and Wayne State (Michigan). In May 2015, Savoy retired as an art professor at UL, ending an accomplished teaching tenure that dated back to the 1970s. Along the way, besides inspiring others to follow her career path, Savoy was recognized by the university, receiving the Outstanding Advisor Award and the Beacon Club Teacher of the Year Award. Savoy also was awarded the BORSF Grant for the development of an Interdisciplinary Foundry and Mold-Making Studio, as well as two Instructional Improvement Grants for the Development of an Experimental Drawing lab. As far as awards Savoy earned off campus, well, there’s a bunch: Best of Show at the 1st Marjorie Morrison Sculpture Biennial, Hammond Regional Arts Center (Hammond, LA); Sculpture commissioned by the Alexandria Museum of Art, 1993, for sculpture at the 27th Annual Juried Art Exhibit, Tom Peyton Memorial Exhibit in Alexandria; for drawing at the Premiere National Annual Exhibition, World Trade Center in New Orleans; the Patron Award for painting at the 19th Annual Tom Peyton Memorial Juried Art Exhibit in Alexandria; the Samuel Weiner Sculpture Award, 51st Regional Exhibition, R.S. Barnwell Garden and Arts Center in Shreveport, along with honorable mentions for the two sculptures at the 13thAnnual Piedmont
acadianaprofile.com
| 77
Sculpture and Painting Exhibition, Mint Museum of Art in Charlotte, North Carolina and a sculpture recommended for the Purchase Award, Artists Biennial, New Orleans Museum of Art. Currently, though, Savoy’s focus is finishing a 5-piece sculpture series that began in 2010 and has progressed slowly because of family issues and Savoy’s health. The theme, inspired from days spent taking care of her father, is human limitations. “Three of the sculptures are done,” Savoy says. “I like working in series because it helps collect your thoughts, but this has been hard, because when it hangs around, those thoughts never leave you alone. I’m finally getting my studio together, and once I get (the materials for the sculptures) I finish the series. It’ll be nice to feel normal, again.” Interesting choice of words considering Savoy is the daughter of a doctor and went to LSU originally as a pre-med major. Plus, she says, growing up in the northern parts of Acadiana – the Cajun Prairie areas of Louisiana – art wasn’t really a part of everyday life. “In Mamou, let me tell you, there was one art book in the library, ONE,” Savoy says. “And that’s why I really had no exposure to art until
78 |
acadiana profile february/march 2016
I saw that film (Moulin Rouge). It wasn’t accessible. I was doing it on my own. And that’s why, in college, art was going to be just a side thing, a hobby. But I took one art elective course and it was, ‘Oh no. I have to do this. I have to switch.’ “My Dad nearly lost his mind,” she continues, now with a laugh. “I used to watch him in surgery and he’d say, ‘There’s my daughter the beatnik.’” It didn’t bother Savoy. In fact, she’s had both influencers and detractors throughout her time in art, particularly sculpting. She speaks glowingly of the professor with the German accent who introduced to the medium, teaching in a way that made her “float back to the dorm room.” In the next breath, Savoy talks about the difficulty of breaking into a predominantly all-male sculpting world, and the verbal cheap shots that were uttered to her along the way to her. “I got into this, sculpting, as an enthusiastic spirit, and I remain an enthusiastic spirit,” Savoy says. “Dealing with resistance, and finding a way to do things is something I’ve always dealt with well, and that’s because my attitude has always been right and I have a real curiosity. That’s enough to get you through.”
culture en français, s’il vous plaît
l’écrevisse: mythe et réalité Autrefois considéré comme “nouriture du pauvre,” l’écrevisse est maintenant une délicatesse en Louisiane et au-delà.
par david cheramie
Dans leur cosmogonie,
Les Chitimacha reconnaissent un Créateur, Thoumé Kéné Kimté Cacounche, ou le Grand Esprit. Au commencement, il a placé la terre sous les eaux, les poissons étant les premiers animaux. Afin de faire sortir la terre de l’eau, il a ordonné à l’écrevisse d’aller au fond de la mer et d’en ramener à la surface. Avec cette terre émergée, il a formé les humains et les a installés à Natchez, leur première demeure. Cette histoire a certains parallèles avec la Genèse, mais il est important de noter que chez les tribus locales, l’écrevisse, ce délice qui occupe une bonne partie de l’année culinaire en Louisiane, joue un rôle déterminant dans la création du monde et des humains. L’importance de l’écrevisse pour les peuples originaux en Louisiane ne peut être surestimée. Les tribus des Houma, dont c’est le totem, et des Chakchiuma, assimilés par d’autres groupes, se sont créées en se séparant d’une autre tribu plus ancienne. Elles dérivaient ces noms de leur langue traditionnelle, une variation du parler des Chactas qui fait partie de la famille des langues muskogéennes occidentales. Chakchiuma veut dire
80 |
« écrevisse rouge » tout simplement. Houma est le mot pour rouge, comme nous le voyons dans Istrouma, bâton rouge, ou Oklahoma, peuple rouge. Du côté des nouveaux arrivés européens, nous aimons raconter un autre mythe à propos de l’écrevisse qui est aussi fondateur que celui d’Évangéline, avec laquelle elle a une relation étroite. Tout un chacun connaît l’histoire des homards en Vieille Acadie qui aimaient tant les Acadiens qu’ils les ont suivis pendant le Grand Dérangement, suivant la côte atlantique, contournant la Floride et traversant le Golfe pour arriver avec eux dans les bayous de Louisiane. Le voyage était tellement long et pénible que les homards ont perdu du poids, à tel point qu’ils se sont rendus à la
acadiana profile february/march 2016
taille d’une écrevisse. Un beau conte certes, mais comme le fait que les écrevisses étaient là bien avant les Européens le prouve, c’est aussi faux que la fable épique de Longfellow. En réalité, l’écrevisse représente de nos jours une industrie majeure dans l’état qui doit faire face à une concurrence terrible de la part d’autres fournisseurs, notamment la Chine. La Louisiane représente plus de 90% de la production domestique actuelle et assure des milliers d’emplois. Bien que les gens les aient toujours mangées, ce n’était pas avant la fin du 19e siècle que l’on a commencé à les commercialiser. En 1880, l’année de la première récolte enregistrée, les Louisianais ont ramassé 22 400 livres d’écrevisses avec une valeur de $2 140. Vingt-huit ans plus
tard, la quantité s’est levée à 88 000 livres qui représentaient $3 600. Pensez-y la prochaine fois que vous payez l’addition d’un plateau de cinq livres dans votre restaurant préféré. Pour être juste, il faut dire qu’avant il n’y avait pas d’élevage dans les clos de riz ou les simples étangs comme actuellement. Il suffisait de placer les nasses dans la nature avec un peu d’appât et de les ramasser. Le coût d’opération s’est augmenté depuis. Aujourd’hui, plus de 1 200 éleveurs produisent dans les 65 000 tonnes d’écrevisses chaque année avec une valeur supérieure à 200 millions de piastres. Dans son livre « Louisiana Crawfish », Sam Irwin raconte comment l’écrevisse était considérée comme la nourriture du pauvre pendant longtemps en
Louisiane. J’ai souvent entendu les aînés dire qu’on ne les mangeait qu’en dernier recours lorsqu’il n’y avait rien d’autre, ce qui arrivait assez souvent pendant la Grande Dépression malgré notre paysage généreux. Je connais des gens qui n’en mangent pas, mais c’est plutôt qu’ils préfèrent ne pas manger un animal qui vit dans la boue. En français louisianais, on les appelle « délicats ». Néanmoins, à partir de 1959 les attitudes ont commencé à évoluer avec la fondation du célèbre festival de l’écrevisse au Pont-Breaux. Plusieurs femmes ont été couronnées la Reine des écrevisses; dans sa capitale mondiale, l’écrevisse est la vraie reine. Elle a fait du chemin depuis la création du monde. Lorsque vous vous trouvez devant une pile fumante d’écrevisses garnie de patates bouillies et du maïs en épi, rappelez-vous ce que cette humble crustacée a contribué au bonheur de l’humanité depuis la nuit des temps.
For an English translation, visit acadianaprofile.com.