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Cajun Style - A Celebration of Food and Friends
Jambalaya (On the Bayou)
Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and file gumbo
'Cause tonight I'm gonna see my ma cher amio
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gay-o
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou
Hank Williams (1952)
NASHVILLE, TENN. (September 2002) -- When Hank
Williams wrote Jambalaya in 1952, he captured the essence of
the Cajun self-proclaimed passion for good food and good
friends. The French people who settled in the bayous and
swamps of Southern Louisiana developed a unique and
authentic cooking style. But there is more to the Cajun
appeal than just the food.
"What we admire -- and secretly covet -- is their love of
good food combined with a zest for life that they proudly
call joie de vivre," says Linda Carman, Martha White baking
expert and editor of Southern Traditions, 100 Years of
Recipes from the Martha White Kitchen...
Although, Hank Williams obviously appreciated Cajun food,
it would be another 30 years before it became popular with
chefs and food writers -- finally earning the attention it
deserved outside Louisiana.
Now, Cajun cooking is a respected regional American
cuisine. Cajun cookbooks abound, restaurants all over the
country feature Cajun inspired dishes and Cajun ingredients
continue to be more available outside Southern Louisiana.
From France to Southern Louisiana
For the Cajuns, the trip from France to Southern
Louisiana was long and hard. Early in the 17th Century,
rugged French settlers immigrated to a part of Canada called
Acadia, now known as Nova Scotia. They lived off the land
and sea until 1755 when the British took over Canada.
Refusing to give up their language and religion and
unwilling to pledge allegiance to England, the French
"Acadians" were deported. After searching for a new home for
years, many finally found a place in Southern Louisiana
where other French settlers had lived for generations and
who shared their language and religion. Coming from a rural
background, the Acadians gravitated to the bayous and
marshlands and started learning how to live off a new and
different land. Eventually, these Acadians would become
known as Cajuns.
Cajun Specialties
Cajun cooking is a tribute to the spirit of French people
who settled in Southern Louisiana. The environment was
certainly difficult, but the land was fertile, the climate
provided for a long growing season, and the swamps and
waterways teamed with game and fish.
With their appetite for life and food, it's not
surprising that the Cajuns take pride in their love of fiery
dishes seasoned with hot peppers and pepper sauce. In her
book, Cajun Foodways, Paige Gutierrez quotes one
Cajun as saying, "When you eat Cajun food, you don't have to
fantasize about the taste."
Cajuns like to cook everything in one pot, probably a
result of their rural lifestyle. Whatever the reason, it has
produced a variety of distinctive dishes that are
combinations of meat, seafood, game, vegetables and often
rice. Gumbo, fricassee, etouffee and jambalaya vary as much
as the cooks who make them and the ingredients available to
them. In the marshlands these dishes are more likely to
contain seafood; further north and inland the Cajuns will
use more beef and poultry.
Like other Southerners, Cajuns have always had a fondness
for pork and have developed a variety of ways to prepare and
preserve it. Originally prepared at home, local grocery
stores and meat markets now provide seasoned sausages, like
andouille and boudin; tasso, a seasoned cured ham used for
seasoning; and cracklins, the crisp pieces of rendered pork
fat eaten as a snack or added to breads.
Of course, no discussion of Cajun cooking would be
complete without mentioning crawfish which has become a
symbol of Cajun pride. Bumper stickers, tee shirts and
festivals celebrate the tasty little crustaceans that
resemble miniature lobsters. For many years crawfish were a
nutritious and free part of the Cajun diet, but the
popularity of Cajun cooking sparked an interest in crawfish
outside its Louisiana home. Now the crawfish industry is big
business and they are distributed all over the world.
The recipes we've included here are inspired by Cajun
cuisine using ingredients that are available throughout the
South. Ham and Sausage Jambalaya with Parmesan
Cornbread Crust is a delicious one dish meal made
with andouille, a traditional Cajun smoked pork sausage. If
andouille is not available, kielbasa is a good substitute.
Cajun Cracklin' Biscuits are baked in a
skillet - giving them a crisp brown bottom crust and a
slightly chewy texture. Delicious served with breakfast,
they would also complement a creamy soup for lunch or
supper. For a stylish appetizer, cut the dough with a
smaller cutter, split and fill with a slice of tomato. If
you can't get cracklins, use crisp cooked bacon.
For a wonderful holiday side dish, try Corn and
Tasso Pudding. Tasso is a highly seasoned smoked
Cajun ham, but this recipe is also very good made with
cooked country ham or baked ham. These dishes are mildly
seasoned, so if you like it hot -- add a little extra
cayenne or splash on the hot pepper sauce.
And to make a meal truly Cajun, make a big pot of
something, invite a bunch of friends over and, as Hank says,
"Have big fun!"