eWire
April 16, 2002
On the Gumbo Trail: Eating My Way Through the Cajun Country
Barry Bassis
Contact:
Barry Bassis
(212) 481-9521
btb481@msn.com
John Milton wrote, "They also serve who only stand and wait." In light of President Bush's direction that Americans should travel around the country and spend money, the new version of the maxim should be "They also serve who only sit and eat." There is no more enjoyable place to fulfill your patriotic duty than Louisiana, a state whose citizens are focused on their distinctive food and music and letting the good times roll. While many people think that New Orleans represents the whole state, there is a wealth of sights and tastes in the Cajun and Plantation Country. Oak Alley Plantation, built in the 1830's, is named for the 28 oak trees planted in the early 1700's. You may recognize the property from the films shot there, most recently "Interview with the Vampire." We had the pleasure of spending the night at the South's largest plantation home, Nottoway. The house (built in the Italianate and Greek Revival Style) was spared in the Civil War by a northern officer, who had been a guest of the owners, Mr. and Mrs. Randolph. Our suite had a four-poster bed and prints by another friend of the Randolph's: John James Audubon. Nottoway's restaurant is headed by John Percle, nicknamed "Jambalaya Johnny" by Dr. John. Everyone was exceptionally hospitable, especially when they heard we were from New York; one lady displayed her red, white and blue "Big Apple" pin, and told us of her relatives and friends bringing gumbo for the workers at Ground Zero. We also learned about the fund-raising drive for the fire truck that the people of Louisiana were donating to the City.
Our next stop was the Lake Charles area, near the Texas border. A highlight of that region is the Creole Nature Trail. Visitors can stop at the Tourist Center to purchase a tape or CD that can guide their tour or pick up the many free brochures and maps. (I interpret the signs on the Trail saying "Don't feed the crocodiles" as meaning "stay in the car and roll up the window.") The town has a historical area of houses and the Central School District, a former school house turned into an arts complex, with a children's theater group, music classes, a Black Heritage room (which had memorabilia of the black baseball teams), art exhibits and a Mardi Gras exhibit, showing off the extraordinarily
elaborate costumes. At a local seafood restaurant, Cajun Charlie's, Michelle McInnis, our lovely and knowledgeable guide, showed us how to eat the local delicacy: boiled crawfish. Pull off the head and squeeze the meat out of the tail. It tastes better than it looks.
In the Cajun Country, our base of operations was Chretien Point Plantation (near Lafayette), where we stayed in the "Wine Room", which has the original wine rack hand carved by slaves. The house, built in 1831 in Greek Revival and French Caribbean style, had fallen into disrepair. Our delightful hostess, Belinda Bellard, recalled that she played there as a girl and once came upon a cow walking through the house, but it has been beautifully restored, a perfect place for a sightseeing tour or, even better, an overnight stay. Belinda's husband, Darell, is an expert on the regional music. Chretien Point puts on a ghost show for tourist groups, during which Belinda recounts the tale of the gutsy lady who owned the property shooting a marauder, a scene incorporated into the movie of "Gone With the Wind." Chretian Point, like Nottoway, is a wonderful b&b, each with an outstanding breakfast. We made a pilgrimage to Avery Island, the home of Tabasco, the condiment that added zing to American, and ultimately world, cooking.
A visit to Vermilionville is a step back into time, with weavers, cabinetmakers, and musicians practicing their craft while they chat with visitors. The restaurant on the premises, Maman's, is headed by Corenthia Brown, who treated us to her award-winning cream of crawfish soup. Right next to Vermilionville is the Jean Lafitte Cultural Center, part of the national park system. This is one of six sites in the state designed to preserve the culture of the region. A film told the history of "Le Grand Derangement", the forced exile of French Canadians from Nova Scotia by the English in the 1750's, after which they were welcomed by Louisiana. (The British were so nasty, the story should be turned into a Mel Gibson movie.) Unlike New York and most other places where great dining and music rarely turn up in the same establishment, the best restaurants in the Cajun Country all have dance floors and fine bands. Probably the exercise is the only thing that keeps the locals' arteries unclogged, since most of their delicious cuisine is smothered, stuffed, fried and served in gargantuan portions. Randol's serves vast quantities of the freshest seafood (plus others, such as the cutely named chicken dish "Bon Temps Poulet"). The bread pudding dessert was delicious and immense; I managed to finish it in the interest of accurate journalism. Mama Redell, the charming lady who manages the restaurant and gives cooking classes in the back, informed us that the kitchen makes one order at a time. She told us her daughter had learned French from listening to Cajun music. We dined at Mulate's among the murals of rural scenes and were impressed with their specialties: tilapia with shrimp etouffe and stuffed catfish and the praline supreme dessert (ice cream with pecans and praline liqueur), which left us happily stuffed. Prejean's has the most ambitious menu in the area. I had an appetizer of crawfish enchiladas and, for the main course, a spectacular mixed grill, with elk chop, venison and buffalo, each in a different sauce. Of course, each restaurant has a variety of spicy gumbos.
The Petit Paris Museum near St. Martin Du Tours (one of the country's oldest Catholic Churches) in St. Martinville has a Mardi Gras exhibit plus a local twist: memorabilia and photos of chariot parades, a children's pageant held in the area in remembrance of the first
streetcars. Nearby is the Evangeline Oak, marking the Acadian exile and the Longfellow poem it inspired. Most of us think of the Cajuns living in the swamps but a drive to Eunice reveals that they also lived on the prairie. Educational materials at the Prairie Acadian Cultural Center also highlight the contributions of other nationalities into the music: African percussion techniques from the slaves and the accordion from the
German immigrants. It also details the history of Cajun culture: the "time of shame" when the French language was suppressed in schools until 1968, when it was restored to the curriculum (about 20 years before the Cajun craze in food and music). The Center presented a free music show with dancing (held every Saturday), followed by a cooking demonstration on smothered (or etouffe) meatballs. Afterward, we went down the block
to "Les Rendezvous des Cajuns", a variety show held every Saturday, with a French-speaking announcer, Prof. Barry Jean Ancelet (who manages to combine comedy and scholarship). The featured act was Geno Delafose & the French Rockin' Boogie Band. The leader is a talented black zydeco (and blues) singer-accordion player, and his band has musicians playing electric bass, guitar and washboard. As at the Cultural Center, there was a space in front of the stage for the more energetic spectators to do their two-steps and waltzes. Old, young, white black, everyone was there to let the good times roll, a reassuring message for troubled times.