Stir the Pot: A History of Cajun Cuisine

by Marcelle Bienvenu, Ryan Brasseaux

"I'm happy to see the real story of the evolution of Cajun cuisine finally put in print. For anyone who is unfamiliar with the subject, this book will be a great reference." -Emeril Lagasse "The real history of America's favorite cuisine. The authors dish up a delightful blend of foodways and lifeways. This book cooks!" -John Mack Faragher, Professor of American History, Yale University Cajun foods such as gumbo, crawfish etouffee, and boudin are increasingly popular, yet relatively little is known about the history of this fascinating cooking tradition. Stir the Pot explores how Cajun cuisine originated in a seventeenth-century French settlement in Nova Scotia and came to be extremely popular on the American dining scene over the past few decades. From debunking myths about Cajun cooking to exploring the fascinating place that food holds in everyday life and special occasions in Acadia, the authors present the complex history of this well-loved ethnic cuisine in a most palatable manner. Includes sections on "The Evolution of Cajun Cuisine," "The Role of Food in Cajun Society," and "The Cajun Culinary Landscape" as well as a glossary of terms and extensive bibliographic resources.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Food History, Food

208 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2005

About the author

Marcelle Bienvenu has worked as a contributing editor for magazines and newspapers including Food & Wine, Southern Living, Redbook, and the New York Times. Her articles and recipes are regularly featured in Louisiana Cookin', CityLife, and the New Orleans Times-Picayune. She lives in St. Martinville, Louisiana."

Reviews

[Missy LeBlanc Ivey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stir the Pot: The History of Cajun Cuisine by Marcelle Bienvenu, Carl A. Brasseaux and Ryan A. Brasseaux (2005), 208 pages.

If you aren’t Cajun, you may not find this book interesting at all. I am Cajun and I barely found it interesting. Although, I am looking forward to trying out some of the recipes. There are 12 Cajun recipes included at the back of the book by Marcelle Bienvenu.

A true food nerdie might enjoy reading up on a little Cajun food history, which, interestingly, didn’t even really take off until after World War II. Cajun restaurants started popping up everywhere, along with packaged Cajun foodstuff, including their infamous Cajun seasonings and bottled rouxs, and Cajun festivals were thrown from one end of Louisiana to the other…and still are.

In 1991, the Louisiana governor decided to create an official stamp: “CERTIFIED: A Product of Louisiana” due to the fake imitators of Cajun products popping up all over the U.S. But, I just recently purchased a couple of packages of peeled Louisiana crawfish tails with the stamp: “CERTIFIED: CAJUN”, which costs twice the price as the “Bernard” brand from CHINA. So maybe the stamp has changed since the printing of this book in 2005.

Two of the most popular hot sauces down here are Tabasco and Trappey’s. I like Trappey’s best.

I never knew B.F. Trappey was once an employee of McIlhenney’s Tabasco on Avery Island. He moved on after 28 years and built a Trappey’s factory in New Iberia, just 10 miles away from McIlhenney’s. He made his own hot sauces but was using the McIlhenney’s Tabasco label. McIlhenny finally Trademarked the Tabasco name in 1906, then he had to sue Trappey for him to stop using their label.

Pre-WWII, Cajuns consumed a lot of gar and catfish. It wasn’t until post-WWII era that they began consuming more crawfish. It wasn’t such a big deal then. Only boiled occasionally, with no seasonings, and they made crawfish bisque from time to time. Then, fish fries were the thing during the beginning of the oil boom, which my family had a lot of during late 70’s as I was growing up. But, we lived on the bayou and did a lot of our own fishing. Then, crawfish boils bumped the fish fries. Even to this day, it’s all about the almighty crawfish boils for almost every occasion, when in season…at least here in Southeast Texas…and now only if you can afford it. Otherwise, you just order a platter at a restaurant.

Basically, the Cajun’s evolution in diet boils down to the fact that they turned their disadvantages in unaffordable foods into tasty affordable foods that have now completely swept the nation. Can’t have meat during Lent? No problem! Then how about some seafood gumbo or seafood jambalaya, highly seasoned boiled crawfish or crawfish étouffée? You get the drift. No dietary restrictions here. Like everything else in life, they have a way of turning adversity into their advantage. That’s the Cajun way.

Hm! I just read that most early twentieth-century Cajuns believed seafood and milk, and other dairy, consumed together “constituted a lethal combination.”

THAT’S MY GENERATION! We were always told it would give us bad diarrhea if we drank milk or had any dairy with any seafood. I believed that to this day. I guess that’s not true after-all? LOL!

RESTAURANTS TO CHECKOUT:

- Robin’s in Henderson (1974)
- Commander’s Palace (Paul Prudhomme, Emeril Lagasse got their start)
- K-Paul’s on Chartres Street in French Quarter (Prudhomme’s)
- NOLA in New Orlean’s French Quarter (Lagasse’s)
- Lafitte’s Landing near Donaldsonville
- Patout’s Restaurant in New Iberia
- Lafayette’s Cafe Vermilionville

Crawfish Stew-Fay [Ettoufee] (p. 171)

1 stick butter
2 c. chopped yellow onion
1 c. chopped green bell pepper
1/2 c. chopped celery
2 lbs. peeled crawfish tails
1 T. cornstarch dissolved in one cup water
Salt
Cayenne pepper
2 T. chopped green onions
1 T. chopped fresh parsley

Melt the butter in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and celery and cook stirring until soft and lightly golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the crawfish and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to throw off a little liquid, about five minutes. Add the cornstarch mixture and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and cayenne, remove from the heat and stir in the green onions and parsley. Serve in bowls of rice.

(4-6 servings)

[David Gibert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having a mother from Arnaudville, this book helped me better understand some of the traditions I took for granted growing up.

I especially enjoyed the early history antidotes (focused primarily on France/Nova Scotia), and the historical looks at specific foods.

I wish the book included a bit more on other cultural influences on the food, e.g. when certain groups immigrated and what they brought to the table.

Overall enjoyed the book - it makes me want to drive over and visit Cajun country!

[Anthony]

a text for my Louisiana Food and Culture class Spring 2008

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find the history to be quite interesting. Call me a nerd, but I enjoyed this quick read.