Acadian House Publishing

09/03/2024

08/30/2024

'𝙋𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙡 𝙋𝙚𝙩𝙚'𝙨' 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙜𝙚
𝙩𝙤 𝙇𝙎𝙐 𝙗𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙧𝙨

"Pistol Pete" Maravich was invited to give a motivational talk to Coach Dale Brown's LSU basketball team before a big game sometime in the mid-1980s.

It turned out not to be the talk Coach Brown and the players were expecting of this basketball superstar, who had played for LSU from 1967 to 1970.

First, Pete ticked off all his worldly accomplishments: College All-American, led the nation in scoring, biggest pro contract in NBA history, multi-millionaire, walked around with $3,000 cash in his pocket, drank, chased women, lived in a mansion. Then, he paused and lowered his voice:

"But, guys, I was a miserable human being. I thought I had it all.... But I was unhappy, miserable, fed up with life. I had everything society tells us is success."

Then came the bombshell: "I had decided to commit su***de" with a pistol.

"I was just going to put the pistol in my mouth. I was so down in the dumps. For some reason, I set the pistol down on the bed. I didn't know how to pray.... I fell on the bed, prone, face down and said, 'God, if you're there, would you somehow, in some way, please touch my life.'

"Instantly—I don't know how to express it—a peace took over my body, for the first time in my life.... I had been a miserable s.o.b. until I took God into my life.

"Guys, whatever you do, 𝙙𝙤 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪, or you will end up miserable, as I did."

More of this story can be found in Coach Dale Brown's motivational book, "Getting Over the 4 Hurdles of Life," available at www.acadianhouse.com/motivation-inspirational. In concluding "Pistol Pete's" story, Coach Brown writes: "Pete felt, as I do, that 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙡𝙚𝙙𝙜𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙪𝙨."

Est. 1979
Based in Lafayette, La.
Books to stimulate the mind, warm the heart, and nurture the soul

06/06/2024

'𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴'
𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗞𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗮 & 𝗥𝗶𝘁𝗮

In the hours following the landfall of Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005, flooding drove tens of thousands of evacuees away from their homes. Exhausted and desperate, many evacuees left with little more than the clothes on their backs and headed for Lafayette to the Cajundome Arena. What happened next is a powerful story of human kindness, to be re-told on 𝗟𝗣𝗕-𝟯 𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟴 𝗮𝘁 𝟴:𝟯𝟬 𝗽.𝗺.

The book that the film is based on can be ordered from the publisher at www.acadianhouse.com/south-louisiana-regional. It is titled “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘫𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘔𝘦𝘨𝘢-𝘚𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘳: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 ‘𝘚𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘊𝘪𝘵𝘺’ 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘦 𝘒𝘢𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘢.”

04/27/2024

𝘾𝙧𝙖𝙗𝙗𝙞𝙣𝙜: 𝙁𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙛𝙪𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙣!

𝘊𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘥𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘓𝘰𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘣 – 𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘊𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘵 au gratin – 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥! 𝘕𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘴 𝘚𝘦𝘢𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘥, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘹 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘓𝘰𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘢.

𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝙖𝙪 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣

• 1 cup of chopped white onion
• ½ cup of chopped celery
• ¼ pound of unsalted butter
• ½ cup of all-purpose flour
• 1 can of evaporated milk (13 ounces)
• 1 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• ¼ teaspoon of black pepper
• ½ teaspoon of Don’s All-Purpose Seasoning
• 1 pound of Louisiana jumbo lump crabmeat

1. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, sauté onion and celery in butter until vegetables are translucent, for 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Mix flour into sautéed vegetables, gradually adding evaporated milk. Stir constantly until mixture becomes smooth and creamy.
3. Add half a cup of shredded Cheddar cheese and stir until melted.
4. Reduce heat and add egg yolks, salt, pepper, and Don’s All-Purpose Seasoning.
5. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and slowly fold in jumbo lump crabmeat, being careful not to break the lumps.
7. Pour mixture into a deep, greased casserole dish and top with the remaining Cheddar cheese.
8. Bake at 375° for 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese is golden brown and bubbly.

Serves 6.

– Don's Seafood Cookbook

(𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘴 𝘚𝘦𝘢𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘊𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 can be obtained from the publisher at https://www.acadianhouse.com/cookbooks, or it can be picked up at any of the six Don's Seafood restaurants in south Louisiana.)

04/21/2024

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙧𝙖𝙬𝙛𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝘽𝙤𝙞𝙡:
𝘼 𝙎𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝 𝙇𝙤𝙪𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙖 𝙎𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡

The backyard crawfish boil is a south Louisiana social event and a true gourmet dining experience.
It's interesting to observe that when steaming boiled crawfish are poured onto the newspaper that covers the outdoor table, the pre-meal chatter stops right away and the peeling and eating begins. It's pretty obvious that people who like crawfish love crawfish!

𝘽𝙤𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝘾𝙧𝙖𝙬𝙛𝙞𝙨𝙝:

• 20 pounds of live crawfish
• ½ box of salt
• 6 lemons, cut in wedges
• 3 pounds of onions, cut in wedges
• 1½ boxes of salt
• ¼ bottle of liquid crab boil
• ¼ bottle of cayenne

1. Place live crawfish into a large tub. Add one-half box of salt and enough water to cover them. Leave crawfish in tub for 20 to 30 minutes, to allow them to rinse and purge.
2. Fill a large seafood-boiling pot about one-third full of water; add all remaining ingredients except crawfish and bring water to a brisk boil for about 10 minutes.
3. Pour the crawfish into the pot. After the water comes to a boil again, let it boil for about seven minutes.
4. Turn off the fire and let the crawfish soak for five or 10 minutes before serving.

(From “The Top 100 CAJUN Recipes of All Time.” To get a copy of this and other authentic Louisiana cookbooks, go to www.acadianhouse.com/cookbooks.)

Est. 1979
Based in Lafayette, La.
Books to stimulate the mind, warm the heart, and nurture the soul

04/13/2024

𝐒𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐩 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐰

𝘚𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘱 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘸 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘓𝘰𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘞𝘪𝘨𝘭𝘦, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘖𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴. 𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘚𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘱 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘸 𝘸𝘢𝘴 “𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳,” 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘦.

• 3 slices of bacon, cut up fine
• 1 medium-size onion, chopped fine
• 3 garlic cloves, cut up fine
• 4 8-ounce cans of tomato sauce
• ½ cup of water
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 2 teaspoons of salt (more if desired)
• ½ teaspoon of black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of crushed red peppers (more if desired)
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 cup of chopped celery
• 2 pounds of fresh shrimp, cleaned
• 1 8-ounce can of mushrooms
• 1 cup of chopped green onions

1. Brown bacon in dutch oven or pot; add onion and garlic and sauté.
2. Add tomato sauce, water, sugar, salt, pepper, hot peppers, bay leaves and celery; cook 25 minutes or until thick.
3. Add shrimp, mushrooms and green onions and cook 20 minutes.
4. Taste sauce to see if it is bitter; if so, add a little more sugar.
5. Serve over rice.

Serves six to eight people.

– Norman Wigle
Luling (St. Charles Parish)

(For more classic south Louisiana recipes from Acadian House Publishing – the nation’s leading publisher of authentic Cajun and Creole recipes – go to www.acadianhouse.com/cookbooks.)

Est. 1979
Based in Lafayette, La.
Books to stimulate the mind, warm the heart, and nurture the soul

04/06/2024

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒓𝒂𝒘𝒇𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝑩𝒐𝒊𝒍:
𝑨 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝑳𝒐𝒖𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒂 𝒔𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘺𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘸𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘣𝘰𝘪𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘓𝘰𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘢 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦.

𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘰𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘸𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘥𝘰𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦-𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘴. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘣𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘸𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩, 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘸𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩!

𝐁𝐨𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡
• 20 pounds of live crawfish
• ½ box of salt
• 6 lemons, cut in wedges
• 3 pounds of onions, cut in wedges
• 1½ boxes of salt
• ¼ bottle of liquid crab boil
• ¼ bottle of cayenne

1. Place live crawfish into a large tub. Add one-half box of salt and enough water to cover them. Leave crawfish in tub for 20 to 30 minutes, to allow them to rinse and purge.
2. Fill a large seafood-boiling pot about one-third full of water; add all remaining ingredients except crawfish and bring water to a brisk boil for about 10 minutes.
3. Pour the crawfish into the pot. After the water comes to a boil again, let it boil for about seven minutes.
4. Turn off the fire and let the crawfish soak for five or 10 minutes before serving.

(From “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘰𝘱 100 𝘊𝘈𝘑𝘜𝘕 𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦.” To get a copy of this and other authentic Louisiana cookbooks, go to www.acadianhouse.com/cookbooks.)

04/05/2024

‘𝙋𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙡 𝙋𝙚𝙩𝙚’𝙨’ 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚
𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮

“Pistol Pete” Maravich – the LSU and NBA superstar – experienced a profound religious conversion during one of the darkest hours of his life.

It happened when he was on the verge of total despair.

When he was on the verge of su***de, actually.

And it seems to have happened in an instant – a divine intervention. It was a complete turnaround from a life of misery and materialism to one of profound peace that exceeded all understanding.

Pete was at home, in his mansion in Metairie, Louisiana, in the dead of night. This was in 1982.

“I was going to put the pistol in my mouth. I was so down in the dumps. For some reason, I set the pistol down on the bed. I didn't know how to pray.... I fell on the bed, prone, face down. And I said, ‘God, if you're there, would you somehow, in some way, please touch my life.’

“Instantly – I don't know how to express it – a peace took over my body, for the first time in my life. Before that moment, I had been a miserable s.o.b., until I took God into my life....”

Then, Pete offers this advice – words to the wise:
“Guys, whatever you do, do not let your possessions possess you, or you will end up miserable, as I did.”

To hear Pete's live testimony (approx. 9 minutes) during a Billy Graham Crusade for Christ, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5s6xIZfQtQ.

To read more of Pete’s story, get a copy of Coach Dale Brown's motivational book titled “𝘎𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘖𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 4 𝘏𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦,” at www.acadianhouse.com/motivation-inspirational. “Pistol Pete” died of heart failure in 1988, just 6 years after his religious conversion. He was 40 years old.

Special thanks to the Maravich Family and John Lotz.Brought to you by the book: Pete Maravich - The Authorized Biography of Pistol Petehttp://www.MaravichBoo...

03/30/2024

𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘖𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘦. 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘖𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴’ 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘓𝘰𝘶𝘪𝘴 𝘈𝘳𝘮𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯. 𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦: “𝘙𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴!”

𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 & 𝐑𝐢𝐜𝐞
(𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐎𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬-𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞)

• 2 pounds of dried red kidney beans
• 2 cups of chopped onion
• ½ cup of chopped green onion tops
• ½ cup of chopped bellpepper
• 2 tablespoons of minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons of minced fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon of salt
• ½ teaspoon of black pepper
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Pinch of crushed red pepper pods
• 2 whole bay leaves, broken in half
• ½ teaspoon of dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon of dried basil
• 3 to 4 quarts of water
• 1 pound of baked ham, cubed
• 1 or 2 ham hocks or ham bones
• Rice

1. Put all ingredients, except rice and ham, into a 10-quart pot.
2. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer and cook for three to four hours or until beans are tender and a thick, natural gravy has formed.
3. Add the baked ham and ham hocks after the beans have been cooking for about two hours.
4. Serve over rice.

Note: If beans appear too dry, add more water. Stir the beans frequently during cooking to prevent scorching. If beans do not thicken by themselves, take a cup of the beans and mash them
with a fork, then return mashed beans to the pot and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Serving tip: Accompany with corn bread or French bread and a garden salad.

Serves 10 to 12.

(From “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘰𝘱 100 𝘕𝘌𝘞 𝘖𝘙𝘓𝘌𝘈𝘕𝘚 𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦.” To get a copy of this and other authentic Louisiana cookbooks, go to www.acadianhouse.com/cookbooks.)

03/23/2024

𝘓𝘰𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘢 𝘺𝘢𝘮𝘴 (𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘦𝘴) 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴, 𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴. 𝘠𝘢𝘮𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘥, 𝘣𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘴, 𝘤𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘦𝘴.

(𝘛𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘰𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘢 𝘺𝘢𝘮𝘴, 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 1990𝘴 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘖𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘛𝘰𝘯𝘺 𝘖. 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 “𝘠𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘴,” 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘢𝘮𝘴 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘴, 𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘪𝘱𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘱𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘧𝘵 𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘴.)

𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗬𝗮𝗺𝘀

· 6 or 7 medium yams
· ½ cup of sugar
· 1 cup of white corn syrup
· ¼ teaspoon of salt
· 2 tablespoons of butter

1. Boil yams until tender; peel and cut yams into 2” x 2” pieces; place cut yams in buttered baking dish.
2. Heat sugar, corn syrup, salt and butter; pour over yams.
3. Bake at 425 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes. Turn yams over every 15 minutes or so.

– Germaine Porta
Gramercy (St. James Parish)

(From “𝘊𝘢𝘫𝘶𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭.” To get a copy of this and other authentic Louisiana cookbooks, go to www.acadianhouse.com/cookbooks.)

03/16/2024

𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐧𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐫

One 8-pound red snapper, dressed
Salt and cayenne, to taste
1½ sticks of butter or margarine, divided
1 cup of finely chopped yellow onions
½ cup of finely chopped celery
½ cup of finely chopped green bell peppers
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound of small shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound of lump or claw crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
Pinch of dried oregano leaves
Pinch of dried thyme leaves
1 large egg
1½ cups of Italian breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons of olive oil
4 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
Lemon slices for garnish
Olives to put in the eyes of the snapper

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Rub the fish well both inside and out with salt and cayenne. Set aside.
3. In a large skillet, melt one stick of the butter and add the onions, celery, bell peppers and garlic and sauté until transparent, about four minutes.
4. Add the shrimp and cook until they turn pink. Add the crabmeat and toss gently. Season with salt, cayenne, oregano and thyme. Add the egg and stir. Add the breadcrumbs a little at a time until the stuffing becomes thick. Cool to room temperature.
5. Fill the cavity of the fish with the stuffing and secure with toothpicks. Combine the remaining four tablespoons of butter (melted) with olive oil and lemon juice, and bathe the fish with this mixture.
6. Bake for 15 minutes and then baste again with the lemon-butter mixture. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and cook for about 45 minutes more or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
7. Garnish with lemon slices and put olives in the eye sockets. Remove the toothpicks.
8. Serve a heaping tablespoonful of stuffing with pieces of fish.
Makes about 8 servings.

(From “𝘞𝘩𝘰’𝘴 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘮𝘢, 𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘊𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘢𝘯 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘔𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘙𝘰𝘶𝘹 (𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬 2).” To get a
copy of this and other authentic Louisiana cookbooks, go to
www.acadianhouse.com/cookbooks.)

03/15/2024

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐍𝐢𝐱𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐲
𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐲 𝐋𝐚𝐢 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬?

(𝐴 𝑛𝑒𝑤 𝑝𝑖𝑒𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑈.𝑆. ℎ𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦)

On March 16, 1968, at the height of the Vietnam War, out-of-control U.S. soldiers killed 504 unarmed Vietnamese civilians – men, women and children. Yet, only one man was convicted of anything in a military court-martial.
And not even that one man – Lt. William Calley – would have been found guilty if President Nixon had had his way. Nixon used “dirty tricks” and two hawkish Congressmen to try to sabotage the trials so that no U.S. serviceman would be convicted of a war crime. Nixon's motive was to protect the reputation of the U.S. Army.
The story is told in detail in the book, “𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑛 𝐻𝑒𝑟𝑜 𝑜𝑓 𝑀𝑦 𝐿𝑎𝑖: 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐻𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑇ℎ𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑠𝑜𝑛 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦,” available from the publisher at www.acadianhouse.com/biographies. Part of Nixon's strategy was to discredit, intimidate and silence the Army's chief prosecution witness, helicopter pilot Hugh Thompson, by threatening to have him court-martialed. But Thompson kept on testifying; he didn't scare easily.

03/09/2024

𝐂𝐨𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐢𝐭

𝘊𝘰𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘯 𝘋𝘦 𝘓𝘢𝘪𝘵, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 “𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘪𝘨,” 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘓𝘰𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘢. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘪𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘈𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘷𝘰𝘺𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘴, 𝘌𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘵. 𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘺.

1 young pig, up to 50 pounds
Cayenne, black pepper and salt, to taste
Garlic cloves (several dozen)

1. Forty-eight hours before the pig is to be cooked, use a sharp knife to make slits inside the carcass.
2. Liberally insert cayenne, black pepper, salt and garlic cloves into the slits.
3. Make slits on the outside of the pig, giving it the same seasoning treatment. Be aware that much of the seasoning will drip away during cooking.
4. Chill the pig for 48 hours, allowing time for the seasonings to pe*****te the meat.
5. Wrap the pig in wire mesh and mount it, head-down, on an electric-turned spit extending from a tripod about seven feet tall.
6. Attach rods or stakes to the pig’s front and hind legs to keep them separated.
7. Rotate the pig slowly in front of a hardwood fire built three to five feet from it, keeping the fire constant for even cooking. (Enclose the fire on three sides with tin sheeting.)
8. Cook the pig at least one hour per five pounds. (Note: Not every pig will cook at the same rate.)
9. After three-fourths of the cooking time, flip the position of the pig so it is head-up.

– Glenn LaFleur
Ville Platte (Evangeline Parish)

(From 𝘈𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘢 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘦’s “Cajun Cooking” series. To get a copy of 𝘊𝘢𝘫𝘶𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 - 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 and other authentic Louisiana cookbooks, go to www.acadianhouse.com/cookbooks.)
𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐂𝐚𝐣𝐮𝐧 & 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐋𝐨𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐚 are brought to you each week by Acadian House Publishing, the nation’s leading publisher of authentic Cajun & Creole Recipes.

03/09/2024

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙪𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙠𝙞𝙙𝙣𝙚𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚
𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 '𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙'?

Doctors told him he wouldn't live past the age of 12, that his kidney disease was terminal. But he didn't believe the doctors – and he didn't believe in defeat!

Paul Anderson of Toccoa, Georgia, was a man of faith, courage and tenacity. He worked out all the time, using primitive, homemade weights. And he eventually became the strongest man in the world, literally, holding nine world records and winning an Olympic gold medal.

In 1983, he suffered renal failure. Then his sister gave him one of her kidneys, and he lived 11 more years, till age 61.

The remarkable story of this "gentle giant," as he was described in newspapers, is one of many that is found in the famous motivational book by Coach Dale Brown, former LSU men's basketball coach. The book is titled "𝘎𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘖𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 4 𝘏𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦" and is available at www.acadianhouse.com/motivation-inspirational. It's filled with inspiring stories of people who overcame life's hurdles and refused to let their "handicaps" stop them from living happy and fulfilling lives.

In 1961, Anderson and his wife, Glenda, founded the Paul Anderson Youth Home for troubled and homeless young men in Vidalia, Georgia. He financed the home primarily with income from his speaking engagements – hundreds of presentations per year! His inspiring talks centered on his belief in Jesus Christ, family values, patriotism and the American free enterprise system.

03/02/2024

𝐁𝐨𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐧

2 pounds of pork meat
1 ½ pounds of pork liver
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 large onion, cut up
2 bunches of green onions, chopped
1 bunch of parsley, chopped
6 cups of cooked rice
Sausage casings, soaked in cold water

1. Cook pork meat, liver and seasonings in water to cover until meat falls apart; remove
meat and reserve some broth.
2. Grind meat, onion, green onions and parsley (reserving about one-half cup each of green
onion tops and parsley).
3. Mix ground meat mixture with the one-half cups of green onion and parsley, rice and
enough broth to make a moist dressing.
4. Stuff dressing into casings, using a sausage-stuffer.

– Sue C. McDonough
New Iberia (Iberia Parish)

(From “𝘊𝘢𝘫𝘶𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭.” To get a copy of this and other authentic Louisiana
cookbooks, go to www.acadianhouse.com/cookbooks.)

02/24/2024

𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐩

1 cup of flour
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 eggs
¼ cup of milk
2 teaspoons of mustard, preferably with onion bits
3 or 4 pounds of peeled shrimp
Vegetable oil

1. Season the flour heavily with salt and pepper.
2. Beat eggs and milk together; add mustard; season mixture with salt and pepper; add a little flour to thicken.
3. Dip shrimp in egg mixture then roll in flour.
4. Over medium heat in one-half inch of oil, fry shrimp for two or three minutes on each side until golden brown, being careful not to overcook.
5. Drain on paper towels or brown paper bag.
Serves six.

– Sidney Richard
Franklin (St. Mary Parish)

(From “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘰𝘱 100 𝘊𝘈𝘑𝘜𝘕 𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦.” To get a copy of this and other authentic Louisiana cookbooks, go to www.acadianhouse.com/cookbooks.)

02/24/2024

𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘄 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗢𝗿𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀...

It's true what they say about the best writers of American literature coming from the Deep South!

Take Anne Rice of New Orleans. What an imagination the lady had! Her famous novel, "Interview With the Vampire," made her one of the most recognized writers in the U.S.

She also wrote many other scary books, such as "The Witching Hour" and "Memnoch the Devil." Anne even rode in a glass coffin in a staged jazz funeral through Lafayette Cemetery 1 to generate publicity for one of her books. Only in New Orleans!

Sadly, Anne died in December of 2021, at age 80; her remains were interred in Metairie/Lake Lawn Cemetery.

More about Anne and her connection to New Orleans graveyards can be found in the book by Dr. Carl and Jennie Robinson titled "Cities of the Dead: Historic New Orleans Cemeteries," available at www.acadianhouse.com/new-orleans. The book includes over 100 photos from 11 cemeteries and lots of intriguing history.

02/17/2024

𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐄𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐞

1 cup of chopped green onions
1 cup of chopped celery
¼ pound of oleo
3 tablespoons of flour
Crawfish fat
1 can of chicken broth
1 pound of crawfish tails
Salt, black pepper and red pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons of paprika
Green onion tops, chopped
Parsley, chopped

1. Sauté onions and celery in oleo until wilted. Add flour and cook, but do not brown.
2. Add crawfish fat and chicken broth; simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Add crawfish tails, salt, pepper and paprika; simmer 20 minutes more.
4. Before serving, add onion tops and parsley.

– Jeanette M. Guidry
Breaux Bridge (St. Martin Parish)

(From “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘰𝘱 100 𝘊𝘈𝘑𝘜𝘕 𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦.” To get a copy of this and other authentic Louisiana cookbooks, go to www.acadianhouse.com/cookbooks.)

02/17/2024

𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗟𝗼𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗲𝗱
𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗦𝘁. 𝗝𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻'𝘀 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis is a great American success story. And south Louisiana people played a key role in providing "seed money" to get it started.

In 1959, Danny Thomas, the actor and founder of the hospital, came to Crowley, Lafayette and other communities to share his vision and to ask his fellow Syrian-Lebanese people for financial support to help build the hospital. Mr. Thomas received contributions from Emile Reggie and others of Syrian-Lebanese descent with names like Ackal, Azar, Boustany, Haynie, John, Mahtook and Saloom. Mr. Thomas's fundraising efforts in Louisiana were part of a nationwide capital campaign.

Emile Reggie would remain active in fundraising for St. Jude's for years to come, and so would his son, Fred Reggie. In fact, once the St. Jude Dream Home concept took root in Louisiana, Fred was called upon to expand this program, and today it can be found in about 40 U.S. communities, raising tens of millions of dollars annually.

Today, south Louisianians continue to donate and to bring their seriously ill children to St. Jude's for treatment of cancer. The hospital now serves over 8,000 patients per year. No patient or his/her family is ever billed for medical services, room, board, food or transportation.

𝗦𝘁. 𝗝𝘂𝗱𝗲'𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵

Upon reflection, it is clear that St. Jude's is a concrete manifestation of Danny Thomas's faith. He believed in the Lord's promise: "Ask and you shall receive...seek and you shall find." Around 1938-39, Danny wasn't sure of what he wanted to do in life. So, he prayed for the intercession of St. Jude, the Patron Saint of Hopeless Causes:

"Help me to find my way in life, and I will build you a shrine."

Danny subsequently found his calling in the entertainment business. But it wasn't until the early 1950s that his idea to build a hospital for children began to come into focus. Once it did, he hit the road to find the money to make it happen. While in Crowley in 1959, he revealed to Emile Reggie a special prayer he repeated countless times:

"I prayed to God, 'If you will bless my career with success, I will build a hospital for children.' "
And so he did.

To learn more about St. Jude's or to donate, go to StJude.org or call (800) 822-6344.
–This message is provided by Acadian House Publishing (www.acadianhouse.com) and is based on interviews with Fred Reggie, Emile Reggie's son, and Bobby John, formerly of Crowley – both of whom met Danny Thomas when he visited Crowley in the 1950s.

Est. 1979
Based in Lafayette, La.
Books to stimulate the mind, warm the heart, and nurture the soul

02/10/2024

𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗮𝗸𝗲

½ cup of warm water (110 to 115 degrees)
2 (¼-ounce) packages of active dry yeast
2 teaspoons of sugar and 1/2 cup of sugar
4 cups of all-purpose flour, unsifted
1 teaspoon of allspice
2 teaspoons of salt
1 teaspoon of freshly grated lemon zest
½ cup of warm milk
5 egg yolks
1 stick of butter plus 2 tablespoons, softened
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 egg slightly beaten with 1 tablespoon of milk to make egg wash
1 one-inch plastic baby doll
Icing (Recipe follows)

1. In a small, shallow mixing bowl, combine the warm water, yeast and two teaspoons of sugar. Allow the sugar and yeast to rest together for about three minutes, then mix thoroughly.
2. Set the bowl in a warm place until the yeast bubbles and the mixture nearly doubles in size, about 10 minutes.
3. In a separate large mixing bowl, combine three and one-half cups of flour, one half cup of sugar, allspice and salt. Sift into a larger bowl. Stir-in lemon zest.
4. Make a hole in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the yeast mixture and a half of a cup of warm milk. Add egg yolks.
5. Using a wooden spoon, slowly combine dry ingredients with the yeast/milk mixture.
6. When mixture is smooth, add butter one tablespoon at a time and beat thoroughly. After all butter is added, continue to beat for two minutes or until the dough can be formed into a medium soft ball.
7. Place ball of dough on a lightly floured surface and knead. During the kneading process add as much as another half cup of flour, one tablespoon at a time. When dough is no longer sticky, knead another 10 minutes, or until the dough is shiny and elastic.
8. Place dough back in the large mixing bowl that has a coating of butter. Coat the outside of the ball.
9. Cover the bowl with a thick kitchen towel. Place bowl in a draft-free area for one and one-half hours or until dough doubles in volume.
10. Coat a large baking sheet with butter.
11. Remove dough from bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Using your fist, punch dough down with a heavy blow.
12. Sprinkle cinnamon over the top, pat and form dough into a circle – like a wreath.
13. Place the wreath of dough on the buttered baking sheet and complete the circle.
14. Cover dough with a towel and set it in a draft-free spot for 45 minutes, or until the dough doubles in volume.
15. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush top and sides of cake with egg wash and bake on the middle oven rack for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.
16. Remove and place on a wire rack to cool. At this time you can hide the plastic baby in the cake by pushing it into the cake from underneath.
17. Ice the cake according to the following directions.

𝘐𝘊𝘐𝘕𝘎
3 cups of confectioner’s sugar
¼ cup of lemon juice
3 to 6 tablespoons of water
4 tablespoons of green sugar sprinkles
4 tablespoons of purple sugar sprinkles
4 tablespoons of yellow sugar sprinkles

1. Combine confectioner’s sugar, lemon juice and three tablespoons of water, then mix until
smooth. If the icing is too stiff, add more water until the icing is easily spread.
2. Coat the top of the cooled cake with icing.
3. Immediately sprinkle the colored sugars in sections, alternating colors. There should be
about two green sections, two purple and two yellow.

– Rhonda Findley
New Orleans
(From “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘰𝘱 100 𝘕𝘌𝘞 𝘖𝘙𝘓𝘌𝘈𝘕𝘚 𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦.” To get a copy of this and other
authentic Louisiana cookbooks, go to www.acadianhouse.com/cookbooks.)