Who’s Your Mama, Are You Catholic, and Can You Make a Roux?

Margaret is from Louisiana and damn proud of it. If you can’t tell where she’s from by the Saints jersey that she’s wearing, or the Who Dat license plate on her car, then maybe you can tell by the giant fleur de lis that’s tattooed on the front of her right leg, or the pair of red crawfish claws tattooed on the back. Margaret’s whole house is a shrine to the New Orleans Saints football team, complete with framed newspaper articles, Sports Illustrated magazines, autographed pictures, cleats and gloves worn by Saints players, and a piece of turf from the Superdome where the Saints played their 2009 season. And then there’s her yappy little Pomeranian named Deuce after Deuce McAllister.

Margaret and her family are serious about football, but they are also serious about food. People in Louisiana like to eat. A lot. All social gatherings revolve around food and cooking, and when Margaret goes home for the holidays, she can expect a banquet. Even when her dad picks her up from the New Orleans airport Margaret knows that there will be a messy shrimp po-boy from Danny & Clyde’s waiting for her in the car.

A cousin on Margaret’s mom’s side of the family is the author of the cook book entitled Who’s Your Mama, Are You Catholic and Can you Make a Roux? which Margaret translates roughly to: I know who your daddy is because of your last name, but I want to know what family your mom comes from; are you Catholic because I’m Catholic and I can’t marry outside my religion; and can you cook? This family cook book includes recipes for the authentic Cajun food Margaret grew up eating: red beans and rice, gumbo, shrimp stew, crawfish, jambalaya and smothered pork chops.

Many of these dishes are derived from three main components: seafood, the trinity, and rice. While seafood may be a luxury to those of us who don’t live near the Gulf of Mexico, it is a staple in every Louisiana home and is the main ingredient in many Cajun recipes. “People from Louisiana don’t have barbeques, they have crawfish boils,” says Margaret. “And we have four seasons in Louisiana: crawfish, crab, shrimp and king cake.” Many Cajun soups and stews also include the trinity, a mix of onions, celery and bell peppers that is the Louisiana spin on the French mirepoix (and yes, also a reference to the holy trinity). Finally, almost all Cajun dishes are served with a heaping pile of rice, simply because Louisiana happens to have great land for growing rice.

In Louisiana there is a philosophy that you should have fun any way that you can, as long as you’re not hurting anyone. There is also a strong belief in community and family. “When I call someone my aunt at home, she’s probably not really my aunt,” says Margaret. But when you become close to someone in Louisiana, they become family and will gladly give the shirt off their back for you. “The people of Louisiana are seasoned,” Margaret says, “just like our food. A gumbo is made with whatever is in your kitchen when you cook it, so there’s a little bit of everything in it. And just like a gumbo, people from Louisiana have a little bit of everything in their personality. They are a bit rough around the edges, but still generous, warm, and friendly.” …which is exactly how I would describe Margaret.

To Margaret, cooking and eating are part of what it means to be from Louisiana. “Food, family, friends and good times” are what it’s all about, she says. Many times after work, or on the weekends, or when we are on our way out with a group of friends to have some drinks, some laughs, and some good food, I’ve heard Margaret utter the Cajun French saying, “Laissez les bons temp roule”: Let the good times roll.

Margaret’s favorite recipe is red beans and rice:

Red Beans & Rice

Ingredients

1 pack dry red beans

1 medium yellow onion

1/2 bell pepper (green or red or 1/4 each)

1 stalk celery 

Garlic

1 pack smoked sausage (andouille if you can find it)

2 cups rice

This recipe makes enough for 5-7 people

Directions

1. Soak beans overnight or for 1 day in plenty of water (cover beans at least an inch or inch and a half)

2. Drain and rinse off soaked beans and put aside

3. Cut onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, and sausage and saute in stock pot

4. Add beans to sausage and onion mix and add enough water to cover everything about 3"

5. Bring everything to a boil and lower temperature to just a simmer/slight boil

6. Stir often so beans don't burn or stick, cooking for a few hours till beans are almost a paste. Add water a little at a time to keep some liquid (you may have to mash a few beans to thicken them)

7. Prepare 2 cups of rice

8. Add beans over rice and enjoy!