A Letter From Our Friend, Pam Folse, Who Has Been the Pillar and Joy of Our Life Here in South Louisiana

Hey there all you who frequent this blog to find out what’s happening in the lives of Cappy and Pegody.
I am the person who is blessed to be their neighbor. They truly are an amazing twosome.
I was over there on Saturday night feasting on Cappy’s hickory smoked chicken, some fancy New York state hotdogs, macaroni salad, potatoes and Fats Domino on the sound box. Hey, ya’ll. Cappy can cook. And that’s about all I can say about that. I know there’s no way that all of you can taste his cooking. You just have to have faith and trust my tastebuds. The man can cook!

I am a native of the area. I have lived in Vacherie all my life. So it is very interesting watching a central Louisiana Cajun grow in relationship with a New Yorker. I have enjoyed getting to know them both—separately and together. Ray is a great storyteller and so am I. So most times we are together we vie for talk time. Although Ray grew up in another part of this fine state of ours, his boyhood life was a lot like mine. We enjoy the same things—good food, good friends, good music and good times. Peggy is alien to our area. So she is expanding our horizons with her stories and remembrances, her way of cooking, the things that she cooks, etc. Ray is helping Peggy get acclimated to south Louisiana. But ya’ll need to know that it ain’t taking long, no! She can put down the hog cracklin’ with the natives. There’s just something about those things! Now I have turned her on to Mahler’s Meat Market—the home to the best hog cracklin’ on the planet and I really do mean that. They make and sell ‘em on Tuesday. I can’t wait to show her how to buy and use the tiny slivers of meat left in the pot during the process of making the cracklin’. Mahler’s sells those, too. You can take those and put them in a batch of biscuits. You can’t imagine the aroma when the cracklin’ fortified biscuits are cooking! When they are finally done you can slit them open, add a pat of butter and slather some good Steen’s Cane Syrup on top. (Sorry, maple syrup just won’t work!)

I am also blessed to get to meet all of Peg’s family and friends who come from ‘da nawth to visit. I have had some really good times with their guests. I am happy that Peg and Ray have such an open door policy.

Peg and Ray have taught me a lot about joie de vivre. They work hard and they play hard. They know of the good things of life and they are helping me to discover their favorites.

And don’t tell Peg, but I think I miss Ray as much as she does when he’s back on ‘da boat.

So, if you are ever blessed to come and visit Cappy and Pegody, well, you know that you will visit with me, too. And you will be blessed, just I have been many times over thanks to the blessed couple who are my neighbors.