12.16.2007

Christmas Cajun Cooking

Plans for Christmas are starting to come together, finally. I'm still baking, but want to bake a few things to mail to family or take with me to Alexandria, LA for a large gathering at Aunt Marguerite and Uncle Eugene's house. I think cousin Larry would actually faint if I showed up with some of the brownies I'm always promising to make for him. As it is, I have no idea about how many loaves of banana nut bread I've already made, since our bananas and pecans have been producing this Fall. As we 'speak', I have another loaf cooling it's heels on a rack, out there on the kitchen table. I promised that to son, Thom, up in western NY, so it'll be winging it's way in that direction tomorrow, along with a few oranges and lemons from off our trees.
Of course, Cappy, out on the boat always has something wonderful simmering away on the back burner as he's driving the boat. If he didn't put it together, then one of his crew has. The guys he has on there now with him are fantastic cooks. He's always 'braggin' on 'em', those guys. Last night, I went to meet the boat, and took them out their Christmas stockings. I sewed, among other things, stocking stuffers for each of them, which are big pot holders. They are about three sizes bigger than the ones bought in the stores. These guys have big paws, from throwing massive ropes around the timberheads, or working in the engine room. For the crew that will be on for Christmas I made more potholders for them, plus New Orleans Saints pillow cases, wrapped them and stuffed them in the stockings, too, then dumped in all kinds of candy, nuts from our yard, a toy, ...I forget what all, then topped them off with a big Satsuma orange. (and the promised 'lump of coal'...chocolate, of course...and a stern warning this time...well,...not too stern.)They each get a wrapped gift, as well, from under their scraggly little 'Charlie Brown' Christmas tree, which I also took with me last night, along with some sundry ornaments, which, handily, were on sale at Hobby Lobby.
When I pulled up at the fuel dock late last night, there were a couple of other boats, loading fuel as well, so Cappy and I had time to visit with a bunch of guys from those boats. Cappy told them that I had brought stockings for the guys on his boat. Dane, a captain from one of the other boats, said, "Oh noooooo!!!....I do NOT want to see you wearing stockings...trust me...fishnet is not a good look for you; it's cold...she shoulda brought you some long johns...the longer the better."
Cajuns. Then they always manage to bring food into most any conversation. They were talking about what they had cooked or were cooking, and how they cooked it. Although alligator is supposed to be a delicacy around these parts, Cappy's favorite is turtle. From wayyyyy back in the blog, there might be a story about squirrel stew that I couldn't get past my lips without my throat clenching shut. I'm sure it was very tasty, but ...just the thought. One time I overheard on the phone, Cappy and one of his guys talking about, "Awwww, look at the bunny rabbits frolicking over there in the tall grass...aren't they cute? Look...there's the mama, and how many babies she's got? Four? Five? Let's count." Then they started discussing which sauce goes best with rabbit. And, "If it's stewed, then, by all means, dumplings like Momma used to make...not the flat kind, but the big ol' fluffy 'cathead' dumplings". Uh...cat head?? Shhhh, I don't even wanna know.
Well, I found this link and, I'll tell you, this song had to have been written by a Cajun. Let's see what you think.

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