Laissez les bons temps rouler | GlitznGrits.com

Jan 10, 2014

Laissez les bons temps rouler

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“This Infographic was Powered by Marriott"  Don't worry, no money actually exchanged hands. Wait, do bloggers exchange money anymore? I just really loved this and want to share it with y'all. Can we talk about how much of a hot mess those last few sentences were? No, let's just move on and get to the goodies. Anyone else get the inappropriate song "My Goodies" pop in their head? Well, she isn't Cajun or Creole for what I know so let's forget I mentioned that. So, the other day I was contacted by Chris, from The Marriot Hotel in New Orleans. He told me that he had an Infogrpahic that I might be interested in and to email him if I wanted more information. Y'all know I jumped on that quicker than a hooker sweats in Sunday mornin' service. I was to excited. Y'all know that I was born and raised in North Texas but I don't know if I've mentioned more than that.  See growin' up it was always hard to explain my Daddy's side of the family and all the "crazy" things they did. I guess to understand I will go back to the beginning real quick. My Daddy was born and raised in Southern Louisiana. My Dad came from a wee little town that isn't even on the map. He was actually born in the closer bigger city of Lafayette. Ya , know, cause they had a hospital. My Dad was the first one in his family to go to college and he moved almost three hours away to a town in Northern Louisiana to attend Grambling State University. It's a historically black college. After college my dad came back to Southern Louisiana but a few days later he was offered a job in Dallas and that's how he came to live here. Almost all of my family on my Dad's side still resides in Southern Louisiana. Growin' up I was always jealous cause everyone is raised together and lives within hours of each other and then you had us over here kickin' it in Texas. Remind me one day and I'll tell y'all all about where he grew up. It's so rural. Y'all the average income for a family is less than $30,000 and the per capata income is barely $10,000. My Dad grew up dirt poor. My dad was born with Sick a Cell Anemia. They were to poor to afford treatment so he would visit the witch doctor and she would cast spells with cob webs to "make him better." Y'all I could go on for days with the stories and why people always thought we was weird. Next time I'm down in Louisiana I'll be sure to take some video and get some pics so I can write all about it. But, back to food: the point of this post. Gorwin' up and to this day people always wanna ask me what I have and haven't eaten. A couple months back when my family came up, one of my dad counsin's who lives here got drunk and went on a rampage. He was hollerin' about how his gated community won't let him put chickens and cows on his land but will allow horses. Then he went on and on about our culture and how it should be the first thing I tell people. I don't ever put my full name on le blog but just know that it is very very french. I decided to take french cause I wanted to know what my Great Grandmother was sayin' since she and some of the elders in my family still spoke Cajun French. It's essentially broken French. But don't tell any Cajuns or Creoles I said that. They'd have my hide. Y'all I still can't speak much French. Even after studyin' it for almost five years. In College the title of my textbook was my last name SMH! Ugh, I'm so scattered brain today and Can't stay on topic. Next time someone wants info I'm just gonna refer them to this graphic. And, yes I am a food snob when you tell me you are makin' a Cajun or Creole dish.



So here are a few tips/ or the most common questions I get.

  1. Yes, I've eaten squirrel, rabbit, duck, deer, alligator etc. Yes, almost all of it taste like chicken. We were drivin' once and my dad wanted to pull over cause there was road kill. A possum. He kept talkin' 'bout how he could cook it. I'll try just about any food but I don't do road kill. We are not Honey Boo Boo.
  2. No I've never been huntin'. I talk to much and therefore my uncles won't take me. They don't even like to take me fishin' cause they say I'd scare away the fish.
  3. If you're ever offered a dish do not say no. Food is how we show our love in the South. And NEVER ask what's in it if it's a Cajun or Creole dish. It's either a secret family recipe or your feelins' will be hurt when you find out. 
  4. Alligators really do overrun the population and that's why they are hunted. Further south they become dangerous to humans. Crocodiles are not the same as Alligators. 
  5. Community Coffee is the only coffee. Or you're lame and drink Cafe Du Monde.
  6. Yes, I had somewhat of an accent on certain words growin' up as I spent much of my time with my Dad. No, I don't have any of it anymore. I was always corrected and encouraged to "talk right". The accents in movies really are fake. They are worse then the wannabe Texas accents. The accent changes based on what part of the state you live in. And yes there are Cajuns/Creole's in Parts of Texas and Mississippi.
  7. Rice is a staple in your diet. And yes the rice is different. It's a different type of grain that can only be bought in Louisiana. FACT: one of my uncles won't eat the rice made in Texas cause it isn't the same. 
  8. It's not a county. It's a Parrish.
  9. Yes Zydeco music is real. And yes my cousin tours Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi playin' it. 
  10. Laissez les bons temps rouler: "Let the good times roll" coma sa va: You're essentially sayin' how are you. As well as yes and no ma'am/sir. Learn those few phrases and you'll be golden. 
Anyway's, I wanna hear all about your cultures? Where is your family from? What "weird" things does your family do?

Go visit Ashley & Jess

10 comments

  1. I love that culture!! South LA is one of my favorite places to visit! The food is wonderful and so is the culture.

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  2. My husband and I got a cookbook from the Cajun restaurant in town and have started making our own gumbo. We've started a new tradition of making it for Christmas. The first time we made it, we had no idea how time consuming it would be! The roux took over an hour to make and cool, so did roasting the garlic to purée. And the 10+ spice mixture! But it was totally worth it, it's one of our favorite meals! I've never been to LA, but I definitely want to go!

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    1. Ohh, you should deff visit. Such a beautiful place. I haven't been to Northern Louisiana much and only been to NO once. My family doesn't really leave over that way. They are closer to the Texas side. Gumbo is SOO time consuming but worth it. Lately we have taken to cheatin' and buyin' Roux in a jar. One of the stores near my house sales Roux by a man who is originally from the town over from my family. I figure it's the closet we'll get since my dad isn't here to make it. Now, I want the some of the Gumbo we have in the freezer.

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  3. Oh my goodness. This was hilarious and I think it might be your most entertaining post to date. Way to keep it real!

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  4. So funny! My husband's family is really southern. They love rice and beans and fried stuff. So much fried stuff! I've never seen so many fried things until I moved to Oklahoma!

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  5. Such an entertaining post- I loved it! I've only ever been to LA once but this makes me wanna visit again real soon :)

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  6. LOVE this post and the foods listed in that infographic. I'm not from Louisiana, but my husband is... and we've spent a LOT of time there eating all kinds of wonderful things. Makes me miss Louisiana and all the fun culture there is to experience there.

    ALSO, like you, I've never been hunting, but I've sure as heck cooked up some meat that was a result of a hunt.

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    1. And I love your comment. Such a fascinating culture. I can spend my whole life and still not see all it has to offer. I want to go hunting though

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  7. I have never been to Louisiana but this post made me feel like I was there. So entertaining. I bet you have lots of great stories to tell! I wouldn't do roadkill either! ;) I don't eat fish so I am not sure I would make it down there.

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