2019-07-01_Louisiana_Cookin

29 louisianacookin.com

PARADISE

WHENMYSIBLINGSANDIweregrowingup,

summerbroughtfreedomtofishandswimintheriver

wheneverwewanted,butbymid-July,wewererestless.

That’swhenDaddypackedalleightofusinhis 1949

Chevroletcoupefora vacationatGrandIsle.Wewere

joinedbymostofourextendedfamily(includingaunts,

uncles,anddozensofcousins),neighbors,anda fewof

Daddy’scoworkers.

WefollowedHighway1,whichwasmostlygravel

backthen,fromBayouLafourchetotheGulf.After

hoursoftraveling,wepulledintoShadyRestapartments

fora weekofswimming,fishing,andcrabbing.The

boysandmenstayedin

onehouse;thewomen,

girls,andbabiesstayed

inanother.Tous,Shady

RestwaslikeBuckingham

Palace.Therewereseveral

wood-paneledrooms

withmismatchedfurnitureandonewall-mounted

windowfanthatblewairfor 25 centsanhour.Wewere

inthelapofluxury!

Nosoonerhadwearrivedthanwedartedtothe

beach.Swimmingwasthefirstorderofbusiness.After

anhourorso,themenarrivedwithdogwoodcrabbing

poles,scoopnets,andbait.Webroughtbeeftripe(the

bait)withusthathadbeenpurchasedfromeitherthe

now-closedChiquetMeatMarketinSt.Jamesorordered

fromthelate“ChewingGum”Poirrier,whohada mobile

butchershopanddeliveredmeatrighttoourdoor.We

helpedtiethebaittothecrabline,carefullyspacingthe

meat3 feetapart.Thenwetookturnswalkingtheline

withthescoopnetandcollectingthosebluejewelsofthe

Gulfinanaluminumwashtubuntilthreeormorewere

filledtothebrim.

The greatthingabouttheapartmentsinGrandIsle

wastheoutdoorscreenedhouseswherefresh-caught

seafoodwascleanedandprepared.The crabswererinsed

ofsandandthentossedintotheboilingwaterthathad

beenseasonedwiththepungentaromasofZatarain’s

CrabBoil,fresh-cutlemons,andonions.Afterwhat

seemedlikeaneternity,

theboiledcrabs,corn,

andpotatoeswerepoured

ontotheoutdoortables

thatweretoppedwithpast

issuesofNewOrleans’

Times-Picayune.

If wewerenotswimmingorcrabbing,wewere

burningbonfiresonthebeachorfishingwithcanepoles

fromthepiers.Thatis,untilthesummerthatmysister

Ruthbroughta fewofhergirlfriendsonvacationwith

us.Thatcreateda wholenewlevelofexcitement.My

brothersandI foughttoteachthegirlshowtocrab.We

offeredthemthebestbaitinthebucket.Ourchivalry

hadnoend.It wastruelovewhenweofferedourguests

thefullestcrabsattheeveningboil.Thatsummer

vacationtrulywasparadise!

AFIELD & AFLOAT

by chef john d. folse

HIGHWAY TO

“WE TOOK TURNS WALKING THE LINE

WITH THE SCOOP NET AND COLLECTING

THOSE BLUE JEWELS OF THE GULF

IN AN ALUMINUM WASHTUB.”

Chef John D. Folse is an entrepreneur with interests ranging from restaurant development to food manufacturing, catering to culinary education.

Similar recipes can be found in The Encyclopedia of Cajun & Creole Cuisine and Can You Dig It (Chef John Folse & Company).