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64-585: The founder Kathe Hambrick created the African American Museum to celebrate the culture and contributions of African Americans in Louisiana, and to provide a more accurate historic account. Hambrick began to work on the museum in 1991. Returning to Ascension Parish after years away, she noted that despite the tens of thousands of visitors that area plantations received, few were able to learn anything about

128-551: A herbes de Provence would be several sweet herbs tied up in a muslin . Boudin —a type of sausage made from pork, pork liver, rice, garlic, green onions and other spices. It is widely available by the link or pound from butcher shops. Boudin is typically stuffed in a natural casing and has a softer consistency than other, better-known sausage varieties. It is usually served with side dishes such as rice dressing, maque choux or bread. Boudin balls are commonly served in southern Louisiana restaurants and are made by taking

192-467: A microwave oven for a hands-off method. If the roux is for immediate use, the "trinity" may be sauteed in it, which stops the cooking process. A classic gumbo is made with chicken and andouille , especially in the colder months, but the ingredients vary according to what is available. Seafood gumbos are also very popular in Cajun country. Jambalaya —The only certain thing that can be said about jambalaya

256-417: A roux made of wheat flour cooked and slowly stirred with a fat such as oil, butter or lard, known especially as the base for étouffée , gumbo and sauce piquante. Cajun cooks in south Louisiana historically have cooked meals in single pots, and still cook meats by braising . Almost all Cajun households had gardens up until the latter years of the 20th century, and lifted regional culinary standards by adding

320-525: A Cajun-style "brown" jambalaya which draws its color and flavor from browned meat and caramelized onions. Historically, tomatoes were not as widely available in Acadiana as the area around New Orleans, but in modern times, both styles are popular across the state. Brown is the style served at the annual World Jambalaya Festival in Gonzales . Rice and gravy — Rice and gravy dishes are a staple of Cajun cuisine and

384-546: A Democratic businessman from Gonzales, faced indictment in an attempted bribery scheme. The pair is charged with encouraging a candidate to withdraw from a local election on November 8, 2016. The grand jury released its true bill to Judge Tess Stromberg of the 23rd Judicial District Court in Ascension, Assumption , and St. James parishes. Among those who testified in the case were Democratic Gonzales City Council member Neal Bourqueat. Matassa and Berthelot allegedly bribed

448-672: A distinction between filé gumbo and okra gumbo is still held by some, many people enjoy putting filé in okra gumbo simply as a flavoring. Regardless of which is the dominant thickener, filé is also provided at the table and added to taste. Many claim that gumbo is a Cajun dish, but gumbo was established long before the Acadian arrival. Its early existence came via the early French Creole culture in New Orleans, Louisiana, where French, Spanish and Africans frequented and also influenced by later waves of Italian, German and Irish settlers. The backbone of

512-444: A farmer. Traditionally, a suckling pig was purchased for the event, but in modern cochon de laits , adult pigs are used. Unlike the family boucherie , a hog is not butchered by the hosts and there are generally not as many guests or activities. The host and male guests have the task of roasting the pig (see pig roast ) while female guests bring side dishes. The traditional Cajun Mardi Gras (see: Courir de Mardi Gras )

576-628: A grocery store rather than baking their own. According to Gutierrez, when the economy of southern Louisiana boomed with the expansion of oil industry operations in the 1970s, Cajuns gained a renewed pride in their ethnicity. Only those Cajuns who live near the coast are able to regularly harvest seafood such as crabs, oysters, shrimp, and saltwater fish directly from their habitats. Shrimping, crabbing, fishing, frog-gigging, and gardening have been practiced in Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes as subsistence and commercial pursuits for many generations. Before

640-409: A gumbo is roux, as described above. Cajun gumbo typically favors darker roux, often approaching the color of chocolate or coffee beans. Since the starches in the flour break down more with longer cooking time, a dark roux has less thickening power than a lighter one. While the stovetop method is traditional, flour may also be dry-toasted in an oven for a fat-free roux, or a regular roux may be prepared in

704-437: A population of 2,219; since then, its population has steadily increased despite some decades of population decline. In 1900, the parish's population reached a first historic high of 24,142 before increasing again to 58,214 at the 1990 U.S. census . At the 2010 census , Ascension Parish's population grew to 107,215; and at the 2020 United States census , there were 126,500 people, 44,267 households, and 32,305 families residing in

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768-620: A strong association with black history. In 1868 the city had elected Pierre Caliste Landry , an attorney and Methodist minister, as the first African-American mayor in the United States. Numerous slaves had escaped there to Union lines, and some fought with Union soldiers in the 1863 defense of Fort Butler . It is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places . After the war, freedmen left rural areas for Donaldsonville to gather in community and establish trades and businesses; it had

832-400: A unit of the 769th Engineer Battalion and the 225th Engineer Brigade . The 1021st Vertical Engineer Company also resides in Gonzales, Louisiana . 30°12′N 90°55′W  /  30.20°N 90.91°W  / 30.20; -90.91 Cajun cuisine#Family Boucherie Cajun cuisine (French: cuisine cadienne [kɥi.zin ka.dʒɛn] , Spanish: cocina cadiense )

896-405: A variety of dishes. The aromatic vegetables green bell pepper ( piment doux ), onion, and celery are called " the trinity " by chefs in Cajun and Louisiana Creole cuisines . Roughly diced and combined in cooking, the method is similar to the use of the mirepoix in traditional French cuisine which blends roughly diced carrot, onion, and celery. Additional characteristic aromatics for both

960-509: Is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana . As of the 2020 census , the population was 126,500. Its parish seat is Donaldsonville . The parish was created in 1807. Ascension Parish is part of the Baton Rouge metropolitan statistical area . Ascension Parish is one of the 22 parishes that make up Acadiana , the heartland of the Cajun people and their culture. This is exhibited by

1024-584: Is a Mardi Gras celebration in rural Cajun Parishes. The tradition originated in the 18th century with the Cajuns of Louisiana, but it was abandoned in the early 20th century because of unwelcome violence associated with the event. In the early 1950s the tradition was revived in Mamou in Evangeline Parish . The event revolves around male maskers on horseback who ride into the countryside to collect food ingredients for

1088-464: Is a bi-weekly newspaper formed after the merger of The Gonzales Weekly (founded 1920) and The Ascension Citizen (founded 1996). The Donaldsonville Chief , founded in 1871, is the parish's longest-continually-published newspaper. On March 8, 2017, Ascension Parish President Kenneth Paul "Kenny" Matassa (born September 12, 1949), a Republican, along with Olin Glenn Berthelot (born August 1948),

1152-641: Is a celebratory event where Cajuns boil crawfish, potatoes, onions and corn in large pots over propane cookers. Lemons and small muslin bags containing a mixture of bay leaves, mustard seeds, cayenne pepper, and other spices, commonly known as "crab boil" or "crawfish boil" are added to the water for seasoning. The results are then dumped onto large, newspaper-draped tables and in some areas covered in Creole/Cajun spice blends, such as REX, Zatarain's , Louisiana Fish Fry, or Tony Chachere's. Also, cocktail sauce , mayonnaise, and hot sauce are sometimes used. The seafood

1216-595: Is a partial list of ingredients used in Cajun cuisine and some of the staple ingredients of the Acadian food culture. Cajun foodways include many ways of preserving meat, some of which are waning due to the availability of refrigeration and mass-produced meat at the grocer. Smoking of meats remains a fairly common practice, but once-common preparations such as turkey or duck confit (preserved in poultry fat, with spices) are now seen even by Acadians as quaint rarities. Game (and hunting) are still uniformly popular in Acadiana. The recent increase of catfish farming in

1280-534: Is a subset of Louisiana cooking developed by the Cajuns , itself a Louisianan development incorporating elements of Native American , West African , French , and Spanish cuisine. Cajun cuisine is often referred to as a "rustic" cuisine, meaning that it is based on locally available ingredients and that preparation is simple. Cajuns historically cooked their dishes, gumbo for example, in one pot. Crawfish , shrimp , and andouille sausage are staple meats used in

1344-628: Is distinct from the urban Creole cuisine , having arisen by economic necessity among the Acadian immmigrants who came to Louisiana in the 18th century. These settlers lived off the land and survived on foods they could obtain by hunting, fishing, ranching, foraging, or growing crops. Although there is a large variety of dishes within the regions that make up Cajun country in Louisiana, rural Cajuns generally prefer strong dark roast coffee, highly seasoned foods, hot peppers, vegetables smothered in brown gravy, and one-pot dishes served with rice. Each region has its own specialties, such as andouille sausage on

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1408-614: Is exemplified in the classic Cajun dish " gumbo ", which is named for its principal ingredient ( okra ) using the West African name for that very ingredient: "gumbo," in West Africa, means "okra". In Louisiana, the Acadian settlers replaced the whole wheat bread they were accustomed to with cornbread , which by the beginning of the 19th century they were eating with cane syrup . Between 1790 and 1810 most Louisiana Acadians bought one to three enslaved black persons, many of whom who had come from

1472-401: Is scooped onto large trays or plates and eaten by hand. During times when crawfish are not abundant, shrimp and crabs are prepared and served in the same manner. Attendees are encouraged to "suck the head" of a crawfish by separating the head from the abdomen of the crustacean and sucking out the fat and juices from the head. Often, newcomers to the crawfish boil or those unfamiliar with

1536-481: Is that it contains rice, some sort of meat (often chicken, ham, sausage, or a combination), seafood (such as shrimp or crawfish), plus other items that may be available. Usually, it will include green peppers, onions, celery, tomatoes and hot chili peppers. This is also a great pre-Acadian dish, established by the Spanish in Louisiana. Jambalaya may be a tomato-rich New Orleans-style "red" jambalaya of Spanish Creole roots, or

1600-708: Is the dominant religion for the parish. According to the Association of Religion Data Archives in 2020, the Roman Catholic Church was the single-largest Christian denomination for the parish, served primarily by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge . The overall Catholic population in Ascension Parish was 39,260 in 2020. Non-denominational or inter-denominational Christian churches—whether independent Bible churches , United and Uniting , etc.—were

1664-605: Is today Eastern Canada. In the mid-18th century, they were deported from Acadia by the British during the French and Indian War in what they termed le Grand Dérangement , and many of them ended up settling in southern Louisiana. Due to the extreme change in climate from that of Acadia, Acadians were unable to cook their original dishes. Soon, their former culinary traditions were adapted and, in time, incorporated not only Native American traditions, but also African-American traditions—as

1728-449: Is used as is traditional throughout the US, although seasoned differently. Dairy farming is not as prevalent as in the past, but there are still some farms in the business. There are no unique dairy items prepared in Cajun cuisine. Traditional Cajun and New Orleans Creole-influenced desserts are common. Thyme, sage, mint, marjoram, savory, and basil are considered sweet herbs. In colonial times

1792-543: Is usually a brown gravy based on pan drippings, which are deglazed and simmered with extra seasonings and served over steamed or boiled rice. The dish is traditionally made from cheaper cuts of meat and cooked in a cast-iron pot , typically for an extended time period to let the tough cuts of meat become tender. Beef, pork, chicken or any of a large variety of game meats are used for its preparation. Popular local varieties include hamburger steak , smothered rabbit, turkey necks, and chicken fricassee . The crawfish boil

1856-570: The Bantu words for okra, while John Laudon of the University of Louisiana says the word gombo is a French word that came to the Western Hemisphere from West Africa, where okra was known as (ki) ngombo along much of the region's coast. Both filé and okra can be used as thickening agents in gumbo. Historically, large amounts of filé were added directly to the pot when okra was out of season. While

1920-530: The Creole and Cajun versions may include parsley , bay leaf , thyme , green onions , ground cayenne pepper , and ground black pepper . Cayenne and Louisiana-style hot sauce are the primary sources of spice in Cajun cuisine, which usually tends towards a moderate, well-balanced heat, despite the national "Cajun hot" craze of the 1980s and 1990s. The Acadians were a group of French colonists who lived in Acadia, what

1984-586: The Iberian Peninsula were adopted in the Acadian cuisine. With the cross-cultural borrowing that took place between them and their neighbors in southern Louisiana, Acadians were eating African okra and American Indian corn by the time of the Louisiana Purchase (1803) in such dishes as gumbo , pain de maïs , and soupe de maïs , which did not closely resemble the African and Indian versions. The following

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2048-477: The Mississippi Delta has brought about an increase in its usage in Cajun cuisine in place of the more traditional wild-caught speckled trout . Beef and dairy Though parts of Acadiana are well suited to cattle or dairy farming , beef is not often used in a pre-processed or uniquely Cajun form. It is usually prepared fairly simply as chops, stews, or steaks, taking a cue from Texas to the west. Ground beef

2112-471: The boudin out of the case and frying it in spherical form. Gumbo —High on the list of favorites of Cajun cooking are the soups called gumbos . Contrary to non-Cajun or Continental beliefs, gumbo does not mean simply "everything in the pot". Gumbo exemplifies the influence of French, Spanish, African and Native American food cultures on Cajun cuisine. The origins of the word gumbo are in West Africa. Kellersberger Vass lists kingumbo and tshingombo as

2176-472: The Bayou country in southeastern Louisiana overlap in the lower and middle Bayou Teche region. The complicated network of lakes, streams, bayous, and the flood plains with their rich soil characterize the terrain of Iberia , St. Martin , and St. Mary parishes. The traditional cuisine uses those resources available in the area: pork from hog farms on the plains and seafood from the lowlands. Seasoning practices in

2240-518: The Democrat A. Wayne Lawson with offers of money and a government job to drop out of the city council race in Division E against Bourque, who nevertheless won reelection with 61 percent of the ballots cast. Matassa and Berthelot turned themselves in to authorities and posted a $ 5,000 bond. Reports, meanwhile, surfaced of a move before the parish council calling for Matassa to resign. He cannot be forced from

2304-458: The Galvez-St. Amant area, prompting a visit to St. Amant by then-presidential candidate, Donald J. Trump . According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the parish has a total area of 303 square miles (780 km ), of which 290 square miles (750 km ) is land and 13 square miles (34 km ) (4.2%) is water. It is the fourth-smallest parish in Louisiana by total area. In 1810, the parish had

2368-560: The Teche country occupy a middle place between the salt and black pepper-based approach to spices in the Bayou country and the prevalent use of cayenne pepper in the Cajun prairies. People along the lower and middle Teche use cayenne more often than in the Laforche area. Hot pepper sauce has a more dominant role in the Teche country cuisine than in other Cajun regions. In the upper Teche region, wild game, freshwater fish, and pork are important in

2432-544: The West Indies, from whom they learned the use of new ingredients, including okra, to incorporate in their cuisine. The ragu sauces that the Cajuns developed are very similar to sauces used in French West Africa, possibly introduced by enslaved cooks. Many other meals developed along these lines, adapted in no small part from Haiti, to become what is now considered classic Cajun cuisine traditions (not to be confused with

2496-470: The area that was developed as Ascension and Gonzales were, for the most part, of French and Spanish ancestry. They settled among the Houma Indians who lived in the area. Among the projects and plans carried out by Luis de Unzaga 'le Conciliateur' while he was governor of Louisiana between 1769 and 1777 was the promotion of new settlements by Europeans, among them were French Acadians and Malaga in

2560-752: The area. Another exhibit was about the free people of color in the parish, developed from census and town records. The museum has a strong collection of artifacts and memorabilia from plantations along the River Road from New Orleans ; some donated by the plantations; other material donated by individuals from their own families. It also hosts traveling exhibits from other venues, frequent educational programs and workshops in culture. 30°6′4.9″N 90°59′24.4″W  /  30.101361°N 90.990111°W  / 30.101361; -90.990111 Ascension Parish Ascension Parish ( French : Paroisse de l'Ascension ; Spanish : Parroquia de la Ascensión )

2624-537: The contributions of Africans and African Americans, whether slave or free. As late as the 1990s, after academic historians had been writing for more than a generation about black history and social histories, few of the plantations provided the histories of African Americans in the region, either before or after the Civil War. People of African descent had a 300-year history in the region and had contributed significantly to its economy and culture. In addition, many worked on

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2688-409: The farmer gather to socialize, play games, dance, drink, and have a copious meal consisting of hog and other dishes. Men have the task of slaughtering a hog, cutting it into usable parts, and cooking the main pork dishes while women have the task of making boudin . Similar to a family boucherie , the cochon de lait is a food event that revolves around pork but does not need to be hosted by

2752-576: The fertile Mississippi region and more specifically in the Unzaga Post or 'Puesto de Unzaga' that he created in 1771 in Pointe Coupee , the parish of Saint Gabriel in 1773 and Fort Manchac in 1776; the Ascension people occupied land at the confluence of the aforementioned European settlements. During the historic 2016 Louisiana Floods , around one-third of all homes in Ascension Parish were flooded; 15,000 homes and businesses took on water, mostly in

2816-480: The fresh vegetables they grew to their dishes. There was continuity in cuisines between the southern Bayou Teche area and the northern boundary of Cajun country in Avoyelles Parish . Fresh sausage, pork, and the use of salt and pepper as the main seasonings were universal in the region's foodway traditions, north and south. The role of seafood in the cuisine of the southern parishes distinguished it from that of

2880-415: The introduction of modern transportation and refrigeration, Cajuns who lived in the southwestern prairie parishes away from the coast had little opportunity to incorporate seafood into their diets. Today, fresh seafood is available all across Acadiana, so that now it is regarded as a regional food rather than one available only to coastal residents. The cooking traditions of the western prairies and those of

2944-470: The local diet, with rabbit, duck, and venison being eaten more often than among their neighbors to southward. Avoyelles Parish , along the northern edge of Cajun country where cultural influences converge, shares some of these dietary features, although local cooking traditions are somewhat different than in the Teche country. Natives of the parish make fresh sausage, but cling to certain European customs, notably

3008-401: The more modern concept associated with Prudhomme 's style). Up through the 20th century, the meals were not elaborate but instead, rather basic. The public's false perception of "Cajun" cuisine was based on Prudhomme's style of Cajun cooking, which was spicy, flavorful, and not true to the classic form of the cuisine. Cajun and Creole cuisine have mistakenly been considered the same, but

3072-451: The office, however, unless convicted of the crime. Matassa and Berthelot could have received up to two years in state prison either with or without hard time and/or a fine of $ 2,000. Matassa was instead acquitted in July 2018 of the election bribery allegations and returned to his duties as parish president with a legal cloud lifted from his shoulders. The 922nd Engineer Company (Horizontal),

3136-452: The original settlers. According to political scientist Kevin V. Mulcahy writing on cultural identity, Cajun cuisine today is different from that of the 19th and early 20th centuries, but still defines Cajun culture for many people within and outside Acadiana. Its heritage reflects French, Spanish, American Indian, German, and Afro-Caribbean influences. Cajun food is the result of this assimilation or "cultural blending". Rural Cajun cuisine

3200-405: The origins of Creole cooking are in New Orleans, and Cajun cooking arose 40 years after its establishment. Today, most restaurants serve dishes that consist of Cajun styles, which Paul Prudhomme dubbed "Louisiana cooking". In Cajun home-cooking, these individual styles are still kept separate. However, there are fewer and fewer people cooking the classic Cajun dishes that would have been eaten by

3264-475: The parish. Having historic settlement by French and Spanish colonials during the periods of French and Spanish Louisiana , Ascension Parish's racial and ethnic composition has remained predominantly non-Hispanic white throughout a portion of its history. With the greater diversification of the United States at the 2020 census, non-Hispanic white residents were 62.96% of the total population. Black or African American Louisianians and others made up 23.95% of

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3328-438: The party later on. They entertain householders with Cajun music, dancing, and festive antics in return for the ingredients. The preferred ingredient is fresh chicken: the householder throws a live chicken to the maskers, allowing them to chase it down (symbolizing a hunt); other ingredients include rice, sausage, vegetables, or a frozen chicken if a live one is not available. Unlike other Cajun events, men take no part in cooking

3392-500: The plantations that had continued to operate into the 20th century. Hambrick originally established the museum in 1994 at notable Tezcuco Plantation. After it suffered a damaging fire in 2002, the plantation owners decided against rebuilding, and Hambrick had to find a new plantation house . She relocated the River Road African American Museum to Donaldsonville, about 70 miles from New Orleans . The city has had

3456-592: The population, followed by Hispanics or Latinos of any race (8.21%), Asians (1.33%), multiracial Americans (3.32%), Native Americans (0.21%), and Pacific Islanders (0.03%). Among its residents at the 2021 American Community Survey 's 1-year estimates program, households had a median income of $ 72,662 and mean income of $ 92,143. Families had a median income of $ 85,632; married-couple families $ 111,445; and non-family households $ 32,498. Overall, residents of Ascension Parish are wealthier than nearby East Baton Rouge Parish . Religiously and spiritually, Christianity

3520-403: The prairies, where more wild game was consumed instead. Anthropologist Charlotte Paige Gutierrez has written extensively on Louisiana's traditional foodways . She writes: "The term foodways, as it is now used by writers in various disciplines, has a broad definition. The study of foodways may include the production, distribution, preparation, preservation, serving, and eating of food, as well as

3584-1025: The preparation of cochon de lait róti , or roasted suckling pig. After the young pigs are slaughtered , they are suspended vertically by a rope tied to a tree limb and hang over a hardwood fire. For even cooking of the pig, it is rotated with a stick. Halfway through the roasting, the carcass is turned end for end to assure even heating of the meat. Local cooks have constructed improvised rotisseries, some fitting theirs with small motors for mechanized rotation. The upper prairie, historically an area of small farms, ranches, and rice fields, has its own distinctive cuisine, well known for its smoked meats and boudin blanc , white sausage made of pork, rice, and seasonings. Local hardwoods such as oak, pecan, and hickory are used to smoke sausages and tasso. Smoked meats are comparatively rare, however, in other Cajun communities. Deep frying of turkeys or oven-roasted turduckens entered southern Louisiana cuisine more recently. Also, blackening of fish or chicken and barbecuing of shrimp in

3648-635: The prevalence of the French or Cajun French language heard throughout the parish, as well as the many festivals celebrated by its residents, including the Boucherie Festival, Lagniappe Music and Seafood Festival, Crawfish Festival, and the Jambalaya Festival. The largest incorporated city in Ascension Parish, Gonzales , is celebrated as the "Jambalaya Capital of the World". Early European settlers of

3712-473: The second largest Christian group in the parish with 9,430 members. Collectively, Baptists throughout the Southern Baptist Convention , Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship , and National Baptist Convention of America made up 5,043 religious adherents. Parish-wide Protestant statistics reflect an increase in non- or inter-denominational Christianity throughout Louisiana, outgrowing Methodism as

3776-650: The second-largest Protestant group for the state per the Association of Religion Data Archives 2020 religion census; the growth of non/inter-denominational Christianity for the area represented a broader trend nationwide, where the movement began to constitute the largest segment of American Protestantism. Ascension Parish School Board operates the local public schools. The parish is also home to private schools and—since 1998, to River Parishes Community College . Two newspapers are based in Ascension Parish's two cities, Donaldsonville and Gonzales. The Gonzales Weekly Citizen

3840-408: The shell are excluded because they were not prepared in traditional Cajun cuisine. Blackening was actually an invention by chef Paul Prudhomme in the 1970s, becoming associated with Cajun cooking, and presented as such by him, but is not a true historical or traditional Cajun cooking process. In the late 18th century, about the same time that Acadian musicians embraced the Spanish guitar, spices from

3904-530: The social, symbolic, psychological, and behavioral aspects of food." Modern conveniences influenced Louisiana's culinary traditions: with the introduction of electricity and refrigerators, consuming freshly butchered meat immediately was not imperative as in the past, thus community events such as hog-killings ( boucheries ) occurred less frequently. Improved transportation and increased incomes made food stores more accessible and buying produce became more affordable for working families. Cajuns now bought their bread at

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3968-559: The third-largest black population of any city in the state. Hambrick was able to relocate buildings to the site which have historic significance in area history: the first black elementary school in Ascension Parish, the meeting house of an early African-American insurance agency, and the African Plantation house, owned by the first African-American doctor in the parish. The museum has developed exhibits about black inventors , jazz musicians, and community and political leaders from

4032-412: The traditions are jokingly warned "not to eat the dead ones." This comes from the common belief that when live crawfish are boiled, their tails curl beneath themselves, but when dead crawfish are boiled, their tails are straight and limp. Seafood boils with crabs and shrimp are also popular. The traditional Cajun outdoor food event is hosted by a farmer in the rural areas of Acadiana. Family and friends of

4096-707: The west bank of the Mississippi River above New Orleans, formerly known as the German Coast ; barbecued shrimp in Terrebonne Parish ; tasso ham made from hog's shoulder in the area around Opelousas ; and crawfish all across the parishes of southern Louisiana, where they are abundant in the fresh water wetlands and waterways. Many Cajun recipes are based on rice and the "holy trinity" of onions, celery, and green pepper, and use locally caught shell fish such as shrimp and crawfish. Much of Cajun cookery starts with

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