Top 10 Strange Things Cajuns Eat (You Know You Want Some)

Living in South Louisiana all my life, my diet consists mainly of Cajun cuisine.  I've had the pleasure of enjoying lots of Cajun critters that fly, crawl, and scurry around in the woods and swamplands, and I'm not ashamed to admit it!  So after watching a few episodes on the Food Network and learning how people all over the world eat innards, cooked and raw, I feel no shame at starting this blog.  

I start my countdown with the "least strange" (ha ha) to most strange. 

#10 - Cochon de Lait (literally 'pig in milk')

The process may not be standard in most kitchens, but the outcome is no more than tender, juicy, delicious pulled pork.  Because the pork is slow cooked from 6-12 hours, the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender.  When Cajuns refer to a "Cochon de Lait," they are talking about an EVENT - not just a dish!  It's a time when a large amount of food (the whole pig) is cooked over a looong amount of time, so there is opportunity for lots of story-telling, "male bonding," and for all the side dishes to be prepared. 



#9 - Cracklins

Once again, the porkers provide us nutrition!  Cracklins are simply fried pork skin, seasoned like only Cajuns can do.  Now don't confuse cracklins with the bags of 'fried pork rinds' you find on the same aisle as the potato chips.  (You may as well eat fried potato sticks and call them hash browns).  Real cracklins are MEAT, not chips.  Yeah, we know that frying pork fat is practically suicide, but nonetheless...have you TRIED this stuff?!  There is an awesome link on the process here:  http://www.deltablues.net/cracklin.html




#8 - Boudin (boo-dan)

Now we are getting into the foods that most non-Cajuns would be afraid to try.  But trust me, boudin is harmless.  It's a fantastic mixture of well seasoned meat and rice, packed into thin sausage casings.  After you taste the heavenly blend of seasonings, you won't give a second thought to the fact that the casings are made from pork intestines.  Boudin is not like sausage in that the filling is fairly soft and loose.  It's typically like a dirty rice mixture stuffed into a casing.  Boudin can be made from pork, alligator, crawfish, and I imagine anything Cajuns caught in their traps this morning.

#7 - Alligator Tail
I'm told the only part of an alligator that's edible is the tail.  (The REAL Cajuns MUST have secret recipes for the other parts of the anatomy!)  This is one of those meats that everyone says "tastes like chicken."  I haven't yet tried it, but I plan to.  Alligator can be fried, grilled, stewed...and much more.  There are a ton of alligator recipes here:  http://www.justgamerecipes.com/inxall.html.  You may not be able to purchase alligator in your area YET, but I'm sure with the hit show Swamp People it won't be long before meat from the roving reptiles will arrive on your grocer's shelves.



#6 - Nutria (aka "Swamp Rat")

If Louisiana had a buck for every nutria that roams the swamps, we would be the richest state in the nation.  Nutria are kind of like nasty, uneducated beavers.  Some wise ass imported nutria in the 1930's to Louisiana for the fur.  Now, some 80 years later, nutria are destroying much of our wetlands by chewing and eating away the very vegetation that helps keep Cajuns from drowing.  But I digress.  I personally don't know anyone who has ever tried nutria, but evidently the market is growing.  All I know is my Daddy, who grew up during the Depression, refused to eat nutria.  That's all I need to convince me to stay away from the furry monsters.  P.S.  There are nutria that live in the canal in my subdivision.  Yuck.


#5 - Pickled Pig Lips

I wish I was joking.  I'm as serious as the heart attack you'd get by eating a couple of jars of these.  And to be honest, I'm not sure that this is even on the menu of your basic Cajun family.  I'm thinking more "Creole," but hey, while I'm writing about strange foods...  Poor pigs.  They don't stand a chance here in Louisiana.  And I don't even have bacon on the list.





#4 - Hogshead Cheese (hogs-head-cheese)

This is NOT cheese. Trust me. Once again, the poor pig loses his dignity.  Every "left over" piece of him that hadn't been baked, fried, pickled, or stewed goes into this mysterious concoction.  It's a gelatinous block of....pork stuff.  According to Wikipedia, "A pig's foot provides the gelatin that sets the cheese, and vinegar is typically added to give a sour taste."  Yeah. You go with that.  Personally, I can't stand the thought of bringing anything "gelatinous" to my mouth (except jello, of course).  But my husband absolutely loves eating hogshead cheese with crackers and hot sauce.  What's in it?  Well, as the name suggests....


#3 - Cow Brains

I know, I know. Sounds like something from Bizarre Foods.  It's pretty bizarre to think about eating a cow's brain, but believe me, it's not unique to Cajuns.  Granted, I can't just waltz up to my local supermarket and have a choice of 20 cow brain packs to choose from, but it wouldn't take me long to find it.  My mother occasionally fried up a batch or two of cow brains when I was a child. Hey, anything tastes good when you deep-fry it in a black cast-iron pot! 




#2 - Cow Tongue

And since we're on the subject of cows... What I want to know is who in the hell decided to try this?  And then someone convinced stores to SELL this stuff!  My kids get grossed out when they see this in the meat department.  I have to make them feel very privileged by telling them how lucky they are that they get the *good* part of the cow to eat.  (Yes, my mom cooked this for us, too!)  I hate to admit it, but I think about this dish every time I brush my hair, you know, with my "cow-lick" and all!


#1 - Tripe

No, that's not a type-o.  I tried to find my dear readers a solid definition, but alas, I kept gagging over my mac and was getting nervous that it would eventually be covered in chunks.  The best I can give you is...intestine 'stuff.'  I found lots of photos of what looked like succulent tripe dishes, but I couldn't bear to click on them.  It was too gross, even for this Cajun girl.



I know at this point all my Cajun friends are asking, "WHERE'S THE CRAWFISH???"  Well, Dawlin, crawfish are sooo special that they will get their very own blog! 

If you enjoyed this blog, you might also enjoy reading this one:
http://open.salon.com/blog/trig_palin/2009/06/08/tongues_feet_things_i_dont_eat_fasting_tuesday

Hospice: Preparing for a New Journey

DEATH.  It's not an easy subject to talk about.  It sounds so....final.  But it's not, really.  It is just a transition from one type of life to another.  My Catholic faith tells me that one day, my physical body will stop working for whatever reason, and my soul will leave it.  From there, my soul will begin a journey into an unknown.  It kinda sounds scary, but I know if I love God with all my heart and soul that He will always take care of me.

Would you want to know when you will die?  Why or why not?  Personally, I don't want to know a specific date, but if I had a terminal illness I would want to know.  I would want to prepare my family (tell my husband what outfit to bury me with, which priest needs to do my Mass, secret passwords to my blog, etc.).  But more importantly I would want to prepare my SOUL.

I have had the privilege of helping my parents with both of their journeys.  They died only four months apart.  As excruciating as it was to watch my parents' bodies fail day by day, hour by hour, knowing that their deaths were near, my experience would have been far more difficult had it not been for hospice care.

Before my father was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, I knew very little about hospice.  I knew it had something to do with caring for the sick, but that was about the extent of my knowledge.  The day my father was diagnosed, however, my whole world changed.

Daddy and Mama (my real, biological parents married to each other for 50 years) were very simple people with little formal education.  They grew up living off the land, struggled through the Depression, and lived paycheck to paycheck all their lives.  But they led a full and happy life thanks to the love of family and friends, and God.  It was through my parents that I learned to appreciate the most simple things in life, like rolling through the grass, blowing bubbles in the rain, cooking food grown in your own back yard, and rocking babies.  

The only time my parents ever went to the doctor was when they were extremely ill, and after they tried all of their home remedies.  (Warm honey and lemon for the croup, peppermint extract for stomach ache, Vicsalve -Vics Vapo Rub - on a cotton ball, warmed by the heater and placed in the ear for earache.)  One day the home remedies didn't work.  Daddy's back hurt really bad, and neither Ben Gay, nor Bayer Asprin, nor the heating pad helped.  Evidently it bothered him a lot, so he went to  have it checked out.  Again.  And again.  Once more.  Another test.  Wait.  Another doctor.  Or two.  Or three.  And a hospital visit.  More tests.

Sitting in the waiting room of the hospital, the florescent lights and white tile tried to provide the illusion of a sterile environment, but I knew that the other family members who sat there before me left behind parts of their pain and agony, staining the entire energy of the room.  The radiologist appeared, rushing down the hall to talk to me and my sisters.  But that was his normal speed, so I was not too concerned.  His butt barely hit the chair when he uttered the words I'll never forget:  

"You DO know it's cancer, right?"

No.  I didn't.  

The next steps happened so quickly, like a snowball rolling down a hill, building momentum all the way.  

Cancer.  Mesothelioma.  Caused from asbestos.  Radiology.  Oncology.  Chemo.  Doctors say it won't help.  Stage IV.  Always fatal.  Call hospice.  Six months or less.  Get your affairs in order.  HOSPICE.

I soon learned that Hospice would not only help my father to be as comfortable at home as possible and take care of his medical needs, but it would also provide my family with professionals who could help with counseling and spiritual needs, something we had never thought of.  We were focusing on my father and his pain, yet without taking care of ourselves - physically, emotionally, and spiritually - we could not be at our best to take care of him.  

Hospice was exactly what our family needed.  As one pain medication no longer worked, we called the hospice nurse, even at 3am, and it was taken care of immediately.  When my mother needed help with coping with the fact that her husband of 50 years would soon be gone, the social worker came in.  And at least once a week, the chaplain came in and prayed with all of us.  And after my father passed away, my sisters and I attended a support group for a few months so we could cope with his loss.  

Hospice helped my family in dealing with my father's cancer, pain, and death, which was the most difficult thing I had ever dealt with in my life...until my mother was diagnosed with cancer just two months after my father's death.

Although my mother reacted differently to her illness - both mentally and physically - hospice was there with us every step of the way.  They even arranged for volunteers to come and sit with Mama while we took a break.  They took care of the needs of our entire family - even needs we didn't realize we had - which helped us focus on what really mattered...Mom and Dad.

If you or someone you know have been given a prognosis of 6 months or less, please consider Hospice.  It will help your family make the best of what is usually a gut-wrenching part of life...and death.

Where Do You Stand?

I wrote this post over 2 years ago on another blog site.  After reading it today, I found it worthy of a repost.

If you've spent any time around me, I'm sure you know that I am 100% pro life. I do not condone abortion for any one for any reason, even if it could save the life of a woman. (My "choice," remember?)

Over the past few weeks I've been doing lots of research on both the pro-life and pro-choice issues and I've learned a lot. If only the two sides could listen to each other for a little while, maybe there could be some solutions. But right now both sides seem to be caught up in their own platforms that they can't see the other side of the coin. I'm not saying they should AGREE with the other side, but they should LISTEN.

Maybe I can shed a little light on the subject. I'm a Libra, and we like to weigh both sides, make everybody happy, and avoid conflict. Once again, make no mistake, I AM PRO-LIFE. Let's think OUTSIDE the voting booth for a minute, ok?

First of all, I don't think anybody thinks it is okay to kill babies. And I don't think anybody thinks it is okay to deny women of their rights. That being said....

What are some reasons that women may want an abortion? In my brainstorm I came up with a few:

1. Teens - my parents will be very upset with me; my boyfriend will leave me
2. Students - (College or high school) - will interrupt my studies
3. Unmarried - will complicate my life; no spouse/no support; I like the party lifestyle
4. Finances - I can't afford to have a baby or provide for it
5. Rape - I hate the father; baby conceived of rape
6. Disease - I have a terminal disease and it will take too much of a toll on my body
7. Handicapped - my baby will be mentally/physically handicapped and I can't deal with that; I already have a handicapped child and can't take away time or resources from him/her
8. Adoption - I don't want to give my baby to a stranger
9. Age - I am too old to start over raising a baby
10. Family Size - I already have as many kids as I can handle
11. Career - a baby would prevent me from achieving my career goals I've worked so hard to achieve
12. Small House - Our family barely has enough room in our little house/apartment/trailer; we can't afford to build another room for another child
13. Health - I am too sick to carry a baby; I need to take medication but cant' do it during a pregnancy; I am a diabetic; I have cancer; I am on kidney dialysis

 

I would not want to be faced with any of the above situations. I'm sure many women have been faced with these issues and have found it very difficult, no matter what choice they may have made. It tears her up on the inside to feel that she has to "choose" between aborting a baby or one of the above alternatives.

If I had cancer and found out I was pregnant, I would have to decide whether to save my own life with chemo (and possibly cause a miscarriage), or have an abortion so that I could be treated with chemo. Either way, lives are in danger. What a gut-wrenching situation to be in, one that requires lots and lots of prayer.

Now let me turn the coin around.

Pro-Life advocates are generally Christians, which means they believe in Christ. Christ teaches us that we should help "the least of these," which, in some cases, may be the pregnant women whose babies are in danger of abortion. Perhaps we as Christians should spend some time thinking more about the women in these horrible situations and reaching out to them. Then maybe they would see that there are always alternatives to abortions. Instead of condemning women for their difficult choice, let's reach out to them and see what needs they have. If we are trying to get women to STOP having abortions, we won't be able to do it by putting them in a negative spotlight. After all, abortion is legal and many see nothing wrong with it.

As a matter of fact, our media does a great job of showing the world only a select few things about abortion - you know, only the stuff "they" want you to see, whoever "they" are.  It's far to controversial to show a surgical tray with tiny bits and pieces of an aborted baby's body parts, all laid out in order, just so the abortionist can make sure that all the "parts" were removed.  We never see the intact aborted babies whose skin has been burned with chemicals.  And we never, never hear from the women who have had abortions and experience grief and horror for the rest of their lives.

Until the pro-choicers and pro-lifers can come together civilly and really LISTEN to each other, the debate will remain, simply for the sake of debate.  I'm not debating. I'm flat out saying ABORTIONS KILL BABIES.  That being said,  I'd like to do something more than just state my opinion.  Maybe, just maybe, I can at least make some people THINK about the issue.

Whether they need medical care, counseling, parenting classes, job placement, education, YOU NAME IT, there is an agency that will help them. Some agencies include:

Option Line 1-800-395-HELP
Birthright 1-800-550-4900
National Life Center 1-800-848-LOVE
Bethany Christian Servies 1-800-BETHANY
Several Sources Foundation 1-800-662-2678
Crisis Pregnancy Helpline 1-888-4-OPTIONS
Abortion Recovery Help 1-877-HOPE-4-ME

If you or someone you know is contemplating abortion, I urge you/them to call one of the above agencies before making a final decision. There are always alternatives.

Many pro-choicers get very angry when pro-lifers try to convince a pregnant woman to NOT have an abortion. They say pro-lifers are taking away a woman's choice. Well, I'm a woman. What if my 'CHOICE' is to carry my baby? Than it is the pro-choicers who are taking away my choice. What are they afraid of? If you truly mean what you say and want women to be able to choose, than you have to give them more than one choice. You can't show them just one side of abortion.

Women need to know ALL the facts of abortion, including the risks and side effects, before they make their decision. What's the worst that could happen if they decide against abortion? They could decide to GIVE BIRTH. And what is the horror in that?

I pray daily for an end to abortion and that God use me as He sees fit to work for His greater glory.