In every Louisiana cook’s kitchen ...
It was always there. Woven into the fabric of almost every cooking memory, every kitchen, of my Louisiana childhood. There, along with the cast-iron pot, aluminum Magnalites and Chime-O-Matic rice cooker. Its mischievous plastic teeth underbiting the worn-out spiral binding, tattered yellow tabs frayed and curled, stamped with grease stains and reinforced with rubber bands. Four hundred fifty pages of green-inked recipes by the women whose footsteps paced the linoleum floors of the kitchens before us.
“Talk About Good!” was originally published in the summer of 1967 by the Junior League of Lafayette, La., as a community fundraiser.
Fifty years, 30 editions and about 800,000 copies later, the book’s yellow- and white-striped cover occupies kitchen shelves across the region known as Acadiana — and far beyond its borders.
The story of a community cookbook is the story of a community. Steeped in the tradition of hospitality and blessed with an abundance of natural culinary resources — Gulf seafood, long-grain rice and sugar cane, to name a few — Cajun country sustains one of the richest and most popular food cultures around. You may not be able to pronounce étoufée, but you probably know you want some.
The roots of “Talk About Good!” are remarkably simple. Women in the organization culled their family and friends’ recipe boxes and each submitted a handful of handwritten recipes, which, as the oral history goes, were never tested and throughout all 30 printings have never been edited.
Along with three other Cajun cookbooks the group publishes, “Talk About Good!” has raised upward of $1.2 million for “projects to promote the positive and healthy development of the families of the Lafayette community.” The chapter’s unrelenting focus on community service fundraising is evident, even in the way it’s choosing to mark the cookbook’s anniversary. Instead of fanfare, the Junior League of Lafayette has focused its efforts on offering an upgraded version of the book
with a more durable concealed wire binding and commemorative $19.67 price tag.
“If you look back, there were thousands of community cookbooks like this published, but there are only a few that have kept on and on,” said Alison Kelly, a research specialist at the Library of Congress. “It confirms a lot of things we know about food traditions in Louisiana.”
Even the name, “Talk About Good!,” is a Cajun phrase, which evolved as a literal translation of the Cajun French expression “parles de bon.” The book itself houses 1,200 authentic Cajun recipes — from court bouillon and crawfish pie to stuffed mirlitons and maque choux — some with a touch of late-’60s flair. The sparse pen-and-ink illustrations, created by one of the original cookbook committee members Jane Flores, pay tribute to the region’s unofficial icons: mossy live oaks, oil rigs, carnival masks and humble coffee pots.
“I think it’s a wonderful way to honor our mothers and grandmothers and keep our heritage and tradition alive,” said former cookbook chairwoman Carolyn Fontenot. “It was such a staple for any new bride. When women passed away, the daughter would take the cookbook. They would never throw away the original.”
My mom’s edition, still in heavy rotation, lost its cover, introduction and table of contents a long time ago. It begins abruptly — but festively — with the “Mardi Gras” section. It’s the book she and my dad turned to for Sunday dinners of rice and gravy and special-occasion breakfasts of egg casseroles and flour-dusted biscuits.
My copy was given to me by my husband’s grandmother and my mother-in-law (whose own mother-in-law happens to be the author of “Congealed Asparagus Salad” on page 95). Members of his family wrote cooking tips in the margins as a special wedding gift. His grandmother passed away this year, and the curve of her handwritten “I love you” next to each piece of advice takes on an even deeper meaning.
I don’t cook out of it as much as I aspire to, but it became my security blanket the decade I spent outside the arms of the South. Faced with blustery nor’easters and Midwestern ice storms, I instinctively turned to the gumbo recipe on page 59, whispering the method like a prayer as the sweet incense of chopped onions, celery and bell peppers rose to the heavens. “A heavy pot is a must to make a pretty roux. The heavier the pot, the easier your job will be … .” 6 to 12 servings (makes dough for 2 double-crust pies and enough filling for 2 pies)
This recipe comes highly recommended. It does take a bit of time, so be patient. The filling can be served over rice if desired.
Make ahead: The dough needs to rest at room temperature for a total of 1½ hours.
Adapted from a recipe by Mrs. Carmen Montegut in “Talk About Good!” by the Junior League of Lafayette, La. (Favorite Recipes Press, 1969). Ingredients 4 cups sifted flour, plus more for
rolling
2 teaspoons salt
4 heaping tablespoons vegetable
shortening, plus more as needed 1L cups cold water, or more as
needed 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted
butter, cut into pieces
½ cup flour
2 cloves garlic
1 medium onion, cut into small dice 2 bunches scallions, chopped (white and light-green parts, reserve and chop dark-green parts)
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut
into small dice
1 cup diced celery
3 tablespoons tomato sauce
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper Ground cayenne pepper
3 cups water, or more as needed 3 pounds cooked, frozen/defrosted
crawfish tails
2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with just enough water to form a creamy consistency (slurry; optional) 1 bunch parsley, chopped Directions
Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Use a pastry cutter or two forks to cut in the 4 tablespoons of shortening. Gradually add the water to form a dough that holds together.
Flour a work surface. Roll out the dough there into a large rectangle. Coat lightly with shortening, then sift a light dusting of flour over the shortening. Fold in the sides, one and then the other so that they touch each other at the center. Grease the new surfaces lightly with shortening and dust with sifted flour. Cover loosely and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Roll out, fold, grease and dust with sifted flour two more times, with 30minute rests in between each one. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions; wrap and freeze half of them. You’ll need two portions of dough for this pie.
Roll out 1 portion of dough to an 11inch round, on the flour-dusted surface, then gently transfer it to a 9-inch pie plate and fit it in all the way around, crimping the edge decoratively. The crust can be wrapped and refrigerated until ready to use (up to 1 day in advance). Wrap and refrigerate the remaining portion of dough.
Melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Stir in the flour; cook long enough for it to lightly brown (this is a roux).
Add the garlic, onion, chopped scallions, green bell pepper, celery and tomato sauce. Season well with salt, black pepper and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Cover and cook for about 1 hour, stirring frequently to keep the vegetables from sticking.
Add the water and cook, uncovered, for several hours. If the mixture thickens too much, add more water; it should be creamy and thick. Stir in the crawfish tails; cook for 5 minutes, or just until tails are tender.
If mixture becomes thin, thicken it by stirring in the cornstarch slurry, if using, and cook for a few extra minutes. Add the chopped, dark-green scallion tops and the parsley. Taste and season with more salt and/or black pepper, as needed. Let cool for a bit. Reserve half the filling for another use.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use a fork to dock several holes in the bottom pie dough crust. Flour the work surface again, as needed, and roll out the other portion of dough to an 11-inch round.
Pour the remaining filling into bottom crust. Cover with the rolledout top crust, crimping the edges to seal in a decorative fashion. Cut slits in the top crust. Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake (middle rack) for about 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 300 degrees; bake for 15 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Nutrition | Per serving (based on 6, using half the dough and half the filling’): 440 calories, 22 g protein, 39 g carbohydrates, 21 g fat, 11 g saturated fat, 160 mg cholesterol, 550 mg sodium, 2 g dietary fiber, 1 g sugar 32 sticks
Adapted from a recipe in “Talk About Good!” by the Junior League of Lafayette, La. (Favorite Recipes Press, 1969). Ingredients
5 tablespoons ( L cup) unsalted butter 2¼ cups sifted flour, plus more for the
work surface
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder (note:
adjusted for altitude)
1½ teaspoons salt
1 cup whole milk Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the butter in 9-by-13-inch baking dish; let it melt in the oven, then remove from the oven.
Meanwhile, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl, then add the milk. Stir slowly with a fork until the dough just clings together.
Generously flour a work surface. Transfer the dough there, and dust lightly with flour on both sides. Gently knead about 10 times, then roll out to an 8-by-12-inch rectangle that’s about ½ inch thick. Cut the dough in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 16 equal strips.
Working with one strip at a time, use both hands to pick it up and dip it into the melted butter in the pan, coating both sides. Arrange all the strips close together in the pan as you go. Bake (middle rack) for 20 to 22 minutes, until golden brown. Serve hot.
VARIATIONS: Add ½ cup grated sharp American cheese to the dry ingredients. Add half a clove’s worth of finely minced garlic to the butter before it melts in the oven. Sprinkle sweet paprika, celery seed or garlic salt over the butter dips before baking. Add ½ cup minced chives or parsley to flour mixture.
Nutrition | Per piece: 50 calories, 1 g protein, 7 g carbohydrates, 2 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 115 mg sodium, 0 g dietary fiber, 0 g sugar 8 servings (about 8 cups)
Adapted from a recipe by Mrs. P.J. Blanchet Jr. in “Talk About Good!” by the Junior League of Lafayette, La. (Favorite Recipes Press, 1969). Ingredients
8 ears corn, shucked
½ cup rendered bacon fat ½ medium white onion, chopped ¼ cup red bell pepper, chopped ½ cup peeled, chopped tomato 1 teaspoon sugar
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper Directions
Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut off the corn kernels inside a large mixing bowl, then use the blunt side of the blade to scrape each cleaned cob, letting their milky liquid drip into the bowl as well.
Heat the bacon fat in a large skillet or saute pan over medium heat. Once it’s sizzling, pour into heatproof measuring cup.
Add the corn and its liquid, the onion, bell pepper, tomato and sugar to the skillet. Season generously with salt and pepper, stirring to incorporate. Pour the hot bacon fat over the corn mixture; reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Taste and add more salt and/or pepper, as needed. Serve warm.
Nutrition | Per serving: 230 calories, 4 g protein, 22 g carbohydrates, 16 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 60 mg sodium, 3 g dietary fiber, 8 g sugar 6 servings
This is a classic Creole dish made with the squash native to Louisiana also known as chayote or vegetable pear. The ones you choose should have smooth, pale-green skin.
Adapted from a recipe by Mrs. La Vonne Owens in “Talk About Good!” by the Junior League of Lafayette, La. (Favorite Recipes Press, 1969). Ingredients
3 mirlitons (chayote squash; see
headnote)
3 slices bread, crusts removed Water
2 tablespoons rendered bacon fat 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 6 tablespoons plain panko or fresh
plain bread crumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten Dash ground cayenne pepper Salt
Freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon chopped parsley ½ cup coarsely chopped cooked
shrimp Directions
Place the mirlitons in a pot and cover with water by an inch or two. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook for 45 minutes or so, until tender all the way through. Drain and cool. Cut them in half horizontally, discarding the seeds and scraping out and reserving much of the pulp. Be careful not to dig too vigorously, or you’ll poke holes in the mirliton halves.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking dish with parchment paper, or grease with cooking oil spray.
Tear the bread into small pieces and place them in medium bowl. Add just enough water to moisten and let sit for a few minutes, then squeeze out any excess moisture.
Heat the bacon fat in a medium skillet over medium heat. Once the fat is sizzling, add the bread pieces, onion and cooked mirliton flesh, stirring to incorporate. Cook and mash to form the base of the stuffing mixture, keeping things moving in the pan to avoid scorching. Transfer to a mixing bowl to cool.
While the mixture’s cooling, melt the butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Stir in the bread crumbs and toast for a few minutes, until golden brown, stirring to avoid scorching. Remove from the heat.
Add the egg, cayenne pepper and generous amounts of salt and pepper to the cooled filling mixture in the bowl, then add the parsley and shrimp, stirring to incorporate.
Use the filling to stuff all 6 mirliton halves evenly, mounding the mixture as needed. Arrange the halves in the baking dish. Top each mound of filling with the buttered bread crumbs. Bake (middle rack) for 20 minutes; the halves and filling will look set.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition | Per serving: 200 calories, 8 g protein, 18 g carbohydrates, 10 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 75 mg cholesterol, 250 mg sodium, 3 g dietary fiber, 3 g sugar