Hi World!  Welcome to Cajun Treats!  It is our honor to bring some more fun information on  life in Louisiana as well as some wonderful recipes that have made these people and state so popular around the globe.

I was not born here.  At first I resisted being told I would become a Cajun before I knew it.  What I found was that the people here were friendly, fun-loving and hard working.  I have enjoyed getting to know many of these delightful folks.  And can they cook!!  There are many wonderful nationalities that have great food, however, they haven’t quite the knack that the Cajuns have here.  Of course, if you’re looking for healthy this is probably not the kind of cooking one would want to have as a regular diet (certainly not good for the waistline). 

In the months ahead I will be discussing their habits, history and more humorous moments.  I will also feature various parishes, what they are famous for, some little known, but wonderful products and restaurants, etc. What I want to do in this blog today is to tell you a little about me so you feel right at home.

I was born and raised in Southern California (Hollywood to be exact).  I was not discovered by any major Hollywood producer so my folks moved me near one of the beautiful beaches in Southern California.  That is where I lived until many years later.  I sadly left the beach because I knew it was time for me to grow up.  Being a natural redhead, I couldn’t tan and being around everyone else did not make me a happy camper.  All I would do was turn red, peel, freckle and go back to my very fair complexion.  It wasn’t until a very cute doctor got very stern with me and told me that if I didn’t sit under an umbrella at the beach my skin would turn into leather and I would get lots of wrinkles (just what I wanted to hear) and potentially could get skin cancer so I became extremely careful.  Enough on this topic.

I don’t like to cook.  Fortunately I married a man that is a great cook.  He makes my breakfast, prepares my lunch and cooks my dinner (eat your heart out girls).  He messes up the kitchen so I go behind him and clean up after him, which is fine with me because I don’t like to cook.  When he goes out of town and I’m left to fend for myself I either order takeout or I sometimes just eat out of a can.  I know that’s pathetic but it beats cooking and cleaning for myself.  The thought of having to do both when I would prefer to be doing something much more to my liking seems a much better use of my time.  Besides, I would probably spill a whole pot of something on me and the floor which is quite wasteful, don’t you think?  

  One day I may tell you about the one (and only time) I cooked for someone.  It was a disaster and I never heard from him again.  Good grief, writing this about myself is depressing.  I never knew I was this helpless.  Oh well, he loves me anyway and I make really pretty gift baskets.  I like to drive fast and when I was younger I saw many a flashing red light in my rearview mirror.  I could go on but I won’t.  I’ll spare you and maybe save some stuff for the future.

Even though I’ve written some information about me, I cannot close without one of my favorite Cajun meals (of course I don’t cook it but it’s fun and delicious when my husband or someone else does).  What’s so neat is that one of my favorite meats is duck and, I’m excited to report that duck season just wrapped up here in Louisiana, which means duck recipes should be in full swing, just as this tasty recipe is. 

 

Ingredients 1 to two or more duck(s) of choice 1/2 cup oil (butter optional for more flavor) 1/2 cup flour 1 large onion chopped 1 small bell pepper chopped 1 to 2 ribs of celery chopped 3 pods of garlic finely minced 1/2 cup chopped green onions (scallions) 1/2 cup chopped parsley 4 cups chicken broth or shrimp stock 1 tbsp Cajun Seasonings olive or canola oil for browning 1/2 tsp white pepper 1/2 tsp cayenne (optional) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Directions Note: If the ducks have been frozen, let the ducks “bleed out” in the bottom drawer of your refrigerator for 2 to 3 days before cooking. In a large stock pot boil on high the cleaned ducks for 30 to 45 minutes to reduce the wild flavor. Remove the skin if any; cut as much meat off the bones as possible. Discard the carcass. Lightly dust seasonings on the duck meat. In a medium saucepan, lightly brown the duck in the 1/2 cup oil and remove duck meat from pan. Heat remaining oil if needed and add the flour to make a roux. Stir constantly until light brown in color. Add the chopped onions, bell pepper, celery, and garlic and blend well. Saute until the onions start to wilt. Gradually add the chicken stock blending the water and the roux mixture. The cooks’ choice for her chicken stock is Wylers’ chicken granules. After all is blended, reduce the heat, cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes (stirring occasionally to avoid sticking). Stir in the browned duck meat. Cover and simmer on low for 30 minutes (allow more time if cooking several ducks) and adding more chicken stock and seasoning if needed. Add the green onions and parsley in the last 15 minutes of the cook-time. Serve over rice and don’t forget the French bread for wiping up the plate. Recipe by: www.realcajunrecipes.com