Life in South Louisiana has long been romanticized for its dramatic beginnings,its picturesque wildlife, its warm-hearted, happy people, excellent food and historic folklore that can be found nowhere else in the country.
These qualities hold true especially along Bayou Lafourche;here, where history has woven its spell for two centuries around a people strong in their independence and resourceful in their way of living. "Making do" with what nature has made available in these warm waters and fertile lands, they have shared endlessly of bounty and creativity, shaping a lifestyle easy-going in its pace and rich in hospitality.
With the abundance of fish, game, herbs and vegetables offered by an almost year-round growing season, "making do" comes naturally. Like gently cajoling, caressing mothers, cooks transform native foods into sumptuous delicacies; by adding to the basic ingredients bouquets des herbs, a dash of spices, a splash of brandy or rum, those who "stir the pot" ad lib genius.
Inventive, robust, and splendid, these culinary triumphs are a way of life; they are learned from childhood just as surely as breathing and eating, and just as naturally as the crawfishing, crabbing, hunting, or numerous other occupations contributing to them, which come with growing up in this tranquil world. They are, really, a heritage: a gift shared through years by one generation with the next.