Cajun Invasion!

Paul, Monica, Nicole, me, Pyran, Aunt Ruth, Dad and Mom :-)

I'm Cajun; born and raised on a bayou in South Louisiana.  That means that every significant life event must be accompanied by family and food!  Undeterred by the event happening 500 miles away, my family loaded up a couple of vehicles and headed my way.  When I say "loaded up", I don't mean they just packed their suitcases and a couple of gifts.  These Cajuns rolled up with black iron pots, propane burners, 20 lbs of catfish, 10 lbs of alligator and the fixins and utensils required to cook gallons of gumbo and jambalaya.  Oh, and don't forget pecan pie, pralines and brownies! 

Paul manning the jambalaya, catfish and alligator cooking

My little house is not big enough to accommodate all my friends and family, so I had to divide the celebrations into two separate events.  The first one was for professional colleagues and friends at my house the evening of the promotion ceremony.  Independence Day is one of my favorite holidays of the year, so I was excited when I found out that my sequence number would put my promotion date in July.  Unfortunately, when I scheduled the festivities for the 4th of July weekend, I suspected that several key people would not be able to attend.  Fortunately however, it worked out for a few; Christi flew in from NC and the Robinson family were able to drive up and make a family vacation out of the event.

Although it was hot, the weather cooperated and we were able to remain outside well into the evening.  Most of my guests had never tasted "real" Cajun food, but judging by the disappearance of food over the evening, everyone seemed to have an adventurous palate and did more than just sample the novel cuisine. 

 

Just to avoid any confusion while I describe dinner preparations, I'll give you a little Cajun language lesson.  I refer to my Uncle Wayne as "Pyran" or the more proper spelling "Parrain" which means "Godfather" in Cajun French.  My family was raised Roman Catholic which means that when we were baptized as babies, our parents chose a responsible male and  female to be Godparents who would fill in as guardians if anything were to happen to them when we were kids.  Although my mother's brother, Wayne, is Pyran to my older sister and not me, my younger brother and I grew up hearing him referred to by that name throughout our childhood, so it stuck for all of us.  Pyran is the Marine who swapped out my shoulder boards along with my dad at my promotion ceremony. 

 





My momma's chicken & sausage gumbo...delicious!

I don't know if it's true for all Cajun families, but in mine, there is an interesting allocation of cooking duties.  The everyday, family cooking typically falls to the women of the households while the preparation of main dishes for large get-togethers is usually handled by the men.  Outdoor grilling, boiling and deep-frying seafood, as well as preparing mass quantities of gumbo and jambalaya for family gatherings and social events, was customarily done by my grandfathers, dad and uncles to varying degrees.  For this party, my dad, my cousin Paul, and Pyran, manned the jambalaya pot and deep fryers outside while my mom, Aunt Ruth,  Monica and Christi  prepared the gumbo and salads and readied the house for dinner guests. 



I had to set the record straight when a few of my guests commented that I really knew how to throw a party- it's actually my family who really knows how to throw a party!  I simply invited people, gathered equipment and purchased necessities while my family were the ones who set everything up and made magic happen!  This get-together is just another example of how strong our family bonds are.  It wasn't until I enlisted in the Navy and left South Louisiana that I realized how special my family and roots were.  While continuing to meet a wide variety of people through my travels, I am continually reminded that not everyone is fortunate enough to have a family and family traditions as exceptional as mine.  What a special and meaningful way to celebrate my promotion!  Check back in  if you're interested in reading about the continuation of festivities, my next post will be about the party with my CVMA biker family!