Prairie Home Cooking
Find down-home hospitality and good food without pretense in Louisiana’s Cajun prairie.
For an authentic Louisiana experience, don’t overlook this off-the-beaten-path region. It’s filled with hidden gems and boasts a heritage influenced by the French, Germans, Spanish, and American Indians who settled here. Hear charming Cajun and Creole French still spoken by the locals. Dance to accordion-fueled zydeco tunes, and shop for local art and antiques. When it comes to cuisine, menus feature old family recipes. Smoked meats reign supreme, and hearty plate lunches are popular. Don’t be surprised to find the best meals in the most unassuming of spots.
As you go, take in the beauty of the remaining prairie. Some two million acres were once covered with prairie land, hosting hundreds of species of native grasses and wildflowers. Much was destroyed because of agricultural practices, but there is an effort to preserve and restore the habitat. A good example exists in Eunice.
Take this road less traveled for a different view of Louisiana culture. You won’t be disappointed.
July 16, 2010
Hot Item: Fun Heats Up In Louisiana’s Prairie
Our Prairie Home Cooking Trail offers a Louisiana experience like no place else. The region’s rich heritage—French, Germans, Spanish, and American Indians all settled here—reveals itself in the food, music and thriving culture still found today. As you explore this gem of a region, add these five experiences to your itinerary.
1. Follow the locals to a corner gas station and fill up. Believe it or not, some of the trail’s best eats are found here and, thankfully, snobby waiters and ...
July 01, 2010
SIGNATURE DISH: Crawfish Bread
Some 25 years ago, John Laborde from Avoyelles Parish was making sausage bread as a hobby when an idea struck. “The Cajun food craze was taking over, and I made a loaf with crawfish in it,” he says. He rolled out his homemade dough, spread cheese, crawfish, and seasonings on top, and then rolled it up, sort of like a calzone. Voilà—an instant classic. He began selling his creation and ultimately landed a coveted food vendor spot at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, where his booth has ...
