One year while discussing Christmas plans, my grandfather suggested we make grasshoppers to enjoy after dinner. Everyone enthusiastically agreed and in the coming years, this sweet, minty, boozy dessert cocktail became a staple at family celebrations around the holidays and year round (and still is to this day). I didn’t know it at the time, but the grasshopper was invented by Philip Guichet Sr., a Lafourche Parish native who later came to own the famed Tujague’s restaurant in New Orleans. It’s not surprising that a drink concocted by a person from Acadiana would gain popularity all over the United States. With the wealth of food and drink originating from, or associated with the region, it’s easy to build a holiday meal (or any meal) with only fruits of land, sea and the imaginations of Acadiana and Acadians. This makes cooking up fabulous food features a fairly easy job.
What’s not an easy job, however, is picking favorites when it comes to local eats. But that won’t stop us from trying to do it. In this issue, we explore and exalt one of the most heralded foods of Cajun Country — boudin. Our “The Best Boudin in Acadiana” piece on page 56, offers up a mouth-watering array of both traditional and non-traditional versions of this beloved food. If you are looking for dessert ideas (and aren’t into drinking dessert in the way of a grasshopper), look no further than Stanley Dry’s delectable recipes in “My Oh My Cakes and Pies!” on page 46. (On a side note, Dry’s second book, “The Essential Louisiana Seafood Cookbook,” published by Renaissance Publishing, was released in October. Get it at LouisianaSeafoodCookbook.com.) Are you on the hunt for stylish looks to get you through the holidays and these precious few cooler days? In “Monodramatic,” on page 68, sophisticated, smoldering and chic are a few words that come to mind when flipping through this year’s fashion spread, featuring clothing from some of Acadiana’s best boutiques and designers.
As we edge into 2017, I’d like to propose a toast and raise my grasshopper to Guichet and the many Acadians like him who innovate, create and inspire all of us. May your holidays be bright and your new year (and beyond) be filled with friends, family, great food and countless reasons to celebrate. Cheers!
