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the Home Cooking issue

Talk About Good words by Sarah Baird I n our current era of beautifully plated, flawless food at (seemingly) every turn, photography reigns as the foremost way to show off just how elegant —

that reads,“Kiss Me, I’m Cajun!”) Rodrigue’s paintings throughout the book help to reveal the richness of the region’s culinary culture, allowing those flipping through the work to be transported to the region as they peruse the classic Acadiana recipes. “Cajun food reflects a way of life,” Rodrigue writes regarding his painting, A Toast to Cajun Food , which was the cookbook’s original cover. “Shown here is a traditional all-day feast which reflects the ‘joie de vivre’ the Cajuns have kept throughout their history. They toast a good life and good food and the land they have come to love in South Louisiana.” Rodrigue’s paintings speak to the heart of what eating in Cajun country is all about, whether a person is making their own boudin or creating an elaborate spread of side dishes for Sunday supper. The home cooking in Talk About Good II is assuredly delicious, but it’s the people enjoying the meal alongside you — family, friends and neighbors — that make eating it worthwhile.

and delicious — a recipe can be. And sure, photography is great, but in my estimation, there’s nothing better (or more creative) than including illustrations alongside recipes, particularly the kind of drawings that speak to a dish’s personality or heritage. Few classic works are as committed to the artistry of cookbook illustrations as Talk About Good II . Published in 1979, Talk About Good II: A Toast to Cajun Food is the follow-up work to the über-popular cookbook Talk About Good! , which quickly became a staple in homes across the Gulf South and around the globe. This second edition — complete with 700 recipes and additional entertaining tips — is revered as a visual standout thanks to Cajun artist George Rodrigue, who was known the world over for his iconic “Blue Dog” paintings. Born and raised in New Iberia, Rodrigue

photo by Romney Caruso

Chicken Spaghetti This dish from Recipe Jubilee! from the Junior League of Mobile was originally published in 1964. It mostly uses ingredients you probably have on hand. Start with a whole hen, or use leftover Rouses rotisserie chicken when you’re in a time crunch. WHAT YOU WILL NEED 4 pound hen 1 garlic clove 1 onion Celery leaves Salt 1 package spaghetti 1 onion, chopped 3 celery stalks, chopped 1 green pepper, chopped 2 tablespoons oil 1 large can tomatoes 1 can tomato paste 1 large can mushrooms Grated cheddar cheese HOW TO PREP Cover hen with water and cook with garlic, onion, celery leaves and salt until tender. Cool and cut into pieces larger than one inch. Cook spaghetti in chicken broth. Sauté chopped onion, celery and green pepper in oil un- til tender. Add tomatoes, tomato paste and mushrooms. Simmer 30 to 45 minutes. Add chicken to sauce and cook another 30 min- utes, stirring often. Pour over spaghetti and sprinkle with cheddar cheese.

provided 20 food-themed paintings for use in Talk About Good II , which depicted everything from colorful local characters like Rodney Fontenot — known as the “Ragin’ Cajun” — to portraits of crawfish sellers of yesteryear. (His son Andre even graces the cover of the revised edition wearing a T-shirt

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MY ROUSES EVERYDAY

SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2018