LAFAYETTE, La (press release) – Chef Amanda Cusey of The Villa Harlequin in Lake Charles became the second ever Queen of Louisiana Seafood in Lafayette, besting 11 other chefs to win the 15th Annual Louisiana Seafood Cook-Off presented by the…
Each year, Acadiana Profile celebrates the top chefs and restaurants within the 22-parish region that encompasses 14, 500 square miles and more than 1,400,000 residents. We have explored the very heart of Acadiana to find the best of the best.…
There may be a debate over who created the cosmopolitan, but the sweet-tart, rosy-hued cocktail that remains inextricably linked to the 1990s “Sex and the City” HBO show has been making a comeback. Call it nostalgia. Its ubiquity has spurred…
Summertime cocktails have a singular purpose: They must make you feel cool. For wanderlust weekenders awaiting tropical holidays, a well-crafted summer libation can help assuage yearnings for pristine beaches and emerald waters, poolside luaus and moonlight swims. When…
As a child, I adored picnics. My parents were avid outdoors people and when summer arrived,…
Recipe Frisky Devil Combine 2 ounces bourbon, 1 ounce Drambuie liqueur, 1.5 ounces honey simple syrup and .75 ounces lemon juice in a shaker. Shake and strain over rocks with ice. Garnish with a strawberry heart (slice a V…
This year, I welcome Easter with open arms. We’ve had our share of dismal, cold, wet weather this year. The barren landscape is quickly taking on its spring lushness. Wild dogwood, native azaleas and delicate bridal wreath add bright splashes…
The question came up innocently enough on a Facebook group page about south Louisiana culture. Some of the most intense discussions seem to revolve around food, which should be no surprise since so many of our conversations involve what our…
Having been born from the union of a Cormier and a Prudhomme there is no question about the legitimacy of my Louisiana nature. Still, a sense of soulful belonging tended to evade me as a child and teenager. In south Louisiana,…
One thing everyone agrees upon is that seafood is a healthful food choice. It is high in good things, such as protein, vitamins and minerals, and low in bad things, such as calories, total fat and saturated fat. Eating seafood…
This time of the year in Louisiana is usually busy with Carnival parades, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, St. Joseph’s Day and the beginning of crawfish season. Not so this year because of COVID-19. We are being urged to hunker…
Mixologists find it easy to fall in love with Empress 1908 gin derived from butterfly pea blossoms that give the libation its natural indigo color. Handcrafted in small-batch copper pot stills, its exquisite taste, regal look and delicate aroma make…
South Louisiana’s finger food terrain — which for decades has been dominated by boudin — has a new feature compliments of Mexico. Tacos! From Vinton to Lafayette and all the way down south to Morgan City, tacos are being served…
Acadiana’s unconventional winter holidays of 2020 are undulating like Bach’s celestial “Christmas Oratorio” trumpets that crescendo and decrescendo until the Epiphany on Jan. 6, when Twelfth Night signals Carnival king cakes and cocktails. Revelers can step up their Mardi Gras…
When it comes to holiday menus, my family is all over the table. When I was a youngster, we had the usual baked turkey, roast pork, rice dressing (or eggplant dressing), some kind of sweet potatoes, green bean bundles and…
Supremes are sections of acitrusfruit with all of the pith and peel cut away. Once sliced, you can usethem in salads (and ceviche) or for garnishes. Since the bitter pith and peel are removed, you get…
Satsuma Dreamsicle Sour Add 2 ounces Pinhook bourbon, 2 ounces fresh satsuma juice, 1 ounce simple syrup, ½ ounce vanilla bean syrup and 1 egg white in a shaker over ice. Shake vigorously, pour into an old fashioned glass, top…
Star Power | Prior to opening Luna Bar and Grill in Lake Charles, Chef Dave Evans had a satori. He conceived of the notion of selling sandwiches named after the planets. The Earth Burger, Venus, Neptune,…
While the swimsuits and shorelines of summer vanish with the Sept. 22 autumn equinox, Acadiana’s cooling cocktails prevail with the lingering heat. Soaring temperatures invariably converge with the onset of fall, when fields of sugar cane reach harvest heights along…
Redfish, speckled trout, flounder and red snapper — longtime Louisiana favorites — are getting harder and harder to come by unless you have the luxury of either catching them yourself or have friends who share their bounty with you. Like…
Popularized by Paul Prudhomme, the term “Holy Trinity” has entered the culinary lexicon to designate the three ingredients that form the base of Cajun and Creole cuisine. Onions, bell peppers (or sweet peppers as we say in Louisiana French), and…
The winding roads of Acadiana are still quiet most summer evenings under lockdown and now phase 1 of recovery, resulting in a sharp uptick in internet traffic from homes abuzz with families on video chats, the core social feature that…
Since childhood, summer has been my favorite time of year. What better time to enjoy lolling in a hammock staring at the clouds, and maybe a having a quick dip in a cool swimming pool. In my adult life, a…
LAFAYETTE Spotlight on Spoonbill Spoonbill Watering Hole & Restaurant earned a place among America’s top eateries when it received a finalist nomination for the coveted 2020 James Beard Awards for Outstanding Restaurant Design in May. Emerging as a converted 1939…
