LOUISIANA ROOTS MAKE ENTERTAINING SPECIAL

 Phyllis Van Boening

When Phyllis Van Boening wants to do some “special” entertaining in Bakersfield, she digs deep into her Louisiana roots. She puts on a spread of crawfish etouffee, red beans and rice, and shrimp Creole.


And, of course, the spread includes a bottle of Tabasco, or its rival, Louisiana Hot Sauce, both iconic sauces made near Van Boening’s childhood home of Franklinton, La.


Van Boening says her Louisiana cooking is a “novelty” she likes to share with her Bakersfield friends. And the tastes and smells remind her of home.



With a soothing Southern drawl that has survived more than two decades of living in Bakersfield, she recalls many a school trip to tour the Tabasco factory, just over the Mississippi River and across the bayous that form Avery Island. They are trips that she replicates today as a “tour guide” for family and friends on cross-country vacations.


“It’s fun to show other people that there is more to Louisiana than just New Orleans,” Van Boening said during a recent interview.


A native of Louisiana, Van Boening grew up in Franklinton, a small agricultural town less than a two-hour drive north of Avery Island. In recent decades, the town’s population has hovered at its peak of around 4,000. Its biggest claim to fame is that it is home to the state’s largest country fair and to an imposing complex known as the Louisiana Castle, a replica of an English Norman Keep Castle that is open to public events. The Bogue Chitto River, a favorite for tubing on a hot summer day, passes through Franklinton.


Van Boening left this sleepy Southern paradise years ago to pursue a career with nonprofit organizations. It was while working in Atlanta, Ga., for the American Cancer Society that she met her husband, Jon Van Boening, a young pharmacist, who was recruited to help start a fundraising program in Bakersfield.


That program gave birth to the enormously successful Relay for Life movement. Jon later became the president and chief executive officer of Bakersfield Memorial Hospital. And Phillis moved to Bakersfield when the couple married in 1993.


“It was a culture shock at first,” she recalls. “But there was such a big ‘oil connection’ between Bakersfield and Louisiana that it was easy to feel at home.”


And then, of course, there is the food and the Louisiana hot sauces that never let Van Boening forget where she comes from.


A visitor to the state is likely to be confused by what people call Louisiana cooking. Sometimes it’s called “Cajun,” and other times “Creole.” New Orleans is a Creole city. Over the past 300 years, it has blended French, Spanish, Caribbean and African immigrants. The food reflects this blend. Cajun refers to the French immigrants booted out of Canada by the British, who later settled in the bayous along the Gulf of Mexico.


Some say the biggest difference between Cajun and Creole cooking is that Creole has a tomato base, while Cajun doesn’t. But there are exceptions to this rule and there seems to be a lot of crossover dishes. Some say Creole cooking is “city” cooking and Cajun is “country.” Then others say to really know what to call what you’re eating, you need to meet the family cooking it.


But really, when it tastes as good as it does, who cares what it’s called?


Van Boening has shared three of her classic Louisiana recipes for people in Bakersfield to try.

Crawfish Etouffee

1 cup finely chopped onions


1/3 cup finely chopped green bell pepper


½ teaspoon minced garlic


2 tablespoon margarine


2 tablespoon all-purpose flour


1 pound peeled crawfish, rinse and drained (if crawfish tails are unavailable, shrimp is a good substitute)


1 cup water


Dash cayenne pepper


Dash of Worcestershire sauce


Dash of Tabasco sauce


Salt and pepper to taste


Juice of 1 lemon


1 bunch green onions (scallions), tops only, finely sliced


Preparation: In a large non-stick skillet, sauté the onions, green pepper and garlic in the margarine until tender.


Stir in flour and cook one minute.


Add the crawfish tails and water.


Cover and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.


Add the cayenne pepper, Worcestershire sauce salt, pepper, Tabasco sauce, and lemon juice.


Add the green onions and cook for 5 minutes longer.


If the mixture becomes too thick, add more water.


Serve over rice.

Red beans and rice

2 tablespoons vegetable oil


1 cup chopped onions


½ cups chopped bell pepper


½ cup chopped celery


1 teaspoon salt


½ teaspoon cayenne


1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


1 teaspoon dried thyme


4 bay leaves


1 pound boiled ham cut into 1/2-inch cubes


6 ounces sausage cut into bite-size


1 pound dried red beans rinsed and soaked overnight, then drained


Two cups steamed rice


Preparation: Heat the oil in large heavy saucepan over medium heat.


Sauté the onions, bell peppers, celery, salt, cayenne, black pepper and thyme for about 5 minutes.


Add the bay leaves, ham, and sausage and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes.


Add the beans, garlic, and enough water to cover the contents in the pot.


Bring to a boil.


Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally for 2 hours.


Add more water if the mixture becomes dry and thick.


Use a wooden spoon to mash some of the mixture against the side of the pot.



Continue stirring occasionally for about 1½ hours, or until mixture is creamy and beans are soft.


Add more water if it becomes too thick.


The mixture should be soupy, but not watery.


Remove the bay leaves and serve with Tabasco over steamed rice.

Shrimp Creole

1 bunch of celery


1 bunch of parsley


2 bunches of green onions


1 large onion


1 tablespoon minced garlic


1 stick of margarine


1 can tomato sauce


1 can diced tomatoes (or two cups fresh chopped tomatoes)


2 pounds large shrimp (21-25 count)


1 tablespoon dried thyme


1 tablespoon dried basil leave


1 tablespoon sweet paprika


1 teaspoon salt


1 teaspoon black pepper


1 teaspoon white pepper


Tabasco to taste


Preparation:


Chop celery, onion, green onions.


Sauté in melted butter until soft.


Add tomato sauce and spices.


Bring to boil, and then reduce heat to simmer.


Cover and cook for at least 30-45 minutes.


Add shrimp and cook about 15 minutes.


Serve over rice.

This story appeared in the Aug. 12, 2016 issue of The Bakersfield Californian.

 https://www.bakersfield.com/entertainment/for-some-engagin-cajun-home-cook-recalls-louisiana-roots/article_ffb9a0bc-e8eb-543e-bff7-f9f108e611a4.html