Breaux Ridge Crawfish Festival

Michelle M. Winner & Maralyn D. Hill

Michell M. Winner and I are in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana to attend the first class to graduate from the Crawfish College and then cover the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival and judge the Crawfish Etouffée Cook-off of Sunday, May 5, 2013. What a fun filled week we have with learning, cooking, eating, great Cajun music and fun.

Last night we enjoyed dinner at Pat’s Fisherman’s Wharf Restaurant in Henderson, Louisiana alongside the Atchafalaya Basin. Pat says, “I’ve never hired a manager. I’m the chef, owner, cook…everything. And I own the seafood market when I get my fish, crawfish, crabs, turtle, alligator, frog and shrimp—from the market to the pot! There’s no middle man, so everything I serve is guaranteed fresh as when I caught crawfish myself and sold them for forty cents a sack off my porch.”

Alligator Bites Photo: Maralyn D. Hill

Crawfish and Okra Gumbo Photo: Maralyn D. Hill

Crawfish Etouffee Photo: Maralyn D. Hill

We shared an order of Bite Sizes Alligator to start. For our meal, Michelle enjoyed Crawfish and Okra Gumbo, Clyde Bodkin, our host for the evening, had the Crawfish Etouffée, and I went with a Stuffed Crab. We all left quite content and happy.

We are excited for this evening when we will learn about Crawfish College starting tomorrow. After our indoctrination, it is off for an evening of Cajun cuisine, music, and dancing at Pont Breaux Restaurant, Breau Bridge hosted by Randy Le Blanc.

Friday evening, the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival opens with us receiving our Diplomas. We are in for a weekend of great music and crawfish along with discovering a little more about this area where the Acadian settled. More to come with recipes and stories.

We sure hope we see some of you this week and weekend. Look for more of our adventures. We are delighted that the International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association has the current president an immediate past president as students, attendees, and judges.

Thank you Breaux Bridge for providing us with this wonderful opportunity.

Maralyn & Michelle

Stuffed Crab Photo: Maralyn D. Hill

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Author: Maralyn

Maralyn Dennis Hill, The Epicurean Explorer, is president emeritus of International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association, member of Society of American Travel Writers, and Society of Professional Journalists. She is Executive Editor of Luxe Beat Magazine and contributes to other publications. She also speaks and is a guest on many shows. The majority of Maralyn’s articles are now geared to the luxury market, spas, corporate retreats, business events, and culinary tourism, from simple to gourmet. Maralyn’s description of herself: I was born to travel and tell the tale. I’m energized by different cultures in every aspect of their lives, from food, wine, and destination, to how they conduct business. Travel represents a continual geography lesson.