What's Cooking in August?

“Goodies from Grand Isle”

I spent many a hot August days (and nights) in Grand Isle, Louisiana, on our family vacations. We often camped out in tents on the beach with only the breeze from the Gulf for our air conditioner. One day my daddy dug a hole in the sand and put a watermelon in it to keep it cool. The melon was covered with sand and an “X” marked the spot. Well, during the night the tide came in and washed the “X” away and all these years later we are still looking for that sweet, ripe melon to come bobbing to the surface.

In the evenings, we feasted on our “catch of the day,” which was just that—whatever we caught from the Gulf. If the fish were biting we had fried fish. At night we would gig for flounder and get soft shell crabs at the grassy edge of the bay. If the crabs were running it would be boiled or stuffed crabs. And if we were lucky enough to catch some shrimp, then it was seafood gumbo all around.

When I was a kid there were always lots of hungry mouths to feed and we often ate large, one-pot meals that would feed the masses. I created a dish I call Shrimp Pasta Jambalaya that is a little bit Cajun, a little bit Creole and a whole lot delicious. It will certainly make your guest happy.