Jacquelyn D. Kirkland

Amateur Chef in the United States

Jacquelyn D. Kirkland

Amateur Chef in the United States

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Adventures in Cooking Cajun Food
by Jacquelyn D. Kirkland

Ever since I was a child, I have loved cooking. As I became older, my need to master new recipes continued and I realized that French food, specifically Cajun, piqued my interest. Paul Prudhomme wrote one of my favorite Cajun recipes, which is a gumbo. This brilliant man's recipe introduced me to a red roux, which is used in the dish. Roux is a mixture of flour and fat that thickens the sauce you're making. I was truly amazed at how building the roux added to the complexity of the dish, as well as the enhancement it provided the gumbo. When I finished cooking and eating it, I could not believe that I successfully mastered it.

But, like any challenge, I am always ready for the next one. As I continued to learn about my passion of Cajun cuisine, I decided to try my hand at making jambalaya, which is a traditional rice dish mixed with meat, seafood, and vegetables. This was a disaster on so many levels. To be completely honest, making rice is something that I cannot master, but I thought I would give this dish a try anyway.

I found a recipe for jambalaya that looked to be quite interesting and challenging. The ingredients were simple enough: fish, sausage, shrimp, but of course there is the dreadful rice aspect of it. Needless to say, it was a gummy mess. Not to feel defeated, I had to cook it again. Sadly, it was far worse the second time. Undaunted, I tried it a third time, but I phoned a friend who helped me with the rice part of the recipe. It was palatable, but not award-winning because of the rice. I officially gave up on that one.

But, as I continued to peruse Cajun recipes, I needed one that would give me a new challenge. That new test occurred when I was introduced via television to John Besh. I got one of his recipes and decided that I had to try it, especially because it involved an unusual ingredient to serve with double-stuffed pork chops: grits. Who knew! It was a lot of work because it included brining the pork chops and making a stuffing, but it was so worth the effort. In fact, it was pure love at first smell and bite.

About the author:
When she's not working as an executive, Jacquelyn D. Kirkland pursues her love of Cajun cooking. She also enjoys yoga and jogging.