Boudin in Baton Rouge

Like I said, I was recently in Louisiana.  It's a beautiful state and I totally think I could live there.  While we spent most of our time in New Orleans, we did spend a day in Baton Rouge.  But since we really spent most of the day just hanging out with friends, I figure I'll save a post specifically about the city for another day.  Let me just say, they have some of the most beautiful Antebellum homes their along Highland St. if you're ever down that way.

What I really wanna talk about is food and hospitality.  Our friends, Jonathan and Corey are a gay couple living in Baton Rouge, LA.  Not only did they invite us over, they prepared a delicious meal.  And I use the term "friends" loosely here.  Jonathan is a friend of the family to some of my friends I took the trip with.  I had met Jonathan once or twice before, but had never met Corey.  And there were 9 of us!  But they couldn't have been more welcoming.  They met us at the door and introduced themselves to everyone on the way in.  Maybe that seems a weird to say, but it's such a dying tradition.  I can't even remember how many times I've gone to a party at someone's house and spent the whole night wondering who owned the place.  Or walked up to someone and introduced myself and they've looked at me like I was crazy.  And like me, they don't fit into the traditional mold, but they are both very much modern Southern gentlemen. 

Now, on to the food.  We had burgers, chips, regular grill-out food.  But there were a couple things we had that I think a lot of people have probably never tasted especially if they're not from the South.  The first was "Cracklins."  These aren't only seen in the South (they're actually seen all over the world), but they've become a Southern specialty.  It's the skin of an animal and a little fat, typically pork down here, that's just deep fried.  Simple, I know, but they're so good!  Pork rinds come from the same origin.

But the real treat, and on of my favorite Southern foods, is boudin (pronounced boo-daan).  It has a European origin, but like most things that are brought to the US from the places our ancestors hail from, we've made it uniquely our own.  Boudin is a combination of a few things.  It's a little bit of rice, Cajun spices, pork, and beef with chicken gizzards and hearts thrown in all in a sausage-like casing.  In days gone by, the intestine was used as casing, but you don't really see that much anymore.  There are different combinations of this, but this is the type we had and that I most enjoy.  It's all mined and ground together, so there aren't any big hunks of anything.  And the flavors compliment each other so well.  It's most readily available near Baton Rouge and to the south and west of there.  It's almost impossible to find anywhere else in the US, as far as I know.  Most people don't have a clue what I'm even talking about when I mention it.  I know it might sound a bit odd, but I definitely recommend giving it a try if you ever have a chance.  You'll be greatly rewarded!