Cajun Culinary Quandries **Frankenstein (Perhaps this should have been in the humor section.)

I must preface this post by stating that I am, in no way, slighting or making fun of any culture or it's people. What follows is merely my observations and commentary on a type of food and I am presenting it in my own, unique fashion. Don't be surprised to find a bit of humor inserted here and there. Therefore no one should feel threatened or take any offense to the content contained herein. With that being said, we'll proceed with the post.

The Cajun culture is unlike any other in this country and quite possibly anywhere else on the planet and I find that the cuisine is most unique. Is there any such thing as a dish which has fewer than three or four dozen ingredients? It seems to me that whatever it is that's to be a part of the meal all goes into the same pot and almost anything goes. My idea of a typical dish would be something like, fish, pork, chicken, mussels, crab, crayfish, beef, onions, cayenne peppers, green peppers, Dr. Peppers, Dr. Scholl's, okra, tomatos, shrimp, celery, bologna, Campbells Cream of Mushroom Soup, more cayenne peppers, clams, carrots, Energizer C-sized batteries, corn, cabbage, lamb, turnips, even more cayenne peppers, the hood ornament off of a '73 Cadillac, beans and rice. Now, THAT'S what I call a crowded pot!

The cajuns share a common rule with most, if not all, Asian cultures. If it's food, serve it with rice. Case closed. End of discussion. You will be eating rice!

What genius didn't know how to cook but was smart enough to hide the fact by covering their ineptitude with the term "blackened" and claiming to have done it on purpose? A better question yet is, how much of a moron do you have to be to believe that? That's a loaded question since the term is still widely used today even in the finest dining establishments. I guess it's a more extreme variation of the way they "char" things in Texas. Hey! There's plenty of room in cooking for a vivid imagination.

Now, we come to the heat issue. I've noticed that most, if not all Cajun dishes pack white a punch in the spice department. A moderate amount of spiciness can be utilized to enhance and add to flavors. Although some Mexican, Indian and Asian dishes may be a bit more than moderately hot, all of the flavors of the dish are still there. Why is it that in Cajun cooking, cayenne peppers seem to be taken to an extreme? I wonder. Could it be to cover the fact that the meat is burnt?

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