My Grandmother grew up in Houma, Louisiana, which is very close to the gulf coast. Her family immigrated from France in the early 1800’s. With them they brought French cuisine which is a huge part of the culture in Louisiana. My Grandmother’s family, like many people in that area, relied on the shrimping industry for their livelihood. As you can imagine, growing up, I have had several bowls of authentic gumbo during my life.
I was also lucky enough to have learned some Cajun/French cooking skills from family members along the way. David Sutton mentions in his essay that “skilled practice involves not the mind telling the body what to do according to a preconceived plan, but rather a mobilization of the mind/body within an environment of “objects” which afford different possibilities for human use” (P.95 Sutton) .
I watched my Grandmother effortlessly cook dish after dish of elaborate cuisine and she rarely needed a recipe. She always had all of her tools in order and knew exactly which pan was seasoned for the perfect sauce. Her mind and body were very much in sync in the kitchen. She created many holiday and birthday masterpieces that our family enjoyed for over 60 years. I get emotional reflecting on the love and passion that she put into her cooking. She just wanted to make people happy and she did that so beautifully through her love of food creation.
Sutton, D. (2019). Cooking Skills, the Senses, and Memory: The Fate of Practical Knowledge. In 931969395 729874052 C. Counihan & 931969396 729874052 P. V. Esterik (Authors), Food and culture: A reader (pp. 88-109). New York: Routledge.
Sun Hugs 