Featured Chef

Colleen Fleming, Havens Wine Cellars

My aunt would say, "Cajun's in ya blood, it's attitude and spunk, where food and family come first."  Colleen Fleming

Havens Wine Cellars staged its own version of the Fais Do-Do in April so that the staff could “test” the pairing of our 2005 Albariño with an exclusive Cajun dish created by Colleen Fleming, our newest staff member. We learned about Colleen’s Cajun heritage accidentally (we all share one office; eavesdropping can’t be helped.) while developing our Albariño/Cajun regional cuisine pairing for Havens Seasonal Tasting Series. Did we dance traditional Fais Do-Do dances? Well, not really. But like the original Cajun gathering, we enjoyed laughs, community, and entertainment.

Colleen’s recipe for Cajun Shrimp and Southern Style Grits is on our featured recipe page. But before we get to the party, let’s find out about the special cuisine of the Acadiana region from Colleen, who leaves no doubt about her Cajun origins. See for yourself: 

Now, since Cajun food has been wildly influenced by early Spanish settlers, and Albariño originates from Spain (notorious for finger licking good shellfish), how could this wine NOT go with my fish and grits?

But, for those of you who have never tried Cajun food....shame on you!  Now is the most perfect time to visit Cajun country!  After you tour the swamps, make your way down to New Orleans and help bring that town back!!  Get the quintessential New Orleans sandwich — the oyster po'boy —  stop by Commander's Palace for some turtle soup, and drop by Galatoires where the French Creole cuisine hasn't changed since 1905.

Cajun food is a combination of different cuisines that were brought by early Louisiana settlers.  It was influenced by the French, Spanish, African Americans and Native Americans.  Traditional Cajun dishes were influenced by what was readily available in Louisiana: crawfish (aka- lobsters that traveled from Maine to Louisiana and shed some pounds), red beans and rice, shrimp, nuts, okra, alligators, turtles.

Why does Havens Albariño go so well with Cajun food in general and with my recipe in particular?

The Havens Albariño is nothing but crisp, refreshing goodness.  It SCREAMS to be served with food that has a little bit of spice, attitude, and charisma.  
What does it mean to be Cajun?

My grandparents say that being Cajun is being a genuine caring person.  When my grandfather was growing up in a town called St. Martinsville, he would pick up two loaves of French bread each day from the local baker who would cook his bread longer than anyone else's, because that's how he preferred it.  How many bakeries in town would take the time to do that now days?

Whether there are three people at the dinner table, or twelve, sitting down to have a meal is a very special affair in Louisiana. The smell of sautéing onions, celery, and bell peppers, mixed with a smoky nutty roux makes me feel like I am in Cajun country. The food that I most look forward to having when I go to Lafayette is my grandfathers crepes. It's amazing how butter, milk, and flour can make such a beautiful memory. My grandfather cooks his crepes in his special "crepe's only" pan, wearing his pajamas, and entertaining his grandchildren by singing his famous breakfast song that he heard in a cowboy movie when he was younger:
 
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