While house hunting prior to moving to Louisiana, our real estate agent (and now dear friend) Mary Ann Booth, took us to lunch at one of the most popular restaurants in Lake Charles, Steamboat Bill's. It was there we had our first taste of étouffée. It was love at first bite. Étouffée is a spicy sauce of sorts made with seafood, especially shrimp, crawfish, or crab, and generously ladled over rice. The word étouffée (eh-too-fay) is a french word meaning smothered.
In the heart of Cajun country, Arnaudville will host its 31st annual Étouffée Festival April 22-24. I'm putting this one on my list. For more information and a schedule of events, visit this site.
Down in New Orleans, the Essence Music Festival is an annual event which started in 1994 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Essence magazine, a publication aimed primarily towards African-American women. The festival strives to empower African-Americans and promote their music and culture. It is the largest event celebrating African-American culture and music in the United States. This year's performers include Kendrick Lamar and Mariah Carey. The event takes place June 30 to July 3. For information on the complete musical line-up, see this site.
En Vogue performing on the Main Stage
Tune in tomorrow, when we celebrate fur and frogs.
(photos on this post borrowed from Wikipedia).
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