SWEET DECEPTION
Lapin gets the better of Bouki in this adaptation by Arthur “Roy” Williams of Lafayette (illustrated by L. Foote) of the Creole folktales. Bouki’s Honey follows the namesake and long-duped donkey as he undertakes a gardening project outside the church where the wily hare Lapin is the minister. The trusting Bouki hides his pot of honey in the church tower, and sneaky Lapin — feigning the call to baptize — sneaks off to church to drain the sweet syrup. This children’s book is a pleasant introduction to the Compaire Lapin (Comrade Lapin) folktales, Louisiana’s Creole version of the Brer Rabbit tales. Best of all, Bouki’s Honey is peppered with Creole-French phrases. Available at amazon.com for $15. Mais tonnere m’écrase! — Walter Pierce
GOBBLE GOBBLE
It’s not often you find roast turkey outside of Thanksgiving Day. But when you have a yen for the big bird, Baja Sports Grill serves up a great poboy stuffed with their own freshly roasted turkey breast. I’m talking about Cajun seasoning, onions, carrots, celery, stock — the whole nine yards — slow cooked, slow cooled and sliced to order. A little lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle, a swipe of their special Baja sauce, swiss cheese, French bread, the whole sandwich lightly pressed for extra crunch. Whew! $4.95 for half, $8.25 the whole. Call 264-0411 for more info. — Mary Tutwiler
FOOD ATLAS
Karl Breaux has drawn out a road map to regional cuisine. His new cookbook, written with Times of AcadianaCooking in Cajun Country food columnist Cheré Coen, is split into parochial chapters that include The Wetlands, The Bayou Region and Upper Prairie — each with its own signature recipes. From “Cottonport Jambalaya” and “Opelousas Catfish Gravy” to “Cypremort Point Speckled Trout” and “Marsh Island Crab, Shrimp and Okra Gumbo,” Breaux takes you across Acadiana from the prairie to the coast. True to form, the Breaux’s Mart owner, host of Cajun Karl’s Cook’n Adventures TV show and stalwart French-language preservationist, provides ample context on Cajun history and culture , making these recipes all the richer. retails for $16.99 and is available locally at most major bookstores. — Nathan Stubbs
There will soon be a whole lot of shakin’ going on at Benny’s Sportshack Supplement Depot, a new concept by Opelousas native Benny Nele. Located at 2002 Johnston St., the supplement shop, smoothie bar and café, featuring hot off the press paninis and wraps, plans to open in late May.
Philip deMahy Sr., a once respected New Iberia ad exec, was sentenced May 2 to spend the next two years (he faced up to 100 years) in a state penitentiary after state and federal investigators found dozens of images depicting children engaged in lewd sexual acts on his personal computer.
This year’s Cool Town issue is all about people who are not native to South Louisiana but made a conscious decision to be here, to be among us, to participate in our culture and contribute to it.
A shelved ordinance transferring $200,000 from a northside drainage project to a south Lafayette development may not break any laws, but it stinks to high heaven.
An effort to restore a shuttered dancehall and document other vacant or razed honky-tonks could serve as a model for saving an endangered species of entertainment.
Lafayette’s gene pool has been host to a long line of eccentric characters who have blurred the lines between crazy, genius, disturbed and curiously entertaining.
SWEET DECEPTION
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