Seventeen Cajun cooks, representing Louisiana Culinary Trails, recently brought the taste of Louisiana to top restaurants throughout Dallas for a one-night-only culinary event. The Louisiana Goes Lone Star culinary experience on Oct. 25 was a success between the neighboring states as each chef bonded over stories and recipes while North Texans reaped the delicious benefits of this collaboration. Texas Lifestyle Magazine talked with a few of these Louisiana chefs who shared their experience on what it means to represent their parish (think county) and what they took home from their Texan counterparts. 

 

Chef Jeremy Langlois of Houmas House Plantation

Beginning his culinary journey at the young age of 16, Chef Jeremy Langlois would soon leverage his youthful spirit and magnetic charisma to be promoted to prep cook within seven months. Langlois cites his mentor, the famed Chef John Folse, as the foundation for his success as he was personally awarded a full scholarship to attend the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University.

Chef Langlois was later promoted to Executive Chef at the award-winning Lafitte’s Landing Restaurant at 22, earning the recognition of the youngest Executive Chef of any restaurant in DiRONA (Distinguished Restaurants of North America), an organization of 750 premiere restaurants across three countries. In the coming years, Chef Langlois earned many accolades to include Louisiana Cooking Magazine “Chef to Watch,” Louisiana Department of Tourism “Best Destination 2010,” and the 2019 Latil’s Landing DiRONA Award. Currently, Chef Langlois is the Executive Chef at Latil’s Landing Restaurant at the historic Houmas House Plantation. For this event, Chef Langlois partnered with Ida Claire.

Can you describe your parish? What makes it home for you and what do you think visiting Texans would look like most about it?

Ascension Parish is located on the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. It has a great small-town feel. Foodwise, you get the best of both worlds. Lots of restaurants featuring Creole food that you would find in New Orleans. You also have great rural Cajun food.  Gonzales is the jambalaya capital of the world, and Sorrento is the home of the Boucheire, a festival that celebrates everything you get from the whole hog to boudin, cracklings, jambalaya.

How do you represent the uniqueness of your parish in your food?

I approach food as a Chef who loves and honors our culinary history. I love creating classics like Gumbo and Etouffee, but as a Chef who likes to be creative, I like coming up with new and interesting dishes that honor the past. 

What does it mean to you to bring the taste of Louisiana to Texas?

Bringing all of the unique foods that we are known for, I came to Texas with andouille sausage, Zapp’s potato chips, blue corn grits, sweet potatoes, gulf shrimp, tasso, pecans, local duck and bread pudding.

After visiting and cooking at these amazing restaurants in Dallas, do you see any shared values or likeness between Louisiana and Texas?

Of course, both states share a lot when it comes to Southern hospitality and love of food. Both states have a strong food identity, a vast wealth of local ingredients and love of hunting a game.

Is there anything that you’re bringing back with you from your experience here in Texas?

Yes, Ida Claire made an amazing corn salsa on their salmon dish, and I now have the recipe!

Chef Ross Dover from Palmettos on the Bayou 

Louisiana native Chef Ross Dover was born and raised in Houma and attended the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University. As Executive Chef at the Palmettos on the Bayou, a waterfront restaurant and event venue serving classic Creole dishes, Chef Dover directs his efforts on using locally sourced ingredients such as crawfish, oysters, fresh squash, and morel and chanterelle mushrooms. Not only is Chef Dover a killer force in the kitchen, but he’s also an outdoor enthusiast with a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Chef Dover was thrilled to cook at Roots Southern Table for this experience.

Can you describe your parish? What makes it home for you and what do you think visiting Texans would look like most about it?

St. Tammany Parish is located in the southeastern region of Louisiana. It is situated North of Lake Pontchartrain, across from New Orleans. The parish is known for its natural beauty, with a mix of suburban and rural areas. St. Tammany Parish is often referred to as a part of the Greater New Orleans metropolitan area and is characterized by its rich history, cultural diversity, and a strong sense of community. The area offers a range of recreational activities, including outdoor pursuits in its many parks and nature reserves. It’s also home to a variety of festivals and events, making it a vibrant and attractive place to live or visit.

How do you represent the uniqueness of your parish in your food?

I try to embody the flavors and techniques of the cooks and chefs before us, preserving the culture of southern Louisiana through cooking. I would say I represent our parish by trying to keep the Cajun cuisine alive through new eyes with modern techniques and classic flavors that I have learned over the years.

What does it mean to you to bring the taste of Louisiana to Texas?

It means a good deal to be able to showcase the unique flavors and ingredients that define what makes Louisiana culinary culture so special. South Louisiana brings together so many different types of cuisines which create a melting pot of the unique components that help make up what Cajun/Creole food is all about. 

After visiting and cooking at these amazing restaurants in Dallas, do you see any shared values or likeness between Louisiana and Texas?

The flavors and ingredients are both “southern.” Whenever traveling you have to bring along your hospitality and Dallas matched that and went above and beyond to welcome us, especially Root’s Southern Table.

Is there anything that you’re bringing back with you from your experience here in Texas?

Yes, I am bringing back the joy to know that no matter where you go, you can warm hearts with a little Cajun cooking and southern hospitality.

Chef Frederic Terluin of Rouj Creole

Chef Frederic Terluin blends contemporary American cuisine with the finesse of nouvelle French and the richness of Mediterranean gastronomy. He has famously collaborated with a plethora of culinary leaders to include renowned James Beard award-winning/nominated chefs Donald Link, Steven Stryjewski, Isaac Toups, and Alon Shaya, along with the locally acclaimed chef Kim Kringle. Chef Frederic leads the renowned Rouj Creole as the Executive Chef, focusing on classic dishes with a modern touch of elegance. For this event, Chef Frederic cooked in the kitchen of Dea.

Can you describe your parish? What makes it home for you and what do you think visiting Texans would look like most about it?

The history of Baton Rouge has a colorful story to tell, which can be seen through the picturesque views of the Mississippi River and historical landmarks. It’s home for me because it’s a good mix of “town” and “city”.

How do you represent the uniqueness of your parish in your food?

For me, Baton Rouge is well situated between the creole and Cajun influences and that’s kinda the perfect blend for my style.

What does it mean to you to bring the taste of Louisiana to Texas?

It’s a great opportunity to showcase the Baton Rouge market to a great potential base of clientele.

After visiting and cooking at these amazing restaurants in Dallas, do you see any shared values or likeness between Louisiana and Texas?

I see a lot of similarities between Dallas and Baton Rouge. Dallas was like a larger version of the scene in Baton Rouge.

Is there anything that you’re bringing back with you from your experience here in Texas?

Yes, I really liked the style and layout of the decor and menus of the restaurants I went to in Dallas.  

Chef Jason Derouen from the Bayou Country Crawfish Trail

Cooking out of Terrebonne Parish, home of the Bayou Country Crawfish Trail, Chef Derouen is famous for his catchphrase, “PI-YAHHHHH!!” earning him the moniker, the Cajun Ninja. With a successful YouTube cooking channel, a website featuring cajun products such as seasonings, swag, and cooking utensils, and his own book titled PI-YAHHHHH!! The Cajun Ninja’s Cookbook, which features the likes of Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier, Chef Derouen is making waves on the Louisiana culinary scene with his larger-than-life persona and love for all things on the Bayou Country Crawfish Trail. Chef Derouen recently collaborated in the kitchen at Crossbuck BBQ.

Can you describe your parish? What makes it home for you and what do you think visiting Texans would look like most about it?

Terrebonne Parish is a gumbo pot of diverse people, religion, food, arts, and culture. There is an authenticity about our community that you can’t find just anywhere, and people love to experience it firsthand.

How do you represent the uniqueness of your parish in your food?

We are at the bottom of the boot of Louisiana. With that said, we have access to some of the freshest seafood in the world. The locals here use the land to not only feed their families, but also make a living from it. Crawfish is a staple in our area, so much that we have the Bayou Country Crawfish Trail highlighting all the businesses that serve it. As a result of this you can find many videos of myself visiting these businesses, and even using the fresh seafood captured here locally to make recipes.

What does it mean to you to bring the taste of Louisiana to Texas? 

Louisiana is home to the best and most diverse cooking. At the heart of it all is Cajun Cuisine. Having the opportunity to serve authentic Cajun cooking to the people of Texas was exciting. I hope that this enticed them to venture down to our neck of the woods for a taste more.

After visiting and cooking at these amazing restaurants in Dallas, do you see any shared values or likeness between Louisiana and Texas?

Everyone has their own flair when it comes to cooking. We all take our craft seriously, and the chefs I partnered with in Texas are no exception. It’s actually somewhat amusing how much Texans will debate over good BBQ just as Cajuns do over good Gumbo.

Is there anything that you’re bringing back with you from your experience here in Texas?

I met some cool people in Texas throughout this experience. I am interested in absorbing as much as possible from other people to help me grow in my craft. I for sure loved the idea of collaborating food and can definitely see some creative dishes in my future.

Chef Owen Hohl from Hot Tails Restaurant

Owen Hohl, the Executive Chef of Hot Tails Restaurants, was born in Puerto Cortes, Honduras, and grew up in Metairie, Louisiana. Chef Hohl’s culinary journey began at Grace King High School where he competed in and won a ProStart state championship. Later, Chef Hohl attended the Louisiana Culinary Institute in Baton Rouge and soon began working at Hot Tails in New Roads. After 13 years at Hot Tails, Owen was promoted to Executive Chef where he regularly participates in and wins multiple culinary competitions to include Fete Rouge and Crawfete. Chef Hohl proudly represents the whole state of Louisiana during the Louisiana Goes Lone Star event. Chef Hohl partnered with Oak’d BBQ for this event.

How do you describe Louisiana? What makes it home for you and what do you think visiting Texans would look like most about it?

Louisiana to me is family, friends, food and scenery. Here we will make a drive out of the way to get some great food. We will turn any event into a party with family and friends, that would include a lot of booze and food!! What makes Louisiana home for me is the culture. Everywhere you go people greet you like they’ve known you for years and nothing makes you feel at home like family. I feel that when Texans visit throughout the state that is one thing they would feel, that family love. Like they’re meeting up with old friends or family and it’s their first time ever stepping through the door. 

How do you represent the uniqueness of the state in your food?

Being able to source seafood from our gulf coast and around our marsh and swamp areas I am able to use my creole, Cajun, and central American influence to create unique dishes.

What does it mean to you to bring the taste of Louisiana to Texas? 

It means a lot that I am able to go back to Texas and cook some great Louisiana food because I actually lived in the Houston area from 1996-98. At this time I was only seven, but my appetite and exploring of flavors had already begun! Tacos, barbacoa, menudo, pozole…so many new flavors and dishes and I was only seven!!! My stepfather was what he would say “puro Tejano!!” So that meant we were in for some real Texan meals! 

After visiting and cooking at these amazing restaurants in Dallas, do you see any shared values or likeness between Louisiana and Texas?

I mean we are neighbors and nowadays you drive halfway through Texas, and they have crawfish?!?! Next thing you know they’ll have boudin shops!! It’s awesome that Texas has already embraced Louisiana culture and cuisine. All we can do is continue to have events such as Louisiana Goes Lone Star to keep spreading that Louisiana flavor and love!

Is there anything that you’re bringing back with you from your experience here in Texas?

Besides some new friends, I came back with some inspiration to work a little more with smoke. At our dinner I smoked my red snapper – talk about changing the dish for the better!! Talking to Chef Michael and listening to him talk about his process of smoking his meats is something that as a chef makes you itching to come back for more!
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Cover photo courtesy Chase Hall

Martin Ramirez is a brisket-eating, Shiner-loving, road-tripping enthusiast of all things Texas. This Dallas-born writer / adventurer is ready to take his ‘78 El Camino to find the best in food, fun, and fitness throughout the Lone Star State