I was saddened to read in the headlines today that the long-time New York Times journalist, R.W. Apple, passed away. I wrote to Mr. Apple a few years back thanking him for a wonderful article on Kaplan, Suire’s Grocery, Cajun Food & Cajun History. In his article titled It Takes More Than Crayfish to Make a Cajun Wiggle, he writes..

Kaplan, La. HERE in the land of drive-through daiquiri joints and truck-stop casinos, you often eat better in grocery stores, butcher shops and cafes than you do in restaurants. There are exceptions, of course, but in Acadiana, as a rule, the more rudimentary the surroundings, the more genuine the grub.

Bare bulbs, in other words, are what you look for, not recessed lighting, paper napkins, not linen.

Another thing: the best Cajun cooking isn’t blisteringly hot, contrary to popular belief. It’s not about incinerating fish and meat. The guardians of regional tradition produce rich, slowly simmered soups and stews, more boldly flavored than most American food, yes, but not one-dimensional.

Take Suire’s Grocery, three miles south of here, on the edge of the rice country. The name rhymes with “beer,” the décor runs to soft-drink coolers and Formica tables and the menu lists some weird combos like crawfish fettuccine. But the crowds don’t come to Kaplan for that. Hunters out for duck and speckle-bellied goose stop in for the fabulous turtle sauce picante, which few cooks bother with anymore, or luscious, old-fashioned shrimp and egg stew, or deep-fried catfish, as crisp as tissue paper.

The entire article is great but that’s about all I can quote using fair use. He goes on to talk about turtle, mirlitons, tasso, grattons and even Cajun history. It’s rare to see such accuracy in popular media.

Au revoir mon ami, Monsieur Apple. Thanks again for representing us Cajuns so well.