I'm a born and raised Cajun, a bayou mutt from Chauvin and Grand Caillou (pronounced k-EYE-you). I bleed Trahan (Tra-HA), Portier (Poor-CHAY), Carrere (Ka-rare), and Dumont (Do-mon). 

I'm using this column, Cajun Creations, to learn how to cook the memories of my childhood.

Since I moved out of my parents' house in 2000, I have eaten mostly ramen noodles, easy mac, and a variety of frozen pizzas. I am now a postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine and finally have (some) time to learn how to cook my daddy's recipes.

Each week I will cook and write about a dish from my childhood. I will tackle everything I can remember from jambalaya and white beans to pop rouge ice cream, from turkey necks to my mama's bouille cake.

"And we thank Him for our food. Amen."