Doirons take Starks

                   Last summer my sister and I reconnected to Louisiana Doirons at a family reunion. Since I hadn’t seen them in years, I kind of forgot this branch was Pentecostal. The Texas branch was raised Catholic. They welcomed us with joy. But this year I wore a floral dress instead of the denim shorts I had before. They loved on me again. I even got a cemetery tour.

                   A week before I met a woman from Starks and I told her I was headed that way. We got excited and loud.

“I’m going to Starks!” I exclaimed.

“Where is the reunion?” she queried.

“At the Pentecostal Church” I said. all loud like.

“Which one?” she shot back, even louder.

I looked perplexed. She belly laughed at my expression. I know Starks is a small town, but they’ve got TWO Pentecostal churches?

            I found where I was supposed to be, then drove around town. At Dress Like an Angel, I mentioned why I was visiting and a woman said she’d just driven past First Pentecostal and it looked like people were arriving. Got to love those small town connections. More Starks Road Trip highlights here:

·       My old gumbo pot still faintly reads DOIRON in a neat lettering my mother made with Magic Marker in the ‘70s. Good job, Mom, that pot went to countless parties and always got back to you. This time ALL the plates, cups and coolers were all marked DOIRON. There were also LSU serving pieces.

·       Style note: I admired a vintage blue bauble on a relative’s top. She’ fashioned ‘50s era earrings into a new use by clipping them over the neckline.

·       A hostess gifted me a tea-filled mug adorned with pink roses. She asked if I could read the French. De La Feté donne Par La Ville de Paris. She offered me a “life of the party” translation. Fascinated, I later researched the phrase referring to a city holiday in order of a royal wedding or national affair. A related artwork  portrays air balloons decorated with men on horseback floating above the city. That notion makes my tea fancy.

·       Relatives told me they shop for groceries in Orange, as it’s the closest store. When I enjoyed leftovers later, I reflected that ingredients were purchased in Texas, assembled in Louisiana, and sent back home to me in Texas.

·       Dress Like an Angel is a big ol’ fashion shop with a big, big ol’ chandelier. Anyone will tell you there are plenty of churches in the area and there must be an outfit from this place in every pew come Sunday. I asked about chocolate chip cookies by the counter. The pastor’s wife of the church across the street makes them. Saleswomen pointed to Calvary Apostolic Church. We chatted and it turns out both women working the store hailed from Port Arthur.

·       The dress shop women did mention that this area is not as Cajun as people in Lafayette. I asked what they were and one described the area as a “no man’s land” of folks maybe hiding out from the law and that’s why there are so many name variations from this locale. She hastily added that it’s not that way anymore and there are many churches in the Starks area.

 

Wrapping up the day: The relatives loaded me up with leftovers at the end and I turned the car toward Texas. My next stop was Delta Downs, where I read a book until it was time for Catholic Mass in Vinton. Now those are some things that branch of Doirons would probably not do at all. But I turned out okay.

 

I attended Mass at St. Joseph's Church in Vinton, Louisiana. They announced we would pray for hurricane protection. I looked around for the prayer card. This congregation recited it from memory. While there may be variations, areas of Southeast Texas and Louisiana include thoughts such these:

We live in the shadow of a danger over which we have no control: the Gulf of Mexico, like a provoked and angry giant, can awake from its sleep, overstep its conventional boundaries, invade our land and spread chaos and disaster.

During this hurricane season we turn to You, O loving Father. Spare us from past tragedies whose memories are still so vivid and whose wounds seem to refuse to heal with passing of time. O Virgin, Star of the Sea, Our Beloved Mother, we ask you to plead with your Son on our behalf, so that spared from the calamities common to this area and animated with a true spirit of gratitude, we will walk in the footsteps of your Divine Son to reach the heavenly Jerusalem where a stormless eternity awaits us.

 

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie with Cajun roots. Let the good times roll with her by sharing foodie tales via panews@panews.com

Pumpkin photo op at PA educational garden

 

 

Bring your little pumpkin spices to a photo op in a fun fall setting. It's free, and you'll likely learn a little something. The Grow With Me Community Garden could be considered a hidden gem, but if you drive around to the back of the Port Arthur Health Department, you'll find it! 

Broccoli, cauliflower, mustard greens and pumpkins are growing in the WIC garden behind the building at 5860 Ninth Avenue. Between colorful beds of herbs and veggies, the educational garden will feature QR codes designed to get you to nutritional info and recipes for healthy living. 

A garden is my favorite place to be and I enjoyed my lunch at a table in the shade. I eyed a barn setting among the pumpkins just waiting for costumed kids to pose. I even heard a rooster crowing nearby. 

Foodies love learning something new. Go to the City of Port Arthur Facebook page for info on gardening classes. Roots & Shoots sounds like fun. 

 

I’d eat it “Everiday” -  It’s ridiculous how much I love the red pepper chili sauce at Asian restaurants. I even drizzle it onto my empty plate while waiting for my order and create art by dragging my chopstick through the shiny red-orange oil. People have photographed my hot oil sunbursts.

Now you can get that kick from the debut line from the creator of Healthy-ish & Happy and the Clean-in-15™ program. She says Everiday Foods is rooted in a flavor-first philosophy that prioritizes care over convenience.

Can you handle the heat with these flavors?

House Red Chili Sauce with kaffir lime and pitted dates

Sambal Chili with galangal, lemongrass and turmeric

Garlic Chili with chili padi and coconut aminos

Mala Chili Crisp with sesame Sichuan Peppercorn and five spice

Makers say it is free from seed oils, gluten, dairy, and refined sugar. Instead it is created with extra-virgin olive oil and mouth-watering combos. I’m having this on popcorn, eggs, potatoes, veggies, rice and pasta. I love the heat and I must say, a little of these goes a long way. They are wonderfully intense.

Holiday hint: Mix these into dips for party spreads. everiday.us.

Darragh Doiron is happy in the garden and at the table. Share with her via panews@panews.com

Rao's brings the pumpkin spice to Port Arthur

 

Port Arthur welcomes a new stand-alone Rao’s Bakery to Port Arthur. This spacious spot shows why the area has been sweet on Rao’s since 1941. Colorful cakes, fragrant coffees and cookies to go are all pretties ready to tempt. This shop crossed the line from the Nederland site to 3340 FM 365 in Port Arthur. More than a bakery, it’s a gathering place. Meet a friend now. They have plenty of pumpkin spice offerings. I checked.

 

“Brunch Season: A Year of Delicious Mornings from The Buttermilk Kitchen” – I’d have begun with No-Waste Asparagus Grits if this were spring. But it’s Pumpkin Spice Watch season, so I’m flipping to fall in this book. What’s on the seasonal menu? Let’s start with: Pumpkin Scones, Homemade Roasted Pumpkin Puree, Pumpkin Bread French Toast with Homemade Whipped Cream, Roasted Pumpkin, Balsamic Mushroom and Crispy Sage Scramble and Ali’s Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Maple Glaze. Chef Suzanne Vizethann ran into some bland brunches and changed things up. She headed to Maine and spreads tables with this kind of fare all year long. A perfectionist who learned to tone things down, she considers these recipes, by season, as simple, when you get down to the freshness of it all. Take her advice and invest in kosher salt. She prefers Diamond Crystal.

Teriyaki on the Prairie - When I think of pioneers going west, panning for gold and building little houses on the prairie, I don’t imagine them craving a bite of teriyaki jerky.

I was curious why this flavor is popular in the jerky community. It seems a sweet and savory umami blend pairs well with the natural flavors of beef. Good deal. Once a labor-intensive method to create a strip of leathery nutrition to fuel you as you raised a barn or rounded up the herd, jerky is now a gas station favorite.

Old Trapper makes it easy to fulfill your jerky needs that come in many varieties. Today I’m sharing the ease and pleasure of their Double Eagle Coins of Teriyaki Beef Jerky. They are thin rounds that would fit on your breakfast biscuit. Juicy and fulfilling, they taste satisfying and won’t hurt your teeth. This is about the most convenient jerky I’ve come upon. It’s salty-sweet, slow smoked and lean. This snack is a treat on hikes and road trips. The jerky community thanks you, Old Trapper.

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie ready for sweets and snacks and umami. Share with her via panews@panews.com