Sunday, October 22, 2017

Elements of a good time

We were having brunch at my place before heading out. Instead of the usual pancakes, I served up sweet cornbread with hash browns, eggs, and sausage. Cornbread is always sweet when I make it. I don't like unsweetened cornbread--it tastes unpleasant.

A friend asked, "When did you make cornbread?"

"Yesterday," I answered, "I made two pans. Took one to a coworker's birthday party. I was invited. And I always feel like bringing something to share at a party."

Another friend asked, "How was it?"

"Different," I answered, "but I'm glad that I went."

A third friend asked, "How was it different?"

"It was a Cajun themed party, complete with a gumbo and crawfish cookout and lots of zydeco music," I replied.

"I didn't know that you liked zydeco," said the first friend.

"I don't," I said, much to the surprise and raised eyebrows of my friends, "I really don't like zydeco."

It's true. I've tried to listen to zydeco a few times, made an honest effort to be open minded, but I just don't like it. My first exposure to zydeco was at a shrimp eating festival. It sounded harsh. Seriously! I thought that maybe it was just the terrible sound system. Or perhaps it was the drunk singer. I couldn't understand his slurred words and heavy accent. I wasn't sure if he was even singing in English! He was just yodeling and screeching, like he was calling in chickens or livestock for feeding time. Or maybe the acoustics were just bad for an outdoors event.  It was windy that day.

Since then, I have been to two zydeco concerts--one indoors, one outdoors--hoping to like the sound. Nope. Still sounded awful. I felt like I wasted my time and money. I was not making a connection. I even listened to two zydeco CDs from a friend who's a fan of the genre--having been born and raised in the bayous of Texas and Louisiana, zydeco country. And I still didn't get it. My apologies to zydeco. I mean no offense. If you like zydeco, then you keep rocking to it. It's just not for me.

My second friend asked, "If you don't like zydeco, why did you go?"

"Why else?," I replied, "For the gumbo and crawfish. I can put up with a lot things so long as the food is great."

"Ain't that the truth?," agreed my third friend.

And it really is the truth. Music, while much appreciated, is optional. Good company is a must. For a good party, all you need are good people and good food to have a good time.

14 comments:

  1. If not zydeco, then may I recommend Rusty & Doug Kershaw? They capture the Cajun culture perfectly. I grew up in Southeast Texas with a heavy Cajun exposure. Here is one of their best, Louisiana Man. A perfect accompaniment to Cajun food and cornbread!

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    1. Thanks for the link and this new discovery, LX! Rusty & Doug Kershaw's Louisiana Man is a fun, lively piece! I like it! It's that old, vintage country/folk music that's great for parties and gatherings and dancing.

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  2. I don't mind small doses of zydeco but love that food! I spent 2 years in Texas in the 90s and was introduced to the food then.

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    1. Ponita, That Cajun and Bayou food culture is great! That's the wonderful thing about traveling. You make wonderful new discoveries about food, people, and have fantastic experiences that make life more fun and amazing.

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  3. It's all about the FOOD, baby! I'm with you, the music is secondary! ;) xoxo

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    1. Savannah, So true! Good food brings people together! And the food is what people remember and use to judge a party.

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  4. Music ,lots of drink and friends, or good company and good food. I am torn but with you on the zydeco.

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    1. Beast, With the right people, you can have a good time. With good food, you're guaranteed a great time!

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  5. Replies
    1. MJ, Ha! I do my housework to classical! Because all that inspiring, uplifting orchestra music makes me feel like cleaning. Zydeco would make me exit the house immediately...

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  6. Zydeco, housework.....????? What are these strange words that I am reading on your blog?
    Sx

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    1. Scarlet, Zydeco is a specific type of music from a specific region around the Texas & Louisiana bayou country--wonderful and unique food culture--hot, spicy, rich, flavorful cuisine. Friendly people, with a unique accent/dialect/language and customs--mostly a mix of natives, locals, Old World colonists, and a large portion of French colonists who were expelled from Canada by the Brits. They even speak a dialect of French and still serve old French cuisine dishes that have long died out in France.

      Housework--cleaning the house. A necessity as I'm a packrat and I need to clear out the clutter weekly, lest I become a hoarder.

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  7. Somewhere here must be a cd by BeauSoleil ...

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    1. Mago, Surprisingly enough, I did listen to a BeauSoleil cd. And I still didn't get the sound or feel a connection. That's life. Some things you like; others, you pass by.

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