Recipes from Ragin' Cajun
When I tell people the book has been published, they laugh and say, "Finally! It only took fifteen years!" It started out as a love story and I suppose it still is a kind of love story. Hey, with the title "Sittin' Bayou Makes Me Hot!" how much more romantic can you get than that? The story on how the title came about is in the book. Or if someone says "Hey you!" when they call you on the phone, you can end the call with "Bayou!" heeheehee.
I've always wanted to be a writer. I found some old diaries in a box in the attic. I wrote in my diary when I was ten, "I'm going to be a writer one day." I've kept journals since I was a child which makes me a "writer" in that sense but in all actuality, I'd like to make money at it. "Oh," you might say, "A paid writer!" Yes. That would be nice.
About 15 years ago I had a conversation with F. Paul Wilson who is famous for his Repairman Jack Series. He claims Ragin' Cajun is his favorite restaurant and he comes on Sundays with his wife and friends to listen to Stringbean and the Stalkers. I tell him about wanting to write books. "Just do it," he says. I don't have time. I have to run a restaurant. His wife Mary tells me I should write a cookbook. Not a bad idea. But I have no time. Nor do I know how to write down the recipes that I make up in my head. And serve a lot of people with. I wrote stories. I want to be a "writer." To me, a cookbook is not writing.
Then another great customer told me about Blurb.com and I looked into it. I made a picture book for a friend and then one documenting the first four years of my travels with my now husband, Cliff. It dawned on me, "Hey. I could probably do the cookbook this way." Sighs from the audience. So it took me awhile. I created the book in Blurb.com, took the pictures with my new Nikon (a wedding gift from said new husband) and I had a published book. It was exciting but expensive.
In March I went to a writer's conference in Connecticut for a novel I'm working on. I was looking for a literary agent and met Penny Sansevieri, who owns a marketing firm in California, instead. I showed her the Blurb copy. She put me on the right track. I taught myself how to use Adobe InDesign and "Sittin' Bayou Makes Me Hot!" was born.
The book contains the recipes from the menu at the restaurant. I wanted to include other recipes but I thought it would be better to stick with just the restaurant menu. Most people ask for the recipe for the roasted garlic which we serve on the table with hot french rolls. Everybody loves the Creole Mustard Sauce which is great on everything. Almost everyone who has bought the book said the first thing they made was the blackened chicken bites. They tease me and say they don't have to come to the restaurant anymore. I pout and they laugh, "yeah, right," they say.
The book reads a bit like a memoir. It has the story of how I got started in the business with the tale of the "flying steak sandwich."
I think that will be the title of my memoir, "The Incredible Inedible Flying Steak Sandwich." Twenty years ago a chef threw a Steak-Um sandwich with coagulated american cheese at my head. I was fired and 6 weeks later I opened Ragin' Cajun. Because of that sandwich a lot of good things have happened. I won't say it's like the price of rice and the butterfly effect, but the bar that fired me is now famous for its sliced garlic steak, the kids who've worked for me have all gone on to do great things in their lives and well, Ragin' Cajun has been around for 20 years, Dec. 18th. Wow. Like the cookbook commemorates twenty years of being in business. I like that.
A lot of great times have been had at "The Cajun." I've met so many awesome people. Ragin' Cajun has been a special place for many families. For others, it's like coming to my house for a dinner party and others still, it's like being home.
A cookbook made sense. I buy cookbooks every time I go on vacation. Many people who have moved out of the state are buying the book because it brings back memories. I send them some Ragin' Cajun Seasoning and a Stringbean CD and they pretend they're at the restaurant.
“Sittin’ Bayou Makes Me Hot!” (TAO Publishers, $35.00) is a culmination of the recipes served up at the restaurant and humorous stories that keep her clientele coming back for more. From flying steak sandwiches to talking frogs, there’s something for everyone—spicy to not so spicy, vegetarians to meat eaters. With 75 simple, delicious recipes, Orsi has finally created a book for both culinary novices and experienced home cooks that shows how to maximize flavors in the kitchen and still able to entertain guests.
- Preparing a delicious, quick, weeknight meal with your significant other? – Instead of spaghetti with a jar of pasta sauce, start off with a bowl of Cajun Steamed Mussels. Take turns dipping bread in the sauce. Then try Shrimp Diane or Chicken Vieux Carre for a romantic meal.
- Entertaining a few friends at home? Cook up some Roasted Garlic and a pot of Seafood Gumbo with lots of French bread. Add a Caeser Salad, finish off with an easy Mississippi Mud Pie and you have a great dinner party.
- Trying to feed your children healthy? Show them how to make the Creole Mustard Sauce and stir up some Blackened Chicken Bites. They’ll love being able to help in the kitchen and you won’t have to buy chicken nuggets again.
- About the Author:
Tracie Orsi opened Ragin’ Cajun in 1992. She is self-taught and likes to keep her life simple which is why her recipes are easy to follow. Her philosophy is if you love to eat, you should know how to cook and if you can boil a pot of water you can make a great meal.
“There’s nothing better than having friends over, enjoying a good meal and lots of laughter to make life a little brighter,” she says with her trademark smile.
Book Reading and Signing:
Jersey Shore Arts Center Ocean Grove December 9
Tracie Orsi, Chef and proprietor of Ragin' Cajun, one of several featured readers will be present at Writers, Authors and Poets, part of the family at the Jersey Shore Arts Center. December 9 at 2 pm to 5 pm. Join Literary Adventure as we present our reading series of authors and writers reading from their original work. Orsi will talk about how she got started in Cajun cooking twenty years ago and how easy her recipes are to make at home.
BookTowne Manasquan, NJ December 14
Book Signing 5:00-6:30 Orsi talks about stories in her book and will meet with guests to sign books. In the Christmas spirit there will be gifts for all who attend.
“Sittin’ Bayou Makes Me Hot!” shows you how deliciously easy it can be to cook Cajun. Orsi has made her mark in the state of New Jersey as local landmark with her restaurant Ragin’ Cajun. Opened in 1992 Orsi has been host to many couples’ first dates, follow to their weddings, onto baby christenings and then their kids’ high school graduations. She has been part of a number of people’s lives in many respects. Her participation in local events and fund raisers have made her somewhat of an icon in her community.
The book sells for $35.00 that includes a jar of seasoning and a $10.00 gift certificate to the restaurant.
No comments:
Post a Comment