28 December, 2019
Cajun Native fully at home in the Cultural Diversity of Houston
Living in Houston has been a life changing experience. Seven years ago, a year off a quadruple bypass, and newly most ecstatically married to a gorgeous lady from Iloilo, Philippines, I started a new lease on life together with my bride. We moved from Lafayette, Louisiana to Houston, Texas. At the time I knew it would be the a great move, but no where in my wildest expectations would I think my life would take such a positive spin. A new job, in a great city, with an amazing company, surrounded by diversity to make your mind real from the immensity of it. That very cultural diversity was one of the main reasons we chose Houston as our home and the friends I’ve met and food and culture I’ve experienced since we arrived has changed me forever. I am truly at home here and love this place.
Now on to my absolute favorite subject, FOOD! Wow does this place have food. I’ve never tasted such exquisite dishes from so many unexpected sources in all my life. I’ve always loved great food and I’ve always loved cooking, but my palate has grown and matured by leaps and bounds since coming here. Cajun food is some of the richest, most amazing food in the world (yes, I’m prejudice in that aspect, lol) but I’ve now been fully immersed in the rest of the world. I have found there is nothing more satisfying than a bowl of hot ramen soup or Vietnamese pho on a cold winter day. I still love my gumbo but I now eat those two just as much. Malaysian food is out of this world and I’ve had some of the best Lebanese and Greek food ever. Brisket, oh my goodness, if you have never had Texas style brisket I pity you. I also never knew what true Mexican food was till I ordered from a place that I had to point at the menu and say this, because not a soul in the place spoke anything but Espanol. Turkish lamb kebabs are killer and you can never go wrong with black pepper tuna sushi. Needless to say, my food experiences and total drive to learn to make everything I love has driven me to my current chapter in my life.
Welcome to CrazyCajunCooking! I am now sharing my love of food with all of you. Using my talents to create “Master Chef” worthy dishes and develop my plating and product in a way that would hopefully make Chef Gordon Ramsay proud. (but most likely he’d say like, “Move faster you lazy bum” or “You call that food you fat Cajun” or something else epic. Yes he’s my idol. I’m also a huge fan of Chef Bobby Flay. I’ve never seen some one so adept at picking up techniques and thinking on the fly. Diversity of faith and culture also brings me to another topic. I am a complete Cajun, which means that I will pretty much will try or eat anything once, or as many as three times, (another story and yes I do have some exceptions to that rule) but not everyone else fits that bill. I have friends in every faith, cultural upbringing, food allergies, and food lifestyle choices. Every one of them would love for me to create a dish that they can eat. While not every dish I make will be vegan, vegetarian, lacto-vegetarian, kosher, halal, gluten free, keto, or other, I will from time to time make a dish with just you in mind. Watch for them because they’ll come. My world is all about great food. I won’t make it if I don’t think it’s great, but any type of food can be made great, with the right cooking style, right spice and a lot of love.Au revoir mes amis! Shane Monson .. The Crazy Cajun