Ingredients
1 cup cajuncrawfish tailmeat
1 cup peeled Louisiana shrimp (from cajuncrawfish.com)
1 cup crabmeat
1-1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated romano cheese
1 or 2 fresh tomatoes (diced)
3 cloves minced garlic
olive oil
1 pizza dough

Directions
Saute garlic in olive oil.
Add seafood, mixing well.
Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the mozzarella on uncooked pizza crust
Put seafood mixture on top of crust
Sprinkle diced tomatoes on top of seafood mixture.
Cover with remaining cheese.
Bake until golden brown and cheese is bubbling.
Cut and serve

By Patrick D. Bonin

Believe it or not, Father’s Day has only been an official national holiday in the United States since Richard Nixon signed it into law in 1972.  (Considering Mother’s Day became official in 1914, I think men are probably due some bonus ties, tools and grilling accessories to make up for lost time!)

Credit for the modern holiday is given to Sonora Dodd, who founded Father’s Day in Spokane, Washington at a YMCA in 1910. But it didn’t have much success initially, and many Americans resisted the holiday for several decades because it was perceived as an attempt by merchants to cash in on the commercial success of Mother’s Day.

Several presidents, including Woodrow Wilson and Calvin Coolidge attempted to get the day officially observed by the nation, but it never happened. Finally, in 1966, Lyndon Johnson issued the first presidential proclamation honoring fathers on the third Sunday in June, and Nixon made it permanent six years later.

In the United States, it is always celebrated on the third Sunday of June, although it is celebrated on a wide variety of days throughout the world.

In Australia, it is celebrated on the first Sunday of September, which is the first Sunday of spring, but it isn’t a national holiday. In Brazil, fathers are honored three months after Mother’s Day, on the second Sunday of August.

In Germany, the holiday is a bit different than in other countries. Vatertag (Father’s Day) is always celebrated on Ascension Day (the Thursday 40 days after Easter.) Groups of men do a hiking tour pulling one or more small wagons loaded with beer, wine and other regional food. Many people take the following Friday off of work, and many schools are also closed, resulting in a four-day weekend perfect for short vacations.

Interestingly, Father’s Day in the U.S. is the busiest day of the year for collect calls. More phone calls are made on Mother’s Day, but the percentage of collect calls on Father’s Day is much higher!

So if you can, spend some quality time with your Dad… Tools and electronics are much appreciated, but pass on the socks and ties. And please, don’t call him collect!

photo via http://www.flickr.com/photos/xhero

When it comes to celebrating our fathers, there are many ways it can be done; but if you live in a region where crawfish are plentiful, a fun option for everyone is with a Father’s Day crawfish Boil. And if you don’t have access to crawfish where you live we’d be happy to ship some to you!

“A Louisiana Crawfish Boil on Father’s Day?” you might ask. Sure, why not! After all, boiling crawfish is not something that only dads can prepare. True…in most scenarios it is Dad who manages the grill, but it doesn’t have to be. Consider this, to have a rockin’ crawfish boil one only needs a “few key elements.” These are a large pot, a heat source, some crawfish boil seasonings, live crawfish and an assortment of veggies and meats. As you set up for this celebration of Dad, be sure to have dad resting in a comfortable location –complete with the cold beverage of his choosing, some reading material and whatever else you have available to help dad stay relaxed.
When you call the family to the table. Be sure dad is first in line!
Of course, if you have always depended on Dad to handle the LA crawfish boil, then you may need some basic instructions —and not the ones that begin with, “Dad, can you do fill in the blank.” Click here for some simple directions for making dad a fantastic Cajun crawfish Father’s Day feast.

Hmmm… Celebrating Father’s Day with a crawfish boil sounds like a party that should happen often! If you need help celebrating Father’s Day (or any other event) with a Louisiana crawfish boil, give Cajun Crawfish a call. We would love to be a part of your celebration

crawfish etouffe

“An authentic Louisiana recipe with a rich and spicy fresh tomato based roux with fresh garlic, bell peppers, celery and onions mixed with crawfish and shrimp. A little time consuming but well worth it!! Serve over steamed rice with hushpuppies and/or crackers on the side.” — RHONDA35

allrecipes.com

Ingredients

1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 small green bell pepper, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 fresh tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons Louisiana-style hot sauce
1/3 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)
2 tablespoons seafood seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup fish stock
1 pound crawfish tails
1 pound medium shrimp – peeled and deveined

Directions
1.    Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Gradually stir in flour, and stir constantly until the mixture turns ‘peanut butter’ brown or darker, at least 15 or 20 minutes. I use a large fork with the flat side to the bottom of the pan in a side to side motion. This is your base sauce or ‘Roux’. It is very important to stir this constantly. If by chance the roux burns, discard and start over.
2.    Once the roux is browned, add the onions, garlic, celery and bell pepper to the skillet, and saute for about 5 minutes to soften. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and fish stock, and season with the seafood seasoning. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3.    Season the sauce with hot pepper sauce and cayenne pepper (if using), and add the crawfish and shrimp. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the shrimp are opaque.

By Patrick D. Bonin

Branch, LA – Ever hear that old expression about needing to have “thick skin?”

Crawfish in ponds across south Louisiana seem to take it to heart every summer about this time, as their shells start to harden while the heat cranks up.

You might even notice some mudbugs are a bit tougher to peel this late in the season… but do you know why?

Mark Shirley, aquaculture specialist at the LSU AgCenter, said several factors influence the hardening of a crawfish’s shell, chief among them age.

“Immature crawfish go through a series of molts before finally becoming a mature animal,” Shirley said. “Once they reach sexual maturity later in the season, that shell will stay with them for several months before they molt again.

“It typically takes 12-15 molts for a crawfish to reach maturity, and sometimes they molt as often as every two to three weeks early on,” he said. “So at the start of the season, there’s a quick turnover with the shells: now there isn’t. That allows for a thicker, heavier shell.”

Shirley said most mature crawfish now won’t molt again until next fall when the ponds are flooded and they emerge from underground. In the meantime, their tough exteriors serve them well as they prepare to tunnel down to escape the summer heat.

“The harder shell enables them to dig a burrow better and easier, and gives them a better chance of surviving underground,” he said.  “They’re sitting down there for all of July, August and September. Sometime in October they’ll typically emerge from their burrow not having molted since late spring. “

These mudbugs that survive a harvest season and are used to seed next year’s ponds are typically the really large crawfish you’ll notice in future boils.

“If you find a male with really big claws in December or January, he’s a mature crawfish who’s probably gone through a season,” Shirley said. “When they come out of their burrows next fall, they have to eat a lot for several weeks and they’ll finally molt again to get rid of that hard shell. They’ll get a ‘young crawfish’ look again, but they’re actually an older crawfish in a brand new greener, lighter-colored shell.”

So while thicker, harder shells might signal the “beginning of the end” of this season, as least we know Mother Nature is already at work preparing the mudbugs so they can make it through summer and emerge in the fall… with another brand new crop of live Louisiana crawfish for 2014!

By Patrick D. Bonin

That’s a common question, but lots of variables play into providing a really good answer.

Are you serving a group of hungry Cajuns familiar with peeling and eating mudbugs? Or is this is a gathering of first-timers experiencing the wonders of their initial crawfish boil? How many women and children will be eating – they typically eat quite a bit less than the average guy. And are you including sausage, corn, potatoes and other “sides” in the boil?

You see, lots of factors play into coming up with a good number for your particular party. But here in south Louisiana (where we are admittedly experienced crawfish fanatics who probably eat more per person than other places,) many people figure on three to five pounds per attendee. But this is just an average: remember, a couple of folks might not eat much or just a couple of pounds, but one hungry guy can easily knock down 10 pounds worth and go back for more.

So try to gauge your party’s appetite, mudbug experience and male/female/child ratio. But typically, allowing 3-5 pounds per person is a good starting point. And the more corn, potatoes, mushrooms and sausage you include, the “safer” you are in making sure everyone leaves full and satisfied!

Nothing left in the path of the tornado, which was 1 mile wide.

By Patrick D. Bonin

As we begin to transition into the full heat of summer here in south Louisiana, the weather in our region continues to be active and of interest.

Storm systems moving across the central plains are projected to be potentially volatile again this week. Last Monday, on May 20^th, an EF5 tornado devastated Moore, Oklahoma, a southern suburb of Oklahoma City.

Little girl joining the clean up after the tornado

Twenty-four people, including 10 children, died as a result of the tornado, which destroyed an incredible 12-13,000 homes and impacted more than 30,000 residents. With peak winds at 210 M.P.H., the tornado touched down at 2:56 p.m. local time in Newcastle and stayed on the ground for 39 minutes over a 17-mile path, ultimately crossing over a heavily populated section in Moore.

And on Saturday, flash flooding in San Antonio, Texas left two people dead and required first responders to rescue more than 200 residents trapped in vehicles and houses.

According to Internet reports, almost 10 inches of rain fell at San Antonio International Airport from midnight to mid-afternoon Saturday, causing nearly all local streams and rivers to experience extraordinary flooding.

Here in south Louisiana, heat is definitely ramping up, but climatologically at least, it has been unseasonably cool with above-average rainfall for April and May.

“That’s definitely a positive for the crawfish,” said Mark Frugé, co-owner of Frugé Aquafarms. “When water temperatures escalate, the crawfish will burrow underground. I don’t know the exact trigger temperature when that happens, but when it gets into the 90s on a regular basis, the end of the season is nearing.”

Current conditions, though, have benefitted the mudbugs, he said.

“It makes for more favorable production right now, with higher volume than usual for late May,” he said.

Typically, as the heat increases through June, the harvest will decline as the month progresses. Usually, depending on what Mother Nature has in store, we try to harvest through the end of June.

“As soon as it gets too hot, the fishermen don’t see the necessary return on their expense to pump water into the crawfish ponds,” he said. “Production just gradually tails off until we shut it down for another year.”

So just like with the start of the harvest in January, Mother Nature and the crawfish themselves will determine when the 2013 mudbug season officially comes to a close. Keep your fingers (and pincers) crossed for at least one more good month to go!

According to the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, white shrimp have traditionally been considered the premium large shrimp in Louisiana. They are slightly more tender than other shrimp, and their shells are easier to peel.

Brown shrimp provide the bulk of Louisiana’s shrimp production. The difference between the shrimp, especially in smaller sizes, is very slight. Brown shrimp are slightly firmer when they reach a larger size, and sometimes develop a slight iodine taste, which may not be noticeable to the average palate.

In your refrigerator or on ice, we would suggest 14 days. If you freeze it, the tail meat should be good for about one year.

That a tough one to answer. It depends on lots of variables, including Mother Nature, water quality, available food supply and temperature. We think a good answer is between 25 and 30. But remember, if they’re running small the count could be as high as 50, and if the mudbugs are big, you might need only 12 or 16 to make a pound!