Cookbook Thursday: Cajun comedy, food trucks and beer

            Tyler Chacon of Baton Rouge thinks good Cajun food should be paired with Boudreaux and Thibodeaux jokes and he offers both in “Boudreaux and Thibodeaux’s Cajun Comedy Cookbook.” It’s fun stuff, but the recipes are nothing to laugh about. The book would make a fun gift for tourists and relatives and friends living in places without B&T jokes and great Cajun and Creole cooking.

            Food trucks are the rage these days and Lafayette has more than its fair share. Naturally, a foodie town such as ours would never be left behind in a culinary craze. It’s disappointing that our fab food trucks were not included in the fun little book, “The Southern Food Truck Cookbook” by Heather Donahoe, although Baton Rouge and New Orleans got nods. One food truck that originated in Lafayette but moved to the Capital City is Bon Repas, and they get mentioned, with the author recommending the Blue Pig empanada stuffed with homemade chorizo, Maytag blue cheese and cilantro — might be worth a road trip!
            Another followup is beer expert Roger Protz’s “300 More Beers to Try Before you Die!,” coming on the heels of his “300 Beers to Try Before You Die!” And if you think 600 is a bit too much, Protz will convince you otherwise. The book offers a handy reference guide with photos accompanying every beer review. There’s also a handy guide to beer types at the back of the book, plus a directory of brewery museums and online beer retailers.

Cheré Coen is the author of “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “Exploring Cajun Country: A Historic Guide to Acadiana,” both from The History Press, and co-author of “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets.” She teaches writing at UL-Lafayette’s Continuing Education. Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.