If you've never heard of Donaldsonville, Louisiana, don't feel alone. Although it's the third oldest town in Louisiana and boasts a population of about 7,900, far larger than most communities in the Bayou State, you may not find it on the map. You will even have a hard time discovering that is sits at the western foot of the Sunshine Bridge, a dizzying arc spanning the Mississippi River. Built during the administration of the state's singing governor, Jimmie Davis, the bridge was named after his famous love ditty, "You Are My Sunshine."
Yet there are folks in Japan, Moscow, Paris, Hong Kong, and even Beijing, who smile when you say "Donaldsonville." Ditto, high society in Hollywood and Washington, D.C. And most of the world's great chefs nod at the mention of this dot on the map, as do all the educated palates of Louisiana, which is to say every citizen of that state who savors solid food.
The reason for this global recognition of Donaldsonville is a 41-year-old Cajun of mixed French-German descent named John Folse. Perhaps America's premier chef of Cajun cuisine, his mission in life is to explore and extend to the virtual ends of the earth the delights of true Cajun-Creole cooking, served in the classic manner. He does so with immense charm.
Cybill Shepherd, star of the television hit Moonlighting, called Folse not long ago from her home in Malibu Beach. She wanted to give a dinner party for eighteen close friends. All she could think about, she said, was the food she had eaten at Folse's restaurant, Lafitte's Landing, while filming nearby. Would he bring his "Flavors of Louisiana," as he refers to his cooking, to Malibu Beach to serve her party? He would. His menu is still the subject of gourmet gossip.
With cocktails, he brought out Crawfish Mousse, a combination of crawfish tails, lump crabmeat and spices molded into the shape of a crawfish and served with garlic croutons.
For a hot hors d'oeuvre, he presented Cajun Oyster Stew in pattie shells. The stew begins with a dark brown roux and sautéed seasonings, to which he adds liquid from fresh-shucked oysters. It happens to be an old family recipe, served on holidays.
While Cybill was planning the party, some friends dropped the word that they hoped caviar would be on hand, since that was often "the thing" to serve with cocktails. Obligingly, Cybill had some of the world's finest caviar flown in from New York for the party. It was the only food left on the table after the party.
Two appetizers opened the dinner. First, Cajun Pasta - shrimp, lump crabmeat, oysters, and crawfish cooked in a sauce of heavy cream and crawfish stock, then poured over spinach pasta. Folse used a skillet in which andouille, a spicy Cajun sausage, had just been sautéed so that the sauce would pick up the smoked flavor.
The next appetizer was Jumbo Sprimp Viala, named for the historic Viala Plantation house that became Folse's restaurant in Donaldsonville. He slit the tails of giant shrimp and marinated them in white wine, garlic, and lemon juice. The tails were then stuffed with crawfish meat and broiled in sherry butter
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