Attractions
Cowboy Cuisine: The Cajun Kid — Paradise, Texas
By Steve Stevens
If you have read my past columns, you know how fond I am of Cajun food. In the cowboy food pyramid, Cajun food is royalty.
Unfortunately, here in North Texas, it is not easy making our southeast Louisiana brothers proud of us.
Although there are a handful of good joints in North Texas, they are few and far between that send you home feeling like you can wrestle an alligator and go to sleep humming Zydeco tunes.
You have to be careful when you praise a Cajun joint, as my dear friends in swamp country could throw punches on the color of your gumbo roux.
Wouldn’t it be fitting that in a little town in Wise County named Paradise, population less than 500, there is a unique little Cajun restaurant named “The Cajun Kid.”
For me, paradise is whenever I am taken back to my time spent in Cajun country with my Cajun family, the Daleys, who taught me a little about duck hunting, crabbing, southern hospitality at its best and what authentic Cajun food is about.
The one thing I know without a doubt is the special ingredient that makes Cajun food so good is Tony Chachere’s special seasoning. Yeah, it should be put on everything, but I am talking about the love that Cajuns put into their cooking. I have never been around a culture that takes so much pride in sharing their food.
Even if it was only for an hour on a hot weekday afternoon, I was brought back to a nice relaxing drive on the Creole nature trail. The Cajun Kid offers some unique Cajun dishes that are hard to find around these parts. I started my meal with some fried boudin balls. Boudin is a sausage made from a pork-rice dressing stuffed in pork casings.
To read more pick up a copy of the July 2018 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.
Frog legs. (Photos by Steve Stevens)
Mama’s beignets.
On The Road With Dave Alexander
Rarely will you find an event center that includes a music venue, a steakhouse and a wildlife refuge all rolled into one.
Oak Meadow Ranch has been welcoming guests for over two decades with one thing in mind, your complete happy experience.
The Chef Dinner and Exotic Animal Experience includes a four-course meal followed by a hands-on experience with exotic animals.
You can catch up with Dave at the Birthplace of Western Swing Festival in Fort Worth, Texas on November 7, or at the Irving Symphony Orchestra in Irving, Texas on November 9. To read more about his experience at Oak Meadow Ranch, pick up a copy of the October edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print.
To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By: Lindsey Monk
On Aug. 22, 2024 at 11:40 p.m., the Remington fire jumped the line in Wyoming to burn towards Montana at a high rate of speed. The fire burned 194,459 acres and over 41 miles from one end to the other in a span of two days. Livestock producers will be feeling the effects for years to come.
Pick up a copy of the October edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By: Hannah Claxton | Editor
The GO TEXAN program is a Texas Department of Agriculture initiative dedicated to showcasing and supporting Texas based busi- nesses. During the State Fair of Texas, held in Dallas each year, the program puts together the GO TEXAN pavilion. Within the pavilion, presented by Southwest Dairy Farmers, visitors have the opportunity to sample and shop Texas-based products, learn more about agriculture and participate in family-friendly activities.
In 2023, more than $1 million in revenue was generated across nearly 67,000 products sold. Businesses with products produced or processed in Texas are invited to apply to join the program, and can visit http:// www.gotexan.org/JOIN to apply.
When visiting the State Fair of Texas, make sure to visit the GO TEXAN pavilion to support businesses driving agricultural commerce and explore Texas agricultural commodities outside of North Texas.
The State Fair of Texas is held each year in the fall, and is considered to be the first of the “majors” shows for many students involved in showing livestock. Cattle, hogs, sheep, goats, rabbits, chickens, and even llamas all have a class to enter at the fair.
For those not showing livestock, over a hundred creative arts classes are available to enter. Canned goods, photography, quilts, paintings, and butter sculptures are all displayed throughout the fair’s duration. Another contest judges a variety of antique collections and keeps them on display throughout the duration of the fair.
It’s not the State Fair of Texas without world-renowned food. The Big Tex Choice Awards contest has solidified the State Fair of Texas as the top Fair for great food creations. Each year, State Fair concessionaires fry up tasty and unique foods for a chance to become a finalist in the annual Big Tex Choice Awards competition.
The 2024 Finalists in the Savory category are: Dominican Fritura Dog (by Justin Martinez), The Drowning Taquitos (by Tony & Terry Bednar), Hippie Chips (by Rose and Tom Deschenes), Hot Chick-In- Pancake Poppers (by Palmer and Amanda Fortune), Texas Fried Burnt End Bombs (by Nick and Vera Burt).
In the Sweet category, the 2024 Finalists are: Nevins Nutty Bar- Laska (by Tami Nevins Mayes & Josie Mayes), Rousso’s Cotton Candy Bacon On A Stick (by Isaac Rousso), Strawberry Pop-Tarts Beignettfle (by Justin Martinez), Texas Sugar Rush Pickles (by Heather Perkins), and Tropical Two-Step Punch (by Binh Tran).
Livestock & contests schedule of events is available in the September issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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