Kitchen Culture Brings the Flavor of Cajun Culture to the Northwest

Guided by Southwest Louisiana food gurus Toby Rodriguez and Bryan Kyzer; Louisiana’s award-winning music supergroup The Revelers; and hot two-stepping duo Corey Porche and Sally Freund, Centrum will host Kitchen Culture – an authentic Cajun culinary, music and dance event – from May 6-10, 2015, at Fort Worden State Park.

Kitchen Culture combines the music, food and dances of Louisiana, a trinity of creativity and a way of life, established in the hearts and souls of its people since day one, says Chas Justus, of The Revelers. It is a culture existing in context with each element feeding off the other, not fulfilling its calling individually but existing for one another, making each other shine.

“Not everyone can book a trip Louisiana to discover this. That’s why Kitchen Culture is bringing it to you.”

Rodriguez – called a “Cajun Renaissance man” by Anthony Bourdain – and Kyzer are the masterminds behind Lache Pas Boucherie et Cuisine, a mobile farm-to-table boucherie party outfit. Registered participants will help the duo butcher a pig, using each part of the animal to create some of the most treasured Cajun dishes. This class will provide most of the meals for Kitchen Culture participants.

“The boucherie is our culture’s most genuine expression of the farm to table movement,” says Rodriguez. “There’s definitely a level of fear when killing the animal… people are extremely moved.”

Featuring Daniel Cook, fiddle & guitar; Glen Fields, Drums; Blake Miller, accordion & fiddle; Chas Justus, guitar; Eric Frey, bass; and Chris Miller, saxophone; The Revelers will bring their Cajun, Zydeco, Swamp Pop and Americana roots and rhythms to the mix not only in the dancehall but also in the classroom. Workshops will be provided Thursday, Friday and Saturday throughout the day including, but not limited to, Cajun fiddle, accordion, bass, percussion, and French singing.

“In Cajun/Creole culture, you hear music precisely at the time that you smell the aroma of the food,” says Justus. “The gumbo always smells better when you hear the live Cajun music, and the music feels better when everyone can participate, especially through dance. They all blend together in a harmonious marriage that is far greater than the sum of its individual parts.”

This is not just a music gathering! Kitchen Culture is for foodies, musicians, & dancers, with dedicated works tracks for each.

Food: We will create an authentic boucherie at Fort Worden, guided by Toby Rodriguez and Bryan Kyzer from Southwest Louisiana. If you are looking for authentic Cajun culinary instruction, are committed to the farm-to-table movement, and interested in locally-sourced food, Kitchen Culture is for you.

Music. Kitchen Culture will give you the opportunity to improve your Cajun music chops with an immersion into southwest Louisiana music making, courtesy of The Revelers – one of America’s finest cajun bands.

Dance. Cajun and Zydeco dance aren’t just art forms – they are cultural experiences in their own right. Corey Porche will be your guide and get you movin’!

Learn more about Kitchen Culture:

Tags: No tags

Add a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment