I see that now. Apologies for missing that.
In my defense, it does say that you are from "Just South of Hell" and I missed what the connotations of your name suggested until another poster pointed out that you lived in LA. I also assumed that nearly all the posters here were from Ohio since it is a Buckeye fan website.
That makes sense. And I completely understand. It is true that those from more traditional Cajun backgrounds, such as yourself, would not be fond of putting such non-traditional items in their Gumbo. You are also correct to point out the N.O. influence here in the Dell, as my family fled to up here from there a generation ago.
Our cuisine is also less traditional as indicated by John Besh's take on cuisine. His restaurant August is highly controversial while also highly celebrated. And his experience in TV has led him to spend time out in California, where he further experimented with traditional Cajun cuisine and included such items, such as quinoa, to appease Vegan west coast palates and New Orleans tourists.
To answer your question then about the name I chose, it represents the birth of a new era, and integration of outside perspectives with Louisiana Tradition, in the two things that I'm most passionate about: Food and Football.
New ways of perceiving and doing things within the context of the old framework. Just as Monsieur Besh altered the traditional cuisine of Gumbo with non-traditional, West Coast items like Quinoa to create a new, yet familiar, dining experience, I foresee Coach Brian Kelly bringing in ideas and concepts from the North East and Midwest into the heart of Louisiana football and creating something new, yet familiar, in LSU football.
The last time we had an outsider from the North come to LSU, he a won national championship. I believe that CBK is going to have similar success, and that his outside perspective and experiences with the raw talent and tradition of LSU and LA high school football, will truly create something new and innovative while retaining the heart and soul of Louisiana — something just like Tomato Quinoa Gumbo.
