DEBORAH CORRAO / L’Observateur / October 2, 1999

Joyce Maurin of Reserve didn’t know much about cooking when she moved to Reserve as a teen-age bride.

“I grew up in California,” she says. “I learned a lot when I moved here.”For one thing, she discovered she loved chicken andouille gumbo.

“But I didn’t know how to make a roux,” she says. “It was trial and error. I had to throw away several pots of gumbo before I got it right.”Maurin, 48, caught on fast after that, though, and especially loves cooking seafood dishes – crawfish, crab and shrimp, using recipes she creates by trial and error.

“If I eat somewhere and I like something, I go home and try to cook it,” she says. Other recipes culled from books or the newspaper she changes toplease her husband and herself.

“My husband loves to eat; that’s why I love cooking so much,” Maurin says.

“I think the secret to being a good cook is to enjoy cooking.” Through family ties, Maurin says, she has also learned to cook many Japanese dishes, including a Japanese version of egg rolls as well as staples like sushi and ramen.

She says her friends especially enjoy Lupe’s Salsa, a recipe she got from a sister in California who is married to a man from Mexico.

When she’s not in the kitchen, Maurin enjoys woodworking, a skill she learned at vo-tech school. She designed and crafted furniture for her ownhome and that of her son. She also remodeled her home, tearing down wallsand floating sheetrock.

She also likes sewing and plans to sew some clothes for her 1-year-old granddaughter.

Here are a few of Maurin’s favorite recipes:

Beef Brisket (Maurin says people always request this recipe) 1 trimmed whole brisket 1-1/2 tsp. salt1 medium onion (chopped) 1/2 cup catsup 2 tsp. yellow mustard1/4 cup cider vinegar 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce1-1/2 tsp. liquid smoke1/4 tsp. pepper1 bay leaf 4 tbsp. brown sugar

Sprinkle beef with salt. Place in ungreased oblong baking dish. Mixremaining ingredients. Pour over beef. Cover and cook in oven at 275degrees until beef is tender (about 5-6 hours). Serve on pistolettes.

Creamy Potato Soup (quick and easy) 1/2 lb. bacon1 small onion, chopped Shallots Parsley 3 cups peeled, cubed potatoes 1 10-1/2 oz. can cream of chicken soup1 10-1/2 oz. can cream of potato soupMilk

In saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. Set aside. Pour off all but 3 tbsp.drippings. Add vegetables and saute. Add potatoes and one cup water. Cookcovered until potatoes are tender (about 15 minutes). Stir in undilutedsoup, 1-1/2 soup cans milk, and pepper (add salt if needed). Heat. Do notboil. Garnish with bacon and cheddar cheese.

Mini Crab Quiche Crust: 4 cups flour 4 sticks margarine 1 8-oz. Philadelphia cream cheese

Mix well. Refrigerate at least 1/2 hour. Make shells in mini muffin tins.

Filling: 1 lb. crabmeat1 cup mayonnaise 1 bunch shallots 2 eggs (beaten) 1 lb. grated Swiss cheeseSalt and pepper

Mix together, spoon into shells. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. (Fillshells to top, but not over).

Lupe’s Salsa 8 medium tomatoes (Parboil to skin. Cook till soft and cool.)5 serrano chiles (roasted) 1 small onion, chopped fine 1/2 buch cilantro, chopped 1 large clove garlic Salt to taste

In a blender, blend together cooked tomatoes, garlic and salt. Taste tomake sure added enough salt. Add serrano chiles and blend. Pour into abowl. Add cilantro and onion. That’s it! Enjoy!

Apple Crisp 4 large apples (peeled and sliced) 2 heaping tsp. flour1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp. cinnamonLemon juice Raisins

Mix above ingredients. Put in greased 1-1/2 quart baking dish.

Topping: 1/2 stick butter 1/2 cup flour 1/2 tsp. cinnamon1/2 cup sugar Mix together. Spread evenly over apples. Bake at 325 degrees until done.

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