ANNA MONICA / L’Observateur / February 11, 2000

LUTCHER – It took a camping trip in 1969 to get Herman St. Pierre cooking. Wife,Mary, had been cooking since their marriage in 1963, but that changed when they got a camper. They would camp out with other families as they traveled, andHerman found the time to be right to start cooking. At camp, while the kids wouldbe doing something else, the men would cook. Herman wanted to do something too,instead of just sitting around, so he began taking his turn to cook. It really hasn’tstopped and he still feels inspired to cook when they are out camping.

At home, though, he leaves much of the cooking to Mary, but in the summer finds enjoyment in cooking when they have parties at their backyard pool. About Herman,Mary says, “He cooks when he feels like cooking. I have to cook most of the time.”Herman, a Lutcher resident, is pleased to say he picked up some cooking tips from his uncle, Allen St. Pierre of Garyville, and combines some of those tips with ideasof his own. His attempts have been successful as he has been sought out to cookat weddings for family and friends.

“I can cook anything,” he say. “I am not afraid to cook anything.”Sometimes the St. Pierre’s freeze food Herman cooks when he cooks a lot, thenthey can have it for another lunch.

“And they all look for it for lunch, too,” Herman says.

They agree that sometimes Herman will cook enough to feed the entire neighborhood. In cold weather he likes to cook corn soup or gumbo, either seafoodand okra or chicken and andouille. Spaghetti and meatballs and Italian or freshsausage are favorites, but Herman really likes to cook jambalaya and white beans.

Starting with a rough recipe, Herman has just improvised and cooks a jambalaya spaghetti.

With friend, Gerald Zellar, Herman cooks for the LSU Bash party; that’s the day they sign up the football athletes. On that day there are about 25 to 30 peoplecooking, and they cook at least 40 pounds of rice. The public pays a price and cansample the food.

Cooking is only a part of what Herman does. A collector of antique classic cars, healso drives them in weddings for family and friends. One of his cars won first placein the “World of Wheels” in the Superdome in 1999 and 2000. He belongs to a carclub, has a swimming pool business and has trailer court and business rentals.

If that isn’t enough, like some of his St. Pierre relatives, his skilled hands can buildor even remodel as he is presently doing for his daughter, Susan. The otherdaughter, Juanita Bourgeois, lives in LaPlace.

With activity like this, there are even times when the St. Pierres have to pick upmeals.

Following are some of St. Pierre recipes:CORN SOUP

1 cup oil 1 cup flour make a roux

Saute in oleo and add to roux: 1 cup green onions 3 medium onions 1 bell pepper 2 stalks celery

Add: 1 bag corn (frozen) 3 cans whole sweet corn 2 cans cream corn 2 cans Rotel tomatoes 3 cans whole tomatoes 1 small tomato sauce 1 small tomato paste 1 dry Lipton onion soup 2 tbsp. worcestershire sauce2 tbsp. wine sauce4 medium potatoes, diced

Add hot sauce, minced garlic and catsup to taste. Cook on medium fire for twohours, then add potatoes and cook for 15 minutes.

ASPARAGUS SHRIMP

3 lbs. onions, finely chopped2 large bell peppers, finely chopped 4 stalks celery, finely chopped 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped parsley salt and pepper, season to taste Tabasco sauce 2 lbs. shrimp, shelled and deveined2 cans cream of asparagus soup

Saute garlic in butter or olive oil. Add onions, bell peppers. When soft, add soup andsimmer 45 minutes, then add shrimp and simmer eight more minutes. Add parsley.Boil 1 lb. linguine noodles and serve over noodles.

SHRIMP CANTONESE

2 tbsp. vegetable oil1 chicken breast, skinned, deboned and cut into one-inch pieces 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 lb. shrimp3 green onions, chopped fine 2 chicken bouillon cubes and 13 oz. water2 tbsp. corn starch2 tbsp. cooking sherry1 tbsp. soy sauce1/2 tsp. salt1/2 tsp. sugar1 egg, slightly beaten Hot cooked rice (four to six servings)

In an electric wok, add oil; set at 350 degrees. When hot, add chicken and garlic.Stir fry for one minute and add shrimp and green onions. Cook two more minutesand add chicken cubes and 13 oz. water. In a cup mix corn starch, sherry, soysauce, salt and sugar and add to shrimp and chicken. Cook three to five minutes,stirring constantly. Turn off treat and stir in egg and mix well. Serve over cookedrice.

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