DONNA KEATING / L’Observateur / February 26, 2000

LAPLACE – Jeanne Buffington of LaPlace doesn’t consider herself a wonderful cook, but she does enjoys cooking. She said cooking is a practicedart.

According to her husband of 25 years, Thomas Buffington, things she has succeeded at are because of 10 percent talent, 60 percent determination and 30 percent practice.

She also has two sons, Adam, 22, and Mark, 19, and she said one of her sons likes his food spicy and the other prefers his food lightly seasoned. So whenshe cooks she often makes two different versions to satisfy their preferences.

Her family’s favorites are her fried chicken and roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy.

Buffington is a native of Rhode Island. She also lived in Arkansas for fiveyears, which is where she met her husband while he was in the service. Shethen lived in Shreveport for five years and has lived in LaPlace for the past 16 years.

“In New England seafood is plentiful, but the dishes are different. In this areaseasonings here are used more heavily,” she said, describing what she finds unusual about Cajun cooking. She added her husband grew up in Arkansas andwas also accustomed to lightly seasoned food.

She said she hadn’t lived here long before she learned to cook beignets, which she often made for her sons and their friends when they had sleepovers.

She has also taken a liking to southern-style coffee, Community, in particular, and said if she ever moved she would have to have it sent to her.

Buffington first started cooking with the guidance of her mother-in-law when she was first married and 23 years old. She said using a cookbook is good,but she found it better to see someone actually doing the cooking.

She received a Betty Crocker cookbook when she got married and said it is something everybody should have to learn the basics.

In the beginning she did a lot experimenting. Not every dish was successful,and some things were not edible and had to be thrown out.

One thing she learned to cook was spaghetti, which she said was easy. So shewould cook spaghetti a lot when she was first married, but after six months her husband swore he would leave her if she ever cooked it again.

She added, “To this day he still won’t eat spaghetti.”Buffington said some of her favorite things to cook are breads, rolls and pizza dough.

She has done a variety of things for the past 16 years with her children, including decorating cakes and making candy. Making candy is a Christmastradition at her house, and even the boys would help. She said she has madecandy every Christmas except this year because her husband was in the hospital and there was no time. He asked her to make candy for Valentine’sDay which went over well, and she said she may have to start making candy twice a year now.

She also enjoys making cookies because they are better snacks than chips and more affordable.

Buffington has also helped with fund-raisers and is the coordinator for the 1999 Ascension of Our Lord cookbook “Angel Food.” She said the idea forthe cookbook grew from parishioners looking for fund-raiser ideas. The lastcookbook Ascension of Our Lord put together was 20 years ago, and it sounded like a good idea to come out with another cookbook to help raise money. The cookbooks are still available for $12 by calling the Ascension ofOur Lord Church rectory at 652-2615.

“A variety of different recipes are in the cookbook because the people who contributed recipes are from different areas,” Buffington said. Many of herrecipes, which she received from family and friends, are in the cookbook.

Buffington added, “The Rev. Benny Piovan, pastor of Ascension of Our LordChurch, is also an accomplished cook, and when he cooks people line up for miles. He cooks a variety of good things.”The following recipes are from the New England and Arkansas areas which she received from family and friends:

MAMAW’S CHICKEN SPAGHETTI

2 cups chicken, cooked and cubed 1 can cream of chicken soup 1/2 cup celery, chopped 1/2 cup onion, chopped (optional) 1 small can mushrooms 1 pkg. spaghettichicken broth or water

Simmer onion and celery in a small amount of chicken broth or water until tender. Cook spaghetti. Add soup to the celery, onion and broth mixture andheat until smooth in texture. Add mushrooms and chicken. Add spaghetti.Pour all into a casserole dish and heat until bubbly.

This recipe comes from Arkansas.

BAKED STUFFED SHELLS

1/2 lb. ground meat1/2 lb. hot Italian sausage1 large onion 1 egg 2 medium jars of spaghetti sauce 1 pkg. large pasta shellssalt and pepper, to taste 1 clove garlic 8 oz. mozzarella cheese1/2 cup bread crumbs 1/2 cup parsley 1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Drain and cool pasta.Brown meat, onion and garlic until crumbly and cooked. Drain excess fat andcool for five minutes. Add cheese, crumbs, parsley and egg. Spread one-fourth of the spaghetti sauce on a 9X13 pan. Stuff shells with meat mixtureand assemble in one layer in pan, top with remaining sauce. Bake at 400degrees for 20-25 minutes. Serve hot with your favorite bread and salad. This recipe comes from New England.

BLANCHE’S FRENCH CANADIAN MEAT PIE

2 lbs. ground pork1 lb. ground beef2 large onions, chopped finely 1 clove garlic 2 1/2 tsps. poultry seasoning3 medium potatoes, cooked and mashed 2 tsps. salt1 tsp. celery salt1 1/2 tsps. pepper1/2 tsp. ground sage1 cup water 4 pie crusts

Combine ground meats, onion and garlic and cook over low heat. When meatsare cooked, drain and stir in poultry seasoning, salt, celery salt, pepper, sage and water. Simmer for 20 minutes, uncover and simmer for 10 moreminutes. Remove from heat, add potatoes and cool. Prepare pie crust and fillwith meat mixture. Top with crust and slit a few holes in crust. Brush crustwith egg. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes and then reduce heat to 350degrees and continue to bake for another 25 minutes. Remove from ovenwhen done and serve hot.

Makes two pies.

This recipe comes from New England.

MRS. HART’S COOKIES

2 sticks margarine, softened 1 cup sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon1 egg, separated 2 cups flour 1/2 tsp. saltchopped nuts

Blend margarine and sugar. Add cinnamon, egg yoke, flour and salt. Separateonto two cookie sheets. Pat out until cookie sheets are covered with a thinlayer of dough. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Bake at350 degrees for approximately eight minutes.

This recipe comes from Arkansas.

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