18130 Mon Dec 17 16:25:01 -0800 2001 6 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 56130 So I went jazzfest in new orleans for the past few years. As anybody who has been there can attest, it's as much about the food as it is about the music. And when I say food, I mean "chow". Despite being scalded by New Orleans heat and humidity I crammed as much spicy crawfish down as I could fit. So this brings me to my point - I have been cooking this dish known as "crawfish monica" which is a creamy spicy crawfish pasta dish. Kind of a cajun mac and cheese of sorts. If anyone wants the recipe I got it from crawfishmonica.com (ha!). Aside from the crawfish, the only key ingredient (and by "key" I mean "hard to obtain") is the spice (you can get bags of frozen Langostino tails for $8.50 from Trader Joe's - nobody will ever know it's not crawfish). My New Orleans connections tell me that the appropriate seasoning to use is Tony Chacherie's, which I have never been able to find around here. Does anybody out there know where I could buy or order this famous, all-important ingredient? Feel free to email me if you've got the scoop or want tips on cooking your Monica just right: nmordo@sonic.net - nate Mon Dec 17 16:25:01 -0800 2001 0 Nate Mordo 1 56138 I don't know where to buy that particular seasoning, but this site is very useful for all sort's of cajun/creole related matters, and it has a list of mail order sources. Also, I have made my own creole seasoning blend following the recipe on the site and it's worked out great. http://www.gumbopages.com/recipe-page.html Mon Dec 17 19:47:44 -0800 2001 56130 0 JCooper 1 56140 The last name is actually spelled "Chachere" and he's got a website - tonychachere.com. It's good stuff - the proprietor of Myron's Maison de Manger in Arnaudville (one of the true Meccas for fried seafood a la Cajun if it's still there) revealed it to me as a trade secret 15 years ago - glad to see it's still available. Mon Dec 17 19:57:58 -0800 2001 56130 0 Stacey 1 56148 No need to mail order, I was at Cost Plus in Vallejo last week and I was surprised to see it there. So it must be available at all of the Cost Plus outlets. Mon Dec 17 22:12:19 -0800 2001 56130 0 Steve N 1 56161 The Safeway on 16th St. and Potrero carries Tony Chachere's seasoning. I don't think it's in the spice section, though (it might be, but I don't think so). They have a section devoted to southern foods like red beans and rice, etc. I think I got it there. These folks have a website and an 800 number so you can also call them and ask where it's available in the bay area. Here's the info: creole@cajunspice.com 1-800-551-9066 Link: http://www.tonychachere.com/ Tue Dec 18 10:31:48 -0800 2001 56130 0 Nancy Berry 1 56162 Albertson's has it Tue Dec 18 10:31:59 -0800 2001 56130 0 Barry 2 56198 Which just goes to show that your local large supermarket carries lots of stuff you might consider unusual but you have to look for it -- look on the top and bottom shelves, look in the specialty food sections, etc. I've found over the years that you should never assume your supermarket doesn't carry something just because you've never heard of it yourself. Tue Dec 18 19:23:44 -0800 2001 56162 0 Ruth Lafler