VPcoonass

It’s a recipe I came up with a few years ago. Family seems to like it. It’s essentially a shrimp fettuccine hybrid with orzo pasta. Thanks to my wife, I found out what orzo pasta was a few years ago. I lived under a rock growing in VP up haha.
Orzo is under utilized in Cajun cooking if you ask me. I mean, it’s pasta in the shape of freaking rice….
Please add any recommendations/adjust if you see fit.
Hope everyone enjoys.

Servicing size for ~ 6-8 people.

Shrimp (large)- 3-4 lb (feel free to add and replace with chicken, tasso, sausage)
Onion- 1 large yellow
Bell pepper- 1 large orange and/or 1 red, and/or 1 green
Cream of shrimp- 1 can per pound of shrimp (or cream of mushroom if cream of shrimp is not available)
1 stick unsalted butter for shrimp and 1/4-1/2 stick for pasta
Seasoning- whatever you like (lemon pepper and/or Cajun seasoning; paprika on top when finished for aesthetics and smoky taste)
Orzo pasta (see package)- usually
1 1/2-2 packs
Garlic knots or bread

Shrimp throws off a lot of water.
After essentially boiling your shrimp/protein in butter + after sautéed onion/bell peppers, you’ll need to strain the liquid out (do not throw). Then add cans of cream of shrimp/mushroom to the protein + sautéed onion/peppers. Add back the previously strained liquid as desired.

On the side boil the orzo per directions and add butter if desired.

I like to serve the protein/cream mixture and the orzo in separate bowls so that people can adjust the mixture to pasta ratio as desired.

Don’t forgot garlic knot/bread.

Great for Sunday lunch/dinner for the family.

Best Sports Bar? Or is it more of an area where most people are going to be at their families houses for games?
-the feel I’m getting is more of a family house game day situation.
However, I’ve heard people do seem to like the Walk On’s here despite the worsening reputation other Walk On’s have gained.
Darrel’s might be a decent spot for game day too; not sure.
If you’re early/mid 20s then probably any of the McNeese bars would be fun for game day.

Any running clubs?
-yes. They have a small to medium sized run/biking community.

How safe would it be to run Shell Beach Dr and around downtown?
-They do have a sidewalk on shell beach drive and it’s a safe area to run. Not sure about the condition of the sidewalks. Same for downtown. Downtown is pretty quiet and I’d think running there would be easy from a traffic standpoint. Can run on the boardwalk area by Millennial park, along Prien lake park, and Greywood country club area.
I’m sure you know, but the Bekery area is adding a sidewalk/bike path down Sale street and across the new bridge. The goal of the bridge is to bring south lake Charles crowd (south of 210) to downtown since currently you have to drive through some bad areas to get downtown.

Are businesses slow to reinvest due to what happened with Laura/Delta?
-been here for about a year so I can’t speak on this too much, but I haven’t noticed. We’ve gotten several fast food and restaurants over the last year. LNG plant projects are also in the making. I think with the new administration we should see the projects start to take shape. Not sure about other industries.

How is the insurance situation?
-I didn’t notice a huge different from flood zone X here vs Lafayette. Wouldn’t dare buying in a flood zone here and make sure the house/area didn’t flood in May 2021. Insurance just sucks in Louisiana. And i wouldn’t buy in Cameron parish.

Local Quirks?
-Very nice people in a “big” small town. I’m sure there are a few a-holes, but I feel the people who stayed after the hurricanes were likely humbled from the devastation. Everyone knows each other, but are happy to welcome newbies since they want their city to prosper. Happy to help each other.
Very family oriented but little to offer young couples without kids.
Mcneese isn’t taken too seriously (at least in my circle). LSU is king here baw. All the fishing you want. Deer hunting north of here ain’t terrible. Marsh duck hunting isn’t great compared to rice fields more east.

Having said all of that, if you’re a young couple without kids looking to have a good time in the town you live in and have lots of opportunities to shop/eat/run/golf/meet other couples without kids/etc I’d consider look into Lafayette metropolitan area. Fantastic healthcare, lots of activities and restaurants/bars, and everything Lake Charles has to offer and much more. But again if you have to move here, there are worse places.
Happy to answer anymore questions baw

Southwest of 210 are da nicer neighborhoods (Greyood, Country Club, Nelson Rd, Holly Hill, Lake Street) besides around da Bekery (bakery) and Shell Beach Drive. Downtown is nice to visit if there’s an event or Sunday walk. The city parks are actually nice. There’s a lot of projects underway such as a bridge connecting north Nelson road to the Bekery area, as well as a boardwalk/wharf area that will include Crying Eagle Brewery and children’s museum on the water south of 10 bridge. All in all, lots of potential for a city. However, hurricane Laura/Delta absolutely destroyed the city and will takes years to get back to where it was pre-COVID/hurricane. I heard at once this place was one of the fastest growing economies in the US. Not sure if that’s true, but I wouldn’t doubt it given the LNG/plant projects. If you’re a single guy or no ties to city, there’s better places. But if you have to move here, there are worse places.

one large smoked ponce from Teet’s

And afterwards, oven at 375 F

Quit it. Don’t get me started…