Good food was always accompanied by laughter at the Branton and Mann households. Earlene Mann Branton, left, Gayle and Earl Mann, Vyrah Mann, Mattie Mann Cone and Elsie Branton Meaux, foreground, shared the preparation of delicious meals whether during a holiday or anytime they were together. Food and games, like those enjoyed in many Louisiana homes, were a family tradition.

A commentary on family holidays 

Writing for the food page is the perfect job for me, as a person who loves good food.

Though I confess I am not the great chef of the family, I do come from a long line of more than capable culinary experts.

Great aunts Vyrah Mann and Mattie Mann Cone, and their sister-in-law who was my grandmother, taught us all to cook. Vyrah Mann was a colorful character having played professional basketball during the depression. She traveled all over the nation before settling in Memphis to become one of the first female loan officers at Union Planters Bank.

Her real passion was cooking, usually the Justin Wilson method — using alcoholic beverages. As a child I was fascinated by her souveniors following a visit with us in New Orleans. Every time she returned to Memphis, a case of different liqueurs and liquors went with her. At the time, Memphis was dry.

Using recipes from a collection of more than 600 cookbooks, Aunt Vyrah would concoct delicious gourmet dishes even if for only one.

Until her death at 94, and that of her sister Mattie at 92, both women cooked large meals consisting of multiple vegetables, congealed salads, a meat and some type of casserole. The leftovers would be added to daily to be enjoyed by neighbors, family and friends. It was always a feast.

Family Traditions

My grandparents, Earl and Gayle Mann, along with my aunt Barbara Bridges and her family, lived in Jena just north of Alexandria. Our cousins, the Lester and Yvonne Bennet family, lived in Ruston. We were in New Orleans before moving to Lafayette.

Every Thanksgiving, we met in the middle, in Jena. The food was traditional, always expected and always in abundance. Each family had their favorite dishes to bring. The menu items provided in today’s recipes are the things our family provided or loved.

Earlene Mann Branton, my mother, was an award-winning cook with her Oyster Artichoke Soup. It became a mainstay for our Christmas Eve dinner. She never ate anything great at a restaurant without saying, “I believe I can make that at home,” and usually did.

We often would say we had the best restaurant in town. My sister Elsie Branton Meaux inherited that gift. I did not.

Remembering Thanksgivings long gone, I always enjoyed the assembly of the cornbread dressing, mom’s specialty. It was quite a production, which was the reason we usually made it only during the holidays.

A huge batch of crumpled cornbread, freshly baked, began the process filling the house with aromas even before the final baking. She would add in bread crumbs or old ends of French bread, whatever had been saved in the freezer for such a purpose. The green onions and celery chopped, pecans, fresh eggs to goo-up the mixture, apples, sage, chicken broth and soups.

Each step was stirred with a big wooden spoon. Mom tasted it all along to make sure the seasonings were right.

She liked to make a little extra to freeze one pan unbaked that we would thaw and bake at Christmas.

Then, we’d start the pralines. I know everyone thinks they have the best recipe, but I’ve never seen one like my mother’s. Someone gave her the recipe when we lived in New Orleans and I don’t remember ever seeing another recipe that featured “whipped” cream. They are not the same if you just use cream. You must whip it first. Frankly, stirring the pot when it first goes on the stove is a treat I’ll snitch every time.

Working at Lafayette General Hospital as manager of the recovery room, she started taking the same pralines we loved and made only during holidays. One year she made seven triple batches. We considered marketing them as “Earlene’s Pralines” but knew the freshness and delicate nature would make it too challenging for us to undertake. Best left to home cooks.

She was protective of the recipe saying if she gave it away, they wouldn’t remain so unique. When she retired in 1994, she printed the recipe on beautiful cards and gave it to her employees. You would have thought it was gold. One nurse ran home to make them for her husband, but Mom forgot to tell her to put newspaper under the wax paper. The hot pralines melted the wax onto the cabinet. The woman’s husband only said, “they’re not like Earlene’s.”

Our relatives always asked mom to make the dressing, pralines and bring hog-head cheese from Veron’s in Lafayette. Very similar to Theriot’s Diner in New Iberia. We might as well not go if we forgot the hog-head cheese. Other items were just as important, almost.

Eating Right Away

We would eat as soon as everyone arrived, about 10:30 a.m., and then laugh and tell stories catching up on news and reminiscing about other family times. Football was on the television while many took a nap having filled the bellies over hours of grazing.

Then around 2 p.m., with hugs and goodbyes until next year, everyone left for home.

New Beginnings, New Family

My move to New Iberia started 18 months prior to becoming Teche Life editor. As a single woman, no children, no ties, after my mother’s death I could go anywhere in the world. Those first 18 months I traveled the United States searching out where I might relocate and expected to move any day.

Then, it happened. Reality. I had to get a job. God provided.

In February, I became the Teche Life editor. So many people have opened their homes and their lives to allow me to tell their stories. I just had to take this opportunity to say “Thank you.”

With each and every person I’ve interviewed, I’ve fallen more in love with New Iberia and the Teche Area. You made it easy. Your stories are the Teche Life.

Thanks for the teamwork

I also want to publicly thank the staff at The Daily Iberian. Without everyone here, I would not be doing what I love most, writing stories. From Will Chapman, to the office staff, Jeff Zeringue, the news reporters, typist, photographer, sports writers, Don at news central, the advertising department, classified and layout artists, preproduction, inserters and production, all of you have helped me make the transition from freelance, entrepreneurial business person, to employee.

A special thanks to circulation and delivery. Carriers are probably the most under-appreciated people in the newspaper business. Every day I walk into work passing the cars waiting to pick up the morning edition to deliver throughout our distribution area. Without them, none of us would be getting the news or views into the community. Their jobs are not easy and regardless of the weather, like the U.S. Postal workers, they must deliver.

Thank you for delivering my stories to our readers.

Recipes for Remembrance

Family has a new meaning now, it is the people who daily share in my life. As readers of The Daily Iberian, you have become my family.

I want to wish you the very best of the holiday season. Never forget the old stories, and be sure to pass them on to new generations.

You are the keeper of your family history. Feel free to share some of your stories with me, I have 52 weeks, 64 stories, of Teche Life to fill in 2016.

Wherever you travel this holiday, be sure to give thanks to God for his many blessings. Times may be hard for some, but He is still our resource and will forever be waiting to share his love with you through others. Receive it today from me, with heartfelt thanks for letting me be a part of your family each week.