Jeff Jolet was always in the kitchen growing up. Starting as young as 5, he would cook, and the first dish he can recall cooking is eggs. Ever since, he’s enjoyed cooking and loves taking part in the local cook-offs throughout the year.

Jolet works as an independent worker for Jeff’s Upholstery Shop in New Iberia and enjoys cooking with his friends.

“We cook all kinds of stuff,” Jolet said. “Where to start?”

From fish, to shrimp, stews and gumbos and pork dishes, Jolet has seen it and cooked it all in the kitchen.

“You never know what you’re going to eat when you come,” Jolet said.

In the past he and his 30-person team have cooked in a number of food festivals. One of his most memorable dishes the team made was a chicken-fried rattlesnake. Yes, you heard that right: rattlesnake.

After a friend of his sent him a dead rattlesnake, Jolet joked that he would cook it for the gumbo cookoff and he did, skinning it at the cook-off, frying it, much to the surprise and the pleasure of everyone.

“It was a hit,” Jolet said. “People were coming around wanting more.”

Another dish that Jolet loves to make is his signature carrot beignet, made with carrots, flour, sugar, cinnamon and other ingredients.

“It’s almost like a carrot souffle,” Jolet said. “That’s been our signature since the first cookoff we ever did. I guess since the late 90s.

Cajun carrot beignets are a twist on the light, fluffy New Orleans classic and are a great dish to try with friends and family.

Ingredients

2 cups mashed carrots

1 cup sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tbsp vanilla

Dash of salt

Flour (enough to make a soft dough)

Instructions

Boil carrots till they are tender. Mix everything together. Drop by heaping teaspoonful into hot oil and fry until lightly brown. Serve it while it is still warm.

Makes about 1-1/2 to 2 dozen.