Many of Fiesta Vallian’s family memories are centered on the food her parents cooked.

Old Southern family recipes with a diverse blend of Cajun and Creole foods have been passed down from generation to generation in the Vallian family.

Vallian, a New Iberia native and student at the University of Texas at Arlington, who now resides in Fort Worth, Texas, hasn’t forgotten her Southern roots and the food associated with it.

The 30-year-old mother is determined that her children Deondre, 11, and Parris, 2, will enjoy the same Southern dishes she and her six siblings relished while growing up. She’s hopeful the old family recipes will be passed down for many more generations to come and won’t be lost along the way or replaced with updated versions.

The New Iberia native cooks the same traditional Southern dishes her father, Alton Vallain Sr., and her mother, the late Aminta Vallain, cooked for their family.

When Vallian recently returned home for a visit, it didn’t take her long to get the ingredients out of the cupboard and begin cooking a Southern Chicken and Sausage Stew.

“My parents loved to cook. Every day my siblings and I always had a delicious Southern-style meal prepared for us. My mother would cook this meal very often because it was delicious, inexpensive and served the whole family,” said Vallian.

“She was known for her chicken stew. It was a traditional dish that came from her mother, John Mae Butler.”

Just like her parents and grandparents, Vallain said she learned to cook by watching. Ingredients were never measured or amounts rarely documented. The family found joy in cooking and the task at hand was usually turned into a form of entertainment.

“When my parents prepared this dish, the house was filled with laughter and happiness because the smell filled our small house. In addition, we knew my mother was cooking the family’s traditional dish,” said Vallian.

The stew can be prepared ahead and stored for busy evenings.

“My son loves this dish. He would have Southern Chicken and Sausage Stew every day if he could. I normally prepare it on Saturdays or Sundays due to my outrageous schedule as a homemaker and student. It’s a tradition to serve this dish on Sunday after a morning church service,” she said.

“When cooked once or twice, you will no longer need the recipe, it will be in your heart. This dish has everyone licking their fingers after eating it because it’s just so good.”

Red beans and rice seasoned with sausage and smoked turkey, along with a serving of cornbread, smothered Creole okra and smothered cabbage are among the family favorites she and her children have come to rely on as comfort foods.

In the South, okra takes its rightful place on the dinner table, she said. The slender vegetable is an old favorite, whether it is cooked traditionally or with a different twist. Served as the heart and soul of a gumbo or smothered as a side dish and paired with tomatoes, fried or pickled, the slender vegetable often is the star at the dinner table.

Some of the best-cooked okra can be sampled May 23-24 at the downtown St. Martinville Festival Grounds along the Bayou Teche. Creole Zydeco and Okra will be on tap for the two-day festival as cooks compete for bragging rights for the best cooked okra and vendors offer samplings of an array of okra dishes.

Gates open at 4 p.m. May 23 and 7 a.m. May 24 at 203 New Market Street, downtown St. Martinville.

Judging of the cookoff is at noon May 24.

Gate fee is $5 per person, children under 12 enter free.