ANNA MONICA / L’Observateur / August 7, 1999

This coming Labor Day, Cecile and Henry Oubre will celebrate 52 years of marriage, and Henry has never missed a good meal. He compliments his wifewhen he says he couldn’t tell his life had changed when he got married because Cecile always did cook just like his mother did and as well.

Cecile, a native and resident of Garyville, claims she cooks the same things the same way she did before she got married. Watching her mother, the late OctaviaLieteau cook, she developed her own interests. With her mother being busy with13 children or being sick, Cecile began cooking at age 15 and has never stopped.

She loves it.

Pecan candy and pralines were among the first things she made, and, later, spaghetti and meatballs. The mother of 10 children with eight surviving, Cecilestayed at home with them and says her children never had to have sandwiches when they came home from school.

“I always had a meal cooked for them,” she said. “My mother always said shenever saw a house where there was no bread.”Her children now range from 33 to 50 years of age and live all over the United States. Sometimes they do call their mother for her recipes.Those who know her, and Cecile agrees, say that Cecile’s stuffed peppers, sweet potato dressing and pumpkin pie dishes are her specialties. Cecile likes to trythings and creates her own recipes, such as those seen here. Pie crust is theexception.

Cecile is proud of her Cajun cooking but credits her late friends, Vita Roccaforte and Rosie Miano, for teaching her Italian cooking. Miano also madeCecile’s trousseau when she married.

Daughter Maureen Oubre claims her mother is probably one of a very few people in town who still does canning. Cecile says maybe it’s really called “jarring,”because her snap beans, squash, sweet potatoes, corn, pumpkin, okra, mustard, turnip and carrots, among other vegetables, are all “put up” in jars and her store room has boxes nearly stacked and labeled with the contents. When canning, sheworks from sun up to sun down. It’s a long process but she loves that, too.Besides, her husband makes a garden and she isn’t about to let anything go to waste. Sometimes she buys fruits and vegetables to can. lt was her mother andthe late Mrs. E. O. Daigle who taught her how.Cecile makes preserves of blackberries, plums, peaches, figs and whatever comes along. Much of her canning goes to her kids and others. So far, she has 14grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

For the pot-luck Labor Day picnic for family and friends at their home where they expect about 200 people, Cecile already has some other popular stuffed peppers ready in the freezer.

Henry likes to make wine, which he gives away, and takes delight in everything Cecile cooks, except, he says, “I don’t eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day.”Nonetheless, Cecile keeps on cooking it, perhaps on a Sunday because that is the day she cooks up at least eight to 10 dishes. She loves it!

Pumpkin pie 1 medium size pumpkin 1 1/2 blocks of oleo or butter 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice 2 tablespoons nutmeg 2 1/2 tablespoons vanilla Boil pumpkin in shell scoop out pumpkin. Melt butter or oleo in deep skillet. Cookover low heat until brown. Add pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg and vanilla. Continueto cook until brown. Makes about four pies.

Pie crust 10 tablespoons Crisco or oleo 1 cup all-purpose flour 4 tablespoons ice water Makes a crust for one pie.

Zucchini with tomato 4 zucchini squash 1 pound ground meat 1 can tomato paste 1 can tomato sauce 1 large onion chopped 1 small bunch of shallots parsley flakes, to taste 1 chopped bell pepper 1 1/2 teaspoon basil 1 1/2 teaspoon oregano Boil squash. In skillet fry ground meat until brown. Add all seasoning to groundmeat. Add basil and oregano, then add zucchini to tomato gravy. Cook about 11/2 hours over medium heat. Serves eight.

Stuffed peppers 12 large peppers 3 pounds ground meat 2 pounds shrimp 2 teaspoons oregano bread crumbs 1 large onion 2 bell peppers 1 cup chopped shallots 2 teaspoons basil Grind onions and two bell peppers. Cut peppers in half. Brown ground meat inskillet add shrimp and all seasonings to meat. Cook until done. Add seasonedbread crumbs to mixture. Add enough to be able to hold in pepper. Stuff peppersand sprinkle top with bread crumbs. Make 24 peppers. Put in shallow pan add 1/2cup water. Cover and bake until brown.

Sweet potato dressing 1 pound ground beef 1 pound ground pork 1 jar oysters 2 medium sweet potatoes, boiled and mashed 1 bell pepper, ground 1 cup shallots 1 1/2 teaspoon basil 1 1/2 teaspoon oregano 2 cups seasoned stuffing 1 large onion, ground 2 stalks celery, ground In dutch oven fry ground meat until brown. Add ground seasoning, cook untilalmost done. Add oyster, cook 10 minutes. Add mashed potatoes to mixture.Then add seasoned stuffing mix. Cook about 15 minutes. Makes about two quarts.

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