Let’s Zydeco

Steve Riley

It’s cold and rainy in New York so what better time to travel to warm Cajun country with hot music? Let’s Zydeco runs evenings with top bands at an otherwise undistinguished Irish pub on West 45th Street. It’s a lot of fun with people of all ages (many on the not-so-young side, many that are) and types dancing their feet off.  Sunday night the featured band was Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, a group that’s been making music together for twenty-five years. The evening began, as all do, with a lesson in the basic steps–waltz, two-step and what’s called jitterbug but has a very Zydeco take. At eight Steve and the boys took the stage and the room exploded with about one hundred people having a fabulous time. Steve, a recent Grammy winner, plays several different accordions as well as the fiddle; he also sings and is backed by four other guys. This link takes you to  Cajun/ Zydeco dancing (elsewhere) for a sense of its enthusiastic style.

Zydeco music incorporates R&B, reggae, blues and whatever else the people playing or dancing to it come up with. The genre evolved in southwestern Louisiana via French Creole speakers; it’s heavy on the button accordion, fiddle and often a “washboard.” Most numbers are up-tempo, catchy and easy to dance to as people add their own touches. One of my partners said that when dancing fast it feels like you’re flying–how true. He’d come from Philadelphia where he had danced to the same band two nights before–a tribute to how good these musicians are and how great the experience is.

This year Mardi Gras falls on February 17th. If you want to dance and don’t feel like heading for New Orleans, you can go to Connolly’s. Check out www.let’szydeco.com

If you want to eat traditional Mardi Gras food, make classic red beans and rice.

Red Beans & Rice
Serves 6
1 pound dried red beans (small red or kidney)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound andouille sausage (you could substitute smoked sausage but andouille is the real deal), sliced and quartered
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 – 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large smoked ham hock
2 – 3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Cooked white rice, for serving
Pick over beans and discard any odd-looking ones. Rise in cold water. In a large bowl, cover beans with 3 inches of water and set aside at room temperature for 6 – 8 hours. Drain and rinse.
Put olive oil in a large heavy pot. Add sausage and cook until it starts to brown, about 5 – 7 minutes. Remove sausage and set aside. Over medium heat, add onions, peppers, and celery and cook until softened, about 5 – 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so.
Pour 6 cups water into pot. Add beans, ham hock, bay leaves, Cajun seasoning, and Tabasco. Bring to a gentle boil, skimming off any foam as that collects on the surface. Reduce the heat to low/medium-low and cook at a gentle simmer, uncovered, for one hour. (Stir occasionally to ensure no beans are stuck to the bottom.)
Return the sausage to the pot. Continue cooking until beans are soft and creamy about 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours. (If you want a thicker texture, mash some of the beans against the side of the pot.) Season generously with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with cooked white rice and hot sauce.
Toss on those Mardi Gras beads and serve.