Book signing and plantation tour on June 27 and 28 in Thibodaux
The “Queen of Cajun Cooking” is celebrating the new edition of her cookbook in Thibodaux with a book signing and a tour of the plantation. The plantation was last open to the public five years ago.
Marcelle Bienvenu, an experienced cook, former cooking instructor at Nicholls State University and Times-Picayune columnist, is celebrating the reissue of her Cajun cookbook, “Who’s Your Mama, Are You Catholic, And Can You Make A Roux?” with a book signing June 27 and 28 at the Rienzi Plantation House in Thibodaux.
The book was first published in 1989 and contains about 200 recipes. The new edition of the book retains all of the old recipes but updates some of the photos with new color pictures, many of which were taken at the Rienzi Plantation House, 215 E. Bayou Road, Thibodaux.
“I’m glad I wrote it because it really brings back memories of my childhood,” said Bienvenu. “It’s a nice nostalgic thing that people have said they like the book because of the stories – maybe they don’t even use the recipes.”
Printed copies of the updated book will be mailed out on October 1st. They can be pre-ordered either at the event or on their website https://www.marcellebienvenu.com/ for $48. Bienvenu will be signing bookplates at the event that can be inserted into the books. Tours of the plantation are $30 and will be held at 9:30am, 10:30am, 2:30pm and 3:30pm.
The book is divided by seasons, and the recipes include classics like gumbo, jambalaya, tarte a la bouillie, and more. Each recipe is accompanied by a brief account of her childhood experiences with the dishes. Many of these stories appeared in her writings during her 33 years as a columnist for the Times-Picayune.
Plantation owner John Lafargue and Bienvenu timed the event to coincide with the Manning Football Camp at Nicholls State University. Those who bring their children to practice could stop by for something to do, they said.
“It’s always very popular with the locals and brings all the parents of the football players and everyone else,” said Bienvenu. Her friend Lafargue suggested opening the plantation for tours to help her pre-sell the book: “And that’s exactly what we’re doing.”
The Rienzi Plantation House is rarely open to the public. Lafargue bought the plantation from Nicholls in 2012 after the university decided it didn’t fit with its plans to convert it into a culinary school. Nicholls owned it since 2004. Lafargue opened it to the public in 2019 for the Louisiana Architecture Foundation.
To see historical photos of the house, click here: https://www.houmatoday.com/story/entertainment/2016/08/25/plantation-photos-put-area-history-on-display/25579118007/
Lafargue said the house was built sometime between 1814 and 1825, and over its lifetime the property was owned by three different governors: Henry Thibodeaux, the namesake of the town of Thibodaux; Henry Johnson, who may have had a hand in the house’s construction; and former Alabama Governor Thomas Bib.
An Italian owner named the house after the 14th century Italian patriot Cola de Rienzi, and it remained a working sugar plantation during the Civil War. JB Levert bought the house in 1922, and sugar continued to be grown there until the 1980s.
The house has many features not found on other plantations of its era. It is 11,000 square feet, of which only 6,000 square feet is living space. It has 14-inch thick brick walls, multiple fireplaces on the main floor, and exposed beams throughout the ceiling.
“Rienzi is 100% American-style home,” said John Lafargue, owner of Rienzi House.
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