The Cajun Trinity for the Geographically Challenged

Today we are on the road to Las Vegas for one night only (insert Beyonce and J.Hud from Dream Girls because it's that level of spectacular!)

My sister, Allison and her husband Joey are in Vegas right now with friends Traci and Dean.  She planned this trip before we moved and I have to believe in my heart that if she knew we'd be in L.A. by now she would have come here. Right sister? RIGHT?!!? Just kidding...



But let me take you back to a real nice story:

Monday I was taking Julia our dog out to the bark park in our building for a little mid-morning tinkle and ran into our newest neighbor as he moved into the building. He was carrying a very large, framed portrait of Princess Leia in her slave costume from Star Wars.

I accept that I am an awkward person and that said awkwardness usually appears right on my face. I can only imagine what my face looked like as I said good morning to this complete stranger with whom I now share a bedroom wall. If you don't know what she looks like let me give you an idea:

Princess Leia as she greeted me that morning. (via Fanpop.com)

Yeah. 

I'm certainly not judging his nerdiness. I live with a nerd and have nerd like tendencies myself and calling people "nerds" is one of my favorite endearing compliments you can get from me. HOWEVER, a scantily clad Carrie Fisher greeting you in the hallway on a Monday morning is a cat of a different breed. 

I went back to my apartment, laughed, tweeted about it and then realized that he's no more of a nerd than a woman who writes a blog about kitchen disasters and bacon shaped art in the gym. So props to you neighbor guy! Let's hope you aren't rebuilding the set of "The 40 Year Old Virgin" in there!



But onto today's mini mission at hand: recreating the Cajun holy trinity here in California.

For those of you who are unaware of how this works, there is a not-so-secret trio of ingredients that amplify ALMOST every great Cajun/Creole/Louisiana dish.

Onions, Celery and Bell Peppers

Living in Louisiana I was spoiled. Never once did I have to cut these myself. Never. I always just hopped down to the store and bought a plastic container with pre-cut, pre-measured trinity ready to roll.

Oh what a rude awakening California has been.

When I first got here I bought all three and chopped them myself. Every night. I put trinity mix in everything. I even throw it in with canned spaghetti sauce. It makes everything better (unless you don't like onions, celery OR bell peppers).

Finally I got sick of cutting every night and realized I could just pre-cut and freeze them in bulk and only have to worry about sobbing my eyes out over a dang onion once a month.

Even this was too complicated for a lazy bones like myself. I searched high and low to find frozen trinity mix and this is as close as I got:

Admittedly it is cheaper to chop the fresh vegetables yourself, but I hate chopping onions. Bell peppers and celery don't really bother me.

The trick is to measure out equal parts of all three chopped and then stir so when you get a scoop of your pre-made mix it's not all onions, etc. 

How beautiful is this? I love green food!

So there you go Louisiana ex-pats. An even lazier way to make the holy trinity. Shortest explanation but boy does it make everything better! Maybe I'll bring some to the new neighbor. After all he just rolled out his doormat. Guess what's on it? I'll give you a hint: it's dragons.

XO, Andrea