This fall I lost my first cooking teacher. My mother–who taught me how to measure, sift, and stir as well as how the sharing of food is tied to love—died in early October. I have missed her every day since. Cooking recipes that are connected to her memory has helped to heal my pain a bit.
Buttons was a creative kindergarten teacher, talented quilter, and dedicated mother, but a large part of her legacy revolved around cooking. She was happiest when cooking alongside my father or other family members, but she was especially joyful when sharing the kitchen with her grandchildren. My children and nieces and nephew have fond memories of making M & M cookies, lemon bars, watermelon cookies, and many other treats In Granny’s corner of the kitchen. That time with Granny was fun.
Celebrating through food
Buttons loved to celebrate occasions with special dishes. When we called to tell of plans to visit, her first question was, “What would you like to eat?” She left behind shelves and shelves of cookbooks and four boxes of recipe cards, many annotated with notes and spotted with the good stuff that splattered on them during cooking.
To pay tribute to my mother’s memory and her way of celebrating through food, I recently made a batch of shrimp creole for my daughter’s birthday. Shrimp creole was one of the early Cajun dishes my mother taught to me. It is the recipe I turn to when a festive occasion is around the corner. The steps of creating the dish brought back strong memories of home.
Making the Shrimp Creole
I knew the first step was to put on an apron. (Buttons would have insisted.) Second, I assembled the ingredients to make the creole sauce. 
At my mother’s elbow, I learned to make a roux, the base of so many Cajun specialties. First, she showed me how to combine oil and flour and then cook the mixture very attentively, never leaving the pot alone on the stove. My mother instructed me about the varying hues of a Cajun roux and which was appropriate for a milder sauce like creole versus a more assertive flavor like gumbo.
For creole, the roux reaches a golden caramel color. Then it’s the right time to add in the trinity, in this case chopped onion, bell pepper, and later garlic.
Once the vegetables are very soft, the next step is adding tomato paste, seafood stock, and tomato sauce along with seasonings and letting that sauce simmer away slowly on the stove.
When I make creole, this is the place where I stop. I cool the sauce and refrigerate it overnight, allowing the flavors to improve. This also makes it a great dish to serve for dinner parties since it can be made ahead of time.
Finishing it up
When I am ready to serve, I put on a pot of rice to cook and warm up the creole sauce in a deep skillet. When it has heated up, seasoned shrimp go into the sauce to cook. As the shrimp simmer, their juices loosen the sauce so that it’s just the right consistency. Chopped green onions and fresh parsley leaves season the sauce the last 5 minutes of cooking and add a lovely green accent to the dish. 
As the aroma of shrimp creole filled our house, my heart was happy. This colorful Cajun treat was just the right meal for a special birthday. 
The silky, mellow tomato sauce clung to the shrimp, flavoring each bite. These flavors said celebration and love and home to me. 
Ellen had her tradition-filled birthday dinner to share with her sweet family. I think Buttons approved.
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Shrimp Creole
Sunnyside Cook
Ingredients
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 medium-large yellow onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 3 8-ounce. cans tomato sauce
- 1 8-ounce bottle clam juice or 1 cup water or shrimp stock
- 1 teaspoon salt divided, see below
- ½ teaspoon. black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon. cayenne pepper
- 2 pounds medium-sized raw shrimp peeled and deveined
- Tony Chacere or other Cajun seasoning
- ¼ cup. finely chopped parsley leaves
- ¼ cup green onion tops thinly sliced
To serve
- 2 cups white or brown rice --cooked according to package directions
- Tabasco --to taste
Instructions
For the creole
- Combine flour and oil in a large saucepan (off heat). Whisk until smooth. Place saucepan over medium-high heat and cook until it becomes golden-bronze hue, stirring constantly. (I use a wooden flat-edged spatula to cook the roux.)
- When the roux is a golden-bronze color, add the onions and bell pepper. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until peppers are soft, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add minced garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
- Add tomato paste, stirring constantly for one more minute. Stir in tomato sauce.
- Slowly add clam juice or water, stirring well to incorporate into roux/tomato mix. The mixture will be thick, so stir often.
- Add remaining ¾ teaspoon salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Reduce heat to simmer. Simmer covered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
30 minutes before adding shrimp to sauce
- Season shrimp with 1 teaspoon of Tony Chacere or other Cajun spice mix. Toss to cover all shrimp. Refrigerate.
To finish
- Add shrimp to simmering sauce, stirring well. Cover and cook 15 minutes, or until shrimp are just done, stirring occasionally. If sauce seems too thick, use additional water to thin sauce to consistency you want. Add parsley and onion tops. Cook 5 more minutes. Check seasonings and add more salt and pepper to taste.
To serve
- Serve over cooked rice; offer Tabasco on the side.
Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful recipe with me, Dawn. I would love to try this recipe with my family as well. I also miss Mrs Buttons very much. I have had a great time reading those cookbooks you guys gave me. I love to read her notes on certain recipes. You have I inspired me to cook something today for Dave!
As everyone else has commented this is a great tribute to your mother. Generations cooking together and passing down recipes are such important threads in the fabric of our lives. I think of my mother everytime I use one of her recipes or use one of the cooking tools or use a technique she passed on to me. When I visit back east the “slicing and dicing” part of the late afternoon/early evening is integral to a well rounded visit. Thanks for reminding me to stop and think about it and the role cooking with my mother has played in my life.
Buttons was looking down and making a few suggestions! We miss our mothers forever!
What a great tribute. She lives on through all of us. We’ll cook this recipe soon. Love you Ma!
This is so fabulous. I love how you make it sound so easy. That photograph at the top with the grandkids is a killer,. BTW, please post the recipe of watermelon cookies some time, which just sounds like a physical impossibility. I don’t think I have ever tasted such a thing.
You are a very lucky lady to have had such a special Mother. And I am sure she would love knowing you are preparing her recipes for your daughter. Your tribute was so lovely. Happy holiday cooking with your granddaughter.
Your writing so beautifully honors your mother. I love how making and sharing her recipes brings such comfort and warmth. What a blessing!
Dawn, what a lovely tribute to your Mother. She will live forever in your heart and you share her through cooking her recipes. The shrimp creole looks delicious. My mouth is watering!
This is a beautiful tribute to a well-loved woman. Your photos and explanations help this Cajun better understand the whys of making a perfect Button-worthy meal.
Dawn, what a lovely tribute to your mother. I know this has been a difficult year for you and I hope the happy memories of your parents will make 2022 easier. Also, yum.
Wow, Dawn. What an incredible way to honor Buttons and her culinary legacy. Your love and flavors jump out of the screen through your beautiful words and my mouth is officially watering 🙂
What a wonderful gift for Ellen, Dawn. You caught me off guard with this one. You & I assisted mom & dad 100’s of times with this, and so many like recipes in those recipe boxes & briefcase!
So many memories, filled with lessons, conversations, but mostly love. This was her love language. How blessed we were to be a part of it all! Crying good tears and sending you as much love as I can. THANK YOU for such a beautiful start to my day.
What a beautiful tribute to such an incredible woman. Your words vividly evoke memories of her for me. We will miss her, but can always remember her with this incredible dish.
It made me happy that I could celebrate your life and hers at the same time!