a mile of boudin

The spread at Kartchner's.


Toby Kimball demonstrating the ways of the cracklin at Cajun Corner in Krotz Springs, LA.

The June issue of Country Roads Magazine tells the harrowing and heroic tale of my buddy Clarke and I eating a mile of boudin and cracklins in Krotz Springs, LA. We only got one brief respite that afternoon.

I will not lie; I was relieved when the convenience store clerk told me they were out of boudin. “They have some across the street at Billy’s,” she added helpfully. I nodded and bought a roll of Tums in the attached convenience store.

Read more about it here or on paper from your favorite south Louisiana newsstand. Here are all the meat pics you can handle from Kartchner's, Billy's and Cajun Corner.

What they have at Billy's, splayed out on the hood of my car.

In the same issue, I interview the great songwriter Verlon Thompson about songs and the songwriting workshop he's teaching at the Songbird Music School, July 6 & 7 at the Birdman in St, Francisville. I once say Thompson sing Jimmy Dean's cornball classic "Big Bad John" and render it a thing of beauty. If he can fix that song, imagine what he can do with yours.

I didn't realize the sausage link between the boudin story and Jimmy Dean until I wrote this. I did, however, fully realize the "link" gag. Bon appétit!


Experience the cracklins closeup!