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CAJUN CHEF DISHES UP HIS BEST WORK OUTSIDE OF THE KITCHEN
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10/2/2009 : Costa Mesa, CA --When asked to describe his style of cooking, Victor Vinson, AKA Cajun Vic, replies, “I’m not your typical Cajun chef.”
Talk about an understatement. His mouth-watering gumbo, jambalaya, biscuits and other Cajun-inspired food have entertained the palates of Hollywood celebrities, military officials, political refugees and even cops and firefighters in his hometown of Huntington Beach.
But though he’s an acclaimed personal chef and is proud that “my gumbo has opened so many doors for me,” from acclaimed bluesman Walter Trout recording a song called “Cajun Vic,” to appearing in several blockbusters Hollywood films, it’s what Vic does outside the kitchen that makes him singularly unique.
From organizing relief efforts for hurricane victims in Baja California, to volunteering for anti-poaching organizations in Africa and anti-human trafficking groups in Asia, he is constantly racing across the globe in the midst of some humanitarian venture.
“I just love to help people,” he said. “And everywhere I go, I wind up cooking.”
Cajun Vic’s gumbo will be up for sampling during the 1st Orange County Accordion Festival, aka The Big Squeeze, which is slated for Sunday, October 11 at the Orange County Market Place in Costa Mesa. The event is showcasing a variety of accordion styles including Cajun thus tying in with Vinson’s food presentation.
Someday, Vinson hopes to write a book about his many exploits. But it could just as easily be a movie. One huge scene in that film would be his harrowing escape from a small plane crash over Honduras in 1993 while on a humanitarian mission. The plane he was in crashed into the side of a mountain, and Vinson wound up with 19 broken bones. But he was the lone survivor. Six months after, he jumped from a plane to prove to himself that he wasn’t afraid of flying.
Vinson has spent 19 years in the U.S. Military, four years in active duty and the past 15 in the Army Reserves. His unit works in the civil affairs of special operations, helping to rebuild the infrastructure of war-torn countries.
He also visits Southeast Asia regularly as part of a non-profit organization devoted to offering medical support to refugees fleeing Burma into Thailand. “I’m there to help the surgeons keep from getting sick. I’m in charge of purifying the water and cooking for them. In fact, last time, I taught some villagers a Cajun recipe using things that were found in their area. I’ve heard that, since then, those villagers have been sharing my recipe with other villages, so I guess my recipe has affected the cuisine of an entire region.”
While humanitarian efforts keep his spirit alive, what helps put a roof over his head is his cooking. He grew up the Mississippi Delta, worked at several New Orleans restaurants as a young man and “always loved to cook. But even as a kid, I’d never follow the recipe. It gave me an idea but I’d add some kind of twist.”
“I think I put a different spin on Cajun cooking,” he said. “A big misconception about Cajun food outside Louisiana is that people think it’s super-hot. It is a little hot, but it’s more about blending the species evenly. You might wipe your head a couple of times, but not burn your mouth.”
He’s developed a ten-spice mixture that he believes seasons any dish, even non-Cajun food, to a level “that you’ve tasted before. You could use it on your mother’s meatloaf recipe and it would taste better than it ever has.”
Vinson volunteers eight times a year at Newport Harbor High School, teaching high school students some of his techniques, and is currently working on a series of DVDs designed to show people how to cook Cajun food outside of Louisiana, using ingredients they can find in any grocery store.
“If you get a normal Cajun cookbook, a recipe might call for two pounds of Anouilh sausage. But if you don’t know what that is, or where to buy it, you’re going to be lost. My DVD’s will show you how to use things that you can pick up at any local grocery store and then how to season them so they taste just like. It simplifies it.”
For more information on Vinson, visit www.cajunvic.com.
“The Big Squeeze“ will feature more than 60 accordionists, other musicians, dancers and educators, ranging in age 8 to 91 years, to showcase the enormous talent and knowledge in nearly every conceivable aspect of the accordion along with presenting the “squeeze box’s” cross cultural appeal and adaptability into a variety of music genres.
Along with Cajun, just name the musical style and chances are it will be covered in the Festival, from Russian, Italian and French, folk music, to zydeco, Northern Mexican, Argentinean tango and everything in between.
The Festival, which will be held in the midst of the regular base of Market Place vendors, will have a select group hand picked for the event along with Cajun Vic including music stores, accordion sellers, restaurants, dancewear and Mardi Gras beads. Regular sellers at the Market Place offer a variety of products and services, fresh produce, gourmet foods to go, artisans and crafters, manufactured homes, kid’s play area, inflatable attractions, hair salon, food concessions and more. The Accordion Festival entertainment is included in the price of swap meet admission, which is $2 or FREE with a canned food item to help the Orange County Food Bank. Children 12 and under are free.
In its 40th year the Orange County Market Place is held every weekend (except during the Orange County Fair) at the O.C. Fair and Event Center in Costa Mesa. Hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. More information on these events may be obtained by visiting www.ocmarketplace.com or calling 949-723-6660.
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