The great food of Louisiana isn’t so easy to find in San Diego unless you stumble upon the small number of restaurants that serve it. Yet for those craving the true essence of Cajun and Creole cooking in its broadest form, another local option exists inside the stockpots of Tony Crockhom, a gay personal chef who began dabbling in Cajun spices at the age of 12.

Crockhom is also the chef and activity director for S.A.G.E. (Seniors Active in a Gay Environment). He was born in New Orleans and attended Cajun Brothers Chef School in Baton Rouge after working in cafes and restaurants owned by his parents and grandparents.

“Cooking was always in my blood,” he recalls. “My family owned about 28 eateries throughout Louisiana. I started out by making cakes, pies and sticky buns for daytime patrons.”

Since moving to San Diego in 1996, the La Mesa resident has become a revered master of jambalaya, crawfish etouffee and pineapple baked beans among his fellow S.A.G.E. brothers as well as non-gay clients who request meals that are made to be heated and served at home. Some of his patronage also includes staff from UCSD’s histology department, where his partner of 13 years works as a technician.

Prices vary according to menu requests, although Crockhom says that dinner for two for an entire week averages around $325 per household. Cajun-style grilled tri-tip, spicy beer-boiled shrimp and seared pork chops with diced apples are among the other dishes rooted in Crockhom’s culinary repertoire – not to mention American-gourmet fare such as poached halibut with Hollandaise and rib eye steak with prickly pear sauce.

But when it comes to Cajun cuisine, Crockhom dispels a common misconception. “Everyone thinks the food is real spicy. It’s really not, but rather it is well seasoned with spices such as cayenne pepper, garlic, thyme, sage and bay leaves.” And where non-Louisiana folk fail in their attempts to replicate a savory batch of gumbo, for example, Crockhom duly succeeds with the knowledge for making a proper roux – a staple in many Cajun and Creole recipes.

“A lot of people have problems with their roux,” he said. “The trick is to use butter and olive oil before mixing in the flour and liquid.”

Crockhom also points out the lineal differences between Cajun and Creole cooking. “Most of the Cajuns are a mix of French and American Indian; and the Creoles are of African, French and Crete-Indian descent. They were the servants of the Cajun people. So the food separates there,” he explains. “Cajun food was more upscale with higher quality ingredients. And the Creoles brought in a lot of ingredients that the Cajuns wouldn’t use, such as nutmeg, brown sugar and gar fish.”

Both, however, incorporate many of the same seasonings and spices into their foods today, such as Louisiana cayenne and Zantarain’s spices, which Crockhom finds at Mardi Gras Café on Midway Drive. In regards to beverage pairing, “Cajun people like their beer and wine and then move on to frozen mixed drinks after dinner before going out to party and dance.”

For more information about Crockhom’s chef services, call (619) 454-2148.

3 pounds of raw diced chicken breast

24-28 medium, peeled, de-veined raw shrimp

1 1/2 pounds raw smoked sausage

3 medium onions (chopped)

2 red bell peppers and 2 yellow bell peppers (seeded and chopped)

3 cloves of garlic

2 1/2 cups fresh or canned tomatoes (diced)

2 8-oz. can of tomato sauce

2 cups of water

1/2 short stick of butter

1/2 cup flour

10 tablespoons of olive oil

3 cups long grain rice

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 tablespoon hot sauce

3 1/2 tablespoons dry Creole seasoning

1 tablespoon dried thyme

Make roux first by combining five tablespoons of the olive oil, one cup of the chicken stock, butter and flour in a saucepan. Incorporate over medium heat until creamy and set aside in a stock pot. In a skillet, add remaining olive oil, onions, bell peppers and garlic and sauté until tender. Transfer to the stockpot with the sausage, tomatoes and tomato sauce. Season chicken with dry spices and sauté in the same skillet before adding it to the stockpot with the water and remaining ingredients (except the shrimp and hot sauce). Mix well. Cover. Cook low to medium for 45 minutes. Then add shrimp and hot sauce and cook an additional 15-20 minutes. Add additional water as needed if too thick.