Supper

Hereabouts, when the weather is nice, we in Louisiana like to cook on the back porch.  We drag out the friers and crank up the heat, and we cook whatever is available.  In 1976 I took what might have been the first  ever fish-cooker seen in the state of Kentucky. We were cobbling them together in our shops in Louisiana, but you couldn't buy one in the stores.  Those folks had never seen one, and they were  amazed that I was frying fish in the back yard.  Before I left Kentucky in '79, the post hobby shop had the pattern and were turning them out as welding projects.  As most craftsmen and shop tinkerers do, these things have changed over the years.  Mine is made from an old Freon bottle and a 20,000 BTU burner from a discarded hot water heater.  It's all cast iron and good steel.

That's my original fish cooker, welded together by my Dad and Chester Kubes, back in 1974.  At that time the only way to have one was to make one.  40 years later it's still going strong.  I've had others, and I've given away several, but that one is mine.

Today, I came home with the bounty of Louisiana.  Some catfish, some oysters and some shrimp.  I also picked up a bag of french fries.  I cranked up the old fish cooker and commenced to frying seafood.  In about 30 minutes, Milady and I were ready to eat.

We ate until we nearly foundered.  Now, a good drink and I'll be ready to enjoy some television.