As I looked across the festival grounds I saw Mayor Johnny Berthelot along with Martin McConnell, Wally Tallion, president of the Jambalaya Association, serving jambalaya and greeting the public. Accessor Renee Mire was counting tickets and a beautiful sunny day is welcomed by all.

I headed toward the cooks and ran into Carlos Braud, former Jambalaya Champ and this year’s winner of the Champion of Champions cooking contest.

Along cooking row I ran into many friends. Everybody had a special technique and the aroma of sizzling hens and smothering of onions was mouth watering. It was hot but had a nice breeze. This year's world champion will have to master the heat control of open flame and the timing of perfectly cooked rice. As I looked at about 20 cooking teams I was informed there were 118 teams participating. Who will be this years champ, Blake, Stump, Danny or Max. Carlos, Ricky, Wally, Tee Wayne or Mike. Later today we'll see who made the magic.

Across the way there is a large group gathering and starting fires. Small fires are everywhere. The Mini Pot Jambalaya Contest is on its way. "Don't let the pot size fool ya." one contestant mentioned. "This competition is a little more laid back but every bit as competitive." I spoke to one cook and he told me that the year before, his wife, who was sitting right there, nagged him so much about not having a recipe, he gave here a mini pot for Christmas and told her she could cook her own. They were competing in his and her's mini pots and she displayed her recipe to me.

I mingled for a while listening to some bands and awaited the finalist of the Jambalaya Cooking Contest. There were 12 finalists with their helpers. These contestants have survived the cooking rounds involving 118 cooks, cooking 10 lbs. of rice, then a round of 32 cooks, cooking 15 lbs. of rice and the final round cooking 20 lbs. of rice.

Each finalist introduced their helpers and announced how many times they had been in the finals. Some had been named champ before. Some had been in the finals 12 times without a win. Men and women alike, all master jambalaya chefs waited in anticipation and at this point they are all winners but someone has to be named Champ. When it was all said and done the name that was announced as the 2006 Jambalaya Cook Champion was Mike Gonzales and his wife Tootsie.

Mike started cooking about 11 years ago in a local chemical plant contest. Tootsie is a tough competitor in her on rite. She has won contests several times and joined with Mike to make a perfect team. They say behind every successful man is a good woman. It sure doesn't hurt knowing she can cook too.

Ascension Magazine congratulates Mike and Tootsie for a job well done and upholding a longstanding South Louisiana tradition.

My overall impression of the 2006 Festival was extremely positive. The crowds were excited, the grounds were clean, the food was good, the beer was cold and the music was jammin'. What more could we ask?