Who We Are

Ya MeeMaw’s Magnalite Collection.
What’s a “MeeMaw?” A MeeMaw is another word for grandmother, often used in South Louisiana, alongside MawMaw, Grand-Mère, Ma-Ma, and several others.
What’s a Magnalite? A Magnalite pot is often found in the kitchen of homes in South Louisiana. Made out of a patented aluminum alloy, Wagner Manufacturing Company produced them from the 1930s until the 1990s. They are a coveted treasure among the Cajun community.

Bienvenue! Allons Manger Chez MeeMaw Landry!
Welcome! Let’s Eat With MeeMaw Landry!

Ya MeeMaw’s Magnalite Collection: A Cajun Recipe and Oral History Archive is a public history project dedicated to the thoughtful collection, preservation, and presentation of oral histories highlighting Louisiana’s Cajun community by providing free oral history services to individuals interested in the documentation of their lives and the exploration of identity, culture, and traditions. Its goal is to uplift the underrepresented and offer a broad audience the authentic representation of the diversity of Cajun culture accompanied by local interpretations of traditional dishes.

This project was created by Kallie Johnston Barron, a University of Louisiana at Lafayette Master’s student and Richard native. She obtained a Master’s in Public History with a minor in American History in May of 2025. Her main area of focus includes local Louisiana history, sharecropping history, cotton in Acadiana, Cajun history, and rural history. She has worked with the Imperial Calcasieu Museum, the Opelousas Museum and Interpretive Center, and the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve: Acadian Cultural Center.

This project was funded by the Guilbeau Charitable Trust and supported by the Center for Louisiana Studies, where the full oral histories are housed.

Committee Members: Dr. Michael Martin (chair), Dr. Nathan Rabalais, Dr. Yevan Terrien, Dr. Aglaia Venters, and Dr. Robert Carriker

“The idea for this project came about when another graduate student, Cade Granier, and I were leaving the Center for Louisiana Studies one day. We saw a local scholar cooking a gumbo and thought it would be interesting to see how a Louisiana scholar prepares a classic dish while knowing all of the historic context and traditional methods. Then I decided to give a platform to all Cajuns and that their recipes are authentic because they are.” – Kallie

Acknowledgments:

I would like to thank everyone who has supported me through this project, especially my grandparents, Albert and Faye Venable, who I decided to feature first. Additionally, I thank my husband, Colton Barron, who helped significantly with editing, my mother Sara Johnston and my brother Elijah Johnston.

A special thanks goes out to Dr. Michael Martin for his wonderful guidance throughout this entire project, as well as my graduate career at UL. And to Pudd Sharp of the Center for Louisiana Studies, for his advice on how to produce a digital work.

I would also like to thank Joshua Elkins and Cameron Fontenot, two wonderful musicians who provided the soundtrack and intro/outro music for the project.

And an additional thank you goes out to Dr. Aglaia Venters, Cade Granier, Caroline Dugan, Anna Dardeau, Ashley Birdsall, Lainey Binnix, Jade Pitre, Reggie Matte, Genevive and Emery Richard, Abby Gianfala, and Jennifer Fuselier.

This project is ongoing, and I thank all who participate, watch our oral histories, and cook these dishes. Thank you all for your interest in and love for our culture.