About Us

Jambalaya Girl by Cook Me Somethin’ Mister is a family and women owned business that brings an authentic taste of New Orleans to the world with easy to prepare food products, inspired by Jambalaya Girl's family recipes. Drawing from her family’s upbringing in the New Orleans cooking scene and her creation of a nationwide tailgating fundraiser following Hurricane Katrina, owner Kristen Preau “Jambalaya Girl” created Cook Me Somethin’ Mister initially from her Dad’s jambalaya recipe. All products are now proudly made in New Orleans with the finest ingredients and are specially blended by Chef Paul Prudhomme's Magic Seasoning Blends.

The Jambalaya Girl 

 

  

“The girl with the fork earrings!” - her caricature (special thanks to Caricature Artist, Ricky Nobile, for penning the original “Jambalaya Girl” caricature) is recognizable on all product packaging by her signature fork earrings.

From New Orleans Gambit Weekly, Top 40 Under 40 Cover Story: "Known as the "Jambalaya Girl," Kristen Preau says she was given the title while stirring her father's cast-iron pot full of jambalaya at her brother's sporting events . . . Preau came up with the concept for Cook Me Somethin' Mister while traveling across the country to raise money for New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. She raised $100,000 for her hometown by serving jambalaya made from her father's recipe at 11 college tailgates. It made her realize that people donated not only because they loved New Orleans, but they also loved the jambalaya."

 Steeped in the History of the New Orleans Cooking Scene

Jambalaya Girl’s Dad, Paul, used to specially manufacture outdoor cookers for some of the top chefs in New Orleans and he always cooked classic New Orleans recipes, like our jambalaya, to showcase his cooking equipment.

Paul manufactured the gas burner that Chef Paul Prudhomme used to prepare his famous Blackened Red Fish recipe.  The burner is featured in Chef Paul’s mail order catalog and is pictured here in his first cookbook, Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Kitchen. (1984)

    

The Preau family cooked some of the first pots of Jambalaya to be served during the early years of French Quarter Fest. Pictured above are Paul and Kristen “Jambalaya Girl” in Jackson Square during French Quarter Fest 1988; Paul taking a break from cooking, in Jackson Square during French Quarter Fest 1988.

 


Fun fact: Cook Me Somethin’ Mister still uses the same 40 gallon cast iron pot that was used to cook at the very first French Quarter Fest in 1983. That’s one well seasoned pot!

 The Preau Family

 Paul and Karen Preau, their son, Kevin, and daughter, Kristen, grew up cooking and serving countless bowls of Jambalaya!