A hot Southern dish: Creole fried catfish

US - As "Catfish Capes," Frank Caples Jr. travels 50,000 miles every summer preparing fried catfish platters at festivals around the country.

This year, the Minnesota entrepreneur plans to bring his 18-foot mobile kitchen to 40 events, including Baltimore's African American Heritage Festival, which takes place this weekend at Camden Yards.

Caples' recipes for fried catfish and Creole seasoning mix are carefully guarded secrets. But he eagerly shares their inspiration: "I grew up in Chicago and St. Paul, but my grandmother grew up in New Orleans. From staying with her and eating her food, you know, I developed a love for Creole food."

Throughout the Deep South, catfish aquaculture has grown into a major industry. According to the Catfish Institute, catfish farms in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi produced 600 million pounds of catfish in 2005.

Source: Baltimore Sun