Living in the New Orleans area is like living in paradise for a foodie like myself. Jambalaya, gumbo, sauce piquante, shrimp, shrimp and more shrimp. One of my favorite cookbooks, entitled “Cooking Up A Storm”, is open on my kitchen island, ever at the ready. This book is a rich collection of recipes passed down through generations through the “Times-Picayune” newspaper that were lost in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. In honor of the ten years of recovery this wonderful city has experienced since that great storm the book is being released in a hardcover version.
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New Orleans is a city full of high energy. The people celebrate each day in ways I have never experienced. There is a sparkle in their eyes that speaks to survival and commitment to the city they love. The French Quarter is a tourist mecca that provides the heartbeat for a city that, like Manhattan, never seems to sleep. Uptown, The Garden District, The West Bank…..so many places to find and discover.
I’ve got red beans started on the stove top in my new kitchen. I’m using a ham hock to season the beans, the cajun “trinity” which consists of diced onion, green pepper and celery and “Tony’s Cajun Seasoning”. “Tony’s” has been in my kitchen and used on an almost daily basis for more than thirty years now. It provides just the right amount of heat and pure deliciousness to any dish you want to add a bit of “zing” to!
Life is good in the Big Easy. I’m finding my way through kitchen boxes, getting cabinets organized and surfaces cleared so that I can dive right in to cooking my way through “Cooking Up A Storm”. Yes, this is paradise…..even though I still have not discovered where the movers put the hardware to my practically new refrigerator when they removed the doors. I was told it was being placed in one of the hydrator pans. I’m going with the flow and deciding whether it’s just time to go and find a new one or expect a miracle! Ever the optimist……good Wednesday to all!
