5 (New Orleans) Things

1) Crab cake po' boy, and the most amazing onion rings!




2) French Quarter colors

3) On the float, beads and booze at the ready

4) Dancin' in the streets




5) Royal Street



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Where Y'at?*

I learned a few things on my annual visit to New Orleans this year.

I learned to like bourbon. The liquor, not the street.
I learned that walking 4-7 miles every day meant I could eat or drink anything I liked and not gain an ounce. Which was good, because I may have overindulged a little.
I learned that I could totally fall in love with a po-boy. Spicy gravy and a slather of Creole mustard will do that.
I learned that not all Mardi Gras balls are created equal.
I learned that Cochon restaurant just keeps getting better and better. (Try a side of the shrimp and mirliton dressing...it is divine!)
I learned that not even near freezing temperatures and pouring rain will dampen the Carnival spirit in this city!



*How are you?


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A New Orleans Treasure - Kitchen Witch Cookbooks

I have a thing for cookbooks. And luckily, I have friends who do too.

Every time I'm in New Orleans, I head down to the Quarter and stop by The Kitchen Witch. I usually show up late in the day, just before closing, so I can enjoy an apéro with the owners, Debbie and Philipe, who are old friends of mine. Then I make a point to visit a second time so I can have a leisurely look around the shop to see what's new. And I always leave some extra room in my suitcase, because it's inevitable that I'll come home with a cookbook or two.





The Kitchen Witch is a veritable Aladdin's Cave of treasures! They offer mostly used cookbooks, with a mix of new and used Cajun and Creole books thrown in for good measure. When I visited last winter they had first edition/first printings of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, volumes 1 and 2, the bookplates of which were signed by Mme. Julia Child herself. I hope someone has given them a loving home by now.

If you find yourself in New Orleans, pop by and say hello to Debbie and Philipe.
The Kitchen Witch is located on Toulouse Street, between Royal and Chartres Streets, pretty much smack dab in the middle of the French Quarter.
If you're like me, you'll find their little shop irresistible.

Kitchen Witch Cookbooks 
631 Toulouse Street 
New Orleans, LA 70130 
(504) 528-8382




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Feeling Right At Home

If you've been reading this blog for a while then you know how much I love painted shutters and doors. And how inspired I am by the colors of France.

There are many, many reasons why I love New Orleans so much. Wandering through the French Quarter is one of them. This unique place always makes me feel right at home.

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New Orleans Vernacular

New Orleans has a vernacular and a flavor all its own.
A rich gumbo of music, people, architecture, celebrations, food and history. It's impossible to describe, really. All I can say is that you must (and should!) experience it for yourself.

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The Quirky Quarter

Locals don't call it the French Quarter. It is simply the Quarter.

To say that this New Orleans neighborhood is unique is a bit of an understatement.

A tiny bit of the city - a mere half a mile rectangle - that is a whole little universe onto itself. It is crammed to the gills with charm, history, music, decadence and a seductive spirit that I've never encountered in any other American city.


The Quarter's inhabitants, affectionately known as Quarter Rats, live their lives in the midst of all the hullabaloo. They work, shop, eat, drink and even raise children in this colorful, famous (some might say infamous) and definitely quirky neighborhood of New Orleans.



We lived smack dab in the middle of it for two years.
Our narrow, faded pink shotgun house on the corner of Orleans and Burgundy was the perfect vantage point for observing life in the Quarter. And living it.

I rode my cruiser everywhere. Gone were the days when I needed a mountain bike to navigate hills like I did in Seattle. Most of my grocery shopping was done on foot with the help of my trusty market trolley at the little A&P down the street and at the Central Grocery (credited for inventing the Muffuletta, it also has a great selection of Italian and other European pantry items).
Work was only a few blocks away and even though we had a car, it wasn't used very often.



We became regulars at our favorite restaurants and bars, and had two little corner delis who offered 24 hours a day delivery on speed dial for those emergency midnight ice cream, jambalaya or po-boy cravings. One of them also makes a killer meatloaf.

New Orleans, especially the Quarter, teaches you to appreciate living in a whole new way.
It is an exhilarating roller coaster ride that rarely offers a dull moment. It is passionate and delicious and can take your breath away when you least expect it to. It is sometimes exhausting.



Yes, I miss it. Terribly sometimes.
But as others have pointed out, I have the best of both worlds. My home away from home with friends in New Orleans and my home in la belle France.
It's a perfect balance. Pin It

New Orleans Food and Carnival Festivities

Wednesday's parades may have been rained out and yesterday was the coldest day I've ever experienced in New Orleans, but today the temperatures are warming up and things are getting crazy around here!

The last few days have been spent visiting with friends and eating. And eating.
Fabulous lunches at Bayona, the Marigny Brasserie, Felipe's and Cochon Butcher.
A shrimp fest last night with Grilled Shrimp with Remoulade sauce, Shrimp Creole and Shrimp and Eggplant Casserole at a friend's house.
More shrimp last Wednesday night with another friend - we broiled up a couple pounds of these sweet, fat Gulf shrimp and served them with lots of green onions and spicy noodles. Divine!

Carnival this year is a busy one. The hotels are full and the streets are packed with revelers. The Superbowl win by the Saints has added another dimension to the customary Mardi Gras merriment.

We're about to head out again today for more celebrating and definitely more eating. I think a steaming hot bowl of seafood Gumbo is on the agenda.
Laissez les bon temps rouler!

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Mardi Gras Kaleidoscope

As I get myself organized for an early flight tomorrow, I thought I would leave you with a few photos from Mardi Gras.

In case you don't recognize her, that last one is none other than the amazing diva herself, Dolly Parton!







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Photo du Jour - Old Paris Porcelain

Old Paris porcelain glowing under lamplight on a side table in my friend's house. Pin It

New Orleans Color

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