Ah the food.
The best meal was at Ralph and Kacoo's . . . a seafood place. I had grilled Mahi Mahi . . . it was fairly simply prepared . . . and thus proved the chef has talent.
I also took a cooking class with the New Orleans Cooking Experience. We perched on stools around a gas top stove . . . and along with the recipes for the meal, the chef was more than happy to share other personal recipes with us. Also, you know how when you cook for good friends, you pull out the good china and the real silver and that bottle of special olive oil from your trip to Italy last year? That is exactly what I experienced at NOCE. Everyone in the class got a chance to assist the chef . . . and afterwards we shared a terrific meal with new found friends.
The one part of the cooking class that still haunts me is hearing the women running the program talk about their experiences with Katrina. The part I feel terrible about still is when they said that there came a time after the storm when, collectively, people in New Orleans felt that the rest of the country had grown weary of hearing about the storm, as if they were getting a big "get over it and shut up already" from the rest of the country.
Grieving is a long process. People in the Gulf are grieving not only a natural disaster . . . but also being betrayed by a government that, despite spending untold dollars on "homeland security" was caught utterly unprepared for a disaster. (I know, there are those who say that you shouldn't expect the government to bail you out . . . but, then why do we pay taxes? Isn't having a police force and a fire department a form of expecting the government to "bail" you out of a jam? )
But, I digress. . . back to the food. We had red beans and rice more than once . . . yum. We had lots and lots of fried dough (my favorite hangover preventative, also called a beignet). And, we ate several times at our favorite little spot on Royal Street . . . Pere Antoine's.
We did have two "bad" meals. Both were places were in Jackson Square . . . and thus pretty much for tourists only. The service wasn't on par with what we usually experience and the food wasn't good. But, it was truly the exception to the usual excellent service we usually benefit from in New Orleans.
And, we learned some science. When you are carrying a bag full of Zapps Potato Chip bags on your lap while flying . . . the pressurized cabin will cause the chip bags to pop. Having a lumpy bag in your lap that is popping suspiciously doesn't make for being the most popular passenger on the flight, if you know what I mean.
The best meal was at Ralph and Kacoo's . . . a seafood place. I had grilled Mahi Mahi . . . it was fairly simply prepared . . . and thus proved the chef has talent.
I also took a cooking class with the New Orleans Cooking Experience. We perched on stools around a gas top stove . . . and along with the recipes for the meal, the chef was more than happy to share other personal recipes with us. Also, you know how when you cook for good friends, you pull out the good china and the real silver and that bottle of special olive oil from your trip to Italy last year? That is exactly what I experienced at NOCE. Everyone in the class got a chance to assist the chef . . . and afterwards we shared a terrific meal with new found friends.
The one part of the cooking class that still haunts me is hearing the women running the program talk about their experiences with Katrina. The part I feel terrible about still is when they said that there came a time after the storm when, collectively, people in New Orleans felt that the rest of the country had grown weary of hearing about the storm, as if they were getting a big "get over it and shut up already" from the rest of the country.
Grieving is a long process. People in the Gulf are grieving not only a natural disaster . . . but also being betrayed by a government that, despite spending untold dollars on "homeland security" was caught utterly unprepared for a disaster. (I know, there are those who say that you shouldn't expect the government to bail you out . . . but, then why do we pay taxes? Isn't having a police force and a fire department a form of expecting the government to "bail" you out of a jam? )
But, I digress. . . back to the food. We had red beans and rice more than once . . . yum. We had lots and lots of fried dough (my favorite hangover preventative, also called a beignet). And, we ate several times at our favorite little spot on Royal Street . . . Pere Antoine's.
We did have two "bad" meals. Both were places were in Jackson Square . . . and thus pretty much for tourists only. The service wasn't on par with what we usually experience and the food wasn't good. But, it was truly the exception to the usual excellent service we usually benefit from in New Orleans.
And, we learned some science. When you are carrying a bag full of Zapps Potato Chip bags on your lap while flying . . . the pressurized cabin will cause the chip bags to pop. Having a lumpy bag in your lap that is popping suspiciously doesn't make for being the most popular passenger on the flight, if you know what I mean.
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