Memories of NOLA

In honor of the upcoming IFBC, I’m retracing our steps through NOLA in 2009, and the delicious meals we shared with our dear foodie friends Johnnie and Melinda.

We started the journey to JazzFest at Bourbon House, indulging in generously sized gulf oysters and Abita Beer.

Melinda at Bourbon House Abita Light at Bourbon House

A short walk from our rental in the Warehouse District, we dined al fresco at Herbsaint and shared lots of laughs. The decor was just as delightful as the food.
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Nothing says vacation like endless Mimosas on a Friday morning, which we enjoyed while waiting in line at Mother’s. The cheesy grits and authentic Soul Food ambience were well worth the build up.
Mimosa while waiting in line at Mother's n1344248675_30168449_5859389

Our Friday food crawl continued with l’escargot at Pelican Club, in an alley graced with my favorite NOLA artist, Michalopoulos.
Michalopoulos GalleryL'escargot

…and a memorable bar-side meal at NOLA, where I indulged in two of my favorite things: champagne and macaroni & cheese. Emeril now shares a special place in my stomach. 😉

n1344248675_30168785_5016855 Emeril's NOLA

It was an incredible run of fine local dining, topped off at Cochon and Commander’s Palace. I would return in a heartbeat (after properly training my stomach first)!

Gumbo or Go Home

Gumbo recipe from @epicurious + Super Bowl Sunday = a meal for Saints. I’m more foodie than football fan, so I decided to give New Orleans-inspired gumbo a whirl for the big game. I followed the recipe for “Shrimp and Andouille Gumbo” from Epicurious, but I used Aidells Chicken Apple Sausage instead of andouille (Safeway was out of the Cajun stuff).

My first roux was a little on the light side, so I’d recommend waiting for it to turn a little darker in color. Plus the okra seemed slightly overpowering, but I didn’t measure precisely. Also, this recipe has a kick! (Dial down the cayenne if you’re sensitive.)

Final score: 3 to 1

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