Confessions of a Shopaholic - New Orleans Shopping Blog

11/20/09

Home for the Holiday

I know some people wait all year for Christmas, just dying to pull out the Santa figurines and put some Bing Crosby on the stereo.

I’m not one of those people.

I like Christmas just fine. I love the spicy smell of pine trees, I think twinkly white lights are beautiful, and I have a particular weakness for sour cherry candy canes.

But it’s far from my favorite holiday. No, what I wait for all year is Thanksgiving. And this is going to sound awful, but it’s really not because I cherish the time spent with family and friends. In fact, it’s quite the opposite: I love having time to myself in the kitchen, just chopping and stirring and kneading and taste-testing.

See, I love my friends and family year-round and try to...

Posted at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments: 2

11/19/09

Being Light

There is only one event in the wine year calendar that is tied to time. Think about it: Here is a product that is absolutely driven by the efforts of the sun and the phases of the moon, and nowhere, except once, is there a moment when we honor “the moment.”

Heck, every bit of produce and fruit is available only at certain times of the year, and seafood is at least better –– if not available only –– at particular seasons. But wine, a product that is made from a fruit that provides only one harvest each 12 months, does not define itself by the passage of time.

Except one time, on the third Thursday of every November.

To the phrase, “Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé,” at one minute...

Posted at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

11/19/09

French Twist

French cuisine is ingrained in modern restaurant cooking. There are French techniques in just about every restaurant worth its salt, and French recipes are standards. Even the title “chef” is of French origin. But the kind of French cooking that was once the hallmark of fine-dining restaurants is no longer in fashion.

In New Orleans, we’ve held on to some of the customs. Old-line Creole restaurants such as Antoine’s, Arnaud’s or Galatoire’s maintain the tradition of professional service, and if the food isn’t taken directly from Escoffier’s playbook, it’s still recognizably French in origin. True haute cuisine may be impossible to find in New Orleans, but bistro cooking –– the cooking of Parisian...

Posted at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

11/18/09

A Holiday with Pal's

Thanksgiving is a time to partake in holiday traditions, but not all those traditions necessarily fit the Norman Rockwell image of the prayerful family gathered around a roasted turkey. For plenty of people without close family ties in the area, the Thursday feast might resemble something more akin to Charlie Brown’s Thanksgiving, with friends pitching in a green bean casserole, a bottle of Beaujolais or a Hubig’s pie to help fill out a casual holiday table.

For years, if I wasn’t traveling to visit my scattered family for Thanksgiving, my own tradition called for an evening at Pal’s Lounge for drinks and repeat visits to a bar-top potluck cornucopia.

Pal’s is a small bar with a big heart, though it certainly comes from a...

Posted at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

11/17/09

New Orleans Surprises, Part 2

A day never passes in New Orleans without me shaking my head in amazement. Whether it’s the shock of seeing cars at frozen daiquiri drive-through windows or the hoopla surrounding Camellia Grill (no offense: It may be historic, but aside from its ambiance, it’s quite reminiscent of a Jersey diner), there’s no place like N’awlins.
Here’s another installment of “New Orleans surprises” from my Yankee purview:

1. 2009-10 Losing Season for the Hornets?
I hope that by the end of the season I’ll need to recant and eat my words. But it’s not looking too good for the New Orleans Hornets. Before the season, if someone had predicted that as of today the Saints would be 9-0 and the Hornets 3-8, it...

Posted at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments: 10

11/16/09

Errol Laborde: Nagin Responds to Blakely, the Sequel

Ray Nagin finally had something to say about Ed Blakely’s slandering of New Orleans –– sort of. Confronted at Dooky Chase restaurant, Nagin, according to the Times-Picayune, called Blakely’s prediction of race riots in the city "foolishness." The mayor, however, added that Blakely is "entitled to his own opinion" and then revealed that his former "recovery czar" never felt comfortable here. Nagin is quoted in the article, written by David Hammer, saying the following: "I talked to him when I was in Sydney, Australia -- we kind of got quiet, one-on-one -- and he was really still a little hurt. He said this was a tough city for him to live in, so he never felt totally welcome."

Let’s examine the...

Posted at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments: 2

11/16/09

New Orleans Voices: Peggy Scott Laborde

talks about New Orleans Food Memories

Posted at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

11/13/09

Crown Thy Good with Sisterhood

My daughter, Ruby, is on a patriotic kick lately. Her preschool has taught her “America the Beautiful,” which she can sing almost flawlessly, and the Pledge of Allegiance, which gives her some trouble in the usual spots, particularly on “indivisible.”

I love watching her grow up and learn new skills, and there’s not much cuter than a toddler with her hand on her heart singing about “purple mountain majesties.” A small part of me is sad, though, not because I don’t love my country but because as Ruby becomes more of an American, she’s a little less pure Ruby. Beyond that, it’s a little strange to watch her parroting the pledge without the slightest understanding of “allegiance,” “the...

Posted at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments: 3

11/12/09

Going Green

Chris DeBarr is a food evangelist. During his time at the Delachaise, he helmed one of the city’s most eclectic and interesting kitchens. When the owners of the wine bar decided to scale back the food, DeBarr moved on. After months bouncing around and picking up work here and there, he and Paul Artigues (most recently of Surrey’s Juice Bar) opened the Green Goddess in May of this year at 307 Exchange Alley.

The Green Goddess picks up where DeBarr left off at the Delachaise. Although the menu has items that appear to be standard fare –– a meatloaf sandwich or Father Pat’s Grilled Cheese –– things are not always what they seem. The meatloaf...

Posted at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

11/12/09

Yum! No Need to Rush!

The aging of wine is one of those topics that always comes up in wine reviews and when collectors gather. In fact, if you want to spontaneously pull together a group of wine collectors, the question to ask aloud is, “How long should I allow (insert name of wine and vintage here) to age?”

Like birds flocking to scattered bread crumbs in Jackson Square, collectors will gather, and each will have a different answer.

For a moment, let’s step back from the question and consider the whys of wine aging. Wine is a living thing. Over the course of its creation and continuing for all time in its life in the bottle, wine will change. The bouquet, the flavors, the tannins, the color and the fruit are on a mission of metamorphosis, and the only constant in...

Posted at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

	11/20/09 Home for the Holiday I know some people wait all year for Christmas, just dying to pull out the Santa figurines and put some Bing Crosby on the stereo. I’m not one of those people. I like Christmas just fine. I love the spicy smell of pine trees, I think twinkly white lights are beautiful, and I have a particular weakness for sour cherry candy canes. But it’s far from my favorite holiday. No, what I wait for all year is Thanksgiving. And this is going to sound awful, but it’s really not because I cherish the time spent with family and friends. In fact, it’s quite the opposite: I love having time to myself in the kitchen, just chopping and stirring and kneading and taste-testing. See, I love my friends and family year-round and try to... Posted at 12:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments: 2
	11/19/09 Being Light There is only one event in the wine year calendar that is tied to time. Think about it: Here is a product that is absolutely driven by the efforts of the sun and the phases of the moon, and nowhere, except once, is there a moment when we honor “the moment.” Heck, every bit of produce and fruit is available only at certain times of the year, and seafood is at least better –– if not available only –– at particular seasons. But wine, a product that is made from a fruit that provides only one harvest each 12 months, does not define itself by the passage of time. Except one time, on the third Thursday of every November. To the phrase, “Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé,” at one minute... Posted at 12:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments: 0
	11/19/09 French Twist French cuisine is ingrained in modern restaurant cooking. There are French techniques in just about every restaurant worth its salt, and French recipes are standards. Even the title “chef” is of French origin. But the kind of French cooking that was once the hallmark of fine-dining restaurants is no longer in fashion. In New Orleans, we’ve held on to some of the customs. Old-line Creole restaurants such as Antoine’s, Arnaud’s or Galatoire’s maintain the tradition of professional service, and if the food isn’t taken directly from Escoffier’s playbook, it’s still recognizably French in origin. True haute cuisine may be impossible to find in New Orleans, but bistro cooking –– the cooking of Parisian... Posted at 12:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments: 0
	11/18/09 A Holiday with Pal's Thanksgiving is a time to partake in holiday traditions, but not all those traditions necessarily fit the Norman Rockwell image of the prayerful family gathered around a roasted turkey. For plenty of people without close family ties in the area, the Thursday feast might resemble something more akin to Charlie Brown’s Thanksgiving, with friends pitching in a green bean casserole, a bottle of Beaujolais or a Hubig’s pie to help fill out a casual holiday table. For years, if I wasn’t traveling to visit my scattered family for Thanksgiving, my own tradition called for an evening at Pal’s Lounge for drinks and repeat visits to a bar-top potluck cornucopia. Pal’s is a small bar with a big heart, though it certainly comes from a... Posted at 12:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments: 0
	11/17/09 New Orleans Surprises, Part 2 A day never passes in New Orleans without me shaking my head in amazement. Whether it’s the shock of seeing cars at frozen daiquiri drive-through windows or the hoopla surrounding Camellia Grill (no offense: It may be historic, but aside from its ambiance, it’s quite reminiscent of a Jersey diner), there’s no place like N’awlins. Here’s another installment of “New Orleans surprises” from my Yankee purview: 1. 2009-10 Losing Season for the Hornets? I hope that by the end of the season I’ll need to recant and eat my words. But it’s not looking too good for the New Orleans Hornets. Before the season, if someone had predicted that as of today the Saints would be 9-0 and the Hornets 3-8, it... Posted at 12:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments: 10
	11/16/09 Errol Laborde: Nagin Responds to Blakely, the Sequel Ray Nagin finally had something to say about Ed Blakely’s slandering of New Orleans –– sort of. Confronted at Dooky Chase restaurant, Nagin, according to the Times-Picayune, called Blakely’s prediction of race riots in the city "foolishness." The mayor, however, added that Blakely is "entitled to his own opinion" and then revealed that his former "recovery czar" never felt comfortable here. Nagin is quoted in the article, written by David Hammer, saying the following: "I talked to him when I was in Sydney, Australia -- we kind of got quiet, one-on-one -- and he was really still a little hurt. He said this was a tough city for him to live in, so he never felt totally welcome." Let’s examine the... Posted at 12:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments: 2
	11/16/09 New Orleans Voices: Peggy Scott Laborde talks about New Orleans Food Memories Posted at 12:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments: 0
	11/13/09 Crown Thy Good with Sisterhood My daughter, Ruby, is on a patriotic kick lately. Her preschool has taught her “America the Beautiful,” which she can sing almost flawlessly, and the Pledge of Allegiance, which gives her some trouble in the usual spots, particularly on “indivisible.” I love watching her grow up and learn new skills, and there’s not much cuter than a toddler with her hand on her heart singing about “purple mountain majesties.” A small part of me is sad, though, not because I don’t love my country but because as Ruby becomes more of an American, she’s a little less pure Ruby. Beyond that, it’s a little strange to watch her parroting the pledge without the slightest understanding of “allegiance,” “the... Posted at 12:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments: 3
	11/12/09 Going Green Chris DeBarr is a food evangelist. During his time at the Delachaise, he helmed one of the city’s most eclectic and interesting kitchens. When the owners of the wine bar decided to scale back the food, DeBarr moved on. After months bouncing around and picking up work here and there, he and Paul Artigues (most recently of Surrey’s Juice Bar) opened the Green Goddess in May of this year at 307 Exchange Alley. The Green Goddess picks up where DeBarr left off at the Delachaise. Although the menu has items that appear to be standard fare –– a meatloaf sandwich or Father Pat’s Grilled Cheese –– things are not always what they seem. The meatloaf... Posted at 12:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments: 0
	11/12/09 Yum! No Need to Rush! The aging of wine is one of those topics that always comes up in wine reviews and when collectors gather. In fact, if you want to spontaneously pull together a group of wine collectors, the question to ask aloud is, “How long should I allow (insert name of wine and vintage here) to age?” Like birds flocking to scattered bread crumbs in Jackson Square, collectors will gather, and each will have a different answer. For a moment, let’s step back from the question and consider the whys of wine aging. Wine is a living thing. Over the course of its creation and continuing for all time in its life in the bottle, wine will change. The bouquet, the flavors, the tannins, the color and the fruit are on a mission of metamorphosis, and the only constant in... Posted at 12:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments: 0

11/20/09

Home for the Holiday

11/19/09

Being Light

11/19/09

French Twist

11/18/09

A Holiday with Pal's

11/17/09

New Orleans Surprises, Part 2

11/16/09

Errol Laborde: Nagin Responds to Blakely, the Sequel

11/16/09

New Orleans Voices: Peggy Scott Laborde

11/13/09

Crown Thy Good with Sisterhood

11/12/09

Going Green

11/12/09

Yum! No Need to Rush!

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