Dr. Edwin Lewis Stephens, the first president of the University of Southwestern Louisiana Institute, now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, was inspired by a Walt Whitman poem and started possibly the first organization for live oak trees. As…
I never figured I would miss last call at Johnny White's. One reason is because they never closed. The little dive at the corner of Bourbon and Orleans was notoriously, relentlessly and defiantly always open. Without lights, AC, electricity…
We are going to be entering an interesting time in the history of New Orleans restaurants in the coming weeks. We’ve already started to see some restaurants open with reduced capacity and alternative seating arrangements. As I’ve driven around…
Perhaps it’s because I grew up on a farm or maybe due to so many of the home cooks in my family being connoisseurs of quality ingredients, but I feel most loved when someone gives me food. The saying…
Nothing has ever looked more like the post-Katrina New Orleans apocalypse than the French Quarter and Frenchmen Street in recent weeks. Empty streets. Vacant buildings. The vigor of the neighborhoods now bereft of life, love, noise and revelry. Boarded…
A few weeks back, Cinco de Mayo and its joyous convergence with Taco Tuesday inspired most of us to mix up a batch of margaritas at home. It reminded me how much I love a good margarita and since…
Here are the things I know if you are reading this: 1) You have a device capable of accessing the internet. 2) You are a human of discerning taste. The latter makes me think you will appreciate a recipe…
In our younger and more vulnerable years, Little Richard and I were both dishwashers. I worked in the back of the house at a Turkish restaurant called Husnu's in Madison, Wisconsin, in the early 1980s. He worked at the…
At this stage of the COVID-19 crisis, my husband Mark and I are devising as many plans as possible to safely increase our time outdoors. Our daily walks or bike rides and frequent porch sits are getting longer and…
It was in her native San Francisco that Sara Ekanger first fell in love with plants, which filled her childhood home and backyard. She knew at a very young age she wanted to do something creative with her life, and…
As the coronavirus pandemic has impacted wedding plans all around the world, many have shared the sentiment, “Love is not canceled.” Couples have canceled their weddings and social distancing mandates changed wedding plans, logistics and other factors for those…
NEW ORLEANS – On May 4, what would have been the award's 30th anniversary, the James Beard Foundation announced the finalists for the 2020 James Beard Awards. "Over the past few months COVID-19 has upended the restaurant community in…
The entire internet has seemingly been baking homemade bread for weeks, with the exception of those of us who weren’t prescient enough to buy yeast before the COVID-19 hoarding began in earnest. My husband Mark and I bake bread…
It’s time to celebrate mom, and while that celebration may look a little different this year, there are still plenty of great places to get gifts, delicious treats, festive spirits and more. Here are some of our top choices…
Every New Orleans Jazz & Heritage festivalgoer knows that the best view of Jazz Fest — besides looking at that first piece of crawfish bread right before your first bite — is the countless flags and banners waving in…
Spring in New Orleans is the best time for festivals and many New Orleanians — especially those who love to visit the city — are sad about the coronavirus pandemic canceling events this year. One event in particular is…
Angelo Brocato immigrated to New Orleans from Sicily in the early 1900s, following a long apprenticeship at an ice cream and pastries parlor in Paloma. He opened his own shop in the French Quarter, introducing New Orleans to Italian-style ice…
Eggs Hussarde Brennan’s New Orleans Cookbook (1961) Ingredients: 2 large thin slices ham, grilled 2 Holland Rusks (a light, crisp toast available at most grocery stores) 1/4 cup Marchand de Vin Sauce 2 slices tomato, grilled 2 eggs, soft poached 3/4…
On our last Monday of April, we're all looking for something to start the week off on a good note to carry us through to May. To help, we've brought together some interesting reading, resources and, of course, moments of…
My snake plant — named Daniel Plainview after the character in “There Will be Blood,” because he was devious and, well, it’s a snake plant — had a baby. One day I looked over and there was this little…
What if everything you wished for came true? I wish I had more time. I wish I didn’t have to go to school. I wish I didn’t have to go to work. I wish I could sleep in. I wish…
"I always believed that one woman’s success can only help another woman’s success." - Gloria Vanderbilt Each year New Orleans Magazine profiles a selection of extraordinary women from across our community continuing to make a difference. We present here seven…
Here we are, at the first weekend of the Jazz Fest That Should Have Been. It’s times like these—when we can vividly picture ourselves crowding into the fairgrounds, donning our hats and slathering on sunscreen—that we fully start to comprehend…
For me, getting outside for an early morning run has been crucial to staying sane during our self-isolation time. If you are new to running or would like to start a new routine, here are some tips and tools to…
Whether you live in a small downtown apartment, a little cottage in the Marigny or a sprawling and expansive St. Charles Avenue manse, keeping it clean can seem like a full-time job. Add to that the fact that some…
Social distancing has us all looking for entertainment in the strangest places. Couples are also having to get creative when it comes to date nights – which are essential in the lead up to a wedding during an average…
Much like hand-washing, I was into sourdough bread before it got trendy. In grad school, I had a sourdough starter that I used to make a garlic-cheese bread that was always a hit at potlucks and dinner parties, but…
Monday's here again; we can't stop it, so we might as well roll with it. Below, we’ve collected some of our favorite reads, resources and laugh factories to help you get through it—today, this week and beyond. Last week’s guide…
Cheré Dastugue Coen is a veteran food and travel writer who combs Louisiana searching for hidden gems. A native of New Orleans and current resident of Lafayette, she celebrates her home state in her writing, which includes award-winning plays and books. Her non-fiction books include “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History;” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana;” “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags & Sachets” with Jude Bradley; “Cooking in Cajun Country” with Carl Breaux; and “Exploring Cajun Country: A Historic Tour of Acadiana.”
She is also the author of several romance novels and the Viola Valentine Mystery Series, all involving Louisiana characters or settings, under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Visit her blogs LouisianaBookNews.blogspot.com and
WeirdSouth.blogspot.com or her websites, cherecoen.wix.com/cherecoen and
cherieclaire.net.
