Acadiana’s unconventional winter holidays of 2020 are undulating like Bach’s celestial “Christmas Oratorio” trumpets that crescendo and decrescendo until the Epiphany on Jan. 6, when Twelfth Night signals Carnival king cakes and cocktails. Revelers can step up their Mardi Gras…
When it comes to holiday menus, my family is all over the table. When I was a youngster, we had the usual baked turkey, roast pork, rice dressing (or eggplant dressing), some kind of sweet potatoes, green bean bundles and…
December is always the perfect time to throw a little extra love in the air. Bring this year to a grand finale with this full-flavored showstopper - juicy pork chops complimented perfectly by a sweet whiskey berry sauce with a…
The holiday season is upon us and, like everything else, it will be a bit different this year. There will likely be fewer people, less spirited revelry and we will be forced to find ways to use our creative…
NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Loews New Orleans Hotel is sharing its iconic cocktail, the NOLA Hurricane to give a little taste of New Orleans for those dreaming of a getaway. “Getaways in a Glass” is a new Loews Hotels brand-wide…
This week I hit month four of my six-month alcohol-free challenge. (It’s going well, I don’t miss booze and I feel great, thanks for asking!) I celebrated by mixing up and hoisting an ice-cold Michelada. That is, an ice cold,…
Many of us are swirling from the whirlwind of hurricanes, the pandemic, elections and so much more these days. And recently, some of you have been asking us for cocktails to match our ever changing moods. So, we are…
This past was a particularly crafty weekend. I spent it carving elaborate pumpkins with my niece and creating one of those monster-themed candy shoot things so we can issue candy to trick-or-treaters from a distance. That Halloween is on…
Everyone needs an impressive soup under your belt, and nothing says “I’m about to impress the hell out of my guests” better than a good bisque. In some cities they call it “chowder,” but in New Orleans, when we make…
I know what you are thinking: What’s the point of a zero proof French 75? It is said to have been created not long after World War I and named after a French 75mm field gun, precisely because of…
I have identified several large, centuries-old oak trees with ground sweeping boughs in public spaces in various small neighborhood parks around town in which to meet friends. It is always 10 to15 degrees cooler under such a tree and…
The new government rule states that bars can now begin serving to-go drinks again, but other restrictions still remain in place. Our suggestion is that you check with a place before you go in to make sure you are…
I was 27 when I bought my home near Magazine and Jefferson in Uptown's West Riverside neighborhood. That was 1996 and I still love it here. I never get bored. I have seen things change and, due to an…
LAFAYETTE, La – Festivals Acadiens et Créoles is going virtual this year, but that doesn't mean you can't add a little something special while celebrating at home. Acadian Slice sent their "Brown Butta Pecan Pie" recipe to Acadiana Profile…
Unlike the hours-long little teaser that dropped us into the mid 70s last weekend, a bonafide days-long cool front offering evening lows in the 60s and daily highs in the 70s has settled upon our weary, sweaty city. The…
Bartender Toure Folkes founded Turning Tables in July 2019. Turning Tables advocates for equity in the hospitality industry providing mentorship, educational tools and classes, as well as exposure for the brown and black community of New Orleans. A core component…
"Work hard, play hard" – the phrase so many of us in New Orleans have lived by for years. COVID-19 has made the mantra a bit harder. Now, finding a place that offers drink specials and happy hours is…
Though an enthusiastic cook and appreciative of the slight reprieve from the summer temperatures, I remain unconvinced that Gumbo Weather is upon us. I am still avoiding heat belching ovens, roiling liquids in a hot pots, and, for the most…
The temperature seems to be giving us a little break, and there are some exciting things to celebrate on the culinary scene. Check it out. When she died last year at age 96, Chef Leah Chase, the embodiment of…
NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Live Kids Cooking Classes with SoFAB Kids! Every other Wednesday at 4 p.m., kids 7-11 years old, or adults young at heart, are invited to cook along with Miss Jennie via zoom and FB…
Due to the weirdness that is our year of the pandemic, the 146th Kentucky Derby did not run on the first Saturday in May. Rather, it is running tomorrow — the first Saturday in September. My husband and I are…
Long story short, I ended up in Greenville, Mississippi at the home of Frankie Keating for an extended stay after Katrina. She and her then recently departed husband, Bern, were a brilliant, elegant, worldly couple, who were still going…
Chicken is to a cook what an empty canvas is to a painter. It suggests infinite possibilities, limited only by one’s imagination and talent. There have probably been more culinary improvisations involving chicken than most any other ingredient, in part…
A couple of weeks ago my suggestions for dining out – or at least acquiring food from somewhere other than your own kitchen – on the cheap were received with enough enthusiasm as to warrant additional exploration of the…
NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Chefs Nina Compton, Isaac Toups and Bryan Landry have shared a few of their favorite recipes ahead of Labor Day celebrations. Chef Brian Landry, Bayou Bar 1&1 Burger with Hickory BBQ Sauce - No…
With statewide and city pandemic phasing and social distancing mandates still in place and a few tropical storms in the Gulf of Mexico, it is easy to let everything consume your mood and completely kill the romance. But it’s…
With potential atmospheric calamities threatening to enter the Gulf, record-breaking temperatures, nowhere to go and nothing to do, continuing record high unemployment, a barbaric election cycle, and COVID – a most unwelcome guest now bearing the stench of nearly…
In the heat of a New Orleans summer, like now, for instance, creativity and more effort fade away to a “Let’s just get this done as quickly as possible” attitude. Understandable. The daiquiri cocktail takes its name from both a…
I once tracked down the best routes out of New Orleans to load up on fresh peaches in August. That’s not to say the grocery stores weren’t selling them, but I have a childhood love of food fresh off the…
Baby, it’s hot outside and many of us are looking for cool cocktails to beat the heat. Finding a place that is open might be a bit of a challenge these days, but if you call ahead and ask around,…
