Sometimes to stars align. I called a Lyft to collect me from a health-oriented culinary seminar the other day and my driver turned out to be, according to her very colorful, fanciful business card, “Mrs. Debbie, The Original JelL’o…
As a lifelong plant and flower enthusiast I am excited about the return of floral design workshops at Mitch’s Flower’s, a beautifully appointed horticultural oasis on a shaded block of Magazine Street. While they were once common, today shops…
Seemingly forever, brothers John and Moe Thabata have run Rainbow Grocery (4837 Magazine St., 504-875-3635), the popular Uptown corner store best known for its extensive selection of everything from very cheap beers sold as singles to fine wines and…
Both beloved and reviled, the frozen daiquiri in a Styrofoam cup from a drive-through has some solid upscale competition around town and wise restaurateurs are rolling out a plethora of options for those seeking to stay cool while imbibing…
It is too hot to hang in the kitchen, so I have been on a sushi kick of late. At the suggestion of a friend my daughter, Cecilia, and I hit up Yakuza House in Metairie for a late…
This week Louisiana recognized Juneteenth, the day commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, as a legal state holiday. The third Saturday in June will now be celebrated as Juneteenth Day under a bill passed without any…
Yesterday the New Orleans Citizen Diplomacy Council (NOCDC) invited me to address an international group of NGO (a nonprofit organization that operates independently of any government, typically to address a social or political issue) managers interested in learning more…
Western St. Tammany Parish has long served as a beacon to artists working in all mediums. An abundance of natural beauty, a relaxed lifestyle allowing for the growth and exploration of creativity, and a supportive parish-wide art association (St.…
In 1957 a feature in Holiday magazine described ladies dining on bowls of crawfish bisque Galatoire's. The article was already a relic by the time I read it years ago, but it stuck for its description of the women…
Sooo, as much as I really do not like being on camera that is exactly where my new gig as the NOSH columnist for New Orleans Magazine has landed me. Check it out here if you are ready to…
A friend recently needed a new driver’s license and she hit me up for a ride. "Go to the one in Westwego," we were repeatedly advised. "The lines are shorter than everywhere else." Having experienced numerous OMVs (forever the…
I was 27 when I bought my home near Magazine and Jefferson in the West Riverside neighborhood – bounded roughly by Valmont, Camp, and Tchoupitoulas streets, and Audubon Park. That was 1996 and I still love it here. I…
Get out your hammock! This is the last weekend for “Festing in Place,” Beth Arroyo Udderback’s brilliant solution for keeping the Jazz & Heritage Festival’s traditional relationship with WWOZ radio alive while large public gatherings are still banned. Tune…
McFoBen = Mc(alear) + Fo(x) + Ben(son) We have done a stupendous job of trying to screw this up and we have succeeded on many occasions but today I celebrate 15 years of marriage to Andrew Martin Fox, my fellow…
Unless huddling under and umbrella or wading about in galoshes is your jam your outdoor activities are probably getting s---canned for the weekend, so your options are a bit limited. You could build that ark you have been considering.…
Consider taking a drive to LaPlace for lunch tomorrow or brunch on Sunday. Throughout the month of April, Wayne Jacob’s Smokehouse (WJS) in LaPlace is celebrating 71 years in the business of turning out what is, in my humble…
Throughout this pandemic, Andrew and I have been dutiful mask-wearing, social distancing, hand washers. We are just now fully vaccinated. What this means for us is we will not be white knuckling our way through dinner on Sunday afternoon…
Last Thursday was a glorious, beautiful day, all sparkling skies and riotous blooming azaleas. My daughter, Cecilia, escaped from class early. We assumed foot traffic in the French Quarter would be light (mid-week, no conventions) so we set off…
So much more than a place to score exceptional baked goods, top-notch bagels, stunning cakes, or something delicious and savory for lunch, Bywater Bakery (3624 Dauphine St.) also serves as an art gallery, community center, music spot, and whatever…
On Saturday, March 13, at noon, part-time French Quarter president and popular Instagram cooking and entertaining personality, Brian Theis, will sign copies of his fantastic new book and entertaining guide "The Infinite Feast: How to Host the Ones You…
Bar Marilou recently introduced Taking Flights, an international cocktail bar collaboration series. Since international travel is not really happening these days Bar Marilou is bringing some…
Last spring, New Orleans joined a growing number of cities across the country experimenting with community supported outdoor refrigerators. New Orleans Community Fridges, which spearheaded the local effort, was inspired by similar efforts in New York City, Los Angeles…
It has been almost a year since our family took in Freak Show Fannie, a 13-month-old, 45-pound, shepherd/Border Collie mix who was tossed from a moving vehicle in New Iberia when she was…
Last Saturday night I was caught in a traffic jam on St. Charles Avenue. People were gawking from their car windows at the stunning house floats that crop up in greater numbers all over town each day and masked…
The late Julia Reed was as prolific a cook and entertainer as she was a writer. Throughout the pages of her numerous books, she often referred to the many treasures with which she surrounded herself: an antique Chippendale sofa…
Tomorrow evening the historic Dew Drop Jazz and Social Hall will be the site for a series of free live streamed music concerts to be presented virtually on the City of Mandeville’s and the Dew Drop’s Facebook pages. The…
We have all been ground down by the long haul of COVID-19. Some of us have suffered the incomparable grief of having lost loved ones to the disease, while others have, themselves, suffered from it. Most of us have…
Tired of your own cooking and looking for a change of pace? Longtime friends Alison Vega-Knoll and Chris Wilson recently pumped some excitement into the upscale grab-and-go and market scene with the opening of Larder (3005 Veterans Blvd., Metairie, lardergourmetmarket.com).…
As we do in my household every year at this time, this past weekend we dismantled Christmas, stowed it in the attic, and hauled out Mardi Gras. This year more than ever we will make our home look like…
Usually in bed by 10 p.m., this year I will stay up late on NYE. I want to witness the departure of 2020 and I expect to have plenty of company worldwide. As public gatherings to witness fireworks displays…
Perhaps the only child in Louisiana history to be born to a mother with absolutely no culinary skills at all, Jyl Benson began cooking in self-defense at the age of six. She is 13 years younger than her closest sibling so her parents were tired and paid little attention as she use the household kitchen as per personal laboratory, sometimes with disastrous outcomes. Her skills have improved greatly over the years and kitchen fires are a thing of the past.
She began her editorial career in 1990 with The Times Picayune and served as a regional reporter covering the southeastern United States for both The New York Times and Time magazine. She wrote "Galatoire's Cookbook: Recipes & Family History from the Time-Honored New Orleans Restaurant" (Random House 2005), as well as several cultural, historical and architectural guides to New Orleans. She served as editor-in-chief of Louisiana Cookin’ magazine from 2009 to 2011 and founded Louisiana Kitchen & Culture magazine in 2012. Sheis a dining columnist for St. Charles Avenue, Acadiana Profile and Louisiana Life magazines, a frequent contributor to New Orleans Magazine, and the author of "Fun Funky, Fabulous: New Orleans Casual Restaurant Recipes" (2015, Pelican Publishing) and "Louisiana's Tables" (2017, Savory House Press).
