NOLA NORMAL

A better map

"We are all pilgrims on the same journey-but some pilgrims have better maps." Nelson Demille, American author of thriller novels

Gone Fishing

I will be taking some time off....going where my Internet connection will be on and off....can not post with a schedule or a promise. I will be near clean and clear lake waters, only to try fishing! One thing I want to do this summer.

All my life I have seen people fish from bridges and off the side of roads in Louisiana, only hoping for a good supper. I am wondering as they drop their lines, will they catch fish with oil! At this point it is hard to trust anyone and their ability to say it is fine to eat what you catch. The Gulf Coast is Seafood! Louisiana is "Sportsman's Paradise"....I pray it is not Louisiana Lost! With the faint smell of oil in the air, I feel sad. I hope for the best!

"If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there would be a shortage of fishing poles." Doug Larson...English middle-distance runner who won a gold medal at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris. 1902-1981

Please to begin....

Jim Metcalf was beloved by many New Orleanian...he would charm us all with his words and wisdom. Jim Metcalf died in 1977, and was as warm off the camera as he was on...his weekly "Sunday Journal" was the best! I had the good fortune of meeting him and delight in it still, as a very fond memory! As Jim Metcalf use to say at the beginning of each show...."Please to begin"....

"Bourbon Street at Dusk"
"Time to get up now, you tired old sinner.
You've been resting all day
behind those drapes you closed this morning,
just as the sun was coming up
and the day people were beginning to stir.

They're turning on your lights now,
so it's time to roll out...cake on the make-up
and put those sparkling things in your hair...
those neon lights that attract the convention guys.

Across the way, some of your friends
are taking battered old horns out of their cases
A banjo's tuning up.
And somebody's fooling around with an old upright piano.
Any minute now, they'll be bustin' loose
with a hand-me-down version of jazz.
Trying to hold onto the music
that all started somewhere down here by the river.
And you saw it all.

I guess you've seen about everything,
come to think of it.
Heard every sad story there is to tell,
and every bum joke.
You've heard the steady step of reformers
chasing sinners drinking Hurricanes from plastic cups.

That's your thing, old girl.
This is "New Orleans" as the tourists say,
and you're the star of the show.
Curtain's going up, so please to begin,
You lovable old phony.
You're not half as tough as you pretend.
I know...I've seen you crying
when you thought no one was watching."

Only the beloved Jim Metcalf can make me want to pay a visit to Bourbon at dusk on a balmy New Orleans day....I so miss his words about the city!

Loving Barq's

It goes with everything in New Orleans. But of course there is a conflicting story. Here goes...Barq's was founded in 1890 in the French Quarter by The Barq's Brothers Bottling Company....Edward and Gaston. I think the conflict starts here...Edward moved to Biloxi Mississippi in 1897 and opened the "Biloxi Artesian Bottling Works". Some say Barq's is New Orlean's and some say it is Biloxi's.

I found someone who has been blogging about Barq's for over 2 years....the site has been retired but it is kinda neat to read. The site address is "Barq's-The blog with BITE!" This blog states it is all Biloxi's own....I think I should ask...."Blake Pontchartrain"... just the sort of question we can wonder about! Loving Barq's no matter where it comes from!

Need a helping hand?

Always needing a helping hand to remember just minor stuff, I have to find help from everywhere. I would really like to know about "Blake Pontchartrain". He is or She is the "New Orleans Know It All", that gives answers to the most wondered questions you have to offer. I like to think it is one very organized person that just loves to find the facts....a fact finder! Anyway this sort of thing just goes along so beautifully to make up this fabulous city of New Orleans....the mystery and mystic!

The pseudonymous or pen name "Blake Pontchartrain" can be e-mailed at askblake@gambitweekly.com or by writing to 3923 Bienville St. New Orleans 70119....just in case you want to ask a question!

"I would rather live in a world where my life is surrounded by mystery than live in a world so small that my mind could comprehend it." Harry Emerson Fosdick...clergyman 1878-1969

One more thing...if you want a hooded sweatshirt for $35 that says "I am Blake Pontchartrain" on it, go to Cafepress...they are for sale!

The Thrill of a Hill

Most people who grow up with New Orleans as home, has many memories. Monkey Hill was a place where you could run, jump and roll down the highest peak in the Crescent City. The hill was created tn 1933 with sand brought in to raise the ground level to 15 feet or so. It was made for children of New Orleans to have a thrill of a hill. And that it did....most all remember rolling down and running right back up to do it all over again.

Monkey Hill at Audubon Zoo has a knew look now but after reading "Blake Pontchartrain".....(the New Orleans know it all)...Monkey Hill is not the tallest hill anymore. The badge goes to the "mountain" located in Couturie Forest and Arboretum that fronts Harrison Avenue in City Park. The official name is "Laborde Lookout". The New Orleans "mountain" stands at 53 feet tall, surely the tallest in the city.

"Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood." Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers) TV Host 1923-2003

Above and Beyond

"You can't depend on your judgement when your imagination is out of focus." Mark Twain

Fishing Man in Trouble

"Fish, to taste right, must swim three times-in water, in butter and in wine." Polish Proverb......NOT OIL

The Magic of Magic

Since I stepped into "Zucchini's" tricks and things in Monterey California, I have been thinking about MAGIC.

Here is an excerpt of "Making Magic" from My New Orleans. com, written by Carolyn Kolb.

"Nearly 10,000 New Orleanians crowded the wharves by the Canal Street ferry landing on Sunday, November 17, 1907, to watch magician Harry Houdini be shackled in chains and padlocks by First Recorder's Court Judge Jon Fogarty, using manacles from Orleans Parish Prison. Houdini then jumped into the Mississippi River. Half a minute later, when he emerged unchained, the crowd roared it's approval. New Orleans has always liked tricksters."

Love that story, I shall not leave this subject alone.

"No performer should bite off red-hot iron unless he has a good set of teeth." Harry Houdini

"My brain is the key that sets my mind free." Houdini

"The greatest escape I ever made was when I left Appleton, Wisconsin." Houdini

Harry Houdini (April 6 1874 - October 31 1926) Magician, escapologist, stunt performer, actor, and investigator of spiritual claims. Houdini claimed to be born in Appleton Wisconsin but it is said the birth was on March 24 1874 in Budapest, Hungary....many stories surround Houdini. He did die on Halloween in 1926! Fascinating.....

The Artist

"The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place; from the sky, from the earth, from a scrape of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider's web." Pablo Picasso

Check out some artist inspiration at Arthur Roger Gallery 432 Julia and Cole Pratt Gallery 3800 Magazine....New Orleans is such an artist city. Inspiration all over the city.

The Reader

A great used book store where the books are spilling out from the shelves is located at 714 Orleans in the Quarter. The name is Arcadian. Books are everywhere, they spill from the shelves on to the floor...stacked every which away! You will love it. The owner is not a stuffed shirt...very friendly and knowledgeable. Arcadian is very small but a charming place to loose yourself.

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." Dr. Suess

Amusement Water

At the Beach, at the Beach, at Pontchartrain Beach, you'll have fun, you'll have fun, everyday of the week!

Harry J. Batt Sr. owned Pontchartrain Beach, and what a grand idea he had! Mr. Batt traveled the world to find the most unique amusement park rides. So many memories that have been collected. I loved putting my POP (pay one price) bracelet on....so many rides....those were special POP days at The Beach! The Haunted House, Wild Maus, and The Zephyr all my favorite. As The Haunted House cars creeped thru the ghoulish characters...this would only prime me for The Wild Maus! Oh what carefree fun....At The Beach!

Back with the present day....with Bryan Batt, son of Harry and Gayle Batt. He has written a "Momior", an intimate book about his mother. I can not imagine growing up with an amusement park always at your disposal. Bryan Batt is a very accomplished man himself, his resume is very long... along with his a partner he has "Hazelnut" at 5515 Magazine St. An eclectic gift and design shop. They even have Pontchartrain Beach fabric! Sorry no Wild Maus or Zephyr print, but bright and colorful. As it states on their website..."Old New Orleans, with a chic metropolitan twist."

Byran Batt's book is titled "She Ain't Heavy She's My Mother." One of the questions asked by Craig Wilson of "USA Today" was..."What do you think kept her going through your alcoholic father's infidelities and now having to battle lung cancer? And a gay son to boot!"

Makes you want to read the book...doesn't it?

Pontchartrain Beach closed in 1983....Thanks for the memories!

Lake Ponchartrain

The city of New Orleans is wedged between the two watery worlds of the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain. The lake is actually an estuary, which is defined as a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers, streams, or bayous flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries are a dynamic ecosystem with saltwater entering according to the tides; freshwater flowing from rivers and bayous dilute the seawater, resulting in brackish conditions.

Lake Pontchartrain is the largest lake in Louisiana and the second largest saltwater lake in the United States, second only to Great Salt Lake in Utah. The lake is 40 miles long, 25 miles wide and the depth is 10 to 16 feet.

Don't Fall into the Water!

"There are a lot of places I like, but I like New Orleans better." ...Bob Dylan, from "Chronicles" Volume One.

Me too!

It is Never too Late

Some words to leave you with for two weeks...I will be on holiday!

"Which form of proverb do you prefer: Better late than never, or Better never than late?" Lewis Carroll...the pen name of Charles Dodgson, an Oxford mathematician...author of "Alice in Wonderland"

George Eliot was the pen name for Mary Anne Evans. She lived in the 1800's and wanted to be taken seriously. Her words of wisdom are commonly used today..."It's never too late to be what you might have been." It still applies today as it did in the 1800's. It is never to late....but it can be annoying!

Back in two weeks....

French Creole

I am back on Creole. There is so much I thought I knew but....I don't! I have a new favorite web site that explains the history and the rich culture of French Creole. You might need some time to read and understand everything, but it is well written and I would only jumble it all up...so go to....frenchcreoles.com and see for yourself.

Welcome...

The entrance is a narrow and dark alley way that opens into a small patio. The upstairs dance floor has a coffin ascending from the ceiling. The downstairs restrooms are hidden behind bookcases. Nice and creepy...The whole feel is, you guessed it...The Dungeon! A local favorite bar in the Quarter. No photo's allowed but I like to update my self portrait in the "rest" room of the Dungeon. It makes for an interesting question....where was this taken?

Expect funky music, darkness, great skeleton and skull paintings, lots of security around and unusual people that breathe life into the whole scene.

The Dungeon is tied into the story of Prince Suleyman of the Turkish Royal Family. In 1808 the Royal Family arrived in New Orleans...six months later, all were brutally murdered in their living quarters. Officially, it was recorded as a robbery. The Dungeon states that..."It was retribution for the young women of New Orleans who were lured into the Prince's nearby dungeon and prepared for the harems of Istanbul by psychological indoctrination, opium-induced submission and torture." Welcome to the Dungeon...738 Toulouse.

Original Dungeon....Tue-Sun...opens @ 10:30pm
Front of Dungeon...7 days...6:00pm till the last person leaves!

Creole...a good mix...with love

The meaning of Creole can take my head and give it a good spin. It is a little confusing and I am not even going to try to give it one definition. I just think of it as a culture. It is a good mix, with life and passion. I just like to say the word CREOLE! Creole people, creole language, creole cuisine, creole seasoning, creole regions, creole music. The word Creole is like a good gumbo.....everything mixed well and flavorful.

I did find this statement and I guess I will stick to it...well a little. See it is like seasoning...you have to know when to add and when to stop! "In Louisiana, Creole generally means a person of mixed French, African American, and Native American ancestry." But what about a pinch of Spanish or a dash of Italians? Who knows...I don't, but the beauty of it is the mixing.

Some of the famous Creoles that draw me into this world...a world that I do share...Amede Ardoin...a Black Creole who made the first audio recordings of Zydeco music in 1928. A man way ahead of time! John James Audubon...a White French Creole, and a very fine artist! Last but not least....my favorite...Virginie Amelie Avegno Gautreau...White French Creole...better known as "Madame X".

The definition of Creole still stirs beautiful stories and rich colors to my mind...one that makes Louisiana so unique from any other. A good pot of Gumbo...wouldn't you say?

"Tell me who you love, and I'll tell you who you are." A Creole quote

Late Night Performer

She was never a stripper but a dancer that never seemed to run out of energy. I have not seen her show in years, but to have the moves and charisma she has...it would be an impossible act for me! Singing, dancing, talking, and entertaining her audience with out a single pause. I remember just being dazzled by her.

Chris Owens is a topic of wonder for me. My first wonder is her age. After some research I decided to use the year of 1935. That would make her 75! Her body is great....it is no doubt she takes care of herself....her show alone proves that fact. The second wonder is her face...I wonder how many times it has been refreshed. As age shows with "waking up every morning"...I wonder.

I know she is the last of the really great shows in the French Quarter...the old New Orleans...the one I sometimes think about! I hope one day she will write a memoir of her life...maybe she is writing it now! She is the women who says..."A women who will tell her age will tell anything"....please tell us one day, Ms Owens!

Chris Owens
500 Bourbon Street
New Orleans

"The age of a women doesn't mean a thing. The best tunes are played on the oldest fiddles." Ralph Waldo Emerson...American author 1803-1882

fleur de lis...the ancient royal statement

Fleur de lis means "lily flower". In New Orleans it is everywhere. The city flag and city hall prominently display the ancient symbol. This emblem is a badge for New Orleans, it graces our architecture, it is in our art, it is forever in our life. We are devout followers of the Fleur de lis logo on the helmets of the New Orleans Saints....these days that is royalty! For many people it shouts out "I Believe".

The modern usage of Fleur de lis states "the continuing presence of heraldry in everyday life".

There is a house in New Orleans...

"There is a house in New Orleans
They call the Rising Sun
And its been the ruin of many
a poor boy
And God I know I'm one.

My mother was a tailor
She sewed my new bluejeans
My father was a gamblin' man
Down in New Orleans.

Now the only thing a gambler
needs...is a suitcase
and a trunk
And the only time he's
satisfied...Is when he's
on a drunk.

Oh mother tell your children
Not to do what I have done
Spend your lives in sin
and misery
In the House of th Rising Sun.

Well, I got one foot on the
platform...the other
on the train
I'm goin' back to New Orleans
To wear that ball and chain.

Well, there is a house
in New Orleans
They call the Rising Sun
And it's been the ruin
of many of poor boy
And God...I know I'm one."

A folk song of a life gone wrong in New Orleans. These words are from "The Animals" 1964 revision of "The House of the Rising Sun". Like many ballads, the ownership of "The House" is uncertain. Just as the song, the actual house (if there is one) is uncertain also. Many guidebooks list a creole mansion on Esplanade Avenue as "The House", which Madame Marianne Le Soleil ran from 1862-1874. Madame Le Soleil translates from French as "the rising sun". This all sounds like a really good story to me....and we all know New Orleans sure can produce them!

There is a house in New Orleans...

A little light of life

"When the act of reflection takes place in the mind, when we look at ourselves in the light of thought, we discover that our life is embosomed in beauty." American poet...Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

Light is essential for life. New Orleans has a unquie element of light that no other city produces....it seems to beam like the moon. Notice as you walk at night...look above...it glows.

Bevolo Lanterns have been gracing this city since 1945. All of Bevolo's fixtures are hand-riveted by masters, using quality hand-cut copper and brass. Bevolo's family business lights the way for many of New Orleanian...with beauty, tradition and attention to detail.

Bevolo
521 Conti Street
New Orleans

"In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary." Aaron Rose...artist, film director, and writer

LIVE a little

"I postpone death by living, by suffering, by error, by risking, by giving, by loving." Anais Nin is best known for her journals...(1903-1977)

CROWN ME

"Each your doing, so singular in each particular, crowns what you are doing in the present deed, that all your acts are queens.William Shakespeare...English Dramalist Playwright and Poet 1564-1616

french bleu

"Each player must accept the cards life deals him or her, but once they are in hand, he or she alone must decide how to play the cards in order to win the game." Voltaire....one of the greatest French authors (1694-1778)

NEW ME

"But it is no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then." Alice quote...from "Alice in Wonderland"

Looking Thru Your Heart

"There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread." Mother Teresa

Love never fails...never

April Fools

I wanted to write about the history of April Fools Day, but decided to let you go on your own to "Wikipedia." Once there you will find the history and well known pranks by radio, television, newspapers, game shows and websites. One prank that sticks out in my mind is the "dead fairy hoax." "In 2007, an illusion designer for magicians posted on his website some images illustrating the corpse of an unknown eight inch creation, which claimed to be the mummified remains of a fairy. He later sold the fairy on eBay for 280 pounds." That would be about 418.00 US Dollars!

"Don't give cherries to pigs and advice to fools." Irish Proverb

G00D WeIRd

Something tells me I'm in for something good. Annette's Cafe at 219 Dauphine is kinda good weird. Open 7:00am to 3:00pm. Serving omelettes and breakfast all day....Greek lunch and standard New Orleans flair of red beans and rice....with all of this said it is Annette that captures my attention. Annette is an aging women that has been in a kitchen most of her life, she speaks with a French accent but is Moroccan. I ordered a Mediterranean plate with stuffed grape leaves, hummus and spinach pie...(the spinach pie was left out) I did clean my plate!....but for me it is Annette that will draw me back into the small and humble cafe. Once inside you can hardly believe you are in the French Quarter...there is something I just could not put my finger on. Let me give you a little description...plastic table clothes, shaky chairs, a King Tut poster on the wall, a map of (I think) German wine country, a video poker room, an almost dead plant in the corner, a poster written in marker of their Mardi Gras menu, very old magazines on a shelf, a newspaper clipping of Alex Baldwin and Annette from years ago, and an unusual piece of art by Annette's husband...which she will sell it for $400.00! ( I love the art work).... I can go on about other things but I must leave something for the imagination. It was only two of us, Annette, and the server to delight my senses, and not another soul came in. Annette was all for me...talkative, unusual, weird, and full of tales. I was on the dusty road to Marrakech! All this alone time on a Sunday afternoon about 2:00pm with Annette has made my week. I don't know maybe a past life or "The Twilight Zone"...(I expected Rod Sterling to call out of the gated video poker room)...some things just can not be explained and Annette's is one of them! I will return soon for a delightful plate of stuffed grape leaves and maybe they will serve the spinach pie....I can not wait to see what kind of experience I will have...

"Is it weird in here, or is it just me?" a quote from...Stephen Wright (American actor)

"Know what's weird? Day by day, nothing seems to change. But pretty soon, every thing's different." Bill Watterson...American author of comic strip "Calvin and Hobbes"


One more odd note...Johnny Depp.... I would have never thought he was born in Kentucky...Isn't Life amazing! I am still in "Wonderland"....please bare with me!

"School's a weird thing. I'm not sure it works." speaking of "GOOD WEIRD"....Johnny Depp..."American film actor (born 1963 in Owensboro, Kentucky...raised in Florida and now resides in France. He dropped out of school at the age of 15. We are all capable of reinventing our self at any time and any age!

Have a good weird day!

Good Weird....Annette's Cafe and throw in a little fantasy....Johnny Depp!

With This Glass

With a little help from bubbles in a glass any one can become "Sam I Am"....Theodor "Ted" Seuss Geisel...better known as Dr. Seuss! No he was not a doctor but he has mended many a life with his words, illustrations and his whimsical nature. We all should make an appointment to visit Dr. Seuss...his world can cure just about anything.

At Angela King Gallery...214 Royal St. (the corner of Royal and Bienville) the side window display has whimsical Dr. Seuss, without going into the gallery! Surely to make you smile! They have his "secret art" and "unorthodox taxidermy"...."Kangaroo Bird"...funny and unexpected of Dr. Seuss! I think it is very appropriate to view a "Seuss" through a window...especially a New Orleans window! A free gift to yourself!

Dr. Seuss died September 24, 1991....but he will live on and on and on and on and on and on and on........you get the message.....don't you?

Dr. Seuss quotes....

"Today you are YOU, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is YOUER than YOU!"

"Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the things you can think up if you only try."

"I meant what I said and I said what I meant."

Dr. Seuss is a prescription for LIFE!

An Alice Day

A quote from The King of Hearts...."Alice In Wonderful.".....

"Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop."

This happens at the hearing in court while the King of Hearts ask the White Rabbit to read a set of verses in a letter, written by the prisoner. White Rabbit does not know where to begin.....This is excellent advice for us all!

"Why is a raven like a writing desk?" The Mad Hatter....what does this mean?
-Even Lewis Carroll himself did not have an answer to it. In the preface to 1896 edition of the book, Carroll wrote: "Enquiries have been so often addressed to me, as to whether any answer to the Hatter's Riddle can be imagined, that I may as well put on record here what seems to me to be a fairly appropriate answer: "Because it can produce a few notes, though they are very flat; and it is never put with the wrong end in front." The riddle as originally invented, had no rhythm or reason, so merely make your own meaning up!

Every now and then we should all create an Alice Day! Hurry you must not be late!

JUMP!

The Spell Of New Orleans

I know I will not quote these words correctly but I will try...this is Mark Twain's words...scrambled by me....."There is New York, San Fransisco, and New Orleans...and all else is just Cleveland!" I have tried to get the exact quote.....but failed.

This is the spell of New Orleans....some fall under it and some just live in Cleveland!

No Offense....Please!

Saving NOLA

What a difference a few people can do. A desire to help rebuild their city! Go shop "The Saving NOLA Store" in Jax Brewery. They have the perfect tee...100% organic cotton...crescent city....great colors.

100% of the net proceeds go to organizations dedicated to rebuilding New Orleans.

"Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything." American author...Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)

"le nez".....the nose

The gift of "the nose" is a requirement for the perfume business. The Bourbon French Parfums has been in business since 1843, and has a rich history of "the nose". This quaint little shop will have a lasting impression on anyone who floats thru their door at 805 Royal in the Quarter. It is a little bit of Paris!

With their custom blends, created only for you, it becomes your "secret" scent. Your "secret" will then be recorded for special orders for other body products such as bath salts, lotions, even shampoo...if you must! I can not think of a better way to add mystery and enticement into your life. All the mystery is at a very reasonable price tag too! Recipes are mixed by hand in small batches and judged with "le nez"...no doubt!

"New Orleans, the most romantic city and least inhibited city in America, has never denied itself any of life's earthly pleasures. The high-living, sophisticated Creole culture which came into its "Golden Age" during the 19th Century here has given this city a reputation for sensuousness and appreciation for all the finer things. Good food and drink, rich coffees, excellent tobaccos, exquisite clothing and exotic enticing fragrances are important ingredients of the good life in New Orleans."....from The Bourbon French Parfums

A quick fix off the shelf is La Pluie. For me...it is like a New Orleans spring morning after the rain...

I can not resist a little more French...The eloquent writer, Vicki Archer, says in her book, "My French Life"....that "perfume is personal magic." "The choice of a scent is a pleasure not to be rushed." I so agree!

A little dab here and a little more there, a glass of champagne, and Vicki's "My French Life".....ah....the allure of the French!

Getting Real

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby.. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don,t understand." Margery Williams..."The Velveteen Rabbit"

LET THEM EAT CAKE!

Should you let facts get in the way of a good story? "Let them eat cake"...who said that famous phrase...it is up for grabs! Was it Marie Antoinette? Who knows!

I say on your Birthday one should always have cake! In New Orleans it should be Doberge! The famous dessert started with Beulah Ledner in 1933 and is still going strong! You will fall madly in love with this multi-layered yummy celebration. With flavors of lemon, chocolate, carmel....I made a peanut butter and jelly Doberge years ago...you will not go wrong with this tasty cake. Don't wait for a birthday...have one just because.

Doberge Cake...at Gambino's, Haydel's or Maurice French Pastries...Let them eat cake!

"The old believe everything, the middle aged suspect everything, the young know everything." Irishman...Oscar Wilde quote

a still life

A still life painting is art that doesn't move. Often, bowls of fruit and vases of flowers are the subject manner.

"Every artist undresses his subject, whether human or still life. It is his business to find essences in surfaces, and what more attractive and challenging subject surface than the skin around a soul." Richard Corliss...writer for Time magazine

quite lucky!

"Just tell yourself, Duckie, you are really quite lucky." Dr. Seuss (1904-1991) Theodor Seuss Geisel was born in Springfield, Massachusetts.

A Horse of a Different Color

Fair Grounds Race Course at 1751 Gentilly Blvd. is called by locals, New Orleans Fair Grounds. The track was opened in 1852 under the name Union Race Course. Home of the "Louisiana Derby" the Fair Grounds is one of the oldest racing sites in the United States.

Racing season runs from Thanksgiving weekend thru the end of March. The Fair Grounds is also the location of the famed New Orleans Jazz Fest. The Fest is held each year over a pair of three day weekends...last week-end in April and the first week-end in May.

"The best horse doesn't always win the race." an Irish saying

UP in SMOKE

I get a little confused where you can smoke in New Orleans. Just thought I would look the law up myself. Senate Bill 742...All restaurants, including attached bars, must be 100% smoke free. At least 50% of hotel and motel rooms must be non-smoking. Stand alone bars and casinos are exempt.

"Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar." Sigmund Freud...psychoanalyst (1856-1939)

Taking Care of Business

"We believe that there has never been a better time to open or expand a business in New Orleans than right now."....a quote from Matt Koningsmark.

Matt Koningsmark is one of the founding members of The Southern Food and Beverage Museum in New Orleans. He also serves on the New Orleans Habitat for Humanity Board. The great and wonderful Crescent City is fully growing and expanding with movers and shakers all over the city...you can just feel it.

"Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit." Napoleon Hill...(1883-1970) the author of "Think and Grow Rich"

These words can apply to a city too!

A taste of Africa

One order of Jama Jama, some African Jambalaya, and an order of Akara for the table...please! I am sitting in the window seat at 1212 Royal Street in my beloved French Q....I am not in Africa! But I could be if I was blind folded and just randomly dropped there. The feel is Africa and how I love that country! The colors and the passion..it is everywhere here, and you feel it the moment you are in "Bennachin"..."A taste of Africa." This small but quaint restuarant is flavorful and is a nice spin on an afternoon lunch with friends. While sipping Barajambo...African herbal tea, talking with friends and the anticipation of a delightful meal...what more can you want? My cup runneth over!

Bennchin Restaurant gives you Africa in an afternoon. After a very long and lingering meal...one must pass thru the kitchen (to go to the rest-room)...the cook is a beautiful elbony colored women with bright authentic African dress from head to toe. And cook she can!

The Akara...(black-eyed pea fritters) is a farovite, and a must for sharing at the table! Jama Jama, is sauteed spinach...yummy! The menu is full of flavors and it is written in African and English. The languages on their menu come from...The Bassa people of Cameroon and The Mandinka people of Gambia. Go and taste Africa's culture with family and friends.

African Proverbs..."He who learns, teaches.

"However long the night, the dawn will break."

Be a King!

"Don't be afraid your life will end; be afraid that it will never begin." Grace Hanson...(no bio found)

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT!!!

By accident on a recent French Q outing I smashed into the "Kitchen Witch"....I gazed into the windows and it was love at first sight....but then disappointment...the doors were locked! I want what I can't have....Now! With a few weeks of lustful thoughts I could not wait to meet my new found lover. First impressions are everything...we all know that! Finally the anticipation is over and we meet...ah...the smell of old, used and rare books...a heaven scent. The funky little lover is pleasing to the eyes too! I loved everything about our first date...we have so much in common...kinda bohemion...and a little kinky!

I have decided that the owners are going to be my new fantasy best friends...they are Debbie and Philipe...so charming! Full of info and they love to communicate! I love to talk too. They have a dog or maybe two...I saw a doggie bed and other traces of pooch stuff in the shop. So neat..most book stores have cats! I like dogs best...I told you we have so much in common! I wanted to stay all afternoon, possibility sipping a good red french wine and drowning myself in the written word. A nice way to die and go to heaven...but reality called and fantasy ended. With a wise purchase..."The Spice Cook Book"...I can re-live my Kitchen Witch fantasy over and over.

"I love you, not for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you." Roy Croft...poet (His history is unknown as far as I can tell.)

I will return lover...
631 Toulouse Street

I promise!

FILE'

file'...(pronounced fee-lay)

The first time making seafood gumbo for me was a successful attempt until...my ignorance with file'. I added too much file' while the gumbo was still boiling! This gorgeous pot of seafood gumbo quickly turned to a thick and stringy mess. The whole pot was thrown out!

File' is ground sassafras leaves...and remember to only add file' to the pot at the end of cooking if you choose to make file' gumbo.

"Try and fail but don't fail to try." Stephen Kaggwa....I failed to find out who Stephen Kaggwa is....but I didn't fail to try!

creole seasoning

I have been reaching for Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning as long as I can remember! Never giving it one thought....is this a real person...or just a made up character wearing a chef's hat on the label of Original Creole Seasoning! Well....there is a real Tony Chachere! There is even a blog...Cindy Adams-Ardoin has a masters degree in Food Science from LSU...she is one of the team writers for "The Mean Green Blogging Team" that is on Tony Chachere's website. I never gave a thought to Food Scientist either. It is all in the marketing....but you really can get hooked on Tony's...it is a staple on most kitchen tables.

Tony Charchere's Creole Foods began in 1972, as a retirement hobby for Mr. Chachere. After fulfilling a dream to record his recipes he published "Cajun Country Cookbook". In his cookbook was his recipe for homemade seasoning...the rest is well seasoned history!

I will now think of Tony Chachere as the man "with a rare and wonderful sense of humor, a man who was 'at home' with everyone who knew him."....a quote from his website.

As the package says..."use it like salt."