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."

Snails, Oysters and pieces...

"Two-thirds of what we call New Orleans culture is really myth-making...People feed myths of the city back to the city. These myths are now in pieces." a quote from Andrei Codrescu

I would like to contribute my share of myths and pieces to the pot of New Orleans culture. I read somewhere or was told by someone the history of Oyster Rockefellows started with snails....or I should say the lack of them. In the beginning there was escargot...with the lack of these tasty little morsels...the eye was turned to the oyster. Most would say now...a great replacement! With a little creativity oysters began a beautiful love affair. New Orleans is so known for the rich flavor of the oyster but none as famous Oysters Rockefellow...named because the dish is as rich in flavor as the Rockefellow's bank account.

"He was a bold man that first ate an oyster." Jonathan Swift (Irish author)
That quote can apply to snail too!

I told you pieces, and pieces you will get. I am quoting "Gourmet Sleuth. com" to give you a little history in snails..."Discarded roasted snail shells found in archaeological digs indicated that prehistoric humans enjoyed "escargot". Pliny described Fulvius Hirpinas' snail garden as having varied species of snails and feeding them on wine and cornmeal. Ancient Romans, and later, other Europeans ate snails during festivals, Lent, Mardi Gras and Carnival. There are edible land snails ranging in size from 1/4 inch to giant African snails growing 12 inches. The traditional escargot is the common garden variety snail. Escargot (French for snail) are available fresh, chilled, canned and frozen." If I have wet your appetite for snails, Gourmet Sleuth has an on-line shop and you may purchase...SNAILS in a can!

Still more pieces...(Pliny) is referred to "Pliny the Elder"....author, naturalist, and natural philosopher (23 AD - 79 AD)

Pliny quote..."From the end springs new beginnings."

One more piece...Do you think Paris is shaped like a snail? The 20 arrondissements sure favor pieces put together in the shape of snail!

Dali Me!!!

The name Salvador Dali....can send me into imagination over load! I always want more...and more we will get when his new museum opens in 2011. I only wish it was in New Orleans! Don't you think the Cresent City would have been a perfect back drop for Dali? New Orleans can be a sorta Dali surrealism city on any given day. The museum is located in St. Petersburg Florida....and it is filled with screaming surrealism straight from the brain of Dali himself. The present museum is great and the new one is surely going to be divine. I say this because the day I walked thru the doors the large counting number clock on the wall stated 333 days to go before the new museum would open. To me 333 is a divine number....I was at the right place at the right time indulging my brain with everything DALI!

I love his perfume collection.... sold on the museum website....the bottles are beautifully designed by Dali!!!! The scents are dreamy and are developed in a French Perfumery. Just to say... "I'm wearing Salvador Dali!"....gets the imagination going!

Some of Dali's famous quotes...."There are some days when I think I'm going to die from an overdose of satisfaction."

"Those who do not want to imitate anything, produce nothing."

"Each morning when I awake, I experience again a supreme pleasure-that of being Salvador Dali."

The Color Blue

Everyone knows who the "Blue Dog" is...but who is Wendy? Now with her blog "Musings Of An Artist's Wife" we all get to have a peek into her life. Wendy is the wife of Blue Dog artist George Rodrique. You begin to slowly find out how wonderful she is....Wendy becomes personable and shares from her heart about her life with artist George Rodrique. My favorite post is about her mother "Mignon" who also painted. "Mignon's Flowers" is a tribute to her mom and gives us a private moment of a daughter who truly loved her mother. With a blue painting of two hands that was discovered after her mother's death gives Wendy's readers a peek into her heart.

After spending time reading her words one would only want to choose her as an enduring friend! May I suggest you have a cup of tea and sit down with Wendy...let her be a new found friend through words...she will guide you and teach you all things BLUE....my new favorite color!!!!!

I take this advice from George Rodrique....written by Wendy: "George Rodrique was confused and offended when he was disqualified from an art contest simply because his work did not look like everyone else's." (We should never give up on dreams!)

"He claims that the only artist to ever inspire him is Salvador Dali, because he had fantastic, original ideas." (I agree)

"The best piece of advice he ever received is to "treat your painting as though it is a jewel, because if it is precious to you, it will be precious to others as well."
(We should all treat our work like this!)

"Never, ever paint giant magnolias blossoms." (I so agree!!!)

George Rodrique...New Orleans Gallery
721 Royal...moving to 730 Royal...go for a peek into blue!