New Orleans

Remembering what the Storm Washed Away

August 30, 2010 by Charles Leave a Comment

This is not a food post. Just this once, I’ve decided to stray from the general theme of the blog.

This past Sunday marked the Fifth Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina making landfall near the city of New Orleans. A few days before the anniversary, I sat down at my computer, and wrote out my thoughts on the subject. On a whim, I decided to submit the essay to several newspapers and magazines around the country. This past Sunday, the essay appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer. You can also read it in my alumni magazine.

I was so excited about its publication, that I wanted to share the article with my readers. You can click here for a link to the article as it appeared in the Enquirer, or simply read it below. …

Red Beans and Rice

February 4, 2010 by Charles 2 Comments

Memories are a funny thing. I look back at certain events or times, and wonder what it was that made a certain scene memorable, that gave it such staying power.

With childhood memories, the question evokes a stronger response – owing, perhaps, to the idea that a memory resonates with more emotion the more distant it seems. There’s something inspiring and captivating about looking back in your subconscious and finding a picture of yourself at a younger, more exciting age.

There I am, 20 years old, turning a corner outside of a Paris cafe, and bumping into the Prime Minister. There I am, 18 years old, sweating under the bright lights of my high-school…

Pecan Pie with Candied Pecans

December 14, 2009 by Charles 2 Comments

I didn’t make it back to New Orleans this Thanksgiving. But I still wanted a piece of the city at the table. To that end, I settled on a piece of pecan pie, inspired by the Pecan Pie served at The Camellia Grill.

The Camellia Grill is a local landmark, its Greek columns set right off the streetcar line and the river-bend, and sandwiched between the Uptown and Carrollton neighborhoods. Its patrons run the gamut, with partied-out college freshmen seated elbow-to-elbow with local luminaries, with everyone in between still waiting to be seated.

Two well-worn green couches sit on opposite ends of the Grill, and serve as the designated waiting area. A series of one-legged stools, bolted to the ground, snakes around the counter,…

Peach Italian Ice

August 13, 2009 by Charles 5 Comments

Angelo Brocato’s Italian Ice Cream Parlor is an unassuming place, sandwiched between an Asian restaurant unsure about its own ethnicity, and a sports bar with saloon doors for an entrance. On one corner of the street sits a warehouse, with stacks of rolled carpet piled high in all directions; on the other corner rests Junque Antiques, the building itself looking several birthdays older than its wares.

Parking for Angelo Brocato’s is limited to an empty gravel-filled lot, or whatever spaces are available at 45-degree angles on the wide sidewalk on the river side of North Carrolton Avenue. The parlor itself occupies a one-story storefront in the mid-city neighborhood of New Orleans, a safe distance from the reverie of the French Quarter. Inside, the store displays the black-and-white portrait of its founder, and the wire-rimmed chairs, apothecary jars, and …

Bananas Foster Soufflé

December 14, 2008 by Charles 2 Comments

Bananas Foster is a New Orleans original.

The dish was originally created in 1951, by Chef Paul Blangé of Brennan’s Restaurant. Owen Edward Brennan, the owner, had challenged his chef to create a dish that would highlight bananas. At the time, New Orleans was the principal port of entry for Latin America’s banana crop. The recipe also served as the feature article for Holiday Magazine, which had asked Brennan for a recipe to accompany an article about the restaurant.

Bananas Foster is named for Richard Foster, who …