Update on the Caterer’s Garden
Well, the big day is approaching. For those of you in L.A. this weekend, I hope that you will visit the completed Caterer’s Garden at the L.A. Garden Show. I, unfortunately, will not be there, as I am in NOLA exploring the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. I will be reporting back at my Pain Perdu blog, which is newly located right here at Typepad, so please check in with me. In the meantime, here are some updated pics of Pauls’ garden project. Laissez Le Bontemps Roulez !...
read moreLunch at Coop’s Place
I had lunch at Coop's Place this afternoon- the dinner I brought with me on the plane froze overnight in the little hotel fridge. Coop's is a dive on Decatur Street in the Quarter, oriented mostly to tourists, no doubt, but the food is good and reasonably priced. I was first introduced to it on Mardi Gras day, 2006, when Eric took us there for lunch. There's a cat sleeping soundly in her bed on the wide window sill. The couple who sat next to the window reached out to pet the cat. "Don't wake her 'til after lunch" the waitress called out, "otherwise she'll be dancin' on all the tables". I was at Coop's last at the end of January 2007- the last time I was in New Orleans. It, and the Quarter, were virtually empty then, but today Coop's is full, and I can see the Quarter beginning to fill. Oops- the kitty has awakened. She's scratching herself and preening, stretching her body with front paws hanging from a pane, and peering out at the passersby outside her window. It is a wonder to me how she slept through all the commotion in here. "What's the Redfish Belle River", I ask the waitress. It's on the blackboard, but not the menu. "I don't know. What's the Redfish Belle River", she yells out to the manager/bartender. "Cripsy fried filet topped with crawfish and – do you know what etouffé is ?" -I assure him I do – and served over rice". Sounds good to me. The service is pretty slow here today, not like the Mardi Gras day, when the place was packed to the gills. The waiter had plates stacked all the way up his arm and was snaking his way with a sinuous grace through the throngs waiting to jump on any table that might be opening up. You can read my description of our lunch there, and the waiter's great handling of the Mardi Gras crowd at Coop's Place at Blogstream Pain Perdu. The kitty's name is Stella- an appropriate New Orleans name. She flounced around some of the banquettes, and got a belly rub from a gentleman at the table next to mine before going back to sleep. The redfish was fabulous (although a wreck on my blouse) smothered with mushrooms, crawfish tails and a spicy sauce. And I'd forgotten how good the "Creole green beans" are- spicy with big chunks of tomatoes. "What are you eating?" asks the guy at the next table, "it looks good". "It is good, and way more than I can eat. Where can you go and spend less than $20 on a great meal, and have enough leftover to take for dinner? " I asked as I packed the rest to go. "That's true." "I always tell people about this place. I told someone in the airport yesterday. It's good to know that natives eat here, too" I said. I had been listening in on their conversation. "You're not a native"? "No, an expatriate. One of the many on that LA to L.A. path". We chatted a bit about the places that everyone feels compelled to dine when in New Orleans, and their relative value, as opposed...
read moreSitting in a Starbuck’s in New Orleans
Well, I wouldn't normally be sitting in a Starbuck's in New Orleans. I like to support the great local coffee shops like Community Coffee on Esplanade, Rose Nicaud in the Marginy, En Vie in the Quarter, or even the old tried and true tourist icon Cafe du Monde. But I checked into Harrah's Hotel last night, and exited on the Poydras side instead of the Canal Street side, and found myself wandering around uptown- a new area for me. (BTW, New Orleans is probably the only city in the world where uptown in south, and downtown is north). I walked along the River walk, and passed the thanks to Katrina, now infamous Convention Center, which is bustling with conventioneers. The Starbucks is situated on the outer rim of another luxurious hotel, the Marriott. Last night I exited the I-10 at the also now infamous Superdome exit. I heard someone on the radio say a few days ago that the decline of public support for the war in Iraq began with Katrina. Once again, New Orleans gave from its blood to this country. It's my contention that the city has always given more to this country than it's given back. Would that they'd start now. I am staying at Harrah's courtesy of good family friend Leora Gonzalez, who is sharing her luxurious"stay-cation" suite with me. I had a much needed and fabulous night's sleep, after a grueling week of work, and day of travel across country- first flight was a half hour late and the second was an hour late. And regardless of recession, the airports were packed. Leora is comped the suite because she spends hours sitting in their casino, to which she treated me to a tour of at 11:30 last night. "Play the slots" she urged, " you'll probably have beginner's luck". We'll...
read moreWelcome
I am Gisele Perez, native daughter of New Orleans, Louisiana, who was transplanted to Los Angeles as a young child, along with a large number of residents of the 7th Ward of New Orleans. I began a blog in the wake of the flooding that besieged that city in the summer of 2005. It has been posting at another platform since then on my journey form LA to L.A> and points in between. As of today pain perdu is moving here to Typepad. I will be in New Orleans for the next 9 days, attending the Jazz and Heritage Festival. I'll be following some chefs, food vendors and great home cooks, as well as, of course, hearing some fabulous music, and reporting back some tasty tidbits here. Please check in, and please visit http://painperdu.blogstream.com to read up on the past 3 i2 years of my LA to L.A....
read morePassover Seder 2009
Wanted to share a little clip from my recent Passover job. It’s taken me a while to figure all this video stuff out, but here we are. Now that I have, there’ll be more video clips to share. You’ll see Sarah (complete with baby Chloe) in the first shot, whose seashore themed baby shower I wrote about last fall, with her new...
read moreThe Caterer’s Garden – an Update
Here are a couple of Cal- Med style menus highlighting the produce of the garden. Also some pics of the freshly planted little seedlings. Ciao, Gisele www.smallpleasurescatering.com Menu #1 Mesclun Mix of Field Greens and Herbs with Roasted Red and Yellow Beets, Walnuts and Goat Cheese Garnished with Pansies and Served with Balsamic Vinaigrette*** Fresh Pea Soup Puree Garnished with Mint Cream *** Pan Roasted Salmon Served with Swiss Chard, Brown Butter, Mixed Medley of Cherry Tomatoes and Fingerling Potatoes *** Pear Frangipane Tarts Menu #2 Salad of French Green Beans, Fingerling Potatoes, Cherry Tomatoes Garnished with Nasturtium Petals and Herbs served with Tarragon Mustard Vinaigrette *** Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms Served with Tomato Butter Sauce *** Lamb Loin with Eggplant, Roasted Pepper and Tomato Gratin Garnished with Roasted Cippoline Onions ans Marjoram Pesto *** Mixed Berry Lavender Shortcakes with Lemon Curd and...
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