Looking Back at 2011 in Gratitude
In spite of the many difficult things this year brought, there was still so much to be grateful for.
read moreA Grateful Remembrance
This year was filled with many rivers to cross for my family and me. My mother crossed her final river a couple of weeks ago. We were deeply saddened to see her go, but she was in tremendous physical pain her last few days, and as my Aunt Gloria said so simply and eloquently to me earlier this week, “that’s what makes us let ‘em go.” My mother was a young child during the Great Depression. Her family could not afford to have a portrait shot taken of her, as they did of her two older siblings. In fact, there are no pictures at all of her as a child. There was, however, a drawing of a little brown skinned angel in the house, so whenever she would ask her mother where her picture was, my grandmother, Mama Dear, would tell her “Look at that angel, that’s you.” And my mother was an angel to so many throughout her life. Several generations of children, of all ages, and whether they were related to her or not, called her Nanny. My Uncle Reiss has said, she took on the role of being his angel as an adolescent and young woman. When she married, she took on the job of loving and caring for us, her children, as a mother. She took on caring for Mama Dear, and her sister, Adele, through long illnesses and the end of their lives. When my Aunt Adele’s youngest child, Illona, was born only 10 days after my youngest brother, Eric, she took on caring for her, carting them around like twins. When we were grown, she finally took the opportunity to begin the task of caring excellently for herself. And when my Aunt Adele’s children had children of their own, she became their de facto grandmother. She taught me to read at a very early age, and instilled a love of words in me that remains to this day. It was her life’s calling. Not only did she teach countless other children to read throughout her career as an early childhood teacher, she continued her mission as a volunteer, taking books into schools in underprivileged areas with Reading is Fundamental, well into her retirement. She was still reading books that I, or others, brought to her in the last three months whenever she could manage. It didn’t stop with early childhood reading. She believed in education. She was ever grateful for the opportunity to receive a college education (she was the recipient of a music scholarship to Xavier University), and worked tirelessly on behalf of Xavier, her and my father’s alma mater. By the way, in gratitude to Xavier for providing her with her education, she made a decision to now give back with the establishment of the Phenella Perez Educational Scholarship Fund. My mother and I have very different personalities, and different ways of dealing with things. There were times I could become very frustrated because of that, but the older I got, the wiser my mother became to me. One of the greatest lessons she quietly taught me in her later life, was that just because someone else did something wrong, didn’t mean I shouldn’t do the right thing. It’s a lesson I’m still working on. I was still learning from her...
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Meeting John Besh, Eating at Restaurant August and Recipe for Brown Butter Fig Tart
John Besh, Barnaby Dorfman of Foodista, and future foodie (Photo courtesy of Foodista) Although everyone I mentioned it to, leading up to my interview with John Besh, said he’s such a great guy, I still wasn’t prepare for how completely impressed I would be with him. He’s charismatic, warm and thoughtful, and (icing on the cake) tall with boyish good looks tempered by a tiny bit of gray that’s beginning to touch his temples. Chef Besh spoke to the attendees of the International Food Bloggers Conference after our Saturday night wine pairing dinner at the Monteleone. I had a chance to observe him out in the hallway before he took the stage. Everyone wanted to greet him. Women hugged him, the men shook his hand, he was even kissing babies. When I got the chance to speak with him at his flagship Restaurant August, the Monday after the conference, I said to him, “You should run for mayor. You’re such a natural.” “I’ll leave that to Mitch,” he said, laughing. “He’s doing a great job. And Ray. I really liked Ray, too.” And such a diplomat, too. My cousin Paul, who luckily called me just as I was preparing to go to lunch, and I decided on the 3 course pre-fixe lunch for only $20.11, an incredibly great deal, but as we looked over the menu perusing our options, our server came to the table, and said, “Order lightly. The chef is going to send out several items for you to taste.” We were served an incredible array of amazing food. When we were finished-more like when we just couldn’t eat any more- Paul looked at me and said, “I have never had a meal like this!” We began with two amuses bouches- the first a Fish Mousse (served in a delicate eggshell) with Truffle Sabayon and Bowfin Caviar, the second an Asparagus served (again) with Truffle Sabayon and a (barely) Poached Quail Egg. Asparagus with Truffle Sabayon and Poached Quail Egg Then we were served the first course of our prix fix menu- for Paul, a Salad of Grilled Chilton Peaches, Aceto Balsamico, Basil Pesto, Bacon Crisp and Whipped Ricotta. For me- this luscious Pâté de Campagne of La Provence (Besh’s own hog farm) Pork with Pickled Wild Mushrooms and Seasonal Marmalades (I especially liked the peach), served with thick slices of toasted Brioche. Then 3 hot appetizers- a Green Curry Bisque with Gulf Shrimp, Potstickers and local Heirloom Chile Peppers (Paul pronounced this his favorite dish), a Sweet Corn Agnolotti with Chanterelles, Petit Tomatoes and Field Peas, and a handmade Potato Gnocchi tossed with chunks of Blue Crab and Black Truffle. Truffles- again! I thought of my L.A. food blogging buddy and truffle junkie, Erika Kerekes, knowing she would love eating here. Corn Agnolotti And now for our entrées: Pan Seared Gulf Sheepshead with Silverqueen Corn Custard, Succotash (that’s what the menu called it, but I saw all sorts of yummy and unexpected things like black eyed peas, summer squash and figs in the mix) and Tomato Vinaigrette; Crispy Mangalista Pork Belly with Creole Cream Cheese Malfatti (a kind of gnocchi), Mustard Greens (Paul said -these are not your mother’s mustard greens), Tomato Confit and Sauce Blanquette, and Pan Seared Louisiana Blackfish with Tarragon Pistou (which...
read moreAppetizers to Pair with an Artisan American Whiskey and Pulled Pork on Sweet Potato Biscuits
A menu designed to complement a new American whiskey inspired these Sweet Potato Biscuits with Pulled Pork in Barbecue Sauce.
read moreDropping by Coop’s Place- and Catfish Meunière Recipe
After ordering Fish Meunière at Coop’s Place on my recent trip to New Orleans, I decide to try my hand at my own version upon returning home.
read moreKeeping Cool on St. Anthony Street, New Orleans Sno’ Balls and Pineapple Sherbet
Childhood summer memories in New Orleans and recreating my Aunt Leticia’s Pineapple Sherbet.
read moreBreak Out the Grill-Barbecue Chicken with All South Spice Rub
A great spice rub for chicken going on the grill this holiday weekend.
read moreImpressions on August 29th Six Years Later- and Quinoa Salad
Reflections and meeting with friends on the 6th anniversary of hurricane Katrina
read moreOn my way to New Orleans- on my way home
The city of New Orleans is a gift. It’s a gift for those who love good food and who love to eat and cook. It’s a gift for writers, and for those who love music and good times-a gift for those who love life lived large. I’ve witnessed a steady flow of traffic between New Orleans and Los Angeles throughout my lifetime. My father visited about once a year for the rest of his life after he left to start anew with his young family in Los Angeles. Even though my maternal cousins and I grew up mostly in Los Angeles, we’ve continued to visit regularly- for Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest and French Quarter Festival. We even sometimes send our children back to school there. My brother, Al, spent a year of college at Xavier University, my parent’s alma mater, and just this week, two of my L.A, cousins traveled to New Orleans to settle their children into colleges (LSU and Dillard) there. My brothers and I have returned like homing pigeons (perhaps to recall wonderful childhood memories of summers spent visiting as children, or perhaps to reconnect with the spirits of our ancestors, as another New Orleans friend likes to say) to the two houses on St. Anthony Street built by my grandfather in the early 20th century- the first to take his young bride home to, and the second-next door to it, as their family grew. The houses remained in the family (3 generations have lived in them) until about 10 years ago. My youngest brother, Eric- the only one of us born in Los Angeles- was the last to live in one of them when he decided to make New Orleans his home in the late 1990’s. On my first visit, post- Katrina, it was the first stop Eric and I made (after grabbing a bowl of gumbo and a po’boy in the French Quarter), when I arrived in New Orleans. Two Decembers ago, my brother, Ricardo, was the latest of us to visit, taking pictures and reporting back to us on their status. The neighborhood had fallen on hard times well before Katrina, but the flood dealt it a nearly fatal blow. Ric reported back that although someone had cared for and lovingly restored the houses, they stood like 2 floats in an empty sea. This week, I, too, am, once again, joining the flow of traffic to that steamy city on the bend in the river. When I learned this spring that the International Food Bloggers Conference was being held in New Orleans, I jumped to find a way to attend. A big thank you to Jarlsberg USA, which has generously sponsored me to attend the. I’ll be reporting from the conference, about the food, and on the current state of New Orleans. Please come back and check in as I report on my visit....
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