Mayhaw Man

Fine Dining- Bayona Emeril's (yeah yeah I know, but the food is damn good) Galitoires (for the New Orleans thing-beats Antoines in Old N.O. category) Commanders for LUNCH during week (best dining deal in New Orleans) Casual/Upscale Palace Cafe Redfish Grill Mr B's (and after these three suggestions I am not a Brennan ) NOLA Uglesich's (for lunch) Jacquimo's (make a reservation, good, but overrated) Cafe Sbisa New Orleans is a great place to eat on a mederate budget. The person who reccomended the Vietnamese here was right on. Huge population and great food to go along with it.

I live in a very large, old house in the South. It was originally built sans W.C's and a kitchen. The kitchen was originally an out building that was very large and roomy. A very practical solution for 1880's South Louisiana. When kitchens and bathrooms were added to this house in the twenties they built these huge bathrooms and a very small kitchen . I would say that I have about 5 more feet of counter space than you have, but I have TWO useless corners. The house has been completely remodeled a couple of times and most people would consider it a big, Old South showplace, but they don't have to live in it. I consider it a money pit, but my wife and children love it and I like the location and the little town it is in. I do, however, have 14 foot ceilings and that has given me the ability to have some very tall cabinets made. I put the rarely used stuff way up high and coming downward the more useful stuff. I built a fairly large island with a wet sink right in the middle, which is kind of in the way, but it's functionality outweighs the "dancing around it" factor. I have two large hanging racks coming down from the ceiling that hold virtually all of my cookware (calphalon pro mostly, with some cast iron and odd pieces that I can't do without). They were custom made and look as though they have been there since the house was built. I have a big, very powerful magnetic rack on which I store my knives and metal implements. It works great and was not very expensive and it freed up a drawer for other use. As far as the corner cabinets go, I had a cabinet guy come in and put lazy susans inside the corners of the cabinets. Not only did this cure the dead space problem, but the are very practical and work great. I would install them in another kitchen in a minute by choice, not just for need. I had the sink replumbed to give me maximum space underneath. We moved a few pipes around and you wouldn't believe how much more room we gained (although the disposal remains a problem, you can't do much with it I do have a great stove, however, a 1950 O'Keefe and Merritt with two ovens and a griddle and 4 burners including one that makes my gas meter sing like a Soprano at the Met. That thing is hot. Great for woks, quick frying, etc. The stove is large and takes up alot of space and since it's construction is cast iron and steel plating, it gets a bit hot in the summer (actually it gets hot as hell and I avoid using the ovens like the plague). My advice is to, if possible, hang things, get a cabinet guy to come in and take a look to see what he could improve, maybe get a small rolling island or have one custom built to fit your space, go all the way to the ceiling with your wall storage, and get a cutting board that will fit onto the top of your sink. Also, I must wash as I go. I have too little space in my small double sink to pile up the pots and pans (which is what I was used to doing before I got into this barn of a house, having always worked in restaurants and having dishwashers to do the "heavy lifting". Once you get used to washing as you go, it becomes part of the operation and I actually can't imagine doing it any other way. Hope you can use some of this

The beauty of online interactive media -- and this is why I think the Internet is the future -- is that you don't have to sit idly by and hope for someone to create whatever it is you feel is lacking. You can proactively take aim at whatever "meat of the matter" you feel has been neglected simply by starting discussions that you think will be worthy. I can't promise that every worthy subject introduced here will gain traction and result in a really good debate -- we have too much going on to hope for that -- but I can guarantee that an atypically high percentage will because all the ingredients are here: we have a sizeable group of super-intelligent and literate users running the gamut from hardcore amateur/hobbyist to some of the very top professionals in the field, we have management that is committed to supporting serious food discussion, and we have the technology to support an infinite amount of it. Well said as usual. This type of forum is clearly one of the best (and most entertaining and informational as well) in the history of man (short of face to face conversation). Where else would one be able to converse with such a wide spectrum of intelligent individuals who, if not of like minds, are at least of like interests. Thanks for the forum and the work you and everyone else do to keep people involved and active on the site. Brooks

Do you want to take a poll on that? Sure, I find this site entertaining, but I come here to receive and share information at least as much as to entertain myself. Most of that information is about restaurants where I might want to eat and such-like, but it's still information I can use. And I'm certainly interested in topics like the one we're talking about in this thread, but I lack expertise to contribute original content in this area, just as I lack expertise in the techniques a French chef has to master before going out on his/her own - another fascinating topic on these boards. So I read about these things and think about them, but don't say too much (I hope). What I do know about is the restaurants I eat at and such-like, so that's the information I can share. As do I. I enjoy reading about the scene on the coasts as much as the next guy, and since I get to travel a bit in Ireland and the UK I seek information here as I consider this to be the site to find incredibly well formed and thoroughly researched opinions on places to eat, both new and old. That being said, I would just point you to the "hit number evidence" and the subjects that garner the largest numbers. This very interesting discussion (the very one that you and I are conversing on now when I, for one, should be sleeping) is not going to be a leader on the "hit parade". Most people find this witty repartee about the quality of food writing over the quantity of food writing (I describe the subject with a broad brush, admittedly) dull as yesterdays bathwater.

While you are certainly correct that Schlosser's work belongs in another thread, you do bring up an interesting question. If Schlosser had included aesthetics in his book, and not just primarily consequences, don't you think it would have muddied his already (clearly this is in my opinion) somewhat unclear arguments? Or, could the inclusion of a discussion of the aesthetics of fast food have made his point stronger and more cogent (even though I am still a little unclear of what he was getting at ... even after a re-reading)? If I stick with my usual thought, Schlosser should have covered more in his book. This probably has more to do with the fact that I like to see the cause of the problem, before I am hit in the head over and over with the results. I think that that the average information seeker and opinion former fels the same way (let's face it, most people would never go to a junk yard to see a wrecked car, but plenty of people will pay to see the car wreck). That being said, I am perfectly capable of seeking out the information that will fill in the blanks, but shouldn't one make an attempt to fill them in for me if they are going to present something like "Fast Food Nation". I get the feeling that several of you think that most people won't read serious food journalism because it might not keep them entertained. Well, you're right. But those of us that seek out good writing about food will and while you might not get rich writing about it, it is entirely possible that one might end up making a good living at it. There are plenty of literary magazines in this country that have small circulations, but a few people are making reasonable livings (not to mention making decent reputations as writers and editors) putting them out. Maybe good food writing is one of those things that will need people who are as interested in the writing (no matter the format) as in the money to be made. There can be a balance. Both can be had and I think that the medium we are currently communicating in may well be the way it happens. I would gladly PAY to be in daily contact with a discussion such as this. Egullet, Chowhound, etc. are all fine and good, but there is a distinct lack of the discussion of the forces guiding the way we eat and the food we choose for ourselves. I think it probably has more to do with the fact that the average user of this site,and others like it, consider computer bulletin boards such as this to provide a form of infotainment, rather than information. Perhaps sometime in the near future we will see a site or a publication (easily available to anyone who wants to read, not just those in the food biz or academia) that aims a little more to the meat of the matter, not just to pick at the crust. I hope so and look forward to that day.

Thank you for the story. I am really enjoying it and the photographs are wonderful. I really like the one with the two guys, the bottle of russian vodka, and the M&M's emblem on the guys t-shirt in the background. Talk about your multiculturalism. Thanks again,

That's not "Kraft American Individually Sliced Goat Cheese" or "Goat Whizz" is it? Actually, I suppose "Goat Whizz" could be something else altogether. Maybe I should have posted this in one of the several threads covering "poo" as subject matter (or come to think of it, is the poo covering the subject matter?)

Fatguy The above post was edited for typing errors, although it probably should be edited for editorial content as well.

Fatguy, Oh boy, I think maybe I should have continued typing before I hit send . I should have pointed out that while I do, in fact, sometimes get a bit tired of slogging through a mountain of information, I never tire of the fact that it is there for me to slog through. And I do have a true and high appreciation for this website and others like it (involving other subject matter). I like the fact that, with a minor amount of effort, I can converse with Mr. Bourdain about laundry and drinking facilities in New Orleans (Mr Bourdain has been to both the French Laundry in Napa and Checkpoint Charlie's Laundry in N.O., he is very well traveled) , Joyce White about the finer qualities and uses of okra, or spend valuable (at least to my employer) amounts of worktime discussing the finer points of New Journalism with the Fat Guy. You are absolutely correct in your assertion that it is very likely I would have had no chance to do this twenty years ago (I would tell you the long and terrible saga of my attempts, years ago, at correspondence with Hunter Thompson, but it would take a new website to hold the details). As far as exclusives being a bad thing, I agree. The point I was trying to make (admittedly I did a poor job) was that as more and more publications appear, the subject matter gets more and more linear. It is extremely difficult to get all sides of a story (or more than ONE side of a story) from the average media source these days. Everybody is so busy grinding their own axe that they don't take the time to look and see how sharp the other guy's is. From the largest to the smallest, everybody has a specialized point of view. My reference to W and B had more to do with thorough research than it did with the story itself or the fact that it was an exclusive. While I end up being much better informed on a subject than I would have been twenty years ago, it takes alot more work to feel like I have covered most of the bases (and I am not lazy, I like doing the work, so what the hell am I complaining about?) The beauty of this site is that on any subject (this one included) all interested parties can jump right in. These opinions (generally) come as well thought out, well humored notes that are not only informative, but for the most part well said. I am constantly learning things and am grateful for it. My food knowledge base is fairly extensive (admittedly heavy, by choice, in the cooking of the Mississippi River Delta and the Gulf Coast) and I am interested in learning more about what I already know a little bit about and excited about learning completely new things. Egullet is perfect to help me meet those wishes. O.K., I stand corrected, sort of. But I still stand with my assertion that more people (probably including me) should spend a bit more time editing before they punch send.

Fatguy, I think that you are right on the money with your premise that editorial content is being devalued across the entire field of Journalism. What about this theory? The devaluation is occurring because of our need for instant access and the ability for someone, however underinformed or misinformed, to provide it instantly. This problem began with television (and I think can be traced directly to the Viet Nam War, although I am not sure it was technological advances or the network's need for daily 5:30 p.m. soundbites). Very few people take the time to do the research anymore. They just start typing and see what pops up on the screen (further defining the problem, I think you are just a tad young to have done it yourself, but I know that I spent alot more time composing when I had to use a typewriter, the words are much more valuable when you can't cut and paste and delete and carbon paper is involved). Everyone seems to want to know what is happening now, they can't wait on someone to gather all of the facts and put them together in coherant form. For example, Woodward and Bernstein would have had a great deal of trouble keeping their story in the Post if they had been writing it in 2003. Every half baked journalistic investigator in the country with a computer and a web site would have been opining many times daily on every minute (and often incorrect) detail and, as a result, possibly have had the effect of changing or altering what became one of the best investigative stories of the twentieth century. Imagine Matt Drudge headlining "Hey, I heard a rumor about the President and I can point you to the website proving these lefty journalists are commies and should be investigated under the Patriot Act!" The other real problem I see is referenced in the article. Using food as an example, O"Neill points out how many more publications there are today than there were ten years ago. This has happened with many other subjects and mass media outlets. The result, in my opinion, is that there is such a need for content that publishers and editors are willing to consider damn near anything submitted. And publications (once again across all mediums) do much less editorial research and fact checking on what they do print simply because there is so much of it and they have neither the resources nor the time to do it (witness recent scandals at the New York Times). The Web has turned anyone who can type and hit send into a writer. This has good and bad sides, much like anything else. It gives me alot more to read, but it also gives me alot more crapola to sift through. I much prefer reading to sifting and often find it difficult to figure out which one I am actually doing at any given moment. This was a really interesting piece and I hope that you are able to get her here for all of us to hound. I have a need for instant information and it is not being filled

I'm with you man. One of the first books I ever bought for my son was a lovely little volume called "The Gas We Pass". Come to think of it "The Stinky Cheese Man and other Twisted Tales" (a book I dearly love and reccomend to everyone for both the art and the tales) was his second book. Hey, .........pull my finger

FOr those of you that have no clue about Camellia Red Beans they can be ordered on line from these people: http://www.cajunfoodandgifts.com/food/beans/beans.html Nolafoodie, I used to buy Schweggman's Brand Beans before Schweggman's stopped making groceries. THey were the same thing, packaged in the same plant. This is not to say that all store brand products from there were good. Remember Schweggman's beer? Gak! I did like the civilized tradition of being able to get a draft to walk around and enjoy while shopping.

Being from New Orleans I feel compelled to respond to your comment People from New Orleans (even huge foodies like me) often have trouble when traveling. I eat everything and am interested in all kinds of food. I am well traveled by pretty much any standard and have spent a good deal of time living abroad (Ireland and Mexico primarily). I enjoy food pretty much wherever I go but everytime I am gone for a while I end up cooking SOuth La. favorites wherever I am. You are right. I end up missing the food. I need a big plate of red beans and sausage, some gumbo, a spicy piquant, a little properly fried fish, etc. and I will go out of my way to get the ingrediants to make it myself. All that being said I am afraid I don't get vegemite. I have tried it several times (in smidge amounts on toast) and while I don't find it disgusting, I don't think I would go very far out of my way to get it. But i definitely understand to eat what's familiar. To each his own. What is a "GM component"?

That's Nick's BIG Train bar to you, buddy It is located directly across the street from the venerable Dixie Brewery on Tulane Ave. The absolute center of the "layered drink" universe. Come on down. There is plenty of dirt and beer spoo to wallow around in and the drinks are cheap and plentiful.

No, sadly the Hummingbird is being turned into another Boutique hotel. Actually, every empty building downtown is being turned into a boutique hotel. Here in Adult Disneyland they have suddenly become very popular, due to lack of land to build any more giant Hilton, Sheraton, etc. The Circle Bar, Vaughn's, and Snake n Jakes are still doing well thank you very much. As far as the washing machine-bar combo goes there is another besides the CHeckpoint (which is conveniently located 1 block from my apartment for my drinking and washing convenience), the same guy owns one on St. Charles Avenue across from the Pontchatrain Hotel called Igors. Igors is as equally as big of a dump, but they do have washing machines and you can sit on the avenue watching streetcars while you spin and rinse.

As far as onion rings go, I may not be a master of the trade, but I have surely fried enough of them to at least be considered a journeyman in the Onion Ring Guild of America. I basically put myself through college in a very, very, large (350 plus seats) working all stations and eventually becoming kitchen of a very large seafood place in Baton Rouge LA that is famous for their giant fish shaped plates of thick cut rings. Try this out. 3 eggs 1 qt. cold water 1 tsp Crystal Hot Sauce (or any mild red pepper sauce) 6 large yellow onions 4 cups self rising flour 2 tbls. cracked black pepper 2 tbls kosher salt (or any rough salt) 1 tbls granulated garlic Beat eggs well and add water and hot sauce in a large bowl Slice onions to about 1/2" thickness in rings and place in ice water Mix together last five ingredients in a large bowl Heat good quality oil (peanut or cottonseed is best) to 350 f Dip rings in eggwash and flour Repeat, being gentle (the key is to completely coat with flour mix on second pass) GENTLY LAY ring into the hot oil and fry until light brown (don't go for dark or golden brown, as they will burn very easily) Drain on paper and stack as high as you wish Eat. Accept raves of friends and family. Go clean up the flour from the floor, walls, windows, etc. in your kitchen. The main deal with getting great looking and tasting rings is to not work with too many at one time, they need to have some room to move around in the oil in order to fry evenly. The guy I used to work for was an All American Linebacker at LSU in the late 60's and he ran the place like a football coach. Screwed up rings hitting the line were often launched back at the fry station like little 350 degree frisbees. Duck and cover was the order of the day on many shifts.

Living down in South La myself, I can almost promise you he was refferring to wild goose. There are so many of them that for the last three years the season has been extended long past the normal duck and goose season, and there is NO limit. You can shoot them til you run out of shells or until you shoulder falls off. They are pests as far as the farmers are concerned. A flock of geese (we are talking flocks in the mulitiples of thousands) can turn a field into muddy goo over night doing great damage that is very costly to repair. They are pretty amazing to watch however, thousands of them rising at once and making a gotterdamrung sound that is hard to forget once you hear it (it kind of bites to be under one of these flocks though. BOMBS AWAY All that being said, outside of being tough (I refer you you to the Leadbelly song "The Old Grey Goose"), they can be pretty tasty when cooked with care.

Scuppernongs (muscadines) are pretty much an acquired taste. People down here usually love em or hate em, but they are really fun to grow. Huge, fast growing vines and really big, healthy looking fruit. There is alot of wine made from them in the south, some of it o.k., some of it awful. I like the dry ones pretty much and the fortified ones aren't even fit to start lawnmowers with (imo) but a lot of people prefer them that way. The fruit has a very strong aftertaste (musky) that many people don't like (but once again, I do). I distilled some of the dry white wine a few years back (notice to revenooers.... I don't do it any more and had a license when I did). The eau de vis/grappa/moonshine from this dry wine was stunning. All of the bouquet and none of the disagreeable aftertaste. Might have to do that again soon, come to think of it. Many people make pies and fruit tarts and jelly from the juice, but using the whole fruit can be problematic, because the skin is pretty thick and makes for difficult baking (picture popping grapes in the oven). There are several wineries in LA and MS that sell commercial wine of varying quality. The link below will guide you to some of the best (once again imo). http://www.felicianacellars.com/wine.htm

While New Orleans is pretty famous for neighborhood dives (including a bunch in the Quarter, but tourists never see them because they are under the impression that the entire Quarter consists of Bourbon St), there are a couple that are outstanding examples and great places to go. This being New Orelans, the natives are usually pretty damn friendly and the drinks are pretty cheap (this comes on saving on things like cleaning supplies and lights). The Saturn Bar- In the soon to be pricey and hip Ninth Ward. For the last 50 years just a working class neighborhood hard on the river above downtown, the ninth ward has been discovered and prices are rising steadily, but there is still a dependable population of working class locals who have never been anywhere else and hipster/artist/musician/ne'erdowells who keep the place interesting. The bar has all of this really bizarre post apocalyptic art work (the guy who did it was an alcoholic vet who traded art for drinks) and a fine selection of beverages. They used to have fights in the back in the fifties. Dark, dirty, cool. A perfect dive. The Maple Leaf Bar- This venerable New Orlens institution is way uptown in the Carrollton district on Oak St. When I first moved to New Orleans Oak Street was a dying commercial district and the Maple Leaf and a great seafood place were the only viable businesses on the strip. Now Jaucqimo's is next door, the Bacquet family has a place and many other businesses are in the neighborhood. Has this prompted the Maple Leaf to clean up? Ugghhh, no. It still looks as if they mop once a year. They no longer have washing machines to take care of your laundry needs but not much else has changed. Pressed tin ceilings, an old upright piano (which used to have it's Ivories tickled every Wed. night by the greatest piano player in the history of New Orleans, James Carroll Booker, III, on a regular basis until they went to pick him up one night and he had "woke up dead", a little stage where there is live New Orleans music performed nightly (Rebirth Brass Band, traveling r and b aand blues acts, etc. A local clientele that has not changed much (although none of us are as young as we used to be) and a smattering of tourists (except during Jazz Fest when the music goes on all night, including Sunday night after the last day when many people bring in their luggage and party til they head for the airport). Cheap drinks, good draft selection, good to great food in the neighborhood. Why go anywhere else? Plus, as an added bonus, my friend and New Orleans poet Everette Maddox (who led the oldest poetry reading in New Orleans on Sunday afternoons, which still goes every sunday at 3) is buried in the flower bed out back (or most of him is anyway, part of him is around the corner on someones mantle.....it's a New Orleans thing, don't bother asking). Buy him a bar scotch and pour it in the flower bed. He would appreciate it. He was very concerned at all times about being parched. . If any of you are familiar with the Mickey Rourke movie "Angel Heart", the bar scenes were filmed here in the mid eighties. Nothing has changed.

Well put, Fat Guy. The ONLY reason I freeze anything is simple economics. I live in an area where farm animals and produce are available year round and 1)it saves me a ton of dough feeding my brood of jr. gourmands 2) Going to the supermarket/butcher is a big pain in the butt here in the sticks with time constraints caused by 2 kids in 2 different schools 20 miles apart, soccer, cello, my tennis, wifes gallery hours, newspaper column, etc., aggghhhhhhh(and you think living in the country is simple ) I do put up a fair amount of vegetables, as well. But that involves more of a personal enjoyment factor coupled with the fact that I make better pickles and tomato sauce than I can purchase at the Megelomart. It is certainly not cheaper (unless I do it for a hundred years and get every single jar back I give away). Note to all: When someone gives you canned produce, jelly, etc. it is a really good idea to give back the jars if you want to plan on getting more.

I would like to weigh in as a guy who has eaten lots of both frozen and unfrozen beef. And I have the arteries to prove it, by God A couple of times a year I split a whole beef with a couple of neighbors. This beef has been fed pretty much nothing but bermuda grass, bermuda hay and spent brewers grain. It is aged at the butcher for a couple of weeks (sometimes a bit longer, we let him tell us as he is definitely the expert on this matter) It is well marbled, and pretty damn gorgeous from the get go. We go crazy eating beef for a couple of days after we get it and the reason for this is simple....the fresh meat is far superior to the frozen product. But don't get me wrong, the frozen is still pretty swell. I take a lot of time vacu packing the stuff and it is quickly frozen in a deep freeze I have for only this purpose. It holds up well and for up to 6 months, there is no appreciable difference in quality. After that though (and I usually don't have any left anyway as I share alot), it can become freezer burned no matter how much care is taken in the packing and freezing process. The primary difference is that the fresh beef is so much juicier. Tanabutler is correct, what was blood in the fresh beef turns to watery red stuff in the frozen. I don't know enough about how the flavor components break up to provide a scientific analysis (hats off to Fat Guy for expertly chiming in on this), but I know which tastes best in my highly unscientific, South LA,],beef cooking world.

This American eats plenty of ducks, just not farm raised. The difference between wild ducks and farm raised can basically be summed up in one statement...Farm raised ducks are little dabs of meat surrounded by big blobs of fat and wild ducks are lean and delicious (in fact, they are so lean that if you don't watch what you are doing you can end up with something akin to duck jerky). While I certainly have enjoyed much duck on restaurant menus, it is usually the way it is sauced more than the meat itself. Most of these dishes would have been good, because of the sauce, regardless of the fowl it was based around. Ducks in Green Olive Gravy Chafing Dish Duck Duck au vin Duck en brochette (grilled over charcoal) Duck and Andouille Burrittos (trust me on this one...mmmm) Cold smoked duck breast of duck on butter lettuce with tarragon vinigarette As a matter of fact, teal season started down here yesterday and it ooks to be a good year for both teal and ducks.

I agree with the pickled green tomato on the burger. I have been eating homemade green tomato relish on burgers (and hot dogs, don't slag me, I'm from the south and don't adhere/understand all the mythical hot dog arguments but I fully support those that do ) for my whole life. If it is made right (slightly tart, spicy with the right amount of pepper, and a little sweet) it is a fine addition to a well made burger.

I worked across the street from Jimmy's Club while I was in school. I was at Carrollton station during the mid eighties. That was the crime low point in NO. Used to have to leave work with a gun in my hand, displayed, to ward off evil doers. The neighborhood has improved greatly in the last ten years with renovation of streetcar barn and lots of small businesses moving into the area. Crime or no, I love it and still believe that the addage "a low standard of living and a high quality of life" is the best description of New Orleans ever made edited because I can't type

Thanks, I had the dish from Trinidad when we were down there for Carnival (can never remember the year, but HOTHOTHOT won the road march that year). I believe it is call Coocoos. Very good About the okra and cornbread deal, no need to pre cook or blanche, just slice thin and throw into the batter mix. Adds great flavor and an interesting creamy texture. THanks for your answer