Mayhaw Man

In South La we have a family owned chain called Rouse's. They are large stores that usually go in and buy the property from a failed grocery (in my town it was a Delchamps) and redo it completely. They have a real bakery (no cakes from a bucket) a good selection of local seafood and great produce. They carry all of the usual and unusual local brands (including craft cheeses and local dairy milk and creole cream cheese). Huge wine selection at resonable prices and their deli is pretty heavy on the full meal to go thing. They have actual butchers who uncomplainingly do things like cut pork roasts for stuffing and bone chickens and ducks. They have fresh rabbit meat (which is getting harder and harder to find where it used to be as common as chicken when I was a kid). Better than a run of the mill chain and reasonably priced

I have one reccomendation for Chattanooga. I have actually driven 150 miles off course to go there. Thai Smile 3-located behind Big River Grille (a brewpub with really well made beers and good pub grub). It is a small family run Thai restaurant with great food and stunningly low prices. The menu is a series of brief descriptions with poloroid phots. Go for a late lunch and you will not need to eat dinner. The prtions are huge. The food is absolutely fresh and well made. Some of the best Thai food I have ever eaten anywhere in the US. Chattanooga is maybe the best town in the SOuth. Enjoy your trip.

I grew up in Monroe and my parents still live there. Sadly, it is not one of the great restaurant townss in the universe, but there is a reason for this. This is one of the premier places on earth for eating in peoples homes. The entertaining/dining levels there could not be higher. The extended families of the founders of both Delta Airlines (which started in Monroe) and the family that first bottled Coca Cola live there and the money has spread around. That being said I would reccomend a couple or three places The Warehouse-located in an old cotton warehouse on the bank of the Ouachita River (one of the ten most scenic in the country according to the Sierra Club) it is good for fresh gulf seafood and fried catfish. Nice atmosphere and very dependable service. Family owned and has been ther for about 25 years Cascios-Sicilian Italian and Seafood. Very good, although the atmosphere is like something out of a bad seventies sitcom. Get the Trout Tony (trout and sauteed lump, an incredible bargain as there is a ton of crabmeat on this dish) and a Wop salad. Monroe's Steakhouse - If you have ever been to a Charthouse this place is very similar. Good meat, great fish, great salads, great cocktails, nice atmosphere (once again like the Charthouse) If you are looking for a beer and a little atmosphere and some live music try Enochs. Nice place, good selection of draft (including a well pured Guinness) and usually pretty good regional (heavy on New Orleans and Delta region) music. The owner, Doyle Jeter, is an old hippie and a nice guy and alot of fun to talk to. Not that this has anything to do with your question, but Monroe has the single worst newspaper I have ever read in an area the size of Ouachita Parish (200,000 people). Comically bad. A Gannett paper at it's worst. Hope this helps.

Been a while, huh. To begin with the Casino downtown (one) doesn't have food. The one on the West Bank does, but nothing remarkable. Your Daily Bread on St Charles Avenue closed several years ago and is now located in Jefferson on Jeff Hwy. You are right, however, about the Spinach Bread. It was wonderful. I believe you are refferring to Compagno's Restaurante for the Scalloppini. It closed a few years ago after a long run (over 75 years) and a death or two in the family. If I was eating one fine dining meal in New Orleans it would be at Commanders Palace. Many people have refferred to lunch and it is probably the best dining deal in New Orleans. Lunch for under twenty bucks, but if you want the full blown deal, go at night and do the whole deal. I also might reccomend : Galitoires (maybe over COmmanders, but I live here so is not a painful decision Brigstens Clancys Bayona Emeril's (yeah I know, but it is a damn good place to eat) Peristyle Mr. B's Palace Cafe (not exactly fine dining, but good nonetheless La Provence (on the Northshore, nice drive, great food) Dakota (once again on the Northshore)_ Cuvee (same guy as Dakota, but downtown) Hope this helps, Have Fun You also might try Roadfood.com for less expensive options

Thank you for taking the time to answer all of our questions, I have enjoyed much of your work and appreciate the opportunity to speak with you (if this is speaking, I still can't get down the lingo of this modern communication method) My question is about okra, a favorite of mine. I like it boiled, fried, in soup and stew, pickled, in cornbread ((real cornbread, not sweet, try it sometime it is wonderful), etc. I was wondering what were the original ways that okra was used when it was first brought here from Africa (and I think via the Carribbean)? How did Africans cook it? Was is just boiled and eaten or were there more complex uses or did the dishes gain complexity through the influence of other cultures? Also, would you agree or disagree with this theory: The food that is now being considered unhealthy (fried, use of lard, etc) has only become unhealthy in the second half of the twentieth century. It seems to me that when everyone was working their ass off (excuse my French) at labor type employment/survival jobs that foods with tons of calories and lots of fat concentrated in one meal would have been energy providers to help you get through a workday, rather than an unhealthy hinderance eaten just for enjoyment (although God knows they are enjoyable). Now that people do not do the manual labor as in the past, they become unhealthy because there is not outlet for the calories. Thanks in advance for your answers, Brooks

Girl Scout Thin Mints out of the freezer and into my mouth in short order Pepperidge farm Milanos

You are correct. The laws don't "prevent" importation, but the local (state) laws make it a real pain in the ass. For example: any beer over 4.0% abv sold in the state of Texas... If I recall correctly, several Czech beers get up to and over 5% abv A typical Czech beer sold in the US is about 5% abv. But this is true of many, many beers that are successfully imported to and sold in the United States. And the 'real' Czech beer of which you speak is probably the same strength, or less. Perhaps you can confirm this. There is nothing in the laws or regulations of the United States, or of many US states, that prevents or discourages the importation of a 5% abv beer into the US, nor would those laws or regs make it particularly difficult to import it. Yes, there are goofy laws in many states, but nothing that hundreds of other beers haven't already dealt with successfully. My point (circuitously made, I admit) is that many producers and importers cannot make economic sense to make completely different packages for each state it is sold in . In many cases the label (s) crown and bottle need to be different for different reasons in different state. These guys don't sell that much beer (let's face it, past Corona, Heineken, Guinness, and a couple of others, we are not talking alot of volume here for any individual product. The other part of the equation is that many of these products have to be treated differently in order to ship it overseas. The beer is almost always pasteurized or fortified with chemicals (generally small amounts of phamaldehyde) in order to ppreserve it for shipment. My suggestion is that if you are going to pay premium prices for beer that is likely to be old and/or mistreated you might be better served drinking locally and saving your money for a trip to Prague, Amsterdam, or Munich. At 8 dollars or so a six, you are really only 50 or 60 purchases away from Europe and some really good beer. Though I can make the case all day long that there are many, many, microbrews that can hold their own (and have many times in tastings) against large European Brewers.

Ruth, By and large the migration of Southern Blacks took place primarily in the 20th century. Certainly, many people certainly left the South because of slavery,and later Jim Crowe type laws, and the repression that came along with them, but during those times Blacks as a general rule could not afford to leave. The migration to the North was primarily a 20th century situation involving industrial jobs that came available in the North and a lack of labor. Once the jobs were available, people (of all colors for that matter) left in droves. When faced with a choice between starting your day at one side of a field and ending it on the other for a dollar or two and discounted rent in poor housing, or going to live in the North work in a mill or a food plant or a car factory and make wages, many took the City of New Orleans north and never came back . You are correct in asserting that the Soul Food in the North comes by way of immigrants in the South, but the timing is a little off. Also, contrary to modern revisionist historians, there were many, many places where Blacks were not welcome in the North, and the only thing that changed that was the need for a new source for dependable labor after immigration was slowed following WW1. Remember, the largest organized Klan group was not in Mississippi or in Alabama as most people would guess, but in Indiana where it (for a short five year span(1920-1925) until it was ended by numerous scandals) had over 300,000 members and many members held elected offices statewide. All that being said, the food went from south to north. Most people were there because it was impossible to earn a decent living and to hold your head up and be proud in the Southern U.S. of the first half of the twentieth century. But the one thing that cultures always take with them and have always taken with them is food. It is pretty easy to understand (for me personally anyway), people in new situations are always looking for the familiar to lessen the seperation from old situations and repressed blacks were no different. While the political situation in the South was awful by any means of measure, the food was wonderful by the same degree of measure. All of it is straightforward, generally made with ingredients that can be had for most of the year round, and generally inexpensive to prepare. Comfort Food. Food that provides comfort. I am no different, as I found myself occasionally making Seafood Gumbo and Shrimp Creole for my Trabajolleros in Baja and Red Beans and Rice in Ireland for my co workers there. I was lonely, wanted company, wanted familiar food. Bingo. Cooked it and invited new friends to share what was familiar to me. History lesson over. Sorry, slow day at work.

Likes 1) Bourdain 2)Iron Chef 3) Alton Brown 4) Nigella (yeah it's loud but she can make as much noise as she wants. The food is simple and straightforward. She freezes old wine and she really likes food. Dislikes 1) That idiot on the Top shows on Food Network 2) That idiot on the new Food Trivia Show on Food Network 3) Rachel Ray (aaaagggghhhhhhhhhhhh cheap tipping, crooked mouth idiot 4)And my all time favorite dislike....ta daaa.....here's to you TanaButler........ SISSY BIGGERS- She may have been the single most inane, condecending, annoying woman to have ever been on television. I would rather be trapped in a dumbwaiter with Martha Stewart for a year with nothing to talk about but cute ways to dress a Thanksgiving table with Macaroni and string cheese than spend five minutes with Sissy Biggers. YUK ) 4)

I have always heard the terms covered dish and pot luck used thusly: covered dish: refers to a dinner at an institution (primarily churches and service organizations like Garden Clubs etc. ) where participants are asked to bring a dish that can be shared with others. pot luck: same as above except that the event is in a private home There is one other term that you don't hear much anymore except in the South and that is "Dinner on the Grounds". This term (unless specified otherwise in the bulletin) implies a covered dish lunch that will be held directly after the service. If you are ever invited to one of these......go. There is some "culinary showing off" going on that should not be missed.

I really doubt that any laws or regs prevent the importation of 'real' Czech beer.

I don't mind the addition of anything to anything as long as I am not the one who prepared it. There is nothing worse than having guests sit dow to a meal that I have made and have someone snatch up the salt (which I use sparingly, but correctly, anyway) and turn his plate into the Great Salt Lake. If they want to mess up somebody elses food.... fine. If they want salt on my food..... fine. Just do me the honor of tasting it first. I actually like homeade ranch on carrots. I don't like the stuff you buy pre made. Either it is salt or MSG but it leaves your palate coated in goo. People who put jelly on scrambled egg and bacon sandwiches are more likely to consider a "Velvet Elvis" high art than those who don't (already I regret typing this, I kind of like Velvet Elvis's, but only in the same way I appreciate Dolly Parton's sense of style

Red beans and texmati rice w/andouille from Poche's Market in Breaux Bridge, LA. Sliced and buttered Zip Bread (sliced po boy loaf) and sweet tea with lemon. Lemon pound cake w/plum glaze.

Fatguy, Does this mean that if I sit down and enjoy a meal and 1) think about it 2) discuss it a little, but not too much, that I am ok and can continue to read and think about food without having to see a therapist?

Malawry, I should have been more specific. Celery and pimento was a holiday staple on every relish tray I ever came across in my part of the South when I was growing up (Rural North Louisiana). I was just making the point that, even at very casual functions or seeing people eat at home, I have never seen anyone put it out as a dip. I however, on a regular basis, dip it with my finger out of the 2 qt. mason jar I keep it in I tried to pull it up on NOLA.com, but the Times Picayune Website is basically a useless piece of crap, but there was an article last year by Marcelle Bienvenue (TP food writer and friend of Emeril Legasse, she is on his show alot) who wrote a very good piece on pimento cheese and it's many variations. I use the following recipe alot (or some slight variation). It is out of Craig Claibornes Southern Cooking (sadly out of print) . He is percieved as a New yorker, but was born and raised in Mississippi and knew that which he wrote about. You will notice he points out that it is to be used as a spread or as a sandwich filling, not a dip. 1/2 pound mild yellow Cheddar or longhorn cheese 1/2 pound white aged sharp Cheddar cheese 1 can (7 ounces) pimientos 1 cup chopped scallions, including green tops 1/2 cup mayonnaise 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 6 drops Tabasco sauce 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Use a meat grinder, if possible, to grate the cheeses, using the cutter with large holes. Otherwise, use the coarse side of a cheese grater. Put the grated cheese in a mixing bowl and add half the juice from the canned pimientos. Dice the drained pimientos and add them along with the scallions. Combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and garlic, and add the cheese mixture. Add the Worcestershire, Tabasco, and pepper and blend well. Serve at room temperature as a spread for crisp crackers and raw vegetables or use as sandwich spread. Yield: 8 to 12 servings.

One more thing about pimento cheese.....I have been living in the South for most of my life and am pretty sure I have never seen it served formally as a dip. It is used as a sandwich spread and while it is widely available pre made in stores here, any self respecting pimento head makes his or her own. That goop in the jar is salty and not very good. Homeade pimento cheese is a fine thing, especially on some good bread, with a good ham, grilled until the cheese is melted slightly. MMMMMM

There is a beer writer from Seattle named Fred Eckhardt who has been promoting Guiness and Ice Cream Floats for years. I believe the first time I ever actually saw one was at an Microbrewers Conference in Denver (or maybe CHicago) about ten years ago. There is also a woman named Candy Schermerhorn that has a number of beer related dessert recipes in her cookbook http://www.store.beertown.org/shopexd.asp?id=101

My first thought about this thing is that the paddles are made out of plastic. Ever used a plastic/teflon spatula for a very long time sweating vegetables or making roux? They get the perma bend. I smell a piecce of junk. I did see something similar in a kitchen in Baton Rouge Louisiana. It was a motor designed for the top of large stock pots with stainless steel paddles attached to it. I was used exclusively for making roux. It worked great, but I think the guy (Mike Anderson of Mike Anderson's Seafood in BR and NOLA) had it custom made.

http://www.slowfoodusa.org/ark/creolecream...reamcheese.com/ Toliver, Creole Cream CHeese is something that used to be common here in SOuth Louisiana. It is really great on toast. ALot of people put it in Lasagna (weird but stunningly delicious. Search on Google and you will get lots more info, but it is strictly a South LA thing. The first site explains it and the second sight tells you where to get it. Mauthe's dairy is my local source (ten miles from my house) for my whole cream and unhomogenized milk. Yes I know it is full of delicious fat, but like anything else, in moderation it is delicious. People who do not know the joys of working with whole, unhomogenized milk in baking and cooking and drinking are missing one of the great joys of life. While fast food gets a bad wrap for the dumbing down of America, big dairy deserves at least as bad a whack for fobbing off tasteless white water as milk. Superpateurized heavy cream is just as bad. Pasteurization is a needed and great thing, but just as with beer, it can be overdone to the point that it cooks all flavor and texture out of milk. Bring on the craftsmen and women, say I! Order some creole cream cheese.

Peach Cobbler w/homeade vanilla ice cream (or peach if you want to go whole hog)

Shrimp in any form(boiled, fried, stewed, grilled, etouffeed, sauce piquanted, shish ke babbed, sushied, curried, creamed, ceviched, marinated, barbequed (NOLA style), omletted, etc.ed) Okra and Tomatoes Peach Cobbler Peas (field, blackeyed, lady peas, zipper creams, bring em on with come green tomato relish and some ice tea) Rice (any kind, from anywhere, brown, white, wild, or tame..ain't none of it lame) Actually, come to think of it, I can eat and eat damn near anything

I think the key for us was that my wife and I don't eat garbage. We rarely have chips, etc in the house. We virtually never have soft drinks (which is not to say we don't drink iced tea by the gallon, but boys really don't) and they never got in the garbage habit. Due to my job, I have worked for long periods in odd places (rural Mexico, really rural ireland, Hong Kong) and they have had the opportunity for long visits over the years. They eat almost anything. They actually understand the concept of "if every other person in the place is eating it it must be good" so they will try almost anything. That is not to say they like everything though, they both hated escargot....alot....so much that a local Mardi Gras Parade had the theme "Unfortunate Foods" and they dressed as little french themed snails with Garlic coming out of their butts. They also like to help find Oriental restaraunts in Strip Malls. The theory being that the relationship between good oriental food and the quality of the strip mall is inversely related. When we picked them up at camp last month they insisted we drive 50 miles out of our way to go to a place in Chattanooga TN called the Thai Smile 3. A wonderful rest. in a downtown strip mall that is really kid friendly and has some of the best thai food I have ever eaten. Also, living in SO Louisiana is a help. As the saying goes, we pretty much eat everything that doesn't eat us first. Everything but the oink. I think I can sum this up by saying that if you don't feed them McNuggets and kid meal hot dogs, they won't look for them everytime you go out with them.

Peach cobbler with a dollop of plain yogurt ...mmmmmmmmm

We do three things 1) Large grocery store trip once a week for staples that aren't bought in bulk 2) Discount shopping once a month (Sam's) for non perishables and bulk cheese (believe it or not they have good to great bulk cheese cheap, especially hard cheese ) 3) Main meat menu items (mostly fish, shrimp, crabs, pork, and chicken, beef rarely) three or four times a week. I like going to the grocery store and we usually go to the Farmers market twice a week (whole unhomogenized milk and creole cream cheese, peas, butterbeans, watermelons, tomatoes, etc.) After writing this I think I spend way too much time thinking about, acquiring, cooking, and eating food. I need to lighten up

We eat dessert at my house. This weekend was a little heavy on the sweets (my birthday). There was a peach cobbler, a chocolate meringue pie (heavenly) and a really great yellow sour cream cake with icing that is called caramel pecan but is really just a praline recipe cooked barely to soft ball stage. On a regular basis we usually have one sweet item around, usually come kind of cake, peach cobbler in the summer, and cookies most of the time (heavy on the oatmeal chocolate chips and the lemon squares). All homeade, haven't used a box of mix in 20 years for anything (excepting cornbread, really prefer Arrowhead mills to anything I make, I just add whatever I want, corn, peppers, etc.) Incidentally, none of us are overweight moderation is the key.