Mayhaw Man

Other than oil and farming-it's all we've got. I like to think that the well traveled tourist is thinking that the only money he or she needs to save when on a trip is just enough to get home from the airport, (this is my own personal travel creed ) so why not help them lighten their load all I can?

Thanks Good Thinking

I have a car in the shop and my wife gave me a ride to work yesterday morning. After a very long day it became very apparent that she had forgotten to pick me up. No problem. I live about 6 miles from my office, which is conveniently located right next to The St Tammany Trace. A fine example of what can happen when tax dollars are spent on something useful (sadly, we are not so great at that down here). I decided to walk home as it was a gorgeous afternoon and it only takes about an hour or so. It was a really nice walk and as I got into my little town I saw that many, many people were already setting up for the The Abita Springs All Town Garage Sale This event started out as kind of a joke and has turned into an event that draws people from all over our area. The population goes from 2500 to 10,000 or more for about 8 hours on the Saturday of the sale. People sell everything that is not nailed down and there is also an area across from Town Hall (a really cool WPA built all cypress construction building) where out of town vendors (mostly craftspeople of various sorts) set up and vend their stuff. Families dragging wagons and pushing wheelbarrows meander around town buying our junk. It is a great thing for everybody (especially us ) and has turned into a big weekend out for many city folk who want ot get out of New Orleans and Baton Rouge on a nice Spring day. A suprising amount of money changes hands over the course of the day (I once made +$1000.00 selling nothing but junk out of my garage and my attic-many people do much better than that with a little planning). As I walked into the backdoor my oldest son announced that we were going to Rauch's Grocery in Abita Springs to eat crawfish (he did not, nor did my wife, mention anything about how sorry they were that I had to walk 6 miles to get home from work because they forgot to pick me up ). I changed into some casual, crawfish eating duds and we walked over to Rauch's Grocery (I used this link because it has a decent front shot of the place and also because while there have been many movies shot here (Dead Man Walking was filmed (and sadly occurred) around here, but this was a low budget horror movie and was really fun to watch them film it-check out the rest of the website-yuck). Rauch's is an old country type grocery. The entrance is through a double screen door (complete with bread signs for push bars and an actual cool squeak). As the weather has been wonderful here for the last couple of days the doors and windows were wide open, which was very nice. The inside of the place is concrete floors with bead board walls and a pressed tin ceiling (the building was was built in 1907 and these are the original fixtures). There is a long oak counter down one side and the groceries were originally behind the counter (as the counterman got them for you). Nowadays there is a well appointed small kitchen that serves basic po boys, fish, chicken, etc (although they do have great hand ground and formed hamburgers-really great as a matter of fact) and they boil seafood on weekend nights when it is in season. Last night the menu consisted of Boiled Crawfish at $1.89 a pound (live price is currently below $1.50) and boiled jumbo shrimp (16-20's) for 6.99 a lb. We ordered up 15 lbs. of bugs and 3 lbs. of shrimp, got drinks (this is one of the very few times that I ever regret this not drinking thing. Beer goes with this better than anything else-but I made do with Abita Root Beer-a fine product that I helped to formulate) and tucked in. There is not much conversation that goes on in the Mayhaw family when we are presented with a steaming mound of boiled bugs and shrimp-just alot of slurping and grinning. The crawfish were perfectly cooked-spicy, with a nice lemon and garlic tang. The crawfish were served with a generous amount of boiled corn, potatoes, and onions (along with a few heads of boiled garlic-just squeeze directly into your mouth for a taste explosion ). The shrimp were delicious and had been cooked perfectly and the shells fell right off. After about thirty minutes we all found ourselves picking through the tattered remains of our meal looking for one last tail or a stray shrimp. At that point I broke down and got 5 more pounds of bugs. They did the trick. We were all well satisfied and decided to take a stroll around town and watch the folks setting up to fleece the tourists . There was alot of action for an early evening in Abita and on top of everything else the Friday Night Bingo Game at Town Hallwas in full swing (oldest running Bingo in St Tammany Parish-no smoking or drinking alcohol-big payoffs) so there was lots of geriatric bingo action as well. Many of the vendors in the square were throwing a big impromptu crawfish boil and and there were a couple of people picking out tunes on some guitars (pretty well, actually). It was a very cool scene. We walked home and went to bed. This morning I got up at 5 to get ready for work and my son Miles was up baking chocolate chips and cowboy cookies to vend to thirsty shoppers along with sweet mint tea (cookies-4 nice ones for a buck, tea-12 oz. for a buck)). His location today should be a hotbed of pedestrian activity as he is located in front of My Friend John Preble's Fabulous UCM Museum . This place is worth the trip if you have a car and want to come to the Northshore for a day during a trip to New Orleans. John is....well.....a bit eccentric and has collected some wild stuff over the years (as well as creating even more of it) and is also a very very good painter to boot. My wife Robin will be selling some gorgeous (and very well priced ) rugs that she has been collecting from various salvage sales and a bunch of other tasteful crap. I am working this morning (actually I am killing time at work on egullet) and will be doing a little light bargain hunting this afternoon. Life is Good, People are Nice, and the Food is Great. That, my friends, is why I live here

Thanks for the report and I am glad that you enjoyed your visit. I suppose that my reccomendation of blowing out the Atkin's Diet with a big Frnch Fry Po Boy smothered in brown gravy from Johnny's was something Malawry decided against. I guess I understand-but they really are good . The Crescent City Farmers Market has a great website. The Covington Farmer's Market on the Northshore does not have a website, but they are out on Saturday and Wed from 7-3. It is a very good market and in fact, they share many of the same vendors-like Mauthe's Dairy from Folsom, LA, an artisianal dairy on the Northshore that is making real Creole Cream Cheese, and sells really delicious unhomogenized milk and other milk products. I love those guys. Incidentally, Frankie and Johnnies is the kind of place where you load up on what everybody else is eating. Look around, see "wat dey got" and order up. It is, in fact, a family run neighborhood bar and restaurant that has been there for 50 years or better. It is kind of a dump, but in a nice way. I like to tell tourists about it because most of the time they will be the only tourist in the place and they can see how the locals live (much like Las Vegas, many people have a hard time grappling with the fact that we do actually LIVE here ). And once again-weekday lunch at Commander's Palace is the Dining Deal of the Century. Especially if you want to make a short afternoon of it and go load up on blue martinis. The service is fantastic, you can sit in the garden if you like, and the specials (as pointed out by Malawry) are usually pretty interesting. Usually lunch specials are stuff that they are trying out for evening entrees. And I know she didn't get it, but the Bread Pudding Soufflee is avalable at lunch and this coupled with a couple of Blue Martinis is better than any sedative ever invented. You will be back in you hotel napping shortly .

I stand firmly by Konriko Long Grain White Rice. Generally, in Louisiana, you will find most people buying and cooking long grain for most things. There is quite a lot of hybrid production these days-various kinds of Asian rice that was initially grown for the Asian Market and has become popular here as well. Texmati, Jasmine, short grained stuff, lots of other kinds-but long grain is the kitchen staple. Easy to cook, tastes great. What more could you ask of a grain?

I know that it is not exactly on the sidewalk, but I understand that the balcony here has a fabulous view and great service from lots of uniformed staff. Reservations, however, can be kinda tough unless you know somebody.

Thanks to the both of you. It was a very enjoyable week. Great effort. Brooks

I grew up more or less eating three meals a day every day at the table with the entire family in attendance. Mrs. Manners sat at one end and my Dad sat at the other. I don't really remember what she did, but at some point when we were pretty young we knew how to eat without bothering everyone else at the table and we could all (two brothers) hold a conversation and answer questions in a civil, pleasant manner. With my own family we eat together most nights (various sporting activities and school stuff are the only interruptions to this routine. My oldest is 14 and the youngst boy is 11. They both have (now anyway) what would pass in most society as decent table manners. Everybody waits until the last person is served. One of them says grace at every meal (we are in no way even remotely observant religiously, but it is something I like and grew up with so we keep it up)-they are both in Catholic School-(we are not Catholic either) so it is no big deal to them. Plates are generally served (as opposed to passing the food) and everyone gets their own seconds if they want them (after asking to be excused). Everyone stays at the table until everybody else is finished. I am not too strict on the "elbows on the table thing" at home but when we dine out (rarely unless we are traveling) they better buck up and fly right. We actually use salad forks, dinner forks, soup spoons, etc and they know which one to pick up (I know that the silver use is overkill, but we have a couple of very nice sets of sterling and I like to use it-I know so many people who just keep it in the sideboard and it never comes out-seems silly to me). THey both eat just about everything (although one of them, to my neverending embarrassment and frustration, fails to like okra ) They eat pretty well now and it is a pleasure to have them at my table. It was not always that way. Years of gentle correcting (interspersed with the occasional not so gentle correction) seems to have done the trick. They are now polite and I don't have to worry about what they do when we are not around. One of them is on the way to Destin, FL (about 4 hours from here-lots of people have weekend homes) and I know that they will not embarass themselves or anybody else and that is extremely comforting to me. My mother would be proud.

I never have, but while you are there if you happen to see Garrett Oliver ask him if he ever lurks on eGullet. I suspect he does, but would really like to know for sure. He would be a good addition to the beer forums.

Marcelle Bienvenue has a good piece in the Thursday Food section of the Picayine on Easter Bread Marcelle Bakes Here is a listing of food related events involved with this weekend's Tennessee Williams Festival Tennessee Eats And this is a listing of restaurants that are serving meals boradly in the spirit of the event: Tennessee Eats Some More This article is not exactly food related, unless you decide to have picnic-but it is about a place near my house and is well worth the drive if you are ever in the city during the spring. Zemurry Gardens

I wish that more places would use small bottles (which in fact are a pain in the ass for everybody concerned and not nearly as available here as they are in Europe, particularly Britain and Ireland). They make a much better cocktail. Also, as someone who often just orders a soda and lime late at night, I get tired of having the soda tasting of coke.

I say that looks great. Nice job and great photos of the effort.

Actually, I think that cold fried chicken is one of the finer things that comes out of the fridge late at night. It never lasts very long around my house.

Sazerac is a GREAT company. Family owned and operated for a very long time. Bill Goldring is one of the biggest philanthropists in the Gulf South (recently he donated a ton to the Ogden Museum). He also has done a great job in turning a really good local business into one of the largest liquor distributors in the South. They are all over Fla., Texas, Ark, La, Tn, and several other states. Goldring and the former CEO-Peter Bordeaux-pretty much are the ones who figured out the single barrel bourbon market (the whole thing started as a marketing ploy to a Japanese market that was willing to pay anything for something different) as it was not even a real product (face it, all bourbon comes from single barrels). Besides liquor, they are also into beer distributing and distilling. Disclosure: One of his companies (Crown Beverage-Coors Dist. in N.O.) was (and still is) the distributor for Abita Beer when I was still there.

Down here they're all cokes until you say what flavor you want! As in: "Hey man, ya wanna coke?" "Yeah, gimme a Mr. Pibb."

Mr. Pibb was the Coca Cola Company's answer to Dr. Pepper. I remember when it was first marketed (I lived in the test market). Dr Pepper held a serious amount of volume in some pockets of what Coke considered to be prime territory and this was their response to the market. I did not taste like Dr. Pepper, although it was similar. Less body and not quite as sweet (at that point I believe that all Dr Pepper was still being made with Cane Sugar-now only the stuff from the plant in Waco is the only D.P made with c.s.).

DOH! Although I seem to have gained my senses several posts later. I don't know where that Arthur reference came from (actually the reference came from my keyboard and Arthur came from Vermont). I will quit while I am ahead. Stop me before I type again.

Taft was such a large guy that they actually had to swap out the presidential bathtub. He kept having to call someone to help him out of the one that was there when he moved in.

I planted some mint, giant sunflowers, shastas, gerbers, and choriopsis from there yesterday. Incidentally, if any of you have the room and the patience (not to mention if you are going to live long enough ) the large packets of mixed wildflower seeds are gorgeous and reasonably priced. My mom has an area at her lake house where she has followed all of the rules and after 4 years the patch is blooming with something year round and reseeds itself beautifully.

Trim the ends and peel. I like turnips alot. Try treating them just like mashed potatoes. Boil them and add butter, cream, s and p and they are good like that. I just added a recipe that I like for Baked Turnips and Cheese (egrecipe #930). It's quick and easy and tasty. What more could you ask from a turnip?

Pan, I sourced this several ways, but in the process I would like to reccomend Doris Kearns Goodwin's wonderful book about the Roosevelt's in wartime Washington, " No Ordinary Time". Goodwin is a first rate historian, an engaging writer, and made a little history in her own right as an aide to LBJ (he called her "Harvard"-among other things ) I found several sources that pretty much restated what I had said in the above post-FDR was a serious foodie and Eleanor was perfectly happy with 3 veg and boiled meat. The White House food service was indeed awful while he was there, under the supervision of a Mrs. Nesbitt. According to Kearns she served the same food over and over again and FDR wanted to fire her, but Eleanor would not let him. Mrs Roosevelt had originally hired he as a young woman to work in the kitchen at Hyde Park (Eleanor literally never scrambled an egg-she did not cook at all-ever) and refused to bag her. Try this menu on for size (this is from roughly 1942)- Monday-Tongue with Caper Sauce Tuesday- Boiled Beef Wednesday- Roasted Beef with Mashed Potatoes The general impression that people got after spending any time in the WHite House was that the food was dull and tasteless-not to mention overdone. THere are many internal White House documents that stil exist documenting Roosevelt's inability to get a decent meal and Mrs. Nesbitt's absolute indifference to the President. Among his favorite dishes (that he had to eat elsewhere) were oysters, crabs, country cheeses (the odder the better), peach cobbler, quail and pheasant served very rare, rare beef.

Baked Turnips and Cheese Serves 6 as Side. This dish ends up being a bit more elegant than it sounds. Try it and you will see. 1-1/2 lb turnips, pared and sliced (4 cups) 2 tbls butter 2 tbls flour 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp white pepper 1 c milk 1/2 c GOOD cheddar Parsley Paprika Boil turnips in salted water until fork tender. Melt butter in a small sauce pan and make a light (white) roux with the flour. Add salt, pepper and milk/stir until thickened to coat spoon Reduce heat and add cheese to milk mixture Combine sauce with turnips and put in greased 1 qt. cass. Bake at 350F for 20 min. Add a little parsley and paprika at the end for color (I use cayenne, but that's just me. Some like it hot. Keywords: Side, Vegetables ( RG930 )

Baked Turnips and Cheese Serves 6 as Side. This dish ends up being a bit more elegant than it sounds. Try it and you will see. 1-1/2 lb turnips, pared and sliced (4 cups) 2 tbls butter 2 tbls flour 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp white pepper 1 c milk 1/2 c GOOD cheddar Parsley Paprika Boil turnips in salted water until fork tender. Melt butter in a small sauce pan and make a light (white) roux with the flour. Add salt, pepper and milk/stir until thickened to coat spoon Reduce heat and add cheese to milk mixture Combine sauce with turnips and put in greased 1 qt. cass. Bake at 350F for 20 min. Add a little parsley and paprika at the end for color (I use cayenne, but that's just me. Some like it hot. Keywords: Side, Vegetables ( RG930 )

I find it interesting that GW isn't serving a Texas wine or two at state dinners. Maybe he has at other times.

The food in the White House during the FDR administration was a constant source of strain for FDR (although Eleanor didn't seem to mind much as she was apparently not concerned and in fact, during the war years, not even in residence that much). The woman who ran the household and the kitchen at that point (even though the Navy runs the kitchen, the head of household has pretty much always been the one really in charge of non official dining) served the same dull stuff over and over and FDR apparently complained about it constantly and was shot down by Eleanor every time. Eleanor was well known for wandering down to the gate and grabbing soldiers who had come by to get a look at the boss's house and inviting them in for lunch. The stunned soldiers would come in and sit down to a meat and three (usually) and find out they were eating with Henry Stimson and his daughter, maybe Churchill (who spent a stunning amount of time semi secretly in the White House during WWII). Really hard to imagine that happening today. I have a great book at home that concerns the at home life of the Roosevelts while they were in the White House (they were there for a very long time-3 1/4 terms). People not related to them actually lived there and there were tons of guests in and out staying for long periods of time. When I get home I will look up some menus as there are some reprints in the book.