The New Yorker in New Orleans

[TAPrice]

New Yorker staff writer Dan Baum has relocated to New Orleans for four months to blog about the city and research a book. It can be an achingly depressing read, but the entries on food offer some sunshine in the gloom.

The New Jersey-bred writer buys pickle meat and visits a Vietnamese bakery out in New Orleans East.

The blog's main page is here:

New Yorker blog on New Orleans

Edited February 21, 2007 by TAPrice (log)

[HungryC]

Thanks for that link! Makes me wonder if he cooked those greens with his pickle meat or not. Me, I prefer tasso to pickle meat for greens, but pickle meat's good with beans.

[TAPrice]

Dan Baum still seems to be spending most of his time eating. I couldn't let this quote go by without comment:

I figure I owe it to myself—I owe it to my readers!—to plunge in with a cultural anthropologist’s zeal and explore, during my brief sojourn here in Louisiana, all the excellent reasons to kill pigs.

[Mayhaw Man]

Dan Baum's observations and conclusions are generally really on the mark, but his running commentary on making groceries is really great stuff. For a guy who's not from here he has come to, in a very short time, really get it. I love the way that he compares and contrasts shopping in Boulder and shopping in New Orleans.

Dan Baum on Boulder

Back on the Immaculate Planet (Boulder, Colorado), produce aisles are grand, with riotous displays of fresh fruits and vegetables from the world over and substantial selections of organic produce. The cured-pig-fat department, if it exists at all, is tucked away in a little corner next to the Pillsbury “Poppin’ Fresh” crescent rolls.

And his observations on making groceries the New Orleans way

In New Orleans, the situation is delightfully reversed. The produce aisle is just big enough for collards; scallions, green bell peppers, and celery, which constitute the Holy Trinity of southern-Louisiana cuisine; and limes for cocktails. But the cured-pig-fat section is vast and varied. I figure I owe it to myself—I owe it to my readers!—to plunge in with a cultural anthropologist’s zeal and explore, during my brief sojourn here in Louisiana, all the excellent reasons to kill pigs.

Now that's a Pulitzer in the making-or, probably more legitimately, a Beard. It's great stuff.

[maggiethecat]

Now that's a Pulitzer in the making-or, probably more legitimately, a Beard. It's great stuff., Brooksie

Right again, Brooksie, and thanks, Todd, for bringing this blog to our attention. Immaculate Planet -- brilliant. All those organic veggie yuppie townies who shop and cook for validation, not pleasure.

[Mayhaw Man]

Now that's a Pulitzer in the making-or, probably more legitimately, a Beard. It's great stuff., Brooksie

Right again, Brooksie, and thanks, Todd, for bringing this blog to our attention. Immaculate Planet -- brilliant. All those organic veggie yuppie townies who shop and cook for validation, not pleasure.

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Here in this place, for good or bad, for better or worse, for right or for wrong (and that's for US to decide, thanks) it's Always for Pleasure

[HungryC]

Makes me wonder what Baum would do at a real live boucherie....would he volunteer to hold the pot that catches the pig blood for the blood stew and boudin? Mmm. Pig blood.