Slurping wetly and noisily at the nourishment that is New Orleans
What with all of the hoopla of Mardi Gras going on, it’s easy to miss one of the most significant celebrations of February, Great American Pie Month! Naturally this is said with a heavy inflection of snark, but to take it that extra mile, what is even more paramount than […]
Traditional, French king cakes and where to find them in New Orleans. Though the king cake traveled to New Orleans from France approximately 150 years ago, the practice actually dates back centuries earlier to ancient pagan festivals. A bean was hidden inside a cake and the man who was lucky […]
For over two decades, locals and visitors alike returned again and again to the small, cypress wood arched door on St. Phillip Street seeking Italian cuisine heavily perfumed with garlic and rosemary, and a warm, intimate atmosphere that felt like coming home. In 2015, Irene’s Cuisine‘s fate was sealed when […]
Though you’d like to believe that the plate lunch, sometimes called a “meat and three,” is a down-home, Southern or Mid-Western invention, it’s origin is actually Hawaiian. Even more fascinating, the Hawaiian plate lunch grew from the island-state’s Pan-Asian influence, most particularly the centuries-old Japanese “bento.” Defined as convenient or […]
Like the recipe for your Great Aunt Edie’s flaky, buttermilk biscuits, many chefs and restaurants jealously guard the secret behind their signature dishes. Consider Olive Garden’s bread sticks, Orange Julius’ famous orange milkshake, the off-menu “animal-style” burgers from In-N-Out and it wasn’t until recently that the 67-year-old chain KFC finally […]
Breakfast. When you think about the typical morning meal, what springs to mind? Is it bacon and sunny-side-up eggs with toast? Fruit-topped waffles drowning in maple syrup? A bagel and cream cheese or a bowl of hot oatmeal sprinkled with cinnamon and brown sugar? We all have a certain dish […]
Enjoying pizza is easily one of America’s favorite pastimes. Just saying the word conjures up fond memories of pizza parties after playing a grueling game of softball under the hot summer sun, family night with movies and a pie delivered fresh and hot to your door, or much needed brain […]
What exactly do we mean when we say a restaurant is a “hidden gem?” Is it small? Precious? Priceless? Is it actually hidden? Is it tucked away behind a curtain or a secret door, or is it a spot you drive by almost daily before someone finally brings it to […]
Ah social media! To some, it’s the bane of modern society. Cynics believe, among other things, it discourages genuine, face-to-face interactions, exasperates the need for instant gratification and incites narcissistic behavior. On the other hand, many others see social media as a tool for self-expression, a way to connect (even […]
Though some might believe it makes me a terrible food writer, I’m notoriously bad at patronizing pop-ups. I’ll mark them on my Google calendar, get all excited about trying new dishes from daring young chefs eking their way towards their own brick & mortar. Then almost inevitably, something will prevent […]
If anything is an inexpensive solution to that grumbling in your belly, it’s a taco, or tacos, because who eats just one? From college kids to suits, anyone and everyone enjoys a good taco. What’s not to like? Although traditional Mexican fillings like carnitas and carne asada tend to be […]
Made from sesame seeds, tahini is a sauce or paste (similar to other nut butters) that is widely used all over the world and has fast become a staple here in the United States. Though we most commonly see tahini used as an ingredient in that chick pea manna from […]