127724 Tue May 11 09:14:58 -0700 2004 26 9 New Orleans 0 692431 Okay, we're moving back to the southwest after spending six years in New Orleans. Everybody says "you're going to miss the food." Now, we can make jambalaya, red beans and rice, gumbo, and barbecued shrimp better than the versions served in most restaurants. We know that fresh shrimp will be more expensive and harder to come by, but other than that, we can't think of much that we will really miss. Neither of us is particularly sad about never having another po-boy. I suppose we might miss muffalettas, but since we eat them about once a year, that shouldn't pose a big problem. Same for beignets. No more crawfish boils, but we've had our share of them, and they're fun, but that's one of those "been there, done that" kind of things for us. Yes, we know this is heresy. Luckily you can't stone me through e-mail. But I thought I would take a poll: If you were to move away from Louisiana, what food would you miss? (Not fair to say "my mama's (whatever).) Tue May 11 09:14:58 -0700 2004 0 Sarah C 1 692434 Actually, I've done just that. Thirty years ago we moved back to Texas after living in Slidell for a year and a half. We missed boiled crab. Also poor boys - both oyster and shrimp. Now we can get decent poor boys in the Dallas area. Bread's not as good. but oh well--- Tue May 11 10:01:03 -0700 2004 692431 0 Plano Rose 2 692454 Forgot to add that I learned to make really good redbeans and rice and seafood gumbo from my native New Orleanean neighbor, so we eat Louisiana style frequently. Tue May 11 13:46:08 -0700 2004 692434 0 Plano Rose 2 1935040 That you can, but these days, you can get really good bread as well PR. Where's your favorite DFW place for a po boy? TT Tue Oct 10 13:53:14 -0700 2006 692434 19247 TexasToast 1 692435 Okay, Sarah, I'll bite on this one: --dirt cheap LA strawberries in the spring ($9/flat) eaten with Mauthe's creole cream cheese & local honey --softshell crabs, still alive when you clean 'em (sauteed or fried--I'm not picky) --Hansen's Sno-Bliz (lemonade or sno-bliz flavors) and a chance to chat with Mary Hansen --pounds of jumbo lump crabmeat and cocktail claws, picked the same day, at wholesale prices from the crab-picking factory ($8 for claws and $12 for jumbo lump) --satsumas in the fall from your neighbor's backyard trees --Steen's cane syrup (I guess you COULD mail-order it) --grilled redfish that you caught yourself just a few hours before --25-cent oysters at an oyster bar. When you ask the shucker where they're from, you not only know the oysterman, but know the name of his boat and the guy who built it for him. --fresh file (it fades pretty quickly) --Gratons, andouille, boudin, and especially TASSO from the BestStop in Scott, LA Along with Gendusa's french bread, the fruit ices at Angelo Brocato, and a properly made Sazerac, #7 steaks, 8 different kinds of salted/pickled pork at the supermarket....I could go on and on! Tue May 11 10:06:01 -0700 2004 692431 0 Hungry Celeste 2 692471 You are correct, Celeste. I moved from Louisiana to Texas years ago.....I miss your entire list, especially the satumas. I think I would trade bbq and texmex for fresh 25 cents oysters anyday of the week. I would add Abita beer and roman candy to the list. We can buy Abita beer at Whole Foods sometimes, so thats good. Tue May 11 21:09:02 -0700 2004 692435 0 nolalover 2 692474 Everything Celeste mentioned except the Sazeracs. I'd have to add perfectly fried oysters on French. Really good gumbo and different varieties. Boiled seafood. Wed May 12 00:54:45 -0700 2004 692435 0 Isabella 2 692487 A perfect post, Hungry C. True poetry to a chowhound. But where does a person get soft shells that are still breathing. Do you do your own trawling? If you don't, will you out your connection? I've never seen one in a crab trap. Wed May 12 13:32:38 -0700 2004 692435 0 Beau Noppatee 3 692489 They have live ones at the farmer's market in New Orleans, I specifically saw them at the Saturday morning one at Magazine and Girod, since I pointed them out to my parents and they (the crabs) were moving around. I commented on not wanting to buy them because I'd have to cut their face off while they were alive and the vendor said they'd be happy to clean them for me right there. I don't know where the vendor was from, though. Wed May 12 13:39:15 -0700 2004 692487 0 Jessi 4 692493 Softshells recovered while trawling are often dead (the long dragging time kills 'em). All commercially available softshells are "made" in holding tanks...the producer buys or catches "red line" crabs, then holds them in tanks (with filtration/aeration) or in floating holding pens in brackish water, until the crab sheds its shell. A crab indicates its readiness to shed by displaying a thin but pronounced red line on the last segment of its back leg (the leg attached to the jumbo lump of crabmeat). Red line crabs are a week or so away from shedding; blue line crabs are 10+ days from a molt. Molting is influenced by moon phase, tide, salinity, crab's age/sex, etc. Crabbers watch for these markings and are paid a premium for the shedder (aka peeler aka buster) crabs. If you take the crab out of the water within 10 minutes or so of its shedding, it will remain soft (the crab needs water to reharden its new shell). They'll remain alive under moist refrigeration for as long as several days. Wed May 12 14:27:19 -0700 2004 692489 0 Hungry Celeste 4 692509 Thanks so much. Magazine and Girod? Isn't that in the CBD? (going to the Yahoo maps right now) There was a seafood market near Ocshner on Jefferson Highway that had good softshells. I think it was called Southern or maybe it was just in the front of Southern Poboy. Anyway, it changed hands. I've checked twice so far and no more soft shell crabs. Are there any noteworthy seafood markets on Hwy 90 around Bayou des Allemand? Maybe those places Hungry C suggested for native catfish. Thanks also to Hungy C for the information on little buster's life cycle. I feel like I'm getting educated. Thu May 13 12:00:38 -0700 2004 692489 0 beau 4 1907927 "was from" may be the correct tense as they were from Laffite before the storms. Have you seen them since then? I don't know if they are still working. I have a card from them somewhere and will see if I can get their numbers for you. Before, if you called, they would bring you live Buster crabs. Thu Sep 28 13:15:23 -0700 2006 692489 16475 Panama Hat 5 1908340 Some of the Lafitte producers were indeed knocked for a loop, but you can still get softshells from producers in des Allemands and a couple on Bayou Lafourche, too. Thu Sep 28 15:52:39 -0700 2006 1907927 12023 Hungry Celeste 1 692455 I've got the opposite problem. I miss fresh green chiles roasting in the fall, and good green chile stew with pork. (I can make green chile, but I miss being able to get it at any restaurant in town...) Tue May 11 15:36:16 -0700 2004 692431 0 jayne 2 692475 Jayne, I guess we're more like you. I can hardly wait for the green chile stew and related delights. Speaking of green chiles, last summer the uptown Whole Foods got a shipment of Hatch green chiles, and they roasted them in the parking garage. I can't remember what month that was, but watch for the event! Wed May 12 08:38:01 -0700 2004 692455 0 Sarah C 1 692488 And speaking of missing, I sure will miss your postings. I guess you can still visit the board wherever you are. Southwest of what? Do you mean as in Santa Fe? High plains and cactus trees? Wed May 12 13:35:58 -0700 2004 692431 0 Beau Noppatee 2 692505 Thanks. It's Phoenix -- and we will be eating lots of Mexican food, among other things. Phoenix also seems to have a pretty good variety of ethnic and other interesting restaurants, in addition to Southwestern and Mexican. When and if I become knowledgeable enough to post, it will be on the Southwest board. Of course I'll still be checking the New Orleans board from time to time. I'm sure lots of people we meet will be asking us for our NOLA recommendations. Wed May 12 21:47:21 -0700 2004 692488 0 Sarah C 1 693909 Charcroiled oysters, bread pudding, turtle soup, beignets, muffalettas, barbecue shrimp (Mr. B's), creme brulee, red beans and rice on Mondays! Wed Aug 18 13:16:19 -0700 2004 692431 0 bwdirector 1 1907016 I happened on this post that I started over two years ago and decided it is time to update it. After two years in Phoenix, I do miss the crawfish boils (not to mention Celeste's family crab boil). And the fresh seafood is definitely not so easy to come by here, and more expensive. The only restaurants I really miss are Lola's, Rocky & Carlo's, and Lafitte's Landing, and I know the latter is gone anyway. (Did John Folse ever open a new place in Baton Rouge?) And I haven't had a milk punch in forever. Sarah C Thu Sep 28 00:01:00 -0700 2006 692431 10380 kittyfood 1 1907475 I've lived in Texas all my adult life. I spent a few months in Seattle a few years ago. After one month I was craving TexMex like it was crack cocaine! The favorite amongst the locals was about a half a step above Taco Bell. Put raw cabbage on everything. My first Tex Mex meal back in Texas sent me into a hypo-manic episode :) Thu Sep 28 03:30:53 -0700 2006 692431 13328 Spencer 1 1909595 cheap oysters, crawfish pie, gumbo, burgers and pie that are just better in New Orleans. Every type of food they make in NO is better and tastier than if it were prepared in another state. Thu Sep 28 22:20:11 -0700 2006 692431 12790 alex70 1 1911080 If you can't say "my mama's (whatever" then this question isn't really fair. To miss New Orleans (or South Louisiana in general) is to miss its entire food culture, which is found as much in home kitchens as it is in restaurants. And the culture is an ethic of its people that says food is more important than most other things in life. One thing I do miss about New Orleans is living in a city where the casual, cheap food can be just as delicious and inventive and unique as the expensive food. I think parts of the Southwest probably do this well do, with Mexican and Mexican inspired "street food" as well as top restaurants. This quality across the board, I think, is what separates us from the Kansas City's and the Las Vegas's. Fri Sep 29 16:53:06 -0700 2006 692431 41985 HalfShell 1 1912567 There are definitely some foods I miss, the roast beef po boy from Memes at Canal and Robert E Lee, the shimp po boy from Mandinas, the seafood and people who know how to cook it properly. But I do want to stand up for Kansas City, the bbq is something that New Orleans/south Louisiana does not have. And the best bbq is from the locally grown places, not chains. My last experience was with Jones BBQ in KCK and it was kick ass good. And the little Mexican restaurants in KCK are way better than any found in New Orleans. When you walk in and they only speak Spanish, then you know it will not be taco bell. Don't get me wrong, I love New Orleans and miss it trememdously, but I have discovered that if you get off the main commercial drag, you can find foods in a lot of places that you never expected. And good food of quality. You just have to be willing to go beyond the touristy places. Sat Sep 30 01:44:57 -0700 2006 692431 29164 tiomano 2 1913072 I think that's true of almost any area, that you need to find those little local cafes and enjoy whatever they do best, regionally. Now there are some areas where it is more difficult than others to find that local treasure . . . try rural northern Illinois, for example . . . but there must be something special in every part of the country. Not to mention the rest of the world. But to stick to the New Orleans topic, the highlights are generally dishes that include seafood, and they do good things with pork, too (not including barbecue, as you mention). Sarah C Sat Sep 30 14:26:57 -0700 2006 1912567 10380 kittyfood 1 1929412 After spending 15 years in Houston and coming home, I would ALWAYS bring back the satsumas and the Creole tomatoes after a trip to New Orleans. Now I miss the Tex/Mex and the Vietnamese food that I could get in Houston. I could get my seafood there. I guess we're never happy. Oh yeah, and the Takee Outee after a night at Pat O's. Sat Oct 07 05:34:35 -0700 2006 692431 15087 Tchoupitoulas 1 1934839 As a native of Louisiana who spent the first 30 years of his life there and grew up on the wonderful Cajun and Creole dishes, I MISS ALL OF IT! Say what you want, but I have to have my mother send me or order from the internet, at a premium, Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning, Zatarain's Creole mustard, tasso, andouille, and Camellia-brand red beans. Finding the right seafood is also impossible where I live-no fresh red fish for courtbouillon, no speckled trout for trout meuniere amandine, no fresh Gulf shrimp for shrimp remoulade, no fresh Gulf oysters for oysters en brochette, no fresh Gulf blue crabs for stuffed crabs. The supposedly fresh okra is pathetic! Yes, sometimes I can find the frozen, but when you are used to going to the market, the docks, or even catching your own, the frozen stuff just does not work. Turtle meat to make a turtle soup is nonexistent where I live. If you really know Louisiana cuisine and how to prepare it, you will know that it becomes more and more difficult the further from Louisiana you are. Yes, there are substitutes and possibly frozen items, but they are just not the same as the fresh, indigenous ingredients of Louisiana. I, for one, can definitely tell the difference in the taste. Tue Oct 10 09:38:23 -0700 2006 692431 31211 kdbroussa 1 1957599 I did not grow up in LA but my dad married into a native New Orleans family and my stepmom turned me on to the amazing food of the region. Honestly, I never thought I would drool over cheese grits let alone master a decent roux. I used to go grocery shopping on my visits and have them ship many of the things that have been mentioned. What I have found since Katrina, is that several products are now available up here near DC. I can now get the following: Abita Beer Tony C's seasoning Tobasco Chili Mix Zaps potato chips Zatarian's products(except the liquid boil which I LOVE) Frozen crawfish Cafe du Monde Coffee(hugely popular in Asian stores) We even now have a restaurant, Acadiana, in DC that serves po'boys,bbq shrimp and such as the chef is from LA. But with all of this, and family recipes, I still miss..well...everything..because you can try to replicate the food and transplant the products but you can't reproduce the soul that is New Orleans or LA. So the best I can do is eat my grits and grillades, think back to some great times and look forward to coming down for Thanksgiving! Thu Oct 19 16:40:39 -0700 2006 692431 12633 rHairing