I'm excited to share with my readers the latest addition to my cookbook collection, Mosquito Supper Club, offering Louisiana recipes and delicious coastal accounts.
“My Grape Year” – by Laura Bradbury
I did not expect to experience the flood of emotions I did while reading Laura Bradbury’s My Grape Year. One of Amazon Prime's books to borrow on Kindle, it looked like a fun, light read reminiscent of one of those YA travel-to-France-and-fall-in-love novels that used to captivate my teenage mind. Somehow I got wrapped up …
The Writings on the Bathroom Wall
A few of my latrinalia (bathroom wall art) findings from the women's bathroom walls of my latest university.
Ways to Travel the World
June 20, 2020, I woke up thinking of this lovely, feisty woman I’d met at a Jim Haynes Sunday dinner in Paris a few years back. In her thick, familiar southern accent, she introduced herself, “Dudley Shearburn. Shear like in cut, burn like in burn.” We corresponded a couple of times but then lost touch. …
Job Hunting During Coronavirus
Last month, I graduated with an M.A. in English/Professional Writing. I began my masters program in 2007 after moving back to Louisiana from NYC. But due to several factors including my mother’s death, I didn’t complete my studies. In 2018, jolted by the impending end of an eight-year contract job (it began as a three-month …
Morning Birdsong
Saturday, April 4, 2020, around 8am. There are now over one-million confirmed cases of Covid-19 in more than 200 countries. Media outlets teeter-totter from doom and gloom to hope and compassion. The neighbors are getting restless, the pool has been cleaned twice this week (including once yesterday by the singing pool guy) and Nana and …
Life in a Brave New World
Have you ever wanted the world to stop spinning, just for a little bit, so you could catch your breath? Well, be careful what you ask for. Yesterday I had a lovely conversation with a very good friend in Scotland. While I’m not unaware of the doom and gloom plaguing the world and our news …
A Snob’s Guide to Restauranting
Photo by Ben Lodge on Unsplash My culinary memories begin with my family. My mother’s guidance through global flavors: escargots, gefilte fish, artichokes, caviar, and fondue, for example. My grandmother’s catfish courtbouillon (pronounced couvillion in Louisiana), homemade ice cream, morning biscuits, and baked chicken & rice. My great-grandmother’s cathead biscuits, chicken & dumplings, strawberry pies, steak with rice …
Finding Lost Family
March, 1988 We knew it all along, didn’t need a judge to tell us. But maybe he did. Besides, it was a way for me to finally meet him, my dad. When he walked inside the courtroom that day in 1988, I knew right away that it was him. He was bigger than the man …
Beet Break
When you need a break from the laptop, and a quick, creative nosh ... It's a bit wobbly, but so am I. 😜 Beets stacked with goat-ricotta cheese and herbs.
