A mere half day’s drive from my sweet home in Alabama…takes me to a different world- Vibrant New Orleans. A distinctly Southern City yet…unlike so many which are sleepily content under bearded Live Oak Trees… New Orleans pulses with life every hour of the day with:
- Pots of Hot Oil turning out sugared Beignets served with full bodied Chicory Coffee,
- Po’ Boys are filled to the brim with fried shrimp and more…
- Copper Pots turn out sumptuous Pralines,
- The clink of Silver rings in a Palace called Commander’s, where the elegant meets for slow walked cuisine.
Food on New Orleans menus isn’t like other cities- there’s Lost Bread and Callas, Angus Roulades, Etouffee, Remaloude, Chargrilled Oysters, Muffelatas and Barbeque Shrimp which isn’t barbequed at all. You may think you’ve eaten food like this- unless you’re in Vibrant New Orleans, believe me it’s a cheap imitation. 
On Jackson Square, why- there’s art hanging out like so many sheets on the line to dry… Antiques, Galleries and Fashion prance up and down long streets, Lacy Cast or Wrought Iron graces fine mansions, boutique hotels, graveyards, parks and genteel poverty…all with the backdrop of lively street music. I hate to admit it, since I’m reasonably respectable-yet honestly, the vibrant New Orleans street sounds make me just want to move with a walking rhythm that’s distinct to the Crescent City. No matter what I show or tell you, there’s no adequate way to describe Vibrant New Orleans…
- My drawl gets more drawn out,
- My mouth waters,
- My state of mind shifts,
- My heart pulses to a different beat- and no one really cares how I walk or talk at all. There’ll be time later to regain my composure.
When I think of Vibrant New Orleans-it’s a Collage of the well worn beauty, the bizarre and bazaar of senses that always fills my heart. I couldn’t resist sharing these impressions of my last minute trip first.
Stay tuned for more details about Vibrant New Orleans.
Love y’all, Camellia
*We are so thankful Hurricane Nate calmed down a bit before reaching our southern shores, but are heartbroken with the damage to our neighboring countries. This continues to be a year of turbulence.
*All photographs are mine, obviously. The last photograph, the scene in a Florist’s window seemed to be a throw away but somehow when I looked again- the picture captured a distinct piece of New Orleans. I hope you like it. The unknown violinist plays like an angel right in front of St. Louis Cathedral and among other street performers, but y’all, the art, music, food and scenery puts me in a different state of mind!
Even though Cornbread and Biscuits are made in every region, we Southerners always think ours are the best! Biscuits seem to be the higher culinary art compared to Cornbread’s rustic texture. And the truth is, Cornbread has it’s roots in poverty, yet often graces the finest tables. French trained Southern Chef Virginia Willis said it best:
Oh my, I hope you’ll try a batch and substitute them for plain soda crackers when you make a big pot of soup this Fall!
The Farmer’s Markets and Produce Departments might look like Autumn, but in the South the weather is still very warm. We love fruit of all kinds, we grow a lot of it- melons, peaches, figs, plums, citrus and more. Yet, in the lower South, Apples are mostly grown in backyard orchards along with Pears, Persimmons and Crabapples, usually not as cash crops. Almost everyone wants a few fruit trees to enjoy. Folks find ways to can, dry and make small batches of –
