In the Mood for Mardi Gras?

 

With this colorful study, Reid Mitchell takes us to Mardi Gras--to a yearly ritual that sweeps the richly multicultural city of New Orleans into a frenzy of parades, pageantry, dance, drunkenness, music, sexual display, and social and political bombast. In All on a Mardi Gras Day Reid Mitchell tells us some of the most intriguing stories of Carnival since 1804. Woven into his narrative are observations of the meaning and messages of Mardi Gras--themes of unity, exclusion, and elitism course through these tales as they do through the Crescent City. Moving through the decades, Mitchell describes the city's diverse cultures coming together to compete in Carnival performances. We observe powerful social clubs, or krewes, designing their elaborate parade displays and extravagant parties; Creoles and Americans in conflict over whose dances belong in the ballroom; enslaved Africans and African Americans preserving a sense of their heritage in processions and dances; white supremacists battling Reconstruction; working-class blacks creating the flamboyant Krewe of Zulu; the birth and reign of jazz; the gay community holding lavish balls; and of course tourists purchasing an authentic experience according to the dictates of our commercial culture. Interracial friction, nativism, Jim Crow separatism, the hippie movement--Mitchell illuminates the expression of these and other American themes in events ranging from the 1901 formation of the anti-prohibitionist Carrie Nation Club to the controversial 1991 ordinance desegregating Carnival parade krewes. Through the conflicts, Mitchell asserts, "I see in Mardi Gras much what I hear in a really good jazz band: a model for the just society, the joyous community, the heavenly city...A model for community where individual expression is the basis for social harmony and where continuity is the basis for creativity." All on a Mardi Gras Day journeys into a world where hope persists for a rare balance between diversity and unity.

One of America's greatest restaurants, Brennan's in New Orleans is known worldwide as a home of fine cuisine. "Breakfast at Brennan's" is a longstanding tradition among sophisticated visitors to the city. This collection of the Brennan family's distinctive Creole recipes was first issued in 1961 and has remained a favorite ever since. Author and columnist Hermann B. Deutsch recounts the fascinating story of the Brennan clan, telling how a family of poor Irish immigrants rose to become the premier restaurateurs in New Orleans. Numerous photographs and drawings illustrate the history of the family and their restaurant. The more than 150 recipes in the book include such time-honored Brennan's favorites as Bananas Foster, Trout Amandine, Pompano en Papillote, and Eggs Benedict. With more than 155,000 copies in print, Brennan's New Orleans Cookbook is a classic compendium of superb food from one of the nation's finest restaurants.

New Orleans is a restaurant city and it's long been that way. Food, cooking and restaurants reflect the spirit of New Orleans, her people and their many cultures and cuisines. Restaurants are our spiritual salve, our meeting place to connect, converse, consume, and of course, plan the next meal. Culinary traditions here are firm, though there is a dynamic food/dining evolution taking place in what we have come to call the new New Orleans. Today's restaurant recipe includes a lot of love, a taste of tradition, and the flavor of something new. New Orleans continues to be a most delicious city, from its finest white tablecloth restaurants to homey mom and pop cafes and chic new eateries––and there's a place at the table waiting for you. With recipes for the home cook from over 50 of the city's most celebrated restaurants and showcasing 100 beautiful full-color photos, New Orleans Chef's Table is the ultimate gift and keepsake cookbook.

Fabulous New Orleans by Lyle Saxon evokes a city steeped in the traditions and idiosyncrasies of three cultures--French, Spanish, and American. Known widely as one of Louisiana's great writers, Lyle Saxon documented many of the quirks and mysteries of New Orleans. His narratives include a vivid picture of Mardi Gras as seen through the eyes of a young boy, a brief history of the city, and accounts of strange and remarkable events, including the great Mississippi flood of 1927, the year of the great plague, and a voodoo cult ceremony. By any standards, New Orleans is a unique city, and Saxon depicts it unadorned, with all its flaws and glories.

Summer Eating!

According to National Day Calendar (https://nationaldaycalendar.com/july-monthly-observations/), July is National Culinary Arts Month, National Grilling Month, and National Picnic Month. It is also National Baked Bean Month, National Hot Dog Month, National Ice Cream Month, National Horseradish Month, and, apparently, National July Belongs to Blueberries Month. So, in honor of all this, here are a few cookbooks to help you through this tasty, tasty month!

In Buttermilk & Bourbon: New Orleans Recipes with a Modern Flair, author Jason Santos cooks up a boatload of traditional New Orleans dishes with a story or two and a whole lot of flair. "On screen and in the kitchen, Jason Santos is known for two things: his smack-you-in-the-mouthflavored dishes and his larger-than-life personality. Buttermilk & Bourbon, the name of Jason’s wildly popular restaurant and his standout cookbook, showcases incredible recipes inspired by the exciting flavors and culture of New Orleans.Jason has gathered his best Southern-inspired recipes―the ones that restaurant-goers write about impassioned letters and the ones even his line cooks can’t resist―and laid them bare for you. Make his signature dishes at home like Literally the Best Fried Chicken Wings in the History of Chicken and Flamin‘ Hot Cheeto Mac & Cheese. Binge on Smoked Gouda Cornbread or go all in on New Orleans BBQ Shrimp with Jalapeño Grits. Finish with a signature cocktail like Voodoo on the Bayou and desserts like Fresh Fried Beignets." (from Amazon.com)

Emma Frisch offers up easy tantalizing recipes for camping season in Feast by Firelight: Simple Recipes for Camping, Cabins, and the Great Outdoors. Amazon.com calls the book "A transporting, lushly photographed book with easy-to-prepare recipes for gatherings at campgrounds and cabins alike. Feast by Firelight offers solution-oriented recipes that make cooking outdoors feel effortless and downright fun and it shows how to utilize clever cooking methods, prep food at home, and pack smart. The book includes recipes for camp cooking as well as detailed menus, shopping and equipment lists, and tips showing how to prepare before you leave. Featuring 70 accessible recipes, it is the first of its kind in the outdoor-cooking niche to pair useful information with evocative photography of finished dishes and useful illustrations (such as how to pack a cooler and how to build a fire), setting a new standard for camping cookbooks."

Want some recipes to take to the beach? Why not try The Beach House Cookbook: Easy Breezy Recipes with a Southern Accent? According to Amazon.com, "You don’t have to own a beach house to enjoy Mary Kay Andrews’ recipes. All you need is an appetite for delicious, casual dishes, cooked with the best fresh, local ingredients and presented with the breezy flair that make Mary Kay Andrews’ novels a summertime favorite at the beach. From an early spring dinner of cherry balsamic-glazed pork medallions and bacon-kissed Brussels sprouts to Fourth of July buttermilk-brined fried chicken, potato salad, and pudding parfaits to her New Year’s Day Open House menu of roast oysters, home-cured gravlax, grits 'n’ greens casserole, and lemon-cream cheese pound cake, this cookbook will supply ideas for menus and recipes designed to put you in a permanently carefree, coastal state of mind all year long."

Author Carlo Sernaglia kicks the summer season in high gear with food and drink pairings from the Margaritaville restaurants. "Warm sun, cool drink, and nowhere to be―that’s Margaritaville! It’s a celebration of relaxation and an invitation to enjoy good food and good company. Margaritaville: The Cookbook is filled with recipes that bring the flavor of island living and the spirit of Jimmy Buffett's iconic song straight into your home. The first official cookbook from the beloved world of Margaritaville features laid-back favorites like the explosively good Volcano Nachos and the heaven-on-earth-with-an-onion-slice Cheeseburger in Paradise, alongside more sophisticated options that will wow your guests (Coho Salmon in Lemongrass-Miso Broth, anyone?). With its combination of recipes, stories, and gorgeous full color food and lifestyle photographs throughout, it is sure to put you in a Margaritaville state of mind! Margaritaville isn’t confined to single spot on the map -- the recipes draw inspiration from around the world, from Jerk Chicken to Tuna Poke with Plantain Chips and Jimmy’s Jammin’ Jambalaya. And we've got you all covered, from family-friendly Aloha Hotdogs to drool-worthy Vegetarian Burgers. It's 5 o'clock somewhere and no vacation is complete without a cocktail―preferably a margarita, of course! Margaritaville: The Cookbook is loaded with drink recipes to inspire your blissful island cocktail hour―from Jimmy's Perfect Margarita and Paradise Palomas to Cajun Bloody Mary's and the quintessential Key West Coconut and Lime Frozen Margarita." (from Amazon.com)

Take a Dance with a Creole Belle

Creole Belle is James Lee Burke's newest novel in his Dave Robicheaux series.  Dave and his sidekick and sometimes-partner, Clete Purcel, are back together again trying to solve crimes and stay out of trouble.  Dave (a deputy sheriff) and Clete (a private investigator) are both recovering from injuries sustained in the last book, while investigating the disappearance of cajun chanteuse Tee Jolie Milton and her sister Blue.  When Tee Jolie's body washes up on the shore of a bayou, partially frozen in a block of ice, David and Clete try to unravel the twisted threads that make up life in small town Louisiana.  Tee Jolie and Blue's disappearances are tangled up in the fight for big oil and the oil spills in Louisiana, and the tycoons that control the oil.  Clete, as usual, gets involved with a woman that is not good for him and in a surprise twist, meets a relative, while Dave struggles with visions that may or may not be real.  The best part of this book is also one of the saddest, because the reader can see Clete's downward spiral and is powerless to stop it.  I enjoy James Lee Burke's books because I love his descriptions of Louisiana and life among its citizens in New Iberia and New Orleans.  I also like that there is plenty of information about Alafair Burke, (James' real life adopted daughter) and their interactions, in this novel.  For more information on James Lee Burke, check out his website at http://www.jamesleeburke.com/

Under the Cajun Moon

I just read the first book in (I hope) a new series by Mindy Starns Clark. Under the Cajun Moon is set in New Orleans and other parts of Louisiana and involves the things I love most about the state---food, music and eccentric people! The heroine of the story is Chloe Ledet, daughter of the famous chef Julian Ledet, owner of a famous French Quarter restaurant. Chloe has tried to "win" the love and respect of her parents for years, but finally moved away to have a successful career as a business etiquette consultant in Chicago. Chloe is called back to New Orleans suddenly when her dad is shot and ends up in a coma. Chloe is called to handle her father's affairs but when she wakes up in a strange hotel room with her father's dead lawyer on the couch, she immediately falls under suspicion of murder and must clear her name as well as discover who shot her father. With the aid of the son of her father's best friend, a handsome cajun named Travis, Chloe must "follow the recipe" and search for a priceless treasure while staying one step ahead of the people trying to kill her and her father--while trying to find the treasure. I absolutely loved the non-stop action of this story as well as the descriptions of Louisiana's swamps and exotic food and wildlife. Mindy Starns Clark truly knows Louisiana and her gutsy heroine is one you'll remember for a long time. Try a "taste of New Orleans" by reading this book!

Visit New Orleans for a Haunting Mystery

Mary Ann Evans' newest book, Floodgates, is set in the beautiful city of New Orleans. Faye Lonchamp, the heroine of the story is an archaeologist who, along with her team, are fighting to save New Orleans' past. Centuries of tragedy surround New Orleans, from the Civil War to slavery and hurricane Katrina. Faye and her team are horrified when they discover a corpse that is "too newly dead" to be an archaeological find. The police assume the body is just another victim of Katrina, until Faye convinces them that the debris piled on top of the woman is wrong for a flood victim, and that someone brought Shelly Broussard to a flooded house and left her body behind. A smart New Orleans Detective is convinced that Faye Longchamp and her assistant, Joe Wolf Mantooth, are crucial components of the case, and can use their expertise to assist them in finding the killer. One big question arises from the police's investigation: Was Shelly's heroic rescue work after Katrina the reason why she was murdered? This book is the fourth archaeological mystery written by Mary Anna Evans. Ms. Evans is a mother of three, an avid amateur musician and can be reached at http://www.maryannaevans.com/.

Librarians as Mystery Authors

I am a native “Louisianaian” and really enjoy reading books about my home state. I recently read Prey for Me: A New Orleans Mystery, written by Ronald M. Gauthier. The book stars Jeannette Plaisance who, after working at the FBI Behavioral Science Unit, uses her skills to search for a serial killer nicknamed the “Garbage Man.” The killer’s victims are young black males and Plaisance must wade through the tough streets of New Orleans to search for clues and find the killer. Ronald Gauthier has his MLIS in Library Sciences and currently works as a Library Branch Manager in New Orleans. Since I am a great fan of a book’s setting, I believe Gauthier does a great job with describing the culture and atmosphere of New Orleans. Are you interested in other mysteries written by librarians? Try Seneca Falls Inheritance, the first Glynis Tryon historical mystery, written by Miriam Grace Monfredo. A former librarian, Monfredo’s character encounters many library problems in this novel set during the Women’s Rights Convention of 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York. This cozy makes history come alive and is a great read for feminist’s and history buffs.