Last September we went to New Orleans for the WCR conference. It was an amazing trip, our last getaway before Amaya was born. We weren't sure what to expect post-Katrina. The French Quarter was as we both remembered it, full of ambiance and good food and none the worse for wear, at least from a tourist's point of view. We were sorry to leave and I would welcome the chnace to return for any occasion.
One of the first books I purchsed for my iphone kindle app was Gumbo Tales: Finding My Place at the New Orleans Table by Sara Roahen. I eased into it, reading pages at odd moments when Amaya was napping in my lap. I have to admit that for me it was a slow starter, which seems apropo, since New Orleans is all about leisurely pleasures at the table. It is a wonderful book, evocative and insightful. It makes you want to eat in that city, to visit the myriad restaurants described, and to start a pot of collard greens in your own kitchen and try to capture those flavors at home. It's part history, part fantasy, and all things culinary on several different levels. We readers can never hope to experience the city that Sara describes. She makes me want to book the next flight out for an afternoon and evening at Galatoires to try and experience that world for my own. It's a romance of epic proportions and I recommend it to anyone who has ever loved a city for it's food.
