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Like a lot of residents of the New Orleans area, I have mixed feelings about this day. I remember where I was five years ago. I was in Memphis, intermittently in the lobby and at a hotel bar, watching my city come apart at the seams. I've mostly avoided "Katrina + 5" articles in the media the last week or so, and I intend to continue to do so.
It's not that I want to forget; I couldn't if I tried, obviously. It's more that so much of what I read, particularly articles "debunking Katrina Myths" just don't capture the feeling that those of us directly affected have as a result of the levee failures. I cannot say how much I appreciate the support of folks from elsewhere. I don't think I could have made it without support from friends after the storm. My friends in Memphis and middle Tennessee cheered us up and housed us after the storm. My friends from all over the country sent money they probably couldn't afford to send, or who just checked in with me to see if I was okay. That includes folks who knew me only from reading this website, many of whom had never contacted me before. Those are all debts I'll never be able to repay.
But if you don't have a direct connection to the area, I don't think you can really understand what Katrina did to us. I'm not sure you can understand the attitude we have here now, and I'm not sure you can appreciate how proud many of us are to have come back and started the rebuilding process.
It's been a long haul, and it's not over by a long shot. When the BP disaster occurred, I know a lot of people suffered. There was a feeling that just when things were going fairly well, we got another shot to the gut was to remind us how fragile things really are.
But just as there were predictions that New Orleans would never be rebuilt after Katrina, the predictions about the loss of our fisheries as a result of the BP disaster have proven to be premature. Louisiana and Gulf seafood is as safe as its ever been. It's the most thoroughly tested seafood in the country, if not the world. I have no doubt that just as conventions have started to return to New Orleans despite the stories of death and mayhem after Katrina, Gulf seafood will soon regain its good reputation.
I know this is rambling, and I apologize. I suppose the message I want to convey is that while things are still difficult here, we're on our way back. Changes that followed Katrina, and changes that will no doubt follow the BP disaster are going to result in positive things for the area. Our schools are better, our levees are - we hope - stronger, and it appears we are finally getting some recognition that the loss of our coastal wetlands and barrier islands is a national rather than local concern.
I don't speak for anyone else, but I sense a feeling of optimism in these parts that I haven't in a long time. If you want to know what I'm talking about, come down to visit. In another month or two the weather will be pleasant, and we'd love to show you what it means to have a good time in New Orleans.
I was trying to find a photo from my flickr page that would match the text above. I think the image below sums up my feelings pretty well. It's from an event during the New Orleans Wine and Food Expo, the Royal Street Stroll, and it this doesn't entice you to visit, I don't know what will...
Bacchus Invites You To New Orleans
You are worthless, vapid, ignorant scum. All of which I could forgive, had you also not smelled like you had just walked through the perfume department at Dillard's, saying "YES, YES, A THOUSAND TIMES YES" to every salesperson with a spray-sample.
What the holy hell is wrong with you? Again, when one of you actually suggested that invading Mexico was the only way to stem the tide of "them drugs" from crossing our borders, I was appalled, but at least there was unintentional humor involved. The volume of your conversation, inane as it was, could also be ignored.
But whatever the womenfolk at your table were wearing was an abomination sufficient to deserve a Singaporean cane-whipping. I hereby volunteer to administer it; and no, I am not going to take into account the subjects' advanced age in determining the vigor with which to apply the strokes.
Taste is dependent upon smell. When I was a lad, I had a friend who had no sense of smell. She could not distinguish chocolate ice cream from vanilla. You are a fool if you put on heavy perfume before you go to a nice restaurant to have a nice meal. You, most of all, will be unable to really enjoy your food. But what brings this into "I will beat you with a goddamn cane" territory is that EVERYONE AROUND YOU IS ALSO UNABLE TO ENJOY THEIR FOOD.
That is all. Here's a picture of a goddamn Irish coffee:
Goddamn Irish Coffee
I am late alerting you to the recently released Haute Plates blog, because I have been busy. I humbly* apologize, and beg your forgiveness.**
This week I discuss the most recent Horrible Fucking Thing to happen to the Gulf Coast. I have no additional picture to share with you on this occasion. I don't imagine you will feel the loss too acutely?
I was a little reluctant to add (what I hope was) a bit of humor to the piece, but I tend to find comfort in humor, and I hope that's the way it's taken. I certainly don't find a lot to be amused about in the situation, but I am hopeful that we will come through as we have in the past. It's been damn near impossible for me to actually pay attention to the thing, because I just don't know that I have the emotional energy to deal with the potentially devastating impact that the oil could have on so many aspects of our lives down here. I have, therefore, chosen to be mostly optimistic.
As always, leave a comment there, or send me an email if you want to share a thought.
*arrogantly
**piss off
I haven't written about it, because it's almost too much to contemplate, but the oil spill that has resulted from the explosion of the Horizon rig is a tremendous threat to our coastline and to our fisheries. It is only now being reported widely, and that's a goddamn travesty.
Chef John Besh has a piece in the Atlantic right now that I think is worth reading if you give two shits about Louisiana and the Gulf Coast generally.
I recommend you read the whole thing, but here's a representative paragraph:
These are federal waters. It's not a natural disaster, whatever I hear people say on television. It's so frustrating. The Federal government has known about this for 10 days. It should have said, "We're going to act now," and not wait[ed] for BP to take action. This is unprecedented—not a little spill from a ship. We do want to hold these companies responsible. But first and foremost, we need to protect citizens. This is much more than about birds. It's about a culture, an economy, the livelihood of thousands and thousands of people—and wetlands that have been the most concentrated source of seafood production for our entire country.
I will thank you very much if you do not fucking email me to tell me how this is something we just need to deal with down here. I trust that most of you don't feel that way, but I got more than a few moronic emails after Katrina, and I just don't feel like dealing with that particular brand of asshole at the moment.
Wish us luck.
I should know by now that I am incapable of doing anything more complicated than adding the appropriate html code for italics or hyperlinks. When I attempted to switch the hosting for appetites a few days ago, I made a boo-boo, and the site went down. I think I managed to fix it by returning the site to its original host, but it's also possible that someone else did something behind the scenes to clean up the mess I'd made. If that is the case: many thanks.
At any rate, I will allow the professionals to do their work henceforth, and limit my involvement to adding content and cursing.
In that regard, the current radio commercial for the Red Maple Restaurant is a faux-Cajun atrocity that makes my ears bleed. Whenever I hear it, I switch the channel immediately, and I bet I'm not alone. I have never been to the Red Maple, and so cannot comment on the food, but God DAMN I hate that commercial.
That is all.
Hey kids, I don't do this often; in fact, this is the first time, but a friend of mine has a request that I thought I'd pass along. My friend Eddie is one of the kindest, best guys I've ever met. His cousin Jeremy was in an accident recently, and is at University Hospital. He needs blood, and soon. If you can donate, you'll need this information:
Jeremy Pons - 2/20/79
900 O'Dwyer St
Jefferson, LA 70121
University Hospital
New Orleans
Thanks.
Today is Mardi Gras, and the majority of New Orleans will be celebrating. Mardi Gras, or "Fat Tuesday," is the last day before the penitential 40 days of Lent. Starting tomorrow, many Catholic New Orleanians will give up meat and/or other pleasures of the flesh until Easter. Today, then, is a blow-out that winds up the celebration we started about two weeks ago.
Of course, this year the Saints won the Superbowl. The victory over the Colts has some folks calling this year's Carnival, "Lombardigras." Not me, because while the Saints' victory was incredible, it's no reason to change the name of a celebration we've held here for hundreds of years. "Lombardigras" was last Tuesday, when the City hosted what was likely the biggest parade we've ever held to Celebrate the victory.
But the Saints success has put an even bigger jolt into the community. Some of us have been in full celebration mode since the 'Bowl, and are now looking forward to a little rest. I'm not happy that I'm sick with some sort of stomach bug, but I suppose it could have come at a worse time. At least I'm not missing work today.
I am a member of Le Krewe d'Etat, which parades on the Friday before Mardi Gras. This year, as I have for the last several, I danced as a member of the Dictator's Dancin' Dawlins. I leave you with an image taken by my friend Norris Gagnet, early on the route. That's me, waving:
Dictator's Dancin' Dawlins
Happy Mardi Gras, y'all.
What a game. What a night. What an incredible thing to experience after 35 years as a fan of the Saints. I really didn't know how the city would react if we lost. I think we'd have been despondent this morning. I think it would have put something of a damper on Carnival. Happily, I'll never know, because the Saints won the game, and won it handily.
Not to get all football nerd, but on Sunday morning, I watched a show on ESPN called "The Sports Reporters," and one of the "reporters" observed that Gregg Williams was overrated as a defensive coach, because the Saints went from 26th in defense in the NFL in 2008 to 20th in 2009. It was a shallow observation, because most of the yardage we gave up during the year was due to the fact that we had a lead in games, and played "prevent" defense. Also, when our starting cornerbacks were injured during the latter part of the season, our defense suffered. We had our cornerbacks back for the Superbowl, and it showed.
One of my partners, five years my junior, has a framed "Aints" paper bag in his office. It's a beautiful souvenir of a time when the Saints were a terrible team. Even then, we loved them, and even then, we always had hope. "Next year" was the refrain. I think this says it a hell of a lot better than I ever could, and if you haven't read it. Do so now.
I really haven't completely processed the game, and what it means to New Orleans. I have a feeling I'm going to break down at some point and cry like a child. I'm neither proud nor ashamed of it. It's just how things are.
I didn't make it to the Quarter last night. I met some friends at Clever, then another friend at Robert's bar, but everywhere I went last night, people were ecstatic. When I woke up this morning, I asked my son to bring me either horse tranquilizers, or adrenaline, but he didn't come through. Turns out I didn't need either. While I haven't processed it yet, I'm just unbelievably happy.
Tomorrow's parade downtown is going to be insane. I don't expect to be able to leave downtown for quite a while once things get started. And that's ok. It's going to be a catharsis, I think, and we won't be done until Ash Wednesday.
That's ok too. It's New Orleans. And if you understand, then you do. If you don't, I'm terribly sorry for you.
Whodat.
Update: this is New Orleans
You may be aware that the New Orleans Saints are playing in the Superbowl this evening. You may also be aware that I am from New Orleans. You might surmise from these two facts that I am a fan of the New Orleans Saints, and thus interested in the game. You would be correct, and should pat yourself on the back. Actually, feel free to pat yourself wherever you'd prefer.
It's been a long season; longer than any in which the Saints have ever participated. The City is in a fever pitch at the moment, both because of the Saints, and because Carnival is here. As some indication, we had a hotly contested mayoral election here yesterday, and the local media report that only 89,000 citizens cast votes. That's down from 108,000 in the last such election, which was held when the City was still recovering population from Katrina evacuees.
It doesn't make sense for adults to become so emotionally invested in a team of professional athletes, but that is what has happened. Very few people I know locally are not fans of the Saints, and I have heard more grown men admit to tearing up during Jim Henderson's call of the kick that sent the Saints to Miami than deny it.
If the Saints win tonight, the City is going to explode in celebration. No cars will be overturned, and no shops will be set on fire, but the party will otherwise be out of control. It will also last for more than a week, as Fat Tuesday is not until February 16th.
If the Saints lose, I'm not really sure what the City will be like. Subdued, likely, at least until this coming Tuesday, when there will be a parade to honor the team in downtown New Orleans. Win or lose, that's going to be an event to remember.
Whodat.
A couple of items to share this morning. First up, this article in the NYT dining section regarding cooking sous vide at home. The impetus for the story appears to be the release of the SousVide Supreme, which is specifically designed for the home kitchen. At $499, it's pretty expensive, but lots of people have expensive gadgets in their kitchens, and it will probably sell well.
I also received a press release from Custom Choice Cereal, an outfit in North Carolina that will make gluten-free cereal to your specification, with a few different options. You start with three choices for the cereal base, a bunch of different dried fruits, then nuts or shredded coconut. When you add ingredients, the price per bag updates, as does the nutritional information depicted in a bar to the right of the screen. Pretty neat concept, actually. The corn flakes with apricots and almonds I created cost around $5.77 per bag containing around 11 cups of cereal. It may be worth checking out if you're intolerant of gluten.*
*Fucking gluten, can't trust it.
Men, Women, and Mannish Boys take note: the 3rd annual Po Boy Preservation Festival will take place this Sunday, November 22nd, on Oak Street between Carrollton and Eagle Streets.
The festival has been incredibly popular in its first two years, and this year is likely to be similar. The popularity led to some pretty serious crowds, but this year the area that the festival will encompass has been expanded, and a few of the attractions have been moved to the periphery of the show. More importantly from my perspective, there will be a screen set up for the Saints game.
I'll be one of a host of judges this year, and I'm looking forward (foreword) to it. With 40 or so selections, there should be food enough for everybody's taste.
Anyway, it's going to be a good time, and I'm pretty pleased to be taking part. Say "hello" if you see me out there.
Or don't, and feel the steely wrath of my gaze upon your nape. Muah.
Hello semi-imaginary friends! I have written an article that was published as the cover story in Gambit. It came out this morning, and if you are not in New Orleans, you may find it here. Please enjoy.
If you do not enjoy, please accept my apologies. I have been dealing with some troublesome woodland creatures. I think I have things sorted out, but if my body is found scratched and stuffed with acorns, do not believe that it was an accident.
That is all.
Chris Kirkham, of the Times-Picayune has the story. Gist:
After weeks of intense political pressure from Louisiana and Gulf Coast lawmakers, Food and Drug Administration officials announced Friday they will hold off on new rules that would ban the sale of raw, untreated Gulf of Mexico oysters during warm months.
It appears from Kirkham's story and one or two others I've read, that the FDA intends to conduct a feasibility study and assess the potential economic impact of the new rules before trying to implement them again. It's what they should have done in the first place, so it's a result that should make oyster-lovers content.
Thanks to everyone who emailed me with support, and to everyone whose comments swayed the FDA.
A Half Dozen at La Cote Brasserie, New Orleans
You may have read recently that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced plans to ban the sale and consumption of raw oysters from the Gulf of Mexico from April to October because of the risk to consumers of infection by Vibrio vulnificus. Previously, the law required that purveyors of raw oysters post prominent messages which warn people who might be at risk from consuming raw shellfish to avoid them. The change in policy, apparently, stems from this speech, given by Michael R. Taylor, a senior advisor to the Commissioner of the FDA. Or, more accurately, the change in policy was first announced by Mr. Taylor.
I encourage you to read the speech linked above. I further encourage you to find, in that speech, some mention of the number of illnesses and deaths that result from consumption of raw oysters harvested from the Gulf. You will not. What you will find is that the levels of illness and death have not decreased substantially from 2001 to 2008. During that period, the goal was to reduce infection by 60%. Taylor notes that:
Even under the most optimistic analysis, only a 35% decline in rates was reported in these states during this time, but much of this is attributable to the State of California’s decision to ban the sale of all Gulf Coast Oysters harvested during the summer that are not processed post harvest.
So there was a 35% reduction, some percentage of which was due to the fact that Gulf oysters were unavailable in California starting in 2003. I have not been able to quickly find an answer to the question: "when were notice requirements first installed?" I suspect the answer is, sometime in the late 90's or 2000. For the purpose of this post, let's assume that we have, in fact, achieved the best result we can through labeling and notice requirements, and that the only way to further reduce the danger posed by oysters is to require post-harvest treatment.
But let's back up a bit. this article from the Times Picayune contains the following statistic:
The vibrio vulnificus disease, the target of the FDA initiative, affects about 30 individuals per year nationwide who eat raw oysters from Gulf Coast. About half of those who get the disease, which invades the bloodstream and can cause a severe fever and skin lesions, eventually die.
Elsewhere, I have seen the total number of infections at around 40, but with about the same number of deaths per year: 15. However you look at it, that is a high rate of death per infection. Those who are at risk are people with challenged immune systems - people with AIDS, diabetes, or chronic liver disease for example.
Of the millions of raw oysters consumed each year, by everyone in the United States who consumes raw oysters, only 40 or so people develop an infection, and 15 of those people die. To say that is a small percentage is to state the obvious.
You may be wondering, "sure it's a small number, but if we can reduce the number even further; maybe even reduce it to 0, why wouldn't we?" To get an answer to that question, you should conduct a quick "risk/reward" analysis. What is the risk of leaving things the way they are? Answer: 15 deaths per year, assuming we cannot do more to alert those who are at risk to avoid consuming raw oysters. What is the reward? Answer: those of us who enjoy raw oysters can continue do to so. What is the downside to requiring post-harvest processing? The answer there is more complicated.
The oyster industry in the Gulf suggests that it would destroy their businesses, and lead to thousands of lost jobs. Even if you are skeptical about the numbers cited by the industry, a few things are clear. Although Mr. Taylor suggests in the speech linked above that the "capacity to process 100% of the harvest exists," only 15% of Gulf oysters are currently processed by one of the acceptable methods. The industry suggests that the current capacity exists to treat only 10% of the total harvest, but assume that the true number is somewhere in between 100% and 10% Clearly increasing the processing to 100% is going to lead to an increase in the cost. Whether that increase costs thousands of jobs, or some lesser number, I believe it is safe to say there will be jobs lost.
Additionally, those of you who have tasted oysters that have been processed know that the flavor is changed, and not for the better. Thus another "cost" of requiring 100% post-harvest processing is that those of us who enjoy raw oysters will be deprived of that pleasure. It is unclear whether requiring post-harvest processing from April to October will mean that even oysters harvested from November to March will as a practical matter also have to be processed as a result of the cost. It is possible that if the regulations go into affect, no one will be able to consume raw oysters from the Gulf, regardless of the time of harvest.
Again, you may wonder whether incurring those "costs" are worth the chance to save 15 lives. The answer is: no. Before you judge me as some sort of selfish bastard*, please consider that this is a trade-off we make in the United States every single day.
Perhaps the most obvious example is that we allow the sale of alcohol. Alcohol is a poison, and it leads to thousands of deaths every year from cirrhosis and other diseases annually. It is the cause of thousands of deaths due to impaired drivers every year as well. You may have experience with the social toll caused by alcohol abuse, and while I have no numbers for that, I hope you'll agree it's significant? Yet we allow the sale and consumption of alcohol, with similar notices - that pregnant women should avoid excess consumption, for example - as for raw oysters. Why? Because as a society we have decided that the cost of allowing alcohol consumption is worth the reward. The reward being that people like to drink.
A similar case could be made for any number of products that are legal - tobacco for example - or for the way we allow certain products to be designed. Take automobiles. We could dramatically reduce the number of traffic fatalities every year by limiting the ability of vehicles to exceed a certain speed, or by requiring every vehicle to include far more "safe" designs. We don't, for a number of reasons, one of which being that we like fast cars. When the federal government passed the 55 mile per hour speed limit a few decades ago, enough people bitched about it that it was eventually repealed. Not because it didn't reduce traffic deaths (and save some gas), it did, but because as a society we chose to accept the increased number of deaths so that we could continue to drive faster on the interstate system.
These are the big ticket items. There are countless other examples of decisions we have made as a society to trade deaths against rewards as amorphous as "pleasure." And this is a very good example as to why we do it. People have been consuming raw oysters harvested from the Gulf of Mexico for thousands of years. Archaeological evidence from oyster shell berms proves it. While it is true that a certain small percentage of our population is at greater risk from consuming raw oysters, the numbers simply do not justify depriving the population as a whole from enjoying the pleasure of a truly raw oyster. When you consider that the new regulations - which will apparently become law in 2011 - will certainly increase the cost of oysters generally, and likely have an economic impact on the oyster industry in states already reeling from the impact of Katrina and other hurricanes, the proposed regulations simply make no sense.
I understand that my position may seem callous. Some time back when I wrote about oysters, I received an email from a woman who had lost a loved one as a result of the Vibrio vulnificus infection. I do not mean to downplay the very real impact of the disease on her, or anyone else. But we make decisions as a society based on how they impact the population as a whole, and the proposed FDA regulations are simply not justified by the risk/reward analysis.
*I am
