The Boil Advisory, Issue #1
Of crawfish, cookbooks, and a very SAD salad
Howdy folks,
This little project was supposed to kick off last fall, with a themed issue on nostalgia, but a lot of life happened in between interviewing folks and hitting the publish button. Then and now, there’s just so much going on outside that it feels trivial to write about food—especially food memories—but even in a pandemic, we all have to eat, and now more than ever, we need to support local growers and food businesses.
Let’s start with local links: It’s Wednesday. It was cold enough outside to snow earlier in the week, just not in New Orleans. The Saints got slimed on Sunday, but advanced in the playoffs, so that’s forgivable. In food news, crawfish season is here, everyone is baking a king cake, and strawberries are ramping up, while local citrus is winding down.
Speaking of citrus: Plaquemines Parish grows over half of Louisiana’s crop. Halle Parker recently wrote about challenges growers in the parish are facing, including late-season hurricanes, which knocked down or damaged much of this year’s fruit.
What else? Hunting season’s almost over. CSAs are starting back up—which is well-timed since Rouses and Breaux Mart are #canceled following last week’s attempted coup at the Capitol. Where else can you make groceries? Where Black NOLA Eats started answering that long before you even asked the question.
In restaurant news, Chef Jason Goodenough announced that he’s closing Carrollton Market for good, citing apathy following heated exchanges over his support of Black Lives Matter. Meanwhile, Rosalita’s Backyard Tacos has expanded into a spot on St. Claude. Also, PPP is back. Here’s to hope that a new administration will listen to the resounding pleas of the service industry and provide more focused help in the weeks ahead.
What’s in the Pot?
This week, it’s leftover minestrone from the freezer—Marcella Hazan’s Minestrone Alla Romagnola, specifically, which Rémy cooked a few weeks back when my brother was staying with us and recovering from COVID-19. (He’s better now and back in NC, so you know it’s a good soup!)
We paired that with lots of parm and a fitting-for-the-weather attempt to clean out the fridge. Alas:
Rémy and I did eke out a little inspiration over the weekend by turning often-repeated words and political catchphrases from the last few years into potential dishes for an eat-your-feelings kind of feast: Nashville-style Hot Stimulus Chicks, BBQ-Anon Short Ribs, Cancel-Cultured Butter Toast with Stop-the-Steelhead Roe, etc. To mark the coming political transition, we’ll grab Four More Beers! and make something from our list for a virtual dinner with friends on Sunday, but ideas and creative distractions aside, ambitions are low at the moment.
Our CSA subscription returns next week, so I’m hopeful that’ll spark more desire to cook, but everything feels tenuous right now, so I won’t make any promises. What are you cooking?
A Giveaway!
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Recommended Reading
Last week, I asked Instagram and a Google search to recommend local cookbooks. I’m hoping to find some modern+Southern takes on wild game, but here’s a starter list of books that are compelling and have ties to NOLA/South Louisiana. I’ll figure out how to move this to a more permanent location sometime soon. (Probably.)
Brennan's New Orleans Cookbook - Hermann B. Deutsch (1961)
Chasing the Gator - Isaac Toups (2018)
Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen - Paul Prudhomme (1984)
Cooking Up a Storm: Recipes Lost and Found from The Times-Picayune - Marcelle Bienvenu & Judy Walker (2008)
Crescent City Cooking - Susan Spicer (2007)
The Dooky Chase Cookbook - Leah Chase (1990)
Drag Queen Brunch - Poppy Tooker (2019)
The Encyclopedia of Cajun & Creole Cuisine - John Folse (1983)
The Good Book of Southern Baking - Kelly Fields (2020)
Gumbo Life - Ken Wells (2019)
Los Isleños Cookbook - Los Isleños Heritage & Cultural Society (2000)
Louisiana Real & Rustic - Emeril Lagasse & Marcelle Bienvenu (1996)
Mam Papaul's Country Creole Basket - Nancy Anne Tregre Wilson (1982)
Mississippi Vegan - Timothy Pakron (2018)
Mosquito Supper Club - Melissa Martin (2020)
The New Orleans Cookbook - Rima & Richard Collin (1955)
New World Sourdough - Bryan Ford (2020)
On the Coast - Troy Gilbert & Matthew Mayfield (2017)
Real Cajun - Donald Link (2009)
River Road Recipes (I, II, & IV) - Junior League of Baton Rouge (1959, 1976, 2004)
Shaya - Alon Shaya (2018)
Southern Comfort - Allison Vines-Rushing & Slade Rushing (2012)
Stay at Home Cooking - Frank Brigsten (two volumes, 2020)
Treme: Stories and Recipes from the Heart of New Orleans - Lolis Eric Elie (2013)
Unusual Acadian Recipes for the Sweet Tooth - Mercedes Vidrine (1968)
Know of one that’s missing? Let me know!
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