New Orleans always makes me smile. Walking down Bourbon Street in the 60's with four children my dad and mother, can you imagine. I remember momma shuffling us down the street with Daddy and Malcolm sauntering along peering into the houses of ill repute. Having breakfast at Café Dumont with the most divine tastes, Beignets and Chicory coffee, I squeal with delight at the thought.  At that time Jax Beer was still being produced and the smell of the waterfront, chicory coffee and Jax Beer all made the aroma unbearably stinky. I remember as we ate our donuts at all hours of the day the horrible smell but that's the way the real world is.

As adults the four children took momma to New Orleans, Daddy died in 1979. It is a bittersweet memory because it was the last time the four of us were together. Malcolm was murdered in 1983.We went into Felix Oyster House ordered five dozen with beer. The waiter stopped by, scooped up the trays of oyster shells and Malcolm spun his finger to say do it again. Gluttony at it's highest, but there are no permanent sins in New Orleans.

I took Momma and my children to New Orleans for Mardi Gras.  We went to parades on Canal a week before Fat Tuesday. I didn't want to be in New Orleans with all the crazies.  We went to a parade known as Barkus, the actress Delta Burke was the Grand Marshal which celebrated the animals of New Orleans who were dressed accordingly. It was such fun shooting in New Orleans but I never published anything although I got great images.  It always seemed the headlines were about four murdered so a story about children in New Orleans didn't seem appropriate. We rode the Street Car Named Desire. Of course, the Aquarium was part of the trip and although we didn't go, the zoo is suppose to be fantastic.  Riding on the Paddle boats up and down the Mississippi was a treat. Just wandering through the streets was an adventure.  I loved the Print Gallery which had Fine Art Photography on Royal Street. We went into an antique shop where David became mesmerized by a coin collection of pennies.  We bought him two Indian Head pennies and said if you are interested we will help you with your collection. Never did I think he would stick with it but I  spent the rest of his growing up at Coin Shops.  I would leave him and come back two hours later when he was still pawing through giant stacks of pennies.  I cursed not buying him that collection we had seen.  He did complete the collection much to my pocketbook's horror minus one.

I have or perhaps thought I would include the images shot from the New Orleans trips. I went to my files of slides (nobody can figure out what a slide in now but I digress). There are about twenty five three ring binders filled with  page after page of favorite images. I pulled out my light table dusted it off and found my loope I paid $90.00 for and began searching for the page of slides I know have my favorite New Orleans images. Page after page I searched to no avail. Still haven't found them. I did find two card boxes filled with slides that have favorite portfolio quality images just sitting there.  Memories flooded.  I do have enough New Orleans to have scanned and put on the blog so I decided to have those scanned and continue on my way.  I called my favorite Photo Shop, Wolf and they closed yesterday the man from corporate told me. What????? Being the Google Queen I asked for camera stores in Birmingham.  Nothing anymore.  Yipes!!!!! Where is Dennis Womack or Bill Trotter? Not to be denied I started to explore where I can get images scanned. Someone said Costco or Walmart so I called but it takes months and the slides must be send away and I do not trust sending my images away through Walmart.  Some of my best experiences in life have been at Walmart but not my photographs. Then I decided I would get out my scanner with the slide feature and hey I am an intelligent woman right. Nothing, only black images appear.  I just can't seem to get these gizmos.  Not to be undaunted I remembered a photography shop in Montgomery I used when I lived in Auburn and was a real photographer not caregiver/photographer. Just got off the phone with them and they can scan slides. I am headed to Montgomery! I still have not located my Binder with my best New Orleans photos but sadly you  get my seconds. Enjoy! I told my dilemma to a friend and she told me Perry Computer might scan slides.  They do! I went back to look for the very best of my seconds and pulled a sheet from the stack in the tub and magically the sheet I had looked for appeared. Poof Magic! I took them to Perry Computer and after I give them $41.00 then Vestavia you will be able to enjoy the First picks from my New Orleans shoot.

 

The gumbo recipe made me think of New Orleans. Oh New Orleans! Momma and Daddy were married March 12, 1942. They had their honeymoon in New Orleans the year Pat O'Brien created The Hurricane, a real hurricane had just passed through. Somehow they were at Pat O'Brien's and of course they ordered the new drink.  Momma said they sat on the stool and the room began to spin, the next thing that happened was she began  to spin. What a night! The cab driver took them out to a black part of New Orleans and he told momma and daddy to stay in the cab. The cabbie brought them a sandwich made with French Bread, it smelled divine and she took a bite of an oyster poor boy.  
For spring break we fentured back to New Orleans as a child.  I remember going to a lovely restaurant called Galatoires. Money was always an issue so momma would give us an amount we could spend. Galatoirs was a white table restaurant with waiters running everywhere. Water was provided and we were treated with great respect although there were four very wiggly children and momma and daddy. I believe we could each spend $2.00. It was the early 60's so that was almost doable. They provided French bread in baskets with butter which we gobbled up. Momma ordered Clear Oyster Soup. Momma was so charming she asked the waiter for the recipe which is included in the blog. I made it one time but it did not taste right not sure what I did wrong.
One time we went we also had a French foreign exchange student with us. We stayed in a beautiful inn on Royal Street called the Cornstalk Hotel. Momma met a film crew from the local TV station and we were featured on daily news.

Clear Oyster Soup

5 dozen large oysters
4 green onions or shallots
2 spoonfuls of flour
1/4 cup of butter
3 sprigs of parsley 4 bay leaves
the liquor of or the juice of the oysters and 6 pints of water

Put the butter in the soup pot, let melt add the onions parsley with two spoonfuls of flour and 2 bay leaves let brown Then add the oysters and the juice of same and water. let cook for one hour Season. Suit to taste

Sorry about the condition of the scanned recipe Momma used it to prepare Clear Oyster Soup for us and alas spills happened.  Another favorite was the Gumbo Shop. Enjoy the prices!

Gumbo

January 1, 2017

Well I was a bit of a coward last night.  I was going to the dance, just made sure all was well with Edah and drove home.  I had a slew of toasted pecans and a dozen devil eggs that are sitting in my refrigerator. It was a little past nine and I had visions of me  looking while everyone was embracing with kisses and the shutter made me drive home curl in bed with the cat. At 12:02 I awoke noticed the time, rubbed the cat, and went back to sleep.

This morning the service at church was devoted to change for the new year. There was a time of prayer. I got through praying for the Lord to get me through the estate settlement and perhaps returning to love for my siblings and then another minute went by POP in my mind the blog and the gumbo recipe which I prepared just this past week.  It was too greasy, nothing worse so I have shifted the recipe.  Here I am suppose to be praying but rethinking my gumbo recipe. I am nothing but sinful.

All gumbo must have the trinity, that is onions, peppers and celery. I had sauted and bagged, and froze some vegetables  for a future gumbo. Freezing can make vegetables a little limp so I like to begin by sautéing fresh onions and peppers and celery with bacon. This was my flaw in my last gumbo which can easily be remedied.  Cook the bacon and remove. Dump all but a little of the bacon grease. Saute vegetables for about three minutes. Use a cast iron skillet for best results. At this time I add gumbo seasoning that I chuckled when I bought it at Walmart but it is really tasty, Slap Your Momma, also garlic. Put in  the frozen vegetables. Slice some sausage, Bratwurst is good, add to skillet. You can add tomatoes canned or fresh. Let simmer about ten minutes. Add sliced frozen okra unless you can get fresh.  Do not buy okra larger than your index finger. Stir and turn down heat to low.  Add about a 2 cups of chicken broth. Let simmer about thirty minutes. I have good success with frozen shrimp. Do not buy cooked shrimp. It is tough and not good in soups. Peel shrimp and add to gumbo. when the shrimp are pink they are done.


Serve over rice or in the bowl alone. Enjoy!