Where has RouxBDoo been, and what's his new job?

Hello friends, this is your old buddy RouxBDoo here apologizing about the tardiness of my posting. For starters, there has been a lot going on in my life and I have a NEW JOB! I have been hired by Fee/Hedrick Family Entertainment of Pigeon Forge Tennessee, to be the lead in their brand new show, at their newly renovated Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Theater. The show is a comical look at the lighter side of the Hatfield and McCoy families' feud. I am co-writing the script and will also be playing banjo in the show.

I am really excited about this opportunity and look forward to having fun with this part. The only bad side to this job is I will no longer be traveling to New Orleans on a weekly basis, as I did with my last job with the cruise line. So it might be a while between New Orleans' restaurant posts. I still have a few I have not posted yet, and am rounding up the pics for those. I will continue to post to this blog and my focus will remain Cajun and Creole food.

In my new situation I am able to cook more often so I will be posting recipes and even trying out restaurants in the area purporting to be serving Cajun and Creole. (We'll just see about that.)

I am posting a picture of the unfinished facade on the theater. If you are going to be in the area please drop me a line. I promise to get a new blog posting up soon, I am busy learning the script.

Cheerio!

Tim

Bayou Eatery on Magazine Street

I had debarked the Carnival Triumph in New Orleans at 6:30am and wanted to spend the day in town. My flight wasn't until 4:30pm, I didn't want to sit at the airport all day, and I couldn't confirm an earlier flight. What to do with my bags? I rolled over to my New Orleans' Foodie Friend Beth, or Buffy as I call her, and she allowed me to drop me bags at her office and off I went.

I made my way all around the French Quarter and first had breakfast at Mena's Palace (see previous post, click HERE). I walked some more over to my favorite bookstore, then up to Royale to gaze at the pretty antiques. I then crossed back over Canal and went down St. Charles, Camp, and Magazine streets. I made a discovery while walking along. On one of my first visits to New Orleans, maybe my VERY first visit, I dined at a wonderful old restaurant named Kolbs. As I crossed Canal, there it was closed, darkened, and somehow lonely looking.

It was nestled next to a seafood restaurant and oyster bar called "The Pearl." I even remember my first meal at Kolbs was Red Beans and Rice, with a Hot Sausage. Man was it ever good. I don't have many memories of Kolbs other than that, but I seem to recollect a big place with lots of tile and Art Deco furnishings. Maybe that is my imagination conjuring that. I sure hope someone someday open another restaurant in that location.

OK, I am wandering and about to forget why I started this post. I see this little place located on the corner of Magazine and Lafayette streets. It is about 3 blocks from my friend's workplace, and about 2 blocks from one of my favorite, now closed, downtown restaurants the Diplomat. Don't worry Bayou Eatery, I will soon quit talking about other restaurants and focus squarely on you... as a matter of fact it's Bayou Eatery.

Owned by a very friendly couple named Nanette and Ron Huddleston, they told me they had been there several years, and judging from the lunch crowd, they're doing good business. It is a "serve-yourself" affair, well technically you place your order, get your drink, and bus your own tray. Most everything comes already in a to-go type carton. Pleasant, clean atmosphere without all the screaming music you sometimes have to contend with. This was a comfortable place to have lunch, but how was the food?

I ordered the "Specials" of the day which was a Jambalaya with chicken, andouille, and shrimp. I have potato salad for a side and a piece of French Bread. I also had a large cup of their Crawfish, Corn and Potato Soup. This was the highlight of my day. The Jambalaya was good, sort of a cross between a red and a brown Jambalaya. Just the right heat and smokiness. The potato salad was good, like to try that with Seafood Gumbo sometime. The Crawfish & Corn soup however was awesome.

This was very similar in consistency to a clam chowder, only with crawfish tails and yellow corn kernels. It also contained potato, a little celery and maybe some very thin minced onion. This nice creamy base really made this tasty for "Yours Truly." I took my time and luxuriated over this bowl of creamy goodness for nearly an hour. Nice plump crawfish tails swimming around attempting to leap onto my spoon, wheeeeee-doggies.

Soups, salads, and sandwhiches, along with killer daily lunch specials make this place very popular with the locals in that area. Again, they are located on the corner of Magazine and Lafayette. I am not sure about their hours, but I sure know they are open at lunch, and how. You can call for their hours at 504-299-8600. Give this nice place a try and I think you'll enjoy it, especially when so many restaurants are getting $20+ dollars for lunch these days.

Tell em' RouxBDoo sent you!

Mena's Palace Cafe in the French Quarter

OK in the last few weeks I have gone into the Quarter and overdone it in terms of walking. I have a heel spur, as well as having to deal with the "pristine" condition of the sidewalks, I have left myself in a very painful condition on a few occasions. So I was try to go easy, like the BIG EASY. So I strolled up Canal trying to figure out what to have for breakfast.

I know, I had seen this place that was obviously very popular on Iberville, down a few blocks from Deanie's. I remembered it was on the corner somewhere. After a bit of a look 'round, I saw it... Mena's Palace Cafe. It's not a flashy place, a little dark looking from the outside, but inside it has an old fashioned, homey feel to it, a nice little place to go read the paper and have a bit of breakfast. That's just what I did.

I was greeted by a lovely waitress name Anne Marie, who turns out to be from Northern Ireland (don't know how I picked up on that accent), she was very friendly and helpful. We talked about Irish music, which is one of my other passions, specifically the Uilleann Pipes. We also talked about "the Troubles" as well as Ireland being overrun by illegal immigrants very much as we are here in the States. The first part getting better and the last part getting worse.

Back to breakfast. I got the andouille omelette with grits and toast. Everything was great, I do like my grits to be salted and buttered, but some place don't do that. I hear some locales around the South where people actually put SUGAR in them. OK, butter, salt, pepper, cheese, possible andouille or other type of sausage, but SUGAR??? Save that for your oatmeal. I really enjoyed the omelette though, everything was tasty and served hot.

Between the ambiance, food, friendly service, and it's location, it is a great place for breakfast. They are also open for lunch, no dinner(or supper). I don't know about their lunch, but the guy down the street at the bookstore said they had great lunch. He was ordering a Po-Boy from Mena's as I was browsing his bookstore. I looked at the menu and it is full of great New Orleans specialties. I scanned it so you can see it HERE!

Mena's is located at 200 Chartres St. I am pretty sure it is the corner of Chartres and Iberville, just a block off Canal Street. If you want to call it is (504) 525-0217. If you are staying in the French Quarter is it an ideal place to order delivery to your hotel. Enjoy Mena's while visiting New Orleans.

What's Different at a New Orleans' WalMart

I was doing some shopping last week at the WalMart in the Warehouse District, not too far from my ship, and I began noticing all the great items I wish my WalMarts back home had. So here is a little N'Awlins' shoppin' list that might make you hungry or envious bacause the WalMart where 'yat aint gottem... most likely!


Poor Boy French Bread by Reising Bakery. Traditionally used by many for New Orleans' native sammich the Po' Boy. (Notice their spelling)


King Cake, The season for king cake extends from the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas, through to Mardi Gras day. Unfortunately the baby is in a awkward position. Poor baby, must've wriggled out of the cake on the way to the store.


Community Coffee, next to CDM is the most popular I would guess. Not sure which is the favorite, I suspect this one.


Richard's Andouille Sausage. Pronounced "ree-shards" it is one of the better standard grocery store brands. Can't beat Jacob's in La Place though.


Next is Richard's Boudin. I love boudin and they do a pretty good job with this one!


Creole Cream Cheese an old New Orleans favorite. Only a handful of places make it, Chef John Folse produces this one.


A bag of Zapp's Cajun Craw Tater potato chips. We've covered Zapp's before. They are truly wonderful.


Louisiana Fish Fry Products Brand of Crawfish, Shrimp, and Crab Boil. No mixing just dump it into the water and let'er rip.


Here we have a freezer section full of traditional Cajun and Creole meals, froze harder than Chinese Arithmetic. Never tried them, probably never will.


Here we have an assortment of spices and rubs by our favorite spice mixes like Tony Chachere's, Zatarain's, and Chef Paul Prudhomme to name a few.

I hope you enjoyed this little trip around the New Orleans WalMart. I sure wish we had some of these products. BTW, the Gumbo Crabs and Crawfish Tails by Bernard's are imported from China, I do not endorse nor really recommend them. I can occaisionally get the Crawfish Tails at home, so if I want any at the spur of the moment, it is usually these.

Always try and buy US caught Seafood, specifically Louisiana Seafood. OK, ALabama, Georgia, Mississippi, South and North Carolina, and all the other gulf states, I'm sure have great seafood too! Nothing against the Chinese, as you have heard earlier, they have great Arithmetic!

RouxBDoo

Li'l Dizzy's on Esplanade

It was a beautiful day in New Orleans, the type of day you want to walk around town or go into the French Quarter and enjoy all the sights. I had been to a little restaurant called Li'l Dizzy's before but only for breakfast. When I was there I did enjoy the food, as I remember. I even seem to recall meeting the owner Wayne Baquet, and I always wondered what the food was like the rest of the day. For some reason I hadn't been back... yet.

After I had read their name on a list of someone's favorite gumbos in New Orleans, I decided to find out more about Li'l Dizzy's and see what they're about for lunch. For starters, I found out that they have a buffet on most days. I like this idea. I have always been a fan of buffets since I was a kid. The only problem with buffets is that they are one of two things, they either have a MILLION items on the bar and nothing is good, like it's just emptied out of a can, or they are small and the food is the same as they offer on the menu. With Li'l Dizzy's I found it was the latter. Small buffet, a dozen or so items, and great food. Just like off the menu.

First, let's look at their reviews. I checked them out on several and they got great marks on them especially on their chicken and gumbo. OK, I have been meaning to try out several of the fried chicken places in New Orleans but I haven't gotten around to it. I knew that Dizzy's had good marks on it and luckily they had chicken on the buffet. The chicken coating, (this is how many chickens are compared) was the lighter colored, almost like a Popeye's as opposed to a darker KFC. It also was lighter tasting, pleasant and not at all greasy. The flavor was good, and although it was thoroughly cooked, I will have to say that I like my chicken REALLY, REALLY well done, I did enjoy the piece that I ate.

I thought one of the highlights of the meal was the Creole style White Beans. Seasoned with what looked like bacon and other bits of pork, they were cooked down wonderfully. Reminded me of the white beans my N'Awlins buddy Ralph Fountain used to fix me at his house in Arabi. In addition to the beans, I got some nice red-skinned potatoes with just enough garlic and butter to make me happy. I grabbed a hot sausage off the breakfast end of the buffet to accompany my beans.

They next had a braised pork loin in a spicy au jus, (or debris) right next to some nice savory rice to spoon it over. This plate was getting heavy. I hauled it over to my table next to the window. My waitress brought me some iced tea and some french bread to sop up all the juicy goodnessson my plate. She did this with a smile and a light in her heart. Everyone there seemed happy to work there. I took my time and savored all the food I had gotten, but I had to save room for the next course... GUMMMMBO!

I made my way back over to the bar and using the ladle, swirled the swampy goodness I had observed on my first trip to the steam table. There it was. Reddish crab claws and tiny legs intertwined with several different meats like andouille, ham (or tasso possibly) and some other type of sausage I could not identify, chaurice or chorizo maybe? Maybe not traditional but really good. Then the little shrimp swam up to my ladle and tried their best to jockey up to my bowl. You can see by the picture this gumbo was loaded and nearly perfect.

The flavor was spot on. A nice seafood-ey taste but not overpowering. Not as dark as I make mine, but ideal for this gumbo, somehow. Spice was right on, not too salty or not too hot. As I told Kathy, the lady at the cash register, it was perfect. Possibly the best I'd had in New Orleans, and that's quite a feat. Well, at least you'd think so. With so many of the downtown restaurants serving institutional gumbo, this Li'l Dizzy's gumbo stood out so it's not even fair. I know that many good restaurants downtown, in the Quarter, etc. do make their own, and many are very good. This one is one of the best I've eaten.

I couldn't leave without at least a taste of their bread pudding. Man-oh-man, is it good. The Bourbon sauce or whatever it is sure is awesome. I'm not big on alcohol based sauce or foods, but this one is tasty. I was told it's not alcoholic but like Foster Brooks, it sure does a great imitation. This bread pudding is also some of the best I have had down there. I was truly impressed. I told my delight to Kathy and how much I loved the gumbo. She introduced me to Rosalind, the chef that makes the gumbo, and probably most the rest of the food. Rosalind was a friendly lady who posed for a picture with Kathy, and seemed proud of my compliments on her creation.

I look forward to going back to Li'l Dizzy's someday. If you want to go while in New Orleans, take the Riverfront Trolley up to the end of the French Quarter and get off at the last stop. This is Esplanade, now walk up this interesting, tree-lined, street about seven blocks, cross Rampart, (the top of the Quarter) and go about five to six more streets. On the left you will find Li'l Dizzy's at 1500 Esplanade. Tell them you read about them here at RouxBDoo's Blog.

Enjoy!

Jon Dee's Christmas Soup and Jambalaya

I am always deeply gratified when my readers and friends actually try my recipes and send me reports and pictures of what they fix. Some of the best food photos have come from these associations. As is the case with the two lovely dishes, which, BTW, come from my friend, hypnotist, and previous contributor Jon Dee of Gatlinburg Tennessee. OK, I don't think he lives there but his AMAZING HYPNOTISM SHOW is there and should not be missed. CLICK HERE for more information.

The first picture is that of a bowl of my Metairie Shrimp and Crab Soup. This recipe was developed in the New Orleans suburb or Metairie, at my friend Doug Ferguson's house. We would go over to Whole Foods, get a second mortgage on our houses, and spend it on seafood for this wonderful soup. I think John called it his $50.00 Crab and Shrimp Christmas soup, implying he made the soup instead of buying toys for his children at Yuletide. The other item is my World Famous (in my little world) Cajun Brown Jambalaya. This make a wonderful compliment to each other,

This is Jon, isn't he cute? And evidently frustrated about something, the grocery bill probably. Really, he's a nice guy, loving husband and father, and a good friend. I just like this picture of him. He's come so far from that apple-cheeked lad in his teens that used to come visit me. We've both come a long way. Jon, I am honored you have, once again, chosen my recipes to celebrate Christmas with. You have good taste, and from the looks of your pictures, your food does too! To get both recipes, along with a dozen more of my best, CLICK HERE and get them all.

Thanks Buddy for sharing, and to all a good night.

RouxBDoo

Guuuuuuuummm-boooooowww!

Here is a little video clip that I just love. It came from the movie "King Creole" starring Elvis Presley. The move starts out with street venders calling out their wares, and the gumbo man was my favorite. Of course as most of you know, Gumbo is my favorite as well. I was surprised there were no Calas ladies out calling. You might think it's goofy, but I get a smile every time I play it. Enjoy

RouxBDoo

40 Blogs for the Cajun Enthusiast

Friend of our RouxBDoo Blog, Katie Tellefson, has just published an article on her blog entitled “40 Blogs for the Cajun Enthusiast”. I am happy to let you know that our site has been included on that list, and we're in the top slot, not sure if that means we're Number 1 or not. I figured I’d bring it to your attention. Click on the above title and check this great list out for more on Cajun cooking and culture. Thanks so much Katie, we love you and your hard work listing all these sites and blogs.

RouxBDoo

Louisiana Dried Shrimp

I found out about these little fellows years ago. I was dating a girl in Houma, and when I went down to visit her the first time there in Houma, she ran into a gas station and grabbed a pack. She ate them like you would eat peanuts. I actually developed a taste for them and would pick up a pack from time to time. They are primarily used to make shrimp stocks and add to a gumbo. As for a snack, you REALLY have to like the flavor of shrimp. They are tiny and a bit chewy but after the first few, they're like... jerky, in a way.

These are available all over Louisiana in grocery stores, convenience stores, etc. You can also order them from places like Simply Cajun or from Pure Cajun Products. They also make dried shrimp powder that you can toss right into a pot of boiling water and SHAZAAM... great shrimp stock. This and the dried shrimp pictured are from Rouse's Supermarket. Whether you use them for stock or gumbo, or decide to eat them as a snack, this is TRUE Louisiana.

Enjoy

The Ferdi Special Po' Boy

If you've never been to New Orleans you might be asking, or "Ax-ing" as the locals say, "what is a Po' Boy?" Well a Po' Boy is a large sandwich on a foot long piece of French bread. It can contain meats, fried seafoods, grilled sausage, or even french fries with brown gravy on them. Basically it is their name for a sub. One of my favorites is the Ferdi Special. It is a combination of baked ham, roast beef, and beef debris gravy. Now debris gravy is a thick broth containing some of the shredded-up bits of roast beef that fall into the pan while baking and slicing. It keeps the sandwich nice and moist.

The Ferdi special was invented at Mother's Restaurant, on Poydras St., only a few blocks from the French Quarter. We have covered Mother's Restaurant before on this site, you can see it by clicking HERE. To tell you story of the Ferdi, it was actually easier to quote their own words... "Mr. Ferdi, a local merchant and regular Mother’s patron, probably had nothing more than a meaty sandwich in mind when he asked that some ham be added to his roast beef po’ boy (or vice versa, the legend is hazy). But word got out and the combo was soon a hit. Voila! – the Ferdi Special was born."

Ferdi's are available at many restaurants in town, one of my favorites being at NOLA Grocery. Pictured is my one from Mother's that I had on my last trip to town. It was great, really tasty and with loads of meat. The Ferdi Special is definitely one of my favorite types of Po' Boys.

Enjoy!

NOLA Restaurants

I was in my favorite town yesterday and thought I'd snap some pictures of some of New Orleans' great eateries. First is the K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen. As most of you know Chef Paul Prudhomme is an institution of himself. One of his early credits was Commander's Palace in the Garden District. This restaurant pictured is his wonderful reastaurant on on Chartres Street in the French Quarter.

Next is one of the oldest restaurants in one of the oldest buildings in New Orleans, The Napoleon House. The Chartres Street building is 200 years old and was built by the then-mayor of New Orleans Nicholas Girod. He made an offer to Napoleon to hang out there during his exile. Good food, and be sure to try one of the Pimm's Cup cocktails while you relax in the city's quaintest courtyard.

Our final is Restaurant August. This is Chef John Besh's wonderful restaurant locaed in the Central Business Districton on Tchoupitoulas Street between Poydras and Canal. Chef Besh's August has won tons of awards and acclaim. Located in a beautiful, old, four story, brick building. He opened Restaurant August in 2001. Definitely worth your time when visiting New Orleans.

I love walking in New Orleans, and again I apologize for the picture quality but they are made with my cell phone's camera. All the more reason to go to New Orleans and see them for yourself.

RouxBDoo!

Green Ham??? Sam I am?

Well, you heard about it in the writings of Dr. Seuss, but you probably never thought you'd see one. As it turns out, a green ham is an un-cured ham that still has the skin and fat on it. This is also the ham my mother has been fixing for Christmas for years now. We have always, as far as I can remember, have had what Dad used to call a "fresh ham." Last year the butcher told us the term "green ham" referred to a fresh ham with the skin and fat remaining attached.

Why should you keep the skin on? We've found out the ham stays moist and remains that way even after refrigeration. It really improves the taste too. Most chefs will tell you that meat derives a lot of flavor from the fat. Plus the skin retains the moisture during the lengthy baking process. Mom bakes hers' around 30 minutes per pound. This year she got a 23 pounder!!! Believe me, that's one BIG ASS HAM! Bake it until the bone feels loose enough to shake out of it. She scores the top, (as pictured), salts and peppers it good, and slings it in a 350º oven for a long while. Bring it out and let it sit for about an half hour before slicing it. It will practically fall apart.

Try this type of ham on your next holiday, we sometimes do one of these at Easter too. The flavor is cross between a pork loin and roast beef. Actually it's much better than either one of those meats. I taste's like Christmas to me and our family. One of those family traditions that my 87 year old Mother still handles. I glad she does.

Enjoy.

Happy New Year 2011

Whether you are starting out your new year with black-eyed peas and cabbage, or pigs feet and collards, I hope this year find you busy and prosperous. I am traveling today so I won't have any traditional foods except for pork tacos, maybe. I do have something this new year to celebrate, I got an incredible book for Christmas from my niece Kim. It's a book I have been longing for since it came out. It is "My New Orleans" by Chef John Besh.

I have barely looked through it but I know I love it already. Chef Besh, who should have been named the new Iron Chef two years ago, is one of New Orleans' finest and most innovative chefs. A Gulf War veteran and owner of restaurants August, Besh Steak House, Lüke, La Provence, and recently The American Sector, Besh was also named in 1999, one of the “Top 10 Best New Chefs in America” by Food and Wine magazine.

So start your year off right and spend some of that Christmas gift money on a wonderful cookbook, by a world class chef. Chef John Besh's "My New Orleans" can be ordered by clicking HERE!

Enjoy!

Christmas Turkey Bone Gumbo

OK, sorry it has taken me so long to get you a new post out. I have been very busy with my job and haven't had much of a chance to cook or even try any new restaurants. I will be in New Orleans around the first of January and hope to try somewhere new. Until then I want to wish all my friends and readers a wonderful Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.

Now you might be a ham house but for those of you that do turkey here is a great recipe for an old Cajun or New Orleans standby. I love turkey bone gumbo and I especially love it served with dressing/stuffing or whatever you call it in your area. If you want, you can cheat and use Stove Top. Have a safe holiday and check back in the new year.

Turkey Bone Gumbo

1 turkey carcass with leftover meat (about 3 cups)
1 lb smoked sausage
2 cups onion (diced)
3 ribs celery (diced)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 cup oil
1 ½ cup plain flour
¾ gallon water
2 tbs worcestershire sauce
1 tbs tabasco
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp pepper
½ tsp cayenne
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme (or ½ tsp dried)

Remove any meat off the bones, hopefully you might have at least 2 - 3 cups of meat. Shred this up and set aside. Boil the turkey carcass in the water along with any leftover drippings or skin from from the turkey pan. Bring to a boil for 10 mins. and turn down to MED/LO for about an hour. This will reduce down to about ½ gallon of stock. Skim any fat or foam off the top that might accumulate and strain the bones and skin out. Keep this warm and handy.

In a stock pot or cast iron dutch oven(preferred), make a milk chocolate roux by heating the oil on MED and adding the flour. Stir continuously until it is the desired brown color. Add the onions and stir until they are softened and the roux changes a darker reddish color. Add the garlic, celery, smoked sausage, and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring to make sure it doesn't stick to the pot.

Add a few cups of stock and whisk in well. Now add all the spices and sauces to the pot, cook on MED/LO for about 30 minutes. Add the turkey meat and the rest of the stock. Stir well, check for seasonings, and turn down to LO and cook for another 30 minutes, if you can stand to wait that long. Garnish with thinly sliced green onions and serve with rice or turkey dressing(my favorite).

Most Haunted Locations

In observance of Halloween, I am posting this listing of America's Top Haunted locations. As you can see the first one is from Louisiana, in partially keeping with the theme of Cajun and Creole. I know, it's a stretch, but I love Halloween and always try to do something special for the occasion.

I am providing links to websites where you can find more information about these places and how to visit them... if you DARE!!! I have to admit I have never visited any of these places, but I'd love to! Three of my favorite shows are Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventures, and Paranormal State. I love any of these shows about the paranormal, as I used to do quite a bit of ghost hunting in my college days. This was before ghost hunting was popular and all the rage.

We investigated many houses, buildings, and even a radio station. We caught some EVPs (Electronic Voice Phenomenon), and had personal experiences while investigating. Now, I do believe in ghosts, I have had experiences that, although I can't swear were 100% paranormal, I do believe in my heart and mind that they were. These shows about ghost hunting are entertaining, but I don't know how legitimate they always are. I wonder when the networks need ratings, if the shows are told to "get some good evidence" or else. There have been accusations leveled toward some of them suggesting this type of behavior.

I don't care, I believe in them anyway and still love watching the shows about them. Now, some of the following locations have been investigated by many of these shows, some more than others. Any of you readers who share my fascination with these haunted locations will recognize most, if not all, of these as being some of the most prolific ones anywhere. I hope you enjoy this post and have a very Happy Halloween.

The Myrtles - St. Francisville, Louisiana
The Myrtles Plantation is located in St. Francisville Louisiana and has always been on everyone's top lists of haunted houses to visit. The haunting concerns the story of Chloe, a slave who worked in the main house. She was caught ease-dropping on a conversation of the owner. She was punished by having her ear cut off. As revenge, she baked a cake for the family and added just enough poison to make them ill, or so she thought. She poisoned and killed the wife and two daughters and was hung for her crime.

Reports claim she still walks the house and grounds as do the ghosts of the two little girls she poisoned. Pictures have been made with her showing up in the background, as well as guests and guides have reported feeling the sensation of what would be a child's touch or tugging on their clothes.

The Villisca Axe Murder House - Villisca, Iowa
The Moore family of Villisca, Iowa were murdered in their sleep on June, 9th 1912. Josiah B. Moore and his wife Sarah, their children Herman, Catherine, Boyd, and Paul, along with two little neighbor girls Lena and Ina Stillinger, went to bed after returning from a Wednesday night church service. Sometime, while they were at church, someone snuck into the house, hid in the attic, and waited until the family was asleep. He then made his way systematically through the house hacking them all to death with an axe. Eight people in all.

The house understandably went through many hands until Darwin and Martha Linn bought the house in 1994. The house was restored to it's 1912 condition and was offered for paranormal investigations after so many reports of the house's haunted condition had peaked spooky interest. Many claim it is one of the most haunted houses anywhere. Many hours of evidence have been gathered by different ghost hunting teams, including videos of the children's rooms where doors open and close, and balls that roll around by themselves.

Their murders were never definitively solved and still are the subject of debate amongst ghost hunters and amateur crime solvers to this day. It is truly a genuine haunted house.

Waverly Hills Sanatorium - Louisville Kentucky
Completed in 1926 Waverly Hills was a renown tuberculosis hospital that not only treated thousands but also saw the death of some estimated 63,000 patients. Because if the high volume of deaths, since the survival rate was so low, this place is one of the most haunted locations in the country. Many sightings range from several ghosts if children, a suicidal nurse, and a homeless man and his dog, just to name a few.

This sanatorium is very popular with the ghost hunters and paranormal seekers that schedule tours year round. For more info go to Waverly Hills Sanatorium and check out the stories and evidence.

Goldfield Hotel - Goldfield Nevada
The Goldfield was built during the heyday of the Gold Rush. According to the legend the hotel is haunted by multiple entities including George Winfield, the hotel's previous owner, as well as his mistress and prostitute named Elizabeth, whom he chained to a radiator during her pregnancy. According to legend he threw the baby down the mine shaft the hotel was supposedly built over, and this is the main cause of all the trouble.

Shadow people, full body apparitions, and mysterious sounds have been heard throughout the building for years by casual observers and paranormal investigators. I am sure after they observed something they weren't too casual after that.

Eastern State Penitentiary - Philadelphia. Pennsylvalnia
Eastern State Penitentiary broke sharply with the prisons of its day, abandoning corporal punishment and ill treatment. This massive new structure, opened in 1829, became one of the most expensive American buildings of its day and soon the most famous prison in the world. The Penitentiary would not simply punish, but move the criminal toward spiritual reflection and change.

By the 1960's, the aged prison was in need of costly repairs. The Commonwealth closed the facility in 1971, 142 years after it admitted Charles Williams, Prisoner Number One. The City of Philadelphia purchased the site in 1980, intending to reuse or develop it. Since its closure visitors, employees and those researching paranormal activity have reportedly heard unexplained eerie sights and sounds throughout the prison.

Get out this Halloween and visit one of these Haunted Places. Thanks to Patricia Barden, and Pam Culver for their wonderful photographs.

RooBDooooooo!

Ridgewood Barbecue

As some of you know I have featured quite a few barbecue places on this blog. Although it might not fit into a "Cajun and Creole" theme, it is a Southern food and is a point of interest amongst foodie readers. Besides, smoked meats are a staple of the Cajun diet. Now, people all over believe their region has the best barbecue and I am no different. The big difference though is... I am right, these others are wrong. My barbecue restaurant back home is the best ANYWHERE. So here is my post about the famous Ridgewood Barbecue, the finest barbecue in the South, (or any direction for that matter.)

Ridgewood was opened 1948, as Ridgewood Inn, on a tiny road in Tennessee between the towns of Elizabethton and Bluff City. I grew up in Bluff City and Ridgewood soon became my favorite restaurant as a lad, although my mother didn't like it because of her dislike of smoked meats or anything for that matter, Dad sure loved it. Their sauce is phenomenal. It is a tomato based sauce sweetened with brown sugar and molasses. For any of you North Carolina barbecue snobs this is a real barbecue sauce not a bucket of vinegar with some pepper flakes in it. Please, keep that ole' swill for your Korean Kim Chee. This is barbecue sauce made the way God meant for it to be made.

Back when I was a kid, (remember the dinosaurs?) yeah, that was my era, anyway, when I was a kid we'd go and Mrs. Proffitt (Grace Proffitt, the owner) would meet you at the door and sometimes would close it in your face. Now, she wasn't being rude, this was because the restaurant was full. You'd hear people bitchin' and complainin' about her, but I understood it perfectly well. So now here is the secret... can everyone hear me? OK here it is, WHEN THE RESTAURANT IS FULL, THERE'S NO ROOM TO STAND!!! Is that soooooo difficult of a concept to grasp??? I don't know about you, but if I am eating I DO NOT want some tool looming over me goonin' at every bite I take. Set you ass outside and wait your turn. Now if you showed up with a baby, you were allowed in, if the place is full and it's raining... TOO BAD! Grace was always as sweet as could be to me, never did I set foot in the place without her asking how Mama was. She was a barbecue Godess.

Now about this particular visit. My best friend growing up, Terry, (or Ted as he now likes to be called, some California thing) was in visiting and he loves Ridgewood as much as I do, if that is at all possible. We made our way over and nearly panicked when the parking lot was jammed full. We actually parked on top of someone else's car, I believe, and made our way into the holding pen. Yes, griping whiners, there is now somewhere you can sit and cool your heels while you await entering the restaurant, sort of.

Any-who, the girl came over and we ordered identical meals without even glancing at the menu. Menu, shmenu we already knew what we wanted before leaving the house. Heck, we set our menu back in the 70's and it hasn't changed hardly at all. Pork Sandwich, Fries, Barbecue Beans, Iced Tea, that's the menu as far as we are concerned. Keep the sauce bottle handy, by the way. Now the waiting commences, look around a bit... oh great, we're in the add-on dining room and there are at least 3 screaming babies, and 2 big-hair women talking WAY TOO LOUD! Where do they still find polyester pantsuits?

Here it is... the Heavens open and the cloud part. I hear the singing of angels, I can imagine Michelangelo’s “Last Judgment” in the Sistine Chapel, where God is reaching out to man, but there's a pork barbecue sandwich in his mighty hand. Yes, MY pork barbecue sandwich, oh and I got the fries and beans too. Suddenly all was well in the world. No Middle-East conflicts, North Korea and South Korea were buddies, it was like we were propelled back into a kinder, gentler era where Reagan was president, and french fries were actually made out of potatoes.

My sandwich was awesome. Dripping with sauce, especially after I gave it an extra dose for good measure. Those beans are downright sinful, savory, sweet, with scraps of smoked pork swimming around in the decorative bowl like the three Bradley girls of Petticoat Junction would swim around "au naturale" in the Cannonball's water tower. Well, at least that's what my small twisted mind could imagine went on before the whipped their petticoats off of that railing. Oh Bobbie-Jo, you were the woman for me... oops sorry, I got carried away.

Proper Ridgewood etiquette requires you to DROWN you fries in the barbecue sauce, I mean really, there are fresh-cut fries, deep fried and crispy. you can see the browning on the edges where the natural sugars in the potato had caramelized. By the way, the use GIANT potatoes for the french fries. These are simple natural fries, no season salt, heck, no salt. Terry and I settled in for a session of quiet eating only to be disturbed by the occasional offer of more tea.

We are getting near our full level though, I don't think I can eat any more, but there is still delicious goodness left on the plate, how can I leave that. I can't take it home, no matter how good it is here it can never achieve this standard after a go-around in the Fridge and the Microwave. There has to be room somewhere mayb... oh, there it is, just under my 4th rib. I sop up the last remnants of the sauce with my final bite of sandwich and even catch an errant french fry I had somehow missed. Well Mister French Fry, thought you could get away did you?

We have done it! Another perfect meal at Ridgewood. OK, I rarely get there because I do overeat when I am there. Even their Bleu Cheese Dressing is awesome. My brother-in-law Frankie would sometimes order just a bowl of Bleu Cheese dressing and a fist-full of crackers. Evidently, this dressing is made to go on something called a Sa-Lad. Some with lettuce or, whatever. You have to go to Ridgewood. Mrs. Proffitt has passed on now as has her son Terry. Her Grand-Daughter Lisa Peters now runs the restaurant and luckily little to nothing has changed, and I hope nothing ever does. HERE is a nice little history and write up on the place in an interview of Larry Proffitt.

To get to Ridgewood, just make your way to Bluff City Tennessee and let your nose take you to the heavenly aroma, or you can type this into you Garmin, or whatever. Ridgewood Barbecue, 900 Elizabethtown Highway, Bluff City, TN 37618. (423-538-7543). No website that I know of but they do have a FaceBook Page. Try some real barbecue when in East Tennessee. Call me and I'll meet you over there. Enjoy!

RouxBDoo

Sassafras Leaves and Filé Gumbo

Wow, it is such a beautiful day here in East Tennessee, I am so glad I got out amongst nature and accomplished something I have been wanting to do forever. I called my brother Phil and he and I went down to our family's property (actually it's a cemetery our family owns) and we scouted out some Sassafras Trees. Other than the tea, most people might not know what sassafras is good for. If you dry the leaves and grind them into powder, you will have made filé powder. "Great" you say, "what is filé powder???"

Filé (fee-lay) is used in cajun cooking, primarily in the preparation of my favorite cajun food... GUMBO! The sassafras tree has 3 different and distinct leaves as pictured. These three leaves all came off the same tree. There is a 3 lobed leaf, an ovoid leaf, and one shaped like a kid's mitten. Most say it was the Choctaw Indians in Louisiana that taught dem Cajuns to use it for flavoring and thickening the gumbos. I have bought filé powder before but it doesn't seem to have the strength to work properly. I found THIS ARTICLE on making filé powder that will help.

You can find the trees in most wooded areas of the southeast on down as far as Texas. Since this is my first time harvesting it, and I've read you should break off small limbs, spray them off with water and let them dry for about a week out of direct sunlight. Direct sunlight will make them brown. I have a few pics here for you. So, while the weather is nice, get out and pick some, and make you some good filé powder. Be sure not to put it in until your gumbo is nearly finished. Some put it in after cooking or offer it at the table for guests to use at they're discretion.

Both my Chicken and Sausage Gumbo and my VooDoo Bayou Seafood Gumbo recipes are accessible by clicking on their highlighted titles, try your new sassafras leaf Filé out on one of those recipes. Have fun and enjoy the fresh air once you're outside picking leaves.

RouxBDoo

Gunplay at Galatoire's

You know, when it's a lovely afternoon and you're having a wonderful meal at MY favorite restaurant in New Orleans, Galatoire's, you'd expect to get through the event without pistol fire interrupting the proceedings. Some lady dropped her purse and the gun inside hit the floor and went off, burying the bullet harmlessly in a wall. I doubt many of their 90 yr. old waiters even heard it go off. Knowing the Galatoire's crowd I doubt there was a cessation of eating to notice if anyone was dead. Oh how I LOVE New Orleans. And gals that carry guns to lunch... that's nearly as sexy as Galatoire's Soft Shell Crab Meunieré Almandine.

CLICK HERE to read the story from NOLA.com by Brendan McCarthy of The Times-Picayune.

RouxBDoo

Drago's Restaurant in Metairie, LA

For years I had been hearing about Char-Broiled Oysters at a restaurant in Metairie, Louisiana just outside New Orleans. Since I rarely have transportation to get around, especially out to Metairie, I usually busy myself with French Quarter restaurants. This one kept nagging me though. When I was a kid Char-Broiled was all the rage. Burgers, steaks, chicken, etc. as a matter of fact my Mom's friend Francis used to refer to it as "Char-BOILED", which always brought a smile to my face. So the thought of char-broiling oysters intrigued me even though oysters have never been my favorite bivalve. OK, I like them fine, it did take me a while though to come around.

My Dad LOVED oysters. The old man could and would go through a few pints a week sometimes... he also liked oysters (sorry I couldn't resist). He would buy them, dip them in an egg wash, roll them in cracker crumbs, and pan fry them. This was his favorite thing to make at home. He loved them so much he could barely resist eating all of them raw on crackers before he got them fried. Now I wouldn't eat them back then, they looked nasty and I couldn't get around the texture, or lack thereof, but I sure put a hurtin' on some at Drago's.

My buddies Noonan, the cruise director on the Triumph, and assistant cruise director Cory, met me and off we went to try something new. The only thing I knew to order was the oysters. So we got a dozen for an appetizer. Well once we ate one each we immediately ordered more. Good golly, Miss Molly were those things GOOD! Char-broiled in their half shell, bathed in a spicy butter, and topped with Parmagiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano cheeses, broiled to perfection, brought out still bubbling... da-yammm. I now have a newest, favoritest food in the whole wide world. They are served with pieces of French bread that you dip into the leftover, buttery oyster-nectar. The only problem with these oysters is that you want to eat them as soon as they come out and you can get a severe burn from the savory Napalm they're bathed in.

Noonan and Cory were going at them as hard I was when our entreés arrived. We barely noticed there was other food on the table. How could we turn our attention away from these beautiful, hot, buttery, crusty, oysters? They were like crack on the half-shell. It wasn't until we ran out and our eyes cleared, that we realized we had more food. Now the meal just got more interesting.

The boys had ordered the Lobster Lunch Special. A fair sized lobster served with a salad and some red potatoes. The crustaceanally challenged Cory had to download a Marine Forensic Pathologist's chart to figure up how to open his up to get at the goodies. He eventually found his way with some prompting from Noonan and I and was merrily on his claw-crackin' way. Noonan however evidently knew his way around the lobster and wasted no time peering around its nether regions for pockets of tasty tail-meat.

For my appetizer I got Mama Ruth's Seafood Gumbo. It was a dark maroon which indicated a dark roux and tomatoes. Truly a Creole gumbo. Lots of nice shrimp, crab and quite a few oysters, (more than most have). It was nice, tasty, and definitely wasn't institutional gumbo like is served in so many New Orleans restaurants now. It is one of the better ones in town. Now you Cajuns out there be warned, it's got tomatoes in it. I'm just sayin'.

For my entreé, I had ordered a Barbecued Shrimp Po-Boy. Now, when I say barbecue, I don't mean the traditional "barbecue" but New Orleans style sautéed shrimp. Buttery, garlicky, and savory from wonderful spices, these shrimp were piled high on that crusty french bread. It was a great po-boy and wonderful accompaniment for the gumbo and oysters. All in all, it was a great meal and a fun day trying out a new restaurant.

About Drago's, Drago Cvitanovich has a wonderful restaurant here in Metairie as well as his place in downtown at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel. I had been hearing about it for some time, but this was my first opportunity to get out there. The service was great, ice tea was tasty, and everyone was very friendly, but I cannot say enough about the char-broiled oysters. They are totally amazing as well as simple in their preparation. As for a recipe, I found this one below at Gumbo Pages. Enjoy making these, but try your darnedest to get out to Drago's when in the neighborhood, it is well worth the trip.

Drago-Like Char-Broiled Oysters

32 large oysters, on the half shell, disconnected.
1 cup salted butter
2 tbs garlic (minced)
½ tsp black pepper
¼ cup each Parmagiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano cheeses (grated)
½ cup parsley (minced)

Heat your charcoal or gas grill up to MED/HI. Melt the butter with the garlic and pepper in a sauté pan. Mix the cheeses in a small bowl. Spoon some of the melted butter mix onto each oyster. Add a pinch of the cheeses and parsley to each oyster and place them on the grill. Grill the oysters until they are hot, bubbly, and crusty on the top.

*You can use your broiler in your oven as well if a grill is not available. Save your shells and then next time you can buy already shucked oysters and save a little money. You just need to wash them like you wash a dish.

Cheers!

RouxBdoo