450
$
OUTDOOR LIVING • KEITH VILLERE • CORNIBE’S BARBER SHOP • ERICA SPINDLER
MARCH-APRIL 2015 VOL. 30, NO. 2
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Inside Northside
March-April 2015
Vol. 30, No. 2
Publisher Lori Murphy –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Editor Jan Murphy Managing Editor Anne Honeywell Contributing Editor Poki Hampton Associate Editor Leah Draffen Contributors are featured on page 18. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Art Director Brad Growden Graphic Designer Jennifer Starkey –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Director of Business Development Poki Hampton Business Manager Jane Quillin Associate Publisher Candice Laizer Advertising Account Executives Caroline Battaglia Adele Baugues Barbara Bossier Deyette Danford Anne Honeywell Barbara Roscoe Amy Taylor Advertising Coordinator Katie Brooks Sales Assistants Lindsay Gardner Margaret Rivera –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– For advertising information phone (985) 626-9684 fax (985) 674-7721 email sales@insidepub.com –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Please send items for Inside Scoop to scoop@insidepub.com. Photos for Inside Peek, with captions, should be sent to peek@insidepub.com. Submit items for Inside Input or Dining Guide to editor@insidepub.com. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Contact Inside Northside P.O. Box 9148 Mandeville, LA 70470-9148 phone (985) 626-9684 fax (985) 674-7721 website www.insidenorthside.com Subscriptions 1 Year $18 2 Years $30 email subscriptions@insidepub.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
On the cover Artist Leslie Dudley
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– INSIDE NORTHSIDE MAGAZINE is published bi-monthly (January, March, May, July, September, November) by M and L Publishing, LLC, PO Box 9148, Mandeville, LA 70470-9148 as a means of communication and information for St. Tam many and Tangipahoa Parishes, Louisiana. Bulk Postage paid at Mandeville, LA. Copyright ©2015 by M & L Publishing, LLC. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written consent of publisher. Publisher is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts and artwork. Inside Northside Magazine is created using the Adobe Creative Suite on Apple Macintosh computers.
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Inside Northside
page 34
page 92
Features
contents table of
page 48
20 Capturing the Joy of the Everyday Cover artist Leslie Dudley 48 The Pure Joy of Creativity Artisan Keith Villere 58 Youth Service Bureau Helping at-risk youth meet today’s challenges 59 The Old Pavilion Chef Soirée 2015 Poster Artist Suzanne King 63 Family Traditions Savoring the Foods of Saint Joseph Altars 70 Great Louisiana BirdFest 2015 76 W.A.T.C.H. Futures Come to Life Habitat’s Women Build 82 Traces Erica Spindler: Author of Romantic Suspense Novels 104 Learn, Play, Discover and Grow! Louisiana’s Children’s Discovery Center 109 Home Fire Preparedness Help from the American Red Cross 110 Gentleman’s Tonsorium Cornibe’s: The Oldest Barber Shop in St. Tammany Parish
Outdoor Living 34 Living al Fresco 40 Water Features 42 Nature Photographer Lana Gramlich 43 Enjoy These Natural Treasures 44 Outdoor Flourishes
Business Profile 46 The Pool & Patio Center
page 110 8
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Medical Profile 107 Metabolic Anti-Aging Center
page 54
contents table of
103
Departments 12 Publisher’s Note 15 Editor’s Note
118 Generous Hearts When it all just comes together
16 Reader Resources 17 INput
124 At the Table The Best Seafood of the Season
18 Contributors 24 INside Scoop
136 IN Love and Marriage Notable northshore weddings
54 IN Great Taste A Recipe for Success Yvette Jemison
138 IN the Spotlight Krewe of Olympia
61 IN Other Words Chocolate Bunnies – It’s What’s for Breakfast 72
140 IN the Spotlight An Afternoon Tea With WYES Inspired by Downton Abbey
IN Rhythm Taking it Easy: Ricky Windhorst and Rick Samson
85 Flourishes Extraordinary gifts and home accents 90 IN Better Health April Picou 92 INside Look Stripes and Florals
IN the Bookcase The House with Sixteen Handmade Doors by Henry Petroski
142 INside Peek 144 IN the Spotlight Real Men of St. Tammany Gala page 92
149 IN the Spotlight President’s Arts Award Gala 152 IN the Spotlight Inside Northside Meet the Artist Party 155 INside Dining 161 Ad Directory 162 Last Bite Franco’s Grill
page 85
Daddy’s Girls by Lori Murphy
Candice Laizer and I have worked
together for almost 15 years. In that time she has gone from a marketing student at SLU to a married mother of
r Candice and he in. op Ch father, Brian
Lori with her father, Tommy Growden.
two beautiful girls, with another child on the way! She is focused, professional, creative, dynamic and incredible. And, like me, she was a Daddy’s girl.
When my father died in 1982, it seemed as though no one could imagine my
sense of loss. More than 30 years later, I’ve made it past the pain and am guided by the direction and confidence he inspired. I am looking forward to the day when Candice can hold her Daddy in her heart with a smile on her face. Her sense of loss will be a nod to the tremendous place he held in her life.
I am always amazed to hear my girlfriends talk about the relationship that they
had with their father and how it directs their endeavors in so many ways. MiMi Dossett is just one of so many examples. After losing her father to cancer, she has dedicated herself to seeing his vision come to life for their Money Hill community.
On May 1, Money Hill will once again play host to the Goodyear Memorial
Golf Tournament, named in honor of MiMi’s father and her uncle, who both lost the battle with cancer. The beneficiary of the tournament is The St. Tammany Cancer Fund, which exists to provide aid and comfort to patients and survivors right here in our community.
The St. Tammany Cancer Fund has supplied everything from warming blankets
and chemo chairs to a patient’s hair salon at the Slidell Memorial Cancer Center. One of its most important goals is to ensure a college opportunity for young cancer survivors. That chance shouldn’t be lost to the cost of fighting cancer. The good news is that though more people are being diagnosed with cancer, improved treatment options allow more people to battle the disease and win. The St. Tammany Cancer Fund is there to help inspire them not to let their dreams become a casualty of the fight.
That is a legacy any dad can be proud of.
p.s. To tee off with this great cause, call Stephen at the Money Hill pro shop, (985) 892-8250, ext. 1.
Editor’s Note by Jan Murphy
Recipes. Every family has its favorites. Whether a complicated,
start-from-scratch jambalaya or a simple—but get the proportions right—salad dressing, they are passed on from generation to generation. For my aunt’s 100th birthday, we compiled a book of her much-treasured dishes. She’s very much with us as her oyster dressing, hollandaise sauce and salted pecans continue to be celebrated and relished by all who loved her.
This issue of Inside Northside is much about recipes. With Tom
Fitzmorris’ quintessential guide to local seafood, complete with recipes (page 124); to Sandra Juneau’s never-before-printed directions for baked stuffed redfish for a St. Joseph altar (page 63); to Yvette Jemison’s “flavors of a family” fig cookies and pepita spice toffee (page 54), there is a plethora of delectable delicacies to be found.
Not all recipes have to do with food. Artists’ Leslie Dudley (page
20) and Keith Villere (page 48) each have their own formula to find joy in creativity. For the dynamic duo of Ricky Windhorst and Rick Samson (page 72), a laid-back state-of-mind is the way to go about “taking it easy.”
Sometimes, it’s best to “think outside the traditional recipe,”
as in the case of Family Promise in Generous Hearts (page 118). Other times, it’s best to stick to the tried-and-true combination of ingredients that have only gotten better over time, as with Lou Cornibe (page 110).
Often, a recipe simply won’t work without one not-to-be-
substituted crucial ingredient. For Habitat’s Women Build and W.A.T.C.H. (page 76), that ingredient is the generous, passionate, just-do-it spirit of the women who make futures come to life.
In addition to enjoying all of the recipes, accept the invitation of
our Outdoor Living feature to welcome warmer weather. Combine everything—try new recipes on the grill or in your outdoor kitchen!
Reader Resources Contact Us: You may contact us by mail, phone, fax or on our website: Mail: Inside Northside P.O. Box 9148 Mandeville, LA 70470-9148 Telephone: 985-626-9684 Fax: 985-674-7721 Website: insidenorthside.com Receiving Inside Northside in Your Mailbox? You are on our mailing list, and you will continue to receive Inside Northside every other month at no charge. Please join us in thanking our advertisers, who make this possible. Pick Up a Copy: At one of our advertisers’ locations or at Barnes & Noble, 3414 Highway 190, Premier Centre, Mandeville, La. Subscribe: To subscribe to Inside Northside, to our sister publication Inside New Orleans, or if you have a question about your subscription, please contact us by telephone or e-mail us at subscriptions@insidepub.com. Subscriptions are $18 for one year or $30 for two years. To change your address, please send us both your old address and your new address. The post office does not forward magazines. Advertising Information: For advertising information, please contact us by telephone or e-mail us at sales@insidepub.com. Inquire and Share Ideas: Do you know a person, organization or endeavor we might consider featuring in our pages? Or a great storyteller who might want to write for us? Please contact the editor@insidepub.com.
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Inside Northside
INput WOW! What an awesome IN edition (January-February) arrived yesterday! You left no stone unturned in the many stories covered. Stacey did an incredible job explaining the Krewe of Olympia’s history and celebrating the 50th Anniversary! And the Northshore Foundation received a great gift with your acknowledgment of their wonderful works. We’re so lucky to have Inside Northside in our world. Kelly Rudolph
Congratulations on another wonderful Inside Northside issue. Leah Draffen did a fantastic job on the Ghost Town article, and we’ve received TONS of positive feedback. Thanks so much for your continued support of Ghost Town and other local artists. I also really enjoyed the lighthouse article. It was very informative, made me want to visit it and reinforced how important it is that we do whatever is necessary to preserve our past. Looking forward to your next issue. Christian Serpas As newcomers to the northshore, my spouse and I wake up each morning to acknowledge our gratitude for the serendipity of finding the path to this beautiful community. I would not have
guessed that at 70 years of age and after 35 plus years of painting, I would have the lovely experience of being the “cover girl” for our new home’s premier publication. Thankfully, for all, I did get to keep my clothes on; only the paintings were unveiled! Poki Hampton did a magical job of turning my verbal ramblings, over several cups of coffee, into a beautifully written essay. Your expert photographers, Brad and Candra, elevated my humble paintings into something worthy of the pages of your magazine. A huge “thank you” to all of the staff of Inside Northside who came out on a bitterly cold and rainy evening, wearing enormous smiles, to “greet the artist” and guests at the reception hosted by Lowe’s Jewelers and ISNS. I am so glad to have been a small speck in the pages of the “Waz’ happenin,’ who’s doin” BIBLE of the northshore, Inside Northside. Pam Soileau The January-February issue of Inside Northside was the perfect mix of northshore culture, music and history! I love the Abita Springs Opry story and the lighthouse piece. Not to mention, the Tieler Garsaud story makes me proud to live on the northshore. We’re surrounded by some many-talented people. Polly Thigpen
Contributors
Anthony “Chopper” Leone With more than 60 years’ experience in Our contributors give Inside Northside its photography, Anthony “Chopper” Leone focuses voice, its personality and its feel. Here we his lens on the landscape and lore surrounding highlight a few of them so that you can put his town, Madisonville. As a board member of a face with a name and get to know them. Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum and member of the Tchefuncte Lighthouse Committee, he has captured mystical moods of both lake and river. A retired banking and insurance executive, Chopper and his wife, Judith, enjoy traveling, always with specialized cameras. Their blended family includes two sons, two daughters and eight grandchildren. Leone’s photographs of the Tchefuncte River Lighthouse appeared in the January-February issue of Inside Northside, and his work can be seen in this issue in the article on Saint Joseph altars (page 63). Leah Draffen
Tom Fitzmorris
Linda Trappey Dautreuil is a painter and writer on Louisiana arts and culture. A native of New Iberia, she moved to Covington in 1996. An active member of the local arts community, she was the first artist to receive the St. Tammany Parish Arts Award for Visual Artist of the Year and is a recipient of a Louisiana Fellowship in the Visual Arts from the State Arts Council. Her paintings are in many corporate and private collections, including the New Orleans Museum of Art and the Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum in Lafayette. In this issue, Linda has articles on artisan Keith Villere (page 48) and cover artist Leslie Dunlee (page 20).
Leah Draffen, associate editor at Inside Northside, sat crosslegged on the floor of her grandparent’s den intently listening to her brother, cousin and uncle play their guitars as her pawpaw played the fiddle and sometimes the mandolin. While she never picked up an instrument, she quickly picked up a pen learning to write poetry and creative essays. After earning a bachelor’s degree from LSU in mass communications, Leah joined the Inside Northside team to continue her passion for writing. Leah now loves writing about music and listening to the many talented musicians in our area. In this issue, Leah shares her thoughts on taking it easy with musicians Ricky Windhorst and Rick Samson (page 72).
Tom Fitzmorris was delivered into New Orleans by a jazz musician on Mardi Gras 1951. His weekly restaurant review column is still published after 42 years and he has a three-hour daily talk show on 1350, 3WL. A northshore resident, Tom enjoys eating and writing about food on both sides of the lake. A Certified Culinary Professional by the IACP, he is the author of several cookbooks, restaurant guidebooks, a daily online newsletter (nomenu.com) and is a regular contributor to Inside New Orleans. In At the Table (page 124), he offers a guide to the wondrous variety of seafood we enjoy.
Karen B. Gibbs
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Inside Northside
photo: THOMAS B. GROWDEN
photo: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com
Linda Trappey Dautreuil
Longtime contributor and former managing editor of Inside Northside, Karen B. Gibbs enjoys writing about the fascinating people and places of the northshore and New Orleans. On page 110, she tells the story of Slidell’s Cornibe’s Barber Shop. A contributor to Today.com, iVillage.com and Inside New Orleans, Karen just completed the biography of her father-in-law, a WWII paratrooper. When not writing, she enjoys traveling with her husband and spoiling their grandchild. Other Voices: Susan Bonnett, Erin Cowser, Alice Fielding, Candra George, Poki Hampton, Anne Honeywell, Sandra Scalise Juneau, Mimi Greenwood Knight, Stacey Paretti Rase, Terri Schlichenmeyer and Becky Slatten.
Capturing the Joy Cover Artist Leslie Dudley of the Everyday
20
Inside Northside
A SLICE OF LIFE PORTRAYED by Covington artist Leslie Dudley, a painting titled The Olympia Parade, hangs on the walls of the Olympia Room in the Southern Hotel. Brilliant color harmonies draw us to this composition filled with whimsical symbols of the season in downtown Covington: Mardi Gras floats, Saint Paul’s marching band, the Southern Hotel, royal maids of the Krewe of Olympia and throngs of people in joyous celebration. The theme of the Olympia painting was determined in advance when owner and preservationist Lisa Condrey Ward commissioned Dudley to paint three original works for the hotel. “Leslie has been teaching art to our northshore children for years. She is passionate about her work, and it shows in her vibrant colors and exuberant pieces. I knew she could capture the joyous
feeling of a moment in time of experiencing the Olympia parade. I love all of the work she did for the hotel because each piece is a celebration of this place,” says art patron Ward. Leslie encourages us to see community through the emotional filter of individual artistic observations. For this artisan and teacher, richness in life is derived from the little experiences we take for granted, everyday experiences that connect us to each other. This issue’s cover painting, Covington Dusk, an 11 x 14 acrylic, is typical of the way Leslie can capture the intimacy of an ordinary incident—a glimpse of deer. She says, “There must be a vision. I don’t paint realistically, but I do paint images that we recognize because it gives me emotional satisfaction to do so. I believe art is universally therapeutic, whether it is functional or conceptual.” photo: FIELDING PHOTOGRAPHY
by Linda Trappey Dautreuill
>>
Meet cover artist
Leslie Dudley and see some of her favorite works on display at
Dr. Kelly Burkenstock’s Skin Body Health 2040 N. Causeway Blvd. Mandeville, LA
Thursday, March 12 5:30-7:00 p.m. For more information, call
626-9684
Everyone’s Invited!
March-April 2015 21
Leslie cannot remember a time when she did not paint or draw or make objects with her hands. When she speaks of Louisiana culture, she is witty and direct describing life in a family of means in New Orleans. “I attended Metairie Park Country Day School. The head of the art program at that time was Helen Trivigno. Under her mentorship, my self-esteem emerged,” says Dudley. “It was always fun and rewarding for me to make that deep emotional connection though the craft of visual expression.” Upon graduation, she attended Hollins and graduated from Vanderbilt University. She laughingly refers to this period as one of divided interests: a sorority sister on one hand and an active member of an art group that spent time communing with nature and having spirited discussions about art on the other. Without a studio of her own when she returned to New Orleans, Leslie became an advocate for art classes and workshops, regularly attending a variety of offerings by individual artists and programs at Delgado and other institutions. “I figured this was a great way to have a place to draw and paint as well as expand my knowledge and experience with many mediums in the company of other creative people,” says Dudley, “The class schedules kept me involved, carving out a special time when I could explore artistically.” With her husband, Mark, and two young sons, Clay and Parker, Leslie moved to Covington in 1991. A third son, Hudson, was born later. Leslie quickly found like-minded friends who shared a love of art, animals, gardening, nature and reading. She launched experiments in the field of interior design, painting on walls and furniture for clients. In research for some of her projects, she came across the 18th 22
Inside Northside
century decorative form of trumeau mirrors, designed to bring more light into interior rooms. Seeing this as an opportunity to work from the supply end to create a small business, Leslie set out to find ways to fabricate her designs and develop a market. Her business grew steadily from a small local base to expansion into retail venues in the South. Eventually, she acquired accounts nationally and internationally. In spite of her success, her lifelong passion for painting resurfaced when the opportunity to have a studio of her own became a reality. Leslie’s resilience and training served her well in establishing her art practice. Her original paintings in oils and acrylics have always found an audience. Her earliest influences were the French Fauve painters of the early 20th century. At one point in her career, an opportunity to paint with pure pigments imported from France transformed her understanding of color using a high-intensity palette. The use of repetition
and texture became constants in her whimsical style and satisfy on many levels. The clarity of Dudley’s vision is sharpened by her belief that we choose our own viewpoints. A strong spiritual sensibility informs her actions and fuels her optimism that joy, once found, should be shared. She teaches art to young students at Christ Episcopal School. A recent visit to her classroom included examples of projects exploring art history through the making of art, an integrative form of learning that clearly motivates the students and increases selfawareness and esteem. Dudley says that she learns as much from these young creative minds as she gives. Life and art require balance and inspiration for Leslie Dudley. Or as she says, “Just unload the car. Take only what you need, and get on down the road.” Leslie’s work and information on galleries featuring her paintings can be found at lesliedudleyart.com. March-April 2015 23
EGGStravaganza!
For an up-to-date listing of events, please check our website, insidenorthside.com.
March 29 Kids Town EGGStravaganza and Rubber Duck Regatta. Entertainment, food, Easter egg hunts
INSIDE
and more. Proceeds benefit building and upkeep of Kids Town on Koop Dr. Lakeview Regional Medical Center, 95 Judge Tanner Blvd, Covington.
the definitive guide to northshore events and entertainment
11am-3pm. $1. lakeviewregional.com.
March 1 Woofstock. Low-cost canine vaccine clinic,
until April 15. Hosanna Lutheran Church,
Covington. 9am-4:30pm; wine reception,
educational presentations, dog contests,
2480 Hwy 190, Mandeville. 7-9pm.
4:30-6pm. $60 per person for all events;
basket raffles; benefits the St. Tammany
Register, 727-9200.
$25 per person for wine reception only.
Humane Society. Castine Center, Pelican
4, 11, 18, 25 Covington Farmer’s Market.
6 Julia Jump. 38th Annual Julia Jump “Our
Park, 63350 Pelican Dr, Mandeville.
Covington Trailhead. 10am-2pm.
10am-4pm. Free. sthumane.org.
Free. Jan Biggs, rosehue@charter.net.
City, Our Home” presented by First NBC
covingtonfarmersmarket.org.
Bank to support Preservation Resource
1-7 Jasmine Collection & Couture Bridal Trunk Show. Bustles and Bows, 3230
5 Ideal Protein Open House and Info
Center of New Orleans’s efforts to protect
Severn St, Ste B, Metairie. (504)780-
Night. Slidell Memorial Hospital Cardiac
New Orleans’ architectural heritage.
7090.
Rehab Gym, 1051 Gause Blvd. 280-
Kingsley House, 1600 Constance St,
1554.
New Orleans. 8-11pm. $75-$125. (504)
1-April 4 The Antiquarian Image: An Exhibition of 19th Century Photographic Processes. St. Tammany Art Association, 320 N. Columbia St, Covington. sttammanyartassocation.org.
5 STARC Art Sale. 881 Robert Blvd, Slidell. 10am-2pm. 641-0197. heavensentart.org. 6 2015 Phenomenal Woman Retreat. “Creating the WOW from Within” retreat
1-April 15 DivorceCare and DivorceCare
sponsored by Professional Women of St.
for Kids. Support groups every Wed.
Tammany. Vintage Court, 75082 Hwy 25,
24
Registration required. 727-5577. pw-st.org.
I n s i d e N o rt h s i d e
636-3059. prcno.org. 6-7 Doubt…A Parable. Slidell Little Theatre, 2024 Nellie Dr. 643-0556. slidelllittletheatre.com. 6-8 Bari Jay Bridesmaid Trunk Show. Bustles and Bows, 3230 Severn St, Ste
B, Metairie. (504)780-7090. 6-14 Ruthless! The Musical. Cutting Edge Theater, 767 Robert Blvd, Slidell. Fri-Sat, 8pm. $20-$25. 649-3727. cuttingedgetheater.com. 6-22 Loot. The story of two thieves who hide their fortune in an unusual place. Playmakers Theater, 19106 Playmakers Rd, Covington. Fri-Sat at 8pm; Sun, 2pm (except March 8). Adults, $15; students, $10. 893-1671. playmakersinc.com. 6, 13, 20 Live Music at K. Gee’s. Andy Breaux, Rick Samson and Christian Serpas. K. Gee’s Restaurant and Oyster Bar, 2534 Florida St, Mandeville. 6260530. 7 Celebrating the Written Word. Writers and readers conference. Downtown Hammond. 8am-8pm. hammondarts.org/ literary-festival. 7 Covington Art Market. Covington Trailhead. 9am-1pm. sttammanyartassociation.org. 7 Summer Camp Expo. Riverview Camp for Girls’ education and summer camp expo. Lakeside Shopping Center, Metairie. 10am-4pm. riverviewcamp.com. 7-8 San Francisco Plantation Frisco Festival. Crafts, Cajun cuisine, gardening and kids activities. 2646 Hwy 44, Garyville. 9am-5pm. $5. (888) 322-1756. sanfranciscoplantation.org. 7-April 7 Spring Pilgrimage. Monmouth Historic Inn and Gardens, 36 Melrose Ave, Natchez. (601) 442-5852. monmouthhistoricinn.com. 7, 14, 21, 28 Camellia City Farmers Market. Griffith Park, Slidell. 8am-12pm. Free. 640-7112. camelliacitymarket.org. 7, 14, 21, 28 Covington Farmer’s Market. Covington City Hall, 609 N. Columbia St. 8am-12pm. Free. Jane Biggs, rosehue@ chartet.net. covingtonfarmersmarket.org. 7, 14, 21, 28 Hammond Farmers Market. #2 West Thomas St. 8am-12pm. Free. dddhammond.com. 7, 14, 21, 28 Mandeville Trailhead Market. >> March-April 2015 25
Inside Scoop 675 Lafitte St. 9am-1pm. Free. 845-4515. mandevilletrailheadmarket.com. 8 Children’s Museum Celebration: A Treasure Odyssey. Live auction, food, drinks and live music. Castine Center, Pelican Park, 63350 Pelican Dr, Mandeville. 6-10pm. $100 per person. 264-4714. cmstkids.org. 8-April 27 Linda Dautreuil Exhibit. The Atrium Gallery at Christwood, 100 Christwood Blvd, Covington. Opening reception, 4:30-6pm. Free. christwoodrc.com. 9-10 The Odd Couple auditions. A hilarious female version of The Odd Couple auditioning for six women and two men that can play ages 30-40s for May 8-24 performances. Playmakers Theater, 19106 Playmakers Rd, Covington. March 9, 7pm; March 10, 7pm. playmakersinc.com. 11 Got Gumbo? Cook-off. United Way’s 15th annual gumbo cook-off featuring gumbos and desserts from tops chefs and restaurants, sponsored by Royal Sonesta Hotel and Shell Oil Company. Royal Sonesta Hotel, 300 Bourbon St, New Orleans. 5-8pm. In advance, $25; at door, $30. (504) 827-9262. unitedwaysela.org. 11, 25 Total Joint Class. Interactive class for patients undergoing total joint replacement surgery. Lakeview Regional Medical Center, Pelican Room, 95 Judge Tanner Blvd, Covington. 1-2pm. 40 participants limit. 867-3900. 13 L Space by Monica Wise Trunk Show. Gift with purchase and tasty treats. Bora Bora, #2 St. Ann Dr, Mandeville. 10am-6pm. 951-8454. 13 Storywalk: Down in Louisiana by Johnette Downing. Walk the Northlake Nature Center trails while reading an interactive story. Co-presented by the St. Tammany Parish Library. Northlake Nature Center, 23135 Hwy 190 E, Mandeville. 26
I n s i d e N o rt h s i d e
12-3pm. northlakenature.org. 13-15 New Orleans Home & Garden Show. Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Adult, $15; Military, $8; Kids 12 and under, free. (504) 835-6383. neworleanshomeshows.com. 13, 20, 27 Mandeville Live! Spring 2015 line-up includes Swingaroux, The Days of Motown and the Mystics & the Ladies of Soul and Amanda Shaw. Mandeville Trailhead, 675 Lafitte St. Gates open, 6pm. Free. 624-3147. 14 A Night in Haiti. Celebration of Haitian culture with dinner, music and crafts in support of partnership between Mary, Queen of Peace Parish and St. Benoit Parish in Dessources, Haiti. MQP School Cafeteria, 1501 W. Causeway Apr, Mandeville. 6-9pm. $30. RSVP, 705-1846. maryqueenofpeace.org/Haitipartnership/home. 14 Design Take 5. Learn how to design and decorate bookcases, foyers and scale. American Factory Direct Furniture Outlets, 68490 Hwy 59, Mandeville. Bookcases, 10:30am; foyers, 1:30pm; scale, 4:30pm. (888) 969-9499. 14 PilyQ Barcelona Trunk Show. Gift with purchase and tasty treats. Bora Bora, #2 St. Ann Dr, Mandeville. 10am-4pm. 9518454. 14 Shamrock Run. Presented by Hammond Rotary and Louisiana’s 1st Choice Auto Auction to benefit local charities and polio efforts. Southeastern Louisiana University’s Friendship Circle, Registration, 6:30-7:30am; 1-mile, 8am; 5K and 10K, 8:15am. rotaryshamrockrun.com. 14-April 1 Easter Bunny. Kids’ crafts, face painting and photos with the Easter Bunny. North Shore Square Mall, 150 North Shore Blvd, Slidell. Mon-Sat, 11am-7pm; Sun, 12-6pm. 646-0661. northshoresquareonline.com. 15 Chef Soirée. Benefits Youth Service Bureau. Presented by Chevron,
>>
March-April 2015 27
Inside Scoop featuring food, drinks, music, raffle
St, Covington. 3:30-7pm. Admission by
and auction. Bogue Falaya Park, 213
donation. 892-2540. ssacad.com.
Park Dr, Covington. 5-9pm. 893-2570.
21 Falaya Fling. St. Scholastica Academy’s annual gala will feature dinner, live
Golf Classic. Benefits Cystic Fibrosis
entertainment by Five Finger Discount,
Foundation. Presented by L&M Botruc
silent and live auctions. Castine Center,
in tax law, the Affordable Care Act and
and Express Weld. La Tour Gold
Pelican Park, 63350 Pelican Dr,
challenges of the “sandwich generation”
Course, 300 LaTour Blvd, Matthews, La.
Mandeville. Patron party, 6pm; gala,
presented by Sean O’Neill, CPA.
8:30am-1:30pm. (504) 455-5194. cff.org.
7-11:30pm. $65. ssacad.com.
chefsoiree.com. 18 Financial Health Checkup. Changes
Community Center at Christwood, 100
20 Sunset at the Landing Concert.
21 Longue Vue Annual Easter Egg Hunt.
Christwood Blvd, Covington. 11:30am.-
Columbia Street Landing, 100
Longue Vue House and Gardens, 7
1pm. Reserve your seat, 292-1234,
N. Columbia, Covington. 6-9pm.
Bamboo Road, New Orleans. Members,
jportmann@christwoodrc.com.
sunsetatthelanding.org.
9:30-10:30am; nonmembers, 12:30-
18-22 Art in Bloom. New Orleans by
20-22 Audubon Pilgrimage. Tour historic
1:30pm. Members, $6; nonmembers, $8.
Design presented by Iberiabank. New
homes and gardens, antique sale, living
Orleans Museum of Art, 1 Collins C.
history demonstration and cemetery
Diboll Crl, City Park. March 18, parton
tours. West Feliciana Parish Historical
Gala XXXVIII. “Gryphons are…Proud
party, 6pm; preview party, 7-10pm. (504)
Museum, 11757 Ferdinand St, St.
as a Peacock” themed event including
658-4121. noma.org.
Francisville. 9:30am-5pm. $20-$100.
a silent auction, dinner and live auction.
(800) 789-4221. stfrancisville.us.
Proceeds to benefit Lutheran High
19 St. Joseph’s Altar 2015. St. Scholastic Academy’s alter will be blessed and
28
20 Crosby Tugs Bobby Hebert Bayou
bralavie.com.
21 Book Signing: Mellow Yellow Dead
longuevue.com. 21 Lutheran High School’s Gryphon
School. Atonement Lutheran Fellowship
open for viewing, dinner to be served.
Red by Sylvia Rochester. Bra La Vie!,
Center, 6500 Riverside Dr, Metairie. $60
SSA cafeteria, 122 S Massachusetts
221 W Thomas St, Hammond. 2-4pm.
per person. (504) 908-7933.
I n s i d e N o rt h s i d e
21 Mad Hatter 5K and Fun Run. Junior
and more. All proceeds to benefit Junior
covla.com.
Auxiliary of Slidell hosts its 2nd annual
League of New Orleans’ 10 community
27 Sugarplum Ball. Benefit for Children’s
5K and fun run. Slidell Airport. 8:30am.
projects. Children’s Hospital, 210 State
Hospital. Live music by Sha’on and the
Group rates are available, jasslidell@
St, New Orleans. 10am-2pm. (504) 891-
Girls of Success, food samplings and
gmail.com. jaslidell.org.
5845. jlno.org.
silent auction. Children’s Hospital, 210
21 One-Year Anniversary Party at
22 Third Sunday Concert Series. Opera
State St, New Orleans. 8pm-midnight.
Community Center at Christwood.
scenes featuring the Loyola University
Food, fun and music. 100 Christwood
Opera Workshop. Christ Episcopal
Blvd, Covington. 1-4pm. RSVP to 292-
Church, 120 S. New Hampshire St. 5pm.
benefit Hogs for the Cause to provide aid
1234. jportmann@christwoodrc.com.
Free. 892-3177.
and relief to families with a child facing
21 Sunset on the Square. Craft beer
(504) 896-9373. chnola.org. 27-28 Hogs for the Cause. All proceeds
24 Coolsculpting Event. Northshore
pediatric brain cancer. City Park Festival
Kickin’ Parkinson’s fundraiser featuring
Dermatology, 2780 E. Gause Blvd,
Grounds. $30 at gate. hogsforthecause.
craft beer tastings, Four Unplugged and
Slidell. 10am-4:30pm. Reserve
org.
an outdoor evening. TerraBella Square,
your free consultation, 641-5198.
111 Terra Bella Blvd, Covington. Beer tasting, 4:30-6:30pm; music, 6:30-
northshorederm.com. 24 You Night Cancer Survivor Runway
27-29 Jackson Assembly Art Show. Fine art, jewelry and pottery from South Louisiana artists. Charter
8:30pm. In advance, $25; at door, $35.
Show. Funds generated will benefit local
Street Studios, 1740 Charter St,
terrabellavillage.com.
cancer patient services. New Orleans
Jackson, La. Fri-Sat, 10am-5pm; Sun,
21 Touch a Truck. Meet the people who
Board of Trade Ltd, 316 Magazine St.
10am-4pm. $10. (225) 634-7155.
protect, serve and build New Orleans
6-10pm. $125. younightevents.com.
jacksonassemblyantiquesshow.com.
while touring their vehicles, including
27 Columbia St. Block Party. Downtown
27-29 New Orleans Food Festival. French
emergency units, tractors, bulldozers
Covington. 6:30-9:30pm. 892-1873.
Quarter. 10am-5pm. frenchmarket.org.
>>
Inside Scoop 28 Kids Day and Family Expo. Riverview Camp for Girls comes to you at kids day and family expo. Castine Center, Pelican Park, 63350 Pelican Dr, Mandeville. 10am-4pm. riverviewcamp.com. 29 Kids Town EGGStravaganza and Rubber Duck Regatta. Entertainment, food, Easter egg hunts and more. Proceeds benefit building and upkeep of Kids Town on Koop Dr. Lakeview Regional Medical Center, 95 Judge Tanner Blvd, Covington. 11am-3pm. $1. lakeviewregional.com. 30 Cancer Crusaders Gold Tournament. In Memory of Doug Talbot. English Turn Golf and Country Club, 1 Clubhouse Dr, New Orleans. 10:30am. cancercrusadersla.com.
April 1-4 The Antiquarian Image: An Exhibition of 19th Century Photographic Processes. St. Tammany Art Association, 320 N. Columbia St, Covington. sttammanyartassocation.org. 1-7 Spring Pilgrimage. Monmouth Historic Inn and Gardens, 36 Melrose Ave, Natchez. (601) 442-5852. monmouthhistoricinn.com. 1-15 DivorceCare and DivorceCare for Kids. Support group every Wed. until April 15. Hosanna Lutheran Church, 2480 Hwy 190, Mandeville. 7-9pm. Register, 727-9200. 1-27 Linda Dautreuil Exhibit. The Atrium Gallery at Christwood, 100 Christwood Blvd, Covington. Free. christwoodrc.com. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 Covington Farmer’s Market. Covington Trailhead. 10am-2pm. Free. Jan Biggs, rosehue@charter.net. covingtonfarmersmarket.org. 2-4 Easter Bunny. Kids’ crafts, face painting and photos with the Easter Bunny. North Shore Square Mall, 150 North Shore Blvd, Slidell. Thu-Sat, 10am-8pm. 646-0661. northshoresquareonline.com. 30
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3-18 Going to the Chapel. Cutting Edge Theater, 767 Robert Blvd, Slidell. Fri-Sat, 8pm. $20-$25. 649-3727. cuttingedgetheater.com. 4 Covington Art Market. Covington Trailhead. 9am-1pm. sttammanyartassociation.org. 4 Easter at the Market. Mandeville Trailhead, 675 Lafitte St. 10am-1pm. Free. 845-4515. mandevilletrailheadmarket.com. 4 Egg Rollin’ Kids’ Event. Crafts, kid activities and the egg rolling contest. Covington Trailhead. 10am-12pm. 8921873. 4, 11, 18, 25 Camellia City Farmers Market. Griffith Park, Slidell. 8am-12pm. Free. 640-7112. camelliacitymarket.org. 4, 11, 18, 25 Covington Farmer’s Market. Covington City Hall, 609 N. Columbia St. 8am-12pm. Free. Jan Biggs, rosehue@ chartet.net. covingtonfarmersmarket.org. 4, 11, 18, 25 Hammond Farmers Market. #2 West Thomas St. 8am-12pm. Free. dddhammond.com. 4, 11, 18, 25 Mandeville Trailhead Market. 675 Lafitte St. 9am-1pm. Free. 845-4515. mandevilletrailheadmarket.com. 8
Stroke Survivor and Caregiver Support Group. Nutrition, social services, rehab therapy and medical management. Lakeview Regional Medical Center, Pelican Room, 95 Judge Tanner Blvd, Covington. 5:30-7pm. 867-3900.
9
Susan Thurston’s Tea. Celebration of the past and Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage tours. Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum, 133 Mabel Dr, Madisonville. 2-4:30pm. 845-9200. Cabell R. Mouton, educator@lpbmm.org.
9-12 Taste of Covington. Four-day food and wine event presented by the Covington Business Association: Vintners’ Dinners, Grand Tasting, Festa del Vino Wine Tasting, Champagne Jazz Brunch. atasteofcovington.com.
>>
March-April 2015 31
10-11 Ella Rose & Femme Bridal Trunk Show. Bustles and Bows, 3230 Severn St, Ste B, Metairie. (504) 780-7090. 10-12 Annual Great Louisiana Birdfest. Multiple locations, including Manchac Swamp, Bogue Chitto River Reserve Habitats and Honey Island Swamp. 6261238. northlakenature.org. 10, 17, 24 Mandeville Live! Spring lineup includes Mojeaux, John Boutte and Boogie Falaya. Mandeville Trailhead, 675 Lafitte St. Gates open, 6pm. Free. 624-3147. 11 An Evening of Country Elegance. Women’s Center for Healing and Transformation annual charity event. Food by Chef Nancy Berg, cash bar, silent auction and raffle. Abita Springs Town Hall, 22161 Level St. 5-8pm. $45. 8928111. womenscenterforhealing.org. 11 Spring for Art. St. Tammany Art Association art stroll, live music and more. Downtown Covington. 6-9pm. 892-8650. sttammanyartassociation.org. 13 Tennis Tourney to Benefit Aneurysm Awareness. Pelican Athletic Club, 1170 Meadsowbrook Blvd, Mandeville. $50. Register, bfisher@thepac.com. brainsupportnola.com. 14 Do you know how to prevent a stroke? Louise Dill, Department Head Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit at St. Tammany Parish Hospital. Community Center at Christwood, 100 Christwood Blvd, Covington. 11:30am.-1pm. Reserve your seat, 292-1234 or jportmann@ christwoodrc.com. 15 Heartsaver CPR, AED and First Aid. Learn the basic techniques of CPR, AED and first aid. Slidell Memorial Hospital Founders Building, 1st floor conference room, 1150 Robert Blvd. $40. 280-8585. slidellmemorial.org. 17 Get Lucky! Golf Tournament. Benefits St. Tammany Hospital Foundation. Presented by Canteen Vending Services. Longest drive, straightest drive and 32
I n s i d e N o rt h s i d e
closest to the pin contests. Tchefuncta Country Club, Covington. Registration, 11:30am; start, 12:30pm; awards, 5pm. sthfoundation.org. 18 Crawfish Cookoff. To benefit the Saint Paul’s Alumni Association and the Hope House of St. Tammany. Saint Paul’s School, 917 S Jahncke, Covington. 1-6pm. spscco.com. 18 Great Strides. Presented by the Louisiana Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. North Oak Park, 401 North Oak St, Hammond. Check-in, 8:30am; walk, 10am. (504) 455-5194. cff.org. 18-19 Angola Spring Rodeo and Craft Show. Angola State Prison, Angola. Gates open, 9am; rodeo, 2pm. (225) 655-2030. angolarodeo.com or stfrancisville.us. 18-19 Covington Heritage Foundation Antique Festival. 10am-5pm. New Hampshire St, Covington. 892-1873. covingtonheritagefoundation.com. 22 Madisonvile Garden Club Flower Show. Madisonville Town Hall, 403 St. Francis St. Reception, 1-3pm. Free. 8459609. 22-24 LRMC Volunteer Auxiliary SemiAnnual Jewelry Sale. Jewelry, scarves, wallets, purses and accessories all priced at $5. Lakeview Regional Medical Center, Front hallway, 95 Judge Tanner Blvd, Covington. April 22-23; 7am-5:30pm; April 24, 7am-3:30pm. lakeviewregional.com. 24 Zoo To Do for Kids. Live music and entertainment. Audubon Zoo. 6:30-9pm. auduboninstitute.org/ztd. 24-25 Women of Hope Conference 2015. St. Timothy United Methodist Church, 335 Asbury Dr., Mandeville. Limited seating. sttimothyumc.org/women. 24-26 The Lady with all the Answers. Jefferson Performing Arts Society. Christ Episcopal School Theatre, 80 Christwood Blvd, Covington. (504) 8852000. jpas.org. March-April 2015 33
Outdoor Living
Living al Fresco by Anne Honeywell
34
Inside Northside
photo: FOTOSOLD REAL ESTATE PHOTOGRAPHY
“PEOPLE MOVE TO THE NORTHSHORE for our lifestyle, and great outdoor living spaces complement this lifestyle,” says realtor Jennifer Rice. “It used to be that such spaces were a luxury. Today, some sort of outdoor living space or feature is expected by people shopping for homes in all price ranges— from a simple fountain to a pool with a pool house. Northshore homeowners should have confidence in putting some money into the
outdoor spaces of their property; adding a magnificent back yard or other outdoor living feature to your home will give a good return on your investment.” More and more homeowners are choosing to add square footage outside their home instead of adding on to their house. There are a number of factors to consider when thinking of expanding your living area to the great outdoors. What is the best location? What >> March-April 2015 35
do you enjoy most about your property? The front porch view? The backyard privacy? How will you use the space? Dining? Entertaining? Small gatherings? A well-designed outdoor space can serve many functions—and it doesn’t have to be limited to a backyard patio. A front porch can be a welcoming place to sit, visit and perhaps enjoy the sunset. If you enjoy your front porch and it has the best view on your property, this may be the space you choose to emphasize. After you have chosen the location and determined how you are going to 36
Inside Northside
photos: FOTOSOLD REAL ESTATE PHOTOGRAPHY
Outdoor Living
use your new space, Bruce Aronson of The Pool & Patio Center, says there are many other factors to be considered. Furniture. The primary use of the space will determine both its shape and the type of furniture you will need. Formal entertaining means a long dining table and chairs, which requires a long and fairly wide rectangular space. If you are going to entertain informally, you will probably end up with a conversation group. The space required for that will be more of a square. Do some research and get sizes
and furniture dimensions. Be sure the area you are planning will accommodate that furniture. Entrances and exits to your outdoor room will dictate where you can place furniture. Take them into consideration when designing the overall size of your new area. The type of furniture will also be dictated by whether the area is covered or fully exposed to the elements. Cushioned furniture is the most comfortable, but when fully exposed to the elements, the cushions will need more maintenance than when under cover. Also, if your outdoor room is going to be covered, plan the shape so you can mount outdoor drapes easily. Drapes provide protection from sun glare, keep out insects and complete the look of an outdoor room just as they do inside the home. If you have a salt water pool, your furniture options are going >> March-April 2015 37
Outdoor Living
(counterclockwise from above) The bathroom window overlooks the inviting and relaxing pool area. An iron archway welcomes open green space. From the front porch, an oak tree shades the walkway adorned with potted shrubbery. A sheet of water flows from the fountain into the pool, creating a spa-like atmosphere. On the back porch, two cushioned chairs
photos: FOTOSOLD REAL ESTATE PHOTOGRAPHY
provide a comfortable place to sit.
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change. For example, wrought iron will quickly rust around salt water. Aluminum that is not protected against salt will start to corrode. In any case, be sure to inform your furniture source that you have a salt water pool. The sun. Another big consideration when planning a space is the sun. The afternoon or setting sun can make an area either too hot or too bright at certain times of the day. If that space is the only option for your outdoor room, include some sort of shade product in your plans. Lighting is an important aspect of outdoor living. Be sure to incorporate an adequate number of outlets to handle lamps, standing fans and connections for barbecue pits. If at all possible, include a ceiling fan in your project. The moving air will help keep mosquitoes away. Floor. If you are going to use tile, bricks, or stone product for your outdoor room floor, be sure they are set as level as possible. There is nothing worse than sitting on a chair that wobbles because the floor is not level. Design help. Take advantage of the design services offered by most high-quality outdoor
furniture specialty stores before your plans are set in stone. It is easier to redesign a space before construction rather than after. Remember—spending time outside does not mean you have to forfeit the comforts of the indoors—a well-designed outdoor living space can be both comfortable and inviting. Upgrading a patio, porch or other outdoor area will not only afford your family and guests another space in which to relax and enjoy—it will add value to your home and help get top dollar if you sell. March-April 2015 39
Outdoor Living
photos: FOTOSOLD REAL ESTATE PHOTOGRAPHY
Water Features
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Inside Northside
A WATER FEATURE provides both the sights and sounds of relaxation. Whether designed to blend into the landscape naturally or to create a striking focal point, a water feature can enhance the environment of your outdoor living spaces. “When coupled with lush, multi-level gardens and carefully focused lighting, they can create an oasis to be enjoyed every day,” says Brent Reid of Shademakers. When designing your space, choose a fountain that will complement the style and feeling of your home. A formal garden surrounding a small pool and standing fountain might be appropriate, or perhaps a wall-mounted fixture pouring into a basin is more fitting. The designs of the structures and the basins available are as varied as the materials now used in creating them. Anna Papp of Outdoor Living Center suggests you consider the size of the area where a fountain or water feature will be placed and the way that space will be used when considering your furniture and accessories for the area. If it is enclosed, it will call for a different set of design specifications than it would as an open space flowing onto the lawn. Will the fountain enhance a passage on the way to your front door, or will you gather around it with friends and cocktails on a beautiful spring evening? Might it be the perfect way to anchor a seating area? An added benefit of incorporating water into the environment is the soothing sounds it creates. This is another area where the location should be considered when making the choice of what works best. A small ripple of sound might create enough diversion to the ambient sound of your neighborhood. If a more robust noise is required, consider a rush of water to make an impact. If the water falls onto rocks, even better. Many homeowners have found that adding a water feature of some kind, even a birdbath with its reflections, can add to the enjoyment of their porch, patio or yard. On the northshore, it is not uncommon to find a pond, even a small one, tucked into the landscaping. What a beautiful way to add an unexpected element to your property! Adding a water feature takes it from ordinary to extraordinary.
Outdoor Living
est. 1996
Clockwise from top left: A Resting Place was taken at Bellingrath Gardens and appears in the January/February print issue of Horticulture magazine. Pine Savanna Reflections. Web in Morning Dew photo was featured on Popular Photography’s website. Sunset at the Lily Pond celebrates the natural beauty of the Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge.
Local nature photographer Lana Gramlich will be featured in a threemonth display at MSU’s Crosby Arboretum in Picayune, Mississippi. To kick off the show, she will host a unique opportunity that might interest budding naturalists. A select few amateur photographers can join her on a free “photo walk” of the arboretum site beginning at 10 a.m. March 7. Participation is limited, so pre-register by calling Jill Mirkovich at (601) 799-2311. It will be a busy day for the noted photographer. After the opening reception for the Crosby Arboretum show from 1 - 3 p.m. March 7, she will be at the new Artist’s Galleries de Juneau at 2143 First Street in Old Town Slidell for Arts Evening, 5 - 9 p.m. A resident of Abita Springs, Lara is a collected, award-winning photographer with pieces in the collections of The Nature Conservancy, Getty Images and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
photos: LANA GRAMLICH
Nature Photographer Lana Gramlich
Enjoy These Natural Treasures! Filled with trails, the Crosby Arboretum of Mississippi State University in Picayune, Mississippi, gives visitors the full effect of the Gulf Coast landscape. Savanna, woodland and aquatic exhibits display diverse vegetation and foliage. But the Arboretum is certainly just one of many places where we can enjoy “getting back to nature” in great public outdoor spaces. Located in Lacombe along the coastline of Lake Pontchartrain, the Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge offers 18,000 acres of natural marsh and pine flatwoods. Bogue Chitto National Wildlife Refuge has 36,000 acres of peaceful, natural grounds where visitors might get a glimpse of migratory songbirds and several endangered and threatened species, such as the ringed-sawback turtle, American alligator and the gopher tortoise. Created in 1980, this refuge of the Pearl River Basin northeast of Slidell provides bayous, sloughs and bottomland hardwood forests; the beautiful swampland is one of the least disturbed in the country. Along with camping and hiking, the refuge is open to fishing, wildlife observation and canoeing. One of the northshore’s best assets for an easy outdoor living experience is the Tammany Trace. Stretching 28 miles across the parish, a canopy of trees drapes the paths. From Slidell to Lacombe to Mandeville to Abita Springs to Covington, the Trace gives walkers, cyclists and joggers a look into the natural side of St. Tammany. Green spaces, preserves and isolated parks surprise you around every bend, creating a series of outdoor places for you to enjoy. If traveling the length of it is too much for one outing, try the Trace one section at a time! If you’re feeling outdoor adventurous, visit fws.gov or tammanytrace.org for more information. March-April 2015 43
Outdoor Flourishes 2
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1. Tin post mailbox, $48. deCoeur Gifts & Home Accessories, Covington, 809-3244. 2. Art Poles make a bold statement in any garden or landscape; available in 3’, 4’ or 6’. Outdoor Living Center, Covington, 893-8008. 3. Bayou Angel adjustable dog and cat collars, sizes S-L starting at $14; Pet Odor Exterminator Candles in various scents, $10. Mandeville Animal Hospital, 377-0800.
3 1. 20� solar LED firefly, available in butterfly, grasshopper and ladybug, $54.95. The Pool & Patio Center, Metairie, 504-8371
2022.2. Handmade and -finished oil jars perfect for indoor or outdoor, starting at $285. the french mix, Covington, 809-3152. 3. 38� tall bird of paradise garden decoration with tiki torches, $395. The Pool & Patio Center, Metairie, 504-837-2022.
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What’s Hot For Outdoors? Even though The Pool & Patio Center has been in business since 1952, owner Bruce Aronson says, “The furniture and accessories introduced for the 2015 season are more exciting than anything I have seen in a long time!” Perhaps the most intriguing change is that backyards have morphed into outdoor rooms. Anything you would use to complete the design of an indoor space is available for your outdoor room. That includes rugs, drapes, lighting, throw pillows and cushioned furniture. For 2015, Bruce thinks these three things are the hottest: deep-seating arrangements, shade products and fire pits.
DEEP SEATING Sectionals are the hottest trend in outdoor rooms. Not only are they flexible enough to fit into oddly shaped areas, they can seat more people and are more comfortable for casual entertaining than traditional sofas and lounge chairs. Consider using a curved sectional like this Ratana curved Portifino sectional (above) as the centerpiece of an unusual design.
SHADE PRODUCTS Cantilevered umbrellas are quickly outselling umbrellas with center poles because cantilevered umbrellas are more versatile. They rotate 360 degrees, which means they cover an area four times larger than a comparable center-pole umbrella (below, right).
They can be tilted further than other umbrellas to create a larger area of shade. Plus, they look like an architectural additional to any outdoor room. The newest entry into the shade category is retractable awnings. They come in much larger sizes than any traditional umbrella and automatically retract at the sign of a storm. Consider a retractable awning when you want to give your outdoor space a custom look (below, left).
FIRE PITS No other category in outdoor products has grown as quickly as fire pits. Whether they burn real wood or operate on natural or LP gas, they provide the heat you need to use your outdoor room almost twelve months a year. Most fire pits replace cocktail tables in a grouping. When it is too hot for a fire, they become cocktail, dining or bar tables for yearround use (below, center). When it comes time to design your new outdoor room, let The Pool & Patio Center help you; after all, they are your EXterior decorator. The Pool & Patio Center is located at 3740 N. Causeway Blvd. in Metairie. (504) 837-2022. poolpatio.com. Open MondaySaturday, 9 – 5. Delivery everywhere in the greater New Orleans area, including St. Tammany.
March-April 2015 47
Town Planning Associates, he specializes in landscape design, town planning and environmental consulting services for government and private clients. With a strong commitment to his community, Villere was elected for three terms as mayor of Covington from 1991-2003. In 1995, after a vigorous campaign for a second term, Villere decided to take a brief respite from the hectic pace of politics. He did not have to go far to find the perfect spot teeming with native plants in a secluded area of his own backyard. Large quantities of tin and cypress boards intended for recycling and home repairs became perfect raw materials for indulging his creativity. “It all started as a way to engage with no goal or organization in mind, just the pure joy of making things with my hands,” Villere says of his experiments. He relishes his outdoor studio in this shady corner, open to the fresh air, natural light and ever-changing sky, yet secluded enough to hear birdsongs and the buzz of insects. Like most creative people, Keith Villere feels a special attachment to his early efforts. Unadorned, the minimal shape of SCHOOLS OF FISH, snakes, alligators and a Christmas tree the fish, aged with time, and created from nestled among Louisiana native plants grace the approach to found materials ubiquitous in the Southern an outdoor studio situated on a quiet boulevard in Covington. landscape, appealed to his design sensibility. The artisan in residence, Keith Villere, is recognized as a former His first satisfying form, a large fish cut from mayor noted for cultural development and revitalization in weathered tin, is visible today from inside downtown Covington. the home that Villere shares with his wife, A landscape architect by training, Villere earned a bachelor’s Carol Miles, son Zachary and daughter in landscape architecture at LSU, concentrating on the use of Emma, currently a student at Tulane who native plants indigenous to Louisiana. As the owner of Villere often visits from New Orleans. >> 48
Inside Northside
photos: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com
by Linda Dautreuil
The Pure Joy of Creativity March-April 2015 49
photos: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com
Gregarious with an aptitude for collaboration, Keith Villere is a man with ideas and a few opinions, seasoned by context and history. He is eager to show his latest venture into wearable art in the form of fish pins—brightly colored mini versions of his popular wall and free-hanging fish—and a select group of medallions that are sported by members of the St. John Fools of Misrule, the Covington Twelfth Night marching club. A natural storyteller, Villere relates how his artwork first appeared in homes and gardens. “Soon after I became proficient in producing the fish forms in various sizes and shapes, I began giving them as gifts to family and friends on special occasions.
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I added color, and the response was so positive I gradually increased my production, constantly trying to find ways to perfect my technique while investigating possible ways to duplicate the fish as multiples. I create a design using a software application, AutoCad, a popular tool used by architects, engineers and designers to produce designs in two and three dimensions. I brought my early designs to a friend to produce the fish shapes based on my computer drawings. He cut the tin using a water process and a ruby garnet abrasive. Eventually, changes in technology made it easier for me to convert my designs into tin shapes in my own workshop using a plasma cutter to achieve finer detail. I even explored the idea of mass production at the urging of a friend and client in Mexico who worked in metal. I eventually gave up on that idea because I did not like the uniformity of shape, which is the goal of mass production. There are subtle variations when pieces are produced individually that increase the personality of the completed form. I did not want to lose the feeling of authenticity that comes with variation.� Villere’s palette is fresh in the >> March-April 2015 51
photo: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com
manner of a self-taught artist whose expertise evolves from inventiveness. He describes his approach to landscape planning as that of an architect designing outdoor rooms. True to that philosophy, his artwork is designed for indoor or outdoor display. The natural process of aging and weathering to achieve a unique patina appeals to him. After working with the fish shape for some time, Villere cast his eye toward bargeboard panels and weathered cypress tucked away in various places in the open-air studio and workshop. He incorporated these as backgrounds for mounting his fish and then set about exploring an array of other forms that caught his fancy: birdhouses, banana leaves, and eventually skulls, snakes and alligators. His Christmas tree was a festive addition to the 2013 holiday, and it is now part of the Villere tradition. There are anecdotes associated with each of his creations, themes revealing Villere, the designer, as one who gives free reign to his imagination, always remaining open to the possibilities his materials present. He points out that one day he noticed the sinuous shapes left over from the fish he carved in tin. They reminded him of snakes and also of rivers and waterways winding through all parts of Louisiana’s topographical map. His first tin snake referenced the Tchefuncte River, and the collection now includes many others. He sometimes includes interpretive materials with bits of historical and cultural information to accompany the brightly colored and richly patterned snakes. Other left overs in tin began to suggest fish bones because of their random shapes and white coloration. A whimsical variation of the fish cut-outs, they never include bright color because the white paint residue on these scraps is resistant to new paint. Using the existing
white color and carving the tin in the shape of a skull seems another logical step for Villere, though his commitment to his fish was still top priority in this period. Convinced he could find a following in Florida, Villere headed east, only to discover the market was saturated with fish. He returned to Covington to explore new markets springing up in Southeast Louisiana. His venture into Florida yielded yet another unexpected result. Recalling an offhand comment made in response to his fish, Villere entertained the idea of the alligator as a new addition to his aquatic collection. He credits an African wood carving hanging on the wall in his home for influencing the design and shape of his alligators. Once the shapes are cut, he applies a base coat of high-gloss latex in the primary colors of blue, red and yellow. Small details are colored with fabric paint in a variety of color mixtures. Keith Villere continues to balance his commitments as a designer and urban planner with his creativity as an artisan. In 2004, a year after his final term as mayor, Villere was called to serve as president of the oldest visual arts non-profit venue on the northshore. His leadership as president of the St. Tammany Art Association encouraged collaboration between Covington and surrounding communities, the parish and the state to expand opportunities in the arts and education. It will be easy to spot Keith Villere’s latest venture into the landscape of the visual arts in 2015. Visit the St. Tammany Art Association Members’ Gallery, the Covington Art Market at the Covington Trailhead coordinated by STAA, and the Art Market at Palmer Park in New Orleans. For his latest collection of works influenced by the flora and fauna of Louisiana, stop by Henry Hood Gallery in Covington. March-April 2015 53
photo: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com
IN Great Taste
by Mimi Greenwood Knight
A Recipe for Success YVETTE JEMISON GREW UP COOKING without recipes. In a family that paid homage to a rich heritage of culinary passions, she was taught to recreate a family dish, not with a list of ingredients, measurements and temperatures, but by learning to recognize a certain color, consistency or smell. Lazy hours spent in the kitchen with her mother and grandmother taught her to trust her instincts and gave her the confidence to lend her own innovation to time-honored family fare. “One of the best gifts I was given was not to be handed exact recipes but to be allowed to adjust the dishes to my own taste and my family’s taste,” she says. Growing up in a military family, Yvette moved around quite a bit, even spending her high school years in Turkey. “On the weekends, a friend and I would hop on the city bus and spend the day eating Turkish street food, talking to the 54
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Yvette Jemison vendors and discovering new flavors,” she says. That influence was added to her culinary sensibility and in time passed along to her two daughters. “I married a man who loves to cook,” says Yvette. “I love to bake. We live in an area that’s deeply rooted in culture; where every holiday, every celebration centers around food and eating.” Family time at the Jemison house often meant cooking, creating and experimenting in the kitchen, where the girls were encouraged to put their own stamp on the family dishes. Vacations were planned around exploring new culinary traditions, with Yvette taking cooking classes and workshops and bringing home new ingredients and recipes to innovate and alter to her liking. Over the years, she won cooking competitions. She was coaxed into donating an evening of her cooking to charity auctions. But mostly her culinary prowess was reserved for grateful family and friends. “I love giving food gifts,” she says. “And I love having people over to eat.”
When the time came for the Jemison girls to head off to college, they asked their mother for something she’d never had—recipes of the family dishes. “Friends had been asking for years, but I didn’t have recipes to give them,” she says. “There had never been any. I set about trying to document the family cooking and baking traditions for the girls. I thought step-by-step pictures would help, so I got on the Shutterfly website and made each girl a set of picture books with photos of each step of each dish. I designed them for a young, inexperienced cook.” When Yvette’s friends and family saw the books, they clambered for copies of their own. “They’d tell me, ‘I don’t need a recipe. I see the pictures and I get it,’” she says. Yvette went them one further. She got in touch with husband and wife web designers Yesh and Tash out of London, England, and, with their help, designed an irresistibly delicious website at YDelicacies. com. On the site, Yvette offers the same photo-rich instructions she’d designed for her girls for such dishes as New Orleans Style Bar B Q Shrimp and Mini Fillo Shrimp Bites. (This is one website you don’t want to visit when you’re hungry.) There are downhome dishes like Maw Maw’s Potato Salad and Big Ol’ Batch of White Beans and more refined fare such as Kumquat Parmesan Vinaigrette and Pork Roast with Garlic and Whole Grain Mustard Crust. Many of her offerings are gluten-free. To reflect her own experience learning to cook, Yvette included a No-Recipe Cooking section where she gives tips and ingredient suggestions and photography that pulls you along step by step. The rest is up to you as you attempt her grandmother’s Buñuelos, French Bread Muffuletta, Heirloom Tomatoes and Burrata Salad and more. “The no-recipe section is meant to make cooking less >> March-April 2015 55
From Yvette’s kitchen I love how shared culinary traditions bind us to one another. A treasured family recipe not only connects us with our
current family and friends, but with past generations. A shared recipe is more than passing on ingredients and instructions...it is the flavor of a family.
Fig Cookies I add a touch of black pepper and a splash of red wine to my fig filling. I prefer to use purchased refrigerated pie crust for my cookie dough. The pie crust creates a thin layer of dough around the fig filling. Traditional fig cookies have thicker dough with less filling. Give me more filling, please! Fig Filling 1 pound dried figs, any variety, stems removed 1 cup raisins 1 cup fig preserves 1 cup apricot preserves (pineapple or peach can also be substituted) 1 tablespoon orange zest 1 tablespoon fresh ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 2 tablespoons red wine (optional)
Place the figs, raisins, preserves, orange zest, cinnamon, black pepper and wine in a food processor. Pulse until the ingredients are spreadable and have a slightly chunky consistency.
photos: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com
intimidating—to teach people to trust their instinct and build their confidence in the kitchen,” Yvette says. She adds, “For years, friends have asked me what’s in my pantry. So I also included a pantry section with everything I keep on hand and what brands I never deviate from.” There’s a list of cooking magazines she likes and a catalogue of more than 100 cookbooks that Yvette sheepishly admits to owning. “I love reading cookbooks,” she says. “I enjoy seeing how a chef’s mind works— what’s important to them. And I enjoy the ones with an eye for photography and cooking tips as well as recipes.” Yvette has plans for YDelicacies. com that include a Tote and Travel Thanksgiving meal to be cooked and frozen ahead of time, and ideas for edible gifts for next Christmas. “Someday, I’d love to put out a cookbook,” she says. “For now, I’m just excited to have an outlet where I can share my recipes and photos and the culinary traditions that have been such a big part of my life.”
Use the prepared filling for fig cookies or as a condiment with charcuterie/ cheese plate. Makes 4 cups. Cookies 1 recipe fig filling 3 rolls refrigerated pie crust Flour for dusting the rolling surface 6 cups powdered sugar 3/4 cup water 8 ounces nonpareils
Place the refrigerated pie crust on a counter at room temperature for 15 minutes or until it easily unrolls without cracking. Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl stir together the powdered sugar and water to make the glaze. Set aside. Flour counter top or rolling surface. Use a rolling pin to roll one of the pie crusts into a 12” x 14” rectangle. Cut the dough into 3 long, narrow strips roughly 4” x 14” each. Spread 5 tablespoons of filling down the center of each strip. For each strip, fold one of the long edges of dough inward toward the center to enclose the filling. After the first fold, use water to moisten the top of the first folded side. Lift the remaining side of dough and fold
onto the moistened dough to overlap. Press down to create a seal. Turn the filled and sealed dough seam-side down and cut crosswise into 1 1/2-inch-long cookies. You should be able to cut about 8 - 10 cookies from each strip of filled dough. Arrange 1/2 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Refrigerate the baking sheets with the unbaked cookies as you fill more dough. Repeat the same process with the remaining filling and remaining 2 pie crusts. Bake in small batches, because the cookies need to be glazed while warm. Have glaze prepared and a spoon to drizzle the glaze. Also have nonpareil sprinkles within reach. Place one baking sheet of cookies in the preheated oven and bake until golden brown, 18 - 22 minutes. Transfer to wire racks while warm. Place the rack over a sink or on a rimmed baking sheet to catch the drips while glazing. Working quickly, use the spoon to drizzle the glaze on one cookie and immediately sprinkle with nonpareils. Continue glazing and sprinkling the rest of the batch. Let the glaze set and let the cookies cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Makes 8 dozen bite-size cookies.
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TODAY, YOUNG PEOPLE ARE EXPOSED to situations that were beyond our imagination when the Youth Service Bureau started more than 30 years ago—some only a click away on the Internet. Drugs are more readily available and juvenile delinquency is increasing, as are school drop-outs and the tragedy of child abuse and neglect. Since 1982, the Youth Service Bureau has helped at-risk youth and their families meet concerns such as truancy, ungovernable behavior, abuse and neglect. Now, YSB’s highly trained professional
children. Not every child has an advocate or the resources to get the help they need; YSB is there for them and their families,” she says. “Our mission statements says it best: The mission of the Youth Service Bureau is to provide advocacy, counseling, education and intervention for at-risk youth and their families, helping them reach their full potential.” Five highly-beneficial prevention and early intervention programs help fulfill this mission: Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) is a program of highly trained volunteers who speak
The Youth Service Bureau Helping at-risk youth meet today’s challenges staff understands today’s greater challenges; the agency’s programs are designed to prevent and curb these problems. “I thank God for a program like this that helps our children by holding them accountable and giving them the help they need,” says one parent about the YSB Crossroads program. “The TASC Parenting Class gave me the tools I needed to become a more effective parent. My family is 200 percent better!” says another parent. And one young client, who successfully completed outpatient substance abuse therapy through the YSB’s Options program, says, “I think that this was a good program for me because it showed me what I was doing to my family and it helped me to realize that it just wasn›t worth it.” Many similar responses attest to the importance of this social service agency to St. Tammany and Washington parishes. YSB has an impressive record of effective and sensitive service to clients of all ethnicities from every socio-economic background. Tina Flick, who has been a member of the YSB board for about a year and half, has treasured her involvement with YSB and making a difference in the lives of children in crisis or need and their families. “I love to put my energy behind anything that helps 58
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in court for abused and neglected children. Crossroads processes referrals by the court of non-violent juvenile offenders, scheduling and supervising their community service work, and later providing counseling as needed for the youth and their families. Families In Need of Services (FINS) provides resources and support for families who have children with ungovernable behavior (such as running away and truancy) in an attempt to keep families from becoming involved in the court system. Options is a family-focused, licensed outpatient treatment program for adolescents who are experiencing problems with alcohol and/or other drugs. The Truancy and Assessment Service Center (TASC) is a prevention program that provides resources and support for children in grades K - 5 and their families in order to reduce truancy and prevent juvenile delinquency. “Our focus is on the children of the northshore. They are our future,” says Flick. “Government funding is being cut to programs like YSB—that’s why Chef’s Soirée, our largest fundraiser, is so critical for YSB and its programs. We need the support of the northshore community now more than ever.” For more information on the Youth Service Bureau and its programs, go to ysbworks.com.
Chef Soirée 2015 Poster Artist Suzanne King “I LOVE THAT OLD PAVILION,” mixed-media artist and northshore native Suzanne King says of the Bogue Falaya Park landmark. “I’ve spent many hours there.” When the opportunity to paint the Youth Service Bureau Chef Soirée 2015 poster presented itself, Suzanne jumped with paintbrush in hand. “It was by happenstance that I ran into Debbie Bresler,” Suzanne says. “I asked her if there was a contest to enter for the poster each year.” Debbie, who is the Chef Soirée coordinator, told her that the poster art is a donation. There is no competition— whoever comes forward usually gets the privilege. Debbie says, “We’re happy to have Suzanne as our poster artist. She’s so very talented.” Suzanne, who was thrilled to paint for such a wonderful event, asked to see the past years’ posters
photo: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com
The Old Pavilion first before creating her own. “I didn’t want to repeat anything,” Suzanne says. “And when I heard that they’ve never painted the pavilion, I was excited to do so.” Dazzled in stars and sparkling with fireworks, the Chef Soirée 2015 poster creates the excitement that the event itself always does. Suzanne painted a colorful rendition of the planned evening at Bogue Falaya Park. Her days of dancing at the pavilion are shared in the poster. “We had school dances there and parties on the last days of school,” Suzanne says. “I guess we brought our record players; I don’t remember a jukebox there.” The painting features partygoers lifting their glasses and some resting outside the pavilion listening to a fiddle player. Next to the fiddle player is Suzanne’s beloved cat, Jack, who has appeared in many of her paintings since he passed away. In the background, white tents are filled with the shadows of guests. At
first glance, you will see two cute kiddos in a cooking by Leah Draffen pot welcoming guests to the event. “The poster is a mix of paint and graphic art,” Suzanne explains. “I was a graphic artist at Shell Oil Company for 24 years, so a lot of what I do is mixed with graphics.” Suzanne is a full-time gallery artist at St. Tammany Art Association, where she displays her many mixed-media works. Drawing, painting, graphics and odds and ends from around her house make it onto the canvas in her studio. “I collect things and find a use for them,” Suzanne grins. “If I think something is beautiful, it ends up in my studio.” For an artist’s studio, Suzanne’s is very neat and organized. Amidst her current projects are previous works, including one of her Diva paintings from a previous collection. “People always ask, ‘When are you going to do the Waiters again? When are you going to do the Divas?’ My answer is, ‘I’m >> March-April 2015 59
not.’ I want to keep going with something different.” Suzanne’s current “different” is a new collection—Art of Manipulation (String Theory). The collection shares the manipulation of marionettes by the strings that hold them. “Usually when I have a theme, it comes from an experience,” Suzanne says. “This idea comes from things that happen or circumstances that manipulate our lives—things we can’t control.” The pieces combine school blue prints, brads, strings, beads and many other random pieces of hardware found around the house. Each canvas has one or more marionettes or someone controlling the marionettes. “Sometimes you can see who’s controlling the marionettes and other times you can’t,” Suzanne says. “Some are androgynous, where others have more detail.” Her collection will be displayed December 2 of this year at the St. Tammany Art Association. At Chef Soirée 2015, Suzanne will undoubtedly be kept busy
Chef Soirée 2015
signing her poster for the guests and sponsors, all while adding to her memories of the park and its old pavilion.
photo: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com
Chef Soirée will be held March 15 from 5 to 9 p.m. at Bogue Falaya Park. Tickets and sponsorship packages are available from $500. Individual general admission tickets are $145. Purchase both Chef Soirée and raffle tickets at 893-2570, or visit chefsoiree.com.
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“I like to say this event is a big gumbo of volunteers and blessings. It truly is a community effort,” says Debbie Bresler, Chef Soirée 2015 coordinator. The 31st annual Chef Soirée will be presented by Chevron to benefit the Youth Service Bureau. More than 85 restaurants and beverage purveyors will surround the pavilion at Bogue Falaya Park to serve up their delectable food and drinks. Before arriving at the food and drinks, however, everyone will follow the gate-opening parade into the grounds. This year, the 610 Stompers will lead the parade and dance with guests throughout the event. Benny Grunch and the Bunch, Gypsy River, Louisiana Spice, Voodoo Funk & Soul and The Wagners will groove into the evening before the grand fireworks finale that will close out the Soirée. Only 2,500 tickets will be sold for this year’s raffle. One lucky winner will drive home in a 2015 Ford Mustang, donated by Banner Ford and the Banner Drives Foundation. Among many beautiful auction items will be a signed 2011 limited edition Jazz Fest poster donated by Garland Robinette that is also signed by Jimmy Buffet. The Youth Service Bureau was founded in 1981 by request of Judge John W. Greene. It serves as an advocate, counselor, educator and intervention to at-risk youth and their families to help them reach higher goals. This year’s event will be dedicated to the memory of Judge Amy Clayton James, who helped start the Youth Service Bureau’s Court Appointed Special Advocates program in 1989.
IN Other Words by Becky Slatten
LENT IS ALWAYS SUCH A WELCOME REPRIEVE from the debauchery of Carnival. Just when we think we can’t handle one more piece of King Cake or fight through one more Bloody Mary, the season of reflection and restraint is upon us. Though I’m not Catholic (a Presbyterian actually … from Natchitoches … and, yes, there are Presbyterians in Natchitoches, a couple anyway), I usually try to give some stuff up for Lent so I can blend in with my Catholic friends. You know, the usual things— carbs, road rage and drinking alone. I admit it’s very difficult, so I mostly just attempt to be nicer. But, true to form, the folks in South Louisiana can’t go 40 days without a party, and so, Irish or not, we embrace St. Patrick as one of our own. And what better way to celebrate St, Paddy’s Day than to have some more parades? With Mardi Gras beads
My sister Cathy and me on Easter Sunday 1965.
with everyone else. And let’s not even discuss Chris Owens’ Easter Parade—enough is enough. Easter Sunday is, of course, the holiest day of the Christian calendar, but apart from the important religious significance, it means different things to different people. For many children, it means a chocolate bunny for breakfast. For one friend who
Chocolate Bunnies—It’s What’s for Breakfast still dripping from the trees, the people here line the streets ready for more. We didn’t really have that sort of thing in Natchitoches, though I did get to ride on the People’s Bank float in the Christmas parade in 4th grade AND I got to throw candy—Tootsie Rolls and butterscotch mostly. I don’t mean to brag, but it was kind of a big deal. My sister marched in that parade with her baton twirling group, so I feel we were pretty well represented that particular year. Parades are taken very seriously in this part of the world; we’ve all witnessed the atrocities committed for the sake of the plastic necklace. I, personally, saw a grown man take out a set of tiny triplets to score a stuffed snake, and I just pray no one witnessed my behavior at a parade in 2006—I grappled with another mother for a bag full of toys, which then sat in a closet for five years until I threw it away in shame. I can’t explain why, when I know for a fact that I don’t want even one strand of 10-cent beads, much less a green paper carnation, but I find myself begging for them along
gives up alcohol for Lent, it means a bottomless mimosa. For the older kids, it’s all about spring break and a beach. For me, it used to be one of the two days a year that I could dress my children in matching outfits; they’re too big now, and I’m just happy to guilt them into a church. One of my favorite photographs from childhood is of my sister and myself on an Easter Sunday dressed in matching hats and dresses, complete with patent leather Mary Janes … times have certainly changed. We have our own way of doing things down here and a zest for life that a lot of other places don’t understand. So it’s important that we pause and reflect and give thanks during the Lenten season, and then celebrate the resurrection of Jesus with a good-old-fashioned crawfish boil. Amen. March-April 2015 61
Family Traditions
photo courtesy: SIIRI QUICK
Savoring the Foods of Saint Joseph Altars
AT THE HEART of Saint Joseph altars is the celebration of Abbondanza, sharing an abundance of blessings with family, friends and community. Centuries of traditions are repeated annually as each assemblage of cookies, cakes, fresh fruit and vegetables, alongside an amazing array of cooked foods, is arranged with artistry. Each altar uniquely reflects culinary talents derived from recipes handed down through generations. In most Sicilian-Louisiana kitchens on the days before the Feast of Saint Joseph (March 19), tables are laden with artichokes, cabbages, eggplant, peppers and tomatoes, all awaiting their turn at being deliciously re-created into batter-fried, breaded or seafood-stuffed specialties. For Siiri Quick, her 20-plus years of “making Saint Joseph altars” began with prayers of petition.
by Sandra Scalise Juneau
When she was ordered to bed rest during a difficult pregnancy, she made a promise to open her home annually honoring the Feast of Saint Joseph. Each year following the healthy birth of her “miracle-child”—her now-21-year-old daughter, Cristen—Siiri has invited family and friends into her kitchen. The first weeks after Christmas are devoted to baking traditional Sicilian cookies. In the days just before the feast, their labor of love turns to preparing the savory foods, which, after the blessing of the altar, are served to hundreds of visitors Since Saint Joseph’s Day arrives in the middle of Lent, nothing on the altar will be prepared with meat—certainly no sacrifice here in Louisiana, where local bounties of fish, shrimp and crawfish dishes prevail. Always featured is Pasta con le Sarde, a fresh anise-infused spaghetti sauced with a rich sardine- >> March-April 2015 63
specialties, her guests are invited to a Louisiana-style crawfish boil! At most Saint Joseph altars, guests will usually be given a small take-home bag with a blessed “lucky bean,” a piece of Saint Joseph bread and an assortment of biscotti, including fig cookies. Besides these goodies, lingering within their senses will be the multiple aromas of both sweet and savory delicacies filling the
photo courtesy: ANTHONY “CHOPPER” LEONE
flavored, tomato-based gravy and embellished with currants and toasted pine nuts. By tradition, this pasta is topped not with cheese, but with Mudica, a seasoned, toasted bread crumbs mixture said to represent the sawdust of Saint Joseph’s workshop. A bit of lagniappe sets apart Siiri Quick’s Saint Joseph altar at her Mandeville home— besides the feast of traditional Sicilian
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three-tiered tables. My favorite among the savory dishes is this centerpiece found on most Saint Joseph altars: baked, stuffed redfish.
Stuffed Redfish Baked in Tomato-Wine Sauce 4 or 5 pound redfish or red snapper, prepared for stuffing as follows: 1. Leave fish whole with head and tail on. Remove eyes and discard. 2. Clean fish of scales and gills. 3. Cut into fish a deep slit, from tail to head, to open a pocket for stuffing. 4. Remove and discard entrails. 5. Remove center bone and clean, leaving fishmeat attached. 6. Reserve center bone for stock. 7. Check to remove any loose bones inside fish. 8. Rinse fish, including center cavity; pat dry with paper towels; cover; and refrigerate until ready to cook. Fish Stock 4 quarts water 3 teaspoons salt (add more as needed) 1 small onion, cut in quarters 2 ribs celery, cut in half 2 bay leaves 2 tablespoons Zatarain’s Crab-Boil mix Center-bone of fish, including meat attached Shrimp peelings, including heads ½ lemon, including juice and skin
Bring water to a full boil. Add salt, onion, celery and seasonings. Return to boil. Add fish bone, shrimp peelings and lemon and continue cooking on medium heat. Skim top, discarding foam as it rises. Taste and add more salt, if needed. Simmer cleared stock for 30 minutes. Remove fish bone, reserve meat and discard bone. Strain stock and set aside. >> March-April 2015 65
Redfish Dressing 2 cups French bread, sliced and toasted 1 cup fish stock ½ cup olive oil 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 1 cup medium shrimp, cleaned and deveined 1 cup fish meat removed from boiled center-bone 1 cup chopped celery Salt and black pepper to taste 2 pinches cayenne pepper 1 can (28 oz.) Italian plum tomatoes; remove 1 cup tomatoes and chop into bits ½ cup plain bread crumbs 1 bay leaf 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 4 tablespoons fresh basil, sliced into thin
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“chiffonade”
1 medium onion, minced
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, crushed
1 cup finely chopped celery Tomato liquid and remaining chopped
Soak toasted bread in fish stock, squeeze dry of excess liquid and set bread aside. In a heavy skillet, sauté onions in warmed olive oil just until translucent. Add celery and cook on low heat. Add shrimp and cook until they turn pink, then season with salt, pepper and cayenne. Stir in fish meat. Gradually add squeezed bread and cook until dressing slightly sticks to bottom of pan, scraping into dressing. Stir in chopped tomatoes, stirring to fully incorporate. Stir in bread crumbs and season with herbs. Set aside. Sauce ½ cup olive oil
tomatoes from 28 oz. can in dressing recipe 1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce 2 cups seafood stock 1 cup Pinot Grigio, or other dry white wine Salt and black pepper to taste 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 4 tablespoons fresh basil, sliced into thin “chiffonade” 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, crushed
Warm oil and cook onions until caramelized. Reduce heat and add celery. Add tomato liquid, chopped tomatoes and tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Add stock, bring to a boil and
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add wine, boiling for 3 minutes, or until liquid reduces by half. Season sauce with salt and black pepper, remove from heat and add herbs. Set aside. Baking Assembly 4 or 5 pound redfish or red snapper 1 cup olive oil
fish. Add 2 cups sauce around fish into pan and carefully spoon ½ cup over the fish. Return fish to bake for 15 minutes. Reserve remaining sauce to serve with fish at table. Remove from oven and allow fish to stand for 10 minutes before garnishing to serve.
Mediterranean sea-salt to taste Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Garnish
1 large yellow onion, cut into thick
3 lemons, sliced into rounds, seeds
rounds
removed Fresh curly parsley, rinsed and dried on
Pre-heat oven to 375°. Brush olive oil onto fish and inside the pocket, then season with a sprinkling of salt and black pepper. Stuff dressing into pocket, securing in place with toothpicks or skewers. Brush olive oil into a large, shallow baking pan and place onion rounds as a base for fish. Place stuffed fish onto the onion rings and cover tail and head with foil. Add 1 cup wine to bottom of pan, place into pre-heated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Remove foil from head and tail of 68
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paper towels ½ cup stuffed olives and pimentos sliced into rounds (Reserve one stuffed olive, not sliced) 1/3 cup caper berries, rinsed and drained
Carefully place baked fish onto a serving platter or wooden board. Place lemon slices around outside of fish, tucking parsley between slices. Scatter sliced olives and caper berries over fish. Add one lemon slice and reserved stuffed olive, toothpick secured into
eye socket. To serve, cut fish so that each serving is a slice of fish topped by dressing and another layer of fish. This simple Sicilian staple, easily turned into a delicious entrée, can be prepared with any of your vegetable leftovers—broccoli, cabbage, eggplant, green beans or peas.
Froscia: Scicilian Vegetable Omelet 1/2 cup olive oil 2 cups fresh green beans—cleaned, cut, blanched, thoroughly drained 1 can (14.5 oz.) artichoke hearts—cut into quarters, thoroughly drained 2 cups bread crumbs 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 4 tablespoons fresh basil, torn 4 tablespoons minced fresh parsley 4 – 6 eggs (depending on size of the skillet) Salt and black pepper to taste Lemon for garnish
In a large open skillet, heat olive oil. Lower heat and add 1 cup of the bread crumbs, sprinkling evenly over bottom of skillet. Add vegetables but do not stir. Allow vegetables to warm through, season with salt and pepper and top with cheese. Whisk eggs to a slight froth, adding basil and parsley. Pour over vegetables in skillet, tilting the pan to evenly distribute. Loosen the bottom of pan to avoid sticking. Cook over low heat until egg is set. Top with 1 cup bread crumbs and season with salt and pepper. Loosen omelet from pan and turn onto a large plate, flipping over. Slide froscia back into the skillet to brown bottom. Flip onto a serving platter. Cut into wedges and serve warm, garnished with lemon slices. March-April 2015 69
by Leah Draffen
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DURING LOUISIANA’S SPRING, numerous birds migrating north from Mexico and South America to their summer home fly across our state. After a long gulf crossing, they stop in our wetlands and healthy forests to take a breather, and the annual Great Louisiana BirdFest takes flight at the Northlake Nature Center—this year, April 10 – 12. Louisiana is the busiest coast in the world for birds. Nearly the entire eastern population and several western songbirds and waterfowl pass over our coast in one of the world’s greatest spectacles. Our location makes this an excellent time for birding—the weather is typically warm but not yet hot, and the trees are usually leafing out but still thin enough for improved visibility. Birdwatchers and novices are able to attend birding trips and a photo workshop to indulge in Louisiana’s rich bird traffic—and also enjoy Louisiana food and hospitality. Birders travel from across the United States to participate in the festival. Each year, 125 to 150 species can be seen
Inside Northside
during BirdFest. Possible migrants include raptors, vireos, warblers, tanagers, grosbeaks, orioles, thrushes and buntings. The number is dependent on the weather. The best condition is shortly after a strong cold front—this may create conditions for a “fallout,” where trans-gulf migrants, battling wind and rain, go to ground soon after they hit land. These “fallouts” are not common, but they can offer the opportunity to see many different species and/ or hundreds of individuals of a single species in a small area. BirdFest trips will visit varied habitats, including swamps, wetlands, pine savanna and hardwoods of Southeast Louisiana. Among the many excellent birding locations is Pine Island, a rookery located in a private preserve. BirdFest returns to Joyce Wildlife Management Area and Manchac Swamp to look for songbirds by land and water; a pontoon boat ride into Manchac Swamp provides a closer look for birdwatchers. Big Branch National Wildlife Refuge hosts endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers and
photo courtesy: NORTHLAKE NATURE CENTER
Great Louisiana BirdFest 2015
night creatures during the spring festival. A trip to Backyard Gardens will allow festivalgoers the ability to see habitats, nesting, food sources and bodies of water where birds will convene. The Bogue Chitto River Reserve Habitats stretches for 1,786 acres of cypress tupelo swamps, a hardwood forest, rolling landscapes and streams. Honey Island Swamp, like the other planned sites, allows for prime bird habitats. One of the best bird-watching hotspots, Honey Island Swamp is within the Mississippi flyway between the West and East Pearl River; migrating birds tend to follow these north-south running rivers. For registration information and a full schedule for BirdFest, go to northlakenature.org. Before and after scheduled trips, BirdFest participants are invited to take a leisurely walk through the Northlake Nature Center preserve. The seven miles of trails through 400 acres, marked for self-guided tours, offer the opportunity to experience three different ecosystems: hardwood forest, pine-hardwood forest and pond-swamp. The ponds in the cypress swamp area are the result of beaver dams—a beaver lodge is visible from one of the center’s raised boardwalks. The center also has a grove of giant southern magnolias. In addition to the outstanding natural features, areas of cultural interest include the site of an archaeological survey yielding evidence of a 700-year-old Acolapissa Native American population. Especially for BirdFest visitors—you may see wood ducks, migrant warblers, and if you’re lucky, the flock of more than 20 wild turkeys! March-April 2015 71
IN Rhythm
by Leah Draffen
SITTING ON THE FOLD-DOWN SEAT of my paw-paw’s step-side Toyota, the all-so-familiar lyrics flow through the crackling FM radio. “Well, I’m a runnin’ down the road try’n to loosen my load, I’ve got seven women on my mind …” At that moment, he rolls down the windows, and the breeze hits my eight-year-old tangled hair. That’s when I knew what “taking it easy” meant. Sitting on a bar stool at Hook’d Up on the river in Madisonville. Ricky Windhorst and Rick Samson start the set with the Eagles’ Take It Easy (or Travis Tritt’s 1993 version). There I was, transported back to that fold-down seat in my paw-paw’s Toyota amidst the orange life jackets, fishing tackle and minnow bucket. Having spoken to Rick and Ricky before the show, their opening number made perfect sense. They’re both taking it easy. Rick and Ricky began their musical careers years ago but were on different paths until about 1982. Rick was playing Friday nights at the old Dixie Café on Gibson Street in downtown Covington. Ricky was playing weekend shows there with his then current band Bad Dog. As Ricky puts it, this is how they met: “I went to go see 72
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him play one night. He didn’t really know me, but somebody asked Rick ‘the guy from Bad Dog is here, can he sing a song with you?’ Rick said sure. It was my bad time—I was smoking—I went up to sing with him, and Rick said ‘no cigarettes on my stage.’ And that’s how I met Rick.” Ricky put out his cigarette, and after that, the two became pals. “I’d go on Friday nights, and we’d sign Turn the Page,” Ricky says. During that time, Ricky was singing for the J. J. Muggler band— which put Ricky into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. All the while, Rick was playing acoustic shows, enjoying music. “We were trying to make it with J. J. Muggler, and it just didn’t happen, so we went to Flora-Bama to decompress and saw these acoustic bands and said ‘wow, we could do that,’” Ricky says. Shortly after, he stepped out of his house to watch the Eve parade. Sure enough, he saw Rick and pulled him in to tell him about the acoustic band he wanted to start. “We missed the second half of the parade because we were jamming out,” Ricky grins. And there—you guessed it—Four Unplugged >>
photo: LEAH DRAFFEN
Taking It Easy: Ricky Windhorst and Rick Samson
at Hook’d Up in Madisonville.
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photo: LEAH DRAFFEN
Ricky Windhorst and Rick Samson
was born. Ricky, Rick and Ricky’s wife, Jan, started the acoustic number that later grew into a wellknown crew of musicians. Four Unplugged still plays today, with more than four folks and a few wires here and there. For 18 years, they have traveled and played—festivals, shows, destinations, cruises. Ricky still jams as lead vocalist of Four Unplugged, but Rick decided to step down from the band to follow his acoustic nature. “I’m an acoustic guitar player; it’s a natural thing to me,” Rick says.
Rick began playing music as a teenager. His four older brothers all played. “Every time they left a guitar laying around, I would pick it up,” Rick says. “I started doing gigs around 16 or 17 and never thought that I would play for a lot of people.” (Speaking of a lot of people, the shows featuring Rick and Ricky are slammed with fans, followers and friends.) About two years ago, Rick began playing acoustic shows at Hook’d Up. He cannot believe that it has been so long. His explanation? “Time flies when you’re having cheeseburgers.” Ricky joined Rick shortly after the weekly shows began, making the dynamic duo—Rick and Ricky. Their shows put you back into your ’79 Camaro or that awesome longhaired do. In my case, it puts me back in my paw-paw’s Toyota. From Bob Segar to the Allman Brothers, the two lead singers harmonize perfectly.
Ricky belts notes while patting on his cajón, and Rick sings while strumming his acoustic guitar. Other musicians join the party to have a good time. “People show up, and Rick lets them play,” Ricky says. Overall, the show stays acoustic—like Rick intended. “It’s acoustic, light percussion and a lot of vocals,” Rick explains. The heads nodding, the lips singing and the toes tapping around Rick and Ricky’s stage show the effect their song choices and talent have on people. “We take this seriously, but we take it with fun also,” Rick says. “We want to keep on doing this as long as we can.” The motto could be “lighten up while you still can.” Their song choices are light, feel-good songs. The ones you can sing along with—or dance to. “We like the same things. I like all the songs he likes, he likes everything I like and everything else is just lagniappe,” Rick says. Their laid-back state-of-mind lets them sit down on stage with no plan in hand. “We usually don’t know what we’re playing until we get up there,” Ricky says.
However, there has been some planning involved for the next summer show at Flora-Bama. Each year, Four Unplugged returns to Flora-Bama to play. The guys let me in on a little secret: Rick and Ricky will play a show on Thursday, June 11, before Four Unplugged takes the stage June 12 and 13. As for now, that’s the extent of their planning. Wednesdays just come natural, and the weekends are filled with Four Unplugged shows for Ricky. While many bands fluctuate musicians, Rick and Ricky have been pretty consistent. They play together while playing in each other’s band when they can. Rick also has his band, The Rick Samson Project, which plays locally. Whatever stage the two are playing on, they enjoy it just the same. Ricky says, “I love when everyone is listening, the crowd is into it and you’re getting that energy back from them. But if it’s just him and me sitting on my front porch playing and singing, I get just as much from that, too.” They will continue to take it easy as they do what they love. And if you’re wondering who’s who, Ricky says he’s “the pretty one.”
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Habitat’s Women Build
W.A.T.C.H.
by Leah Draffen
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THE MEMBERS OF HABITAT FOR HUMANITY West St. Tammany’s Women Build are not blind to the needs of our community’s low-income citizens. They pick up hammers and nails and raise dollars to work with and help build homes for those less fortunate. Women Build, which began in 2002, is an annual project that allows St. Tammany women the opportunity to build houses, positively impact the community and empower others to contribute. In 2009, Women Accepting the Challenge of Housing,
Inside Northside
or W.A.T.C.H., was created to fund the efforts of Women Build and also to involve others. Since 2009, W.A.T.C.H. has raised a total of $245,000. CJ Ladner, W.A.T.C.H. co-chair, says, “My involvement in Habitat for Humanity is the most rewarding thing I have ever done in my life. Being a part of Woman’s Build every year, especially co-chairing our W.A.T.C.H. component, gives me an opportunity to invite others like myself who have the passion to help those that are less fortunate.”
photos courtesy: W.A.T.C.H.
Futures Come to Life
Opposite Left: Volunteer working on a Women Build home. Opposite Right: Patsy Lang and Lizby Eustis. Below: Habitat construction
photos: FIELDING PHOTOGRAPHY
supervisors Spencer Grant and Craig McDowell.
Each member of W.A.T.C.H. pledges $1,000 toward a $100,000 goal each year. Socials held by W.A.T.C.H. chairs, members and friends give more women the chance to make a difference. Maurer van Voorthuysen, W.A.T.C.H. co-chair, says, “W.A.T.C.H. helps us draw in many women who want to support our cause without doing construction. Each year, several women open their homes for a casual get-together to spread the word to their friends who in turn help tell our story. The financial contribution from our WATCH group is a significant part of our fundraising.� >> March-April 2015 77
The success of Women Build and W.A.T.C.H. continues to grow each October during its fundraiser, but members who donate are also welcome to work on-site of the houses being built. Habitat St. Tammany West has four full-time employees in charge of construction who also lead volunteers through building tasks. The construction crew and volunteers work every Tuesday through Saturday building homes. “By the end of the day women are hanging doors,” says Leighanne Weeks, Habitat marketing and communications coordinator. “It’s empowering. The feeling of ‘yeah, I did that.’” Phoebe Whealdon, Women Build co-chair, says, “It’s a great experience to see all the passionate women giving their time, and it is amazing to see your handiwork at the end of a build day.” The money raised by W.A.T.C.H. and the work of the volunteers directly benefits not only the construction of Habitat homes, but also the futures of families who wish to own them. “We’re not just creating a home for these families, we’re creating a future,” says Jennifer Jennifer Messina, development director of Habitat for Humanity West St. Tammany. “When a child takes you by the hand and wants to show you their room because they’ve never had a room before, that’s why we do what we do.” The philanthropic hearts of the women involved gathered 32 current members of W.A.T.C.H and more than 354 volunteers last year. Two homes were built in 2014—Women Build contributes to the construction of two homes each year, a total of 24 new homes since 2007. “As a realtor, 78
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W.A.T.C.H. Build Day with Habitat homebuyer Rogers Anderson.
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photo courtesy: W.A.T.C.H.
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it has always been a priority for my volunteer hours to be associated with housing,” says W.A.T.C.H. co-chair Lizby Eustis. “West St. Tammany is blessed with an abundance of high-end homes, but lacks affordable housing for our workforce community. Seeing the dreams come true for so many has certainly been a powerful and moving experience.” The two Women Build’s 2014 homeowners, Latoya Scott and Ashley Jordan, own homes built on Square 150. Square 150 is a half-block of land in Mandeville where seven Habitat homes will be completed. With the help of Women Build, W.A.T.C.H. and the Habitat home-buying process, Latoya and Ashley were able to reach their goals of homeownership. “I told myself that if I can’t keep the house I’m living in, I don’t want it. The greatest feeling I could have is calling a place my own,” says Latoya. Latoya had the blueprint of her home hanging on her wall for three years awaiting the day that she could have the keys to own her home. She recently got her LPN certification
and plans to become an RN this year. Amidst these blessings, she will also be a homeowner. “I need to give my kids something to look forward to,” she says. “I am my son’s everything, and I need to show him that if I can do it, he can too.” Ashley Jordan has raised her two young daughters with the goal of buying a home for them some day. This year, that dream has come true. “I’m buying a home, a place for my kids to call home. I want a safe and secure home for me and my girls so if something ever happens to me, I know they will have a roof over their heads and be protected,” she says. Ashley looks forward to teaching her girls responsibility by requiring them to clean their own rooms—a new luxury taken with pride. “People who are prideful and responsible make better citizens for our growing parish,” says Lizby. “The W.A.T.C.H. ladies have been a large part of making many of those dreams reality. I am proud to be part of this community and part of a team that does so much for so many.” >>
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2255 N. Hwy. 190 • Covington (985) 871-5480 • (800) 229-2789 www. naiala.com March-April 2015 79
Right: Homebuyers Bertha Johnson and Ashley Jordan working on sweat equity hours. Below: Habitat volunteer preparing
photo: FIELDING PHOTOGRAPHY
photo courtesy: W.A.T.C.H.
lumber for the homes.
807 Asbury Dr. Mandeville, LA 70471
985-727-1800 www.weimerfamilydentistry.com
Dr. Weimer is practicing orthodontics as a general dentist. 80
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Habitat currently has 11 families working toward homeownership and four homes are currently being built. Habitat homeowners are low-income members of the community who earn 30-60 percent of the area’s median income in wages. There is a misconception that the houses are simply given, which is not the case. Candidates first have to qualify for their home, be able to afford it and put sweat equity hours in by not only helping to construct their own home and other families’ homes, but also attending educational workshops. “We’re trying to break the cycle of poverty by not only selling them an affordable home, but by educating them,” Jennifer says. The empowerment that volunteers and Women Build members feel after contributing to the construction of someone’s future is multiplied once the families are able to move into their homes. “More often then not, families will come to signing with a U-Haul full of things, ready to go move in,” says Jennifer. “It is so fulfilling to watch and experience the joy and excitement with them.” The infectious nature of the pride that develops during
Lakeside Village Cottages Spring Tour the volunteer process is what drives members of Women Build and W.A.T.C.H. to continue building homes, especially when working along side future homeowners like Ashley and Latoya. Sharon Lo Drucker, Women Build co-chair, says, “This nonprofit is unique in that as a volunteer from St. Tammany West, you can actually meet and work with the family you are building the home for who lives in the same community. We are directly helping a family that shops for groceries and whose kids may go to your child’s school and participate in sports where you live. We are making a direct impact in the place where you live and have met the family personally.” CJ sums up the meaning of Women Build and W.A.T.C.H., saying, “It is rewarding when we see our own community giving a hand up and not a hand out. I can’t think of a better way to give back to our community than to use the blessings that have been given.”
April 16 - 19, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. each day Lakeside Village, Mandeville Each of the three cottages on the tour will have a unique display that will add an element of fun to this spring tour. Featured designers are Berger Home, St. Romain Interiors and The French Mix Interior Design. The MIX clothing store will set up a boutique shop with the latest fashions, there will be wine tasting with a variety of wines available for purchase and Painting With a Twist will have local artists performing painting demonstrations. Tickets: $20 per person. 100 percent of the ticket sales benefit Habitat for Humanity St. Tammany West. Tickets available at The Sanctuary, Painting With a Twist, NOLA Lending, The MIX, Georgian Furnishing and Bergerhome, St. Romain Interiors, The French Mix Interior Design and Habitat for Humanity St. Tammany West ReStore or at habitatstw.org/lsvcottages. Sponsors include H. Crosby Construction, NOLA Lending, Painting With a Twist, The MIX, The Sanctuary Team Real Estate Resource Group and Crosby Development. For information, call 985-674-7500.
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Traces
Erica on writing The First Wife I love settings that have atmosphere and definite personalities. So, naturally, I set most of my novels here in South Louisiana. I also like writing about places I can really wrap my arms around. In the case of The First Wife, I chose Folsom and Louisiana’s horse country. However, I usually change the name of the town to protect the innocent. I mean, I can make some bad stuff happen in the nicest places, and it just seems wrong to hang that on anybody. Plus, I have a perverse sense of humor—all that twisted stuff happening in a town named Wholesome? I just can’t resist. And if I’m confessing all here—and I suppose I am—there’s also a bit of self-indulgence involved; if I want my fictional world to have a town square, I’ll have one! Over the years, I’ve done some
Erica Spindler Author of Romantic Suspense Novels
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Erica with horse Roubles at Stirling Farm.
photos: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com
Her more than 30 novels have been lauded as “thrill-packed page turners, white-knuckle rides and edge-of-your-seat whodunits.” Her skill for crafting engrossing plots and compelling characters has earned both critical praise and legions of fans. A New York Times and international bestselling author who has won numerous literary awards and is published in 25 countries, Erica Spindler calls Mandeville home. Erica and her husband met in art school and have been together ever since. They have two sons. They came to their present home in much the same way she came to writing—fate intervened. She and her husband, then college students, traveled to New Orleans to see the King Tut exhibit at the New Orleans Museum of Art. Without advance tickets, they had a choice: wait in line all day or spend the day sightseeing. They chose the latter and fell head-over-heels in love with the city, eventually settling on the northshore. Raised in Rockford, Illinois, Erica had planned on being an artist, earning a master’s in the visual arts from the University of New Orleans. In June 1982, in bed with a cold, she picked up a romance novel for relief from daytime television. She was immediately hooked, and soon decided to try to write one herself. She leaped from romance to suspense in 1996 with her novel Forbidden Fruit and found her true calling in writing romantic thrillers such as Justice For Sara, Watch Me Die, Blood Vines, Breakneck and Last Known Victim. Her novel Bone Cold won the prestigious Daphne du Maurier Award for excellence. In Erica’s newest novel, The First Wife, an idealistic young woman marries a man she barely knows only to discover his first wife disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Like many of her books, it is set in Louisiana—in this case, on a fictionalized estate on 90 wooded acres in the northshore horse country.
Reading Between the Wines Literary Series March 4, 7 p.m. Discussion and book signing Pearl Wine Co. 3700 Orleans Ave., New Orleans
Presented by Pearl Wine Co. and literary website Fleur de Lit
interesting research for my books. Police ride-alongs, morgues and wineries, to name a few. The First Wife presented an even bigger research challenge: horses. Not only did I know nothing about horses, I was terrified of them. I pressed on anyway, visiting farms and shows, wandering around barns, learning the various breeds and even witnessing the artificial insemination of a prize Danish Warmblood. And I wrote, and wrote some more. The whole time, I had this feeling that something about the story wasn’t working. Finally, I realized what it was: I hadn’t created a real, sensory connection with my setting. How could I write about horses or riding without actually experiencing it myself? So I put on my big girl pants and took up a friend’s offer of a riding lesson. I confess my legs were shaking pretty bad, but I did it. And actually, sort of, enjoyed it. Certainly enjoyed the exhilaration of facing my fears head on—with a lot of help from Fancie Stirling and Tony Tasso at Stirling Farm. From that moment, the story fell into place and came alive. I even incorporated my fear—and overcoming it—into the novel by putting my protagonist through the very same thing. I love it when a plan comes together! – Erica Spindler For more information on Erica and her work, go to ericaspindler.com. March-April 2015 83
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1. Silver-brushed, antique-inspired finish Zafir trays; small, $39.99; large, $59.99. American Factory Direct Furniture Outlets, Mandeville, 871-0300. 2. Old California, Amber Hills original 48” X 60” oil painting by Erin Lee Gafill, $7,900. St. Romain Interiors, Madisonville, 845-7411. 3. Spring-inspired Aurelia shams by Matouk, starting at $108; duvet covers, starting at $423. Hestia Luxury in Linens, Covington, 893-0490. 4. Modern Sprout’s self-watering herb kit Garden Jar, $20.99. Earthsavers, Mandeville, 674-1133. 5. Three-ring cigar table with gold leaf finish and antique mirror top, $229. Niche Modern Home, Mandeville, 624-4045. 6. African sea glass beads can be worn as jewelry or used as home décor; small, $18; large, $43. Rug Chic, Mandeville, 674-1070.
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1. Silver Mudpie crawfish salt and pepper shakers, $21.99 per set. Mandeville Party Co., Mandeville, 674-1605. 2. Highest quality, all natural, handmade olive oil soaps to soothe the driest of skins, $4.50 each. Infusé, Mandeville, 778-0903. 3. Cross painting with gold and silverleaf by Tamorah Myers, $325. Mélange by KP, Mandeville, 807-7652. 4. Michael Aram Butterfly Ginkgo keepsake box, $180. Arabella Fine Gift and Home Décor, Mandeville, 727-9787. 5. Rustic iron prairie floor hurricanes in 41.5”, 47.5” and 55.5”, starting at $270. Mia Sorella, Slidell, 781-3909.
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1. Travel-sized blow dryer and flat iron duo from Paul Mitchell Pro Tools, $75. H20 Salon, Mandeville, 951-8166. 2. Round blue heron platter by Dana Wittman, $79. Deluca’s Expressions in Gold, Covington, 892-2317. 3. 40� wooden carved urn-shaped lamp, $412. EMB Interiors, Mandeville, 626-1522. 4. This Bunny Loves You by Farmhouse Fresh gift set includes scrumptious body scrub and hand cream, $36. The Oasis Day Spa, Mandeville, 624-6772. 5. Planter basket with assorted spring blossoms, starting at $50. Florist of Covington, 892-7701.
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IN Better Health
by Stacey Paretti Rase
with April Picou JUST OVER TWO YEARS AGO, April Picou was a happy, healthy 40-year-old who enjoyed a vibrant life and worked offshore for a catering company. But all that changed one day when she began having chest pains at work and was taken to a hospital close by. While there, she underwent an angiogram —a diagnostic tool used to uncover heart and blood vessel conditions. April’s heart turned out to be fine, and her symptoms resolved. But within three weeks of the procedure she began having horrible pain in her right leg. “My primary care doctor ordered an ultrasound to see what could be wrong. I remember the tech stopping in the middle of the procedure to rush to get the doctor,” April says. The ultrasound showed a major blood clot that had settled in April’s hip following the angiogram. The complication is very rare but is a known potential risk of the procedure. 90
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Over the next two years, April underwent multiple procedures to clear the blockages, including three femoral bypasses. But the clots kept returning, as did the horrific leg pain that came with them. The procedures eventually made things worse and caused blockages all the way down to April’s lower leg. She couldn’t sleep or stand and was eventually wheelchair bound as walking was impossible. She lost her job and had virtually given up hope of having a normal life again. With seemingly no other options, April decided that amputation of her leg was her only choice. Prior to the surgery, April was told to get clearance from a cardiologist and was referred to Dr. Frank Arena, lead physician at the Cardiac Vascular and Vein Center at Lakeview Regional Medical Center in Covington. April says everything changed during that appointment. “Dr. Arena told me he thought he could save my leg with an angioplasty. At first, I told him ‘no’ because by that time I already had my mind set on the amputation. I had a second opinion that agreed I should amputate. I didn’t want to get my hopes up—I hadn’t walked in two years when I met Dr. Arena,” says April. “But he convinced me to try. He told me not to give up, and that if I was willing to fight, he would fight with me. After he walked out of the room, I cried. I said to myself, ‘This has got to be my chance.’” The procedure Dr. Arena suggested would attempt to open blockages in April’s damaged blood vessels to restore better blood flow. Dr. Arena compares the vessels in the leg to an interstate system—most of the exits on April’s interstate were closed. Not having blood flow was causing her leg to die, and restoring flow was not going to be easy. He had to study April’s case and the notes
photos: FIELDING PHOTOGRAPHY
Health Concern: Blood clots in leg following angiogram. Treatment: Angioplasty.
photo courtesy: LAKEVIEW REGIONAL
April Picou and Dr. Arena.
from her past procedures extensively to determine how her native anatomy had been reworked. “All we were left to work with really were grafts,” explains Dr. Arena. “We just had to make what we were left with work.” The angioplasty, which coincidentally was performed on the same date that April’s leg amputation surgery was scheduled, was successful. After a few months of rehabilitation, April was walking and enjoying life again. She now works six hours at a time on her feet cooking in her daughter’s café and enjoys playing with her grandchildren. Her last ultrasound showed good flow in her leg, as well as positive signs that her remaining native anatomy has maintained since the procedure. April may need a follow up angioplasty every five years or so to maintain good blood flow, but Dr. Arena is optimistic about her prognosis. Dr. Arena says that an angiogram is a common procedure that diagnoses real problems and can lead to lives being saved, but he stresses that all procedures come with risks. He encourages all patients who undergo an angiogram to recognize the signs and symptoms of blood clots and know where to go to treat them. Most important is choosing a doctor who uses an experienced team in the catheterization lab, who will listen closely to patient concerns and who will pay attention to details. April knows how lucky she is to have found a doctor as passionately aggressive as Dr. Arena. She credits him with not just saving her leg, but giving her back a normal life. “I thank God every day for him,” she says. “He’s my angel!” March-April 2015 91
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Stripes and Florals 1. Navy blue striped drape short-sleeve top by Dahlya, $42. Paisley Boutique, Mandeville, 727-7880. 2. American made v-neck stripe and floral mixed-media top, $64. [brown eyed girl], Mandeville, 626-0100. 3. Striped cotton tunic by Tulip, $82. California Drawstrings Northshore, Covington, 327-7300.
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Stripes and Florals 1. Kenneth Jay Lane turquoise and coral cabochon ring, $150; Kenneth Jay Lane multi-strand beaded necklace, $400. Saks Fifth Avenue New Orleans, 504-524-2200. 2. 18kt white gold earrings with 10.14 cttw moonstone gemstones and .97 cttw diamonds, $6,900. Boudreaux’s Fine Jewelers, Mandeville, 626-1666. 3. Pink tie dye Lei Flower headband, $22; neon gold foil striped hair tie sets, $10-$20. Haybands, New Orleans, 504-252-0519. 4. Alo Yoga Airbrush Capri pants in Floral Glo print, $72; Alo Yoga Breeze
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tank top in Neon Azalea, $42. Swim & Gym, New Orleans, 504-8911000 and Basics Underneath, Mandeville, 727-9521. 5. Bohemian embroidered top with bright floral accents. The Villa, Mandeville, 626-9797. 6. Sleeveless fit-and-flare Raegan dress in sunglow yellow with lace, $238. Palm Village, a Lilly Pulitzer signature store, Mandeville, 778-2547. 7. Floral design Italian brocade fabric purse with rust suede straps, $200. California Drawstrings Northshore, Covington, 327-7300. March-April 2015 95
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Stripes and Florals 1. Neon Floral Picnic dress by Anthem of the Ants, $70. Olive Patch, Covington, 3275772. 2. 14kt white gold stackable rings with .25cttw diamond, .50cttw ruby, sapphire and emerald, $1,495 each. Thomas Franks Fine Jewelers, Mandeville, 626-5098. 3. Silky floral kimono by Eighty-sixty, $112. POSH Boutique, Covington, 898-2639. 4. Yellow and aqua print top, $39.50. The Lifestyle Store at Franco’s, Mandeville, 792-0200. 5. Clara Sunwoo abstract watercolor v-neck soft knit tunic, sizes XS-XL available, $76. Mainstream Boutique, Mandeville, 674-6600. 6. Tory Burch Kerrington Shopper classic tote with large-scale iris print hand-painted in soft watercolor hues, $295. Emma’s Shoes and Accessories, Mandeville, 778-2200.
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Stripes and Florals 1. 18K white gold floral necklace with 12.49 cttw diamonds, $40,000. Lee Michaels Jewelers, Metairie, 504-832-0000. 2. Nautical striped jersey dress, $69. Columbia Street Mercantile, Covington, 809-1789 or 809-1690. 3. Black and floral slip dress with lace straps, $39. cameo boutique, Mandeville, 231-1332. 4. Dangling dark silver flower earrings with rhinestone center, $28. Dr. Burkenstock’s Skin, Body, Health, Mandeville, 237-1960. 5. Embroidered lace, handbeaded appliquÊs, tulle and organza Gia gown by David Tutera, $1,800. Bustles and Bows Bridal Boutique, Metairie, 504-780-7090.
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1. Handmade in the USA feather necklace in 24kt gold and sterling silver overlay, $215. Vine, Mandeville, 951-0005. 2. Skye Mix & Match Swimwear bandini, $96; Skye Mix & Match Swimwear mid-waist foldover bottom in navy, $52. The Bra Genie, Mandeville, 951-8638. 3. Cosabella lace-trimmed purple and gold striped camisole and boxer set, $140. Bra la Vie, Hammond, 662-5065. 4. 18k yellow gold leaf dangle golden pearls, $2,475. De Boscq Jewelry, Mandeville, 6740007. 5. Quadruple bronzing blend cream oil-base lotion, $60. Private Beach, Mandeville, 674-2326. 6. Vera Bradley Adrian sunglasses in the bright and funky Plum Crazy pattern, $140. Louisiana Family Eyecare, Covington, 875-7898. 7. Inked stripe high neck tank by Seafolly, $116; inked stripe ruched side bottom by Seafolly, $71.
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Bora Bora, Mandeville, 951-8454.
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IN the Bookcase
by Terri Schlichenmeyer
REMODELING NEVER ENDS. That’s a fact when you’re a homeowner. There’s always something to do, something to upgrade, some way to make a house your own. New flooring, paint, move the fixtures, add another room, and, well, you know where this is going. But where did it begin? Who created the place you call home? Author Henry Petroski decided to find out, and in The House with Sixteen Handmade Doors, he embarks on a hunt inside his summer residence. Henry and his wife, Catherine, had spent many a happy summer in Maine, far from their house in North Carolina. So when they decided to buy a vacation home-away-from-home, New England was where they started looking. Petroski said they agreed that they “would happily look at any nice small … house on a nice quiet street in a nice quiet town available for a nice affordable price.” And that nicely described the property just off Spinney Mill Road near Arrowsic. Sitting next to the Kennebec River, the compound included a garage and a guest house. The main house had two bedrooms and two bathrooms, a large living room and a huge fireplace. The view from its windows was incredible—but the house had its quirks. Ever a curious man, Petroski “became determined to uncover … elements of the original” house and to “glimpse the intent of its maker.” Who, for instance, created handmade doors that graced the house? Why were so many boards fastened with four nails, when two would do? He couldn’t ask the home’s builder. Bob Phinney had been dead for years. Still, the clues were there: Petroski found cleverly engineered windows, craftily hidden nails and walls that defied drafts. He marveled at the massive stone fireplace and the work it took to make it. He wondered
The House with Sixteen Handmade Doors by Henry Petroski, with photographs by Catherine Petroski
why the home’s roof was flat, in an area where heavy snow was common. He became delighted by the personality that Phinney left behind in the home. Says Petroski, “A Mainer might say he made a wicked good house.” Let me start by saying that I liked The House with Sixteen Handmade Doors. But there’s a lot of detail inside author Henry Petroski’s house and inside this book that could be confusing for anybody who’s not a carpenter by trade or hobby. Petroski’s sleuthing is a pleasure, and his glee becomes ours, too, but his use of terms without explanation seemed to assume a lot; namely, that we’d always know what he’s talking about. Yes, that’s informative—but maybe too much so. What kept me around here was watching Petroski make friends with the long-dead Phinney and his methods. Yes, Phinney used building-overkill, but I enjoyed Petroski’s joy in finding examples of it and the respect that those findings led to. Decorators and breezy homeowners may like this book, but I really think builders, remodelers, and fixer-upper-owners will get so much more out of it. If a house, for you, is more than just a home, then find The House with Sixteen Handmade Doors and make it your own. March-April 2015 103
Learn, Play, Discover Louisiana Children’s Discovery Center and Grow!
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TO SAY THE LOUISIANA CHILDREN’S DISCOVERY Center in downtown Hammond has been busy inspiring children to embrace their world through new ways of play is a bit of an understatement. Since opening in October 2010, the LCDC has been an epicenter of education and entertainment for students and families across the region and even around the globe. School and church trips have come from Arkansas, Mississippi and Mobile, and one family spent Mardi Gras at the center after traveling from Germany! Here are updates on three of the center’s programs and a look into what the future has in store.
Inside Northside
Bayou Builders Lego League Team “I like robots, and I like Legos,” said Oak Forest Academy fourth-grader Jesse Landry rather succinctly at a recent presentation of the Bayou Builders Lego League Team #4043. An impressive cross-section of the community, 10 boys and girls from Amite to Madisonville who represent public, parochial, private Montessori and home-schooling comprise this team of dedicated competitors. They meet regularly with their adult coaches to design, build and test robots using Lego technology. This involves programming an autonomous robot to score points on a themed playing field and developing a solution to an identified problem, which can be based on such topics as nanotechnology, climate, quality of life for the disabled, transportation or others. Such topics require team members to employ science, technology, engineering, math and life skills that will benefit their future career paths. “We’re looking into learning JAVA,” says seventhgrader Lauren Williams of Oaks Montessori School, “which we’ve discovered is much more complicated than we thought!” This year’s topic was based on education and improving the way people learn. The Bayou Builders chose to develop a game-based application to help children learn math, which they titled iLearn.
photo courtesy: LOUISIANA CHILDREN’S DISCOVERY CENTER
by Erin Cowser
The team met with teachers, engineers, software developers and computer science professors for advice and began their project using wire frames. A working model was then created in Scratch, a programming environment designed to teach children how to program. Practice, more practice, fund-raisers to purchase Mindstorm EV3 robot kits and even more practice followed. And then they competed. The Bayou Builders recently earned the Champion’s Award Runner Up distinction at the First Lego League Louisiana Regional Championship, and as such earned an invitation to compete at the LEGOLAND North American Open in Carlsbad, California. Using color sensors, touch sensors and rotation sensors located within the motors (4 robot motors, 2 large-drive motors, 1 medium and 1 auxiliary motor), the team hopes to present its Lil Mama (Lego Intensive Light-sensing Multi Attachment Mission Accomplisher) robot and its accompanying project to bring national honors home to Louisiana. Anyone interested in reviewing their Robot Design Executive Summary or helping sponsor this team of 9-to-14-year-olds’ trip to competition in May should contact the LCDC (340-9150) or the team’s coaches, Jean and Ben Williams (351-9583).
Spectrum Sensitivity With a mission of helping families discover new ways to play, the LCDC hosts special days to welcome children from various ranges of the autism spectrum to enjoy what the center has to offer. For example, during the holidays, a Quiet Santa Day allowed families to come visit Santa and the center without having to worry about the distraction of the sounds and flashing lights which usually reverberate throughout the center. In partnership with the Southeastern Louisiana University Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, descriptive Social Stories were created in PowerPoint format and enhanced with photographs and video clips. Parents of children on the autism spectrum are invited to use these stories to help their child know what to expect when he/she first visits the center. Preparation packets are available to introduce children to the exhibits that will be open on special Spectrum Discovery Saturdays throughout the year.
Buzzworthy The LCDC will host the Scripps Howard Regional Spelling Bee, the nation’s largest and longest-running educational program, for the fourth time this spring. The top spellers from 101 schools and 17 parishes across the state will converge upon Hammond to see who will earn the right to compete in the National Spelling >> March-April 2015 105
dipped, chocolate-sprinkled, chocolate-swirled and chocolate flavored—from coffee and cake balls to milk and muffins! The Turkey Day 7K and Mashed Potato Mile will be back the week of Thanksgiving, giving runners and walkers the opportunity to make exercise at least part of the start of everyone’s holiday festivities. Almost Sleepovers are scheduled on weekends throughout the year. Potty-trained through 14-yearolds are invited to the center for themed activities from 6:30-10:30 p.m. And there’s even more on the horizon for the LCDC. Be on the lookout for several major announcements in the near future as the center continues to grow and serve the educational and entertainment needs of the children of the region. For more information, go to lcdcofhammond.org or call 340-9150.
LCDC By the Numbers Bee in Washington, D.C. this summer. As a fun aside, a Grown-Up Spelling Bee was also held in 2014 where adults were invited to pair up with youngsters and see how much they’ve come to depend on spell check!
10 Parish school systems that took LCDC field trips in 2014
21 Schools in the first Spelling Bee hosted by LCDC, in 2011
101 Schools in the 2015 Spelling Bee
What’s in Store for 2015?
9-14 Age range for the LCDC Junior Volunteer Program
After a hugely successful Jazz Brunch last year, the LCDC will once again recruit celebrity waiters and host a morning of fun for grown-ups on April 26. Last year’s waiters performed everything from cartwheels to a cappella songs for tips. In between the mimosas and delectable breakfast items, there were also a few tips given in order to prevent and halt cartwheel attempts and ear-offending a cappella songs by other waiters! Piper’s Closet consignment shopping extravaganza will return for a second year July 30-August 2. A fundraiser for the LCDC, this event also provides an opportunity for local families to put some extra cash in their bank accounts and clean out their closets, sheds and attics for a good cause. November 8 will see the return of the LCDC Chocolate Festival, where guests are invited to indulge in all things chocolate, chocolate-covered, chocolate106
Inside Northside
42,872 Toilet paper rolls turned into masterpieces in the Creation Station
98,015 Hot Air Balloon exhibit rides in the skies above South Louisiana
500 Chocolate cake balls eaten at the LCDC’s first Chocolate Festival
2, 2 Grandparents, grandchildren in each Grandparent Membership
19 Interactive exhibits, with new ones on the way
5 Age of the child who told Executive Director Anette Kirylo that she needs to retire because he wants her super fun job!
photo courtesy: LOUISIANA CHILDREN’S DISCOVERY CENTER
186,000+ Guests since opening
M E D I C A L
Dr. Emma Kruger
Metabolic Anti-Aging Center of Louisiana Blaming fat for cellulite? Cellulite is one of the least tolerated beauty complaints for women. It is also very common—75-90 percent of us will be affected as we continue to grow older. So what’s new? We have regarded cellulite as a fat problem for years, but now we understand that it is much more complex. Medical literature talks about “interstitial endocrine-metabolic pathology” that progresses with time. In other words, as with many other esthetic problems, health tendencies related to aging affect the underlying process of the cellulite formation. A known comparison of cellulite to a quilt blanket that swells with fat and congestion can be expanded to include “stitch tightening” due to scarring and fibrosis of connective tissue. The causes for blame now are not only genetic predisposition and weight gain, but decreased circulation, hormonal imbalance and increased inflammation. In my practice, before we proceed to physical treatment of cellulite and the excessive fat often associated with it, we would like to scratch some issues from the problem list: • Decreased activity and weight gain • Changes in body posture (as could be due to chronic back pain or an injured knee) • Hormonal imbalances (increased cortisol due to stress
P R O F I L E
and excessive amount or estrogen/progesterone) • Dietary disorders (consuming sugar, fat and dietary hormones) • Digestive disorders and associated intestinal flora changes, food sensitivities • Smoking that impairs microcirculation, the key to healthy looking fat So, the answer is a complex approach that addresses various aspects of the aging body. The reward of this approach is an improvement in many aspects of health and beauty, as well as in a problem area itself. As for the problem area, the localized cellulite care focuses on improved circulation, decreased lymphatic congestion and improved tissue oxygenation. It includes radio frequency (RF) treatments such as Exillis; mesotherapy with agents improving circulation and nutrition; (in some practices) carboxytherapy; and treatment with platelet rich plasma (PRP). These will not only help mild cellulitic changes but also improve outcomes of more aggressive treatments such as laser lipolysis. More severe cellulitic changes may need physical disruption of fibrous bands in combination with fat removal as in traditional laser liposuction. Gaining the benefit of body contouring in combination with skin tightening and smoothening is a particularly rewarding choice for patients.
Metabolic Anti-Aging Center of Louisiana www.maacla.com 1331 Ochsner Blvd., Suite 101, Covington, LA 70433 985-212-7972 8460 Bluebonnet Blvd., Suite C, Baton Rouge, LA 70810 225.767.0646 March-April 2015 107
Home Fire Preparedness IT IS HARD TO IMAGINE that it has been 10 years since Katrina devastated our community. For many of us, it was the first time we actually needed and received help from the American Red Cross. Hopefully, we will never need their direct assistance again, but it is comforting to know that they are there in case we do. Of all of the services provided to the community by the Red Cross, you may be surprised to learn that most frequently it is delivered to help families displaced by fire. Kay W. Wilkins, chief executive officer for the Louisiana Red Cross, says, “We have seen an increase in home fires throughout our region—we respond to a home fire once every seven hours on average.” Last year in St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Washington parishes, the Red Cross responded to more than 195 singleand multi-family house fires and assisted more than 205 families. The fire victims were provided with assistance for their immediate needs, such as food, clothing and lodging. This is such a critical need that it became the focus of a national campaign that was kicked off locally in Hammond. Seven times a day someone in this country dies in a home fire. The Home Fire Preparedness Campaign concentrates on fire safety and smoke alarm installation. The grassroots, neighborhood-by-neighborhood outreach has a goal of reducing deaths and injuries from home fires by as much as 25 percent over the next five years across the country. “Smoke alarms cut the risk of death from a fire in half, which is why it is critical for all households to have them and test them regularly,” says Wilkins. Working with fire departments and community groups, the Red Cross has already installed thousands of smoke alarms in communities across the country. The effort involves educating people about fire safety through door-to-door canvassing and installation of smoke alarms in neighborhoods with high fire risk or number of fire responses. In Hammond, Red Cross volunteers joined community leaders, the Hammond Fire Department, Hammond Police Department, Hammond Fire Prevention Bureau, B.R.A.C.E.S., AmeriCorps and community volunteers to go door to door to more than 100 homes replacing batteries in existing smoke alarms and installing new ones where needed. Volunteers also taught families about what they can do to be prepared should a fire break out in their home. “It is critical that residents take action to reduce their risk and improve their safety in the event of a home fire,” Wilkins says. “Simply testing your smoke alarms and practicing fire
American Red Cross volunteer George Duane Stirling Jr., speaks with a Hammond resident about fire safety.
drills at home can save lives.” Fire experts agree that people may have as little as two minutes to escape a burning home before it’s too late to get out. But a new national survey shows that many Americans have a false sense of security about surviving a fire. The poll shows that most Americans (62 percent) mistakenly believe that they have at least five minutes or more to escape a burning home—more than twice as long as they really do. Nearly one in five (18 percent) people mistakenly believe they have 10 minutes or more to escape. More than 40 percent of Americans feel confident they can escape their burning home in two minutes. Most parents (69 percent) believe their children would know what to do or how to escape with little help. The problem with these assumptions is that less than half of parents (48 percent) with children ages 3 - 17 have talked to their families about fire safety. Only a third (30 percent) of families with children have identified a safe place to meet outside the home. Families can take several steps to improve fire safety: • If someone doesn’t have smoke alarms, install them. At a minimum, put one on every level of the home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas. • If someone does have alarms, test them. If they don’t work, replace the batteries or install new ones. • Make sure those who stay in the household know how to get out of every room and how to get out of the home in less than two minutes. • Practice the plan and determine the household’s escape time. You can learn more about fire safety at redcross.org/homefires. The Red Cross is recruiting volunteers to help respond to fires, provide lifesaving safety information and check and install smoke alarms at homes in northshore neighborhoods. Volunteers do not need prior Red Cross experience and will receive all the necessary training on fire prevention or disaster response. Volunteer applications are available online. Visit redcross.org/NewOrleans. To volunteer, or for more information, call (985) 892-4317. March-April 2015 109
Cornibe’s: The Oldest Barber Shop in St. Tammany Parish 110
Inside Northside
STEP INTO CORNIBE’S BARBER SHOP in Slidell’s historic Olde Town, and you’ll feel as if you’ve stepped back in time. The oldest continuously operating barber shop in St. Tammany Parish, Cornibe’s evokes memories of days when white-jacketed barbers were as adept at conversation as they were with a straight razor. “It’s my baby,” says 84-year-old Lou Cornibe, with a
photo: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com
Gentleman’s
Tonsorium touch of paternal pride. Retired since September 2005, he reminisces, “I wanted to have a gentleman’s barber shop, and that’s what it was—an all-men’s shop, a meeting place where men could get a haircut and tell some jokes and stories. Lots of times, they’d stay around and visit long after their haircut was done.”
Cornibe’s was originally named Craddock’s Barber Shop after Calvin Craddock, who opened it in 1932. Cornibe didn’t work in the shop until 1952, when, fresh out of barber school, he asked Craddock for his first barber job. “Haircuts were 50 cents when I started. I rented a chair in the shop and got to >>
by Karen Gibbs
Bobby Cockerham and Lou Cornibe. March-April 2015 111
keep whatever I earned. There were three chairs when I started. Mine was the third one. The other two barbers got the customers before I did,” he remembers with a chuckle. Although he first worked from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., he soon realized he’d get more customers if he started at 7a.m. This translated into years of 12-hour days. Barbering was different in the 1950s. When Cornibe went to barber school (above the Loew’s State Theater in New Orleans), he learned how to cut hair, shave with a straight razor and be cordial to his customers. “I don’t think they teach barbers to greet customers with a smile anymore,” he says wistfully. But at Cornibe’s, EVERYBODY gets a big “hello” and as much conversation as they want. “This is the ‘Cheers’ of barber shops,” says longtime regular Brian Langevin. “I started coming here in 1992 because I lived around the corner. Even though I moved, I still come back. I like being with the same group of men, sharing stories, asking each other about the wife and kids. Plus, I get a good haircut and am out in 30 minutes.” Bobby Cockerham, the manager of Cornibe’s, cuts Langevin’s hair. This particular day, he finishes with a styling product. “There you go, Brian. A little bit of Monkey Spit today and you’re all set.” Sure enough, the bottle’s label reads “Monkey Spit.” Next to it is another marked “Goose Grease” and another labeled “Elephant Snot.” Bobby gets a big laugh as he explains, “One of our customers made those labels and put them on the bottles. Everybody loves 112
Inside Northside
Lou Cornibe standing at the door of Cornibe’s Barber Shop. Below, left: Bobby Cockerham and longtime customer Brian Langevin. Below, right: Cornibe’s Goose Grease, Monkey Spit and Elephant Snot
photos: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com
used to finish hair cuts.
’em so we keep ’em on.” After all, it’s family. Cornibe recalls that when he came to the shop, it looked pretty much the same as it does today—three stations, each having a vintage barber chair with hydraulic lift, a mirror, a shelf and some drawers. “When I bought the shop in 1984, I added two things,” he boasts. “The first was a genuine barber pole.” His pride and joy, it was stolen in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The second item was an antique porcelain-covered, cast-iron bathtub, complete with claw feet. “In 1988, I bought the tub from my uncle. It was old, and I liked it. I had it set up in the back room, >>
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photo: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com
and word traveled that I had a bathtub in my shop. One day, a trucker came in for a haircut. (Remember Front Street was a major road back then; there were plenty of truckers.) The trucker said, ‘I understand you have a bathtub back there. What would you charge me to take a bath?’ I said, ‘Fifty cents and I’ll give you two towels to dry off with.’ Word got around, and soon truckers were stopping by to take a bath. After a while, I went up from 50 cents to a dollar for a bath and two towels. No facecloth. They could use the end of one of the towels for that. I never used that tub,” he adds quickly. “I take showers, not baths. When
truckers stopped coming, maybe 12 years later, I sold the tub.” In its place are a washer and dryer. A Cornibe trademark that is still around, despite four-and-a-half feet of water from Katrina, is a display of business cards and memorabilia on three large cork bulletin boards at the far end of the shop. “At one time, I had the business cards of almost every business in Slidell. They’ve been there for years and years and are faded. Some of those aren’t even in business anymore,” he says, with a tone of reverent nostalgia. Among and around the business cards are other souvenirs—a photograph of Craddock’s Barber Shop, copies of clever sayings from the political to the humorous—taped or tacked helterskelter on the cork boards. “People ask if they can put them on the wall, and I say ‘sure.’ The Cajun 10 Commandments is funny, because the last commandment is about wanting your neighbor’s pirogue. Never mind his wife,” he laughs. “It’s his
pirogue that’s important.” The third corkboard displays photos of little boys getting their first haircuts—the time-honored tonsorial ritual that turns toddlers into big boys in an instant. “I want a picture to show ’em after they’re 16 or 17,” says Bobby. “I can remind them of their first haircut here.” Beneath the photo collage hang some items for sale—a display with red, black and blue plastic pocket brushes and, to its right, a similar display selling nail clippers. On the adjoining wall is a map of Lake Pontchartrain and one of Slidell. Between the two is a frameless photo of the shop’s most notorious woman visitor—Hurricane Katrina. Surprisingly, the color-enhanced photo of its monstrous eye still churns up sad memories 10 years later. At the front of the shop, red upholstered, metal-framed chairs line the wall. Next to them, a small bookcase enshrines barber tools and >>
Opposite page: Bulletin boards filled with business cards and memories.
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Bobby offers. “She’s coming back with me,” the man says, placing a magazine back on the pile. As he exits, Leo LeBlanc, a customer since 1999, enters. When it’s his turn in the chair, he announces, “I don’t care for salontype barber shops.” Taking in his surroundings, he continues, “This is a ‘men’s only’ place. Not too many barber shops around like this one anymore.” Coincidentally, LeBlanc and Bobby came to Cornibe’s the same year. Before that, Bobby ran a barber shop for the mayor of Ferriday. “I cut the hair of Jimmy Swaggart’s
photo: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com
products from long ago—a tin of Clubman Talc, a bottle of Westphases Lusterator, Jeris Antiseptic Hair Tonic, Norseman Talcum and combs with pocket clips. Mounted on the wall above the chairs is a recent addition to the shop, a modestsized, flat-screen TV. This particular day, it is tuned to a Rockford Files rerun. Bobby and a customer spout trivia. “You see that guy that plays Rockford’s dad—he used to be in movies with John Wayne. Aw, what’s his name?” No one can remember. A waiting customer checks his watch, then announces, “Going to pick up my granddaughter. Be back.” “Want to take her some suckers?”
daddy, Jerry Lee Lewis’ dad and Mickey Gilley’s daddy, too,” he says with the slightest bit of brag. “I came to Slidell to work another job and then was hired by Mr. Lou. Been here ever since.” Conversation ceases as an Amtrak train “whoo-whoos” its way down the tracks across the street. “They pass here two or three times a day,” Bobby notes. But nobody seems to mind. The nostalgic sound of the train provides the perfect background music for the quaint barber shop—its timeless rhythm in sync with that of Cornibe’s, a place where gentlemen come for a haircut and a whole lot more. March-April 2015 117
by Susan H. Bonnett
photos: FAMILY PROMISE
Generous Hearts
When it all just comes together True story. On a cold, dreary afternoon this past January, I heard about a mother with two small kids who had no place to sleep that night. Through a post on a Facebook page of a friend of a friend, we learned that she and her kids were sleeping in their car and she was almost out of gas, so heat for the night was not an option. She was not a beggar, not a meth addict and she was not in some inner city looking for a handout. She was a working mother in St. Tammany who had fallen on hard times and simply could not make the rent. She was, shockingly, a lot like you and me. The worst part of the story is that there was no place to send her. No shelter, no program, no resource to get her back on her feet. And if she really started looking for help, she risked losing her kids, because after all, the state could not allow children to live in a car. So what to do? Well, I wish I had a happy ending to that story, but all I can say is I hope enough people heard her story and got her money for a hotel room for a night
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or two. But I don’t know. And I don’t like the way that feels. Flash back to a few years ago … In my “rounds” as leader of our local community foundation, I attend countless meetings with our non-profit partners surrounding specific issues or general community need. One pattern I noticed was that a great deal of our discussions kept coming back to a surprising homeless population in our parish that was not only unknown, it was virtually unserved. Several valuable local organizations were doing their best. Motel vouchers for the night or tents to sleep in a local state park were all we had. And that, I thought, was purely unacceptable. Regardless of what I thought, however, here is what I knew: The voters in our parish, though kind and compassionate, had no appetite for additional public resources to build a shelter, and they were even more uninterested in having it in their backyard. Out-of-the-box thinking … While the obvious and logical solution to house a homeless population was bricks and mortar, that clearly was not our future—
not now, at least. So non-traditional thought was needed. On a personal note, there was a nagging that I couldn’t place—a sort of “I know I know this” kind of feeling. So I called my sister, the compassionate, nice nurturing part of our family. She reminded me that several years ago, once or twice a year, our parents would go to their church on the Mississippi coast to feed and visit with homeless families who were sleeping there. That was it. The model existed— the Family Promise model—and it is working all over the country. Faced with the daunting statistic that families account for 40 percent of the homeless in our country and one out of every four of them is a child, Family Promise was founded to use existing community resources to serve this fragile population. First and foremost, Family Promise brings together the faith-based community as the anchor to help families regain their housing, their independence and their dignity. The program is a partnership of congregations within a community that work together through volunteers of all faiths to reduce homelessness and transform lives. Started in 1981, the organization has grown to more than 185 affiliates in 42 states around the country—in large cities, suburbs and rural counties. Over 160,000 volunteers and 6,000 church congregations participate to simply >>
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RIVERVIEW CAMP COMES TO YOU! Saturday, March 7 10am-4pm Education/Summer Camp Expo Lakeside Shopping Center Metairie, LA Saturday, March 28 10am-4pm Kids Day and Family Expo Castine Center Mandeville, LA ACTIVITIES Horseback Riding Swimming Ropes Course Tennis Canoeing Golf Basketball Gymnastics Dance Archery Arts & Crafts Outdoor Living Campfire Fun Rope Swing Volleyball Soccer Riflery Aerobics Chorus & Drama Trip Day Counselors-In-Training Climbing Tower River Water Blob Cheerleading Flag Twirling Sports Riverview Camp for Girls is a community where your daughters grow in confidence and maturity - all while having a great time in a safe, carefree and wholesome environment. Susan and Larry Hooks, Owners and Directors • For more information, call (800) 882-0722. Riverview Camp for Girls, P.O. Box 299, Mentone, AL 35984 www.riverviewcamp.com
LONG-TERM SESSSIONS 1st Session: June 10-June 22 2nd Session: June 24-July 6 3rd Session: July 8-July 20 4th Session: July 22-August 3
M A B C D E F
SHORT-TERM SESSIONS Session: June 3-June 8 Session: June 10-June 15 Session: June 17-June 22 Session: June 24-June 29 Session: July 1-July 6 Session: July 22- July 27 Session: July 29-August 3
families will now be served because of so many willing parties pulling on the same rope. St. Tammany Parish President Pat Brister had the vision to invest in setting up the infrastructure. The Northshore Community Foundation was the vehicle to get the ball rolling. Countless volunteers have worked tirelessly to recruit and develop the network. Churches throughout the parish are waiting for their assignments. Incredibly generous people are already writing checks, big and small, to make this happen. So the next time I hear about a single mom and her two kids living in their car, I don’t have to wonder how the story ended. And that will feel really, really good.
photo: FAMILY PROMISE
combine existing congregational space for lodging and compassionate volunteers who commit to serving these families. Coupled with existing social services in the community, the program creates a unique and extremely effective response to the very real need. This is about a hand up and not a hand out; most meaningfully, it causes lives to intersect that may not otherwise. And all of this is done for a third of the cost of traditional shelters. Meanwhile, back on the northshore ‌ After learning of the successful model, St. Tammany Parish Government and the Northshore Community Foundation partnered to put the pieces in place to launch our own local Family Promise affiliate. In a very short time, the response and the progress have been nothing short of astounding. Over 16 churches of all sizes and denominations spread across the entire parish have officially signed on to be host congregations. Countless volunteers have already begun training, and a board of directors has been seated to lead the now independent 501(c)3 organization. Seed funding for the first year of operation has been secured; private donations, most of them unsolicited, have surprised the organizers time and time again. A small staff will be hired to manage the program, and the first homeless families will be served this spring. But here is the truly remarkable part. These
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Best Seafood
The
by Tom Fitzmorris
of the season
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Inside Northside
Editor’s note: We are excited to welcome locally revered food critic Tom Fitzmorris back to the pages of Inside Northside! Tom is a resident of St. Tammany Parish with culinary concentrations on both sides of the lake. He wrote this article as a regular contributor to Inside New Orleans, and we are happy to share it with our Inside Northside readers.
1. Oysters. Although the price and scarcity of oysters have risen since the oil spill, they still remain the glory of our local seafood repertoire and a tremendous value. This is the best time of year for oysters, as they get meaty and complex in cool waters. Best in restaurants: Oysters Arnaud, five of them baked with different sauces, at Arnaud’s. 2. Pompano. Pompano is the world’s most delicious fish, if you ask me. It’s not for everybody, though, with a fat content higher than most fish we commonly eat. The whole fish, grilled and then served with brown butter, is the best possible pompano recipe. Best in restaurants: Grilled meunière style at Galatoire’s. 3. Red Snapper. Red snapper is a favorite not only around New Orleans but all across America. That makes it more expensive and less available. My favorite cooking method for red snapper involves searing the fish in hot butter and olive oil in a pan, adding wine, lemon juice, onions, mushrooms or whatever. It comes out tender and perfect, the sauce and the fish exchanging their flavors. Best in restaurants: Best in restaurants: However they’re
photo: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com
THE GREATEST IRONY in the New Orleans culinary culture is the idea that it’s a penance to eat only seafood at times during Lent. To prove that point, here is a list of the 33 best finfish and shellfish that share our extended environment. We start with the best and end with the very good. It shows just how fine our local fishery is.
serving it today at GW Fins. 4. Soft-Shell Crabs. No food better illustrates how fortunate avid eaters are to live in Louisiana. Everywhere else, the very idea of a soft-shell crab is attended by connotations of rarity and exotica. We eat them all over the place, down to poor boy sandwiches. Best in restaurants: Smoked, fried and topped with crabmeat at Clancy’s. 5. Hard Crabs and Crabmeat. The favorite trick of waiters and chefs is making an ordinary dish seem irresistible by just throwing a little crabmeat on top. That’s how appealing crabmeat is. And with good reason. Aside from people who are allergic to it, who doesn’t love crabmeat? Crabmeat has shot up in price in recent years because our crabs have become part of the national market, particularly in the Northeast. Best in restaurants: >> March-April 2015 125
served soup at the Bombay Club of New Orleans’ grand opening. 126
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pack and diver scallops, the best in the business. They’re best cooked simply: just a quick crusty top and bottom, still bulging in the middle. Best in restaurants: Seared sea scallops with orange and fennel emulsion at Rue 127. 9. King Salmon. Five different species of salmon live in the Pacific Ocean and spawn in rivers on the American-Canadian West Coast. The main difference between this and the more common Atlantic salmon is that the Pacific fish build up a lot of fat so they can swim far upstream in spawning. Much fat equals much flavor. Virtually all Pacific salmon are wild-caught fish. Best in restaurants: salmon with Gewurztraminer sauce at Bayona. 10. Halibut. A gigantic flounder, best caught wild in Alaskan waters. In New Orleans, halibut usually runs as a special. If you ever encounter it, first make sure that it’s fresh. Frozen halibut is a factory fish and is both tough and tasteless. The fresh fish is wonderful, with a very mild flavor so good that even those who prefer stronger-tasting fish look forward to eating it. Best in restaurants: Gautreau’s, where Chef Sue Zemanick cooks it many ways.
photo credit: CHERYL GERBER PHOTOGRAPHY
Tom Fitzmorris being
Crabmeat au Gratin at the Bon Ton Café. 6. Speckled Trout. The favorite fish in New Orleans white-tablecloth restaurants for decades, speckled trout has become much less common on local menus in the past 20 years. Much of the speckled trout we eat now comes from North Carolina. The commercial quota on trout, given the very healthy population of the fish, is absurd. We need a campaign among eaters to change this unfair law. Best in restaurants: Trout Marianna (artichoke and mushrooms in a sherry butter sauce), Impastato’s. 7. Louisiana Shrimp. The shrimp we gather from local waters may be the best in the world. For years, they were the standard of all America. White shrimp in the fall are marginally better than the brown shrimp in spring. Either kind is great for everything from basic fried to barbecued shrimp, one of the greatest dishes in our cuisine. Best in restaurants: Barbecued shrimp at Mr. B’s. 8. Sea Scallops. The big scallops have become omnipresent on local menus, even though they come from waters far away from New Orleans. Air shipping of seafood makes it possible to get dry-
11. Tripletail. Found throughout the Gulf of Mexico, into the Caribbean and up the Gulf Stream into the Atlantic. The name arises from the positions and sizes of the dorsal and anal fins, about the same as the tail fin, creating an illusion that the fish has three tails. Because it’s either line-caught or turns up as a bycatch in shrimp nets, it’s not widely or regularly available. Finding tripletail on a menu means 1) you’re in a good seafood restaurant and 2) this is your lucky day. Best in restaurants: “reddened blackfish,” an occasional version at K-Paul’s. 12. Black Mussels. Mussels are closely related to oysters. Unlike oysters, however, they’re not especially good raw—either from a taste or health perspective. The best mussels are the blue (almost black) mussels from the north Atlantic coast, particularly in the Canadian Maritimes. It wasn’t until about 15 years ago that they became common on New Orleans menus. Now they’re steamed in their shells and accompanied by a pile of freshcut fries in every French bistro. Best in restaurants: Moules Marinière at La Crêpe Nanou. 13. Lemonfish. Also called cobia and ling, lemonfish is a big Gulf fish much liked by both fishermen and cooks. It grows to about 100 pounds. Cut into steaks, it is as fine a grilling fish as I know. Its white, firm flesh makes it visually appealing, too. Best in restaurants: Grilled with shrimp at Gallagher’s Grill in Covington. 14. Maine Lobster. Lobsters do not live around New Orleans, which fact makes them less good than the ones you’d find in the Northeast or Canada. Even with efficient air shipping of live lobsters, the longer they’re out of the sea, the less >> March-April 2015 127
delicious they get. The best locally come from sources that sell so many lobsters that they don’t get a chance to go hungry. Best in restaurants: Drago’s, where they sell thousands of lobsters a week, in several different ways. (They also have really big ones most of the time.) 15. Sheepshead. The most underrated of all the fish we eat around New Orleans has an image problem because of that name. It is a common imposter passing as redfish or trout because it’s cheaper. The joke is on the perpetrators: the flavor and texture of sheepshead are at least as good as what it’s being swapped for. Best in restaurants: Meunière style at Grand Isle. 16. Redfish. Redfish has returned to restaurants in recent years, thanks to the success of redfish farms, which is the only way you can buy redfish legally in Louisiana. It’s the most versatile of local fish. It’s exceptional on the grill and very
good for poaching. You can blacken it and you can pan-sear it. The best dish of all may be redfish courtbouillon, a neglected classic stew with tomatoes and herbs. Best in restaurants: Redfish with pecans, crabmeat and satsuma meunière at Nuvolari’s in Mandeville. 17. Flounder. Except among its fans—for whom the thought of a whole broiled or fried flounder is highly appetizing—flounder is underrated. It’s a mild fish because of its low fat content, but it lends itself to our favorite fish recipes. I find it has a slight nuttiness that’s delicious. It may be the ultimate fish for preparing amandine style. It’s good with any variation on butter sauce, particularly those involving lemon. Best in restaurants: Whole flounder stuffed with crabmeat at The Pelican Club. 18. Black Drum. Once despised, black drum came to the rescue when redfish—a close cousin—was taken out
of the marketplace. It’s not bad at all. The best are called puppy drum—small ones, two or three pounds. It works for most uses to which we put speckled trout. Drum is about the same off-white color, with flakes of approximately the same size and texture as speckled trout. Best in restaurants: Hickory-grilled drumfish on the half shell at Red Fish Grill. 19. Wild-Caught Catfish. The best catfish—small, wild-caught specimens from the freshwater bayous around Louisiana—are among the best eating fish we have. Unfortunately, almost all the catfish you are likely to find in markets and restaurants is raised in farms. But that is changing. We now have a few places serving wild-caught cat from Des Allemands. The smaller they are, the better they are. Best in restaurants: Mr. Ed’s Oyster Bar and Fish Grill. 20. Yellowfin Tuna. Fresh tuna is obviously different from most other fish
we eat. It’s never seen in fillet form— always in steaks. Its color spectrum is shades of deep red. It has the texture of meat, with flakes so big that sometimes a large piece of the fish shows no flake structure at all. Tuna is the most popular species of fish eaten raw. But it can be treated like beef in its cooking. No way of cooking tuna is better than blackening. Best in restaurants: Blackened tuna, K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen. 21. Choupique Caviar. About 30 years ago, it was discovered that the roe of the bowfin—known in in Louisiana bayou country as “choupique”—could be made into a more-than-acceptable caviar. It’s a first-class roe, perfect for any use you have for caviar, with the exception of showing off. It’s not cheap, but it is affordable. Best in restaurants: Mr. Dick Brennan’s oysters with caviar at the Bourbon House. 22. Wahoo. Long and narrow, the wahoo is a big fish. It grows to a 100 >>
pounds at times in the blue water of the Gulf of Mexico. The name, I hear, comes from what you say if you catch one; it’s supposed to be great sport. It shows up only sporadically on menus, because the fish are unschooled loners. A member of the tuna and mackerel family, its flavor is not overwhelming, but more assertive than most fish. You cook it like tuna: in steaks, on the rare side. Best in restaurants: Anywhere you’re lucky enough to find it. 23. Crawfish. The best and worst quality of crawfish are the same thing: seasonality. When crawfish come into season (mid-winter through spring), it’s cause for celebration. We revel in scarfing down dozens of them from big piles, still hot from the boil. We remember all the other good times had while eating crawfish. And we use the tail meat in a thousand dishes, most of which are stews. Best in restaurants: Crawfish Bisque at Vincent’s. 24. Mahi-Mahi. The Hawaiian name for a fish found in warm oceans worldwide, including in the Gulf of Mexico. It’s a great fish to eat— not only delicious but also not endangered. Mahi-mahi breed and grow so fast that its populations are stable. It’s a fine candidate for the grill. You want fillets that are at least threequarters of an inch thick in the center. It needs little preparation beyond a dusting of Creole seasoning. Fruit-based sauces work very well on mahi. Best in restaurants: Pan-roasted mahi-mahi with saffron seafood cream sauce, Christopher’s On Carey in Slidell. 25. Atlantic Salmon. Salmon is the most widely served fish in the fine restaurants of the world. The single Atlantic species occurs naturally throughout the northern Atlantic Ocean on both sides. Atlantic salmon is also grown in fish farms, which is why it’s so widespread. Fortunately, fresh salmon, nicely cut, even if it comes from a farm, is pretty good. It’s also easy to cook, particularly on the grill or under the broiler. Best in restaurants: seared salmon with pistachios and miso beurre blanc at Zea. 26. Amberjack. The jackfish family ranges from excellent (pompano) to terrible (jack 130
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crevalle). Amberjack is about in the middle of that range. It’s a nice off-white fish, with enough fat to give it an interesting flavor, but not so much as to make it taste strong or oily. Good on the grill. The smaller the fish is, the better. It can also be cold smoked with great effect. Best in restaurants: Grilled amberjack, green tomato crab sauce at Jacques-Imo’s. 27. Squid (Calamari). Squid come in all sizes, but the most familiar are the small ones from the Gulf that restaurants (particularly Italian ones) serve under the name calamari. In the most frequently found squid dish, the cephalopods are coated with flour or cornmeal, deep fried, then served with some kind of tomato-based sauce. Frankly, I’ve seen the quality of this decline deeply in recent years. Best in restaurants: Fried at Sandro’s. 28. Not-So-Red Snapper. Aside from the famous red snapper, there are several fish in the family that are nearly as good. Lane snapper and mangrove snapper are the best. They all turn up as specials in restaurants that know their fish. Best in restaurants: Any way Chef Frank’s cooking it at Brigtsen’s. 29. Swordfish. After a brush with overfishing a decade ago, swordfish have returned, better than ever. It’s an example of an interesting effect: if a chef is hip enough to find and buy swordfish, he probably knows how to cook it well. Best in restaurants: Grilled swordfish, fennel, broccoli, puffed parmesan at Boucherie. 30. Mackerel. First, apply the anchovy test. Nobody’s indifferent to that little Mediterranean fish: you either love them or hate them. If you like anchovies, please join my movement to get mackerel back on local menus. They used to be everywhere. Now they only show up in sushi bars. Best in restaurants: Mackerel sashimi and fried head and tail, Sake Café on Magazine Street. 31. Triggerfish. It’s all over the Atlantic, from the Gulf to Ireland. It’s not often found in stores or restaurants, but when it is, the dense flesh makes superlative pan-sautéed or broiled fish dishes. Best in restaurants: Anywhere you find it; it will be a rare special. 32. River Shrimp. A rarity, river shrimp
really do grow in the Mississippi and the Atchafalaya Rivers. They’re on the small side—perfect for an étouffée or a remoulade. You cook them with only a little lemon juice—no crab boil or anything else powerful. They have a charming sweet taste. If you ever encounter them, buy as many as you can. You may never see them again. I’ve never found them in a restaurant. 33. Groupers. The groupers are more popular in Florida than in Louisiana, but they show up ever more frequently on local menus. Some groupers are better than others. The best is Warsaw grouper, a big fish with enormous, very white flakes. Yellowfin grouper, a smaller fish, is more likely to be the one offered as the fish of the day on New Orleans menus. Best in restaurants: Grilled grouper with asparagus and citrus beurre blanc, Criollo. All right. Back to steak! Editor’s note: Even with the abundance of fresh seafood we have available to us, it’s easy to rely on our old standbys, the same tried-and-true recipes we’ve used for years. With these suggetions, Tom offers us the opportunity to try new ways to highlight our favorites from the sea.
Shrimp Fra Diavolo Shrimp fra diavolo (“brother devil”) is the Italian answer to shrimp Creole. For reasons I’ve never been able to fathom, it’s a much better dish. Perhaps it’s because the sauce is lighter and other flavors rise in front of the tomatoes. The dish serves well either as an appetizer or entrée. Resist the temptation to serve it over pasta. It can also be made to a different but equally delicious effect with lobster of any kind. If you want to make this the best way possible, buy heads-on shrimp, >> March-April 2015 131
peel them, and make a stock with the shells and a little onion, celery, and parsley. It only takes about a halfhour on a very slow simmer. Add the stock to the pan with the tomatoes. It’s a bit more work, but adds a flavor dimension I think you’ll like. 1/4 cup olive oil 2 Tbs. chopped onion 1 Tbs. chopped garlic 1 1/2 tsps. crushed red pepper 24 fresh shrimp, 10-15 count to the pound, peeled and deveined 2 Tbs. Sambuca, Galliano, Strega, ouzo, Herbsaint or some other anise-flavored liqueur (optional) 1/2 cup dry white wine 4 cups chopped Italian plum tomatoes, with juice 1 Tbs. chopped fresh oregano 8 leaves chopped fresh basil 1 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. white pepper
In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the onions, garlic and crushed red pepper until they just begin to brown. Add the shrimp and cook until they begin to turn pink. Add the Sambuca (or whatever) and the white wine, and bring them to a boil. When shrimp are pink and firm, remove them from skillet and keep warm. Lean a little on the undercooked side to make them perfect. Add the tomatoes and tomato juice to the pan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, add the oregano and basil and simmer until sauce has thickened to the consistency of a thick soup. Add salt and pepper to taste. Return the shrimp to the pan and simmer another few minutes. Serve six shrimp per person with just enough sauce to make them wet, as an 132
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appetizer. Serves four.
Crabmeat St. Francis, New Style Crabmeat St. Francis was created by the legendary New Orleans chef Warren Leruth, whose restaurant in Gretna was the premier haute-Creole place to eat in the 1960s and 1970s. Warren once told me that the biggest thing he missed about not having the restaurant anymore was that he couldn’t eat crabmeat St. Francis whenever he wanted to. It was one of the most celebrated of his dishes, a fantastic appetizer. Like most of the rest of LeRuth’s food, the recipe for this dish was kept secret. But at a dinner in San Francisco celebrating the Chalone Winery’s 25th anniversary, Lee Leruth—Warren’s son, who had by then taken over the restaurant—cooked his version of crabmeat St. Francis. It’s a different recipe from the one actually used in the restaurant, which ultimately came out years later. But I think I like this one better. 1/4 cup dry white wine 1 quart heavy whipping cream 1 pint crab stock 4 bay leaves 6 oz. butter 1 large green onion, sliced finely 2 large cloves garlic, chopped 1/4 cup chopped white onions 3/4 cup hearts of celery, chopped 1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 cup bread crumbs
In a saucepan, bring the wine, cream, crab stock, and bay leaves up to a simmer and hold there. In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter, and sauté all the remaining ingredients through the salt. Sauté until the vegetables are limp and translucent. Add the flour, and stir to make a blond roux with the vegetables. Take about five minutes to do this. Whisk in the cream mixture completely. Lower to just under a simmer, add the parsley, and cook for about 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaves. Whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time. Place 2 ounces of lump crabmeat in a ramekin or baking shell. Top with 1/2 cup of the sauce, sprinkle lightly with bread crumbs, and bake at 425° until the top is browned and bubbly. Serves 12 to 16.
Oysters Au Poivre In 1997, my wife ordered me to enter the National Oyster Cooking Competition with this dish. The event takes place in St. Mary’s County, Maryland, where the Chesapeake Bay oysters are almost identical to the ones we have in Louisiana. I came in second. But I think you’ll enjoy this, one of my favorite fancy ways to eat oysters. Make sure you provide lots of fresh hot French bread with this—the sauce is the best part!
Generous pinch celery seed 1/4 tsp. cayenne
1 pint whipping cream
1/4 tsp. white pepper
2 tsp. mixed dried peppercorns (black,
1 1/4 tsps. salt
white, green, pink)
1/2 cup flour
8 sprigs fresh thyme
4 egg yolks
Pinch saffron threads
1 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp. salt
2 lbs. fresh jumbo lump crabmeat
All the reserved oyster water available, up >>
to 1 cup Two dozen fresh oysters, the larger the better, preferably freshly shucked
1/2 tsp. dried tarragon 1/2 tsp. dried chervil 1/2 tsp. dill 1/2 tsp. salt
In a stainless steel or porcelain two-quart saucepan, combine the cream, peppercorns, two sprigs of thyme, and saffron. Bring to a very light boil. (Watch to make sure the pan doesn’t boil over, which cream likes to do.) Add the oyster water. Reduce about 30 minutes, to about one cup of liquid. Add six oysters. Let them cook in the sauce until it resumes bubbling—about two or three minutes. Using a slotted spoon or a skimmer, remove the oysters from the pan and keep warm while you cook the remaining oysters in batches of six. Allow the herbs, peppercorns, and sauce that coat the oysters to remain. When all the oysters are cooked, plunge them all back into the sauce for a few seconds to warm them back up. Arrange three to six (depending on size) on plates. Nap with a little extra sauce, stirring the pan to distribute the peppercorns and herbs. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs. Serves four to eight.
Gratin of Crawfish Tails This is what I came up with when I tried to blend some of my favorite crawfish appetizers into a single dish. Don’t attempt this when crawfish are out of season. Freshness is essential. Best: crawfish you boiled (without crab boil) yourself and peeled. Worst: imported crawfish. Marinade 1/4 cup dry white wine Juice of 1/2 lemon 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp. yellow mustard 1 tsp. Tabasco garlic pepper sauce 1 1/2 cups crawfish tails
1/4 tsp. white pepper
Blend all the marinade ingredients and toss them with the crawfish tails. Marinate for about five minutes. Heat the butter over medium heat in a saucepan until it bubbles, then stir in the flour and make a light roux. Stir constantly until the texture changes, but don’t allow the roux to brown. Add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds. Then lower the heat to the lowest setting and stir in the brandy. After about a minute, add the warmed half-and-half, and whisk until the sauce thickens. Add all the other ingredients and simmer, stirring once or twice, for about two minutes. Stir in the crawfish gently. Continue to simmer for another minute, until the crawfish are heated through. Divide the contents of the pan into four to six ramekins or au gratin dishes. Place the dishes into a preheated 400° oven. When the sauce begins to bubble and brown at the edges, the dish is done. Serve immediately. Make sure French bread is on the table to help get the sauce. Serves four to six.
Whole Flounder Stuffed With Crabmeat Bruning’s opened at West End Park in 1859, and remained popular and excellent, run by the same family, until it and everything else at West End were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Bruning’s great specialty was stuffed whole flounder. The restaurant may be gone (although maybe not forever), but the dish lives on. Use the biggest flounders you can find. (Fishermen refer to those as “doormats.”) I use claw crabmeat for the stuffing, because it has a more pronounced taste.
1/2 stick butter
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3 Tbs. flour
Stuffing
1 tsp. fresh, finely chopped garlic
1/2 stick butter
2 Tbs. brandy
1/4 cup flour
1 cup half-and-half, warmed
3 green onions, chopped
3 cups shrimp stock 1 lb. claw crabmeat (or crawfish in season) 1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce 1/4 tsp. salt Pinch cayenne 4 large whole flounders 1 Tbs. salt-free Creole seasoning 1 tsp. salt 1 cup flour 2 eggs 1 cup milk 1/2 cup clarified butter 1 lemon, sliced Chopped fresh parsley
Make the stuffing first. Melt the butter and stir in the flour to make a blond roux. Stir in the green onions and cook until limp. Whisk in the shrimp stock and Worcestershire and bring to a boil, then add the crabmeat, Worcestershire, salt and cayenne. Gently toss the crabmeat in the sauce to avoid breaking the lumps. Wash the flounders and pat dry. Mix the Creole seasoning and salt into the flour and coat the outside of the flounders with it. Mix the eggs and milk together in a wide bowl and pass the fish through it, then dredge in the seasoned flour again. Heat the clarified butter in a skillet and sautÊ the fish, one at a time, about four minutes on each side, turning once. Remove and keep warm. Cut a slit from head to tail across the top of the flounder. Divide stuffing among the fish, spooning inside the slit and piling it on top. Place the flounders on a baking pan and put into a preheated 400° oven for six minutes. Place the flounders on hot plates. Garnish with lemon slices and fresh chopped parsley. Serves four to eight. March-April 2015 135
M A R R I A G E A N D L O V E
Nicole Marie Bonano and Matthew George Montgomery celebrated their marriage at St. Peter Catholic Church in Covington. The bride wore a Justin Alexander lace gown from Olivier Couture with a Queen Anne cap-sleeve jacket accented by crystal and pearl trim. After exiting the church to jazz music played by St. Paul’s High School Marching Wolves, guests and the happy couple arrived at Money Hill Country Club. Guests enjoyed Italian-style cuisine and seafood selections before coffee and hot chocolate with pastries and cookies from Nonna Randazzo’s Bakery. The band Rewind played for guests during the evening. The newlyweds honeymooned in Oahu, Hawaii, before returning home to Hammond.
photo: STACY MARKS PHOTOGRAPHY
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photo: JOHNNY CHAUVIN PHOTOGRAPHY
White-Hodgins Amanda Russell White and Scott Florsheim Hodgins wed at Trinity Episcopal Church in New Orleans surrounded by white peonies and tea roses. The bride wore an ivory Italian lace trumpet-style gown by Yvonne Lafleur of New Orleans. Her cathedrallength veil was her mother-in-law’s, worn on her wedding day. The ring bearer’s pillow was made of lace from the bride’s mother’s wedding gown. A New Orleans theme accented the evening with navy and gold décor. Wedding guests convened at Latrobe’s on Royal Street to enjoy cuisine by John Besh and music from After 8. The couple honeymooned in Oahu and Maui, Hawaii, before returning home to Baton Rouge.
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IN the Spotlight The Mystic Krewe of Olympia celebrated its 50th anniversary at its annual bal masque at Pelican Park’s Castine Center. Following the entrance of the Captain, officers and krewe, the royal court was presented and Olympia’s 2015 king, Zeus L, made his way to the throne. 2015 Queen Catherine Franklin Hughs, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Jude Semmes Hughs, reigned in the traditional Olympia mantle complemented by her crown and scepter. Guests and the krewe enjoyed a queen’s supper after the tableau while Sha’on and The Girls with Success played throughout the evening. Earlier on the day of the ball, 25 of the past 50 Krewe of Olympia Queens gathered in the Olympia Room of the Southern Hotel for a luncheon. The Queens enjoyed visiting with their peers before the Captain of Olympia and several of the officers and board members appeared to toast them. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary ball, each Queen was given a declaration and a token of gratitude extending thanks for and appreciation of her reign. The Queens assembled in the lobby for a photograph by Alice Fielding before regrouping for lunch, where Lizby Eustis led a blessing and then a toast to the 2014 reigning Queen, Mary Grace Gitz. For the Ox Lot 9-catered lunch, the table was decorated with purple and yellow tulips and parade goblets from the Millennium King and Queen of Olympia filled with purple, green and gold ostrich feathers. After lunch, the Queens departed to prepare for the ball, where they were recognized during the presentation.
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photos: FIELDING PHOTOGRAPHY
Mystic Krewe of Olympia
photos: JOEY MICHEL PHOTOGRAPHY
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IN the Spotlight An Afternoon Tea with WYES Inspired by Downton Abbey
In the spirit of Downton Abbey, at “An Afternoon Tea with WYES,” ladies dressed in hats and strands of pearls sipped champagne and tea in the splendor of the Edwardian era at the home of Jennifer and Fred Heebe. While enjoying music of the period, played by pianist Bill Malchow, guests could have a picture taken in front of “Highclere Castle,” say hello to “Mrs. Patmore” in the Heebe’s kitchen and bid on a wide variety of special silent auction items. Among the auction offerings were a framed watercolor by Patrick Waldemar, a hat by Haute Dames Couture Milliners, a necklace and chandelier earrings from Monique Lafontaine, Friends of Music subscriptions and concert tickets, a Delta travel voucher, a JPAS basket and season, an apron and coin purse, a faux mink throw, framed art by Terrance Osborne, a Beth Cristina purse and wallet, wood box, shoes from Good Feet and gift certificates from Patois and Desi Vega’s Steakhouse. Jewelry showcased by models was available for purchase, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting WYES. For the raffle, Ken and Nina Friend of Friend & Co. donated a Victorian mourning necklace. Guests at the Patron Champagne Reception before the tea enjoyed passed hors-d’oeuvres and received a special Downton Abbey-themed gift. The WYES benefit was chaired by Jean Rice; Monarch-level sponsors were First Bank & Trust and Russ and Sandra Herman. .
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5 1. Women Council of Realtors St. Tammany Chapter presenting a donation to the Slidell Memorial Hospital Foundation through Bras for a Cause. 2. Pembo Clieutat 4
Academy of Dance northshore students perform at the New Orleans Museum of Art for a celebration of Degas’ Little Dancer, Aged Fourteen exhibit. 3. The St. Tammany Bar Association enjoying the holidays at Keith Young’s Steakhouse. 4. Paul Stahls III, Mary Scheyd, Hamid Salam, Mike Hill, Sohail Khan and Bekir Melek of St. Tammany Parish Hospital receiving the top 10 percent nationwide rank for Medical Excellence in Interventional Coronary Care. 5. Athenians Page Dudley “Carlyle” Chandler IV presents roses to returning Queen Lauren Murphy at this year’s ball.
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1. Beth Knight, Tom Cianfichi and Heather Burkett at Hazelnut’s Spartina Trunk Show. 2. Marcia Holmes, Jim Seitz and Cindy Pulling at Marcia and Jim’s Nature’s Essence: Two Visions exhibit at the St. Tammany Art Association. 3. Natasha Dyer Eberly and Bryan Batt at Bryan’s signing of Hazelnut’s exclusive New Orleans trays. 4. Anne Cannon, Mary Armand and Mary Day at the Reflections book signing at Mia Sorella.
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IN the Spotlight Real Men of St. Tammany Gala
photos: PAUL WOOD PHOTOGRAPHY
At the 5th Annual Real Men of St. Tammany Parish Gala at the Northshore Harbor Center in Slidell, John Case won the title of Real Man of St. Tammany 2015. Case and fellow nominees, Bill Davis, Charles Kepfler, Brad Rummel, Dr. Jack (Jay) Saux, John Brindell, Mike Noto and Dan Milham, competed to raise money for domestic violence survivors and the Safe Harbor Program. The Pussyfooters Marching Group and the band Witness entertained guests. Live and silent auctions featured a giclĂŠe by James Michalopoulos and a painting by George Dunbar. Safe Harbor provides support, counseling, housing and education for domestic abuse and violence victims on the northshore.
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1. Lillie Cuillette and Ann Heslin at the planning meeting of the new Pink Chariot women-driven black car service. 2. Mimi Montgomery, Melissa Buckley, Toni Willis and Susan Meyers at a Garden Club of Tchefuncta Club Estates’ gathering. 3. Chris Kramer, Melissa Chandler and Kristin Ingram 4. Jennifer and Channing Thompson at Franco’s holiday party.
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1. Former football players waiting on guests at Southeastern University’s FE-Lions’ Champagne Bingo. 2. Hat winners Lisa Himber, deCha Sanson and Pam Rogers. 3. Hannah McMurtry, Camille LeBlanc, Lady-in-Waiting Monica Growden, Josh Vrettos, Natalie Hosch and Ande Prather at the Caliphs of Cairo Ball. 4. Jennifer Messina, Marc Eagan, John Allen and Jeff St. Romain as Eagan Insurance Agency presents 160 smoke alarms to Habitat for Humanity St. Tammany West. 5. Tia Friel, Jamie Herrod Dakin, Melissa Mitrik, Kristen Stanley-Wallace, Susan Falls, Linda K. Larkin and Dawn Rivera at the Emerging Young Professional’s After Hours Social.
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1. Mike and Ann March with Lory Lockwood at Lory’s Images of Desire opening reception at the Atrium Gallery at Christwood.
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2. Cathy Montalbano, Sara Messa, Meagan Dubrueil and Wendy Brown at a Garden Club of Tchefuncta Club Estates’ meeting. 3. Keegan Lange, Yehia Elkersh, Sam Brown, Kameron Lange, (back) Tanner Brunner and Rachel Peak after winning Best in State for the Verizon Innovation App Challenge. 4. Jessica Tuohy, Victoria Ellinghausen, Jennifer Tuohy and Abby Thevenot at LSU’s graduation. 5. Al Hamauei, Cindy Cusimano, Jack Gautreaux and Charlie Cusimano at St. Tammany Home Builders Association’s open house at their new office building in Lacombe. 6. Linda Jaccuzzo, Dodie Adams and Peggy Benit. 7. Kenny Elliott, David Koster, Kimberly Everett and Blake Mendheim. 6 7
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IN the Spotlight President’s Arts Awards Gala The 10th annual President’s Arts Awards Gala and fundraiser, “Appetite for Art,” at the St. Tammany Parish Justice Center honored Arts Awards recipients in nine categories. Guests enjoyed food and drink from more than 20 local restaurants, as well as performances including Ronnie Kole, Christian Serpas & Ghost Town, Slidell Little Theater and Javier Juarez’s Dance Studio. Chef John Besh hosted the patron party. The event, sponsored by St. Tammany Parish President Pat Brister and the St. Tammany Commission on Cultural Affairs, raised $40,000 for the St. Tammany Parish Public Art Program that will place sculptural works in the newly developed roundabouts of our parish. Each of the award recipients was given an original John Hodge sculpture as a memento. They are: Phil Anselmo - Musical Artist of the Year Leah Chase - Native Son Award Honorable Fredrick Stephen Ellis President’s Award Erick Loos - Culinary Artist of the Year Martin Needom - Visual Artist of the Year Sara Pagones - Performing Artist of the Year Alison Pelegrin - Literary Artist of the Year Robert Seago - Lifetime Achievement Rotary Club of Slidell Northshore Patron of the Year
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1. Brett Davis, Corey Leftwich, David Schonberg, Donald Villere, Clark Heebe and Pat Brister at Beau Provence Memory Care Assisted Living’s grand opening celebration. 2. Mike Cooper, Kerry Milton and James Core at the Angels of Light Ceremony at St. Tammany Parish Hospital. 3. The ladies of Bustles and Bows celebrating with a holiday brunch at Commander’s Palace. 4. Maura Donahue, Maurer van Voorthuysen, Todd Richard, Jeff St. Romain, Jennifer Messina and Sonia Perez as AT&T donates $10,000 to Habitat for Humanity St. Tammany West.
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1. Cindy and Eddie Schmidt at the opening of the Bombay Club. 2. Julie Philippus, Albert Miller of DIY network’s Amish Renogades, Geoff Philippus and Leon Schlabach of Amish Renogades at Northshore Millwork. 3. Marley McInnis, Hannah Beal, Sydney Powell, Gina Powell, Kate Bergeron, Ashley Gennusa of [brown eyed girl]. 4. Pat Gallagher, Blanche McCloskey and Cheryl Gallagher at the Angels of Light Ceremony at St. Tammany Parish Hospital.
March-April 2015 151
IN the Spotlight
Inside Northside Meet the Artist Party Inside Northside’s Meet the Artist Party honoring JanuaryFebruary cover artist Pam Soileau was held at Lowe’s Jewelers in Mandeville. Brian Lowe happily hosted Inside Northside readers and contributors while serving delectable hors d’oeuvres and drinks. Some of Pam’s favorite works were displayed, and one wall was adorned in her signature painted mannequins. The festive crowd and Pam’s colorful art that dressed the easels and walls brightened the rainy January night. At the close of the evening, Lori Murphy and host Brian Lowe thanked everyone for attending.
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Inside Northside
IN Great Taste
continued from page 57
Pepita Spice Toffee I first ventured into candy making with a simple toffee recipe. After many years of tossing in everything but the kitchen sink, my Pepita Spice Toffee and Almond Roca recipes are my most often requested. Pepita Spice Toffee is salty and sweet, followed by a spicy kick. Be prepared for a flavor combination that is addictive. It is a perfect gift for family, friends and neighbors. 2 cups (1 pound) butter 2 1/2 cups sugar 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 cups roasted and salted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) Topping 6 ounces (about 1/2 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 cup roasted and salted pepitas, chopped Have a rimmed baking sheet ready to be filled with the hot toffee.
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Inside Northside
In a heavy-bottom pot—I prefer a wide heavybottom pot that allows the toffee to spread thin while cooking—slowly melt the butter on low heat. Don’t let the butter bubble or boil. Stir in the sugar and increase the heat to medium. Continue to stir and cook until the mixture thickens and lightly browns. Adjust the heat as needed. Cook for about 15 - 20 minutes until the sugar has a rich amber color or until the sugar has heated to 285° - 300°. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, drizzle a small spoonful of the mixture into ice-cold water. It is ready when it forms a hard brittle thread that snaps and breaks when bent. If the drizzled mixture remains soft or gooey, continue to cook until it forms a hard brittle texture when dropped into ice-cold water. Working quickly, stir in the cayenne pepper and the pepitas. Heat for just a minute longer and pour the mixture into the rimmed baking sheet. Again working quickly, use a rubber spatula to evenly spread the toffee, completely filling the baking sheet. Place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 1 minute. Stir the chocolate chips until all have melted. Dip a whisk in the melted chocolate and drizzle the chocolate across the top of the toffee. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Sprinkle the chopped pepitas on top of the drizzled chocolate. Refrigerate the entire baking sheet of toffee for about 15 minutes or until the chocolate has set. Break into pieces, and store at room temperature in an airtight container.
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INside Dining MCC: Major credit cards accepted ME: Menu Express delivery RR: Reservations recommended
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Coffee Rani, 234-A Lee Ln., 8936158. Soup and salad specialists. coffeerani.com. Columbia St. Seafood, 1123 N. Columbia St., 893-4312. Seafood platters
ABITA SPRINGS
and po-boys. columbiastreetseafood.com.
Abita Barbecue, 69399 Hwy. 59, 4005025. Ribs, brisket, chicken, pulled pork
Columbia St. Tap Room & Grill,
and boudin. MCC.
434 N. Columbia St., 898-0899. Daily specials, appetizers, sandwiches, salads,
Abita Brew Pub, 72011 Holly St., 892-
soups and burgers. Live music Thurs-Sat
5837. On the Trace. Good food, great
nights. Lunch, dinner. covingtontaproom.
beer. Lunch, dinner. abitabrewpub.com.
com. MCC, ME.
MCC. Copeland’s, 680 N. Hwy. 190, Abita Springs Café, 22132 Level St.,
809-9659. Authentic New Orleans
867-9950. Southern cooking for breakfast,
cuisine. Lunch, dinner and Sunday
lunch and dinner. Tues-Sun. MCC.
brunch. Online take-out orders at copelandsofneworleans.com. MCC,
Camellia Café, 69455 Hwy. 59, 809-
ME, RR.
6313. Traditional seafood and New Orleans cuisine. thecamelliacafe.com.
Dakota Restaurant, 629 N. Hwy. 190,
MCC.
892-3712. Contemporary Louisiana cuisine using local and seasonal
Mama D’s Pizza & More, 22054 Hwy.
ingredients. thedakotarestaurant.com.
59, 809-0308. Great pizza, sandwiches,
MCC, RR.
pasta, fresh homemade bread. Lunch, dinner. mamadspizza.com.
Del Porto Restaurant, 501 E. Boston St., 875-1006. Northern Italian cuisine.
COVINGTON
delportoristorante.com. MCC, RR.
Acme Oyster House, 1202 Hwy. 190, 246-6155. Established 1910 in New
Di Martino’s, 700 S. Tyler St., 276-6460.
Orleans, 1995 on northshore. Seafood,
Great food and reasonable prices. Lunch,
sandwiches, local favorites. Lunch, dinner.
dinner. dimartinos.com. MCC.
mamdspizza.com. MCC. Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, 69292 Hwy. 21, Albasha, 1958 Hwy. 190, 867-8292.
871-2225. Locally-owned and -operated
Mediterranean cuisine. albashabr.com.
franchise. Kids eat free on Sundays. MCC.
MCC. DiCristina’s Restaurant, 810 N. Annadele’s Plantation, 71518 Chestnut
Columbia St., Ste. C, 875-0160.
St., 809-7669. Yellow fin tuna, domestic
Conveniently located next to the new
lamb & much more. annadeles.com.
Covington Courthouse. Italian and
MCC, checks.
seafood. dicristinas.com. MCC.
Bear’s Restaurant, 128 W. 21st St.,
Don’s Seafood Hut, 126 Lake
892-2373. Best po-boys in the world.
Dr., 327-7111. Lunch and dinner. donsseafoodonline.com. MCC.
Buster’s Place, 519 E. Boston St., 8093880. Seafood, po-boys, steaks. Lunch,
Downtown Deli, 400 N. Thread St., 234-
dinner. MCC.
9086. Chicken salad, burgers and poboys. Mon-Fri, 10:30am-2:30pm. MCC.
Carreta’s Grill, 70380 Hwy. 21, 871-6674. Great Mexican cuisine and
El Portal, 1200 Business 190, 867-5367.
margaritas served in a family-friendly atmosphere for lunch and dinner. Kids
The English Tea Room, 734 Rutland
eat free every Wednesday! Private events
St., 898-3988. Authentic English
and catering also provided. carretasgrill.
cream teas. Special event teas,
com. MCC.
English scones, crumpets and cakes. Serving breakfast and lunch. Mon-Sat,
The Chimes, 19130 W. Front St., 892-
7:30am-6pm. englishtearoom.com.
5396. Lunch and dinner. thechimes.com.
MCC, RR.
MCC.
>>
March-April 2015 155
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Four Seasons Chinese Buffet, 600 N.
0708. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. MCC,
Hwy. 190, 893-3866. MCC.
checks.
Gallagher’s Grill, 509 S. Tyler St.,
McAlister’s Deli, 206 Lake Dr., Ste. 15,
892-9992. Lunch and dinner, Tues-Sat.
898-2800. Great sandwiches, salads,
gallaghersgrill.com. MCC, RR.
overstuffed potatoes. mcalistersdeli.com.
Northshore Empress, 31 Louis Prima
MCC, checks.
Dr., 871-6975. northshoreempress.com.
Megumi of Covington, 1211 Village
Osaka West Japanese Restaurant,
Walk, 893-0406. megumirestaurant.net.
804 N. Hwy. 190, 871-8199.
Raising Canes, 1270 N. Hwy. 190,
osakawest.com
809-0250. Chicken fingers, crinkle-cut
nonnaskingcakes.com. MCC.
MCC.
North Island Chinese, 842 N. Collins
PJ’s Coffee & Tea Co., 70456 Hwy. 21,
Blvd., 867-8289.
875-7894. Catch your morning buzz at this convenient drive-thru! Catering. MCC.
Garcia’s Famous Mexican Food, 200 River Highlands Blvd., 327-7420.
Pizza Man of Covington, 1248 N. Collins Blvd., 892-9874. Checks, ME.
Isabella’s Pizzeria, 70452 Hwy. 21, Ste. 500, 875-7620; 1331 Hwy. 190,
Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers,
809-1900. Salads, gourmet pizza,
1645 Hwy. 190, 327-5407. Salads,
Ox Lot 9, 488 E Boston St., 400-5663.
secret dipping sauce. Dine-in, to-go and
sandwiches, paninis, calzones and pasta.
pizzas, calzones. 20 craft beers on tap.
Hotel. Dinner, Sunday brunch. oxlot9.
catering. MCC.
isabellaspizzeria.net.
Open 7 days a week. Lunch and dinner.
com. MCC.
fries, coleslaw, texas toast, signature
Renaissance Antiques & Gifts with
MCC. mellowmushroom.com. Italian Pie, 70488 Hwy. 21, 871-5252.
Pardos, 69305 Hwy. 21, 893-3603. An
the Original Soda Fountain & Café
Pizza, salads, pasta, sandwiches. Dine
Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt, 104 Lake
American bistro with a blend of multi-cultural
Cabaret, 322 N. Florida St., 892-7220.
in or carry out. italianpie.com. MCC,
Dr. #1, 898-6362. menchies.com.
cuisine with local flair. Frutta del mar pasta,
Nostalgic soda fountain for lunch and
rosemary-grilled shrimp, roasted chicken.
after school, six days a week.
checks. New Orleans Food and Spirits,
Lunch, Tues-Fri; Dinner, Tues-Sun; Happy
Jerk’s Island Grill & Daiquiri
208 Lee Ln., 875-0432. Grilled fish,
hour, Tues-Fri, 4-7pm. Private parties and
Sake 21 Japanese Restaurant, 70340
Bar, 70437 Hwy. 21, 893-1380.
smothered rabbit and voodoo crawfish
catering. pardosbistro.com. MCC.
Hwy. 21, 809-2640.
jerksIslandgrill.com.
rolls. Family owned and operated. Pat’s Seafood Market and Cajun
Sala Thai, 315 N. Vermont St., 249-
Deli, 1248 N. Collins Blvd., 892-7287.
6990. Special salads, spring rolls, soups,
neworleansfoodspirits.com. MCC. Lola, 517 N. New Hampshire St., 8924992. Lunch, Mon-Fri; Dinner, Fri-Sat.
Nonna Randazzo’s Italian Bakery
Jambalaya, gumbo, stuffed artichokes.
noodle and curry dishes. Sun-Thurs,
Closed Sundays. Daily lunch specials, local
and Cafè, 2033 N. Hwy. 190, Ste.
MCC, checks, ME.
11am-9pm; Fri-Sat, 11am-10pm.
produce, Louisiana seafood, everything
5, 893-1488. Full service, year-round
housemade. lolacovington.com.
bakery. Luncheon salads, panini, catering,
Peck’s Seafood & Grill, 70457 Hwy.
donuts, kingcakes, cupcakes and
21, Ste. 108, 892-2121. Po-boys,
wedding cakes. Tues-Sun, open at 7am.
seafood, burgers and lunch specials.
Mattina Bella, 421 E. Gibson St., 892-
156
Inside Northside
Lunch buffet weekdays, 11am-3pm. salathaibysu.com. MCC. Sweet Daddy’s, 420 S. Tyler St.,
i 898-2166. Pulled pork, brisket and ribs.
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casual atmosphere. MCC.
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checks. Kirin Sushi, 221 E. Cate St., 542-
sweetdaddysbarbq.com. MCC, ME. Thai Chili, 1102 N. Hwy. 190, 809-0180.
n
Zea Rotisserie & Grill, 110 Lake Dr.,
8888. First Japanese sushi restaurant in
VooDoo BBQ & Grill, 2108 W. Thomas
327-0520. Inspired American food.
Hammond! Dragon roll, Kirin roll, sake.
St., 345-1131. “Taste our Magic.”
zearestaurants.com. MCC.
kirinjapanesecuisine.com. MCC.
voodoobbq.com. MCC.
Thai Spice, 1581 N. Hwy. 190, 809La Carreta Authentic Mexican
Yellow Bird Café, 222 E. Charles St.,
Adobe Cantina & Salsa, 1905
Cuisine, 108 N.W Railroad Ave., 419-
345-1112. A great place to start your
Thai Taste, 1005 N. Collins Blvd.,
W. Thomas St., 419-0027. Fine
9990. Festive Mexican atmosphere,
day. Breakfast, lunch. MCC, checks.
809-7886.
Mexican cuisine, good spirits, great
fresh food from traditional recipes,
6483.
HAMMOND
LACOMBE
friends and fun. Ceviche (marinated
outstanding service and value. Live music.
Tony Bosco’s at TerraBella, 141
fish) and Mexican pasta. Live band.
Lunch and dinner seven days a week.
Janie Brown’s Restaurant, 27207
TerraBella Blvd., 612-7250. Authentic
adoberestaurant.com. MCC.
carretarestaurant.com. MCC.
Hwy. 190, 882-7201. Casual dining with
Brady’s, 110 SW Railroad Ave., 542-
Old MacDonald’s Smokehouse,
6333. bradysdowntown.com.
1601 N. Morrison Blvd., 542-7529.
La Provence Restaurant, 25020
BBQ brisket, ribs, chicken and sausage.
Hwy. 190, 626-7662. Owner John Besh
Italian cuisine. Lunch, dinner, private meeting room, catering. tonyboscos.com.
a great atmosphere. MCC, checks.
Vasquez Seafood & Po-Boys, 515 E. Boston St., 893-9336. Cuban
Cocoa Bean Bakery and Cafe,
oldmacdonaldsmokehouse.com. MCC,
combines hospitality with French cuisine
sandwiches and more. vazquezpoboy.
910 E. Main St., 345-2002.
checks.
and welcoming hearths. Dinner, Sunday
com. MCC, checks, ME.
Specialty cakes, pastries. Serving
Winos and Tacos, a 321 N. Columbia
Tommy’s on Thomas, 216 W. Thomas
thecocoabeanbakery.com. MCC.
St., 350-6100. Pizza, pastas. Lunch,
St., 809-3029. Fresh, innovative cuisine by Chef Joel Brown. MCC.
brunch. laprovencerestaurant.com. MCC,
breakfast and light lunch. Specials.
Don’s Seafood & Steak House,
dinner. tommysonthomas.com. MCC,
Sal & Judy’s, 27491 Hwy. 190,
checks.
882-9443. Great food and line of retail products. Family-owned for 27
1915 S. Morrison Blvd., 345-8550. WOW Café & Wingery, 501 N. Hwy.
donsseafoodonline.com. MCC.
190, 892-9691. Wings, burgers, wraps and more. MCC.
checks. RR.
Tope là, 104 N. Cate St., 542-7600.
years. Veal is the house specialty.
Contemporary delights. topela.com. MCC.
salandjudys.com. MCC, RR.
Jacmel Inn, 903 E. Morris St., 5420043. Catering, special events, weddings.
Trey Yuen Cuisine of China, 2100 N.
Yujin Japanese Restaurant and Sushi
Casual fine dining, chargrilled steaks, gulf
Morrison Blvd., 345-6789. Innovative
Hook’d Up Riverside Bar and Grill,
MADISONVILLE
Bar, 323 N. New Hampshire St., 809-
fish, fresh seafood, house specialties.
quality Chinese food served in Imperial
100 Marina Del Ray Dr., 845-8119.
3840. Japanese cuisine and sushi in a
jacmelinn.com. MCC, checks.
surroundings. treyyuen.com. MCC,
Burgers, wings, hot dogs and specials. >>
March-April 2015 157
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Keith Young’s Steakhouse, 165 Hwy.
day Saturday and Sunday. Reserve
food from traditional recipes, outstanding
Pinkberry, 3460 Hwy. 190, 612-7306.
21, 845-9940. Steak, crab cakes. Lunch,
Fat Spoon Cafe for your next party.
service and value. Live music. Lunch
Pinkberry is the original tart frozen yogurt
dinner, Tues-Fri. keithyoungs.net. MCC.
fatspooncafe.com. MCC.
and dinner seven days a week.
that is the perfect balance of sweet and
carretasrestaurant.com. MCC.
tangy paired with high quality, fresh
Morton’s Boiled Seafood & Bar,
Fazzio’s Seafood & Steakhouse, 1841
702 Water St., 845-4970. Relaxed
N. Causeway Blvd., 624-9704. Fresh fish
La Madeleine French Cafe, 3434 Hwy.
atmosphere, seafood, daily specials.
daily, aged beef, traditional Italian. Lunch,
190, 626-7004. lamadeleine.com.
Lunch, dinner. MCC, checks.
dinner. fazziosrestaurant.com. MCC, ME, RR.
Water St. Bistro, 804 Water St.,
cut fruit and premium dry toppings.
PJ’s Coffee & Tea Co., 2963 Hwy. The Lakehouse, 2025 Lakeshore
190, 674-1565. Catch your morning buzz
Dr., 626-3006, events 778-2045.
at the convenient drive-thru! Catering. pjscoffee.com. MCC.
845-3855. Casual ambiance on the
Franco’s Grill,100 Bon Temps Roule,
Restaurant open. Call for reservations.
Tchefuncte. Lunch and dinner, Wed-Sun.
792-0200. Fresh organic foods for
lakehousecuisine.com. MCC.
mortonsseafood.com. MCC.
breakfast, lunch and takeout. myfrancos. com/dining. MCC.
MANDEVILLE
Raising Canes, 3801 Hwy. 22, 674Little Tokyo, 590 Asbury Dr.,
2042. Chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries,
727-1532. littletokyosushi.com.
coleslaw, texas toast, signature secret
The Barley Oak, 2101 Lakeshore Dr.,
George’s Mexican Restaurant, 1461
727-7420. Serving 130 styles of beer, call
N. Causeway Blvd., 626-4342. Family
Louie & The Redhead Lady,
and premium liquors. Lunch and dinner.
owned. Fajitas, George’s nachos, Carne
2820 E. Causeway App., 626-6044.
thebarleyoak.com. MCC.
al la Parrilla. Best top-shelf margaritas in
louieandtheredheadlady.com.
dipping sauce. Dine-in, to-go and
town. georgesmexicanrestaurant.com. Bear’s Grill & Spirits, 4700 Hwy. 22,
MCC, ME.
catering. MCC. Rip’s on the Lake, 1917 Lakeshore Dr., 727-2829.
Macaroni Grill, 3410 Hwy. 190, 7271998. Penne rustica, pasta Milano,
Ristorante Carmelo & Pizzaria, 1901
Gio’s Villa Vancheri, 2890 E.
other Italian favorites. Lunch, dinner.
Hwy. 190, 624-4844. Family-oriented
Causeway App., 624-2597. Sicilian
macaronigrill.com. MCC, ME.
Italian cuisine. Lunch and dinner. MCC.
674-9090. Bear’s po-boys and more. bearsgrillandspirits.com. MCC.
pinkberry.com.
Benedict’s Plantation, 1144 Lovers
specialties by 5-star chef Gio
Ln., 626-4557. Traditional New Orleans
Vancheri. Lunch and dinner, Mon-Sat.
Mande’s, 340 N. Causeway App., 626-
Rusty Pelican, 500 Girod
cuisine. Dinner, Sunday brunch.
giosvillavancheri.com. MCC. RR.
9047. Serving breakfast and lunch, daily
St., 778-0364. Lunch, dinner.
specials.
rustypelicanbythelake.com. MCC.
Mandina’s, 4240 Hwy. 22 in
Sake Gardens Japanese Restaurant,
Azalea Square Shopping Center,
1705 Hwy. 190, 624-8955.
benedictsplantation.net. MCC. Hong Kong Restaurant, 2890 E. Bosco’s Italian Café, 2040 Hwy. 59,
Causeway App., 626-8222. MCC.
624-5066. boscositalian.com. Isabella’s Pizzeria, 2660 Florida
674-9883. Seafood, Creole and
Broken Egg Café, 200 Gerard St.,
St. (in the Florida Street Market),
Italian. Lunch and dinner, Mon-Sat.
Sesame Inn, 408 N. Causeway Blvd.,
231-7125. Excellent choice for brunch!
674-5700. Salads, gourmet pizza,
mandinasrestaurant.com.
951-8888. Finest Chinese cuisine.
Pasta, specialty salads, sandwiches.
sandwiches, paninis, calzones and pasta.
anotherbrokenegg.com. MCC.
isabellapizzeria.net.
Megumi Japanese Cuisine, 4700
The Scotts’ Coffee Bar, 201 Carroll St.,
Hwy. 22, Suites 11 and 12, 845-1644.
231-7632. Open seven days. Gourmet
Café Lynn Restaurant and Catering,
Italian Pie, 4350 Hwy. 22, 626-5252.
Yakimono and sushi bar. Lunch, dinner.
coffee & tea. Breakfast and lunch items
2600 Florida St., 624-9007. Casual fine
Pizza, salads, pasta, sandwiches. Dine in
megumirestaurant.com.
available. Evening tapas menu - Fri and
dining for lunch, dinner and Sunday
or carry out. italianpie.com. MCC, checks.
Sat, 6-10. thescottscoffeebar.com. MiMamacita’s New Mexican Cuisine,
brunch by Chef Joey Najolia. Tues-Fri, lunch: 11am-3pm. Dinner, 5pm. Catering
Joyce and Johnny’s, 1461 N.
2345 Florida St., 674-1400. Great food and
Smoothie King, 1830 W. Causeway
provided. cafelynn.com. MCC.
Causeway Blvd., Ste. 11, 727-7727.
margaritas. Lunch, dinner, catering. MCC.
App., 626-9159. Smoothies.
Soups, salads, stuffed potatoes, Chili’s Bar & Grill, 3420 Hwy. 190,
sandwiches, po-boys.
727-2771. Fajitas and the Awesome
smoothieking.com. MCC, checks. Monster Po-Boys, 1814 N. Causeway App., 626-9183. Lunch, dinner.
Blossom. Lunch, dinner. chilis.com.
Jubilee Restaurant and Courtyard,
MCC, ME.
301 Lafitte St., 778-2552. Contemporary
N’Tini’s, 2891 N. Hwy. 190, 626-5566.
Taqueria Noria, 1931 Hwy. 59, 7277917. Lunch, dinner.
Louisiana cuisine for dinner, lunch by
Steaks, martinis. Lunch specials. Mon.-
Times Bar & Grill, 1896 N. Causeway
Coffee Rani, 3517 Hwy. 190, 674-
Chef Tory Stewart. Casual fine dining,
Sat. ntinis.com. MCC.
Blvd., 626-1161. Famous hamburgers,
0560. Soup and salad specialists.
daily lunch/dinner specials, private events, catering. jubileerestaurantcourtyard.com.
Coscino’s Pizza, 1817 N. Causeway
starters, steaks and more. Lunch, dinner. Nuvolari’s, 246 Girod St., 626-5619.
timesgrill.com. ME, MCC.
In Old Mandeville. Italian cuisine for fine
Blvd., 727-4984. New York hand-tossed
K. Gee’s, 2534 Florida St., 626-0530.
dining daily for dinner or special events.
Trey Yuen Cuisine of China, 600
pizza and Italian foods cooked on stone
Featuring Louisiana seafood with
MCC. nuvolaris.com.
N. Causeway Blvd., 626-4476. Quality
using the finest ingredients. MCC.
raw oysters 1/2 price on Tuesdays.
China cuisine with Louisiana flair. Lunch,
Express lunch and daily lunch specials
The Old Rail Brewing Company,
Country Kitchen, 2109 Florida St., 626-
under $10. Mon-Thurs, 11am-9pm;
639 Girod St., 612-1828. Homemade
5375. countrykitchenrestaurants.com.
Fri-Sat, 11am-10pm. kgeesrestaurant.
American cuisine with fresh, local
Vianne’s Tea House, 544 Girod St.,
com. MCC.
ingredients. Family-friendly atmosphere.
624-5683. A full café menu with over 120
Lunch and dinner. Closed Tuesdays.
loose leaf and speciality teas. Breakfast,
Fat Spoon Café, 68480 Hwy. 59., 809-2929. Breakfast, lunch, Tues-
La Carreta Authentic Mexican
Sun. 7am-2pm. Breakfast served
Cuisine, 1200 W. Causeway App., 624-
Petunia’s Place, 2020 Hwy. 59, 674-
until 10:30am on weekdays and all
2990. Festive Mexican atmosphere, fresh
3436. petuniasplace.com.
158
Inside Northside
dinner. treyyuen.com. MCC, checks.
lunch. viannes.com. MCC. VooDoo BBQ & Grill, 2999 Hwy.
i 190 E., 629-2021. “Taste our Magic.”
649-8055. Steaks, seafood, veal, duck,
voodoobbq.com. MCC.
eggplant au gratin. Extensive wine
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selection. Dinner. PONCHATOULA Middendorf’s Seafood Restaurant,
Nathan’s Restaurant, 36440 Old Bayou
30160 Hwy. 51, 386-6666.
Liberty Rd., 643-0443. Waterfront dining
middendorfsrestaurant.com.
featuring seafood, steaks and pasta. MCC.
La Carreta Authentic Mexican
Nola Southern Grill, 1375 Gause Blvd.,
Cuisine, 147 N.W. Railroad Ave.,
201-8200. Burgers, ribs, steaks, pasta,
370-0930. Festive Mexican atmosphere,
sandwiches and seafood. MCC.
fresh food from traditional recipes, outstanding service and value. Live music.
Palmettos on the Bayou,
Lunch and dinner seven days a week.
1901 Bayou Ln., 643-0050.
carretarestaurant.com. MCC.
palmettosrestaurantslidell.com.
Taste of Bavaria Restaurant &
Peck’s Seafood Restaurant, 2315
Bakery, 14476 Hwy. 22, 386-3634.
Gause Blvd. E., 781-7272. Po-boys,
Charming Bavarian bungalow, European-
seafood, burgers and lunch specials.
style breakfast, German-style lunch.
MCC.
tasteofbavariastaurant.com. MCC, checks. Smoothie King, 150 Northshore SLIDELL A Touch of Italy Café, 134 Pennsylvania
Blvd., 781-3456. Low-fat health drinks. smoothieking.com. MCC, checks.
Ave., 639-0600. Seafood, veal, steaks, daily specials. Lunch, dinner.
Tacos and Beer, 2142 Front St., 641-
kathrynandcompany.com. MCC, checks.
4969. Lunch, dinner and late-night.
Assunta’s, 2631 Hwy. 190 W., 649-9768.
Times Bar & Grill, 1827 Front St.,
Italian food, extensive wine selection.
639-3335. Famous hamburgers,
Dinner. assuntas.com. MCC, checks.
starters, steaks and more. Lunch, dinner. timesgrill.com. ME, MCC.
Bear’s Grill & Spirits, 550 Gause Blvd., 201-8905. Po-boys and more.
The Wine Market, 2051 E. Gause
bearsgrillandspirits.com. MCC.
Blvd., 781-1177. Deli restaurant, lunch, 11am-3pm. Sandwiches, soups, salads,
Sapphire, 2306 Front St., 288-4166.
wraps. MCC and checks.
Sunday brunch, live entertainment, fine wines and spirits. Open seven days a week. bistrodelareine.com. MCC.
NEW ORLEANS/SOUTHSHORE Café Giovanni, 117 Rue Decatur, (504)-529-2154. Dinner, Sun-Thurs,
Bonnie C’s, 1768 Front St., 288-
5:30-10pm. Fri-Sat, 5:30-11pm. Live
5061. Home-style Italian, seafood, and
Entertainment Wed, Thurs, and Friday
barbecue.
Evenings. . Cafegiovanni.com. RR.
Camellia Cafe, 525 Hwy. 190, 649-6211.
Carreta’s Grill Mexican, 2320
Traditional seafood and New Orleans
Veterans Blvd., 504-837-6696; 1821
cuisine. thecamelliacafe.com. MCC.
Hickory Ave., Harahan, 504-305-4833
Carreta’s Grill, 137 Taos St., 847-0020.
Criollo Resturant and Lounge at Hotel
Great Mexican cuisine and margaritas served
Monteleone, 214 Royal St., (504)-523-
in a family-friendly atmosphere for lunch and
3340. hotelmonteleone.com/criollo/.
dinner. carretasgrill.com. MCC.
MCC, RR.
KY’s Olde Towne Bicycle Shop, 2267
Mellow Mushroom Pizza, 30 craft
Carey St., 641-1911. Casual dining in
beers on tap, 3131 Veterans Memorial
former bicycle shop. Kids’ menu. Lunch,
Blvd., 504-644-4155
dinner. kysoldetowne.com. MCC, checks. Restaurant R’evolution, 777 Bienville La. Pines, 1061 Robert St., 641-6196.
St., (504)-553-2277. Located at the
Meet under the water tower for Ahhhfull-
Royal Sonesta Hotel. Offering modern,
waffles, Sugar Watcher specials. Breakfast,
imaginative reinterpretations of classic
lunch. lapinescafe.com. MCC, checks.
Cajun and Creole Cuisine. Triptych of Quail and Oysterman’s spaghettini.
Michael’s, 4820 Pontchartrain Dr.,
Revolutionnola.com. RR.
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Directory of Advertisers ADVERTISER...........................CONTACT INFO PAGE 10/12 Properties........................985-626-8200 119 All American Healthcare.............985-893-2223 101 Al’s Plumbing Co........................985-845-9390 33 American Factory Direct..............985-871-0300 127 Arabella Fine Gifts and Home Décor................. .................................................985-727-9787 91 Armbruster Artworks Studio........985-630-6295 71 Artistry of Light..........................225-247-8963 41 Asset One..................................985-727-2834 142 Audubon Institute ........... AudubonInstitute.org 136 Bantings Nursery........................985-882-5550 43 Barley Oak, The..........................985-727-7420 6 Basics Underneath.....................985-727-9521 84 Beau Provence Memory Care Assisted Living..... ...........................................BeauProvence.com 74 Bedico Creek Preserve................985-845-4200 143 Bevolo Gas & Electric Lights.......985-249-6040 7 Bora Bora...................................985-951-8454 94 Boudreaux’s Fine Jewelers..........985-626-1666 73 Bra Genie...................................985-951-8638 88 Bra la Vie!..................................985-662-5065 97 Broussard’s...............................504- 598-5005 11 [brown eyed girl]........................985-626-0100 98 Brown Family Orthodontics.........985-626-8297 78 Business First Bank Northshore...985-624-4501 26 Cabinets by Design.......... cabinetsbydesign.com 67 Café Lynn Restaurant & Catering....985-624-9007 157 California Drawstrings Northshore....985-327-7300 97 Cameo Boutique........................985-231-1332 84 Cancer Crusaders.......................504-733-2397 116 Candra George-My Creative Reality.................. .................................................985-871-6990 137 Carreta’s Grill............985-871-6674, 847-0020 16 Cedarwood School.....................985-845-7111 81 Champagne Jewelers.................985-643-2599 135 Chef Soirée................................985-893-2570 83 Children’s Museum of St. Tammany.....cmstkids.org 30,108 Christ Episcopal School...............985-871-9902 26 Columbia Street Mercantile........985-809-1789 87 Community Center at Christwood..................... .............................................christwoodrc.com 117 Court of Two Sisters...................504-522-7261 136 Creative Network Solutions........985-377-9488 132 Culinary Kids..............................985-727-5553 160 DA Exterminating.......................985-893-2071 51 De Boscq Jewelry.......................985-674-0007 145 deCoeur..........................................decoeur.net 88 Deleon and Sons........................504-628-1363 160 DeLuca’s Expressions in Gold......985-892-2317 137 Designs in Windows...................985-209-1689 160 Diane LaPlace, Team LaPlace......985-727-7000 151 Dr. Burkenstock, Skin Body Health...985-237-1960 56, 57 Dugas Pest Control.....................800-729-0703 78 Earthsavers................................985-674-1133 94 EMB Interiors.............................985-626-1522 101 Emma’s Shoes and Accessories...985-778-2200 98
ADVERTISER...........................CONTACT INFO PAGE Etan Enterprises.........................985-966-7042 135 Fazzio’s Restaurant & Bar...........985-624-9704 157 Fidelity Homestead.....................800-220-2497 52 Fielding Photography..................985-626-7549 114 Fitness Expo...............................504-887-0880 30 Fleurt.........................................985-809-8844 131 Florist of Covington....................985-892-7701 112 Franco’s Athletic Club.................985-792-0200 BC French Market Corp................ Frenchmarket.org 32 french mix, the...........................985-809-3152 25 Glenn Michael Salon..................504-828-6848 19 GNO Property Management.......504-528-7028 15 H2O Salon.................................985-951-8166 65 Haybands...................................504-252-0519 87 Hestia Luxury in Linens...............985-893-0490 102 Hospice Compassus....................985-639-8000 5 Infusé Oils & Vinegars................985-778-0903 22 Integrity Builders, Inc..................985-626-3479 131 Istre Hearing Care......................985-845-3509 71 JaRoy Pest Control......................985-892-6882 55 Jefferson Performing Arts ...........504-885-2000 66 Jennifer Rice, Dorian Bennett Sotheby’s............. .................................................985-892-1478 105 Jill Gibson, MD, LLC....................985-898-5990 17 Jos. A. Bank................................985-624-4067 98 JuJu’s Boutique..........................985-624-3600 97 K. Gee’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar....985-626-0530 156 Khoobehi & Associates................ khoobehi.com 13 La Bella Vita Laser & Vein...........985-892-2950 31 Lake After Hours.........................985-375-9979 32 Lakehouse, The...........................985-626-3006 156 Lakeview Regional Medical Center....985-867-3900 IBC Land Trust for Louisiana..............985-542-5006 30 LCI Workers Comp......................985-871-0810 147 Lee Michaels Jewelers......................... lmfj.com IFC, 3 Louisiana Custom Closets...........985-871-0810 150 Louisiana Family Eyecare............985-875-7898 75 Louisiana Heart Hospital.......louisianaheart.com 14, 21 Lutheran High School’s Gryphon Gala............... .....................................lutheranhighschool.net 159 M’liss Hogan MD, LLC................985-898-1106 115 Mainstream Boutique.................985-674-6600 84 Maison Lafitte............................985-807-5014 155 Mandeville Animal Hospital........985-377-0800 160 Mandeville Dental Care..............985-892-2273 128 Mandeville Party Co....................985-674-1605 12 mélange by kp...........................985-807-7652 105 Mellow Mushroom.....................985-327-5407 155 Mercedes Benz of New Orleans...504-456-3727 9 Metabolic Anti-Aging Center......225-767-0646 107 Metlife Premier Client Group......985-969-0591 65 Mia Sorella.................................985-781-3909 91 Money Hill Golf and Country Club.....985-892-3300 55 Monmouth Historic Inn...............601-442-5852 28 Murphy Appraisal Services..........985-626-4115 160 Natchez Grand Hotel, The...........601-446-9994 28
ADVERTISER...........................CONTACT INFO PAGE New Orleans Home & Garden Show................. .............................neworleanshomeshows.com 68 Niche Modern Home..................985-624-4045 112 North American Insurance Agency....985-871-5480 79 North Oaks Health System..........985-230-1880 22 North Shore Square....................985-646-0661 4 Northshore Academy of Dance....985-893-1143 129 Northshore Dermatology ...........985-792-5959 27 Northshore Harbor Center..........985-781-3650 146 Oasis Day Spa, The.....................985-624-6772 80 Old Rail Brewing Company, The...985-612-1828 6 Olive Patch............................... olive-patch.com 87 Original Julius Lips Door & Glass Co., Inc, The... .................................................504-524-0924 160 Outdoor Living Center................985-893-8008 43 Paisley.......................................985-727-7880 97 Palatial Stone & Tile....................985-249-6868 10 Palm Village...............................985-778-2547 98 Pan American Power...................985-893-1271 51 Paretti Jaguar.............................504-455-2101 132 Personal Care MD......................985-778-2330 69 Pontchartrain Hematology & Oncology.............. .................................................985-875-1202 69 Pool & Patio Center.....................poolpatio.com 46, 47 POSH Boutique..........................985-898-2639 102 Private Beach.............................985-674-2326 87 Protect Painters..........................877-212-4071 127 Rick’s Professional Painting Service...985-845-0533 160 Riverview Camp for Girls......riverviewcamp.com 120 Ross Hogan, MD........................985-892-4544 115 Rug Chic....................................985-674-1070 33 St. Paul’s School.............................. spscco.com 16 St. Paul’s Alumni Association............ spscco.com 116 St. Romain Interiors....................985-845-7411 88 St. Tammany Parish Hospital.......985-898-4000 153 Saks Fifth Avenue.......................504-524-2200 141 Schenck Dental Wellness............985-626-4807 29 Shademakers Nursery, Inc...........985-748-4029 42 Shoefflé........................................ shoeffle.com 88 State Farm Insurance, C J Ladner...985-892-5030 102 Sterling Surgical Hospital......sterlingsurgical.net 44 Stone Source..............................985-892-0695 102 Sunrise Homes......................sunrisehomes.com 62 TerraBella...................................985-871-7171 45 Tequila Don Saul.................tequiladonsaul.com 122,123 Thomas Franks Fine Jewelers......985-626-5098 93 Villa, The....................................985-626-9797 84 Village Executive Office Suites, The....985-727-6700 101 Vine...........................................985-950-0005 94 Water Street Wreaths.................985-792-7979 160 Wealth Management Group.... advisormike.com 25 Weimer, DDS, Patrick..................985-727-1800 80 West Feliciana Parish Tourist Commission.......... .................................................225-635-6769 101 Windsor Senior Living Community, The.............. .................................................985-624-8040 31 March-April 2015 161
Last Bite
Franco’s Grill
by Poki Hampton
WHAT COULD BE FRESHER for spring than a chopped berry salad and smoothie from Franco’s Grill? A blend of ripe organic strawberries, blueberries and chopped walnuts on organic mixed spring greens is topped with a sprinkling of feta cheese and an eight-ounce grilled chicken breast. Tossed with the homemade sugar-free cranberry vinaigrette, this treat is definitely guilt free. Finish it off with this incredible smoothie made with strawberries and bananas blended with low-fat vanilla yogurt and a splash of orange juice. Franco’s Grill is located inside Franco’s Athletic Club at 100 Bon Temps Roule in Mandeville. 792-0200. myfrancos.com/dining. With more than 26 years
business, manager Jamie Hamler makes sure that the freshest ingredients are used to create salads, entrées and other mouth-watering treats.
162
Inside Northside
photos: THOMAS B. GROWDEN
in the food and beverage