Louisiana Life Magazine March-April 2024

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME LOUISIANA DISHES WE LOVE P. 34

RED BEANS & RICE

PLUS MARCH/APRIL 2024

HOTELS AND LODGES WITH A VIEW P. 46

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FEATURES

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TH E RE ’S NO PL ACE LI K E HOM E

Louisiana dishes we love

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ROOM WITH A VIEW

Louisiana hotels and lodges with vistas that can’t be beat

On The Cover Red beans and rice, served alone or with a side of sausage or fried chicken is Louisiana’s year-round favorite comfort dish, but especially on a Monday

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MARCH/APRIL VO LU M E 4 4 N U M BE R 2

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E DITOR ' S NOTE

Springtime Means TWFest time!

F ROM TH E E X ECUTI V E E DITOR’S DE SK

Hotels with a Political Past

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PE LIC A N B RI E FS

News and updates around the state

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LOU ISI A N A M A DE

Lafayette designer Joi Johnston uses exotic leather for her high-end handbags

Painting serenity and beauty

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HOM E

Three successful renovations turn a worn, century-and-a-half-old Creole cottage into a bright family home

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K ITCH E N GOU RM E T

A fresh burst of seasonal ingredients N ATU R A L STATE

The earthen mounds of Marksville

60 TR AV E LE R

Florida Parish’s festivals and fun

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Boutiques, antiques and crafts in Fairhope, Alabama

64 PHOTO CONTE ST

LITE R A RY LOU ISI A N A

Culture, race, history and lore within these pages

FA RTH E R F LU NG

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Barred Owl perched on the edge of a rice field in Oberlin, Louisiana.

Louisiana Life (ISSN 1042-9980) is published bimonthly by Renaissance Publishing, LLC, 110 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005; (504) 828-1380. Subscription rate: One year $24; no foreign subscriptions. Periodicals postage paid at Metairie, LA, and additional mailing entry offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Louisiana Life, 110 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005. Copyright © 2024 Louisiana Life. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the consent of the publisher. The trademark Louisiana Life is registered. Louisiana Life is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photos and artwork, even if accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. The opinions expressed in Louisiana Life are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the magazine or owner.

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E D I TOR ’ S N OT E

Springtime Means TWFest time!

THOUGH LOUISIANA SPRING IS SHORT, it sure

is lovely and a time when most of us are happy to be outside enjoying the cool air and flowers in bloom.

It’s a time when we’ve just finished and survived the Mardi Gras season and can take a breath. Only a small breath, though, because what comes next is spring festival season.

All over the state, spring festivals abound and range from celebrations of food to flowers to books to music.

Just to name a few, there’s the Bayou Terrebonne Boucherie, Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air Painting Competition, World Championship Crawfish Etouffee Cook-Off, and the Washington Community Festival in March. Then there’s the Scott Boudin Festival, Abita Busker Festival, El Fesitval Español de Nueva Iberia, Le Fête Du Monde, Books Along the Teche Literary Festival in April. And that’s just a start — there are far too many to list.

My long-time favorite festival comes at the end of March — this year it will be March 20-24 — and that’s the Tennessee Williams and New Orleans Literary Festival. I started going to this festival about fifteen years ago — maybe longer — as a volunteer and attendee.

I love this festival. It’s intimate and warm and makes a writer or reader feel like they have a place in a world where we otherwise can feel like outliers. It’s the perfect festival for us bookish types.

There are authors giving great talks and craft classes, literary panels where authors have interesting conversations and not only can we listen in, we are also able to meet and talk to them as well as other likeminded folks. It mostly takes place in the historic Hotel Monteleone right in the French Quarter. There are always fantastic theater performances at venues around town and fun musical acts, a drag brunch, and a books and beignets event—this year they’ll be discussing one my all-time favorite authors, Eudora Welty. This year’s festival will include Pulitzer-winner Michael Cunningham and National Book Award-winner Justin Torres, along with lots of New Orleans’ writers. Running within this festival, there’s also the Saints + Sinners LGBTQ+ Literary Festival, which includes a lively discussion of LGBTQ+ literature, and the Last Bohemia Fringe NEVER MISS AN Festival. So within this one week, there’s something for anyone who loves ISSUE. literature, the arts, Tennessee Williams or New Orleans.

SCAN AND SUBSCRIBE Louisiana has so much to offer year-round and festivals are one of the TODAY! best ways to experience the diversity of our culture. Whichever festivals you choose to attend this spring, enjoy!

Reine Dugas EDITOR REINE@LOUISIANALIFE.COM

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EDITORIAL Editor Reine Dugas Associate Editor Ashley Mclellan Copy Editor Liz Clearman Web Editor Kelly Massicot Food Editor Liz Williams Home Editor Lee Cutrone Executive Editor Errol Laborde

Art Director Sarah E.G. Majeste Lead Photographer Danley Romero Food Photographer Eugenia Uhl Home Photographers Sara Essex Bradley, Haylei Smith and Marc Gibson SALES Sales Manager Rebecca Taylor (337) 298-4424 / (337) 235-7919 Ext. 7230 Rebecca@LouisianaLife.com

Renaissance Publishing PRODUCTION Digital Director Rosa Balaguer Arostegui Production Designer Ashley Pemberton Production Designer Czarlyn Ria Trinidad MARKETING Marketing Manager Greer Stewart CIRCULATION Distribution John Holzer ADMINISTRATION Office Manager Mallary Wolfe Chief Executive Officer Todd Matherne For Subscriptions Call 877-221-3512

110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123 Metairie, LA 70005 (504) 828-1380 128 Demanade, Suite 104 Lafayette, LA 70503 (337) 235-7919 xt 7230 LouisianaLife.com

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F RO M T H E EX EC U T I V E E D I TOR ’ S D ESK

Louisiana Insider

Hotels with a Political Past

Catch up on the latest podcast episodes

H UEY LON G D I D N ’ T M E SS AR O UN D when he wanted to get to his favorite hotel. During his administration, much of the work was in progress for constructing U.S. Highway 61 which would connect Baton Rouge to New Orleans. The road would become commonly known as the Airline Highway because that was a term for a straight line between destinations, in contrast to the nearby Great River Road, which paralleled the many bends of the Mississippi river.

Long lobbied for Highway ‘61’s straight-line to connect the old state capitol, where he worked, with the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans, where he worked and played.

This edition of Louisiana Life looks at some the state’s trendy hotels but in this the 100th anniversary of the first time Long ran for governor (he lost in 1924 but came back strong four years later), here are some recollections about hotels with a political past. None have been as important as the Roosevelt, itself named after a politician: Teddy.

There are two other classic hotels that are part of Louisiana politics. One, the Heidelberg in Baton Rouge, was built in 1927, coincidently at the same time Long was making his second run (this time successful) for governor.

Though Long lived in the governor’s mansion, he also had a fourth-floor suite at the hotel. Now known by the wordy name of Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center, the downtown hotel, which borders the river, was the place to stay. It had an elegance similar to the Roosevelt. Political guests throughout the years have included John Kennedy, Hubert Humphrey, Jimmy Carter and, a politician with a different vision of sharing the wealth, Fidel Castro.

New Orleans would also be the site of another politically connected hotel: the Monteleone, located on the edge of the French Quarter. Edwin Edwards had his election victory celebrations there and so did John Bel Edwards on the night of his first election in 2015. Reporter Tyler Bridges of The Times-Picayune would tell the story of the governor-elect and some of his buddies from his West Point days going to the roof top pool deck later that evening and smoking cigars. Below, were the twinkling lights of the state that John Bel was about to govern and the soft movement of the great river that ran through that state.

He was only blocks away from the Roosevelt Hotel and ninety miles away from the Heidelberg.

In that setting atop the Monteleone, it must have been a great feeling to puff on a cigar. At that moment, John Bel Edwards was not just an everyman but a king.

Errol Laborde EXECUTIVE EDITOR ERROL@LOUISIANALIFE.COM

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EPISODE 166

Slithering in the Swamps – Captain Caviar John Burke’s Cajun Encounters John Burke knows about swamps. He spends time living close to the Atchafalaya swamp near Patterson, Louisiana. Earlier in his career he was involved in a business of making caviar from the roe of the choupique, a native fish whose eggs have some of the similar properties properties usen in European caviar. Now he gives swamp tours. His company, Cajun Encounters, not only takes everyday tourist into the swamps, but media celebrities too, such as Troy Landry, the star of the “Swamp People” TV series.

EPISODE 165

Michael Hecht – Making the Region Stronger Why are people from Louisiana leaving? Well, not all of them are, but there has been a subtle decline enough to make people wonder. “Jobs” is usually the answer, but there is some good news for the future, including in the energy- and tech-based industries. Michael Hecht, president and CEO of Greater New Orleans Inc. (a nonprofit agency dedicate to economic development), talks to Louisiana Life Executive Editor Errol Laborde about both the challenges and the successes of the Gulf South region.

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SA L ES

Rebecca Taylor SALES MANAGER (337) 298-4424 (337) 235-7919 EXT. 7230 REBECCA@LOUISIANALIFE.COM

Up Next Coming in May/June

Staying Cool This Summer

Faces of Louisiana Tourism 14 LOUISIANA LIFE MARCH/APRIL 2024

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CON T RI BU TORS

Liz Williams

What are you Reading?

Food Editor

Liz Williams “The President’s Table: Two Hundred Years of Dining and Diplomacy” by Alex Prud’homme. It’s all about food, food policy and food personality of various presidents in the White House from George Washington to Joe Biden.

Christopher Louis Romaguera is a Cuban-American writer who lives in New Orleans, Louisiana.

He was born in Hialeah, Florida and graduated from Florida International University in Miami, Florida. He has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of New Orleans. Romaguera has been published in Passages North, Catapult, Islandia Journal, Louisiana Literature, Latino Book Review and other publications. He is a monthly columnist at The Ploughshares Blog and is the Poetry Editor at Peauxdunque Review.

Romaguera was an editorial intern at Electric Literature. He is a VONA alum. Romaguera is a 2023 Periplus Fellow.

Eugenia Uhl “Growing Up Getty”

by James Reginato.

An old friend told me he was the private chef for J. Paul Getty, III­—my friend’s career path inspired me to learn more about the Gettys and get the real story.

Liz Williams founded the Southern Food & Beverage Museum and authored several books about food and culture, especially New Orleans food culture. Her podcast, Tip of the Tongue, about food, drink and culture, appears weekly. She is a graduate of LSU Law Center and has practiced law in Washington, DC and Louisiana. She has served as judge in many cooking competitions and consulted internationally on the food of New Orleans. Travel is an excuse to eat in new places.

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Christopher Louis Romaguera “The Fetishist” by Katherine Min. I am loving this book that intertwines the stories of three characters. Equal parts funny and emotionally resonant, Min’s novel doesn’t let you put it down.

Eugenia Uhl is a photographer and a native New Orleanian. Her photographs have been featured in New Orleans Magazine, New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles, Southern Accents, Metropolitan Home, GQ Magazine, Essence, Travel & Leisure and Vegetarian Times. Her clients include Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group, International House Hotel, Volunteers of America, Galatoire’s and Tulane University. She has completed multiple cookbooks, including Commander’s Kitchen for Commander’s Palace and New Orleans Home Cooking by Dale Curry, Pelican Publishing.

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P E L I CA N BRI E FS

BATON ROUGE, ZACHARY

Of Literary Lions

Singing the Blues

The Tennessee Williams and New Orleans Literary Fest – a celebration of writing

BY LISA LEBLANC-BERRY

SHREVEPORT

Rapper 50 Cent’s Film Mecca

NEW ORLEANS

Forever Young More than 5,000 musicians will be performing everything from jazz to rock ‘n’ roll at the Fair Grounds April 25-28 and May 2-5. Jazz Fest’s new expansion to eight days gives Thursdays a double billing both weekends, enhanced by the long-awaited Rolling Stones’ Thursday, May 2 set (originally slated for 2019 and 2021) featuring new hits from the octogenarian rockers’ first original studio album in 18 years, “Hackney Diamonds” (certified diamond; Polydor Records; therollingstones.lnk. to/USHackneyDiamonds) with Lady Gaga, Elton John and Paul McCartney (nojazzfest.com for a complete music lineup).

WEST MONROE

Among the various Tennessee Williams festivals held annually, the Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival (TWFest; March 20-24) remains the oldest, liveliest and most diverse gathering since its 1986 inception.

Headquartered in the famously haunted, elegant Hotel Monteleone (Williams’ residence while writing “The Rose Tattoo”), the five-day cerebral jamboree is preceded by the uproarious Stella Shouting Contest where contestants emulate Stanley Kowalski’s “Hey, Stelllla!” shout in Jackson Square (March 17). More than 100 acclaimed writers, poets, scholars, historians, journalists, agents, actors and musicians are staging everything from literary panels and walking tours to master classes and theatre events for eager enthusiasts. TWFest is synchronized with the 21st annual Saints and Sinners LGBTQ+ Literary Festival (March 22-24; sasfest.org) and the 2nd annual Last Bohemia Fringe Festival (tennesseewilliams.net).

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Putting on the Dog at Woofstock Bring your perkiest pets to Woofstock 24, Northeast Louisiana’s largest pet festival (April 20), held at the all-inclusive Kiroli Park. Pups will be strutting their stuff during Canines Got Talent, costume contests, dog races, pet pageants and the popular owner and pet look-alike contest. Perks include dog training demos, an agility course, search and rescue demos, onsite grooming, food trucks and music (facebook.com/ Woofstock23).

Additional News Briefs Online at LouisianaLife.com

ORLANDO FERNANDEZ, WORLD TELEGRAM STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER - LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. NEW YORK WORLD-TELEGRAM & SUN COLLECTION

Lights, camera and action are returning to Shreveport’s former Millennium Studios, thanks to New York-bred rapper and certified multi-platinum artist, Curtis “50Cent” Jackson. The entrepreneurial “In Da Club” hitmaker/ producer, who was recently approved for a 30-year lease for the city-owned Millennium Studios, has moved his G-Unit Film and Television, Inc. into the sprawling state-of-the-art Shreveport facility.

He is gearing up to “provide more opportunities for artists and crew members within the community.”

The free Baton Rouge Blues Festival returns with a line-up of more than 30 acts including such national blues legends as Charlie Musselwhite and Elvin Bishop plus a tighter festival footprint (April 19-21). For soul-stirring nights with local legends, visit Phil Brady’s Bar, a down-home hangout boasting the longest Thursday night blues jam at 21 years (facebook. com/philbradys.bar/), and the inimitable Teddy’s Juke Joint (teddysjukejoint.com) on the Old Scenic Highway near Zachary (brblues.org).

L I T E RA RY LOU I SI A N A

Looking Back Culture, race, history and lore within these pages

BY CHRISTOPHER LOUIS ROMAGUERA

RANDY GONZALES

Settling St. Malo Randy Gonzalez’s Settling St Malo, published by UL Press, explores Louisiana history, centered around the 19th and early 20th century, when Louisiana had the largest Filipino/a community in the country. These poems mix factual information with lyricism, acting as a history of Filipino/a culture in Louisiana in verse. This book looks at the Filipino/a experience both up close (with poems dedicated to individuals and families) and from afar (with other poems focusing on the political hardships that the United States government put on this community, and how climate change is taking away the places they once resided.) $18.95, 111 pages

ANNELL LÓPEZ

I’ll Give You a Reason Annell López is a Dominican immigrant who moved to New Orleans and got her MFA in Creative Writing at the University of New Orleans. Her short story collection, “I’ll Give You a Reason,” won the Louise Meriwether First Book Prize from Feminist Press, which awards “debut women/nonbinary writers of color.” López’s book explores race, identity, womanhood and the immigrant experience with character-driven stories that are centered around the ironbound neighborhood of Newark. López’s stories come with both a strong sense of humor but also devastating emotional truths. $16.95, 208 pages

JESMYN WARD

Let Us Descend

Jesmyn Ward’s newest novel gets its title from the Dante Alighieri quote “’Let us descend,’ the poet now began, ‘and enter this blind world.’” Ward, who has won the MacArthur “Genius Grant” and is a professor at Tulane, has published numerous books and essentially won or been nominated for every literary award imaginable for her writing about the Black South. “Let Us Descend” reimagines slavery, as the book follows the protagonist, Annis. The book goes back and forth between the brutally visceral physical world of slavery, and Annis’s own headspace, where she navigates through her own memories and her mother’s stories. Ward’s newest book starts with the line, “The first weapon I ever held was my mother’s hand.” $28, 320 pages

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JACK B. BEDELL

Ghost Forest: Poems Former Louisiana Poet Laureate Jack B. Bedell’s “Ghost Forest: Poems,” evokes spirits in damn near every way imaginable, from memories to fantasies to actual visitations. Bedell’s poems embody everything from famous boxers to our state’s eroding coastline; they personify the forest and the ghosts that live within them. With this poetry collection, Bedell uses his linguistic chops to accentuate the arc of the book, that shows how truly alive all our ghosts are, as individuals, but also as a collective. “Ghost Forest: Poems” is Bedell’s third collection with Mercer University Press, all of which have had his patented flair of revolving around the environment and the stories it tells us. $20, 84 pages

Additional Books Online at LouisianaLife.com

LOU I SI A N A M A D E

Joi to the Girl Lafayette designer Joi Johnston uses exotic leather for her high-end handbags

BY JEFFREY ROEDEL PHOTOS BY ROMERO & ROMERO

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Additional Images Online at LouisianaLife.com

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I’m trying to make pieces that can be worn and used forever – a classic look and feel.

T

racing her fingertips down the side of the leather, a polished slice of deep, summer evening blue, it is obvious that Joi Johnston has a not-so-secret crush.

“See, this is nice,” she says, turning over the piece of snakeskin that has yet to make it onto one of her luxury handbags. “But this. This is what I’m obsessed with.”

While the top layer of exotic leathers, be they alligator, lizard, snake or even fish, are instantly recognizable, it’s the unpredictable underside, a textured to the touch and looking marbled or paint-splashed or far-out psychedelic that has captured the designer’s imagination.

Turns out that with leather, just like most endeavors, beneath the surface is where things really get wild.

But discovering the wilderness of her own muse took her longer than flipping over a cut of leather on a tabletop.

Two years ago, Johnston was working weary hours in the Manhattan office of a major fashion designer, as the city, the attractions, her boss, everything was bursting with fashion and creativity. And yet, she often found herself looking up at the clock at 4 p.m. and realizing she hadn’t eaten all day.

Johnston was taking orders in New York, but not creating at all, just as she had as a sewer of austere Mardi Gras queen dresses in New Orleans years before.

“We were the Cinderella mouses,” the UL fashion design graduate said. “We were doing everything, and I honed in my sewing skills, my hand sewing. That whole Mardi Gras world was a crazy experience, but it really solidified that I wanted to be designing, and not just sewing. I wanted to do my own thing.”

Johnston’s first line of bags, nearly 30 eclectic pieces in total, almost ended in tears, with boutique after boutique telling her “no.” But she posted her work online, and within 24 hours, family and friends had bought up them all. That support gave her the confidence to try again.

“The bag market is highly saturated, so what’s my ‘why’?”

Johnston recalls thinking. “It takes a lot of work to stand out with a handbag, so I realized I needed to focus my brand.”

Since that first line in 2019, she has zeroed in on her obsession with exotics, and refined her process on her need to be a hands-on creator.

At a Glance Age 31 Hometown New Iberia, LA Web joijohnston.com

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LO U I SI A N A M A D E

Q&A If y’all have friends visiting Lafayette, where are you taking them?

Depending on the season we would go to Crawfish Time, Johnson’s Boucaniére, Spoonbill, Pop’s, Wild Child Wines and Bayou Teche Brewing. For non-Cajun food: Saigon Noodles, Patacon, Bangkok Thai and the taco truck on University Street. We would have to see live music at Blue Moon or the Hideaway, and go kayaking on Lake Martin, too.

You use alligator leather, so have you ever had an up-close live gator experience? Yes, when crabbing at Cypremort Point, we always see some pretty close by. And at my parents’ house on the bayou, there are plenty for sure.

What’s something about NYC that you wish South Louisiana had?

Amazing public transportation. And four seasons, ha!

If you could collaborate with or create a bag for someone famous, who would it be?

Margot Robbie. Not because of Barbie, just because she has amazing style and a very classic look. Or Reese Witherspoon, who’s such a strong Southern woman and so talented. I just love her so much.

“I’m not trying to be a trendy brand, I don’t have the infrastructure for that, even if I wanted to,” Johnston says. “I’m trying to make pieces that can be worn and used forever, classic look and feel.”

Though she now has help with sewing, she designs each bag by hand in the Lafayette home she shares with her husband, Aaron.

“It would be nice if I could go on the computer, work up a bag digitally and be done with it, but I just can’t,” she says. “I need to get my hands on the material. To feel the leather, to explore.”

Making products people will use daily is a vulnerable place to put herself, Johnston says. That’s why she has to completely believe in each design before producing it.

And belief, like creativity, takes time.

“I’m trying to carve out time just to explore with designs, even if it doesn’t lead to a product,” Johnston says.

“Because that’s the rewarding part of the process for me.”

With an eye on collaboration and expanding her palette, Johnston hopes to build out a team as her boutique brand grows. Maintaining haute couture quality while evoking

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a dynamic connection to nature, to the wilder side of the spirit of Louisiana, is the most fundamental aspect of her work. She aims to keep it that way.

“It’s taken significantly more courage than I was expecting, but I’ve learned I’m good at sticking things out,” Johnston says of her journey through creative entrepreneurship. “Even now, there’s a million reasons to not pursue this, but in my gut, I know this is the thing I’m supposed to be doing, and I’m not going to give up.” T

A RT

Elayne Kuehler Painting serenity and beauty

BY JOHN R. KEMP

IN T H ES E D A Y S of political and social unrest, foreign wars, and a general sense of angst, Elayne Kuehler’s art transports viewers above the malaise into a more peaceful world. Whether she is painting tranquil scenes from the Louisiana landscape or composing still lifes, her art is an aesthetic tonic that reminds us there is beauty all around us.

“There are two qualities I wish to communicate in my art – serenity and beauty,” says Kuehler. “Serene as in tranquil, peace on earth, orderliness as in easy with no complications. Beauty, abounding endlessly in nature.”

Born and raised in Baton Rouge, Kuehler’s career began early in life with encouragement from her parents and a high school teacher who told her she had talent and should pursue her art. With that advice, she studied

art briefly at Southern University in Baton Rouge and then went on to study under such distinguished artists as South Carolina’s Barrie Van Osdell and Louisiana masters Auseklis Ozols and Carol Peebles. As Kuehler says – Osdell helped her “with symmetry in drawing,” Ozols “with color,” and Peebles “with portraiture and the figure.”

Those three influences have come together well in her portraits, still life paintings and romantic outdoor images. For instance, a peaceful sunflower-filled meadow, a radiant sunset on a Louisiana lake, a live oak in warm misty light and egrets at flight are all caught in the natural landscape uncluttered and devoid of human presence.

Almost all are painted on location, or “en plein air” as they say in the trade.

“There is a magic quality about paintings that are created from life,” Kuehler once wrote in her statement.

“They capture the beauty of nature, with the radiance of her glorious colors, details, textures. The designs they create – the vastness of the sky and the air that surrounds it all. Painting in nature and from the brilliance of life is a very serene and an extremely nourishing place to be and serves as a great inspiration to me.”

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Left Sunflowers, Strawberries and Peaches Above Sunflower Fields, Baton Rouge Right, Top July the Forth Hibiscus Right Rose Lilies

Additional Images Online at LouisianaLife.com

When painting on location, Kuehler prefers the warm tones of early mornings or late afternoons when the “light is beautiful” and “long shadows add lovely patterns to the composition.”

A glance at her landscapes reveals the artist’s fascination with ancient live oaks in their natural settings. As

she paints, she asks herself, “How many hurricanes have they survived? If they could talk, think of the history they could tell. Their enormous size and their twisting, gnarled trunks and branches, moss swaying in the wind, are home to how many creatures? They almost can talk.”

Of course, there are problems painting outdoors, says Kuehler. The bugs are a nuisance and the constantly changing light can affect the composition. Therefore, she will often start a painting on location, take numerous photographs of the subject landscape, and then complete the painting back in her studio to the soothing sounds of classical music.

When painting still lifes, which often consist of flower arrangements and other decorative objects, bugs and changing light aren’t a problem. They are done indoors and only from life, no photographs. “If you compare the photograph of a still life to the real still life,” she says, “everything is different, the color and the values. Painting still lifes from life teaches one all about color, values, edges, reflections and beauty.”

During the COVID-19 shutdown, Kuehler did a series of paintings on birds. Considering the circumstances at the time, flying birds seem appropriate. Perhaps to her, they represented an emotional and spiritual freedom and release from the pressures brought about by the pandemic and confinement. They are a beautiful and poetic response to an impossible situation.

“Birds are always near and dear, part of nature,” she says.

“Hearing them sing is uplifting. Seeing them fly under a blue beautiful sky is always magnificent.”

Whether Kuehler is painting landscapes, still lifes, portraits or teaching art, she has built an impressive career that has gained her numerous awards and considerable recognition in regional, national and international art competitions. She is a member of several prestigious art organizations, among them the International Guild of Realism, the Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club in New York, American Women Artists, the Portrait Society of America, and Oil Painters of America. She is represented by the Gallery 600 Julia in New Orleans and occasionally exhibits at the New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts.

Like most successful artists, Kuehler is driven by her work. Ideas and thoughts about new paintings move endlessly in and out of her imagination.

“I am always inspired to paint,” she says. “I can think of so many things I want to paint that I will never catch up. It is what I do. I have a need to capture the beauty of the story. Whether it’s the color scheme, the perspective or the composition, each painting is a challenge. What could be more interesting than that?”

For more information, visit elaynekuehler.com. T

Exhibits CAJUN

IN MEDIAS RES: How One Story Becomes Another How art inspired Louisiana poet laureate Darrell Bourque, through May 11. Acadiana Center for the Arts, Lafayette. acadianacenterforthearts.org CENTRAL

A Graphic Journey: Etchings, lithographs and linocuts

by Picasso, March 15 through June 15. Alexandria Museum of Art. themuseum.org PLANTATION

The Art of Looking Up: Following the Stars, from Ancient Cultures to the Webb Art inspired by space and space exploration, through April 21. Louisiana Art and Science Museum, Baton Rouge. lasm.org NOLA

Tina Girouard: SIGN-IN Posthumous retrospective of this Louisiana-born artist, March 16 through July 7. Ogden Museum of Southern Art. ogdenmuseum.org NORTH

Bloom! Juried Exhibition Art and the beauty of nature, March 28 through May 12.

R.W. Norton Art Gallery, Shreveport. rwnaf.org

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HOM E

Three-peat Three successful renovations turn a worn, century-and-a-half-old Creole cottage into a bright family home

BY LEE CUTRONE PHOTOS BY SARA ESSEX BRADLEY

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ROME W A SN’T BUILT IN A DA Y. Nor is a house transformed overnight. When interior designer Betsey Hazard and her husband Jack Hazard, partners in House of Hazard Interiors, bought their Bywater house, they knew it would take time to turn the property into the family home they envisioned. In fact, it took three stages of renovation over 13 years.

“It was in terrible shape,” said Betsey of the 150-year old Creole cottage. “It wasn’t our first pick. But it’s next to the Marigny and across from a garden. Our view is all green.”

Additional Images Online at LouisianaLife.com

Far left The kitchen’s leafy patterned paper by Sandberg picks up the colors of the Crema Marfil marble. Sconces

by Arteriors. Left Kitchen storage includes cabinets and open shelving.

Below The antique pine dining table is combined with Louis XVI style chairs with blue leather.

“

I like something off or quirky or unexpected in every room.

Having met in New York City (where Betsey got her interior design degree from the New York School of Interior Design and Jack worked in the design field) the couple loves the walkability of the Marigny and Bywater neighborhoods and of the nearby French Quarter.

Another selling point, according to the then-newlywed couple, was 600 feet of unfinished attic space.

“When we started a family, we could finish that out with two bedrooms and one bath,” said Betsey.

The Hazards, who lived in the house through the renovations, eased into the project. Stage one involved turning two 12-foot rooms into one large room, refreshing the

interior with paint (Betsey chose Decorator’s White to enhance the natural light and as a background for art) and several minor architectural changes, both conceived to look original. The couple found an old door at a local salvage and used it to create a new side entrance.

Changing the orientation of the main entrance gave the shotgun layout a more contemporary feel. Aligning the door with a newly added interior staircase created a sense of a foyer. The Hazards also added an 8-foot reclaimed window to the enlarged heart of the house.

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HOM E

The second stage of the remodel was the most in-depth.

The couple, with a toddler in tow (son Gibson is now 9, daughter Kiki is 5), removed a termite-damaged, 20thcentury lean-to addition at the back of the house and instead of replacing the indoor space made the house look and live larger by installing French doors that connect to a new back porch with outdoor kitchen and to the yard.

“It seems counterintuitive to remove square footage,” said Betsey, whose two brothers, one a carpenter, the other a contractor, worked on the remodels. “But I love a main living area with an indoor/outdoor feel.”

Living, dining and kitchen spaces are combined in the main living area. The kitchen features a striking wallpaper rather than a more typical tile or stone backsplash.

“I like something off or quirky or unexpected in every room,” said Betsey, who tries to place art, at least one antique, and a mix of periods in every room.

The couple made sure to incorporate separate rooms for a variety of activities, such as the craft room where a large antique armoire stores housewares and serving pieces on one side and children’s art supplies on the other.

“I like the hybrid of actual proper rooms in the front and the more modern and open space in the back,” said Betsey.

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Above Betsey fit two spaces in a narrow room by keeping the dining table and vintage Chippendale sofa appropriately scaled.

Gustavian style chairs purchased from a client were modernized with a Peter Dunham fabric. Above right An antique found in the French Quarter was retrofitted as a powder room vanity. Right A pine cupboard from an estate sale provides a rustic counter to the polished white elements of the kitchen.

The Hazards renovated the upstairs portion of the house with a primary bedroom, the children’s shared bedroom and a full bath. Eventually, they plan to occupy the downstairs suite with the kids taking over both bedrooms upstairs.

At a Glance Interior Design Betsey Hazard Square Footage 2,400 Outstanding Features Reclaimed doors and 8-foot window, original parquet floor in living room, original fireplaces, blend of separate and open-concept rooms, covered porch with outdoor kitchen, wallpapered kitchen backsplash, walkable neighborhood.

The final renovation was the addition of a kitchenette and a remodeled bath that go with the downstairs bedroom.

Only a handful of new furnishings were purchased for the house. Most are vintage or antique and have been found over the years from favorite sources. The Hazards say slow collecting and the patiently endured series of

projects ultimately turned their 2,400-square-foot house into a home that functions well and bears the collected versus overly decorated aesthetic they prefer.

“I don’t have a specific look. I just appreciate good design,” said Betsey, who especially admires the work of designers Tom Scheerer and David Netto. “If it’s good, it’s good.” T

Inspired by similar pieces used by her two favorite designers, Betsey sourced the chrome drum tables on Chairish.com. She chose the fabric for the matching chairs because she liked the “Matisse feel” of the painterly brushstroke pattern.

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K I TC HE N G OU RM ET

Stuffed Yellow Squash 2 large yellow squashes, cut into halves Salt and pepper 2 cups cornbread crumbs 1 teaspoon dried thyme ¼ teaspoon cayenne ½ teaspoon garlic powder 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese PR E H E AT oven to 325 F. W I T H A M E LO N B A LLE R

scoop out the inside of the squash, making sure to leave enough flesh to make a sturdy boat. Season both sides of each squash boat with salt and pepper. Set aside the meat of the squash and chop it finely.

I N A L A RG E B OW L ,

combine the chopped squash, the cornbread crumbs, thyme, cayenne and garlic powder.

Mix thoroughly. Add half the olive oil to moisten the mixture.

PAC K a quarter of the

First Tastes of Spring A fresh burst of seasonal ingredients

BY LIZ WILLIAMS PHOTOS AND STYLING BY EUGENIA UHL

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A

lthough some people complain about not having four seasons in Louisiana, I still look forward to spring. I’m not talking about little birds tweeting and the breakthrough of crocuses in the melting snow.

For me, it is about the food. There are some foods and dishes that I miss during the winter. For example, eating frozen crawfish is no substitute for the real thing. And by the real thing, I mean freshly boiled or freshly made into an étouffée or something else delicious. By April, we can even be eating early planted local tomatoes. I am always ready for the first tastes of spring on the table.

mixture into each of the 4 squash boats.

Allow the bread crumbs to mound on top of the boat. With the remaining olive oil, oil a baking pan with sides.

Add the boats to the pan and sprinkle the cheese on top of each boat. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Place the pan in the hot oven.

COO K for 30 minutes and

remove the foil. Cook another 15 minutes to brown the cheese and finish the squash. Place the boats on a serving platter and bring them to the table. Serves 4

Additional Recipes Online at LouisianaLife.com

In the very early clearing of spring weather, some foods are not always available, depending on the weather in the winter. Rainfall, temperature and storms all affect how early food is actually available. When I am tired of winter, because it has just dragged on, I have been known to make myself feel better by cooking spring recipes with frozen ingredients. I am sympathetic to the impulse to not wait for fresh because sometimes the yearning for the tastes of spring just has to be satisfied.

Corn and strawberries definitely taste better fresh. And yellow squash and zucchini are indisputably better fresh.

But butternut squash can make a fine pasta sauce when fresh tomatoes are just not ready.

For any celebrating that you might do during spring, think about the memories that you are making over food.

Use your good dishes. Remember to serve the food with aplomb and lovely napkins. Those first dishes of fresh things from Louisiana deserve to be eaten at a table with friends and family. This is no time for meals at your desk or in your car, eaten without the time for savoring the flavor. It is a time to pay attention to the food.

These dishes are not merely the harbingers of spring.

When these dishes are made with fresh ingredients, they are proof that spring is here. From fresh pickles for your sandwiches, soup, sides and main courses, these dishes will confirm that Louisiana spring is here and that we are very fortunate to be here to eat them. T

Tomato Salad 4 large tomatoes 1 bunch cilantro ½ cup olive oil 2 tablespoons capers 3 cloves garlic ¼ cup fresh lemon juice S LI C E 4 tomatoes and array them on a platter. Place in refrigerator.

PL AC E the cilantro, olive oil, capers, garlic and lemon juice in the work bowl of a food processor. Process until a smooth paste is formed. If the mixture is not pourable, add olive oil 1 tablespoon at a time while the processor is running until the mixture is loose enough to pour.

D R I Z Z LE the sauce over the

sliced tomatoes and serve. Serve additional sauce in a pitcher on the table. Serve with a good finishing salt with a pepper mill on the table. Serves 4

Corn and Crawfish Soup This recipe doesn’t have cream because the creamy taste of the fresh corn and the potatoes would be lost with cream. The buttermilk sets off the flavors.

1 stick unsalted butter 1 onion, finely diced 1 small red bell pepper, finely diced 1 stalk celery, finely diced 2 cloves of garlic, minced 2 tablespoons flour 2 pounds peeled Louisiana crawfish tails 2 quarts buttermilk 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 3 cups, freshly shucked corn kernels 1 pound new potatoes, boiled and roughly mashed 1½ cups chopped parsley ½ cup scallion (green and white parts)

No Churn Strawberry Ice Cream 2 pounds fresh Louisiana strawberries, de-stemmed and cut in half 1 tablespoon sugar 1 pint whipping cream 1 can sweetened condensed milk PR E H E AT oven to 325 F. S PR I N K LE the strawberries with

sugar. Place the strawberries on a cookie sheet and cook for 2 hours in the oven to concentrate the flavors. Allow to cool. While they are cooking, whip the whipping cream until it makes soft peaks.

Set it aside in the refrigerator.

PL AC E the cooled strawberries

in the work bowl of a food processor with the condensed milk.

Whip the strawberries and milk together until smooth. Carefully and gently fold the strawberry mixture into the whipped cream.

Do not deflate the cream.

2 teaspoons your favorite Creole or Cajun seasoning without salt Salt and pepper to taste H E AT the butter in your soup

pot until it begins to foam.

Add the onion and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the bell pepper, celery and garlic. Cook another 10 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook for 5 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.

A D D the crawfish, buttermilk,

Worcestershire sauce, corn and potatoes. Stir with a whisk to distribute the potato through the soup. This is a hearty rustic soup, so it can be a bit lumpy.

If it remains too thick, add 1 cup of white wine or chicken broth. Cook on low for at least 20 minutes. Add the parsley, scallions and seasoning. Cook for 5 to 10 more minutes. Taste to correct the seasoning, salt and pepper. Serve. Serves 8

PL AC E in a quart container

and allow it to freeze in the freezer for at least 12 hours.

Serve. Makes 1 quart

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THERE’S NO PL ACE LIKE HOME LOUISIANA DISHES WE LOVE

BY LIZ WILLIAMS PHOTOS BY EUGENIA UHL

RED BEANS & RICE A plate of red beans and rice, especially on Mondays, is part of the identity of New Orleanians.

The dish was so important to trumpet player Louis Armstrong that he signed his letters with “Red Beans and Rice-ly Yours.”

ALTHOUGH EVERYONE HAS THEIR FAVORITE PLACES AND THEIR FAVORITE DISHES, THERE IS REALLY NO PLACE IN LOUISIANA THAT DOESN’T HAVE GOOD FOOD. LET’S FACE IT – LOUISIANA TASTES GOOD. MY GRANDPARENTS lived in Natchitoches when I was a child. And that meant meat pies to me. We would get into the car very early in the morning and drive from New Orleans – sometimes with my cousin in tow – all the way to Natchitoches. We would stop when we got close and begin the meat pie experience.

In New Orleans, eating red beans and rice is akin to communion on Mondays.

Everyone’s red beans and rice is different, but it all tastes good, and it joins us all in a common experience even though we may not be at the same table. Shrimp Creole is not something that we can leave out.

Made in the spring when fresh tomatoes and fresh shrimp are in season at the same time, the flavors just pop. In Cajun country, gâteau de sirop is a celebration of sugar.

It is an enigma, for as much sugar and syrup that it contains, it is not too sweet.

It stays fresh, and screams Louisiana.

Crabmeat ravigote allows us to really celebrate fresh crabmeat without too much added to it. And that happens to be how I like to eat crab. I am happy eating it right out of the shell, but when being slightly more formal, crabmeat dressed lightly and eaten with a fork delivers much the same effect. On the sweet side, a strawberry shortcake with Louisiana strawberries makes this time of year a real treat.

Louisiana has corn growing everywhere.

Being able to accompany grilled corn with a delicious finish is just what we do in Louisiana. We take the flavor right to the edge, without going too far. And for me, fresh okra is one of the rites of spring. I love pickled okra made quickly instead of cucumber pickles on sandwiches or instead of cucumber pickles in tuna salad and always in a Bloody Mary.

You can eat your way around the state and celebrate Louisiana. Your stomach will thank you.

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NATCHITOCHES MEAT PIE These wonderful and traditional hand pies can be made of any ground meat or a combination of meats.

GRILLED CORN WITH CHIMICHURRISTYLE MAYONNAISE Use holders to keep everyone’s hands clean. If you don’t have enough, leave the stem on the corn as a natural holder and just use one on the other end.

GÂTEAU DE SIROP Surprisingly, the syrup does not make this cake too sweet. But it does help make it moist. If there is any leftover, just keep it in an airtight container.

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STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE Although whipped cream is the traditional topping for this cake, when you are short of time, créme fraîche or vanilla ice cream are fun alternatives.

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REFRIGERATOR PICKLED OKRA If you’re lucky to have okra growing in your backyard, you know how delicious just-picked tender okra can be. If you grow different varieties, you can pack a beautiful jar of pickled okra with alternating red and green okra. Old recipes used different varieties, naming them by their type. The red ones were known as pink lady’s fingers.

SHRIMP CREOLE You can substitute frozen shrimp for fresh shrimp in this recipe, but be sure to fully defrost them before adding them or they will make the dish watery.

CRABMEAT RAVIGOTE Dijon mustard can be salty, and so is crabmeat, so don’t worry if you decide that no salt is needed. Also you can use homemade mayonnaise or storebought, just make sure that it is good quality.

RED BEANS & RICE 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1

pound dried Louisiana red beans tablespoons bacon fat medium onion, chopped bell pepper, chopped stalk celery, chopped large ham bone with a bit of meat on the bone cups ham, diced can Ro-Tel tomatoes (Louis Armstrong liked to use ketchup) tablespoon red wine vinegar tablespoon Creole or Cajun seasoning without salt teaspoon dried thyme Salt and pepper to taste Cooked white rice Hot sauce on the table

Soak the beans in water overnight. Drain.

In a heavy Dutch oven, heat the bacon fat and brown the chopped onions.

About 10 minutes. Add the peppers and celery and cook another 5 minutes, stirring as necessary. Add the beans, the ham bone, ham, the Ro-Tel tomatoes, vinegar, thyme and the Creole seasoning.

Cover with cold water, allowing for at least an inch of water over the level of the beans. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 1 hour covered, checking to see if more water may be needed and stirring occasionally.

Remove about a cup of beans and mash them. Return them to the pot.

Cook, covered, on very low heat for at least 2 more hours. Stir occasionally.

Check for doneness by tasting a spoon of beans. If they taste soft and creamy, they are ready. If the beans are not all soft, cook for another hour and check again.

Adjust salt and pepper. The ham meat may be salty, so do not worry that it won’t be salty enough. Serve over cooked rice. Serves 4-6

NATCHITOCHES MEAT PIE DOUGH 5¾ cups flour, with additional flour for work surface and baking sheet 1½ teaspoons kosher salt 1¼ teaspoons baking powder ¾ cup butter or if you are very traditional, lard, cut into 20 pieces 2 large eggs 1½ cups whole milk FILLING 2 tablespoons of neutral vegetable oil, divided, plus more for frying 1 pound ground beef

LOUISIANA LIFE MARCH/APRIL 2024

1½ tablespoons Creole or Cajun seasoning without salt ½ teaspoon kosher salt 2 tablespoons flour 1 small onion, finely chopped ¼ cup green bell pepper, finely chopped 1 small celery stalk, finely chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 teaspoons hot sauce (optional) 1 egg to form the pies THE DOUGH Whisk together flour, kosher salt and baking powder in a large bowl to combine the ingredients into a uniform mixture. Mix together the small pieces of butter and flour until the flour becomes crumbly like wet sand. Do not use your hands. Use a hand pastry cutter. Combine the eggs and milk in a separate bowl, whisking them into a uniform mixture. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a fork. The dough will be shaggy.

Place on a floured work surface. Flour your hands and clap off any additional flour, then knead until the dough is soft and smooth. About 1½ minutes. Shape into a thick circle and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled – at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.

THE FILLING Place 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet.

Heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Add the ground beef, seasoning, and salt. Cook, stirring often to break it up, until meat is browned thoroughly – about 5 minutes.

Transfer the cooked meat to a bowl. Add flour, tossing with a spoon until the meat is coated with the flour. Set aside.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat without wiping the skillet. When the oil begins to shimmer add the onion. Cook until the onions soften and become translucent, stirring to keep them from sticking. Then add the bell pepper, celery and garlic. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3 minutes. Combine the vegetables and beef in bowl. (Add hot sauce if you are using.) Set aside and allow to cool for 15 minutes so that you can handle the mixture.

TO FORM THE PIES Whisk together egg and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl, and set aside. Flour the work surface and divide the chilled dough into 16 equal pieces. Shape each into a ball. With a rolling pin, roll out each piece into a 6-inch round, about ¹⁄₈ inch thick. For each pie, spoon 2 tablespoons of the filling into the center of each dough circle. Lightly brush the edges of each pie crust with the egg mixture, and fold each round in half over the filling to form a half-circle. Crimp edges with

a fork to seal. Place on a lightly floured parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Repeat process with remaining dough balls and freeze pies, uncovered, for about 20 minutes.

Pour vegetable oil into a large pan to a depth of 2 inches or use a deep fryer and follow the manufacturer’s directions. Heat oil to 370°F. Retrieve the pies from the refrigerator. Working in batches, fry chilled pies, turning once, until golden brown. This should be 1 to 2 minutes per side, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain temperature. Do not overcrowd. Wait for the oil to return to temperature before adding new pies.

Drain on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Serve immediately. Makes 16 individual meat pies

GRILLED CORN WITH CHIMICHURRI STYLE MAYONNAISE 1/2 cup mayonnaise 3 cloves garlic, minced 3 tablespoons cilantro, minced 2 tablespoons ground cumin 2 tablespoons olive oil 12 ears of fresh corn, shucked Salt and pepper for the table Prepare your fire so that the coal is on the high side of medium. A gas grill should be set at medium. If it’s a rainy day, set your broiler going.

Place the mayonnaise, garlic, cilantro and cumin in a bowl. Mix well. Then mix in the olive oil thoroughly with a whisk.

Brush each of the ears of corn with the mixture using a pastry brush.

Grill directly on the grill rack or about 4 inches from your broiler flame. The total cooking time will be from 4 to 6 minutes, but you must keep turning the corn.

Brush on additional sauce as needed.

There will be scattered char over the kernels which only adds to the flavor.

Remove from the grill or broiler and brush on one last coating of the sauce before serving. Serve with salt and pepper on the table. Makes 12 ears of corn

GÂTEAU DE SIROP 2 eggs 1 cup sugar 1 cup cooking oil 1 cup cane syrup 2 cups sifted flour 1¼ teaspoons ground nutmeg

1 2 1 ½ ¼ 1

teaspoon hot sauce teaspoons baking soda tablespoon ground cinnamon teaspoon ground black pepper teaspoon ground cloves cup boiling water Whipped cream if desired

Preheat oven to 325 F. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together eggs, sugar, cooking oil, syrup and hot sauce at medium speed for 5 minutes. Blend all dry ingredients in a bowl, whisking to make the mixture uniform. Once blended, add the dry ingredients a little at a time while the beater is on medium until all the ingredients are incorporated. Add 1 cup boiling water. Continue beating for 2 minutes until well mixed.

Pour into a greased and floured 9x12 pan. Bake in the preheated oven. Test for doneness at 35 minutes. If a toothpick stuck into the cake is clean when removed, the cake is done. If the cake is not done when tested, cook another 10 minutes.

Cool for 2 hours. Cut into squares to serve.

Store in a closed container and refrigerate after cooling to allow the flavor to mellow. It is best if refrigerated overnight but a couple of hours will do. Cut and serve with whipped cream.

Leftover cake can be cured with more syrup. The cake will absorb it and stay very moist. Keep covered when not serving. Serves 6-8

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE SHORTCAKE 11/2 cups flour 1 cup masa 2 tablespoons sugar, more for finishing 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 6 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into a dice 2/3 cup whole milk TOPPING 11/2 pounds of strawberries, stemmed and quartered 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup heavy cream, whipped SHORTCAKE Preheat oven to 400 F. Stir together the dry ingredients with a whisk, making sure to incorporate them well.

Add the chilled butter and using a fork or pastry cutter, mix the flour and butter until the dough is like sand. Add the milk and mix together until a rough shaggy dough is formed.

Flour the counter and your hands, clapping away any extra flour. Knead lightly until the dough comes together.

Shape into a circle about 1/2 inch thick.

Cut rounds with a cookie cutter or a glass.

Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes. Split open.

TOPPING While the shortcakes are baking, place the strawberries in a bowl and sprinkle with the sugar. Stir and allow to macerate until ready to serve.

Divide the strawberries among the 6 shortcakes, top with the top of the split shortcake and finish with a dollop of whipped cream. Serves 6

REFRIGERATOR PICKLED OKRA 11/2 pounds of small, fresh okra 3 large garlic cloves, peeled 3 bay leaves 15 peppercorns 1 cup distilled cider vinegar 11/2 cups water 2 tablespoons salt 3 pint jars Make sure that your jars are clean.

Pick through the okra and make sure that the stems are cut short and there are no blemished okra.

In each jar place a garlic clove, a bay leaf and 5 peppercorns.

Place the okra standing upright with the pointy end down in the jars.

In a pot with a spout, bring the vinegar, water and salt to a boil. When it reaches a hard boil, remove from heat and pour into the jars. Place the caps on the jars and place in the refrigerator. They will be eaten before you know it. Makes 3 pints

SHRIMP CREOLE 4 tablespoons butter 1 bay leaf 1 large onion, diced 1 rib celery, diced 1 green bell pepper, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon thyme ½ teaspoon black pepper ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon flour 1½ cups diced fresh tomatoes with liquid

Hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco, to taste 2 pounds large uncooked shrimp, peeled with tail on 5 cups hot cooked rice, for serving 2 green onions, sliced for garnish Add butter to a large skillet. Heat until the butter begins to foam. Add the bay leaf and allow it to cook in the butter for 1 minute. Add onions and cook for 10 minutes. Add the celery, bell pepper and garlic and sauté until the vegetables are beginning to soften, about 10 minutes.

Add the thyme, salt, pepper and cayenne. Stir. Sprinkle flour over the vegetable mixture and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices and the hot sauce. Simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. (If the tomato mixture appears to be too thick, add a few tablespoons of wine until it returns to a pourable consistency.)

Cook an extra 5 minutes.

Remove bay leaf. Add shrimp and cook until pink, 3-4 minutes.

Serve over hot cooked rice and garnish with sliced green onion. Serves 4 to 6

CRABMEAT RAVIGOTE DRESSING 1/2 cup good mayonnaise 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon chopped capers 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme 1 teaspoon chopped fresh lemon balm Salt and pepper SALAD 1 pound cooked lump crabmeat 1 shallot, finely minced 1 tender stalk celery, finely chopped 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika for garnish 11/2 cups chopped parsley for garnish DRESSING Place all of the ingredients, except salt and pepper, together in one bowl. Mix thoroughly. Check for salt and pepper. Chill while making the salad.

SALAD Place the crabmeat in a bowl and break apart the crabmeat looking for shells. Remove any shells that you find. Add the minced shallot and the chopped celery. Toss together.

Add the chilled dressing and toss to ensure that all of the salad is coated.

Sprinkle the salad with the paprika through a small sieve. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve. Serves 6 to 8

Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center

ROOM WITH A VIEW

BY CHERÉ COEN

LOUISIANA HOTELS AND LODGES WITH VISTAS THAT CAN’T BE BEAT

N N OTHING BE ATS A V A C A T I O N GET A WA Y more than a room with a view. And we’ve compiled a great list of hotels and lodges throughout Louisiana that deliver. Whether for a weekend away or a long trip with family or friends, a view from your accommodations offers delightful vacation lagniappe.

Views of the Mississippi

Several hotels line the dramatic curve of the Mississippi River as it rolls past downtown New Orleans. The historic Hotel Monteleone incorporates great river views from its guest rooms as well as from its rooftop bar and pool. The Hilton New Orleans Riverside places many of its rooms riverside and visitors may enjoy a craft cocktail at The Westin’s Observatory Eleven bar. And that’s just a few hotels featuring views of the mighty Mississippi.

The relatively new kid on the block is the Four Seasons New Orleans located in the former International Trade Mart, which once offered one of the most stunning views of the river from its rotating restaurant and bar. Now, Vue Orleans occupies the building’s top spot, an indoor and outdoor observation deck with 360-degree panoramic views of the city and river. Visitors who stay at the Four Seasons should take in every aspect of the hotel’s riverside, including Chef Donald Link’s Chemin á la Mer restaurant, honoring Louisiana’s waterways.

48 LOUISIANA LIFE MARCH/APRIL 2024

(Top) Four Seasons New Orleans River View Suite (Right) Chemin Bordelaise (Far right) Chemin á la Mer restaurant

SHADETREE BED & BREAKFAST St. Francisville sits upon a bluff above the Mississippi River, and one bed and breakfast takes advantage of the view. Shadetree offers two guest rooms facing the river. A “hobbit door” leads guests to a private treetop deck in the Sun Room and 19 windows bathe the Gardener’s Cottage in natural light. The Louisiana Hospitality Group, which owns and operates several Louisiana inns and restaurants, including the historic St. Francisville Inn in the heart of downtown St. Francisville, manages the Shadetree property. louisianahospitalitygroup.com/ shadetree/

GREENWOOD PLANTATION BED & BREAKFAST The vast home and gardens of Greenwood Plantation B&B in St. Francisville is spectacular any time of year, but spring brings forth an array of brilliant colors. The plantation home with its 12 guest rooms overlooks a reflecting pond perfect for photos along with an avenue of live oak trees cascading over azalea bushes. Visitors may wish to sit back in the plantation’s rocking chairs on the wide veranda and simply absorb the scene. greenwoodplantation.com/ bed-and-breakfast

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GROSSE SAVANNE LODGE This Orvis-endorsed lodge outside Lake Charles offers nine bedrooms, each of which contains two beds and a private bath. Four guest rooms overlook the neighboring marsh that stretches between Calcasieu and the Grosse Savanne Ridge. The lodge offers several packages: an overnight with a guided fishing trip in the morning and the bed and breakfast package of an overnight with meals and beverages are two options.

For those who want to shoot birds with a camera, there’s the eco-tour package, which includes overnight accommodations with an eco-friendly tour through the property’s restored wetlands. Southwest Louisiana sits inside the Central and Mississippi Flyways, so millions of migratory birds fly through the area. grossesavanne.com

PECAN ISLAND SCHOOL LODGE Children of the residents of Pecan Island on the Louisiana coast attended a K-12 school that was state-of-the-art for its time. Solidly built on a raised section of land, it withstood several hurricanes.

Today, the school is a privately owned hunting and fishing lodge and guests may visit at the discretion of its owners. Classrooms are now guest rooms and meals are delivered in the school’s old dining room with broad windows overlooking the marsh. On the walls are photos from the days when the halls rang with young voices and the lodge includes the original basketball court, indoor pool, tennis courts and running track in back.

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(Above) View from the Golden Nugget in Lake Charles (Right) Cypress Bend Resort

“A great way to enjoy the experience is Vue Orleans, dining in Chemin á la Mer and time at our resort-style pool deck overlooking the Mississippi River,” said Vicki Bristol, Four Seasons public relations director. “The pool is always heated to 78 degrees making it ideal for year-round swimming.” fourseasons.com/neworleans

Capitol Views Many Louisianans recall this downtown Baton Rouge property as the Capitol House, once frequented by state politicians and former Gov. Huey P. Long. Today, it’s the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center, but regardless of the name change, the hotel still sports breathtaking views of the 5.4-acre Riverfront Plaza greenspace along the Mississippi, Acadiana stretching on the river’s west bank and the Riverfront Dock and Overlook, a docking area for visiting vessels but also a keen spot for up-close river views. If the weather cooperates, visitors may watch river traffic and an occasional steamboat roll by while enjoying the Hilton’s rooftop pool. hilton.com/en/hotels/btrcphf-hilton-baton-rouge-capitol-center

PHOTOS COURTESY: HILTON BATON ROUGE CAPITOL CENTER; FOUR SEASONS NEW ORLEANS; GOLDEN NUGGET LAKE CHARLES; CYPRESS BEND RESORT

Cypress Bend Resort

Red River Sites

Golfers have been flocking to Cypress Bend Resort on Toledo Bend for years to savor the rolling greens with dramatic views of the lake. Now they have one more reason. The resort recently renovated its championship golf course by award-winning architect Jeff Blume.

But you don’t have to be a golfer to enjoy this resort. Many of the 95 guest rooms, the outside patio and the dining hall face the lake — the perfect spot to enjoy a cocktail or glass of wine while the sun sets over Texas.

Trails throughout the resort’s 600 garden and forest acres skirt the lake and some bluff views include resident bald eagles and other wildlife. cypressbendgolfclub.com

Numerous casinos line the Red River in Shreveport and its neighbor Bossier City with high towers to offer the most impressive sights of both the river and downtown Shreveport. Sam’s Town Hotel and Casino and Ballys rests on the Shreveport side while in Bossier choose from Horseshoe, Boomtown and Margaritaville. For those who want more than a view, all five casinos feature dining and nightlife. shreveport-bossier.org/hotels/casino-hotels

Hamilton House Inn West Monroe sports numerous antique stores, boutiques and restaurants with some establishments fronting the Ouachita River.

Owners of the Hamilton House Inn have turned a historic building into a charming boutique hotel, with five elegant guest rooms and a deck in back for relaxing with drinks.

“You can catch a smidge of the Ouachita River (more or less depending on the time of year and whether or not the leaves have fallen) and the train bridge from the back deck of Hamilton House Inn,” said Sheila Snow, vice president of communications of Discover Monroe-West Monroe. “You can also enjoy a view of the picturesque downtown West Monroe from their balcony.” hamiltonhouseinn.com

The Hotel Bentley One of our favorite views at the historic Hotel Bentley in the heart of downtown Alexandria remains the two-story lobby with its massive marble pillars, crystal chandeliers, a Roman ceiling mural and a central fountain — all greeting visitors when they enter the front entrance from Third Street. The Bentley peeks above the city skyline with only five floors, but marries the oversized lobby with the flat landscape surrounding the Red River, and most guest rooms provide a lovely view of both city and river.

Joseph A. Bentley, who spent much of his fortune from logging, created the hotel he envisioned to become the jewel structure of the city. Arkansas architect George R. Mann, who designed the Arkansas State Capitol, was enlisted for the project finished in 1907. During World War II, when soldiers were trained nearby in the Louisiana Maneuvers, the hotel saw the likes of Major Gen. George Patton, Lt. Col. Omar Bradley, then Gen. Dwight David Eisenhower and the future Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. visithotelbentley.com T

Lake Charles Casinos When L’Auberge Casino Resort opened in 2005, it offered residents and guests alike a dramatic view of Lake Charles from its 26 stories overlooking the Calcasieu River. It has since been joined by its neighbor, Golden Nugget Lake Charles, with a 14-story tower and a 20-story tower. Each property offers more than 1,000 guest rooms, 18-hole golf courses, lazy rivers and expansive pool area, shopping, restaurants, marina and spas. And, of course, no shortage of casino floors. lakecharles.com, goldennugget.com/lake-charles

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SPONSORED

TRAVELING AROUND LOUISIANA THERE IS A WHOLE WORLD OF EXCITING LOCALES TO VISIT THROUGHOUT OUR GREAT STATE. AS THE DAYS GROW WARMER, EMBRACE THE UNEXPLORED, AND VENTURE FORTH TO DISCOVER YOUR NEW FAVORITE CORNER OF LOUISIANA.

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Desoto Parish Located just south of Shreveport, Desoto Parish is a hidden gem on the Sabine River with a plethora of antique shops and markets tucked among a picturesque rural community.

Visit this Spring for Antique Adoption Spring Trade Days (April 5 - 6). This homegrown event offers a free weekend of local shopping and hometown eating where vendors and antique dealers gather to sell their wares.

In Mansfield, you can find Antiques & Oddities, a vintage store with loads of unique finds every week, and in Logansport, enjoy the Swamp Water Flea Market, where dozens of vendors are on site Wednesday through Sunday, bringing the ‘good stuff.’

SPONSORED

Finally, the sky above the Sabine River comes alive with River City Fest (May 9 May 11), featuring incredible food, live entertainment, fireworks, and so much more! Come early and grab a fabulous meal at one of our local restaurants and visit the other shops on Main Street.

Visit DiscoverDeSoto.com for more information.

Cypress Bend Resort A cozy hideaway nestled beside Toledo Bend Lake, the Cypress Bend Resort is the ideal locale for a weekend golf adventure, a luxurious romantic escape, or a family fishing excursion among the dazzling natural beauty of Many, Louisiana.

Guests can take the boat out for a world-class day of fishing on Toledo Bend Lake, Bassmaster’s #1 Bass Fishing Lake in the USA. For the Golfer in your family, book 18 holes of fun on the Cypress Bend Resort Golf Course, a championship course available for players of all levels with ten waterfront holes, hidden coves, and bayous set against a gorgeous backdrop of ancient hardwood forests.

Finally, enjoy the ultimate in luxury relaxation at the Spa at Cypress Bend for a facial and full body massage to while away the day in style.

To learn more and plan your visit, check us out at cypressbend.com.

6) or the Scott Boudin Festival (April 5 - 7). As the Springtime flowers begin to bloom, lounge beneath ancient live oaks or explore the ancient swamplands on a high-speed airboat cruise.

There’s always something new and exciting to discover in Lafayette.

To learn more, visit Lafayettetravel.com.

West Baton Rouge On April 27 & 28, kites of all sizes and shapes will fill the skies in Port Allen, Louisiana, during the 19th Annual Kite Fest Louisiane’, a free-to-attend event held at the West Baton Rouge Soccer Complex. This time-honored tradition, featuring incredible artistry as well as great food and music, will thrill audiences with enormous kites from the Go Big Or Go Home kite team, kite ballets from Austin End of the Line flying team, and the extraordinary four-line kites from the Rev Riders team.

“We encourage the whole family to spend a day outdoors at this award-winning festival,” says Kathy Gautreau, Executive Director of the West Baton Rouge CVB. “Bring a blanket or lawn chair, relax in the sun, and fly kites, watch performances, enter the kite design contest, and make a free kite to fly.”

For more information, sponsorship levels, or volunteer opportunities, call

the West Baton Rouge CVB at 225-3442920 and visit westbatonrouge.net

Natchitoches The oldest city in Louisiana, Natchitoches is a quaint, cozy hub for cozy springtime days and tranquil summer nights. Tucked against the picturesque Cane River Lake, visitors can luxuriate in historic wrought iron balconies, quaint antique shops, and unmatched homegrown restaurants.

This “City of Lights”, known as the filming location for Steel Magnolias, is a bustling rural community, offering the calm of old-time living with modern luxury and hospitality.

This summer, Natchitoches is proud to host several incredible events, including their 27th annual Jazz & R&B Festival (May 10 - 11), featuring Chapel Hart and Craig Morgan. For sports fans, the Sports Hall of Fame Induction (June 20-22) will be a prime opportunity to witness living legends such as Drew Brees, Simone Augustus and many others in town for the induction of the 2024 class while also enjoying several other exciting events throughout the weekend.

When it comes to Natchitoches, there’s always something new to discover. To learn more and plan your next trip, please visit Natchitoches.com. T

Lafayette Proudly representing the beating heart of Cajun and Creole country and culture, Lafayette, Louisiana is open for business this Spring, featuring some of the most eclectic festivals, finest foods and friendliest folks you’re likely to meet.

Sign up for the annual Zydeco Marathon & Half Marathon on March 10 and get a street-level view of all the natural sights, or cheer on the participants while enjoying downtown Lafayette’s bountiful local stores and restaurants. Get yourself some culture at the Celtic Bayou Festival (March 15-17) or feast like royalty at the Seventh Annual Acadian Po-Boy Festival (April

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N AT U RA L STAT E

Sacred Ground The earthen mounds of Marksville STORY AND PHOTOS BY KEVIN RABALAIS

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THERE A RE TW O KINDS OF PEOPLE in the world:

those who stay home and those who don’t. Fall back 2000 years into the past, says Dr. Charles R. “Chip” McGimsey, Louisiana’s state archaeologist, and you would recognize similar human impulses. “While it’s true that a majority of people stayed at home, curious, adventurous folks wandered the landscape all the time,” he says. “I am pretty sure if you walked up to the people at Marksville and said, ‘How can I get to the people in Ohio?’, someone could have given you directions.”

Marksville, motto “Where Everybody is Somebody,” is today’s parish seat of Avoyelles, but archaeologists

Additional Images Online at LouisianaLife.com

use the name to identify the 40 acres of land with six earthen ceremonial mounds located at the eastern edge of town. “One of the fascinating things about Louisiana is that it is the state where the first earthen mounds in North America were built, starting 7,000 years ago,” McGimsey says. “Thirteen sites have radiocarbon dates that place their construction between 5,000 and 7,000 years ago. We’re not first in many things, but we were the first to start building piles of earth as ceremonial or sacred places.”

Radiocarbon dating reveals that Native peoples began to build the core site area in Marksville between 50

“

For me, this has an emotional appeal.

We’re still here. We still exist.

Left Phase one of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe’s plans for the Marksville site involves refurbishing the Spanish-style museum.

Did You Know?

“The Marksville site is the most important site of [the period from A.D. 1 to 400],” writes Louisiana’s state archaeologist, Charles R. McGimsey, in “Archaeology of Louisiana,” edited

by Mark A. Rees (LSU Press, 2010).

“The site plan was based on a geometric grid, with alignments to the sun, certain stars, and constellations, indicating that at minimum the core or central area was a carefully planned construction.”

Top The Marksville site includes six earthen mounds, including this canonical burial mound. Middle Archaeologists believe that Mound 6 — at 300 feet in diameter and 12 feet high — was used for ceremonial purposes.

Bottom The TunicaBiloxi Cultural and Educational Resources Center includes a museum exhibit hall, conservation and restoration laboratory, library, auditorium, classrooms, meeting rooms and tribal government offices.

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B.C. and A.D. 1. Sometime after A.D. 350, the site was abandoned. Archaeologists know that much, but they don’t know the name of the Native people who lived here and whom they call the Marksville culture, a southeastern variant of the Hopewell of Ohio and Illinois. The Marksville culture lived outside the 3,000-foot C-shaped earthen embankment that, along with a former Mississippi River channel, encloses the site.

McGimsey, who began working regularly here in 1995, notes that the Marksville site is among few places in the Southeast where Native people practiced Hopewell traditions. “There were lots of people living all over Louisiana at that time,” he says, “and most of the rest of them couldn’t care less about these other places. Here, they did.”

Because earthen mounds rise throughout the Mississippi River Valley, the Tunica-Biloxi recognized Marksville culture traditions when they migrated south and settled near the site in the late 18th century. “Our community viewed this place as something we were connected to,” says John D. Barbry, the first Native American archivist hired at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian and current Director of

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This painting of the Sun Woman represents tribal stories of the Tunica and Biloxi peoples, says John D. Barbry, Director of Development and Programing for the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe in Marksville.

Europeans used trade beads, such as these from the Tunica treasure, at “calumet” (peace pipe) ceremonies.

Development and Programing for the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe in Marksville. “While it changed hands as far as ownership, we considered that it belonged to us.”

In 2020, the State of Louisiana transferred ownership of the site to the City of Marksville. For several years, trees and other debris lay strewn across the mounds. Unhoused people began using the museum for refuge. In 2022, the City of Marksville donated the land to the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe, which has cleared the grounds and has begun restoration of the museum. The tribe plans to reopen the site in phases beginning later this year and is negotiating with the city and private landowners to buy property and provide direct access between the reservation, which includes the Paragon Casino, and the site.

As a child, Barbry and his family made regular trips from Lake Charles to see his grandparents in Marksville.

In 1933, when Barbry’s grandfather heard about a team of archaeologists digging at the Marksville site, he assembled a group of protestors. They demanded that the team cease their work. Insisting that they were investigating the place and people who came before the arrival of the TunicaBiloxi, the team eventually gained approval to continue their work.

Today, Barbry considers his grandfather’s act an early example of Native people protesting the desecration of sacred land. He sees the restoration of the Marksville site as an opportunity to promote the culture of all Native peoples. “For me, this has an emotional appeal. We’re still here. We still exist.” T

Vessels, jars and bottles in the museum were made by Caddo artisans from the Red River and Natchez peoples.

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T RAV E L E R

A Little Louisiana History

Springtime Fling Florida Parish’s festivals and fun

BY CHERÉ COEN

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Most people think the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, which nearly doubled the size of the United States at the time, included all of what comprises Louisiana today.

The top of the Louisiana boot, from the Northshore to Baton Rouge and north from the river to just south of the Mississippi border belonged to Spain and was known as West Florida. After early American and British settlers declared an independent Republic of West Florida in 1810, complete with its own flag and governor, the U.S. annexed the region that’s now eight parishes: East and West Feliciana, East Baton Rouge, Livingston, St. Helena, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Washington parishes. Louisiana became the 18th U.S. state in 1812 and the state boundaries formed much of what we have today.

THERE’S MUCH TO SEE and enjoy throughout the Florida Parishes eight-parish region, especially this time of year. There’s the Slidell Spring Antique Street Fair March 30-31 and the Abita Springs Busker Festival with its live performances on Sunday, April 7. Over in Independence, which has been called “Little Italy,” the Sicilian heritage is celebrated at the Independence Italian Cultural Museum and every March with the Independence Sicilian Heritage Festival. This year’s fête will be March 8-10.

In the center of it all is the annual Louisiana Strawberry Festival, which takes over Ponchatoula Memorial Park

April 12-14. Hailed as Louisiana’s largest free harvest festival, the town turns red with a parade, live music, royalty and lots of strawberries, including the strawberry eating contest all weekend.

The annual festival that attracts thousands each year started humbly in 1972. Regardless of its original size, the inaugural event brought in 15,000 visitors, which made organizers realize they were on to something. After all, we all know that Louisiana strawberries are the sweetest around.

Today, the Louisiana Strawberry Festival attracts 300,000 people, making it one of the state’s largest events.

Strawberries aside, Ponchatoula makes for a wonderful spring outing. It’s been nicknamed “America’s Antique City” since the town offers a plethora of antique stores.

Downtown’s Antique Trade Days, with more than 200 vendors participating, occurs the first weekend in March and November; this spring will be March 1-3.

But there’s a creative element growing here as well.

Two historic churches were turned to face one another and become the innovative Twin Steeples Creative Arts Center. The multidisciplinary arts organization that runs the unique facility of two former churches and a courtyard in between regularly hosts live music, art shows and literary events.

If you want to go wild in the Florida Parishes without climbing into a boat or getting your hands dirty, visit Folsom’s Global Wildlife Center, the largest free-roaming wildlife conservation attraction with more than 3,000 exotic, endangered or threatened wildlife. Visitors may enjoy safari wagon tours or a private experience. In Ponchatoula, take a walk through Kliebert & Sons Gator Tours, an alligator farm that includes everything from hedgehogs and parrots to a dwarf crocodile and rescued alligators.

For a weekend getaway — or even longer — Sun Outdoors New Orleans North Shore has taken the RV park to a higher level. Most visitors — and 80% of their 10,000-plus visitors in 2022 were from the Deep South — roll in with their RVs in a variety of shapes and sizes on the 265 sites on 65 acres. The property also includes two rows of developed cabins complete with lofts, queen beds, pull-out couches, full kitchens and picnic tables and grills on the patio.

Entertainment is what puts Sun Outdoors New Orleans above the rest. Visitors may enjoy a lovely pool area with cabanas and a lazy river, clubhouse bar and fitness center, pickleball courts and a pond with kayak rentals. There’s plenty for children to fill their time, from activities in the children’s center to scavenger hunts and movies in the amphitheater.

For more information on Tangipahoa Parish in the heart of the Florida Parishes, visit tangitourism.com. T

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FA RT HE R F LU N G

A Quaint Escape Boutiques, antiques and crafts in Fairhope, Alabama

BY CHERÉ COEN

T H ER E’ S A RE A S ON Southern Living magazine named Fairhope

one of “The South’s Best Small Towns of 2023.” The quaint city dating to 1894 lies along the east side of Mobile Bay and sports the only bluff from Interstate 10 to Gulf Shores. While cottages and accommodations provide an exceptional view of the water and nearby Mobile, the town contains sweet boutiques, restaurants and attractions.

Fairhope contains a rare bluff overlooking Mobile Bay so it’s all downhill from downtown to the city’s North Beach Park and Fairhope Municipal Pier. The park is one of the town’s many perfect places to enjoy the sun, search for migratory birds this time of year or hike trails filled with colorful foliage. North Beach Park’s Tree Trail, for instance, offers about 500 species of trees and Knoll Park, at the intersection of Fairhope Avenue and Magnolia Street, attracts birdwatchers.

Fishermen, diners and strollers love the Fairhope Municipal Pier, which stretches 1448 feet into Mobile Bay. Enjoy a meal, throw a line (license required) or watch the sun set over the bay. The neighboring park contains a rose garden, picnic tables, fountain, duck pond and beach.

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Do There are too many boutiques to mention in downtown Fairhope, many of them owner-operated and offering local artwork and crafts. Fairhope is also home to several famous authors.

Page & Palette bookstore, one of the South’s finest and long-standing booksellers, regularly hosts book-signings as well as sells signed copies of books by local authors.

Grab a latte at their Latte Da Coffee Shop and browse through their book selections or listen to live music offered on occasion.

Artists call Fairhope home, and every March the town bursts with creativity. The 71st annual Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival will be March 15-17 with hundreds of vendors and a juried art contest with proceeds reinvested into the community.

Sunshine Artists Magazine named the festival, which attracts 250,000 visitors, one of the top 15 art shows in the nation. Best of all, the festival is free.

All year-long, the Eastern Shore Art Center offers classes, workshops and monthly exhibitions beginning with downtown’s First Friday Art Walk.

Dine The Hope Farm restaurant serving up craft cocktails and farm-to-table entrees is a relative newcomer to the area. The upscale restaurant about a five-minute drive from downtown Fairhope off Highway 98 features an elegant indoor space plus an outdoor area that’s perfect for balmy spring days.

Even in summer, the patio offers cooling fans that make meals enjoyable. If you’re looking for a brew beforehand, stop at Fairhope Brewing Company’s taproom across the street, or perhaps follow up a meal with a Judge Roy Bean coffee stout.

Stay Being a destination popular with tourists, Fairhope offers many hotels, vacation rentals and the bayside Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa in nearby Point Clear. Jubilee Suites bed and breakfast faces Mobile Bay with a beachfront, fire pits and free use of kayaks and paddleboards.

For those who want to stay in the heart of the action but still enjoy Deep South style, JoJo Terry of Alabama Tourism suggests the Hampton Inn, a chain hotel that resembles something akin to the French Quarter. “It’s tucked away amongst the downtown buildings,” she said. “It’s perfect for the walkability factor. You can walk everywhere.”

PHOTO COURTESY: THE HOPE FARM; JUBILEE SUITES

P HOTO CON T EST

Eye See You Barred Owl perched on the edge of a rice field in Oberlin, Louisiana.

BY ERICA CARRIER, OBERLIN

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