"HurricaneKatrina" news and stories

Jambalaya. Photo: madaise, Flickr

Red Lobster this summer became the latest fast-casual chain to dip into the bayou for a promotional menu item, reflecting a mainstreaming of Louisiana flavors many experts attribute to the continuing diasporas of chefs displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

Red Lobster, which has introduced many American landlubbers to seafood through its 600-plus locations, recently debuted a "New Orleans jambalaya," made with shrimp, sausage and "Creole seasonings." Earlier this year, O'Charley's tested a Cajun-spiced shrimp salad, while Chili's tried to lure customers by slashing the price of its Cajun chicken pasta. And Uno Chicago Grill set its sights south with a NOLA-beholden menu featuring a shrimp po' boy, bananas Foster and an andouille-sausage flatbread.

"Cajun-Creole is one of the most important regional cuisines in America, and more and more people are more educated about it than they've ever been," says Randy Cheramie, associate dean at Nicholls State University's John Folse Culinary Institute in Thibodaux, La.

It started as an innocent hobby. I'd pick a cookbook or two up at thrift stores and used bookstores when I was traveling or visiting my parents. Then I got a real job and had a bit of disposable income and so started filling the gaps in my cookbook collection, buying the ones that I had always longed for. Then I acquired books from the collections of others, including my aunts Flora and Anne, reader Kate and the mother of a friend of a friend. Suddenly my apartment was overflowing with cookbooks. I love the abundance of cookbooks, but at times it makes walking through the living room challenging.

So I was thrilled to discover on Shuna's blog that the Southern Food and Beverage Museum is in need of cookbook donations. They are located in New Orleans and lost more than half of their collection to Hurricane Katrina back in 2005. They are looking for new and used cookbooks that have something to do with Southern food, cooking and culture. I plan on culling my collection in order find anything that they might be interested in and putting together a package for them.

If you have some appropriate volumes in your collection, you can send your (fully tax-deductible) donations to:

Southern Food & Beverage Museum
attn. Liz Williams
1 Poydras Street, #169
New Orleans, Louisiana 70130

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Wow.

It has taken a long time to rebuild, but the point is that they have done it, and still are. After the devastation left behind by Hurricane Katrina, one of New Orleans' landmarks, The Commander's Palace, on the corner of Coliseum and Washington off of St. Charles in New Orleans' upscale Garden District, will be re-opening this weekend. Sunday, October 1 will be service of their first brunch since being hit by Katrina in August of last year.

[via: Blogging New Orleans]

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, I've been checking in one some New Orleans food blogs to see how the bloggers are doing. Kevin who blogs at Notes From A New Orleans Foodie has ended up in Chicago. He's safe and sound but since he can't get home anytime soon he's looking for a bartending job in Chicago. He's staying in Berwyn but wants to find a job downtown.  If you'd like a bartender with New Orleans flavor he can be contacted on his blog.

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Redfish restaurants, a French Quarter-themed chain restaurant with locations in Arizona, Chicago and Cincinnati will host a benefit night for victims of Hurricane Katrina on September 8. 10% of all Food sales will be donated to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund that evening. Their menu features catfish, etouffee, jambalaya and other tastes of New Orleans.

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