"blogging new orleans" news and stories

Our friends over at Blogging New Orleans hung out at the New Orleans Jazz Fest this week, and mixed in with the reports of concerts by people like Harry Connick, Jr. and Dottie Peoples and a wild-haired John Mayer are reports on what the food was like.

Pictured above is the Indian Taco that Kelly had, and that looks tasty. Meanwhile, Mike had the boiled crawfish and the soft-shell crab po-boy. Wow, that looks...interesting.

Kelly also had a plate full of this, which I probably wouldn't try in a million years, but then I'm not a seafood guy.

I have been hunting for green tomatoes the last few days and have finally tracked some down to a Mexican restaurant in central London. I have to buy a 20 litre tin mind which seems a little excessive for just one recipe! The restaurant, Mestizo, is about the only authentic venue for Mexican cuisine in the UK. As recommend by The Passionate Cook who, in her colourful past, lived in Mexico. [Another recommendation here]

But it would seem that decent Mexican food is as hard to find in the UK as it is in New Orleans. Which surprises me seeing how close the city is to Mexico. But Blogging New Orleans reported the other day  that despite an influx of Mexican workers since Katrina there still isn't an 'authentic' Mexican restaurant in the city. Plenty of Mexican drinks and foods appearing in the shops but no restaurants.

A shame that other countries manage to export their culinary culture so well but Mexico (and other South American countries) do not.