And GoodLiver Bids You, Adieu

Well, well, well…Here it is. Exactly one year of daily blogging! I told myself I would, and I did. You may be asking yourself: why would she subject herself to so much work that no one really cares about and for no money? Hmmm…good question. Well, there is my about page. But, of course, what we set out to achieve and what we actually achieve are often somewhat different. Basically this was last year’s New Year’s resolution. I wanted to start everyday writing. And I did. Doing the couple of mental jumping jacks that has been GoodLiver has led to me being more productive in other writing endeavors, so *yay* for that. It’s good to force yourself to do something everyday.

Also, I wanted to get out of my neighborhood, out of my ruts, and explore what the city has to offer. And, believe it or not, I actually did some of the stuff I wrote about. This has been the most fun and active year I have had in my decade in New Orleans.

A year ago, it felt like enough time had passed since Katrina that it would be appropriate to do a blog that was apolitical and focused on arts and leisure. And then, of course, there was the oil spill…But this was also the year the Saints won the Super Bowl! There were some real highs and lows. And I’m glad to have a document of them.

Some of my first posts took so much time and effort and careful choice of language, and, it’s true, later on I phoned it in a little…I posted rants that had no business in GoodLiver, but hey, that’s kind of the beauty of being the dictator of your own little online world.

To be honest, although GoodLiver continues to grow in popularity, my interest in the project is waning. If I’m not careful GoodLiver may jump the shark, if it hasn’t done so already. (Also, if it gets any more popular people are going to start suing me for copyright infringement on the bazillions of photos I stole from all over the internet.)

So, all things considered, I’m proud of this little project, and thank you to the fifty or so people who have read it every day. On to bigger and better things!

Battles of New Orleans

Today the Battle of New Orleans anniversary celebration continues at the Chalmette Battlefield. Oh yes, there will be reenactments and cannon firings, as well as stuff for kids to do, food and more. Starts at 9 am and continues throughout the day. Once the sun sets, the Battle of New Orleans Lantern Tours begin. Admission is $5. The first tour begins at 5:45pm.

Perhaps coincidentally with the anniversary of the big battle, perhaps not, Daniel Rasmussen author of Uprising: The Untold Story of America’s Largest Slave Revolt will be discussing his book from 1-3pm at the Garden District Book Shop. Rasmussen is a kind of a big deal scholar and journalist–C-SPAN will be televising the event. Free.

Tig Notaro @ La Nuit Comedy Theater

Tig Notaro–doesn’t that sound like the name of one of Sarah Palin’s kids?–anyway, I know her as the cute cop Sarah Silverman had a crush on, on The Sarah Silverman Program. Apparently she is quite the stand-up in her own right. Par example:

She’s playing tonight at 10pm at La Nuit Comedy Theater. Due to popular demand, a second show has been added tomorrow night at 10pm, too.

12th Night Champagne Social with King James & The Special Men

I, quite literally, just took down my Christmas tree (in order it take advantage of Christmas Tree recycling for the wetlands), and already it’s carnival time. Oh my. It really never stops.

I think my preferred Twelfth Night celebration is tonight’s “Champagne Social” with King James & The Special Men. If you haven’t checked out their regular Monday gig at BJ’s you’re missing out.

Champagne Social tonight @ d.b.a. 10pm. $5.

Amano

During the holidays I managed to squeeze in a meal at a new restaurant I had been wanting to try. Amano is the new restaurant from the Rio Mar and La Boca folks–two of my favorites. They’ve cornered the market on Spanish seafood and Argentinian steaks, and now they are trying their hand at central and southern Italian cuisine.

They are doing (very well) house made salumi and handmade pasta. You’re just about over those New Year’s diet resolutions, right? The menu is divided into 5 sections Salumi, Antipasti e Zuppa, Primi (pasta), Secondi and Contorni (sides). My date and I ordered a salumi dish (Bresaola con Ruccola e Grana: Air-cured “Piemontese” beef carpaccio with arugula & grana) and had a craft cocktail (a Chinotto: Hendricks gin, Averna amaro, house-infused bitters, orange juice and a Negroni, respectively) and then contemplated the menu. We decided to get one item from each menu and share, which turned out to be the perfect amount of food for the two of us.

For Antipasti we had Insalata di Mare: Salad of octopus, shrimp, squid, celery, & potatoes, which I was afraid might be too similar to one of my favorite dishes at Rio Mar (the grilled octopus) but no, it was unique and delicious. Then we shared the Spaghetti Carbonara. I wanted to order a more daring pasta dish, but, as my husband pointed out, trying the classics at a new place is a good way to rate the quality. It was good, but I still wish we had gotten the Gnudi con Funghi, Burro e Salvia:
Spinach & ricotta dumplings, local shiitakes, brown butter, sage or the Orecchiette con Salsiccia, Fagioli e Cavolo Nero: Orecchiette, fennel sausage, beans,Tuscan kale, ricotta salata. For our secondi we had Petto d’Anatra con Mandarino e Saba: Seared duck breast, satsuma, saba, rosemary-pistachio gremolata, which was cooked perfectly. We paired that with a side of  Verdure Affogate: Braised local mustard greens. We had all that plus a total of three glasses of wine between us, and with tax and a healthy gratuity we got out of there spending less than $150.

Open for dinner M-Sat 6-10pm. Lunch Friday only from 11:30-2:30pm.

Euclid Trivia Night

Know way more about music than I do? The Euclid folks recently started up this weekly trivia night at the Hi-Ho. Check it out:

d.b.a. Goes (mostly) Non-Smoking Today

So d.b.a. is going smoke-free today. And when I say smoke-free–I mean the bar will definitely be smoke-free during performance times (which is most of the time), and may possibly make exceptions for performers who want to smoke, or during very early and late hours.

There has been quite a bit of press and controversy and confusion surrounding this new policy. So, firstly, full-disclosure, I work there. Secondly, I am an occasional smoker, who doesn’t mind going outside for her occasional cigarette…Now, I feel like a kid caught in the middle of a divorce. The smokers feel betrayed; the non-smokers are jubilant. I do not feel so strongly either way.

Reading the comments on the article in nola.com you’d think this were a hot-button issue like gay marriage or something.

Choosing to jump the gun on the inevitable, but elusive, smoking ban is an experiment that will have to play out over the next months and years. But, in the meantime, may I present a solution that does not involve long discussions of property rights versus government responsibilities to protect workplace and public health? Let us look to technology and human innovation to solve the problem. If you are heavy smoker, or just really like smoking indoors: have you seen the progress being made with smokeless cigarettes? All of the nicotine, and the act of smoking, without all the kill-you stuff. I’m just saying, why can’t we all just get along?

Last Show at the Circle Bar…

…for a while. Ye old Circle Bar, one of my favorite bars in the city, is going to be closing for a while to undergo some renovations. They’re saying six weeks, but we know how that sort of thing goes. Tonight they are having a big closing night blowout featuring four really good bands, each headliners in their own right: The Happy Talk Band, Rik Slave and The Phantoms, Felix and O.L.D. This gonna be a fun one. 10 pm.

X-mas Tree Recycling for the Wetlands

Got a half-dead christmas tree throwing pine needles all over the place? Me too. Luckily the Landrieu administration is continuing the christmas tree recycling program for wetlands restoration. It’s a little unclear exactly when pick up is for different neighborhoods, but it sounds like if you put your tree out on the night of the 5th it will be picked up sometime in the following few days. In February, the Louisiana National Guard will collect the trees and place them along the coast aided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. If you’d like to volunteer call Dani Levine in the Office of Coastal & Environmental Affairs at 658-4071.

If you live in Jefferson Parish leave your tree curbside on the evening of January 6th. It will be picked up between the 7th and 9th by volunteers who will use them to reenforce the shoreline of Goose Bayou. Wanna volunteer? Sign up at www.jeffparish.net .

 

 

 

Hoppin’ in to 2011

The custom of eating Hoppin John on New Years Day requires a bit of foresight. I have found that if I don’t soak the black-eyed peas over night they are–how should I say this–less..digestible.

Anyway, I was curious where the name “Hoppin’ John” came from, and what sounds most plausible to me is that it sounds like the french pronunciation of “pois pigeon” or pigeon pea, which is what the french speaking natives of West Africa, who created this dish, would have called it. Cool, huh?

So, it’s tomorrow, and you’ve soaked your beans. Now what? …I like Emeril’s recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large ham hock
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1 pound black-eyed peas, soaked overnight and rinsed
• 1 quart chicken stock
• Bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dry thyme leaves
• Salt, black pepper, and cayenne
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
• 3 cups steamed white rice

Directions

Heat oil in a large soup pot, add the ham hock and sear on all sides for 4 minutes. Add the onion, celery, green pepper, and garlic, cook for 4 minutes. Add the black-eyed peas, stock, bay leaves, thyme, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 40 minutes, or until the peas are creamy and tender, stir occasionally. If the liquid evaporates, add more water or stock. Adjust seasonings, and garnish with green onions. Serve over rice.

I’m serving mine with some kale and cornbread.