If I had a bumpersticker on my car (which I don't) it would say, "I'd rather be in Paris!"
Lately, I'm beginning to think that I'm already there.
Don't get me wrong, I love Hattiesburg. It has its own brand of Southern charm. Historic neighborhoods overflow with interesting architecture, azaleas, wisteria, camellias, hydrangeas, and crape myrtles. Mouth-watering aromas emanate from dozens of BBQ joints and catfish shacks -- some of them quite upscale. Syrupy accents make even bad news sound good. And the code of good manners -- everyone says ma'am, sir, please and thank you here -- just makes life downright pleasant.
Lately I've also been hearing a lot of Madam, Monsieur, s'il vous plait and merci.
It seems that Hattiesburg is turning into the Paris of the Piney Woods.
It started quietly enough when C'est La Vie opened its doors in a strip mall on Hardy Street a few years ago. The French-bred owners introduced Hattiesburg to real croissants, sables, eclairs, religieuses, tartes and all the other too-pretty-to-eat-but-you'd-be-crazy-not-to delicacies normally found in a Left Bank patisserie.
And generations of Hattiesburgians, raised on Sundays at Shipley's donuts, ate it all up.
Then Cafe Boheme opened its doors in a restored old house across from the Hattiesburg Zoo. With it muted decor, soft jazz and menus of coffees, teas, baked goods (croissants, pain au chocolat) and daily lunch specials, it has the ambiance of a salon de the tucked away in the heart of Le Marais.
Just the other day I noticed that a genuine Parisian bistro is serving lunch in a building once occupied by an Italian restaurant and, years ago, a Chinese place.
While I'm a little perplexed by this sudden Gallic turn of events, I think it's formidable. Every one needs a little Paris every now and again. Especially if you're me.
I'm not saying I'm cancelling my annual pilgrimage to the City of the Light.
But it probably will be a little easier to handle my withdrawal symptoms the next time I return home.
Merci, Hattiesburg. Merci beaucoup.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Wine and Whining
Back in Mississippi and it's hotter 'n hell. Over 100 degrees yesterday. Enjoyed my sojourn in and around DC.
The Navy public affairs conference was very informative -- great speakers, including our new Undersecretary of the Navy -- and lots and lots of gouge on social media. It's a brave new world out there for those of us born before 1985. Hope I can keep up with it. Frankly, I'm surprised I've taken to blogging as I have.
Got a chance to spend some time with old friends, Mike and Diane, during a visit to their winery in Purcellville, Va. What a great place! They've been growing their own grapes and making wine for a while now.
A few years ago they undertook a massive restoration of their old barn. It opened as their tasting room last November. It is truly gorgeous, all Amish-restored with antiques, artwork, music and Amish cheeses. And of course great wine. Read all about it at their website, http://www.sunsethillsvineyard.com/
Diane, my New Orleans running buddy back in the day, took me on a tour of charming Leesburg. One of my favorite stops was lunch at The Wine Kitchen, http://www.thewinekitchen.com/ a wine bar/restaurant. I enjoyed their artisanal cheese tray and a portobello and goat cheese panini --washed down with Chardonnay from Sunset Hills of course. I wish our wine bar here in the 'burg served food. It puzzles me why a place with great ambiance and great wine falls so short in that department.
Also spent some down time hanging with my sister and family. Of course no visit with them is complete without takeout from our favorite Afghan place (yummy lamb kabobs with some kind of garlic/coriander sauce that I am still trying to duplicate, cumin rice with chickpeas and grilled naan bread to scoop it all up with). Other must-do stops are Trader Joe's (love their olive tapenade) and the Mediterranean Bakery -- a foodie paradise that sells prepared foods, meats, cheeses, baked goods, spices, legumes, packaged goods, refrigerated yogurts, dips and spreads and anything else you need to tie on the feed bag Med style. I hauled home a bag of red lentils, a Turkish enameled handled coffee pot (I'll use it for making hot chocolate), a wooden mortar and pestle, anise biscotti, a package of lavosh bread, vacuum packed chestnuts and dried ginger root. This is also where I score essence of anise for all my Christmas baking.
All good things must come to an end. This week at work has been a killer. The city has been working on plumbing in my area so showers at my house have been a little rusty of late. The heat is grueling. And the kitties, while glad to have me back, are punishing me for my long absence with little "presents" left in corners and closets.
Gosh, it's great to be home.
The Navy public affairs conference was very informative -- great speakers, including our new Undersecretary of the Navy -- and lots and lots of gouge on social media. It's a brave new world out there for those of us born before 1985. Hope I can keep up with it. Frankly, I'm surprised I've taken to blogging as I have.
Got a chance to spend some time with old friends, Mike and Diane, during a visit to their winery in Purcellville, Va. What a great place! They've been growing their own grapes and making wine for a while now.
A few years ago they undertook a massive restoration of their old barn. It opened as their tasting room last November. It is truly gorgeous, all Amish-restored with antiques, artwork, music and Amish cheeses. And of course great wine. Read all about it at their website, http://www.sunsethillsvineyard.com/
Diane, my New Orleans running buddy back in the day, took me on a tour of charming Leesburg. One of my favorite stops was lunch at The Wine Kitchen, http://www.thewinekitchen.com/ a wine bar/restaurant. I enjoyed their artisanal cheese tray and a portobello and goat cheese panini --washed down with Chardonnay from Sunset Hills of course. I wish our wine bar here in the 'burg served food. It puzzles me why a place with great ambiance and great wine falls so short in that department.
Also spent some down time hanging with my sister and family. Of course no visit with them is complete without takeout from our favorite Afghan place (yummy lamb kabobs with some kind of garlic/coriander sauce that I am still trying to duplicate, cumin rice with chickpeas and grilled naan bread to scoop it all up with). Other must-do stops are Trader Joe's (love their olive tapenade) and the Mediterranean Bakery -- a foodie paradise that sells prepared foods, meats, cheeses, baked goods, spices, legumes, packaged goods, refrigerated yogurts, dips and spreads and anything else you need to tie on the feed bag Med style. I hauled home a bag of red lentils, a Turkish enameled handled coffee pot (I'll use it for making hot chocolate), a wooden mortar and pestle, anise biscotti, a package of lavosh bread, vacuum packed chestnuts and dried ginger root. This is also where I score essence of anise for all my Christmas baking.
All good things must come to an end. This week at work has been a killer. The city has been working on plumbing in my area so showers at my house have been a little rusty of late. The heat is grueling. And the kitties, while glad to have me back, are punishing me for my long absence with little "presents" left in corners and closets.
Gosh, it's great to be home.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Every Neighborhood Needs a Cat Lady
In my opinion, every neighborhood needs a few essential residents.
The neighbors who put on over-the-top Christmas displays that strain the city's power supply and create traffic jams for weeks on end.
The do-gooder who delivers the latest neighborhood gossip along with the homemade cookies.
The recluse who is never seen during the daylight hours.
And the Cat Lady.
The last position recently became vacant. Today, a friend of mine sent the death notice for Hattiesburg's long-time Cat Lady. I'm not sure how long she held this distinction. In her funeral directions, she specified that her age not be posted in the newspapers.
Back when I was in college, nearly 30 years ago, "Cat Lady's House" was on the tour all new freshmen took shortly after arriving in town. It also included a stop at the drive-through funeral home. Sadly, the "Elvis is Alive" museum was not open then.
I never actually met "Cat Lady." Going by what I read in her obit, she was a true Southern eccentric (and you know how I love those) -- well-bred, well-educated, active in the arts and politics. According to local lore, she owned at least 50 cats at one time. I also heard that she once drove a dead person around town to look at the Christmas lights. The last part wasn't in the paper.
So now Hattiesburg is Cat Lady-less -- a sorry state of affairs for a Southern town. Where will the freshman tour go now? The drive-through funeral home closed years ago. I believe the Elvis is Alive museum has also followed its namesake to that big Graceland in the sky.
I think I should apply for the Cat Lady job. If you know anything at all about my family, I certainly have the pedigree. And the cats.
But is seven enough?
The neighbors who put on over-the-top Christmas displays that strain the city's power supply and create traffic jams for weeks on end.
The do-gooder who delivers the latest neighborhood gossip along with the homemade cookies.
The recluse who is never seen during the daylight hours.
And the Cat Lady.
The last position recently became vacant. Today, a friend of mine sent the death notice for Hattiesburg's long-time Cat Lady. I'm not sure how long she held this distinction. In her funeral directions, she specified that her age not be posted in the newspapers.
Back when I was in college, nearly 30 years ago, "Cat Lady's House" was on the tour all new freshmen took shortly after arriving in town. It also included a stop at the drive-through funeral home. Sadly, the "Elvis is Alive" museum was not open then.
I never actually met "Cat Lady." Going by what I read in her obit, she was a true Southern eccentric (and you know how I love those) -- well-bred, well-educated, active in the arts and politics. According to local lore, she owned at least 50 cats at one time. I also heard that she once drove a dead person around town to look at the Christmas lights. The last part wasn't in the paper.
So now Hattiesburg is Cat Lady-less -- a sorry state of affairs for a Southern town. Where will the freshman tour go now? The drive-through funeral home closed years ago. I believe the Elvis is Alive museum has also followed its namesake to that big Graceland in the sky.
I think I should apply for the Cat Lady job. If you know anything at all about my family, I certainly have the pedigree. And the cats.
But is seven enough?
Friday, June 5, 2009
Cooking with Koko
Koko (full name Kokomo Magee Willis) is the sous chef at The House Where the Black Cat Lives
Of all my cats he is the only one who shares my penchant for all things culinary. He's like the rat in Ratatouille. Except he's a cat.
On Saturday mornings, he likes nothing better than curling up next to me on the sofa, head in my lap, all four paws touching me, and easing into the weekend watching Food Network. Looking back on it, I should have named him Emeril.
Wherever he is, whatever he is doing, at the sound of kitchen cabinets opening, he comes skidding into the kitchen. He knows the fun is about to commence.
I don't approve of cats being on the kitchen counter during meal preparation. Or anytime for that matter but try enforcing that one when they're there all day and you're not. But dinner wouldn't be dinner without Koko perched on the island, neck stretched, eyes agog, perpetually engaged.
Koko has a particular fondness for dishes involving dairy products -- omelets, gratins and cream sauces rank among his favorites. After writing my post about eating aligot in Paris a few weeks ago, I had a craving for it. I had a hunch that with all those dairy products, Koko also would approve. I was right.
Of all my cats he is the only one who shares my penchant for all things culinary. He's like the rat in Ratatouille. Except he's a cat.
On Saturday mornings, he likes nothing better than curling up next to me on the sofa, head in my lap, all four paws touching me, and easing into the weekend watching Food Network. Looking back on it, I should have named him Emeril.
Wherever he is, whatever he is doing, at the sound of kitchen cabinets opening, he comes skidding into the kitchen. He knows the fun is about to commence.
I don't approve of cats being on the kitchen counter during meal preparation. Or anytime for that matter but try enforcing that one when they're there all day and you're not. But dinner wouldn't be dinner without Koko perched on the island, neck stretched, eyes agog, perpetually engaged.
Koko has a particular fondness for dishes involving dairy products -- omelets, gratins and cream sauces rank among his favorites. After writing my post about eating aligot in Paris a few weeks ago, I had a craving for it. I had a hunch that with all those dairy products, Koko also would approve. I was right.
The recipe is simple enough. But there aren't many places -- make that any places -- that carry creme fraiche and artisanal cheeses in the 'burg. So I've had to adapt the recipe using a mixture of sour cream and heavy cream for the cream fraiche and subbing out the best cheddar I can find for the traditional cantal. Still it works. It reminds me a lot of a cheesy potato recipe my mom always made. Any time I can combine two loves, French cooking and my mama's cooking, it's a good thing.
I'm heading out to the Washington, DC, area for a work-related conference next week. While there, I'm also going to have a chance to hang with my sister, who lives in the area. Unlike the 'burg, the District and its environs are full of gourmet food markets and artisanal cheese shops. I'm thinking I'll be able to score the real ingredients there, and that I'll be whipping up authentic aligot for the family by this time next week.
Yummy. I can't wait. Neither can Koko. I see him in the corner trying to stow away in my suitcase.
Aligot
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed (plain russet potatoes are fine)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
6 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 - 2 cups crème fraiche (substitute equal parts sour cream and heavy cream)
1 clove garlic, crushed but kept intact
3 cups grated tomme fraiche de cantal cheese (substitute good-quality white cheddar or Gruyere)
Boil the potatoes for about 20 minutes, until they turn tender and drain them. Mash them with a potato masher and vigorously mix in the salt, pepper, and butter for about 2 to 3 minutes, until the potatoes fluff up a bit. Set them aside in the pan for a moment.
Slice the garlic and saute lightly in a dab of butter to infuse it. Then In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the crème fraiche and garlic to just steaming. Remove the garlic and pour the steaming crème fraiche into the mashed potatoes and transfer the pan of potatoes to the stove top over low heat. Using a sturdy wooden spoon, beat the crème fraiche into potatoes.
Raise the heat to medium and beat in the cheese, 1/2 cup at a time. Continue beating the mixture over the heat until it forms a smooth, velvety texture with ribbons of cheese. Pour onto warm plates and serve immediately.
Monday, June 1, 2009
The Cat Mama Gets on Her Soapbox
As heartwarming as spring and summer are with their overall themes of new life and rebirth, this can be a very chilling time of year for cat lovers. Trees and flowers aren't the only things busting out these days. This is peak kitten season.
Most of these newborns will wind up abandoned, dead or in shelters where their odds of being adopted, frankly, are less than 20 percent. And we all know what happens to the rest of them.
Living as I do in a college town, I also know that this is the time of year when college students return home and the strays they "adopted" and fed throughout the school year will be turned out to the curb along with the saggy old sofa bought at the Salvation Army. The rationale is that "someone else" will feed them. It is unlikely that anyone will. And these poor creatures who, for the most part have never had to fend for themselves, will suffer a very, very long downward spiral of hunger and abuse before they finally starve to death, are run over or are maimed and/or killed by other animals or sick humans.
If you don't believe me about that last part, read this. It will chill your blood. http://www.miamiherald.com/486/story/1056523.html
Over the years, I have adopted over 10 stray kitties. In each case I have spayed /neutered and vaccinated them. I also have helped find loving homes for at least as many kittens, four of which I had to hand-feed from a bottle.
The point of this is not to nominate myself for sainthood -- it really is a labor of love for me -- but to help shed light on a growing problem that too many people don't want to see.
As I write this, I am taking care of a second little feral family: Peggy Sue, the daughter of my Roxie, and her two nearly grown children, Pegasus and Tux. They are the last (I hope) of a feral cat colony. They are good kitties, albeit skittish.
I hope that with patience I will still be able to catch them, spay/neuter them and either release them so I can continue feeding them or find homes for them with people who have the patience to tame them. It can be done. Roxie was once part of their colony, and, in a remarkably short time, she turned from a scrawny little wild thing into a plump and affectionate model cat who loves nothing more than cuddling and having her face rubbed.
Please, please, please if you adopt a cat (or a dog), spay or neuter it as soon as you can. It is the only way to end the spiral. Yes, it is expensive, very expensive, but a lot of states and counties offer assistance programs to those who manage feral cat colonies. Some shelters and veterinary offices also offer discounts during peak season.
You can find out more about Mississippi's Spay & Neuter program at the link below. Many other states offer similar programs.
http://www.msspan.org/bigfixrig.htm
If you do find yourself with a new litter on your hands, please make an effort to find loving homes for them yourself rather than dumping them on a shelter. The shelters are full this time of year, and they do not have the resources to take care of them.
Interview the folks looking for a cat and ensure their motives are pure, especially around Halloween or the full moon. As you know from reading that article link above, there are a lot of sickos in the world.
Your veterinarian can be a great resource guide. Believe it or not, most of them are vets because they truly love animals, not just to make money. My vet has been wonderful in offering me discounted services for worming and fixing feral kittens. He has also helped me with new home referrals.
Finally, if you want to help and don't have the time or inclination to catch/trap, foster-parent, or find new homes for them yourself, consider making a donation to those non-profit groups who do. In most cases, your donation will be tax deductible. Just do a little research to make sure your group truly is non-profit and that they are on the up and up when it comes to humane treatment of their charges.
OK. That's my rant for today. Stepping down off the soapbox now. I will return to our regularly scheduled blog next post. Thank you so much for reading this.
Most of these newborns will wind up abandoned, dead or in shelters where their odds of being adopted, frankly, are less than 20 percent. And we all know what happens to the rest of them.
Living as I do in a college town, I also know that this is the time of year when college students return home and the strays they "adopted" and fed throughout the school year will be turned out to the curb along with the saggy old sofa bought at the Salvation Army. The rationale is that "someone else" will feed them. It is unlikely that anyone will. And these poor creatures who, for the most part have never had to fend for themselves, will suffer a very, very long downward spiral of hunger and abuse before they finally starve to death, are run over or are maimed and/or killed by other animals or sick humans.
If you don't believe me about that last part, read this. It will chill your blood. http://www.miamiherald.com/486/story/1056523.html
Over the years, I have adopted over 10 stray kitties. In each case I have spayed /neutered and vaccinated them. I also have helped find loving homes for at least as many kittens, four of which I had to hand-feed from a bottle.
The point of this is not to nominate myself for sainthood -- it really is a labor of love for me -- but to help shed light on a growing problem that too many people don't want to see.
As I write this, I am taking care of a second little feral family: Peggy Sue, the daughter of my Roxie, and her two nearly grown children, Pegasus and Tux. They are the last (I hope) of a feral cat colony. They are good kitties, albeit skittish.
I hope that with patience I will still be able to catch them, spay/neuter them and either release them so I can continue feeding them or find homes for them with people who have the patience to tame them. It can be done. Roxie was once part of their colony, and, in a remarkably short time, she turned from a scrawny little wild thing into a plump and affectionate model cat who loves nothing more than cuddling and having her face rubbed.
Please, please, please if you adopt a cat (or a dog), spay or neuter it as soon as you can. It is the only way to end the spiral. Yes, it is expensive, very expensive, but a lot of states and counties offer assistance programs to those who manage feral cat colonies. Some shelters and veterinary offices also offer discounts during peak season.
You can find out more about Mississippi's Spay & Neuter program at the link below. Many other states offer similar programs.
http://www.msspan.org/bigfixrig.htm
If you do find yourself with a new litter on your hands, please make an effort to find loving homes for them yourself rather than dumping them on a shelter. The shelters are full this time of year, and they do not have the resources to take care of them.
Interview the folks looking for a cat and ensure their motives are pure, especially around Halloween or the full moon. As you know from reading that article link above, there are a lot of sickos in the world.
Your veterinarian can be a great resource guide. Believe it or not, most of them are vets because they truly love animals, not just to make money. My vet has been wonderful in offering me discounted services for worming and fixing feral kittens. He has also helped me with new home referrals.
Finally, if you want to help and don't have the time or inclination to catch/trap, foster-parent, or find new homes for them yourself, consider making a donation to those non-profit groups who do. In most cases, your donation will be tax deductible. Just do a little research to make sure your group truly is non-profit and that they are on the up and up when it comes to humane treatment of their charges.
OK. That's my rant for today. Stepping down off the soapbox now. I will return to our regularly scheduled blog next post. Thank you so much for reading this.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
