Nix Bits

No Monday can take a great French Quarter Fest weekend away. It’s a classic only-in-New-Orleans feeling that is Monday morning kryptonite. This may be heresy, but I prefer FQF to Jazz Fest these days. It’s all local music that you can here for free. It’s spread throughout the Quarter. And it has all the food benefits of Jazz Fest.

We are blessed enough to live within a 20 minute walk to the French Quarter. So Saturday morning, that’s what we did. The first thing J wanted to do was hit her FQF favorite, Grilled Chicken Livers with pepper jelly.

(Yes, it’s food porn. you know you want some)

The first year J came here and saw this at the FQF she got all excited. You can take the girl outta Kentucky, but ya can’t take the Kentucky outta the girl. I was not real keen on chicken livers. But times and palates change. I gotta say, I love me some organ meats.

Of course the food extravaganza went on: crabmeat raviolia aurora, gazpacho, shrimp ceviche, mango mama punches, oyster and artichoke florentine, crawfish and manchego tortilla and two (very) different bread puddings in two days. mmm.mmm.mmmm!

Jennifer’s brother came in town that afternoon. His wife is in town for a conference and they came with another friend/co-worker who had never been to New orleans before. What a choice weekend to visit. So following much music (Soul Rebels got our brass fix on), we hit Palace Cafe for dinner. Our guests insisted on Bourbon Street so we took them to see the sights, and enjoyed it more than I expected. We took a pause at Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop and J and I headed home

The next day we went in for more. We took J’s brother for the classic and necessary Pimm’s Cup at Napoleon House. It was then back to the LGD to prepare dinner for all including J’s local aunt and uncle.

For that event, we had a combo Kentucky/New Orleans meal. I whipped up some shrimp saute’d in boatloads of garlic and red pepper with an aioli sauce topper that I’ve been perfecting. We also defrosted the Kentucky Burgoo that I prepared several months back over one long weekend. It was as rich and hearty as ever. Our house is such a fantastic setup for entertaining like this and we delighted in sharing it with J’s brother and sister-in-law since this was their first opportunity to see it.

All in all a fabulous weekend and we’re probably going to be eating out tonight as well. No amount of Monday meetings and pointy-haired-boss nonsense can overcome a pure NOLA weekend like this one.