I left home on Tuesday, December 22, bound for New Orleans, LA (NOLA), to meet my family for two nights in one of our favorite cities before going to my childhood home in Laurel, MS, where I am now. (My husband and I celebrate Christmas apart, with our respective families, but then meet somewhere for our own holiday…see below.)
The days leading up to my departure were so full, as are everyone’s this time of year, that I ran out of time to post a Happy Holidays greeting before I left, nor a recipe or two. And now I have even more recipes to post that I’ve created while here: an addictive one for spiral bread (my favorite pizza dough filled with olive paste, caramelized onions and fennel, roasted peppers, and homemade tofu “cheeze“) and one for pears poached in red wine topped with caramelized onion and a rosemary-scented wine reduction. But, alas, I find myself without necessary cables or flash drives to upload photos.
So, since I also find myself with blogging withdrawal, I’ll post some Internet pix and miscellaneous related posts about discoveries on our trip plus some great vegan boots until I return to VA. I’ll be away for another week, including a trip to Miami to meet my husband and two of our good friends. (Oh, how I miss my dogs…and my husband, but I’ll see him Wednesday!)
Though known internationally for its cuisine, New Orleans is hardly a vegan haven. However, one of the city’s best restaurants, Bayona, is on the same street as our hotel, the Chateau LeMoyne, and just a couple of blocks away at 430 Dauphine Street. Chef Susan Spicer is more than accommodating of those with special diets, including vegans. My recommendation is to inform the hostess that there is a vegan(s) in your party when you make your reservation and let Chef Spicer work her magic, or rather voodoo. Last year, during my family’s first pre-Christmas trip to NOLA, she prepared something delicious that involved radish cakes. This year, the sumptuous dish of pineapple, asparagus, mushrooms and a beautifully balanced sauce over fragrant “Jazzmen” rice was Asian-inspired.
If your travel plans take you to New Orleans, I can’t recommend Bayona highly enough. Unfortunately, the restaurant’s website at http://www.bayona.com/ has a lapsed account as of today. But try it at some point in the future and, in the meantime, try this link for a dining guide listing and review.
Wherever you may be this holiday season, laissez les bon temps roulez!
Photo Credit: from the Epicurean Wine Council’s website
