A Lot of Catching Up to Do! - October 26, 2015

Well, folks have probably forgotten me after my long silence these past few months!  My India residence had the absolutely worst WiFi connection so I was seldom able to post.  

Besides that, my right shoulder has been insufferably painful and massage did little to relieve the agony.  I didn't get to San Francisco before departure so I was without my usual pain medications -the new Federal law states that you must have prescription in hand from your physician - no more phoning in to your pharmacy.  I can honestly say that Naprosyn does NOT alleviate that joint pain.  My total shoulder replacement is scheduled for November 18th so, thankfully, I should feel better as soon as the day after.  My left shoulder was done two years ago.  Of course, I will need about three months of physical therapy - and it is my right shoulder so I anticipate things will be a bit more difficult post operatively!  I'm trying to practice doing things with my left hand.

I flew from Mumbai to Tampa for a week with Charlene Payton, my dear friend of forty years.  I didn't really have jet lag, I don't think, but with her incredible sleep number bed, I made up for five months on that horrible mattress I had in Mumbai.  Blissful sleep, wonderful company, and great eating readied me for a week in New Orleans and my fifty year Charity Hospital School of Nursing reunion.

I stayed at the home of my friend of fifty years, Martha Meaux Genin.  What a joyful time we all had.  There were so many memories, a few tears, lots of laughs, fabulous food.

Finally, I made it to West Sacramento where I got the warmest welcome ever from my sweet granddaughter, Harper, and the granddogs.  She does not want me out of her sight now and I am being showered with hugs and kisses - when she isn't saying, "Nana, don't touch me!"  She has grown by leaps and bounds and has an incredibly amazing English and Spanish vocabulary for a 2-1/2-year old.

Now that I have really high speed internet, I'll be catching up on India posts and the rest of my world.  While this last stay in India was not my best, I do want to go back.  I can't end my visits to this "country of my heart" on a bad note.

More to come.......

Ruby Tuesday Too - Louisiana Crawfish - March 24, 2014

My month long trip to the South in January was a wonderful visit to friends and family.

I was also delighted to feast on some of my favorite foods, from grits to barbecue to 

raw oysters to catfish and, of course, as I had hoped, Louisiana crawfish were in

season when I arrived in New Orleans.

Crawfish prices have certainly gone up!!  Nearly fifty years ago, when I started

nursing school at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, you could buy boiled crawfish,

three pounds for a dollar.  This past weekend, because of recent cold temperatures,

crawfish cost six dollars a pound at the Louisiana Crawfish Festival!

Crawfish, or crayfish, or "mudbugs" as some call them are freshwater crustaceans

that look like small lobsters.  They are found mainly in brooks and streams with

fresh water running through, to meet the huge demand, the main source is through

aquaculture.  Lousiana produces most of the world's crawfish.

With the tail being the only really edible part ( the claws provide barely any meat ),

you have to eat quite a bit to feel full.  Crawfish are GOOD eating, though,

and it is easy to consume several pounds!

In case you've got crawfish handy, here's a recipe from the Food Network,

compliments of Emeril Lagasse.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/crawfish-etouffee-recipe2.html

Crawfish Etouffee

21 Reviews 

Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2001SHOW:  The Essence of Emeril

EPISODE:  CAST IRON

Total Time:  1 hr 50 min    Prep:   30 min     Cook:    1 hr 20 min

Yield:8 servings

Level:Intermediate 

CATEGORIES 

Crawfish Main Dish Southern

Ingredients

6 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

2 cups chopped onions

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped bell pepper

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

2 sprigs fresh thyme

2 1/2 cups fish or shrimp stock

1 cup peeled, seeded and diced tomatoes

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Hot pepper sauce

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 pounds crawfish tails, with the fat

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Cooked white rice, for serving

Directions

In a large, heavy saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter and whisk in flour to combine well

. 

Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until roux is a peanut butter color.

Add onions, celery, bell pepper, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme and cook until vegetables are

soft, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add stock, tomatoes, salt, red pepper, hot sauce, and

 Worcestershire sauce and bring to a boil.

Skim surface, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring

occasionally.

Add crawfish tails and fat, lemon juice, green onions, and parsley and cook for 15 to 20

 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining butter and stir to combine well. Taste and adjust

 seasoning if necessary. Serve over hot rice

.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/crawfish-etouffee-

recipe2.html?oc=linkback

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crayfish

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Ruby Tuesday Too

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join in the fun!

Wordless Wednesday and Watery Wednesday - New Orleans Views of the Mississippi River - October 20, 2010

Wordless Wednesday and Watery Wednesday

New Orleans Views of the Mississippi River - October 20, 2010





I am participating in Wordless Wednesday and Watery Wednesday!

Check out the links to see great photographs.