Tag: New Orleans

  • How a Bluff and a Battle Shaped New Orleans

    How a Bluff and a Battle Shaped New Orleans

    New Orleans. Lawrence N. Powell calls it “The Accidental City” in his book of the same name. Peirce Lewis memorably named it “an impossible but inevitable city” in his book, New Orleans: The Making of an Urban Landscape. Both men have a point. New Orleans was and is a very unlikely place. We sit in…

  • Kringle Cake: A Long Way from There to Here

    Kringle Cake: A Long Way from There to Here

    In a world of elaborately decorated buttercream and fondant cakes, the Kringle is easy to overlook. At first glance, it appears to be nothing more than an oversized iced Danish or maybe a flattened King Cake. But look closer and you’ll notice dozens of flaky, lighter than air layers under that smear of icing. Hiding…

  • Take a Streetcar Tour for the Holidays

    Take a Streetcar Tour for the Holidays

    If you’ve ever been in New Orleans for the holidays, you know the city loves to dress itself in all the finery of the season. It seems every home is jeweled and crowned by twinkling lights while oak and palm trees are swathed with wreaths and ribbons. To truly appreciate the festive displays this winter,…

  • The Colorful History of New Orleans’ First Suburb: The Faubourg Marigny

    The Colorful History of New Orleans’ First Suburb: The Faubourg Marigny

    People from all around the globe come to enjoy New Orleans every year.Whether they prefer a scenic streetcar ride up the live oak lined avenue of St. Charles or a slow stroll through the Vieux Carre, what many visitors don’t know is a place as charming and picturesque rests just outside the French Quarter. It’s…

  • Gumbo vs Jambalaya: What’s Better?

    Gumbo vs Jambalaya: What’s Better?

    Bubbling away in cast iron pots over an outdoor hardwood fire, the multi-cultural dishes of gumbo and jambalaya were an affordable and satisfying way to nourish a gathering of neighbors, congregations, and hunters. From the fields of West Africa The name “gumbo” came from the West African Bantu word for “okra”. Okra was commonly used…