Let it rain (Hallelujah), Let it pour

What a different life...one that I'm sure no one imagined me having when I insisted my turkey sandwiches contain only mayonnaise, or throwing fits when pepper appeared on my scrambled eggs.

Last night I spoke these words: "I'm beginning to understand that chefs combine ingredients for a reason, and so it's best to try the dish with all the ingredients instead of asking that something be left off."

This from the girl who inherited a deep fear of the onion. Who grew up in college but was still known as the picky eater, the one with the aversion to vegetables. Care to see how far I've come?

Our dinner reservation last night was for 9pm. We ate at Muriel's in Jackson Square, which had a lovely atmosphere but a not-so-lovely waitstaff. The waiter who seemed to take over from ours was excellent, though, so I shouldn't condemn so quickly. Anyway, we shared goat cheese and shrimp crepes (the most tender shrimp I've eaten in quite some time) and seafood cakes over a bed of arugula. The quote above was inspired by the arugula (hey, Firefox, get with the times, it's a word!), when I noted that the seafood cake tasted better with the bitter greens than without. Next came pecan-crusted puppy drum, which I wasn't too thrilled by (my drum appreciation only goes so far) and an oven roasted cajun-spice rubbed white fish...I don't remember, but it's a gulf fish that starts with a "y", I believe. And it was stupendous. Not overdone, the fish taste wasn't overpowered by a sauce, and haricots verts accompanied it. The meal ended with vanilla creme brulee and pecan-covered bread pudding, and coffee for me. These NOLA restaurants definitely know how to make their coffee--the coffee at Commander's could be turned upside down and it wouldn't move.

So with the late and lengthy dinner, bed was not until 11:30, which is late to me but will probably soon be early with Carnival celebrations. A 3am rainstorm kept me up for an hour, so when 8:15 arrived, I really did not want to get out of bed, and normally it's a 7:15 wakeup on Saturdays. But Saturdays are farmer's market days. Last week I couldn't go due to the Christmas Tree Fence Project, and what happens--I get sick. Coincidence? No fresh veggies and fruits, I think not.

Anyway, I thought I'd make a list of what I got at the market. Although there are books to help with eating locally and in season, Louisiana's "in season" is extremely different than the rest of the country's in season. This way maybe I can compile my own "in season" list and be better prepared with recipes next year.

The list for 1/19/08:
Tamales
Cojita cheese
Satsumas
Mixed red and green romaine lettuce
Baby carrots
2 bunches spinach
Cilantro
Green onion
Strawberries

I guess my point, while I sit here in my drafty NOLA shotgun, listening to the rain continue to fall, sipping my french pressed coffee, is that life takes us in directions that we may not ever imagine.

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