The old saying was that oysters should only be eaten in months that have the letter “R”, so September has one and we are safely reminded. This old tale goes back to the days before mass refrigeration was available and the storage of seafood stayed fresher longer when the temperatures were cooler, thus the months with “R” coincided with fall and winter seasons here in North America, or the months between September to March.

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A few mental notes for the next visit to Earp’s – they do sell frozen crawfish tail meat imported from China, so that will only do in an absolute pinch. But they also have frog legs, scallops and just about any fish. Grouper, salmon, catfish, haddock,Pollock, trout, red snapper, and flounder were also available on our visit.

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It’s early in the morning and just near freezing temperatures on this crisp Wednesday, January 31, 1979. Just after 6:45 am and the Southern Railroad’s Crescent locomotives have started pulling the passenger train out of the New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal (NOUPT) station platform for its last run. Travelers are getting settled into their coach seats for the exciting 26 hour farewell pull to Washington, DC. This is the last passenger train operated by a private company, the Southern Railroad held onto its prestigious and popular Crescent for over eight years and now this is the swan song run before giving control over to Amtrak on Thursday, February 1, 1979.

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My love of oysters started at a very young age, most likely when I was around 10 or 11 and even my son Ben started liking them around the same time in his life too. In fact, just a few months before Katrina hit he fell in love with them, just as I had done [...]

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One of the preparations that I learned form Chef Chris Canan during his stint at the Columns Hotel on Saint Charles Avenue in the mid-1980′s was this buffet preparation that became a guest favorite and one of mine too. Using fresh oysters this recipe features options for both buffet and a la carte service and can [...]

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