I write in GUMBO LOVE how my time in New Orleans imprinted my heart and soul with the love of its flavors, and how that love for the flavors (and the culture and the people and the music!) permeates how I cook. In fact, when I look back, so many of my recipes and so many of my memories have been inspired by this one-of-kind city, this place that really can’t be described—it must be experienced! And boy have I!
Even in memories I didn’t experience myself but have heard so many times that they feel real, such as how my grandmother would meet her sea captain husband at Tujague’s for one last drink before he’d set sail from the docks on his next voyage, which might be for as long as a year. Or when my high school buddies and I “broke out” of Southern Alabama for a secret trip to Sin City, the same way our parents had done when they were our age. The list of tales goes on, and it brings joy to my heart every time I get to visit the place where it all went down.
So I’m honored and thrilled to be able to experience some Gumbo Love at the iconic Garden District Book Shop on Thursday, June 8. Please come and join us for a “Meet & Eat” plus book signing, and we can share some stories about this extraordinary place.
