27/08/2020
After Katrina, everyone across the Mississippi and Louisiana Gulf Coast who had lost all their physical possessions began rebuilding their lives on the things they could.
Realizing how many of their most valuable losses were tucked into book pages, filed in boxes or a phone call away from those no longer with them, people, as they always do in this part of the world, helped themselves.
Incredibly, in the midst of the weeks and months of cleanup, they began using the Times-Picayune newspaper to swap recipes.
Over time, through the contributions of community members, chefs and local restaurants, they regained and preserved a significant collection of local, regional and family recipes.
The later published collection, "Cooking Up a Storm," was gifted to me by my oldest friend and cousin, and remains the one cookbook on my shelves that always brings tears to my eyes and a rush of emotions.
In the spirit of support and preservation, I ask you to join me in collecting recipes I have arranged to send to local newspaper editors from Lake Charles to Galveston.
While I am particularly hoping for regional recipes from these areas, I think any and everything you deem meaningful and worth sharing is so.
If you would like to share, please send yours to [email protected], and please pass this along to all those you may know.
We are also collaborating with Food For Thought and collecting ingredients for red beans and rice kits to take to affected areas.
Thanks for your time and I hope you and yours are safe. 💗
