06/30/11

Sips and Bites

A Potpourri of News Items of Interest...or Not

Can It!

NOLA Brewing, located at 3001 Tchoupitoulas, has acquired funds to become the only New Orleans-based brewery to make their line of beers available in cans. It was made possible by a new person-to-business lending model, headed by Tulane MBA graduates Chonchol Gupta and Xavier Cabo. The primary lender was ASI Federal Credit Union.

I’m not certain which aspect of this deal is more exciting. Is it the fact that NOLA Brewing will now be available, possibly nationwide, in cans? Or is it more amazing that a new business financial model for raising capital has been created locally, and has started out assisting a local company? (New Orleans has not had readily available venture...

Posted at 04:29 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

06/23/11

Drinking Alcohol and Gaining Weight: It's Complicated

Among the other downsides of drinking alcohol is the personal Battle of the Bulge. Overindulging (a relative term) in any liquid or food is going to come with consequences.

Too much chocolate cake, too many Hubig Pies®, a boatload of baguettes, an overload of Oreos®, or a plethora of pralines will all result in certain parts of the body sticking out where we would prefer that they not. Additional weight never seems to go where we wouldn’t mind, and it always seems to settle in visible areas so our “friends” can comment about our not fitting into furniture.

Do I need to spell out for you the reason it’s called a “beer belly?” I thought...

Posted at 11:14 AM | Permalink | Comments: 2

06/16/11

'Tis the Season

Nope, you did not pull a Rip Van Winkle, going to sleep under heavy air conditioning and missing the whole rest of the year, awakening just before Caroling in the Square.

Nor are you being accosted here by one of the interminable "Christmas in July" sales, possibly the lamest advertising gimmick since P.T. Barnum entertained the masses--or at least that denomination of the masses defined by having one of their number born every minute.

Actually it’s the season of ripe, sweet fruits. Yummy. Now we have access to the best and the freshest produce of the year, including cantaloupes, strawberries, watermelon, cherries, apples, peaches, pears, plums, blueberries, figs, pineapple, and raspberries. Those are in addition to the fruit that we can access anytime,...

Posted at 09:51 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

06/09/11

We Thought So

It’s always nice to receive validation from another source to affirm what you think you know. New Orleanians, being the basically self-absorbed-in-our-own-culture group that we are (and why not when you have the depth of culture that we enjoy?), have come to embrace the fact that our bars are among the very best on the planet.

That’s not to say all of our bars are that way, but most truly are. Our visitors agree, and while, from time to time, they may not “get” some of our dining preferences and styles, I have never heard a complaint about New Orleans bars, which are usually interesting, even historic, well-operated, proffer a good drink, and are plentiful.

Let’s not forget one of New Orleans’ great contributions to world culture. No,...

Posted at 09:35 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

06/01/11

In Matters of Taste the Nose Knows

One of the quirks of the human condition is that we enjoy, even crave, flavors and textures which are polar opposites, often at the same time.
 
And that is due to our completely inadequate sense of taste.
 
Ah, sweet and sour mystery of life.
 
You probably think you do a pretty good job with your palate in seeking out subtle flavors and nuances in all kinds of foods and drinks. Well, quite literally, the job you do stinks. Hey, big fella, sit down and relax. Those are not fighting words. Not with me anyway.
 
More than 88% of all the tasting we experience actually comes through our nose. 88% is a big number. And, to add to the situation, our nasal abilities are not as keen as dogs or cats in the wild (no, not the...

Posted at 04:31 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0