Getting to Know You

Okay, Cammy, here's your meme - since I've got an interview and four weddings to perform today!

A is for age: 53, yesterday.
B is for booze of choice: Not on the radar. Quit August 8, 2002.
C is for career: Travel journalist and professional cellist.
D is for your dog’s name:
No pets.
E is for essential items you use/love everyday: Coffee pot, laptop, ATT 8525 PDA, MP3 player
F is for favorite song(s) at the moment: You Inspire Me
by Skye Dyer
G is for favorite games: What will I cook for dinner tonight?
H is for hometown: Hot Springs, AR
I is for instruments you play: cello, piano
J is for jam or jelly you like: grape jam, pear preserves, honey
K is for kids: Wayne, 25.
L is for last kiss: A few minutes ago, DH.
M is for most admired trait: Smile, sense of humor
N is for name of your crush: DH
O is for overnight hospital stays: broken bones, baby
P is for phobias: I've learned not to verbalize these.
Q is for quotes you like: "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." — Mark Twain, 1857
R is for biggest regret: Not worth the time to think about.
S is for sweets of your choice: Fresh fruit.
T is for time you wake up: 1:30 and 5:30 a.m.
U is for underwear: Yes.
V is for vegetables you love: Turnip greens!!
W is for worst habit: Cramming too much into my schedule,
but I'm getting better at prioritizing according to goals, not urgency.
X is for x-rays you’ve had: wrist, ankle, hand, mouth, boobs
Y is for yummy food you make: Cajun food!
Z is for zodiac sign: I'm an Aries

Inspiration: Our Gym Hero

Whew, it feels good to be home - sleeping in my own bed, cooking in my own kitchen, sitting at my own desk, working out in my home gym. On my birthday!

Tomorrow morning, I'm scheduled to interview a man who, without knowing it, has inspired me to train consistently, even when I don't feel like it. Each time he walks into the gym, he yells, "Mornin', everybody! (Waits for response.) How's everybody doin' today? (Waits for second response.)" For the next few minutes, he strolls around the gym, pumping handshakes like a seasoned politician.

I watch as he unzips his gym bag to retrieve an unwieldy contraption which he slings over his shoulder. With one hand, he buckles a strap around his chest. Next, he wraps a towel around one handle of a spin bike. Finally, he locks his prosthetic hand over the towel and begins his workout.

Folks who've been around a while tell me he was injured in the war. I'm not yet sure which one. I'll find out in the morning.

After I learned his name, I called our gym hero this afternoon to schedule the interview. He agreed, but said he needed to be finished by 10:30.

"A group of us meet over at the St. Joseph Chapel to pray for our service personnel serving in Iraq and other areas of the world," he explained.

This is going to be a good story. I'll keep you posted.

P.S. Thanks to everybody who sent get-well wishes to DH. He's recovering nicely!

Final Score: Rebecca - 1; Culinary Trail - 0

I DID IT! I survived eight days on south Louisiana Culinary Trails and still lost a pound!! Although, without a scale on the road, I could't report for yesterday's Healthy You Challenge Tuesday Weigh-in. What's more, I lost additional body mass, bringing the total inches lost since January 15 to 26.25". (Not a mistake this time.) WAHOO!

DH Update: Monday's gall bladder removal went fine. He is moving around enough to prevent soreness, and resting while watching the Master's Tournament. Duh.



And in answer to Felicia's Fun Photo Challenge requesting a picture of where we live, I am posting a picture of Anthony Chapel at Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs, Ark., where our string quartet performs a majority of weddings on the schedule.

Thanks again to all my HYC friends who stopped by to offer encouragment while I was on the road. I'll begin catching up on blog reading tonight.

Louisiana Culinary Tour - Day 7

Yesterday, we mentioned having eaten at Restaurant La Provence, where Chef Rene's big focus is "farm to table." Another journalist on this trip was savvy enough to upload a short video of our trip to a crawfish farm last Thursday so that you can see how these tasty crustaceans are harvested. Click here to meet Chad. (Okay, if you didn't click, you are r-e-a-l-l-y missing out on some healthy south Louisiana scenery.)

Before we left the hotel, I got in a workout on the treadmill in my room, and then ate a healthy breakfast from the Omni's Ideal Nutrition menu.

Once outside the hotel, our group started the morning with famous cafe au lait (coffee with steamed milk) and beignets (ben-YAYS) at the French Quarter's famous Cafe Du Monde. (*sigh* I took pictures and drank my coffee and chickory straight.)

Later in the morning, Louisiana Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu stopped by the Savvy Gourmet to show his support for the state's Culinary Trails program.

While we were there, Chef Matt Brewton showed us how to make an authentic roux using equal parts all-purpose flower and oil (not EVOO or walnut, which will burn). We watched as the cooking flour turned from blonde to paper-bag brown to milk chocolate to dark chocolate. Finally, the group got to sample a chicken-andouille (pronounced ahn-DOO-ee - which is a course, spicy smoked sausage) gumbo and a separate pot of crawfish etouffee.
(I ate moderate portions of each, without the rice.)

By mid-afternoon, we were touring the Audobon Society's newest attraction, The Insectarium. Scheduled to open this summer, it will be the largest free-standing museum in the U.S. devoted to over 900,000 insect species and their relatives. And yes, we were guests for a cooking show at the Cultural Cafe, where a zany chef introduced the "joy" of cooking with insects. Did I sample? No.
I figured if I'm "giving up" so many other foods all week, I'm definitely not going out of my way to eat insects! Nearly every other journalist, however, eagerly chomped down on crickets and ants.

Finally, we said our good-byes at Couchon Restaurant (pronounced COO-shon). Nominated in 2006 for Beard's Best New Restaurant, we enjoyed Chef Stephen Stryjewski's old-style German-Acadian traditions, which he learned from co-owner Chef Donald Link, who showcases the food he grew up preparing and eating at his grandfather's side. I ordered wood-fired oven grilled red fish accompanied with pickled onions and a side of collard greens.

By the way, DH had his gall bladder removed yesterday morning. I'll be flying home today, ready to take over care taking from his parents - who drove up from Louisiana to be with him during surgery.

Thanks again to everybody who stopped by here this week. I'll be visiting your blogs again once I get home. And I'm READY!

Louisiana Culinary Tour - Day 6

Last week, the Brennans of New Orleans joined only two other families - the Marriotts and the Busches - to be inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Culinary Institute of America as one of America's leading hospitality families.



Saturday night, we ate dinner in a 148-year old building overlooking New Orleans City Park at Ralph's on the Park, owned by Ralph Brennan.


Yesterday morning, we enjoyed the time-honored tradition of Sunday brunch in the French Quarter at Brennan's, owned by brother Ted Brennan. Since Katrina, we learned, the restaurant has been busy, but not as busy as before the storm. "We will not accept reservations for more guests than we have staff to handle," says Brennan, "simply because we will not compromise the level of service our customers have come to expect since 1946."



During the afternoon, we trekked up to the Fouberg Saint John (neighborhood area) to celebrate Super Sunday with the Mardi Gras Indians. I can only imagine how many calories they burn inside those elaborate costumes, made by hand and worn only twice a year - on Mardi Gras Day and on St. Joseph Day.

Last night, we drove across Pontchartrain Causeway to the Northshore area of New Orleans for a fine dining experience at Restaurant La Provence. With great emphasis on source to table protocol, Chef Rene Bajeaux delighted our palates with artistically presented authentic terroir cuisine. Several menu choices in the "healthy" category made this outdoor dining experience one of the highlights of my week.

YAY for another on-plan day, and thanks again to everybody who has chimed in with enthusiastic encouragement. I'm looking forward to catching up on your blogs!

Until then, stay tuned...Later today, we're suposed to eat INSECTS!!

Louisiana Culinary Tour - Day 5

Still in Baton Rouge yesterday morning, we didn't leave the Embassy Suites hotel until 9:30 - which left plenty of time for a workout in the hotel fitness center. And because we didn't have a group breakfast on the itinerary, I was able to order oatmeal and fat-free yogurt from the lobby buffet.

Yesterday's meal adaptations and compromises were similar to those I've shared with you in the last several posts. Each chef was happy to help me stay on plan by honoring my special requests.

Last night, we've moved to our home for the next three nights at the Omni Royal Orleans in the French Quarter of New Orleans. I nearly squealed with delight when I walked into my room and saw the treadmill, an amenity which is part of the Omni's Get Fit rooms.

The Omni Hotels Ideal Living program is designed to help you maintain a healthy attitude and lifestyle while you’re traveling. Healthy meal options are available as part of their Ideal Nourishment Program. And Get Fit Rooms like mine are set up for private, in-room workouts. In addition, all of the Omni Hotels' fitness centers have been renovated, complete with top-of-the-line equipment.

What a blessing!

Louisiana Culinary Tour - Day 4

First of all, you HYC gals are awesome! All through the day, your comments show up on my Blackberry email. And although I can't reply to let you know how much I appreciate your thoughtfulness at the time, I want you to know how grateful I am for such amazing encouragement.

Now, to the food. Breakfast at Hub City Diner in Lafayette, La. concluded with this plateful of aromatic comfort food. For appetizers, owner Jason Redmon prepared sweet potato biscuits, blueberry muffins and sweet potato pancakes - all accompanied by butter and syrup. (I ordered oatmeal.)

By lunchtime, we were on Avery Island, home of McIlhenny Co. and TABASCO brands, to attend a press conference to unveil the official Louisiana Culinary Trails Guide and to announce the new website.
The McIlhenny family treated us to this fabulous meal of fried shrimp, crawfish etouffe over rice, green beans and bread pudding. I ate two shrimp, all the crawfish - minus the rice and "sauce" - plus the green beans.

Our evening's exquisite wine dinner at Vic's Chop House in Baton Rouge was jointly sponsored by the restaurant and TABASCO chef Jason Gronlund, and was hosted by the Southern Breeze Wine and Culinary Festival - which we will attend tomorrow.

The five-course meal - each of which was paired with Australian Heath Wines - started with Duck Confit En Croute: tender duck with caramelized shallots, gouda and dill havarti cheese wrapped in puff pastry, served with pepper jelly. The soup course was a Deconstructed Oyster Rockafella Soup, consisting of tender baby spinach nested in a creamy broth, topped with crispy Louisiana oysters and crispy leeks with a dash of TABASCO habanera Pepper Sauce.

Our salad was Parma Chopped Shrimp Salad Cannoli-Style: mixed chopped greens in a light anchovy dressing with La. shrimp served in an aged Grana Pardano cannoli shell with a dash of TABASCO Green Pepper Sauce. (pictured above)

The entree was East-West Surf & Turf: miso-braised pork shank served with lobster eggroll, braised napa cabbage and fuikake mashed potatoes.

Finally, the dessert was a Brule Fruit Kabob with Greek mojito dipping yogurt accompanied by a spiced sangria martini.

I thoroughly enjoyed a bite of duck, a bite of soup, all the salad and about three ounces of pork shank and cabbage. Taking pictures and talking to the chef worked just as I had hoped it would to take the foucs off the fact I wasn't eating complete portions.

By day's end, the total calorie count was once again just under 1200. And the afternoon schedule was loose enough to squeeze in 35 minutes on the hotel's treadmill.

Another day, on the road, on plan. YESSS!