1 00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:10,079 Speaker 1: Hello, Welcome to Sabor production of I Heart Radio and 2 00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:12,560 Speaker 1: Stuff Media. I'm Any Rees and I'm Lauren Vocal Bam, 3 00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:17,320 Speaker 1: and today we have for you an interview from New Orleans. Yes, 4 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:21,279 Speaker 1: because it is Marty Grass season. It is currently we 5 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:25,120 Speaker 1: are fast approaching the big day and we're also fast 6 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:27,160 Speaker 1: approaching it having been like a year and a half 7 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:29,400 Speaker 1: since we were in New Orleans. So we're like, let's 8 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:33,240 Speaker 1: go ahead and publish these last couple interviews that we excellent, 9 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:36,320 Speaker 1: beautiful interviews, no reason not to publish them. Should deserve 10 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:39,159 Speaker 1: they deserve to be published. They do. I'm getting like 11 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:41,959 Speaker 1: outraged on their behalf that we've waited this line. I know, right, 12 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:44,920 Speaker 1: I'm I'm getting outraged on on your behalf, dear listener, 13 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 1: or outrage all around. Yeah, but I'm sure it will 14 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:51,560 Speaker 1: be mitigated because this interview is a delight. It is 15 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:53,920 Speaker 1: such a delight. Um. This is our interview with chef 16 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:58,360 Speaker 1: Amy Sins Yes, um. And she is the founder of Langua, 17 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:01,639 Speaker 1: which is this company that's like she describes it as 18 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:05,840 Speaker 1: a traveling food show. So it's I really wish we 19 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:08,280 Speaker 1: could have done it. Oh gosh, right, yeah, because it's 20 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:13,559 Speaker 1: like cooking classes but it's a lot more theatrical than that. Yes, 21 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:17,520 Speaker 1: and there's an educational part of vent, because she has 22 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:20,440 Speaker 1: a wealth of knowledge about New Orleans history and the 23 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:23,120 Speaker 1: history and culture behind all of these dishes that we 24 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:25,560 Speaker 1: associate with New Orleans that a lot of us, including me, 25 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:28,320 Speaker 1: might be eating right now. Yeah. Yeah, in Cajun and 26 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:31,119 Speaker 1: Creole history and um and all of that good stuff. 27 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:34,680 Speaker 1: She also did a cookbook after Katrina, called the Ruby 28 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:39,480 Speaker 1: Slippers Cookbook. Um, collecting recipes from these local neighborhoods that 29 00:01:39,959 --> 00:01:43,920 Speaker 1: we're in danger of losing them due to this natural disaster. Yeah, 30 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:46,440 Speaker 1: and um, you'll hear or speak about it in the interview. 31 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:48,960 Speaker 1: But that's something I'd never really considered in the aftermath 32 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:53,000 Speaker 1: of disasters like that, losing recipes, right and in a 33 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 1: place like New Orleans, where there's just such a cultural 34 00:01:56,040 --> 00:02:01,240 Speaker 1: cuisine and heritage there, how devastating that could be. Absolutely 35 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:05,800 Speaker 1: so that that was a really powerful moment um this. 36 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:08,919 Speaker 1: This interview also features probably one of our biggest surprises, 37 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:13,399 Speaker 1: happy surprises. No way to anticipate it. No, and you'll 38 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:15,040 Speaker 1: you'll you'll know it when you get to it. You 39 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:17,240 Speaker 1: will absolutely there will be no doubt in your mind 40 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:22,239 Speaker 1: unless you live a very particular type of life, in 41 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:29,640 Speaker 1: which case we want to talk to you. Oh gosh, um, 42 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:32,360 Speaker 1: but yeah, yes, so so we got to meet up 43 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 1: with Amy in the home base of Langoix on a 44 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:41,239 Speaker 1: bright and sunny morning, and we're going to let former 45 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:47,720 Speaker 1: Annie and Lauren and Amy take it away. You grew 46 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:49,799 Speaker 1: up not here in New Orleans, but in the in 47 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 1: the area, right, Yes, I was born here in New 48 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:54,640 Speaker 1: Orleans and the New Orleans that that is a big deal. 49 00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:57,520 Speaker 1: The first question people ask, are are you from here? 50 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 1: So I could say, yes, I was. We're in here. 51 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:03,240 Speaker 1: I grew up about forty five minutes outside of town 52 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:06,520 Speaker 1: and what would be considered Cajun country, and spent every 53 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 1: Sunday dinner at my grandmother's house here in the city. 54 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 1: And when it was time for college, Once New Orleans 55 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:14,919 Speaker 1: is in your blood, you can't get out. So uh, 56 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:18,679 Speaker 1: I moved to New Orleans and have been here ever 57 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:21,519 Speaker 1: since and married a man from New Orleans. And you'll 58 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:23,600 Speaker 1: find that they don't even move out of their neighborhood, 59 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:27,440 Speaker 1: so you won't get them out of this city. What 60 00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 1: was it like growing up? What was the experience of 61 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:32,840 Speaker 1: those of those suppers life. Yeah, food is our life. 62 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:36,000 Speaker 1: It is pretty much all we talk about and the 63 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:38,280 Speaker 1: one thing that you have in common with everybody you 64 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:41,960 Speaker 1: meet because everybody has to eat, so you can always 65 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:45,120 Speaker 1: find common ground. Whether you agree on anything or not, 66 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 1: you can agree that you have to eat. And uh So, 67 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:52,680 Speaker 1: growing up in South Louisiana, everything revolved around food, every 68 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 1: special occasion, every Sunday dinner, and it was all about 69 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 1: bringing people to the table for his family and eating. 70 00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:08,280 Speaker 1: What struck you about that that hospitality in that community 71 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:10,600 Speaker 1: that made you want to do what you do. Know. 72 00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:14,040 Speaker 1: So one of the things that I, you know, grew 73 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:16,680 Speaker 1: up when I grew up in a big family. I 74 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:21,280 Speaker 1: have four sisters, and my job was to cook because 75 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:23,359 Speaker 1: it is how I relax. It's kind of how I 76 00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:26,320 Speaker 1: chilled down. And I learned that from my dad. And 77 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:31,479 Speaker 1: uh there was a point doing just business and working 78 00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:34,920 Speaker 1: in corporate America that I kept going got onf I 79 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:37,400 Speaker 1: just need to calm down and chill. I need to cook, 80 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:39,840 Speaker 1: and I need to cook for people. And there's something 81 00:04:39,839 --> 00:04:42,920 Speaker 1: about when you cook for people, you get this kind 82 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:46,920 Speaker 1: of immediate response. They know they can feel the feeling 83 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:49,200 Speaker 1: you're putting in the food and you see it in 84 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:52,640 Speaker 1: their face. And there's nothing more exciting to me than 85 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:56,040 Speaker 1: to put all my love and energy into a dish 86 00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:59,400 Speaker 1: and then watch somebody enjoy it. And there was a 87 00:04:59,440 --> 00:05:02,760 Speaker 1: point of out six years ago, I said I need 88 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:05,400 Speaker 1: to just do this every day, and so I opened 89 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:08,760 Speaker 1: up Lingua and what do what do y'all do? So 90 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:12,200 Speaker 1: I call it culinary entertainment. UM. I don't like to 91 00:05:12,279 --> 00:05:14,760 Speaker 1: use the word demonstrations because there's a lot of bad 92 00:05:14,880 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 1: demonstrators out there that are super boring. So I um 93 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:22,640 Speaker 1: I teach people about Cajun and Creole cuisine. I cook 94 00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:26,120 Speaker 1: for him. Um I get to tell stories all day long, 95 00:05:26,279 --> 00:05:31,960 Speaker 1: all the time. And really my goal is that people embrace, understand, 96 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:36,760 Speaker 1: and are inspired by local Louisiana cuisine. You you grew 97 00:05:36,839 --> 00:05:41,680 Speaker 1: up in um the official Jambalaia capital of Yes, yes, 98 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:44,840 Speaker 1: the world. They claim to fame of my hometown is 99 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:47,880 Speaker 1: that we are the Jumbalai capital of the world, of 100 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:51,200 Speaker 1: the world, and not just a Louisiana of the world. 101 00:05:51,279 --> 00:05:54,279 Speaker 1: I'd have to say that. But where I grew up, 102 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:59,920 Speaker 1: our jambalaya was a brown jambalaya, and um, it gets 103 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:03,200 Speaker 1: its color from like cooking all the onions in the 104 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:06,680 Speaker 1: meat and really getting it nice and dark. And I 105 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:09,200 Speaker 1: would come here to New Orleans, to my grandmother's house 106 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:12,559 Speaker 1: and have jumbalaya and go, what is this red rice? 107 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:16,360 Speaker 1: Because in my opinion, it cannot be a Cajun jumbalaya 108 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:20,560 Speaker 1: if there is a single tomato in it, And um, 109 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:23,480 Speaker 1: it seems so bizarre to me that people would even 110 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:27,640 Speaker 1: consider ruining such a delicious dish with a tomato. You know, 111 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:30,600 Speaker 1: as a child, Now I have a better understanding of 112 00:06:30,640 --> 00:06:35,080 Speaker 1: why our food is different forty five minutes away. But yes, 113 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:40,400 Speaker 1: are you know jumbalaya? I still go home and there's 114 00:06:40,440 --> 00:06:42,960 Speaker 1: a little place called the Jumbalia Shop and they sell 115 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:46,440 Speaker 1: jumbalaya by the gallant bucket, and I buy it and 116 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:49,480 Speaker 1: I bring it home and it's ridiculous because I could 117 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:53,239 Speaker 1: totally cook it myself, but there's so good and so perfect. 118 00:06:53,279 --> 00:06:56,400 Speaker 1: Why I must with it? Oh? Yeah, um, so so 119 00:06:56,560 --> 00:06:59,559 Speaker 1: is so? Is your grandmother cooking more creole style food? 120 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:02,960 Speaker 1: You definitely here in the city we were more likely 121 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:06,599 Speaker 1: to have Creole style food and kind of more of that, 122 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:11,560 Speaker 1: like home cooking roast and gravy and rice and and 123 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:16,320 Speaker 1: things like that. Whereas my dad was I lived on 124 00:07:16,320 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 1: a farm. My dad was kind of a hunter. You 125 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:21,800 Speaker 1: live off the land. You never tell anybody what's in 126 00:07:21,840 --> 00:07:23,920 Speaker 1: the pot when they come over for dinner until after 127 00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:26,920 Speaker 1: they eat it, because you just it's just easier that way. 128 00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:32,600 Speaker 1: And um, so we had more wild game, so you know, 129 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:35,080 Speaker 1: my grandma's we're going to have like a beef rost, 130 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:38,560 Speaker 1: We're gonna have things that were you know, more I 131 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:43,680 Speaker 1: guess city sophisticated, whereas at home we're having rabbit and 132 00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:47,560 Speaker 1: quail and you know, deer meat and things like that. 133 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:50,920 Speaker 1: And could you could you talk a little bit about 134 00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:53,000 Speaker 1: what it is to be Cajun and what it is 135 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:56,680 Speaker 1: to be Creol. Sure? Um, I feel like um we 136 00:07:57,160 --> 00:08:00,160 Speaker 1: as louisiana As have probably done a little bit of 137 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:05,080 Speaker 1: a disservice in creating further confusion for people about the 138 00:08:05,120 --> 00:08:10,000 Speaker 1: difference between Cajun and Creole. And they're very distinctively different. 139 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:12,000 Speaker 1: So if we look at our Cajuns, they came from 140 00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:15,760 Speaker 1: French Nova Scotia la Cadi, but they were country people. 141 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:20,440 Speaker 1: They settled outside of the city. They were hunters, farmers, trappers. 142 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:23,040 Speaker 1: So the food was going to be a one pot 143 00:08:23,120 --> 00:08:26,360 Speaker 1: meal if you were here in New Orleans. You were 144 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:31,000 Speaker 1: considered creole originally and it was kind of the sophisticated 145 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:34,960 Speaker 1: French food from our first French settlers. But being a 146 00:08:35,080 --> 00:08:38,760 Speaker 1: port city, we're starting to kind of become this melting 147 00:08:38,840 --> 00:08:41,559 Speaker 1: pot where all these flavors are coming in. So there's 148 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:47,599 Speaker 1: you know, Native Americans who are here, French, West African, German, Spanish. 149 00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:51,320 Speaker 1: Around the eighteen fifties is when the Sicilians started to 150 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:55,959 Speaker 1: move in in mass and they introduced New Orleans to 151 00:08:56,000 --> 00:09:01,000 Speaker 1: the canned tomato. They can tomato single handedly transformed every 152 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:04,720 Speaker 1: New Orleans dish, so it kind of turned into Cajun 153 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:08,719 Speaker 1: was rustic country, Creole was fancy city. And then it 154 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:10,760 Speaker 1: was like does it have a tomato or does it 155 00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:13,880 Speaker 1: not have a tomato? And that was how you determined it. 156 00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:19,920 Speaker 1: But creole really means born of the colony, and uh, 157 00:09:19,960 --> 00:09:22,880 Speaker 1: if you were a person or a product, you were 158 00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:26,880 Speaker 1: often called creole. And so we start to get some 159 00:09:26,920 --> 00:09:31,000 Speaker 1: confusion for people and that Uh you know, you can 160 00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:35,400 Speaker 1: watch a commercial about New Orleans and here zydeco Cajun 161 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:40,480 Speaker 1: music and then it's called creole seasoning glint. So uh, 162 00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:44,959 Speaker 1: people who identify as Cajun, I think are very passionate 163 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:48,480 Speaker 1: about their heritage and their culture, and they do tend 164 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:53,040 Speaker 1: to to kind of have this more of a down 165 00:09:53,080 --> 00:09:57,040 Speaker 1: home family kind of. I don't want to say like 166 00:09:57,840 --> 00:09:59,920 Speaker 1: I mean, I guess I could say I'm country people, 167 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:02,280 Speaker 1: you know, like we were country people. You know, we 168 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:06,320 Speaker 1: did live off the land and UM, there's something about 169 00:10:06,440 --> 00:10:10,200 Speaker 1: that that heritage that we really, you know, hold on 170 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:13,400 Speaker 1: to pretty strongly. We have some more of our interview 171 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:16,920 Speaker 1: with Amy Don't fear, but first we have a quick 172 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:29,679 Speaker 1: break for word from our sponsor and we're back. Thank you, sponsor. 173 00:10:30,080 --> 00:10:34,360 Speaker 1: Let's get back into the interview. UM, I'm distracted by 174 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:39,520 Speaker 1: the spaghetti ghost, could you? So I will be more 175 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:43,800 Speaker 1: happy to introduce you to him. So the building that 176 00:10:43,840 --> 00:10:50,319 Speaker 1: we're in UM is from and whenever I was renovating it, 177 00:10:50,400 --> 00:10:53,080 Speaker 1: I felt like there was a ghost here, like to 178 00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:55,640 Speaker 1: the point that I would come in and say good morning. 179 00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:58,600 Speaker 1: Because if you have a ghost, you want it to 180 00:10:58,679 --> 00:11:02,120 Speaker 1: like you exactly. Yeah, be polite, and I mean, the 181 00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:03,760 Speaker 1: last thing you want to do is upset the ghost 182 00:11:03,840 --> 00:11:05,720 Speaker 1: that you have to spend every day with at work. 183 00:11:06,320 --> 00:11:10,360 Speaker 1: I mean, you're in its house. So I did um 184 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:13,800 Speaker 1: ancestry dot com search on the building and pulled all 185 00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:15,760 Speaker 1: the census records and I had a list of all 186 00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:18,680 Speaker 1: the names of the people who lived here. And I 187 00:11:18,720 --> 00:11:21,480 Speaker 1: had a lady who came over for brunch and she said, 188 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:26,079 Speaker 1: guess what, president of the New Orleans per normal Society. 189 00:11:26,120 --> 00:11:28,360 Speaker 1: If you give me the keys to your building and 190 00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:30,760 Speaker 1: you agree to not be there, I'll do a hunt. 191 00:11:31,280 --> 00:11:34,840 Speaker 1: And my husband is always like, Amy, you're crazy, Like 192 00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:37,480 Speaker 1: have you lost your minds? You just gave your keys 193 00:11:37,520 --> 00:11:41,120 Speaker 1: to strange. I'm like, oh, it's not a stranger. We had, 194 00:11:41,280 --> 00:11:43,640 Speaker 1: you know, we had brunch and fine, you know, and 195 00:11:43,679 --> 00:11:46,160 Speaker 1: they're probably my cousin somewhere deep down the line of 196 00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:50,360 Speaker 1: this Louisiana so um so I said, it was not here. 197 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:52,800 Speaker 1: Don't invite it. If it's not nice, I don't want 198 00:11:52,800 --> 00:11:55,520 Speaker 1: to know about it. And then here's the list of names. 199 00:11:55,760 --> 00:11:58,200 Speaker 1: And she called me at like two thirty in the 200 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:01,560 Speaker 1: morning and said, we talked to me ter Ferrara. I'm like, 201 00:12:01,679 --> 00:12:05,079 Speaker 1: oh my god. So they had an audio recording clear 202 00:12:05,120 --> 00:12:08,520 Speaker 1: as day. You hear say, is that you missed her Ferrara? 203 00:12:09,120 --> 00:12:11,760 Speaker 1: And he's like what he was like, you know, talking, 204 00:12:11,800 --> 00:12:15,800 Speaker 1: but you can't really hear, like what he's saying because 205 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:20,240 Speaker 1: she's asking questions. So Um. Turns out he ran an 206 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:23,720 Speaker 1: illegal gambling ring out of the building and there was 207 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:26,480 Speaker 1: a law in New Orleans that you could not sell 208 00:12:26,520 --> 00:12:30,439 Speaker 1: alcohol to women, and he was arrested for that. So 209 00:12:30,600 --> 00:12:33,160 Speaker 1: every time I opened a bottle of wine in the building, 210 00:12:33,520 --> 00:12:38,560 Speaker 1: I say cheers to Mr Ferrara. And for about six months, 211 00:12:38,679 --> 00:12:40,719 Speaker 1: my mom was ill and I took six months off, 212 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:44,640 Speaker 1: so I kind of I wasn't here. And because New 213 00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:48,079 Speaker 1: Orleans is full of crazy people, I got a text 214 00:12:48,160 --> 00:12:52,600 Speaker 1: message from a lady who is I affectionately called crazy um, 215 00:12:52,800 --> 00:12:56,199 Speaker 1: because everyone else would just say that we're crazy. But 216 00:12:56,480 --> 00:12:58,800 Speaker 1: she sent me a text and she said, you need 217 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:02,280 Speaker 1: to go to your building. Your spirit is sad. He 218 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:06,320 Speaker 1: doesn't know where you've been and why you left. And 219 00:13:06,360 --> 00:13:09,680 Speaker 1: I'm like, oh my God, tell the building to get inline. 220 00:13:09,720 --> 00:13:15,400 Speaker 1: I have emails, phone calls. So of course, the next 221 00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:18,240 Speaker 1: morning I came to talk to the building and said, 222 00:13:18,400 --> 00:13:21,400 Speaker 1: Mr Ferrari, you have three choices. You can go to 223 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:25,640 Speaker 1: the light, you can stay here, or jokingly, I had 224 00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:29,560 Speaker 1: a pack of New Orleans made luxury macaroni. It's just 225 00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:33,280 Speaker 1: a Sicilian brand spaghetti, and I said, or you can 226 00:13:33,520 --> 00:13:36,160 Speaker 1: jump in this pack of spaghetti, and you can just 227 00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:39,160 Speaker 1: come with me everywhere I go and hang out. And 228 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:41,640 Speaker 1: so I go home with a pack of spaghetti and 229 00:13:41,679 --> 00:13:44,280 Speaker 1: I tell my husband and he's like, you've lost your mind. 230 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:48,360 Speaker 1: You're nuts. He's like, you talked to a ghost, you 231 00:13:48,480 --> 00:13:50,920 Speaker 1: told it to jump in spaghetti, and you brought the 232 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:55,120 Speaker 1: spaghetti to our house. And I was like yes. So 233 00:13:55,200 --> 00:13:59,840 Speaker 1: I started bringing this spaghetti with me everywhere, uh, to events, 234 00:14:00,200 --> 00:14:04,480 Speaker 1: cooking classes, things all over town. I had never told 235 00:14:04,520 --> 00:14:07,680 Speaker 1: the lady what I did. I didn't want her to 236 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:12,240 Speaker 1: know that I embraced that level. And so I about 237 00:14:12,320 --> 00:14:14,959 Speaker 1: a month later, she sent me a message that said 238 00:14:15,440 --> 00:14:18,360 Speaker 1: Mr Ferrara is having so much fun traveling and meeting 239 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:21,280 Speaker 1: new people. And I'm like, oh my god, he lives 240 00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:25,760 Speaker 1: in the spaghetti. So this is Mr Ferrara. He lives 241 00:14:26,440 --> 00:14:30,120 Speaker 1: in the spaghetti. My husband bought him a protective plastic 242 00:14:30,160 --> 00:14:35,360 Speaker 1: case that they would happen, and um, so I bring 243 00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:37,880 Speaker 1: him and my clients get to meet him. And just 244 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:40,960 Speaker 1: recently I went to a conference and in Portland and 245 00:14:41,080 --> 00:14:43,000 Speaker 1: my chefs were like, you should bring him on a 246 00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:45,840 Speaker 1: road trip. So I threw him in my suitcase. And 247 00:14:45,880 --> 00:14:48,520 Speaker 1: when I got to the hotel he had been inspected 248 00:14:48,560 --> 00:14:52,560 Speaker 1: by T s A. So I'm sure he has lots 249 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:56,680 Speaker 1: of stories about his travels, but unfortunately I have not 250 00:14:56,720 --> 00:15:00,880 Speaker 1: been able to hear them. So good to meet you, 251 00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:06,920 Speaker 1: Mr Ferrara. We love, we love a ghost story. Some 252 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:10,040 Speaker 1: of our favorite road trip stuff is looking up haunted 253 00:15:10,080 --> 00:15:14,840 Speaker 1: items on eBay. Just all of the stories and people 254 00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:17,840 Speaker 1: are it's terrific. I didn't know that was available on eBay, 255 00:15:17,920 --> 00:15:20,360 Speaker 1: like you can buy. I think a lot of it 256 00:15:20,520 --> 00:15:25,000 Speaker 1: is kind of like fiction writers who just want to 257 00:15:25,040 --> 00:15:28,800 Speaker 1: make five dollars and also have a mirror um. But 258 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:33,520 Speaker 1: you know, there's some really strange. Our very favorite was 259 00:15:33,680 --> 00:15:39,120 Speaker 1: oh goodness, uh Farah who was haunted boar draw. I 260 00:15:39,160 --> 00:15:44,160 Speaker 1: can never say the word Trey. She was Trey and 261 00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:46,720 Speaker 1: she was a teenage spirit and she was very playful 262 00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:52,200 Speaker 1: and very mischievous. And Farah the haunted tray. Yeah, oh wow. 263 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:54,680 Speaker 1: Well it makes sense because people ask me all the 264 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:57,440 Speaker 1: time if they can buy Mr Ferrara, and I just 265 00:15:57,480 --> 00:16:00,680 Speaker 1: thought that was a bizarre. So I I thought, I 266 00:16:00,760 --> 00:16:03,000 Speaker 1: was like, well, you know, he's a stillion, he'd be 267 00:16:03,040 --> 00:16:04,800 Speaker 1: in on this. I'm like, maybe we should tell him 268 00:16:04,800 --> 00:16:07,280 Speaker 1: to jump into the container and I'll just get a 269 00:16:07,280 --> 00:16:10,040 Speaker 1: case of spaghetti and just keep selling the spaghetti and 270 00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:13,680 Speaker 1: see what happens. But you know, he'd probably be in 271 00:16:13,720 --> 00:16:19,000 Speaker 1: on it. He'd probably think it's funny. So that explains 272 00:16:19,120 --> 00:16:21,720 Speaker 1: five people ask if they can buy them. Oh goodness, 273 00:16:21,880 --> 00:16:28,000 Speaker 1: they're glad that we're connecting dots here. Um, could you 274 00:16:28,040 --> 00:16:30,360 Speaker 1: could you talk about how you came to write the 275 00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:34,560 Speaker 1: Rubby Slippers? Sure? I read a book called Ruby Slippers 276 00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:38,920 Speaker 1: cookbook Life After Katrina. My house was on the levy 277 00:16:38,920 --> 00:16:41,480 Speaker 1: break of the seventeen Street now, so if you watched 278 00:16:41,480 --> 00:16:44,080 Speaker 1: any of the coverage, there was like a big hole 279 00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:47,480 Speaker 1: and a helicopter with little body sandbags trying to fill 280 00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:51,440 Speaker 1: the hole that was right behind our house. So, um, 281 00:16:51,520 --> 00:16:53,880 Speaker 1: we had about eight feet of water in the house. 282 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:59,440 Speaker 1: But New Orleans is a collection of neighborhoods, and people 283 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:03,040 Speaker 1: don't always live or move outside of the neighborhood they 284 00:17:03,080 --> 00:17:06,280 Speaker 1: grew up in. So my husband and I lived a 285 00:17:06,359 --> 00:17:08,880 Speaker 1: block from the house my mom grew up in, where 286 00:17:08,920 --> 00:17:12,960 Speaker 1: my grandfather lived. All of our aunt's uncles, everybody was 287 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:16,760 Speaker 1: in the same neighborhood and all affected. One of the 288 00:17:16,800 --> 00:17:19,160 Speaker 1: things I realized was that we lost all of our 289 00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:23,639 Speaker 1: family recipes because you couldn't call your aunt or your 290 00:17:23,760 --> 00:17:27,280 Speaker 1: uncle or your grandfather to get a copy of them. 291 00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:30,280 Speaker 1: And my mother in law and I would try to 292 00:17:30,359 --> 00:17:34,159 Speaker 1: like dry the recipe cards out in the sun. And 293 00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:38,359 Speaker 1: I decided, you know what, next time this happens, I 294 00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:41,080 Speaker 1: need a book that has everything that I love to 295 00:17:41,119 --> 00:17:43,600 Speaker 1: cook all in one place, and I can evacuate it 296 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:47,760 Speaker 1: with with it. And I started just meeting people in 297 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:50,520 Speaker 1: New Orleans. You can stand in line at a grocery 298 00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:52,800 Speaker 1: store and ask people what they're cooking and you will 299 00:17:52,800 --> 00:17:56,880 Speaker 1: get the recipe. And I met people along the way 300 00:17:56,920 --> 00:18:01,159 Speaker 1: and just saw the resilience and the spirit and the 301 00:18:01,440 --> 00:18:05,200 Speaker 1: love of our culture and food that the book just 302 00:18:05,480 --> 00:18:09,000 Speaker 1: took on a life of its own, and I released it. 303 00:18:09,080 --> 00:18:13,919 Speaker 1: About what on the first anniversary of Katrinas was Was 304 00:18:13,960 --> 00:18:16,960 Speaker 1: there anything that you learned while you were researching the 305 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:20,000 Speaker 1: book and collecting those recipes about New Orleans or about 306 00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:22,240 Speaker 1: the food that you that you were just learning for 307 00:18:22,280 --> 00:18:25,520 Speaker 1: the first time. You know, one of the things I 308 00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:33,840 Speaker 1: realized is just how open strangers are when it comes 309 00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:38,600 Speaker 1: to food. I had never really approached strangers to talk 310 00:18:38,640 --> 00:18:42,320 Speaker 1: about food. Strangers became friends over food at a dinner 311 00:18:42,359 --> 00:18:47,760 Speaker 1: table or something like that, and just the passion that 312 00:18:47,880 --> 00:18:52,000 Speaker 1: people had for telling you the story of what they 313 00:18:52,440 --> 00:18:56,720 Speaker 1: ate just really resonated and kind of strikes your heart 314 00:18:56,800 --> 00:19:01,040 Speaker 1: a little bit. Yeah. Yeah, that's the favorite part of 315 00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:03,200 Speaker 1: our job for sure, how willing people are to talk 316 00:19:03,240 --> 00:19:07,240 Speaker 1: about that kind of thing. What like, attitudes about food 317 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:11,080 Speaker 1: that you encounter around here are kind of uniquely New Orleans. 318 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:15,800 Speaker 1: I would say that there are several polarizing foods that 319 00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:21,280 Speaker 1: people will absolutely argue to the death about um, and 320 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:24,840 Speaker 1: then there are things that we all agree upon, and 321 00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:28,320 Speaker 1: uh i am I would say that most of the 322 00:19:28,359 --> 00:19:31,000 Speaker 1: time it's what their mama taught them, and it is 323 00:19:31,040 --> 00:19:34,879 Speaker 1: not my position to question someone else's mama. I'm not 324 00:19:34,960 --> 00:19:37,960 Speaker 1: gonna do that. But you know, when you look at 325 00:19:37,960 --> 00:19:42,200 Speaker 1: a dish like gumbo and the rules that different families 326 00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:46,080 Speaker 1: will have about gumbo, what color is the rue? Can 327 00:19:46,160 --> 00:19:49,080 Speaker 1: you put your land in your sea animals in the 328 00:19:49,160 --> 00:19:53,160 Speaker 1: same pot to sausage your bacon really count because that's 329 00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:55,879 Speaker 1: kind of seasoning, So maybe you can throw that in 330 00:19:55,920 --> 00:20:01,040 Speaker 1: a seafood gumbo. And the debate that at putting a 331 00:20:01,080 --> 00:20:06,159 Speaker 1: tomato in a gumbo could spark is exponential, and I 332 00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:10,080 Speaker 1: laughed all the time when I opened up my Facebook 333 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:15,320 Speaker 1: and some national brand has put on their Facebook page 334 00:20:15,359 --> 00:20:19,320 Speaker 1: an instant pot gumbo or some kind of crack pot gumbo, 335 00:20:19,560 --> 00:20:22,919 Speaker 1: and you go, who the heck puts a mushroom in 336 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:26,440 Speaker 1: their gumbo? Where did the lama beans come from? This 337 00:20:26,480 --> 00:20:29,399 Speaker 1: is this is soup, is not gumbo. Don't call it soup. 338 00:20:29,440 --> 00:20:32,480 Speaker 1: And I think the one thing that we agree upon 339 00:20:32,680 --> 00:20:37,200 Speaker 1: is that we feel passionately that certain dishes are ours. 340 00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:44,040 Speaker 1: Gumbo is ours, jumbalaya is ours, and uh, you can 341 00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:48,520 Speaker 1: make it. But if it's not made the way that 342 00:20:49,080 --> 00:20:52,400 Speaker 1: we agree it should be made, just call it something else. 343 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:56,359 Speaker 1: And I think, uh, you you could walk out on 344 00:20:56,400 --> 00:20:59,359 Speaker 1: a street corner and start a debate for an hour 345 00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:04,560 Speaker 1: if you if you really wanted to. We've got a 346 00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:06,920 Speaker 1: little bit more of this interview left, but first we've 347 00:21:06,920 --> 00:21:08,880 Speaker 1: got one more quick break for a word from our sponsor, 348 00:21:18,160 --> 00:21:20,960 Speaker 1: and we're back. Thank you sponsor, and back to the interview. 349 00:21:21,720 --> 00:21:23,640 Speaker 1: What are some of your favorite stories to tell while 350 00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:28,040 Speaker 1: you're while you're entertaining. Yeah, I really like um. You know, 351 00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:31,240 Speaker 1: if we look at the history of New Orleans, um, 352 00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:33,359 Speaker 1: you know the name of my business is called Lingua. 353 00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:37,680 Speaker 1: And here in New Orleans, we we're a collection of stories, 354 00:21:37,840 --> 00:21:41,120 Speaker 1: and you know, some of them, maybe they've been embellished 355 00:21:41,119 --> 00:21:45,280 Speaker 1: a little, others we just embrace them. But we're a 356 00:21:45,280 --> 00:21:48,679 Speaker 1: collection of stories and a collection of cultures. And whenever 357 00:21:48,720 --> 00:21:50,680 Speaker 1: I was coming up with the name for the business, 358 00:21:51,119 --> 00:21:54,359 Speaker 1: I started just going through history books and reading history 359 00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:57,439 Speaker 1: books and waiting for something to just jump out of 360 00:21:57,480 --> 00:21:59,399 Speaker 1: the book and hit me. And there was a story 361 00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:04,160 Speaker 1: about Adam Langua. She was French Canadian and some say 362 00:22:04,240 --> 00:22:08,639 Speaker 1: she was a friend of um Bienville's mother. Bienville is 363 00:22:08,640 --> 00:22:11,560 Speaker 1: our first governor. But if we look at the history 364 00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:13,920 Speaker 1: of New Orleans, pretty much the guys got out of 365 00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:17,040 Speaker 1: jail free in France and they sent them here, and 366 00:22:17,080 --> 00:22:20,400 Speaker 1: it kind of explains the trouble that we've gotten ourselves into. 367 00:22:20,880 --> 00:22:23,560 Speaker 1: But it's really hard to populate a colony when you 368 00:22:23,640 --> 00:22:26,520 Speaker 1: only send men to the colony and there are no ladies. 369 00:22:27,119 --> 00:22:30,640 Speaker 1: So the governor sent a request that they get boatloads 370 00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:33,679 Speaker 1: of ladies so that everyone could find a wife. But 371 00:22:33,760 --> 00:22:37,840 Speaker 1: if you imagine being a lady from France getting on 372 00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:40,560 Speaker 1: a boat coming to a new world and showing up 373 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:46,640 Speaker 1: in a hot swampy, mosquito infested, humid mess. And then 374 00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:51,840 Speaker 1: you get married off to the first criminal that you met. 375 00:22:51,920 --> 00:22:56,200 Speaker 1: There's definitely going to be a level of displeasure, and um, 376 00:22:56,240 --> 00:22:59,720 Speaker 1: you're gonna seek comfort food, and comfort food would be 377 00:22:59,760 --> 00:23:03,920 Speaker 1: a additional French baguette, and wet does not grow well here, 378 00:23:04,560 --> 00:23:08,239 Speaker 1: so you're not going to get that here. And so 379 00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:11,320 Speaker 1: the ladies formed a formal protest and marched all in 380 00:23:11,359 --> 00:23:14,679 Speaker 1: the governor's house, as the story goes, banging their pots 381 00:23:14,680 --> 00:23:18,359 Speaker 1: and pants, demanding good quality bread or the next vote 382 00:23:18,359 --> 00:23:21,200 Speaker 1: back to France. Some How they got over the criminal 383 00:23:21,280 --> 00:23:25,800 Speaker 1: husbands with the bread was the final straw. So Bunville 384 00:23:25,840 --> 00:23:28,440 Speaker 1: turned to Madam language. She had been studying with our 385 00:23:28,520 --> 00:23:31,440 Speaker 1: Native American tribes, and she learned how to make corn bread. 386 00:23:31,680 --> 00:23:35,000 Speaker 1: Crisis averted. She taught the ladies corn bread. They all 387 00:23:35,040 --> 00:23:38,159 Speaker 1: decided to stay, but she would open up her kitchen 388 00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:42,280 Speaker 1: and invite people in and teach them about the flavors 389 00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:45,399 Speaker 1: and the indigenous foods of the area. And we like 390 00:23:45,560 --> 00:23:48,560 Speaker 1: to say that she is the mother of our Creole cuisine. 391 00:23:48,680 --> 00:23:52,639 Speaker 1: She was the first to create that classic French Native 392 00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:58,400 Speaker 1: American fusion and um probably the first to Uh, calm down, 393 00:23:58,520 --> 00:24:03,560 Speaker 1: the very opinionated women of New Orleans and south the Louisiana, 394 00:24:03,680 --> 00:24:07,600 Speaker 1: and we truly get it. Uh naturally, I suppose. But 395 00:24:07,800 --> 00:24:11,040 Speaker 1: I like to think that we're carrying on her tradition 396 00:24:11,280 --> 00:24:14,200 Speaker 1: by teaching people about the flavors of the region and 397 00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:18,439 Speaker 1: somehow carrying on that mission. Uh story or no story. 398 00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:23,679 Speaker 1: You know, it's amazing to see how all these foods 399 00:24:23,720 --> 00:24:26,919 Speaker 1: and flavors have come together and how New Orleans just 400 00:24:27,680 --> 00:24:32,240 Speaker 1: embraces it. Yeah, it really is incredible to me. I mean, 401 00:24:32,280 --> 00:24:33,720 Speaker 1: it's you know, it happens a little bit in any 402 00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:37,679 Speaker 1: port town, but um, but exactly how integral all of 403 00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:40,679 Speaker 1: the different elements really are. And you know, when you 404 00:24:40,720 --> 00:24:44,200 Speaker 1: look at the cultures and you look at New Orleans 405 00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:48,640 Speaker 1: is a collection of neighborhoods. And it's really easy for 406 00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:54,159 Speaker 1: us now to say, oh, my goodness, that's not authentic 407 00:24:54,240 --> 00:24:57,760 Speaker 1: New Orleans. But I go, well, you know what in 408 00:24:58,960 --> 00:25:03,000 Speaker 1: eighteen fifty when the Sicilians moved in, how many of 409 00:25:03,040 --> 00:25:06,639 Speaker 1: the French and Spanish We're going, oh goodness, gracious, what 410 00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:10,480 Speaker 1: is this tomato thing? And then it but we embraced it, 411 00:25:10,560 --> 00:25:13,440 Speaker 1: and but it became who we are and we're seeing 412 00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:17,840 Speaker 1: that we had French and Spanish and German and West African, 413 00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:21,359 Speaker 1: but there are other cultures that have influenced our food 414 00:25:21,400 --> 00:25:25,120 Speaker 1: that we're just really starting to give credit. And so 415 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:28,600 Speaker 1: you see the Vietnamese community and the importance they have 416 00:25:28,760 --> 00:25:32,520 Speaker 1: in our fishing industry, but how their flavors are so prominent. 417 00:25:33,080 --> 00:25:36,320 Speaker 1: The Filipinos. New Orleans is I think one of the 418 00:25:36,400 --> 00:25:39,879 Speaker 1: few places where when you go to get a Snickers 419 00:25:39,920 --> 00:25:43,480 Speaker 1: bar or Eurese's peanut butter cups at the grocery store, 420 00:25:43,600 --> 00:25:47,680 Speaker 1: right next to it is a little bag of dried shrimp. 421 00:25:48,960 --> 00:25:52,080 Speaker 1: And that is thanks to the Manila men who taught 422 00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:55,720 Speaker 1: us that you can take the sweet Lake shrimp dry 423 00:25:55,760 --> 00:25:58,520 Speaker 1: them in the sun. If you'd like to eat them 424 00:25:58,560 --> 00:26:01,639 Speaker 1: as a snack, you can, But if you are making 425 00:26:01,680 --> 00:26:04,639 Speaker 1: a seafood gumbo and your stock just needs a little 426 00:26:04,640 --> 00:26:09,159 Speaker 1: more fortification, you throw the shrump in. That's you know, 427 00:26:09,440 --> 00:26:13,000 Speaker 1: the Philipino community introduced us to that, but they don't 428 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:17,119 Speaker 1: get full credit for why our seafood gumbo can be 429 00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:20,440 Speaker 1: so delicious. And we see the same thing now with 430 00:26:20,720 --> 00:26:25,400 Speaker 1: a Hundur and cuisine. Uh. Right after Katrina, we had 431 00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:29,240 Speaker 1: a Hundur and community that helped us rebuild. And I 432 00:26:29,320 --> 00:26:33,320 Speaker 1: kept saying, We're going to see papoosa Is everywhere in 433 00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:36,640 Speaker 1: fine dining restaurants in the next twenty years. And we're 434 00:26:36,680 --> 00:26:40,679 Speaker 1: starting to see different chefs here in town start to 435 00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:44,600 Speaker 1: incorporate those hundur and flavors, and you realize our food 436 00:26:44,720 --> 00:26:49,119 Speaker 1: is constantly changing, and it's pretty cool. Yeah, yeah, I 437 00:26:49,560 --> 00:26:52,440 Speaker 1: should evolve, right, I mean, as our tastes do and 438 00:26:52,480 --> 00:26:55,760 Speaker 1: as our food stuffs do. Um would you would you 439 00:26:55,760 --> 00:26:59,719 Speaker 1: ever live anywhere else? My husband and I have that 440 00:27:00,080 --> 00:27:03,480 Speaker 1: versation all the time. You know, what if there was 441 00:27:03,520 --> 00:27:06,920 Speaker 1: another storm, what if something happened, What if our business 442 00:27:06,960 --> 00:27:11,280 Speaker 1: brought us somewhere else? And I keep saying I could 443 00:27:11,320 --> 00:27:15,520 Speaker 1: probably have a house somewhere else. My heart will always 444 00:27:15,560 --> 00:27:19,000 Speaker 1: live in New Orleans no matter what. And there's something 445 00:27:19,040 --> 00:27:23,439 Speaker 1: about this city that just embraces you, and when you 446 00:27:23,520 --> 00:27:27,240 Speaker 1: embrace it back, you can't leave. And I tell people 447 00:27:27,280 --> 00:27:29,639 Speaker 1: from out of town, if this is your third visit, 448 00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:32,440 Speaker 1: I have a guy, because you're probably looking for real 449 00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:36,880 Speaker 1: estate because New Orleans has called you. And there's something 450 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:42,320 Speaker 1: about the total dysfunction of the city that is charming 451 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:48,359 Speaker 1: and you just can't get away from it. I'm working 452 00:27:48,359 --> 00:27:52,800 Speaker 1: on a new cookbook, and I, uh, that's my next project. 453 00:27:52,880 --> 00:27:55,080 Speaker 1: I've been saying that for four years because every time 454 00:27:55,080 --> 00:27:57,320 Speaker 1: I start writing a cookbook, I remember how much work 455 00:27:57,440 --> 00:28:01,280 Speaker 1: the first time was, and it's really hard. Um. I 456 00:28:01,359 --> 00:28:05,160 Speaker 1: do a lot of disaster relief, and that's kind of 457 00:28:05,160 --> 00:28:08,160 Speaker 1: the direction I feel my heart being pulled right now 458 00:28:09,320 --> 00:28:14,120 Speaker 1: with us going through Hurricane Katrina, and then two years ago, 459 00:28:14,280 --> 00:28:19,680 Speaker 1: Louisiana went through some significant flooding and I started spearheading 460 00:28:19,760 --> 00:28:24,360 Speaker 1: some efforts for food disaster relief and feeding people who 461 00:28:24,359 --> 00:28:29,440 Speaker 1: were going through difficult situations like that, and I realized 462 00:28:29,480 --> 00:28:33,280 Speaker 1: that the New Orleans restaurant community is incredibly generous and 463 00:28:33,320 --> 00:28:37,560 Speaker 1: willing to give back, and I think other communities around 464 00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:42,240 Speaker 1: the country are the same way. We've built really a 465 00:28:42,280 --> 00:28:47,160 Speaker 1: cool formula at how we've been able to efficiently feed 466 00:28:47,200 --> 00:28:51,360 Speaker 1: people during disasters here and used it in Florida and 467 00:28:51,480 --> 00:28:54,080 Speaker 1: used it in Texas, and so my goal is that 468 00:28:54,600 --> 00:28:57,440 Speaker 1: I'll be able to share that formula with people around 469 00:28:57,480 --> 00:29:01,440 Speaker 1: the country, because with forest fires and floods and things 470 00:29:01,480 --> 00:29:04,160 Speaker 1: that are happening, there's no reason we should all be 471 00:29:04,280 --> 00:29:08,360 Speaker 1: recreating the wheel trying to scramble so I'd love to 472 00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:11,800 Speaker 1: be teaching more people how to go rogue and really 473 00:29:12,400 --> 00:29:15,480 Speaker 1: you know, pull together a group and motivate a group 474 00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:19,880 Speaker 1: of volunteers from the food community, because we understand food 475 00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:24,560 Speaker 1: safety and as much as people want to cook for 476 00:29:24,680 --> 00:29:28,920 Speaker 1: others to make them feel better, there are some rules 477 00:29:29,040 --> 00:29:32,120 Speaker 1: we have to follow and then a disaster situation with 478 00:29:33,280 --> 00:29:40,040 Speaker 1: no water, no electricity, you have to really be careful. 479 00:29:40,600 --> 00:29:43,120 Speaker 1: And my goal is to teach more people how they 480 00:29:43,200 --> 00:29:47,400 Speaker 1: can do that on a massive scale. So it's great, 481 00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:51,680 Speaker 1: and as far as New Orleans future, I think it's bright. 482 00:29:52,520 --> 00:29:57,720 Speaker 1: I think we are growing and we're at this point, 483 00:29:58,160 --> 00:30:02,200 Speaker 1: especially in the food world, where we have two very 484 00:30:02,280 --> 00:30:09,480 Speaker 1: distinctly different dining experiences. There are the old school restaurants, 485 00:30:10,440 --> 00:30:14,560 Speaker 1: Arnos Galatoise. If I'm going to Arno's, I am going 486 00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:17,800 Speaker 1: for the turtle soup. I am going for the shrump ramblat. 487 00:30:18,240 --> 00:30:22,400 Speaker 1: I have a very specific menu that I never deviate 488 00:30:22,520 --> 00:30:25,840 Speaker 1: from because it's classic. The menu there has been the 489 00:30:25,880 --> 00:30:28,880 Speaker 1: same for a hundred years. There's a reason why they 490 00:30:28,920 --> 00:30:33,719 Speaker 1: do what they do. But then there's this exciting you know, 491 00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:40,560 Speaker 1: we have these chefs out there who are doing incredible, fun, interesting, 492 00:30:41,360 --> 00:30:45,080 Speaker 1: innovative things, and there is a special on the menu 493 00:30:45,280 --> 00:30:48,400 Speaker 1: every week. So when I go to a restaurant like 494 00:30:48,560 --> 00:30:52,280 Speaker 1: Mobile or Cabin, like when you go to any of 495 00:30:52,320 --> 00:30:56,600 Speaker 1: these restaurants, noil. You want what's new. And so you 496 00:30:56,680 --> 00:30:59,360 Speaker 1: have a dilemma as a diner here in New Orleans. 497 00:31:00,040 --> 00:31:02,240 Speaker 1: You have to decide are you gonna go old school 498 00:31:02,800 --> 00:31:05,560 Speaker 1: are you going to be innovative. But you have the 499 00:31:05,600 --> 00:31:08,880 Speaker 1: opportunity to do either. And as long as we can 500 00:31:08,960 --> 00:31:13,720 Speaker 1: protect that classic and not lose it, then I say 501 00:31:13,720 --> 00:31:15,320 Speaker 1: we can have as much fun as we want on 502 00:31:15,360 --> 00:31:18,360 Speaker 1: the other side too. So I see great things, and 503 00:31:18,400 --> 00:31:21,520 Speaker 1: I see a lot of opportunities, and I I see 504 00:31:21,640 --> 00:31:28,000 Speaker 1: us as a constantly swinging pendulum. We get very protective 505 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:31,360 Speaker 1: and classic, and then we all chill a little bit, 506 00:31:31,480 --> 00:31:33,400 Speaker 1: and then we start getting a little wild, and then 507 00:31:33,440 --> 00:31:37,280 Speaker 1: we rain ourselves back in. And I see that happening 508 00:31:37,320 --> 00:31:40,600 Speaker 1: over the next couple of years. Remember, there are a 509 00:31:40,680 --> 00:31:44,240 Speaker 1: few rules when you're visiting New Orleans. Um as a 510 00:31:44,320 --> 00:31:46,840 Speaker 1: resident of the French Quarter, I will say, when it 511 00:31:46,840 --> 00:31:50,280 Speaker 1: comes to drinking in New Orleans, if it is red, green, 512 00:31:50,400 --> 00:31:53,160 Speaker 1: or purple and served in a cup on Bourbon Street, 513 00:31:53,440 --> 00:31:56,480 Speaker 1: do not drink more than one if I am off 514 00:31:56,520 --> 00:31:59,160 Speaker 1: on a Friday night, there's nothing more exciting than watching 515 00:31:59,200 --> 00:32:02,120 Speaker 1: the security camp risk outside my house and watching what 516 00:32:02,160 --> 00:32:05,440 Speaker 1: happens to people who drink more than one. But also, 517 00:32:05,640 --> 00:32:09,840 Speaker 1: it is a marathon, not a sprint. Paste yourself and 518 00:32:09,920 --> 00:32:14,000 Speaker 1: eat every three hours. If you're not eating every three hours, 519 00:32:14,080 --> 00:32:18,760 Speaker 1: you cannot fit it in. And remember that three days 520 00:32:18,840 --> 00:32:21,400 Speaker 1: is not enough. You really need to be here for 521 00:32:21,440 --> 00:32:26,080 Speaker 1: a week. And before you come. My suggestion is that 522 00:32:26,160 --> 00:32:29,240 Speaker 1: you eat as much as you can for two weeks 523 00:32:29,320 --> 00:32:32,680 Speaker 1: before you get here. Then you can stretch your stomach 524 00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:34,920 Speaker 1: and then you can eat more when you get here. 525 00:32:34,960 --> 00:32:37,080 Speaker 1: There are people who have this idea that they're going 526 00:32:37,160 --> 00:32:40,400 Speaker 1: to eat less and diet so they can enjoy more 527 00:32:40,520 --> 00:32:43,480 Speaker 1: of the calories here. Don't worry, we keep the calories 528 00:32:43,520 --> 00:32:46,560 Speaker 1: at the airport when you leave, so it's okay. But 529 00:32:46,840 --> 00:32:51,600 Speaker 1: definitely be prepared to eat and experience as much as 530 00:32:51,640 --> 00:32:54,320 Speaker 1: you can. And even if it's something you think you 531 00:32:54,400 --> 00:32:59,560 Speaker 1: don't like, try it. Always give something three attempts. So 532 00:32:59,600 --> 00:33:02,120 Speaker 1: if you say I don't like okra, eat three different 533 00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:05,920 Speaker 1: kinds of okra dishes and whatever it is. If you 534 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:08,160 Speaker 1: really hate to eat it fried, and you'll probably love it, 535 00:33:09,640 --> 00:33:17,600 Speaker 1: so why advice? Absolutely, And now we arrive at the 536 00:33:17,760 --> 00:33:20,560 Speaker 1: end of this interview, and okay, just be honest. You 537 00:33:20,600 --> 00:33:25,120 Speaker 1: did not expect a spaghetti ghost to show up in it? Okay, 538 00:33:25,400 --> 00:33:29,160 Speaker 1: and if anybody did, again right in Please we need 539 00:33:29,200 --> 00:33:33,560 Speaker 1: to know more about you. Yes, and whatever lifestyle has 540 00:33:33,640 --> 00:33:37,240 Speaker 1: led you to that kind of expectation. Yes, because true 541 00:33:37,280 --> 00:33:40,720 Speaker 1: story on our short list of ideas for a year's 542 00:33:40,920 --> 00:33:43,240 Speaker 1: haunted foods has been on there, but we haven't been 543 00:33:43,280 --> 00:33:46,680 Speaker 1: able to track down enough haunted foods. So if you've 544 00:33:46,720 --> 00:33:50,920 Speaker 1: got your finger on the pulse of haunted food stories, yes, 545 00:33:51,160 --> 00:33:55,760 Speaker 1: not like like like literal foods that are possessed by spirits. 546 00:33:55,880 --> 00:33:58,280 Speaker 1: We want to know. Yes, because I thought I thought 547 00:33:58,360 --> 00:34:00,720 Speaker 1: there was a story about a cake that was haunted 548 00:34:00,720 --> 00:34:02,960 Speaker 1: and when you ate it, like terrible things happened. But 549 00:34:03,120 --> 00:34:05,200 Speaker 1: I couldn't find any proof that that was the thing. 550 00:34:05,680 --> 00:34:08,000 Speaker 1: I think it might just might be Seinfeld had gotten 551 00:34:08,160 --> 00:34:12,160 Speaker 1: kind of warped in my brain. Um, but that was 552 00:34:12,200 --> 00:34:15,560 Speaker 1: one of the most beautiful moments in an interview. It 553 00:34:15,680 --> 00:34:19,280 Speaker 1: really was so surprising and so lovely, and and Amy 554 00:34:19,480 --> 00:34:22,560 Speaker 1: is is such a beautiful, dynamic human person that it 555 00:34:22,640 --> 00:34:24,879 Speaker 1: was just such a pleasure to to speak with her, 556 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:27,319 Speaker 1: and uh yeah, I really, I really hope that that 557 00:34:27,400 --> 00:34:30,000 Speaker 1: you all have enjoyed listening to this one, because it 558 00:34:30,080 --> 00:34:35,640 Speaker 1: was just just emblematic of how amazing it was talking 559 00:34:35,640 --> 00:34:38,000 Speaker 1: to people about food in New Orleans, Yes, and how 560 00:34:38,040 --> 00:34:40,400 Speaker 1: eager they are to share it, so eager to share it. 561 00:34:40,440 --> 00:34:43,479 Speaker 1: And if any of y'all have have stories about food 562 00:34:43,480 --> 00:34:46,560 Speaker 1: in New Orleans, if you're going to Marty grav Marty Gras, 563 00:34:47,080 --> 00:34:50,600 Speaker 1: please write to us. Our email is Hello at saber 564 00:34:50,680 --> 00:34:53,080 Speaker 1: pod dot com. We're also on social media. You can 565 00:34:53,160 --> 00:34:57,520 Speaker 1: find us on Instagram and Twitter and Facebook at saber 566 00:34:57,560 --> 00:35:00,120 Speaker 1: Pod and we do hope to hear from you. Thanks 567 00:35:00,160 --> 00:35:03,360 Speaker 1: as always to our super producers Dylan Fagan and Andrew Howard. 568 00:35:03,560 --> 00:35:05,279 Speaker 1: Thanks to you for listening, and we hope that lots 569 00:35:05,280 --> 00:35:13,920 Speaker 1: more good things are coming your way. H