Beer & Oysters - Exit 1 Bayshore Oyster Stout

Beer & Oysters - Exit 1 Bayshore Oyster StoutTweet this!

"'Twas a brave man, who first ate an oyster."
--Jonathan Swift

I'm really enjoying Flying Fish Brewery's NJ Turnpike Exit Series of beers. It's so quintessentially New Jerseyan to celebrate one of our state's greatest eyesores and hellholes, and they're doing it with excellent brews. I reviewed their excellent Exit 11 a while back, which was an American Wheat Ale. Their Exit 1 is a classic Oyster Stout, made with oysters and shells! This was a popular type of stout in England public houses when a pint of stout might be the most vitamins a man would have all day. Now, it's just a smooth and tasty malty stout that goes great with a dozen on the half shell. The Exit beers only come in 750ml wine bottles, so share with a friend!
I was alone since Firecracker headed home for Christmas, so why not drink away my sorrows? I got these at Whole Foods, along with an Oxo shucking knife. Cost $20. But the experience of shucking oysters for the first time was worth the money. Scrub the oysters well, and discard any that aren't tightly closed.
I opted for Drago's Char-broiled Oysters recipe. I like them raw, but I missed these from Louisiana, so what better to eat when I missed by Baton Rouge baby? You'll need melted butter, fresh parsley, lemon juice, minced garlic, Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning, lots of grated Parmesan, and a little Tabasco. Mix it all up!
Shucking an oyster is easy if you're patient and confident. Clamp the oyster flat side up in a dish towel, with the pointy end sticking out. Press the point of the knife into the hinge and wiggle it until you get in there and can twist it open. Slide the knife down into the valley of the shell to separate the meat, then do the same to the top. When the knife goes into the hinge you should feel it try to close; it's alive, after all. Quickly separate the meat to put the poor oyster out of its misery, you heartless hungry bastard!
Cover each one with the cheese and butter and parsley mixture and broil them until the cheese bubbles and the edges begin to brown. I went a little lighter because I didn't use enough cheese- a cardinal sin- and I wanted the meat to remain juicy. There's also a salmon patty in the corner. I didn't have any bread in the house, but I'll be warming a nice crusty loaf in the oven to soak up the juices, when I do this again. I also used a bit much parsley, but I like it so that's fine. Next time, I'll mince it finely.
I like how it turned out- less like Oysters Rockefeller and more like Felix and Acme's char-broiled oysters. The sweet shellfish really only need a little seasoning. But, on to the beer! The chocolatey smooth stout went very well with them. Because cooking oysters gives them a mild fishy flavor, the strong stout went well with them. I think it might drown out the delicate flavors of raw oysters, but I'll buy another bottle and try that next. Because now the Plucker is a mother shucker, and I'll be eating them at home more often. The stout's a winner- it's not too heavy like the Samuel Adams Imperial Stout that's sat in my fridge for months- that's tasty but too heavy to drink! I'm gonna make stew and chili with it. Flying Fish is quick becoming my favorite New Jersey brewer, because their varieties are readily available and quite good. And their Exit series has been fantastic!

"O Oysters," said the Carpenter,
"You've had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?'
But answer came there none--
And this was scarcely odd, because
They'd eaten every one.

--Lewis Carroll, "The Walrus and the Carpenter"

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Southern Discomfort

Southern DiscomfortTweet this!

I saw Southern Comfort on HBO in the early '80s long before I knew who Walter Hill was; I liked The Warriors and Streets of Fire and 48 Hrs. (full review) but I hadn't connected them as the work of one director yet. I remembered it as a cheap Deliverance knockoff, so I wanted to refresh my memory.
The story is a simple one. A squad of Louisiana National Guard are training in the bayou. They aren't the best and brightest; their Sergeant is straight laced, but the boys have some whores lined up for fun after maneuvers, and they want to get done quick. Among them is a loaner from Texas named Hardin, played by Powers Boothe; Fred Ward as a crude loudmouth named Reece, Keith Carradine as a sarcastic self-deprecating smartass named Spencer, and T.K. "Nauls from The Thing" Carter. That gives us some solid character acting on board and a beloved cult director, so let's see how much comfort it gives us for the next two hours.
During training, the lazy fellows are in Cajun country, and have no respect for the swamp folks; Reece calls them coon-asses. He cuts their nets as they wade through the bayou, completely unmindful of the snakes, gators, gar and other critters. They're city boys, and some comparison to the culture clash between Americans and Vietnamese. The Cajuns speak their French patois, live off the land, and just want to be left alone. The Guard boys have blanks for training, and the guy with the M60 likes pranking people with it. When they come upon some pirogues (canoes) and decide to take borrow them as a shortcut, he fires at their rightful owners when they're caught. Problem is, the hunters in the swamp have guns with real ammo, and they fire back.
The soldiers are green and panic, and end up lost in the bayou, with a few bullets each, surrounded by inhospitable territory and people who live in it, who they've made their enemies. Sound familiar? Not long after they regroup and go a little wild, they capture a Cajun trapper played by Brion James. He speaks only French, and his lines are especially funny if you understand a little. He's stoic and laconic, and when they come upon a stringer of 8 dead rabbits- coincidentally the same number of soldiers- they think it's a warning and are creeped out. They demand an answer from him, and he just says, "lapin!" Sonny "Billy from Predator" Landham plays another of the hunters, but doesn't get any lines.
The rest plays out mostly as expected- some men cling to reason and military procedure, others want revenge and grasp for power in the confusion. When they realize they are being hunted, some lose it, and they never come to terms with how dangerous the land alone is, even when it is used against them. We do get to see a more pleasant face of backwoods Cajun life as two of the men come upon a small town and join in a crawfish boil, pig roast and celebration. Unfortunately the story structure is a bit muddled and the ending comes 20 minutes too late. It spends a little too much time whittling down the Guards with clever traps like a slasher film, when it should have stuck to the war film formula. It's still an enjoyable film, in Walter Hill's best pastiche of a Sam Fuller B-movie.
The very end slows as the rescue arrives, but comparing National Guardsmen taking it easy at home in '73 to soldiers in Vietnam running for the medevac chopper is a bit much. I would have loved the festival scene to continue its creepy vibe, where they are unsure if the ropes being strung up are for slaughtering pigs for the feast, or for hanging interloping soldiers. I would have liked them to panic and turn on their hosts, but instead it continues the slasher vibe. Not a great movie, but a good one, and the bayou has never been bleaker. It was filmed on location and Hill's crew suffered in the wet and cold. Ry Cooder's excellent soundtrack, with some traditional Cajun music by Dewey Balfa, helps set the film's excellent tone, which makes the foggy swamp one of the creepiest settings in a long time. Southern Comfort may not be one of Hill's best, but it's definitely an interesting take on the Vietnam metaphor.

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Yankee Gumbo Foxtrot

Yankee Gumbo FoxtrotTweet this!

This Yankee tried his hand at making gumbo on Sunday night. From scratch, roux and all. It turned out a little more like etoufee in the end because I've only had thick gumbo, and it's supposed to be a little soupy. But I couldn't do that, in light of Soupy Sales's death, so there we are. You start out by browning some andouille sausage in a cast iron pan, I used Trader Joe's chicken andouille to keep things lean. Most recipes tell you to drain the fat anyway, so why not use lean sausage?
In the same pan I put some bacon drippings and then pieces of chicken tenderloin seasoned with Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning, a staple in my house and great for seasoning Louisiana cooking. I didn't bother cooking the chicken fully, since it was going to simmer later.
I was drinking Samuel Adams' chocolatey, malty face-slap of an Imperial Stout. I'd had this at their brewery and was glad it got bottled! I deglazed the pan with it and poured the thick sauce onto the chicken. Then I whipped out my Staub enamel crock pot to make some roux. Amazon had a great sale on these, and still does. I was gonna rave about Staub is family owned, but they are now part of a conglomerate, so oh well.
You'll want to dice your trinity of onions, bell peppers and celery ahead of time, because once you start stirring roux, you can barely stop to scratch your ass, much less cut vegetables, answer the phone, or open another beer. So do all that first. I used two small onions, two small bell peppers, and a cleaned, small bunch of celery heart all cut into small dice.
Next the roux, the important part. Roux is 1 part oil (or butter, if you're brave) and 1 part flour. This recipe calls for 1 cup each. I threw a few pats of butter in the oil and made a cup worth for flavor. Over low-medium heat, you stir constantly, mixing the flour in, and slowly browning it until it looks like a Hershey bar. If you get black specks in the roux or it smells burnt, you ruined it. So use low heat, and be patient. I used a silicone spatula, next time I'll use a whisk as tradition demands.
This is peanut butter color, about halfway there; I chickened out because I saw specks, but it was probably the Tony's! Add the seasoning later. Friend Katy recommended taking half your roux out at the point you get concerned, and browning the rest more; I might try that next time. I didn't have enough flour to start over, so I erred on the side of caution. I thus lost the famous smoky flavor for a rich, buttery popcorn type base.
When you get the desired color, add your trinity. This will cool the roux and keep it from burning, but keep stirring often. When the onions turn translucent, add some minced garlic, and chicken stock. This is where I learned that I don't own a big enough stock pot! It called for 10 cups, I barely got 7 in there. That's why my gumbo isn't soupy. Now that we ate two servings, I might add more to get the right consistency.
This is where you add your seasonings- some Worcestershire sauce, a few shots of Tabasco, Tony Chachere's, salt, pepper, fresh parsley. And add all the meat you cooked earlier, with all the juices, and some tomato sauce or paste. I used a can of tomato paste because it seemed very spicy, but it mellowed overnight. Next time I'd use half as much, and freeze the rest. Let it simmer on low for an hour, after stirring well to dissolve the paste.
There ya go. Gumbo Yankee style. If you can find gumbo filé, which is ground sassafras root for flavor and thickening, you can sprinkle some on last. Tony Chachere makes some, I have it on order from Cajun Grocer- recommended by Caitlin over at the movie blog 1416 and Counting. The base recipe came from Firecracker's Sis, who told me the most important part- don't eat it right away! Keep it in the fridge overnight and let the flavors mingle. It tasted amazing the next night, when we heated it up and ate it over rice with some Abita Pecan Harvest Ale, my favorite of their seasonal brews. I learned some lessons- good gumbo is easy, but great classic gumbo is harder to master. But it's a lot of fun trying.

Ingredients, corrected for what I learned:
1 cup canola oil and 1 tbsp butter
1 cup flour
1 tbsp bacon drippings or cooking oil, for the chicken
1 lb chicken pieces, cut into cubes
1 lb. andouille sausage, sliced
2 small onions,
2 bell peppers,
1 bunch celery all diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup tomato paste
5 drops Tabasco sauce
5 squirts Worcestershire sauce
3 tsp Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning
handful of fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Some Abita beer for drinking, deglazing, and adding some!

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In the Electric Mist with the Onion's 2 Lovers

In the Electric Mist with the Onion's 2 LoversTweet this!

This week I decided to lump together my NetFlix and Cable reviews into one post, and make them much shorter. Unless I think a movie deserves the full treatment of course.

In the Electric Mist
Tommy Lee Jones is watchable in most anything- I even watched Man of the House- but James Lee Burke's novels have had a hard time making it to screen. Much of the drama is internal, and while Mr. Jones can say so much with that craggy face of his, the story mostly gets lost here. Jones is Dave Robicheaux, sheriff in Iberia Parish Louisiana, where Hollywood big shots have come to film a War of Northern Aggression movie. And the bodies of young women start showing up in the bayou. John Goodman plays a producer with dirty money Dave knoves from days of old; Peter Sarsgaard plays a drunken film star who befriends Dave against his wishes. Robicheaux is a recovering alcoholic, and after someone doses him with LSD, he begins seeing a dead Civil War general in the mist- the novel's original title is In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead- but nothing of much depth comes of it. The film was yanked from director Bertrand Tavernier, re-cut and dumped to DVD- a pity, since he created the well-regarded thriller Coup de Torchon. It's a decent viewing, but it just doesn't make it. Watching Tommy Lee Jones flirt with wifey Mary Steenburgen, and butt heads with John Goodman, might satisfy you.




Rating: Enh.





The Onion Movie
I was a big fan of the Onion even before it made it to the web, and it remains one of the best comedy sites. A movie, though? Well, part of it is a Kentucky Fried Movie-like skit comedy with news stories come to life, and that works. But the linking story, about the newspaper being taken over by a media conglomerate and attacked by terrorists, is pretty boring. It's hard not to laugh at Steven Seagal showing up as the star of Cockpuncher, though. And some of the movie's little in-jokes, like making up a bunch of fake ethnic stereotypes and then making them true, work very well. It's hit or miss, but worth watching if you like the website's sense of humor.




Rating: Enh.





Two Lovers
Soon to be blamed as the movie that made Joaquin Phoenix coo-coo for cocoa puffs, this is a decent romance drama starring him as a troubled young man recovering from a broken engagement, who gets torn between two lovers. One is the safe daughter of his father's business associate, played by Vinessa Shaw (the hottie who saves Tom's bacon in Eyes Wide Shut) ; and Gwyneth Paltrow, a sexy neighbor who has plenty of problems of her own. The story, written and directed by James Gray (We Own the Night) suffers from the same malaise his last film did- the story is lacking punch and emotional drive, and is a bit predictable. The acting is excellent here; I'd say Phoenix would be nominated if his public antics wouldn't sour the Academy on him. He hasn't been this good since Commodus in Gladiator. Paltrow is excellent as well, playing the thankless role of Michelle, who just can't quit a married man (Elias Koteas, quite good as well). I liked it, sometimes a story is good even if you know where it is going, if the characters are good enough. And that's the case here.




Rating: Worthy

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Greasy Spoons: Raising Cane's

Greasy Spoons: Raising Cane'sTweet this!

I don't rave about too many chains or franchises; I've been taken to Sonic and Waffle House, but when you've got diners up the wazoo they're not all that special. However, one I wish would make it north of the Mason-Dixon line is Raising Cane's, a chicken restaurant. All they make are chicken fingers! But as the adage goes, they do it well.
If you want a chicken sandwich, they'll put them on a bun for you. And you get some tasty Texas Toast and fries with your fingers, along with their signature Cane's sauce for dipping. I first had them after a night of drinking at The Chimes near LSU in Baton Rouge, and they were delicious. And this time, they were the first food I wanted when I landed in Louisiana. Sure, if we'd hit the Quarter I'd have gotten begneits or a mess of boiled crawfish, but fast food was required- and Cane's is simply the best drive-through restaurant I've been to in a long time.
Their chicken fingers are lightly breaded and extremely juicy, not greasy, and the tangy sauce compliments them perfectly. The Texas toast could be a little crispier but it's a fine side, and their fries are top notch for crinkle-cuts. About the only ones better I've had at a fast food joint are at Five Guys Burgers and Fries, and even then it's a close battle! Cane's is that good. And their story is about as entertaining as the food itself.

Working at Cane's is a rite of passage

As Firecracker told me many times, her fellow LSU alumnus Todd Graves came up with the idea for a chicken finger restaurant as a business class project, for which he received a C minus. He didn't let that deter him, and worked up in Alaska at a salmon cannery (according to Wikipedia) to raise funds to start the first restaurant. He named it after his yellow Lab Raisin' Cane, and since 1996 the place has been a hit- they have many locations, including as north as Minnesota I now see, and they made $97.3 million selling chicken fingers last year. Not bad for a C-.
I like his business model of opening near major universities, and I hope Rutgers in New Brunswick, or even Princeton makes the cut sometime. Since it's a drive-thru I can't see it at NYU, so you New Yorkers will have to rent a zipcar or something. It's worth it! Boston is a big college town, so maybe they'll be next.

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Red Stick Appreciation Society

Red Stick Appreciation SocietyTweet this!

New Orleans is a lovely town to visit, but Baton Rouge has its charms as well. Further up the river, the state capital is not as lurid or exciting, but for a chunk of American suburbia it has its own character and plenty of things to do. In fact, during this visit we didn't even go to New Orleans at all, and still had a great time. Here are some highlights- not exactly hifalutin', but lots of fun!

The Big-Ass Bass Pro Shop
Next time I come down here I am fishing. Between this humongous fishing mecca and the Swamp Tour I went on, I need to catch me some Louisiana bass and try for alligator gar. They have some in the tanks in the shop, along with ducks and alligator snapping turtles. They also have a seafood restaurant- we'll have to try that next time. I wonder if the small lake outside is stocked with that night's specials?

Ninfa's
Here and Houston are your only chances for some excellent Tex Mex at Ninfa's. Up north we only have chains and franchises for it, or genuine Mexican like at Acapulco Caliente uptown, which makes some kickass burritos, mind you. Ninfa's does the classics right- tasty without being too greasy or heavy, and the usual mass of combinations that will satisfy even the pickiest of eaters. I had a taco, enchilada and some pork fajitas all in one. Their margaritas come in beer mugs so it's a sane portion. I like getting drunk as much as the next guy, but I don't need a 1500 calorie drink with my fried beans, thanks. Ninfa's may not knock your socks off but they are reliable and consistent.

Rat Fink'z Snoballz
Sno-balls are sort of between what we northerners call sno-cones, or Hawaiians call shave ice. We stopped at this little hut in Denham Springs on the way back from tubing down the Amite, to cool off. They are incredibly sweet, satisfying the diabetic Southern sweet tooth with ease. But the sheer infinity of flavors available are worth writing home about.


Louisiana Lagniappe

photo from the now-defunct Unique Culinary Adventures Blog

Firecracker's parents took us here for dinner, and it was fantastic. It's a mildly upscale seafood restaurant full of surprises. I had the black drum beurre blanc topped with softshell crawfish, and a caesar salad topped with tasty fried oysters. It was one of the most memorable meals I've had in a long time. I didn't even know you could eat soft shell crawfish, but they are delicious- crispy and not mushy at all, with the firm tail meat inside and the juicy head all crisped up for you. Definitely worth a visit for classic Southern cuisine Louisiana style.

Chimes East
Last time we visited the Chimes by LSU, and I still prefer that location. Chimes East has a good beer selection as well, but the set-up makes it feel like a typical bar, similar to a TGIFriday's or something. I had a dozen oysters here and the gals had cheese fries. All good, but it was just too... bright! The other Chimes feels cozier, and the line of taps before you is awe-inspiring. If you visit, go to the LSU one.

Community Coffee
I want to give CC their own post sometime. They really make the best coffee I've ever had at a franchise, the smoothest, most flavorful brew. I had an iced coffee almost daily. Louisiana iced coffee is make like tea- you soak the grounds for 12 hours, using a dark roast, in water and then strain it. This makes a concentrate, so adding ice doesn't make piss-water. And it has the potent coffee flavor of a good coffee ice cream. I didn't even need sugar. Just some skim, and this refreshing beverage kept me cool in the 100+ degree heat we suffered the whole time. Their Mochasippi drinks are delicious too, and their standard brew- I prefer Between Roast- is some of the smoothest coffee you'll find. They are online if you want to order, and they are on twitter if you have questions.

Tiki Tubing
Firecracker wanted to go tubing, so we went to Tiki Tubing in Denham Springs. For $56 we got two comfy tubes with backrests, floats for our ice chest, and some ziploc bags for our keys. They drop you off in a school bus upriver, and it takes you about 4 hours to float back to where you started, along the Amite. This river floods a lot, but this was during near-drought, so we were fine. Heck, I even caught a catfish barehanded! Okay, it might have been half dead, but the Yankee got some Southern cred. I tried to revive it by pulling it backward in the water to force water in its gills, but I think he's turtle food now. I'm pretty sure I stepped on a turtle, too. Or a human skull.
The tubing was the most memorable part of the trip, not only because we got second degree sunburn- Bullfrog SPF36 waterproof for 8 hours? more like BULLSHIT!- but because it was so relaxing and chill. There must have been a few hundred of us, and there was only one arrest for fighting- not bad for hundreds of drunken young people. The weather was gorgeous and the water was nice and warm, and only over neck deep in a few spots. Muddy as hell, but when I dropped my Revo sunglasses, I got lucky and stepped on them without breaking them somehow. Otherwise Sunglass Hut would be richer. I'm a sucker for polarized lenses and my Maui Jims got smashed. RIP.

A crawfish tower in their backyard

The only downer of tubing is that you can't bring glass bottles, so most of the good beers are out. We couldn't find Pork Slap, and Guinness is tough to drink out of the can with that widget moneyshotting you in the face. We settled on Heinken- fuck that shit! Pabst Blue Ribbon!- since Abita is only bottled so far. We also had sandwiches and some snacks. I wonder if you can go fishing while tubing? Or noodling. I recently heard of a tubing run down the Delaware, where there's a hot dog boat- so next year I hope to try it.

Jay's Donuts
We hit Jay's on the way to Louis Armstrong airport; they're homemade, and famous for King Cakes around Mardi Gras time. They made one of the best apple fritters I've ever had, and the chocolate glazed man- which had disturbing implications- was delicious. Coffee's ok, too bad there's no CC's next door! Definitely worth a try if you have a sweet tooth, and better than Krispy Kreme.
So that was our Baton Rouge adventure- at least what I can remember. I posted about the Swamp Tour and our visit to Abita Brewery earlier (click on the Louisiana tag below, to find them). So if you go their for business or pleasure, there's plenty to do without driving down to Bourbon Street. Vive la red stick!

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Atchafalaya Aquatic Gastronomy Tour

Atchafalaya Aquatic Gastronomy TourTweet this!

As I've written before, Louisiana is as much a cuisine and way of life as a geographical place. Famous for the Acadian flavor that French trappers exiled from Canada brought to the area, the influence of Old South, Spanish settlers, backwoods ingenuity, Creole and Choctaw all make their presence known in the cuisine. I first found Louisiana through the writings of James Lee Burke, a crime fiction author of great talent- pick up Black Cherry Blues, or the more recent Crusader's Cross for a taste- and droved down to New Orleans with a friend of mine. With how seedy a city it was then and how he portrayed it, it's a wonder I went, and made it back. I remember a handmade sign in the French Quarter decrying the murder and corruption. But I also remember the muffaletta at the Central Grocery, the shrimp etoufee, the boiled crawfish and the pecan pie.
I learned the hard way, the proper way to pronounce pecan. A pee-can is something you piss in, see. But for all James Lee Burke's love of the Atchafalaya Basin and its people, I never made it there until my most recent trip with Firecracker, to visit her family in Baton Rouge. We went on a swamp tour of the Atchafalaya, sampled gator and catfish caught in it, stopped by the birthplace of turducken, and more. We did so much in six days that I have to write about this in several posts. The overlooked plainer sister of New Orleans, the capital city of Baton Rouge, deserves its own article; there's quite a bit to do, and quite a lot of good things to eat in that fine city. I'll save that for next time. This one's all about the fun we had around the Atchafalaya Basin.
Our first trip was to McGee's Landing in Henderson. Not only do they offer swamp boat tours, but they have a nice restaurant and gift shop planted right on the water, serving up the denizens of . We snagged a sampler platter and some po' boys that were delicately battered and fried to perfection; not greasy at all. And let me tell you, I'd had gator before, but never this good. The white tail meat is like the most tender chicken you've ever had texture-wise, and the flavor is like mild white fish. Speaking of which, you've never had catfish until you've had it down South. And Cracker Barrel don't count. Wow, was this good. About the only delicate fish I'd compare to it in flavor and quality is Walleye at the Tavern on Grand in St. Paul.
Also in the platter were shrimp and crawfish, which was thankfully in season. These little mudbugs make towers of mud along the waterways they inhabit. We found one in the ditch behind Firecracker's family house. Of course they serve Abita beer at McGee's, and since it was after noon somewhere we cooled off with a couple Ambers. The tour itself was $20 and in a large shaded flat bottom boat, led by a Cajun tour guide whose name I can't pronounce. He was quite entertaining- Acadian folks seem to have the same gift of gab the Irish are famed for, but in their own way. With the same gallows-humor, though.
We cruised around a bit admiring cormorants, herons and pelicans, the cypress trees and Spanish moss- which was harvested for furniture stuffing back in the days- and got history lessons on everything from how the Basin was flooded, to Henry Ford started Kingsford charcoal with the remains of the wood he shipped from the basin to build Model T's with. The most memorable part of the tour was when we squeezed up a canal to a quiet spot where the gators were used to being fed. After calling them by banging a wrench on the side of the boat, he threw chunks of pork fat to "Bruce," an 8 foot alligator, and a nameless 3 footer who came to get the scraps. Our guide said that a 14 foot bull gator frequented the area, but it was too hot to get a lot of action that day.
The Atchafalaya is the largest swamp in the U.S., and while we have the Great Swamp and the Meadowlands among others here in Jersey, we don't have alligators. The mob would love to have gators around to gobble up evidence, though. The swamp was eerily beautiful and disturbed only by the cut of I-10 above it. There were some houses out on stilts, reachable only by boat, the ultimate in solitude. Next time I visit I vow to do some fishing- big catfish, bass, and prehistoric alligator gar would all be good fun to catch. And eat.
On the way back we stopped at Hebert's Specialty Meats, which I'd seen on Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre Foods. They make the turduckens we've all heard about, and while I didn't have room for a whole turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken, I got some turducken sausage and some boudin. They only serve lunch, and we would have missed it thanks to construction traffic on I-10, so we ate at McGee's- and I don't regret it one bit. Though next time I want to get a turducken plate and some boudin balls!

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