I made a video of how I sometimes select my random winners in giveaways, but the file size was too big to email to myself. Harumph. So, I took a picture with my cell phone, since this is indeed Official Business.
I appreciate all the great comments I got on my initial post announcing the giveaway and I invite you to visit often for future posts on New Orleans food and restaurants.
“In this extraordinary new book, Emeril Lagasse continues his lifelong commitment to using fresh, local ingredients in his restaurants and home kitchen. He has spent the past thirty years building close relationships with farmers, fishermen, and ranchers. Farm to Fork is his guide to help you explore the great local bounty through fifteen flavorful chapters—sweet summer in “The Three Sisters: Corn, Beans, and Squash,” juicy “Berries, Figs, and Melons,” sublime naturally raised meats in “Out on the Range,” fresh catch in “Fresh Off the Dock,” and home canning tips from “Home Economics: Preserving the Harvest.”
Fill your basket with the ripest ingredients from every season at the markets (or your backyard garden) and dig into delicious recipes such as Sweet Potato Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter, Cheesy Creole Tomato Pie, Honey-Brined Pork Chops with Nectarine Chutney, Watermelon Rind Crisp Sweet Pickles, and Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp. Even learn how to make your own cheese and pasta at home. Emeril shares his love for fresh from-the-fields foods—and the heritage of the artisans who bring them to the table.”
If you would like to win a copy of Farm To Fork: Cooking Local, Cooking Fresh, leave me a comment below and tell me what your favorite local ingredients are to cook with. These ingredients can be items you might purchase at one of our farmers markets or something you grow yourself. If you enjoy fishing, share your favorite catches you enjoy frying or grilling up. Farm To Fork won’t be available in stores until June 1st, but I will choose one random winner on Tuesday, June 1st. When you comment, please be certain to enter your email correctly so that I can contact you if you win. The contest is open to my readers residing in the United States.
If you don’t win, there are still a few ways you can commemorate the book release with Chef Emeril’s family of restaurants, including special dinner menus, participation at the Crescent City Farmers Market and a four-course Farm To Fork dinner. Keep reading for all the fantastic details on dining and eating local, a true celebration of Louisiana!
When a person’s or group of people’s work inspires me, I want nothing more than to see them succeed. I would love to have a giant haul of non-perishable food items to lug to my vehicle at the close of the Alternative Media Expo, so how about an incentive to donate to the Community Center of St. Bernard?
When you come to the Alternative Media Expo this Saturday, April 17th, stop by the NOLA Eats booth and drop off your canned and boxed goods for the chance at some pretty awesome prizes from generous donors. With every three items you donate, you can enter your name into a drawing to win a $50 gift certificate to MiLa, a $50 gift certificate to La Côte Brasserie or a Zombie Vodka Collins glass from Sigh Co. Graphics! That means, donate six items to get two chances, donate nine items to get three chances, and so on. The more non-perishable food items you bring to us, the greater the chance you will have to win. Also, I will give you a hug. Seriously. Ask for one and it’s yours.
Also ALSO, if you’re one of the first 100 paid entrants to the Expo, you will receive a reusable tote bag filled with goodies from the New Orleans Craft Mafia and participating independent businesses. So, arrive early and get an extra dose of fabulous.
Huge thanks to our generous donors from NOLA Eats and the Community Center of St. Bernard! If you would like to donate a gift certificate or item, please contact Leslie: Leslie@nola-eats.com
…a friend was so drunk during the Endymion parade that she took pictures of all the floats with her camera phone…that doesn’t actually have a camera on it.
I guess her Voodoo powers worked, after all. Congrats and enjoy your Maurice French Pastries king cake!
As promised, I’m going to now share my most embarrassing Mardi Gras moment. I would greatly appreciate it if this story were to never be brought up in my presence, thankyouverymuch.
Let’s go back to high school, those all important teen years. I slept over at my girlfriend’s house, as we had plans to go to the parades the next morning. I had forgotten a shirt, so I borrowed one of hers. Now, this is the ’90s, so this wasn’t just any shirt. It was a black, short-sleeved babydoll mohair sweater tee, probably purchased at Contempo Casuals. Yeah. So, you know how Mardi Gras day usually starts out chilly, then warms up as the day goes by? This Mardi Gras day wasn’t any different, so I eventually had to take my jacket off. As the day got warmer and warmer, I noticed that people on floats stopped throwing me stuff and began to look at me strangely. I had no idea what was going on, until I saw what they were looking at. My oh-so-fashionable mohair shirt had begun to shed and it looked like I had not shaved my underarms for two years. I had black “hair” coming out from the cap sleeves sticking to my underarms, wild, furry and untamed. Man, I’m glad the ’90s are over.
It looks like we’re not the only ones with king cake on the brain. Maximo’s Italian Grill, one of my favorite restaurants, is holding a fantastic Carnival season-long giveaway starting today, Wednesday, January 6. Here are the details, straight from their Facebook Fan Page:
The Twelfth Night at Maximo’s bears gifts of wine, cocktails, and KING CAKES! That’s right, king cake every Wednesday night ’til Fat Tuesday… whoever gets the baby receives a $100 Gift Certificate! And as always, Wednesday nights are our “Bar Night” with half off drinks from 6PM to 9PM.
Half-off drinks, socializing with friends, complimentary king cake and a chance to win a $100 gift certificate to a great restaurant…I think that’s a pretty awesome Wednesday night in New Orleans.
Whether you were born and raised here or a recent arrival, you’ve got to have at least one king cake to celebrate Mardi Gras in New Orleans. I want to help you kick off your Carnival season properly with a FREE king cake from my favorite bakery, Maurice French Pastries.
How do you get a shot at winning? Comment on this blog entry, give us a mention on Twitter (we’re @NOLA_Eats) or drop us a comment on the NOLA Eats Facebook Page with your funniest or most embarrassing Mardi Gras moment. It’s that easy and, man, it will be worth the price of this king cake just to get a chuckle from all of your crazy stories. Just be certain that I can contact you somehow should you win.
Now, there is one catch; You must be a local to win this prize as you must be able to pick up the cake from the CBD. (Sorry to my out-of-town readers! I promise to have something for you guys in the near future.) You can even do a drive-by if you don’t want to park, but you’ve got to come pick it up. I will take the names of those participating and use a list randomizer to select the winner. Stories will be collected until 11:59pm tonight, NOLA time. The winner will be announced tomorrow afternoon, right around lunch time, which is when you can come and claim your delicious Maurice French Pastry king cake. Good luck!
Okay, hold up! It has occurred to me that not all my readers know what this Mardi Gras business is all about. There are a slew of people that are more knowledgeable in the history and traditions than I am, so here are a few great links to graze upon:
Please join me in a unique and eco-friendly shopping experience Thursday, November 19, 7:30 – 9:00 PM at The Orange Couch. Featured on TrendHunter.com, Miss Malaprop’s Handmade Home Shopping Party is presented by Mallory Whitfield, local blogger, writer and promoter of all things sustainable. Mallory will showcase handmade crafts, accessories, clothing and personal goods from local and national indie artisans. By special request, guest artist Tressa Procter-King of Flambeaux Design Company will also be participating.
Enjoy one of The Orange Couch’s specialty coffees or a fine pastry in their retro-chic space while shopping and socializing in a chill environment. The first 10 guests in the door will be placed in a drawing for a $25 Shop Credit with Miss Malaprop. Invitations are limited, so please RSVP here for this event.
I know many of you are new to NOLA Eats, but we’ve been doing this for almost six years. Every once in a while, I like to do a giveaway or other special promotion. What better way to kick off the first dinner event since NOLA-Eats.com’s inauguration than to give away a FREE dinner to the La Côte Brasserie event Saturday night? All guests in attendance will be entered into a drawing and one lucky person’s name will be pulled. No, you cannot persuade me to rig the drawing by buying me lots of liquor. It’s not gonna happen. No, siree. Nuh uh.
FYI: I already have United Cab’s number on speed dial.
What Is NOLA EATS?
Social Dining in New Orleans.
Combine new media & social networking with food & libations and you get NOLA Eats, a New Orleans-based social dining group and blog. Founder, Event Coordinator and habitual socializer Leslie J. Almeida writes about her favorites in New Orleans restaurants and nightlife while promoting a "live local" lifestyle.
You can follow more of Leslie's NOLA adventures by connecting with her on Twitter, Facebook and Flickr.
