Interview with a Chef
I am currently endeavoring to schedule an interview with a chef that has just opened a new upscale restaurant in the Katrina smashed city of Gulfport, Mississippi. The Mississippi Gulf Coast was hit ten times harder than the city of New Orleans and the destruction was far more devastating than the flooding in the Crescent City. Unlike so many of the citizens of N’Awlins, the folks in Mississippi did not wait for the government to come in and set things right. They were out the next day, not looting their neighbors but helping them.
Nearly two years later the scars of Katrina’s claws are still quiet pronounced along the coastline but the recovery is ever vigilant. The casinos are getting top priority in the rebuilding effort as they are the chief industry for the area. It is in one of these casino’s that the new restaurant can be found. The casino in question is the Island View Casino. The restaurant is the Gulf Coast Fish House. The chef is Emeril Lagasse.
Bam!
It’s Cooking, Not Life or Death
That was the thought pattern just before the 15 pound retractable extension cord rigging came crashing down from 30 feet up just grazing the back of my jacket and missing my noodle by about a foot. As everyone stood around in stunned silence I noticed that the rigging had jarred the serving table and tipped over one of the lit Sterno canisters spilling some of the fuel onto the paper tablecloth about an inch below the flame.
The impending disaster was apparently lost of everyone as they murmured about how lucky we were that the rigging had not struck anyone. Without concern for my own safety I lunged heroically towards the king size Molotov Cocktail managing to right the toppled Sterno can and then removed the entire chaffing dish from the table thus saving the entire city of Mobile from a Sodomesque demise.
That night I dreamt that I had learned to fly and promptly challenged Superman to a race, which of course I won.
Sam’s Club?
Apparently, this man saw the word’s Sam’s Club yesterday and thought it meant club as in bar, lounge, public house, et al. He stumbled up to the cooking demonstration and began hitting on my very lovely assistant. She then informed me that this was something he did every so often. He offered to take her to Europe, Africa, anywhere she wanted to go. In the past he had told her that he was really in to young girls. He also bragged that he was lawyer (should have known) and that he could take her away from her poverty. I then began taking over the conversation by telling him that she had a very wealthy boyfriend (lie – he is only well-to-do) and that all she ever did was talk about how in love she was (another lie) and that her wealthy boyfriend was a football player with the New Orleans Saints named Reggie Bush (definitely a lie). I told him anything I could to keep him from harassing my assistant. Finally, some of the other club members complained to the manager and they asked him to leave.I wonder if they have this trouble at Costco?
Betcha Didn’t Know That
Not a lot exciting happened this weekend. The cooking demonstration was okay. The event staff did not have the stage set-up and ready until 12:30; the demo is scheduled to start at 10:00. I could have slept in. My editor called me the other morning with a great story idea – visit some of the top chefs in the city and find out what they fix for their families when they celebrate at home. The only catch was that I had to have it ready by Monday morning. I tried to meet with several chefs Thursday to no avail. Friday was a different story. I spent the afternoon downtown, a drastically different downtown than it was just a few months ago.
The Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA) Tower is finished and open. Accompanying properties also owned by RSA have begun to open including the Battle House Hotel, the oldest hotel in Mobile, a city of more than 300 years of history. The Battle House had been vacant for most of the past four decades. Urban sprawl had sent the citizenry away from the city and into the suburbs. RSA has changed all of that, the Tower is the tallest building in Alabama as well as the Gulf Coast between Corpus Christi, TX and Tampa, FL.
Mobile was a city that slept through the better part of the 20th Century. Prominent families passed down political offices to younger generations like aristocratic titles. As a result Mobile went from being the most important city in the South at the time of the Louisiana Purchase to a city best known for being the home of a college football all star game.
Most Americans do not know that Mobile not New Orleans is the home of Mardi Gras. When Mobileans first celebrated Fat Tuesday, New Orleans was still over fifty years from being born. Prior to the Civil War, Mobile was the cultural epicenter of the New World. It was said that a European artist had not played America until they played the South and they had not played the South until they had played Mobile.
There are more Mobileans enshrined in Cooperstown than players from any other city. How about this sample: The Boiling Brothers, Tommy Agee, Willie McCovey, Satchel Paige, and Hammerin’ Hank Aaron. Current Mobile players in the majors include Juan Gonzales (the one that won the World Series for the Diamondbacks back in 2001) and Jake Peavy to name just two.
Mobile has seen its share of football players, too, especially quarterbacks. Now we are no Western Pennsylvania but our list is nothing to sneeze at from Riley Smith (whose retirement estate is only a mile or so from my home) to the recent #1 overall pick in the NFL draft Jamarcus Russell and in between names like Kenny Stabler, Scott Hunter, Tee Martin, Jeff Kelly, and Dameyune Craig.
By the way, I e-mailed the story on the top chefs to my editor Sunday afternoon.
My kingdom for a kitchen!
Things are falling in order with the TV show. We have settled on the name Everyday Gourmet. The logo colors will be blue, orange, and white – the colors of an East Alabama sunset. The theme music is Beach Ball by the band Fez. Today I looked around a place called Steel Creek Lodge which is owned by the city of Satsuma. If we can work out a trade for use of the facility for free advertising then we will film most shows from there.
And your weekend, Chef?
Well I am glad you asked. It was powerful. It started on Thursday when I found that my article for Current had made the cover. My first cover story!
Friday I took my tour of the newspaper. Beautiful modern building with some impressive printers. The senior editor got my press pass made for me and we discussed some article ideas. I got the green light for a 14 part series chronicling the tailgating and night life in southeastern football towns. Will my new press pass get me in free to the Auburn/LSU game in Baton Rouge?
Saturday was the cooking demo and man was it a slow day for Sam’s Club. I made Penne Pasta & Arrabbiata (angry) Sauce, with a Greek Side Salad. Ended up tossing a good deal of product at the end of the day because it was so slow.
Sunday I met with the guys at ND Light Productions and it looks like I will be the host of the new cooking show Everyday Gourmet. Their concept for a cooking show and mine were nearly identical. Wade, the money man of the group got at least one Hooter’s girl’s number and maybe two. He’s a charmer and I can tell he is the guy that can get a deal made. Sith (I do not know if that is his name or title) is the guy that makes all the magic happen. He is a wiz with cameras and editing. Chris is a photographer and also is the Kitchen Manager at the local TGI Fridays and will also act as a culinary consultant. They have one other partner who was in LA. Now we just need four advertisers willing to pony up $500 each and a place to film it. Oddly enough I think the advertisers will be easier than the kitchen studio.
I check out a potential kitchen tomorrow and by Wed. Sith will have us a logo done. Man, this is happening fast after all these years.
-
Watch Stuart Reb Donald
on Everyday Gourmet.
