Thursday Thirteen - Thirteen Things I Ate (and drank) In New Orleans

I loved, loved, LOVED New Orleans. The music, the architecture, the people, the nightlife, the mood of the city as a whole. But what I loved the most - and what I really miss right now - was the food.

When I travel, I make it a point to try food that's specific to the location and/or something I can't get at home. And with the wide variety of food associated with New Orleans, it was easy to come up with 13 items. Now I'm hungry!

1. Beignets. From Cafe du Monde, of course. Little wrought iron tables, dusted with powdered sugar, and lines of people waiting for a seat no matter what time of day or night.

2. Gumbo. When I told GPS that I was going to New Orleans, the first question was, "Are you going to eat gumbo?" This question was repeated until the photo was sent as proof.

3. Jambalaya.

4. French toast with pecan praline topping. Rich, sweet, and oh so satisfying. From the Somethin' Else cafe.

5. Crawfish po'boy. Grubbin' food for the first night in the city. At Huck Finn's Cafe.

6. Red beans and rice.

7. Hurricanes. Did you know that you can walk down the street with an open drink container there? This was a revelation.

8. Gator and sausage boudin. Little fried balls of rice, alligator meat, and sausage.

9. Lemon meringue pie martini.

10. Pulled pork over corn cakes topped with corn maque choux. Part of the tasting menu at the Audubon Tea Room reception.

(The following were from the same dinner, a "foodie" feast at Apolline's I won at the work conference I attended the second half of my stay. It was ah-mah-zing.)

11. Heirloom tomato salad with goat cheese feta.

12. Crispy confit of duck leg with grilled zucchini and a quail egg.

13. Brioche bread pudding with praline sauce.

Now head on over to Nine Naughty Novelists for more New Orleans memories!