The CulinaryWoman Newsletter, 9/5/21
The kindness of neighbors
“Wake me up, when September ends,” Green Day sang. The song once was adopted as an anthem in the wake of Hurricane Katrina
Now, that storm has been joined by Hurricane Ida. It smashed into the Gulf Coast last weekend, causing extensive damage in low-lying areas, wiping out electricity to New Orleans, and shocking New Yorkers with the vehemence of its leftover rain.
Recovery from the losses will take time, and there are deep fears about the future of hamlets that sit right next to the gulf, which have been rocked by this storm.
But in the darkness, there was light, from candles, generators, flashlights and most of all, kindness.
New Orleans, especially, was awash in generosity, which seemed to begin the moment the clouds rolled away.
Relying On The Kindness of Neighbors
Although some lives were lost, thankfully, there was no repeat of the horrors of Katrina, in which floodwaters over topped the levees and left many parts of the city in dismal shape.
The biggest problem was the power outage that swept the entire city, due to the toppling of big electrical towers along the Mississippi River.
Rather than make anybody wait, both the federal government and private aid groups sprang into action.
World Central Kitchen founder Chef Jose Andres flew in on Sunday from Haiti, where he was aiding in post-earthquake efforts.
His organization, to which I am a donor, began to coordinate the preparation of food and delivery of meals to different parts of town. WCK posted job openings that meant anyone in hospitality who was out of work could earn some fast money.
Meanwhile, restaurants threw open their kitchens and gave away food that was in danger of spoiling. All people had to do was show up with carryout containers and tote bags, and some places even had to-go boxes on hand.
Others cooked up what they had and shared it with guests. Generators helped keep a few places open, providing cold beverages to weary guests.
There was ice, and water, and places to charge telephones. There were charities giving out diapers and toiletry kits, and those that addressed other medical needs. The New Orleans Advocate and Times-Picayune has a long list of resources.
A long road back
New Orleans’ crisis is not going to be over with quickly. Entergy, the power company, posted a list of when places can expect to get electricity back. Much of the city will be in the dark for at least a few more days.
While phone service and electricity remain spotty, there is no lack of support. To be sure, this is not the kind of situation anybody wants to be in.
I saw more than one frustrated Instagram post from people claiming that New Orleans was being forgotten. That certainly isn’t true, and the speed with which President Biden approved a disaster declaration was impressive.
In contrast, it took the Detroit area two weeks to get a similar declaration back in June, when it was hit by the first in a set of nasty summer storms.
How you can help
The need for help will continue, and if you want to participate, here are some ways to do so.
On Sunday afternoon, Chef Alon Shaya is hosting a virtual cooking class to raise money for his restaurant staff and to support World Central Kitchen. The menu includes stewed okra with grits, and peach and tomato panzanella. The suggested donation is $50, but any amount is accepted. If you can’t make a live class, they’ll send you a recording so you can make the recipes on your own timetable.
World Central Kitchen is coordinating relief efforts based at the New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute. You can donate to either organization — NOCHI has also waved the application fee for its 100-day certificate program.
Habitat for Humanity is accepting donations for its disaster relief and recovery fund. This past week, Habitat has been handing out blue tarps to homeowners and businesses all over New Orleans to cover up damage until repairs can take place.
The Krewe of Themis, the all-female Mardi Gras group to which I belong, is accepting donations so that it can purchase masks, feminine products, batteries, dry ice, toothpaste, water, deodorant and other toiletries for those in need in small communities south of New Orleans. The krewe also is supporting WCK. You can give through CashApp ($KreweOfThemis), Venmo (@KreweOfThemis), or Zelle (KreweOfTemis@gmail.com) with the note: IDA. (I’m donating my time to help sisters who do not have Internet access.)
Melissa Martin, the chef who runs Mosquito Supper Club, is spearheading a drive to help people on the bayou. Follow her on social media (@mosquitosupper on Twitter, @mosquitosupperclub on Instagram) and you can donate to BayouFund.org.
Numerous other charities are collecting funds to help New Orleans and Louisiana, so look on line for other ideas. If a tax deduction is important to you, make sure the organization has tax exempt status; some aid efforts do not.
One more thing you can do is to purchase a gift card to your favorite New Orleans restaurant or cook shop.
This was a popular way to help small businesses at the start of the pandemic, and places can definitely use some cash flow now, since many have not been able to operate without electricity.
Gift cards are probably better than making direct purchases, since there’s no way to tell when delivery services will get back to normal. You can cash them in once everybody gets back on their feet. That’s what I’ll be doing, on my next trip.
In an essay on Time.com, Maurice Carlos Ruffin explained why New Orleanians - and people who love the city - keep returning after devastating storms that might deter less hardy souls.
“New Orleans’ true name is Phoenix. The city will rise again and again as long as there are people who love it,” he wrote. “But I hope that in a world of increasing climate change that we are able to continue adapting to the challenges of the ferocious storms yet to come.”
Said Maurice, “I hope we heal our only Earth. Do it for the people. Do it for the culture. Do it for New Orleans.”
An Illuminating Conversation About Food And Film
I’m a long-time fan of Nigella Lawson, and I’m also an admirer of Marc Cousins, the Irish director and expert on film making. You might remember his series, The Story of Film, which aired on Turner Classic Movies a few years ago.
It turns out that they are admirers of each other, so I was delighted to see a conversation between them last Sunday in The Guardian.
Says Nigella, “We are both people who respond intensely to what’s around us and, as someone who is very much less visual, I find parts of my brain light up when Mark is describing or deconstructing an image.”
Mark replied, “Each day for me feels like a prototype. Tonight I’ll cook a meal again, and do Nigella salt and vinegar roast potatoes again. Yet none of this feels jaded. It’s as if cooking is a kind of software upgrade.”
If you know both their voices, you can hear them when you read the interview. And if you don’t, I highly recommend that you look up their respective work.
The Fascinating Race For Michigan Governor
One thing about living in the Great Lakes State: our politics is never dull.
In my latest column for the Washington Post, I wrote about the prospective candidate of former Detroit Police Chief James Craig, who looks like he’s going to jump into the race for the Republican nomination for governor.
No one knew the chief had any political ambitions during his years running the Detroit force, let alone that he might run as a Republican.
That means taking on Michigan’s high profile governor, Democrat Gretchen Whitmer, and also dealing with Donald Trump.
The Michigan race is already in the national spotlight, thanks to both politicians’ regular appearances on cable TV and network news, so my column will get you up to speed on where things stand about 14 months before the election.
Keeping Up With CulinaryWoman
You can email me at culinarywoman at gmail dot com. I’m @culinarywoman on Twitter and Tik Tok, and there is a CulinaryWoman Facebook page. You can also find me on LinkedIn under Micheline Maynard.
Members of the CulinaryWoman Community keep this newsletter going. Think about a paid subscription or becoming a Founding Member. It makes you eligible for cookbook drawings and other dandy prizes.
If you would like any information about me, or want to know the latest plans for my upcoming Zingerman’s book, which will be published on Feb. 22, please visit my website, MichelineMaynard.com.
Remember to send me your receipt if you place a pre-order for Satisfaction Guaranteed. There will be an extra bonus for anyone who orders a hardcover, Kindle or audio book before Feb. 22.
With the Delta variant spreading, it’s never been more important to get vaccinated. Please obey local mask mandates, too.
Stay safe and see you next week!
Thank you for sharing the information about how to help the people in Louisiana. I used to have family in Baton Rouge, and am a proud Tulane grad. New Orleans and Louisiana will always hold special places in my heart.