The Williams-Sonoma 3-Bottle Wine Saver Pro system protects the contents of opened wine bottles from oxygen for weeks at a time. It operates by replacing the wine dispensed from a completely sealed bottle with argon, an inert gas twice as dense as oxygen, which forms a barrier between the wine and any air in the bottle.  Would make a nice gift for a wine-lover or an expensive splurge for yourself.

Ian McNulty on Living a Lifetime in New Orleans

"One reason I stay, despite the serious problems here, is because I think as long as I live in New Orleans I'll have no worries about growing old. In a lot of other cities, it seems like if you're not young, hot or rich then you're marginal to the city's story. Here, the older people grow, the better they are at the really great things about this city. They've had more experience as New Orleanians and that makes their lives richer and more fun. My friends who are much older than me seem to have their own story for every street, every bar in the city, and I envy them. ... The identity of this city is so strong, that living here feels like participating in something bigger than myself, and that's hugely rewarding." (From http://www.theday.com)

Ian McNulty is a food writer for Gambit Weekly and author of A Season of Night: New Orleans Life After Katrina.

 

Amy Sins recently organized a group of New Orleanians who traveled to Cedar Rapids to cook for and help victims of the Mississippi River flooding.  Here we see some of the 50 lbs of Smoked Sausage donated by Dorignac's.  Other local businesses, as well as local residents, supported Amy's efforts.  Read more about this.

Who makes 'em good? How do you like them?

Personally, I prefer a crab stuffed back into its own shell. Like the stuffing in the heads of crawfish bisque, I think the shell imparts flavor. Be that as it may, here's my latest attempt at crab cakes using as little breading and binder as possible to allow the crabmeat to hold together while cooking. Fried them in butter and topped them in the same browned butter