New Orleans Memories

Growing up in the seventh ward on Duels St was a special time. The grandparents lived within a two-block radius and the church and school was three blocks away.

Everything you needed could be found within six blocks including grocery stores, drug stores, movie theaters, bakeries and of course friends galore.

This was 1950's and 1960's New Orleans and segregation was still going strong. My family must have been very special and protected me from segregation because I was not at all aware that there was anything that I could not do. The next-door neighbors were white and as I remember he was a sheriff's deputy.

I never ventured into the French Quarter until 1970 when I was in college and I never missed the experience. Friends now ask why it took me so long, and I can only say my world was obviously very complete without that.

The neighborhood today is so different. As kids, we would play in the street all day and into the night with no fear of violence. Games like kick the can on warm summer evenings and nights until our parents called us in to get ready for bed.

Good cooks abound in my family and my grandmother and mother were the best so that great food was prepared every day at one of those households and very often at both.

My first introduction to coffee and chicory was at my Mata's house where I had a little coffee with my cream and sugar.

"Soldiers'", which were toasted pieces of sliced bread lathered with butter were dipped into my coffee and soaked before eating.

The red beans and rice were ready for the noon meal by 11:30 am and I ate them for lunch and dinner and probably one or two times in between.

One of my favorite desserts was home made bread pudding hot out of the oven.

A growing boy didn't have to worry about the calories or the weight gain.

The comic strips were the best part of the paper and to this day I still love to read the daily comic strips.

You can't bring back the past but you can revel in the memories.

My interest in good food continues and is one of the reasons I enjoy my website and sharing it with others.

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