Food
New Orleans Getaway and a Quick Immigration Visit
2JJ’s biometrics appointment was scheduled for 1:00 pm at the Department of Homeland Security Office in New Orleans. We arrived about 15 minutes early and expected to wait for at least an hour. We were in and out in less than 15 minutes. Biometric appointments were handled by a dedicated team, and unlike some our previous dealings with immigration officials, they were quick and pleasant to deal with.
We left the office and headed to the French Quarter where we had lunch at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville. I had the the ‘Cheeseburger in Paradise’ and thought it was great. We also enjoyed a couple of margaritas that were delicious. The quick meal was good, but overpriced.
Slightly over-priced, but delicious
We left Jimmy Buffett’s and headed to Jackson Square to hear the street musicians, but on the way we noticed that ESPN had set up their Game Day studio in the far corner of the square. They were filming, and we stopped to take in a couple of minutes of the action. Can anyone explain the screen that is behind the analysts in the below photograph? I am curious as to how it appears clear when shot from the front, but clearly mesh-like from behind, lighting maybe?
We left the ESPN sets and moved over to the cathedral where the street musicians are always playing. During my undergraduate years, I would come down to the Quarter and sit around for hours listening to these guys play. I am sure that these are not the same musicians that I listened to ten years ago, but they were just as good.
This guy got big tips.
We checked into our free hotel room (Thank you, Marriott Points), and rested up for a big night on the town which I will write about in a second post.
Beef Stew
2Some of our relatives gave us an electric roaster oven as a wedding gift over two years ago. We had never tried it out and when we were doing a little “spring” cleaning, we decided to try it out. We found a recipe for beef stew and gave it a shot. It turned out well, but I think next time we are going to add some garlic, a little more salt, and pinch more basil. Even though we cut the recipe in half, we still have enough left over for a few lunches this week.
We Cut This in Half
Done!
Next week, we are going to try some Galbi Jjim or we might just do plain Korean style short ribs if I can find some meat at a decent price.
New Year’s Eve
114 months ago
JJ and I quietly rang in the new year. We decided to stay at home, cook a nice dinner, and not fight the crowds. We did hit the grocery store near our house and were happy to see that much of their seafood was marked way down, so we cooked up a feast! The meal was great, but if I had been thinking, I would have actually skipped the seafood. We have to go to New Orleans at the end of the week for JJ’s visa renewal, and we will use my Marriott points to get a room for the night. I am pretty positive that we will be eating at our usual oyster bar and fill ourselves with raw and grilled oysters for dinner. Still, seafood twice in one week is great way to start off the year.
Saudi Lunch
1One of my students from Saudi Arabia invited JJ and I over for lunch today. We were not real sure what to expect since neither of us have any experience with Middle Eastern cuisine. My student and his family served Kabsa with lamb, and we were impressed. Apparently, this is the dish that is usually cooked during celebrations, and my student’s wife’s family served it when their wedding plans were arranged. I loved listening to their stories about their country, and I think this is one of the reasons that I really love to work with international students.
It is our turn to cook Korean food for them now. JJ and I are thinking about experimenting with lamb cooked like Samgyupsal or trying to find some Halal Beef.
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