Monday, September 10, 2012.
Real Art Work. Acme.
I haven't seen a lot of Mary Leigh in the past week. She is spending much of her day in the studio of Luis Colmenares, the brilliant sculptor and designer whose work is in restaurants throughout the city. He calls the radio show often, too--he's an eater.
On her own, Mary Leigh asked him if she could work with him as an intern. She is thrilled at the prospect of building sculpture at Luis's level. She's particularly interested in metalwork, including the welding aspect of it. Luis has her working on a current project. She's getting a taste of the real world--the lack of which is what made her give up on Tulane after two years.
Not that she doesn't like Tulane. With many friends there--including the guy we refer to around the house as The Boy--that she spends a lot of time on campus. She may be participating in campus life more than she did when she was a student.
She's home today, though. She suggested that the two of us lunch at the Acme. Like in old times. Usual order: wedge salad, red beans with hot sausage. No oysters on the half shell available, though. Hurricane Isaac did a lot of damage to the infrastructure of oyster harvesting, and probably some harm to the beds, too--although I haven't heard many reports of the latter.
The storm also had an evil effect on crabmeat. Pontchartrain Seafood--the biggest packer of fresh local crabmeat--had its facility go under water during the Isaac flood. They're off line for at least a little while, and crabmeat is in short supply.
Mary Leigh made my heart beat faster when she said, "You know, I like the taste of red beans, but I don't like the texture." Neither do I, frankly. Not the way most cooks are making it these days. I grew up eating beans that were in a lighter sauce, and were firm enough to pick one bean at a time out of the plate if you wanted. Now it's all a thick slurry. If any restaurant out there would be so kind as to make their beans that way, I would be pleased to put the word out. I'll bet I'm not the only one who decries the hyper-thick red bean style.
