No matter what else you put into your crawfish boil, one crucial ingredient is patience. That’s what enforces the proper timing for soaking, boiling and resting the mudbugs, even when everyone is ready to eat, clutching their koozies and staring at the pot.

Somewhere near the entrance to a Magnolia Discount gas station in Gert Town, a whiff from the gas pumps and a waft of just-fried chicken commingled in the air.

The cynical might chalk it up to the sugar buzz talking, but I believe king cake brings optimism. It barrels through indecision in favor of indulgence. It can brighten your day, even if it’s the last thing you eat at night. It’s not just a cake, it’s an emblem. This is also why king cake has become contentious.

The kid was staring at me, and I didn’t blame him. He was having lunch with his parents at the next table over and he was fixated on the king cake milkshake that I was eating all by myself.

This is an ode to the oyster bar, and not just any oyster bar. Today I raise a toast to the stand-up oyster bar.

What happens when purple, green and gold morphs with black and gold? New Orleans is now getting a long overdue refresher course on the phenomenon and one of the ways it shows up is king cake.

The arctic blast that visited New Orleans this week set teeth chattering and tongues waging, with some cursing the very weather. Sure, those accustomed to colder climates may scoff at our complaints down here, but they don’t know what we endure in deepest summer. To freeze in winter too can feel like a betrayal by dear old Mother Nature herself. But here are a few thoughts to warm your heart, if not your house.

Dining trends and new concepts can be exciting, but for some New Orleans expats the food priorities are all from the past. The holiday season is their time to reconvene with familiar flavors, and that time is limited. Don't get in their way. For those interested in the latest from the realm of food and restaurants, these have been exciting times around New Orleans. There have been so many new eateries, new flavors and hot trends turning up, it’s been hard just to keep track of them, never mind

There's an old adage that New Orleans food doesn't travel well. But it will take a lot more than an adage to keep people from trying, especially during the holidays.

No two bowls of gumbo should be exactly the same. Heck, even when they’re served from the same pot the precise mixture of seafood and meat and seasoning may differ from bowl to bowl, based on the luck of the ladle. This is certainly the case with Creole gumbo, a down-home style sometimes described as kitchen sink. And yet, even for the endless gumbo variations out there, sometimes an overarching house style for a particular gumbo can speak to you in a voice you may recognize even years after