Reading the Leaves

A strong tradition lies in the art of reading tea leaves. This is one time when removing the tea leaves in the cup is not required. Once the tea is consumed the cup is turned over in the saucer, rotated 3 times, and turned back up. The reader carefully examines the patterns and positions of the leaves and begins the reading.

There is a great shop in New Orleans on Chartres Street called Bottom of the Cup. Not only do they carry a wide-range of loose-leaf teas they also have experienced tea leaf readers! The business has been in the same family for 3 generations. The present owner's grandmother had the gift but in New Orleans at that time it was unseemly for ladies of wealth and standing to have their fortunes told. The tea room opened as a legitimate business in 1929. Louisiana is known for "Lagniappe." Loosely translated it means a little something extra. Ladies who frequented the tea room were treated to lovely tea with a healthy serving of lagniappe.

Even though I am pretty good at decanting the tea leaves every now and then one will escape into the pot and find its way into the bottom of my tea cup. While I don't claim to be able to read tea leaves I took this as an unmistakable sign of what today might bring:

I promise I did not arrange this. It was just rather amusing and I had to share. I will post more about reading tea leaves and that tradition but I just had to get this happy image up for everyone to see!

If you are in New Orleans make plans to visit Bottom of The Cup http://www.bottomofthecup.com/

Off the Beaten Path - Lilette in New Orleans, LA

This is going to be a new segment for my blog. I have recently eaten in some really great places that are "off the beaten path." New Orleans is well-known for many things, not the least of which is food. There are many unique places to eat in the French Quarter that are well-known to tourists and locals alike. On our last visit to New Orleans I decided to visit the Garden District instead of just staying in the Quarter.

After taking the streetcar uptown and enjoying a good stretch of the legs I realized I needed some energy to finish up the rest of my touring. I found Lilette, a classic french bistrot. The wine list was amazing and loaded with French wines. I selected a Fournier Sauvingon Blanc which proved to be the perfect foil for the quintessential French rolls. The rolls were crusty and crunchy on the outside but inside were soft and fluffy. Even though I knew I was going to be eating a sandwich, I still ate two slathered with fresh, creamy butter.

There were specials on the chalkboard, to include local caught frog's legs, but I ordered from the menu. You might think it odd that I would order a BLT in a French bistrot. This was not your run of the mill BLT. The "B" was pork belly, meltingly rich with mixed baby greens for the "L" and roasted plum tomatoes for the "T." Served on toasted sourdough bread with a parsley aioli it paired perfectly with the Sauvingon Blanc. Thank goodness for a knife and fork! I was able to get a bite of everything without making a huge mess trying to eat the whole thing.

Making a decision from the dessert menu was tough but I managed to chose an incredible to die for sweet treat. A poached pear arrived with a quenelle of goat cheese creme fraiche garnished with lavender honey and pistachios. The flavor profile was sweet but not cloying and the tangy goat cheese creme fraiche provided a nice balance. The pistachios added texture and crunch. I was a happy girl and very glad that I had to take a walk when I really wanted to take a nap.

I have included a link to the Lilette website but you must go to really appreciate the uniqueness, ambiance and cuisine of this gem off the beaten bath in New Orleans.