Louisiana Life - September/October 2019

From the editor: A gubernatorial story

This is a gubernatorial election year, which raises the admittedly dorky question, to me at least: Who was governor 100 years ago? That would be in 1919. Well, it turns out the answer has significance in two of the state’s…

Along the Way: Bovine Blues

My people aren’t hunters. We shoot and we eat, but we don’t shoot what we eat. It’s just not in our DNA, I suppose. At least it doesn’t appear to be part of the genetic makeup of the five generations…

State of Louisiana: Pelican Briefs

NEW ORLEANS Let’s Go out to the Movies On October 16-23, the Oscar-qualifying 30th Annual New Orleans Film Festival brings screenings of more than 250 films, including new works such as “Burning Cane,” which recently won the top award, “Best…

Calendar: Gumbo Daze

World Championship Gumbo Cookoff Oct. 12-13, New Iberia With more than 20,000 eventgoers expected, the annual Gumbo Cookoff in New Iberia is clearly a popular event. In addition to the cookoff, attendees can participate in the Roux Run, cooking demonstrations…

Louisiana Made: Dream Weaver

The opulent palaces and forested expanses of foothills stretching up to the highs of the Himalayas were enthralling, but Trishala Bhansali found her creativity molded more by muslins and silk brocade and block prints. The entrepreneur witnessed these among the…

Best Hunting in the State

Hunting is inextricably woven into the wild fabric of Louisiana’s heritage and culture. A harsh land when first settled, hunting was a necessity of subsistence as well as commerce. The wide diversity of habitat and abundance of game and birds…

Artfully Loaded

It’s no surprise that in a state that brands itself “Sportsman’s Paradise,” the art and craft of fine firearms is very much alive and well. Our neighbors include stockmakers, metalsmiths, engravers and restorers, several of whom are working at such…

Traveler: Double Down

Casinos are now scattered liberally across Louisiana’s landscape and cityscapes, offering entertainment of many kinds. Since the actual gambling part of gaming houses is pretty much the same everywhere — you do split 8’s against dealer’s 10; you don’t get…

A Louisiana Life: Going Nuts

For a long time, it seemed as if the trajectory of Jady Regard’s career would see him climbing the ladder in sales and marketing for professional sports teams. In college at LSU, he was a student manager for the men’s…

State of Louisiana: Pelican Briefs

NEW ORLEANS Let’s Go out to the Movies On October 16-23, the Oscar-qualifying 30th Annual New Orleans Film Festival brings screenings of more than 250 films, including new works such as “Burning Cane,” which recently won the top award, “Best…

Healthy Louisiana: There's an app for that

One of the good things about smartphone technology is it can put a wealth of information at your fingertips. Here are some of the best apps available for health and nutrition info. Most of them are free, too, so there’s…

Literary Louisiana: Essential fall cookbooks

South: Essential Recipes and New Explorations Sean Brock James Beard award-winning chef Sean Brock is back with his second cookbook (his first, “Heritage,” won a James Beard Award for Best American Cookbook in 2015.) In “South: Essential Recipes and New…

Art: Good Juju

Mention the name Garland Robinette and most Southeast Louisiana residents over a certain age will recall the once wildly popular New Orleans TV news anchor during the 1970s and ‘80s or the no nonsense “Think Tank” radio talk show host…

Home: Retro Renovation

When one thinks of saving an architectural treasure in southwest Louisiana, plantation houses with wide porches and sweeping staircases or quaint Acadian cottages encircled with moss-draped oaks come to mind. Not so in the case of Alice and Richard Roth’s…

Best Hunting in the State

Hunting is inextricably woven into the wild fabric of Louisiana’s heritage and culture. A harsh land when first settled, hunting was a necessity of subsistence as well as commerce. The wide diversity of habitat and abundance of game and birds…

Roadside Dining: Luck of the Draw

I was traveling through north Louisiana with a worldly friend skilled in cooking many cuisines with a concentration in the foods of Asia. I had long heard rumors of a sensational Chinese restaurant in Bossier City with a voluminous wine…

Great Louisiana Chef: Flavorful Fusion

Cajun Asian in Bossier City is the kind of place where magic culinary mash-ups happen. Think Cajun meets Vietnamese meets American and a hint of classic French cuisine. Under the leadership of Chef Ryan Dunning, along with the management of…

Kitchen Gourmet: Breakfast Bliss

Fall makes me think of breakfast, which I love, or — horrors — brunch. The late Anthony Bourdain once contemplated what he might do if his gig as a celebrity came to an end. I could always cook brunch, he…

Traveler: Double Down

Casinos are now scattered liberally across Louisiana’s landscape and cityscapes, offering entertainment of many kinds. Since the actual gambling part of gaming houses is pretty much the same everywhere — you do split 8’s against dealer’s 10; you don’t get…

Farther Flung: Culture Club

Like a Houston woman heading out for a night on the town, the Bayou City seems always to be adding one more jewel. OK, dozens more. Even though it has long been a haven for culture and cuisine, Houston just…

Home Grown

Louisiana has always been a state that values its own, and local businesses play a big role in helping the state’s unique culture thrive. The state’s culture bearers, artists and craftsmen are part of what bring visitors internationally to see…

Visit Texas

Louisiana is fortunate to have a neighbor in Texas, an enormous state that offers enormous fun and intrigue. With varying landscapes and diverse cultural experiences, Texas welcomes visitors to explore its small towns, big cities, and relaxing vacation destinations. From…