Gumbo is essentially a stew. It combines ingredients from African, French, Spanish, and Native American Choctaw cultures. It was first described in 1802 and was listed in various cookbooks in the late 1800s. There are as many recipes as there are people, so here are a few recipes from the Louisiana Travel site. The best way to serve gumbo is in a bowl with a scoop of rice! Click here for the list of recipes.
"Mmm... gumbo" by jeffreyw is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
The Gambler from Natchez: "In New Orleans, discharged army Captain Vance Colby learns of his father's killing done by three local Creole gents at a card game, and he sets out to punish the killers." From IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047011/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0. Watch this first movie in our double feature by clicking here!
Louisiana Purchase: "A bumbling senator investigating graft in Louisiana is the target of a scheme involving a Viennese beauty." From IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033851/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
Watch the second movie in our double feature by clicking here!
Photo from Wikipedia.
Dixieland is sometimes referred to as traditional jazz. It is based on music that developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century. The recordings by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band created awareness of this new style of music. Listen to some of these original recordings by clicking here! (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dixieland)
The New Orleans Botanical Garden is located within the New Orleans City Park. It was the first classical garden in New Orleans. Planning began in 1930 and was funded as a Works Project Administration program. The park was opened in 1936. All of the sculptures in the park were done by Enrique Alferez. The garden was updated and expanded beginning in the 1980s. There are two gardens that you will want to look for - the Azalea and Camellia Garden which was established in 1997 and the Historic Miniature Train Garden which opened in 2002. The Train Garden is a recreation of the original train line in New Orleans. Click on the photo above to do a walking tour of the gardens. Click here if you would like a quick walk through of the gardens and focus on the Train Garden!
"New Orleans City Park" by Roller Coaster Philosophy is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
New Orleans City Park consists of 1,300 acres. It is the 87th largest and 20th most visited park in the United States. Within the park is the world's largest collection of mature live oak trees. Some of them are more than 600 years old. The park was founded in 1854, which makes it the 48th oldest park in the country. City Park was originally used as a location for dueling. The Botanical Garden is just a small part of the entire park. Click on the picture above to explore other places within the park such as the Live Oak Grove, the Two Sisters Pavilion, and the Museum of Art. Be sure to use the menu button on the lower left of the virtual tour screen to navigate around the park!
Photo from Wikipedia.
Longue Vue house is located in the Lakewood area of New Orleans. The current house was built in 1929. Each side of the house has a different look and a view of a different garden. The house consists of 3 stories and contains all original furnishings. It is listed on both the National Historic Landmarks list as well as the National Register of Historic Places. Explore some of the house and gardens by clicking on the picture and taking a tour with Chef John Folse, a native of Louisiana. You can also click here to view a YouTube video on the gardens, presented by the curator of Longue Vue!
James Lee Burke was born in Houston, Texas in 1936. He grew up on the Texas-Louisiana Gulf coast. He has many ties to Louisiana. He attended Southwestern Louisiana Institute for two years, he worked as a landman for Sinclair Oil in Louisiana, and his Dave Robicheaux series' main character is a former homicide detective in the New Orleans police department. Click on the book covers below for a brief description of the story. Click on the title of the book to link to the book in Open Library. Open library also provides an audio version of books. Click here to access a list of all of the books that are available by James Lee Burke in Open Library.
The Neon Rain by James Lee Burke
A Morning for Flamingos by James Lee Burke
Black Cherry Blues by James Lee Burke
Book covers from Openlibrary.org
