 MORE MEMORIES OF DEAR JULIA - Kumquat Season is Here As I move past her untimely late August passing and with the holidays upon us, memories of Julia Reed have and will continue to flood my mind. These are joyful memories tinged with the bitterness of her loss.. Sharing always helps. So, here goes.  I've already told a few of our stories... In a previous blog post timed after the release of her last cookbook writing effort: Julia Reed's New Orleans: Food, Fun, and Field Trips for Letting the Good Times Roll....with the front cover shot in my courtyard and a marvelous Creole Gumbo Lunch chapter. There's also a foray to my Patoutville family home and Bayside Plantation for an entertaining chapter which included the company of dear friends over an Aioli Dinner.  Then, after her passing, I shared an extensive recollection in an email linked below featuring photos she had saved over the years. She sent them to me after becoming ill. To see the story, just keep scrolling and PLEASE, if you see a house you want to purchase, contact me before continuing.... The Julia post is a celebration of our friendship filled with.our crazy wonderful adventures, and a recipe, of course. https://mailchi.mp/peterpatout/listingnewscelebratingjuliareed-826114 IT'S A HOLIDAY TRADITION! But back to why I'm posting now, the holidays are here and Julia treasured handmade delectable gifts so much that she wrote about it years ago in a New York Times essay. Julia recounts her early recipe gift failures and offers two favorites. There's a praline recipe and my Aunt Evelyn Patout's Kumquat Preserves. About this time, every year I make Aunt Evelyn's Kumquat preserves. I get so many recipe requests. It is indeed a holiday tradition! "Among the Holiday Baubles, nothing shines like real home cooking."
When I posted the video above 55 weeks ago on Instagram, there she was in the comments. Thank you dear Julia. You are missed!  Click the recipe title link below to enjoy the full story.  FOOD; EXTREMELY GIFTED
By Julia Reed an excerpt from... Evelyn Patout's Preserved Kumquats "His Aunt Evelyn's candied kumquats are fabulous on cake or ice cream, with pork or duck or sweet potatoes, and I once slivered them and used them to decorate the top of a glamorous holiday charlotte russe. Peter managed to finagle Evelyn's recipe, which calls for three days of stirring and boiling -- but only for a few minutes each morning. And Peter says he actually enjoys the ritual of fooling with them while he makes his café au lait." 1 quart kumquats 2 cups sugar 1 1/2 cups light corn syrup. 1. Scrub kumquats thoroughly. Prick each several times with a large needle or poultry pin. Put them in a large saucepan, add water to cover, bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Drain. 2. Combine the sugar and 3 cups of water in a large saucepan. Boil for 5 minutes. Add kumquats and boil again. Remove from heat and set aside, covered, overnight. The next morning, add 1/2 cup corn syrup. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, cover and let stand overnight again. Repeat the process twice more. 3. On the fourth morning, after the kumquats have been brought to boil, spoon them into hot, sterilized, Mason-type jars. Pour in hot syrup to within 1/4 inch of the top of each jar and seal. Refrigerate until ready to give or seal in a hot-water bath according to jar manufacturer's directions and store. Yield: 2 1/2 quarts. NOTE: For directions on how to sterilize jars, see page 60 of the new edition of ''Joy of Cooking.''
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Click to Read My Fall Newsletter Enjoy this Excerpt Below Oh how I would have loved to have served the cocktail below to my dear friend Julia Reed. I enjoyed it when visiting Barbee and his wife Ashley Ponder recently. Now this is a welcome drink! THE DIRTY SUGAR by Barbee Ponder This libational masterpiece I made to welcome Peter and Lee Anne to Covington for a weekend classical tour  Photo by Barbee Ponder Dirty Sugar Recipe She’s best prepared midday to be enjoyed that evening. Here’s how it’s done-- Take a vintage Bayel Venus de Milo cordial glass and wet the rim with fresh squeezed lemon juice. Then dip her rim in a plate of M. A. Patout raw sugar. (When you’ve spent the entire day grinding, there should be plenty around) Move the rim around the raw sugar making sure it’s properly “dirtied” inside and out. Next, in a small disposable plastic cup, add the following ingredients: 1.50 oz Cognac 0.75 oz Cointreau 0.75 oz Fresh squeezed lemon juice Place both glass and cup in the freezer for a hard chill till evening. Using this method to chill the drink, rather than ice in a shaker, ensures the drink is not diluted in the least. (After all, “water’s for gardens” ... not cocktails.) That evening, when you’re ready .... for your toddy, take Venus out of the freezer, pour in the contents, and add a mist of Absinthe over the top with your atomizer. She’s ready. Bottoms up!   Dear Peter, I haven't heard from the Clinton resident who talked to you about representation. She is welcome to call me to discuss the advantages of choosing Peter Patout as her listing agent. An agent who specializes in houses of all types in a region will not be as effective in selling a historic home as a firm that specializes in historic homes.  "An agent who specializes in houses of all types in a region will not be as effective in selling a historic home as a firm that specializes in historic homes." When my father decided to put Hubbs House on the market my husband, Hal, & I recommended to him that he list the property with you. Though Hal has been a broker for over 2 decades, and I have been a licensed agent for about 15 years, our brokerage does not have the "historic home" specialty that you have cultivated in your shop. We knew that your clientele is rich with people interested in the preservation of historic homes and it was no surprise at all that the offer we accepted came from a client of an agent within your brokerage. That is just evidence of the pack you run with!  We were so pleased with the care you gave Hubbs House on your website. You spent time with my dad collecting information about the historical nature of the property. Dad told you the history and gave you old family photos that you used to build the Hubbs House page of your website. Mom and Dad were so pleased to see it all in print on the web. All the details we thought were important to the charm of Hubbs House are included in your writeup and our family photos of the house became part of the story you tell to prospective buyers. The website is first class and I believe that our buyer used that resource in making the decision to place an offer.  "We anticipated that it might take 2 years to sell Hubbs House to the right buyer. We are all so happy to have had an acceptable offer within about 8 months." We could have sold the property (with no value for the house) to a neighbor who thought it best to bulldoze the historic home and build several new homes on the property, but we wanted better for Hubbs House. We could not be more pleased with our choice to list Hubbs House with Peter Patout! Thank you, Peter, for the good work you do. Your passion for this type of listing is unique in our industry and you play a much needed roll in the preservation of Louisiana's fragile historic architectural fabric. Best regards, L.N.F. A licensed Louisiana real estate broker  The city is awash in blooms! Here's how to experience Natchez now! Photo Credit: G. Douglas Adams  Last year year, I founded the Natchez International Crepe Myrtle Festival because the extraordinary Crepe Myrtle Blooms of Natchez are worth celebrating! While there’s not a festival with speakers this year, our Committee members have created a perfect experience to Celebrate the Blooms! There's three self-guided free tours have been developed by Crepe Myrtle Historian and Committee member, Elaine Gemmell:
 10,000 Blooming Trees & Counting! self-guided bloom tours So here's a summer sightseeing trip idea: take in some of the loveliness and deliciousness that Natchez offers and experience the city in a low contact manner! Rita Tebbetts tells us the trees are still moving towards peak season and that the blooms should be pretty possibly even into August! "Of course, mother nature didn't get the Co-Vid memo. Come to Natchez to take in the show. the beauties won't mind a bit if you want to snap a few photos to share with friends. You'll need evidence anyway to prove to doubters what you will witness. The best photos are probably done from a distance, but these trees won't mind if you want to move in close. I don't think they will be taking social distancing too seriously," Tebbetts said. Take in the magnificent architecture of Natchez!  FREE MAPS! In addition to digital downloads at VisitNatchez.org/events Self-guided bloom tour maps are available: Fat Mama's Tamales Rolling N' The Dough Regina’s Kitchen Natchez Brewing Company Biscuits & Blues The Guest House Natchez Coffee Company Natchez Grand Hotel 100 Main Pearl Street Pasta Silver Street Gifts Natchez Convention Center Photo Credit: Ben Hillyer FOR UPDATES: Natchez Celebrates the Blooms FB event page and VisitNatchez.Org/Events #NatchezCelebratestheBlooms SUCCESSFUL DEBUT See 2019 News Stories & Details On Press Page: https://www.peterpatout.com/press.html Scroll down the page to read about last year's event.   I became aware of our rich culinary culture early on having grown up in Bayou Teche Country, Patoutville, just next door to New Iberia. Our family was filled with great cooks. Simple backyard gatherings, crab boils this time of the year, often become incredible feasts.
The pleasures of the table, and how it evokes friendly conversation and develops lifelong friendships is a tradition I carry forth in my life. Sometimes I post pics on social media capturing these traditions. Are you enjoying blueberries and peaches these days? Has peach cobbler always been this good? Fittingly, New Iberia and Natchez get their due in this short list of tasteful small southern towns in Forbes Magazine (click for story).I'm glad for the Tabasco shout-out, which is like adding sunshine to a meal, and over in Natchez Regina Charboneau gets her due. I encourage you to visit all the restaurants featured, and to bring a friend. Bon Appetit!  Be well and safe through these challenging times.
I wear a mask and encourage others to do the same. Sara & Paul Costello experience Maison Chenal Just this weekend, writer & interior decorator Sara Ruffin Costello and her husband and photographer Paul Costello visited my Maison Chenal listing. It was an exquisite outing as so much was in full bloom. The parterre gardens and ancient oaks add much to the 18th century French Creole setting. See my listing here!  Paul generously agreed to share his photos! You might also enjoy Sara's and Paul's instagram posts as their friends excitedly chimed in desirous of purchasing the estate, with lots of entertaining ideas to celebrate together. I've received a few property queries since. The tranquil setting inspires!      See my Maison Chenal listing to learn more about this incredible property 18TH CENTURY LOUISIANA FRENCH CREOLE PROPERTY & HISTORIC COLLECTION The tout ensemble: MAISON CHENAL (c. 1790), LACOUR HOUSE (c. 1750) along with their historic dependencies THE HOLDEN COLLECTION: the world’s premier collection of Louisiana French Creole and Acadian architecture, art, decorative arts, and furniture comprising 1,400 items that were made in or used in Louisiana from the early 1700’s - the 1830’s 75 ACRES: Historically researched gardens, mature landscape with ancient Live Oaks and access to False River
          What a delightful morning to wake up and see Hubbs House as the featured home in Sunday's paper!
While the story isn't available with the online news edition, I hope these photos are legible...."This listing would make such a charming and rustic getaway from the hustle & bustle of the city," and I couldn't agree more! Here's the link to more Hubbs House details. Please also reach out to me to learn more. Enjoy the Blooms!  Through this difficult time, I hope you are well. I'm writing to share a few things that lift my spirit in hopes that I can help lift yours. The incomparable beauty of the south, our rich history & culture, phenomenal cuisine, my dear friends and family, and my faith buoy me through challenging times. I'm even upbeat about the market for historic homes, and I'm excited that my listings are featured in 2 national news stories! I appreciate your allowing me to share that good news. And, I'm not going anywhere. Please reach out to me. Call me on my cell (504) 481-4790, or send me an email: peter@peterpatout.com to help you purchase or sell historic homes in Louisiana and Mississippi. Please consider sharing my blog & website with your friends. See my client referrals at zillow.com. My best to you, Peter LOUISIANA IRISES ARE IN BLOOM! |
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