Rebuilding New Orleans, a meal at a time

Abstract

The program airs again Saturday at 6 p.m. (and Sunday at 1 a.m., if you happen to be an insomniac foodie). Emeril Lagasse, who owns three New Orleans restaurants, explores how the city's long- standing food establishments are faring since Hurricane Katrina.

One item that's made a comeback is the "po' boy" sandwich -- a signature submarine often filled with roast beef and "debris" gravy (so called because it's made with pieces of meat that fall in as the roast cooks), or seafood such as soft-shelled crabs, crawfish, oysters or shrimp. Lagasse said the sandwich got its name during the streetcar strike in 1929, when sandwiches were handed out to "those po' boys" who were on strike.

There's a lot of mouthwatering food footage in this program. And, earlier this month, Lagasse proved that the sky is, indeed, the limit when he had his New Orleans specialties fed to astronauts on the International Space Station. The recipes he chose for the crew were Emeril's Mardi Gras Jambalaya, Kicked-up Mashed Potatoes with Bacon, Green Beans with Garlic, Rice Pudding and Mixed Fruit.

A special episode of the Food Network's "Emeril Live" premiered Sunday. It was called "Rebuilding New Orleans, One Meal at a Time."

The program airs again Saturday at 6 p.m. (and Sunday at 1 a.m., if you happen to be an insomniac foodie). Emeril Lagasse, who owns three New Orleans restaurants, explores how the city's long- standing food establishments are faring since Hurricane Katrina.

As of press time, I've only seen a promotional copy that shows about 20 minutes of the program. Lagasse is dressed in a classy black suit instead of a chef coat, and he talks about how food and music are the heart and soul of the city. Restaurant proprietors, food-bank officials and volunteers were interviewed for the show.

The gumbos, the jambalaya, the fried chicken -- that's what people miss, says Wayne Baquet, owner of the restaurant Lil Dizzy's. But those fabulous meals require food, the people to make it, and a place to cook and serve it. The Crescent City's celebrated food community had the challenge of coming up with all these factors after the hurricane's devastation.

"I was lucky enough to get most of our personnel back," Baquet says on the program. "I had to house two of them at the restaurant."

One item that's made a comeback is the "po' boy" sandwich -- a signature submarine often filled with roast beef and "debris" gravy (so called because it's made with pieces of meat that fall in as the roast cooks), or seafood such as soft-shelled crabs, crawfish, oysters or shrimp. Lagasse said the sandwich got its name during the streetcar strike in 1929, when sandwiches were handed out to "those po' boys" who were on strike.

Everyone seems to agree that it's the bread that makes a true "po' boy" sandwich -- a French bread known for being crispy on the outside so that it can hold up to the filling, with a light, airy interior. And a lot of that bread is made by G.H. Leidenheimer Baking Co.

The 110-year-old bakery, which supplied more than 1,000 shops and restaurants with this specialty bread, was forced to shut down a year ago Monday.

In the program, Sandy Whann, a fourth-generation family owner, tells how the company reopened on Oct. 9 and scrambled to find supplies and employees. Hundreds of thousands of gallons of water had to be shipped in, because the local water wasn't drinkable. Many of the employees were living on the bakery's site until they could get housing.

Whann said that about 50 percent of the Crescent City's "po' boy" shops were back in business when Leidenheimer started rolling out its bread again, and the numbers keep improving.

An official at the local food bank tells how volunteers helped distribute 8 million pounds of food the first month after Katrina hit. Some of the recipients are people who never thought they would need emergency-food relief, she said.

The program shows college students who spent their spring break rebuilding houses by day and partying in typical New Orleans fashion by night.

There's a lot of mouthwatering food footage in this program. And, earlier this month, Lagasse proved that the sky is, indeed, the limit when he had his New Orleans specialties fed to astronauts on the International Space Station. The recipes he chose for the crew were Emeril's Mardi Gras Jambalaya, Kicked-up Mashed Potatoes with Bacon, Green Beans with Garlic, Rice Pudding and Mixed Fruit.

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