Happy Fat Tuesday!

Who can celebrate Mardi Gras when you've got a 9-5 desk job? I'll just have to transport myself back to New Orleans via memory. I was lucky enough to visit the city on a business trip about a year ago. I was still a lacto-ovo vegetarian and had not yet taken the vegan plunge.

I loved the city...its architecture, the Southern hospitality, the jazz music. I inherited my interest in jazz from my father, who saw many of the greats as a young man in New York City, including Louis Armstrong.

Preservation Hall is a must go-to for a jazz fix.

Local street musicians are everywhere.

The chef at Louisiana Bistro, which is just off the touristy-path of Bourbon Street, is very accomodating to vegetarians.

Bananas Foster may be one of the most brilliant dessert ideas...ever. Luckily, it is easy to veganize.

The sun shined on Jackson Square.

Artwork at Jackson Square.

Famous Cafe du Monde

Veganize their beignets and cafe au lait.

I love these balconies.

Gas lamps bring you back to another era.

They don't make houses like this any more. Modern home contruction usually lacks a "soul" in my opinion.


Yes, I now know what it means to miss New Orleans. While Bourbon Street and excessive drinking are just not for me, I believe when you travel you can make a city your own.

Visit Preservation Hall Jazz Band on MySpace.
Make your own Mardi Gras feast at home...jambalaya, dirty rice, collard greens and sweet potato pie.
Learn about the Make It Right Foundation, which is helping to build affordable, sustainable housing in the Lower 9th Ward.

One of the more modern songs from Preservation Hall Jazz Band:
Complicated Life