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American Morning
Food, Music and Fun in the Big Easy
Aired June 08, 2001 - 09:39 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: Every Friday morning, we take a couple of minutes to travel the globe through the eyes of our friends at "CNN TRAVEL NOW," who we're all very jealous of.
(LAUGHTER)
CNN travel correspondent Gail O'Neill is here to tell us about her trip to the Big Easy -- Gail, hi.
GAIL O'NEILL, CNN TRAVEL CORRESPONDENT: I keep telling you guys I'm like an anthropologist. I'm studying people and cultures.
And part of the best thing about traveling to New Orleans is the people, the food and the music, no question.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): New Orleans is a place that prides itself on good cooks. And Leah Chase is recognized as one of its best. Co-owner of Dooky Chase Restaurant, her profession is a natural extension of her personality.
LEAH CHASE, CHEF AND CO-OWNER, DOOKY CHASE RESTAURANT: I like feeding people. I like people. And I think if you can please people, if you see how happy they are after they eat, then you feel good.
O'NEILL: Commander's Palace has been attracting food-loving locals and visitors alike since 1880, with standouts like shrimp Tasso and Ponchatoula strawberry shortcake.
TI ADELAIDE MARTIN, COMMANDER'S PALACE: We like to respect and sort of revere the traditions, but we're about evolving and changing, and that's what Creole food is about. So we keep pushing the envelope, for sure.
O'NEILL: But in a city where heritage and tradition prevail, instinct also plays a role when it comes to the kitchen.
BETHANY BULTMAN, "COMPASS GUIDE TO NEW ORLEANS": I think it's a calling almost to be a chef, just like it is to be a musician. And it -- and as with musicians, they can go to Juilliard, but if it's not in their soul, they're never going to be very good.
(END VIDEOTAPE) O'NEILL: That kind of passion and expression is exactly what makes jazz so great. And when a cook brings the same kind of fire to the kitchen, great cuisine is the result.
It just so happens that New Orleans excels in both arenas so much so the city has become synonymous with great food, great fun and great jazz.
KELLEY: And they certainly have a lot of rich food. But, you know, a lot of folks are, well, into their weight and maybe they're into exercise. How do they balance that together?
O'NEILL: First of all, New Orleanians don't care about what the rest of the country is doing. And one of my interviewees, Bethany Bultman, put it best when said that "New Orleans is such a poor city, we've always had to make own fun. But we've learned to take the edge off of that poverty with a celebration of who we are in food and our music. So our joy, our sadness are always celebrated with the two."
And, as for healthy cuisine, Bethany said, "Honey, we don't have that here. We die young, but we die happy."
(LAUGHTER)
KELLEY: You know, there are a lot of chefs who are very well known, you know, in the New Orleans area. And "Bam!", I think of some those guys.
O'NEILL: Oh, yes.
KELLAN: Can everyday cooks do that, or is it best left to the professionals to get that just right or get that real spicy taste?
O'NEILL: You know, Donna, I think there's no such thing as success in the kitchen without heart. So if you have heart, if you have imagination, anyone can try their hands at New Orleans food. But if you need a little assistance you can log on to Web site at CNN.com/travel and take a look at the recipes we've posted on that Web site.
KELLEY: And since I'm working weekends now, we see you on the weekend for "TRAVEL NOW" certainly. Besides New Orleans, where are you going?
O'NEILL: If you tune in tomorrow morning at 6:30 and 11:00 Eastern time, we'll travel to the town of Tequila, Mexico where the spirit of the same name is produced. And we'll also take trip to Big Island of Hawaii, Leon, to sample some of their regional cuisine.
KELLEY: Tough job, but somebody's got to do it -- Gail O'Neill.
O'NEILL: That's what I keep telling him. I keep telling him.
KELLEY: Thanks -- Leon.
HARRIS: Hey, I agree with your friend, Bethany: If you've got to die, you might as well die stuffed and happy! There you go.
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