What season is it in New Orleans?

Well it is spring but New Orleans really has many more seasons than the usual four. In fact, when my son was being tested for first grade another mother mentioned her son had a hard time when asked "What are the four seasons?" He responded: deer season, duck season, Mardi Gras and I forgot what he said for the fourth season. I can think of a season no one wants to mention, so I won't. However, right now it is crawfish season, the end of strawberry season and Jazz Fest is coming up.
I don't make crawfish ettouffee very often because it is so rich but I made some last weekend... There are many variations on the recipe for this dish but mine is adapted from a book by Holly Berkowitz Clegg called From a Louisiana Kitchen which was reprinted in 1983. (Click on the picture of the recipe to see a close up of it.) Ms. Clegg has written a number of cookbooks and writes about Louisiana cooking for a variety of publications.
Here are my personal notes on her recipe. She mentions 1 pound peeled crawfish tails with fat - what most people use comes from local vendors in one pound plastic bags. The crawfish are peeled packaged surrounded in their fat. I rinse the crawfish before using them. I don't want that extra fat!
And I like a lighter tasting dish.
Instead of using 1/2 cup water, I use 1/2 cup canned chicken broth.
She simply lists juice of lemon and I specifically use one to two teaspoons.

I also add a few tablespoons of finely chopped celery to the mixture of green pepper, onions and garlic which are sauteed in butter.

That is what I do, the second photo is a picture of the finished product.

Georgia Chadwick
Law Library of Louisiana

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Legislative Advocacy Training in New Orleans

Please join the Washington Affairs Office and the Government Relations Committee on Saturday, July 14, 2007 in New Orleans to learn how to become an effective advocate for libraries and librarianship. Advocacy is one of the three pillars of the AALL Strategic Directions, and this is the year to learn how to become an effective advocate. There are so many great things about this training we can’t list them all!

*Learn excellent communications skills...
*Get energized by the Washington Affairs Office contagious enthusiasm for information policy
*Meet smart and interesting colleagues
*Create a better world
*Use these skills on your stake holders, your boss and your colleagues to ask for what you really want!

There is no cost for this important training session, but please register by June 15 by contacting Elizabeth LeDoux, ebl22@law.georgetown.com. Space is limited, so register today! We have two exciting sessions, a morning session, from 8:30 to Noon, and an afternoon session for NEWER LAW LIBRARIANS (5 years or less in law librarianship), from 2:00 – 4:30.

All politics are local, and this is a great opportunity to learn more about AALL’s legislative agenda and how YOU can help us promote our positions in crucial policy and legislative matters. It is also a great opportunity to network with other librarians, learn effective advocacy skills and make a real impact on the future of our profession.

Join us in July for a day that will change your life!

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“AALL Afternoon at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas”

Please join us on Saturday, 14 July, from 2:00 to 4:00 pm for the “AALL Afternoon at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas”. AALL members and their children will be hosted on a self-guided tour of the amazing creatures at this facility. Come see the new animal collection, along with old favorites like the sea otters - Buck and Emma. The penguin colony at the Aquarium features African black-footed penguins and Rockhopper penguins. They are looking forward to seeing YOU!

Due to staffing and operation limitation at the Aquarium following Hurricane Katrina, the time for our family adventure...
will go from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Please walk with your families over to the front of the Aquarium. So that we may start our adventure on time, please plan to arrive no later than 1:45 p.m. The Aquarium is located at 1 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70130. Look for AALL members carrying posters saying “AALL Families”.

Should you want further information on the location or details about the Aquarium and its exhibits, please go to their website.

http://www.auduboninstitute.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Facility_Aquarium

To join us for this event, just complete the attached form and return no later than June 1, 2007. We look forward to hosting everyone for a fun and educational “AALL Afternoon at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas”!

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Volunteer Forms

Get your volunteer forms here! AALL needs YOU to volunteer for the annual meeting. You may access the volunteer form on the AALL website at http://www.aallnet.org/events/07_volunteers.asp or on the Local Advisory Committee website at http://www.lb5.uscourts.gov/AALL/volunteerform.html. All forms must be sent by email, fax, or U.S. Mail by June 8 to:

Miriam Childs,Volunteer Chair
Law Library of Louisiana
Louisiana Supreme Court
400 Royal St.
New Orleans, LA 70130
Phone: 504-310-2403
Fax: 504-310-2419
email: mchilds@lasc.org

Thanks in advance for your help!

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A cool day in New Orleans

An unseasonably chilly day this morning in New Orleans. Here's a shot out of one of our windows of Napoleon House, on the corner of Conti and Chartres, on this overcast day.

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