I just got back from a work trip to New Orleans, and let me tell you, I did some eating! I tried to be healthy because Alasdair and I are in weight loss mode after gaining the engagement 5-10, but do you know how hard it is to say no to a sandwich called the Ferdi Special which is dripping with roast beef, blackened ham, debris and gravy or only have one fried alligator bite when its been tossed in a delicious garlic chili aioli sauce? IT’S HARD. So I tried it all. I tried an oyster po’ boy at Stanley. I staved off hunger with a French-inspired poached egg salad at Lükes. I munched on the fried alligator and more at Cochon. I watched the waiters give the banana foster “blessing” at Brennan’s. And, of course, I devoured the Cafe Du Monde beignets. Red beans and rice, gumbo, jambalaya, fried shrimp, you name it, I ate it. And it was all delicious. Not a bad meal in that town.

But now, my pants are a little tight. I don’t regret the indulgence. I just know that I need to dive back into the healthy recipe world with a renewed vigor.

My idea for the next couple weeks is to recreate some of the meals I ate in New Orleans with a healthy spin. The Ferdi might be a once a year sandwich (it knocked me out for half a day) but fried shrimp over a caesar salad with pecans can be tweaked a bit so that you can enjoy it all year long. I can’t wait to experiment and share the results with you all!

So let’s say goodbye to the Ferdi and it’s super unhealthy friends and welcome back moderation and produce into my diet. I’m probably going to regret the cheesiness of what’s about to come next but for those of you that are familiar with the old movie, Bye Bye Birdie, hopefully you’ll appreciate this little tune:

Bye Bye Ferdi, I’m gonna miss you so

Bye Bye Ferdi, I’ve gotta let you goooo…..

A picture of my Ferdi at Mother’s Restaurant.