September/October 2007

From the President. . .

Dear Patio Planters,

In July, we were saddened to lose two dear Patio Planters, former Patio Planter president, Gordon Maginnis, and Bob Richmond, husband of Patio Planter board member, Barbara Richmond. In memory of Bob Richmond, members Bob and Beth Mazur made a donation of $75.00 to Patio Planters. Thank you.

We are now in the beginning of the end of the long hot summer, if you can forgive my optimism at the very beginning of September, which can be as merciless as August in terms of heat and humidity. September and August also represent the peak of hurricane season (did I say optimism?). Nevertheless, the Pot Luck Supper is soon upon us as you will note in an accompanying article. Many thanks are due to Barbara Richmond and Tom McGinn, who chair this event. Please note the change of date to Wednesday September 26 at Le Petit Th??tre. Yes, we will be air-conditioned!!!

We were quite active on the meeting front and pleased by the response of so many members to the format we used at the August General Membership Meeting. Although we had cleared all out dates with Le Petit Th??tre, there was a mix up as the small stage was occupied with a rehearsal and Andrew was on vacation, unbeknownst to us. We decided to experiment with a “salon” style meeting arrangement, which created a more intimate and relaxed format for both the business and guest presentation segments. I received many positive comments, encouraging us to try the same approach for our next meeting. So, it was lemons into lemonade.

Also at that meeting, we had a substitute guest performer, Chuck Perkins, who regaled us with his New Orleans inspired poetry/theater.

At our July meeting Leslie Perrin presented a fascinating lecture and slide show of her trip to Viet Nam and other parts of Southeast Asia. Sam Poché not only favored us at the post meeting reception with culinary delights from that region, she also offered a culinary workshop/comedy routine on making those same food items. She really knows how to swing a spring roll as anyone who was at the rollicking event can attest! And you know what I mean!

Coming up we have Ed Wallace from the Crescent City Bird Club on September 5th and Maureen Detweiler, local leader of the antique rosarians, on October 3rd.  Program chair Lyn Gladney announced at our August meeting that Rod Gates, horticulturist at the Royal Sonesta will be our November speaker. There is a strong possibility that we may move our General Membership Meeting to the Royal Sonesta for one of the summer meetings in 2008. Stay tuned and read your Punch!

I have appointed a new Finance Committee, consisting of Treasurer Adrienne Hartsock, immediate Past President Sam Poché and myself. We will be crunching the numbers of income and expenditure for all of our events and activities to better determine cash flow. While we are determined to maintain the quality of every thing we do, we also must ensure that pricing accurately supports that quality.

Which brings me to a very important point. To support our gift to the community, Caroling by Candlelight in Jackson Square, and help subsidize other activities, we stage various fundraising events, especially in the fall. Our first event, Secret Gardens of the Vieux Carre, will be held October 6th and  7th in five different patios each day. Please volunteer to help Debbie Mallernee (329-8875 or dmallernee@cox.net) as a patio docent. Debbie is also chairing the Holiday Home Tour on Sunday, December 16th, 2:00-4:30 PM. Please volunteer your home or time as a docent to help us with this last fundraiser.

We will have flyers for the Secret Gardens of the Vieux Carré at the September 5th meeting for members to distribute.

Also, please read a very important message from Sam Poché and Leslie Perrin in this issue of the Punch regarding the White Elephant Sale & Auction on Saturday, November 10th, at KIPP McDonogh 15 School on St. Philip Street. We need auction items, trash & treasures, volunteers and items for our baskets of cheer. Please invite your friends and family to participate in this fun and crucial event.

I hope to see you Wednesday, September 5th, 6:00 PM, at Le Petit Th??tre du Vieux Carr?!

Stephen M. Swain

From our Membership Chair . . .

Keep those cards, letters, e-mails and membership renewals coming in! We still have a few members who have not renewed for 2007, but we need you more than ever! Check for a * BRIGHT RED STAR * on your address label. That means it's time NOW to take a minute to write that check. There is a membership renewal form in the Punch or just contact us!

Please welcome the following 2007 members:

• Sarah Crea
• Julia B. Jessup  
• Adele Wallace

Paula Chavis

From our Program Chair . . .

As we near the end of summer and our courtyard flowers are fading, the September program looks to the sky. Our guest speaker will be Ed Wallace, an avid birder who was recommended to me through a contact with the Audubon Society. Ed will talk about the common birds one would expect to see in the more urban spaces of our city and how avifauna changes during the course of the year. It promises to be an interesting presentation from a very knowledgeable birder.  Also, in a rare repeat performance, Sam Poché will prepare and demonstrate the much enjoyed TACOS TO GO GO recipe creation. So you’ll be treated to a fun festive snack after the meeting.

Many thanks to Chuck Perkins for his wonderful poetry performance at our August meeting. He was delightful! Future meetings will include the celebrated rosarian Maureen Detweiler on October 3 and Rod Gates from the Royal Sonesta presenting "Embracing Global Warming:Taking chances with new tropical plants in New Orleans" on November 7.  In January, local comedian and French Quarter resident Marcia Wall will present French Quarter comedy and share some of her French Quarter photography. I am looking forward to all of these programs and hope you are too!

Lyn Gladney

Our Upcoming Events . . .

Our Pot Luck Supper

The date of our annual Pot Luck Supper has been changed to Wednesday, September 26, 2007. We are very fortunate this year to have our gathering at Le Petit Th??tre, 616 Saint Peter Street, from 6 PM to 9 PM. You will be enjoying an evening with friends and neighbors in the air-conditioned lobby of the theatre and its courtyard.

For your pleasure we will once again have musical entertainment. The club will provide a honey-baked ham and turkey. We will also take care of your thirst with wine, beer and soft drinks. All we ask is that you come and bring your friends. Admission is still $5.00 to all. We are hoping that the person who brought the fabulous potato salad to last year’s dinner will bring it again this year.

Judy Walker, food editor of the Times-Picayune, has been invited. So bring your best appetizer, side dish or dessert to impress her.

Barbara Richmond & Tom McGinn 

Our White Elephant Sale and Auction

Each year Quarterites and citizens throughout the city eagerly anticipate the White Elephant Sale & Auction.  Please mark your calendar because November 10, 2007 is inching closer each day.  Donations are starting to come in, but we still need more items.  Gift certificates for lunch or dinner, hotel nights, haircuts, cosmetics, fitness programs, gourmet goodies and specialty items are just a few types of donations we are looking for.  We are asking our membership to help us collect them.  If you or someone you know can help us to make this more successful, we want to know about it.  Caroling by Candlelight is funded solely by Patio Planters through these fundraising events.  Your donations make this happen.

Volunteers are still needed for the day of the Sale & Auction, so please get your hands out of your pockets and pick up the phone. Call Sam at 504-319-6226 or Leslie at 504-722-5820.  Or email us at sam@fqr.com  or leslieaperrin@aol.com 

Don’t forget Baskets of Cheer!  Betty Kern and her committee are looking to you to help provide donations of wine, beer and tasty stuffings.  We will need home baked goodies at the Cake & Coffee booth.  Barbara Richmond is counting on your latest or late fashion donations for the Sacks Thrift Avenue booth.  Trash & Treasures will turn your sow’s ear into a silk purse, so please clean out your closets.  Savvy stylish jewels are needed for the Jewelry Booth.  We still need donations for books, plants etc. 

If you haven’t done so yet, get in on the good time.  Volunteers are still needed for this fundraiser.  Please call us and join in. 

Leslie Perrin and Sam Poché

Things you never knew your cell phone could do ...

Contributed by Carmen Carter

Your cell phone can actually be a life saver or emergency tool for survival. Check out the things that you can do with it:

1. Emergency

The Emergency Number worldwide for mobile is 112. If you are out of the coverage area of your mobile network and there is an emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you. Interestingly, this number, 112, can be dialed even if the keypad is locked. Try it out.

2. Have you locked your keys in the car?

Does your car have remote keyless entry? If your spare remote is at home, call someone at home from your cell phone. Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock button into their phone. Your car will unlock. Distance is no object -- you could be hundreds of miles away.

3. Hidden Battery Power

If your cell battery is very low, press the keys *3370#.  Your cell will restart with this reserve, and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you charge your cell phone the next time.

4. How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone

To check your mobile phone's serial number, key in the following digits on your phone: *#06#.   A 15-digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. If your phone gets stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the  SIM card, your phone will be totally useless. You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be no point in people's stealing mobile phones.

5. Free Information Calls

Cell phone companies charge $1.00 to $1.75 or more for 411 information calls.  If you need to use the 411 information option, simply dial (800) FREE 411 or (800) 373-3411 without incurring any charge at all. Program this into your cell phone now!

Recipe to Share

by Sam Poché

Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce

Vietnamese fresh spring rolls are essentially a self-contained salad to go.  Crisp raw vegetables and minced fresh herbs from your garden, along with cooked shrimp, all rolled into a neat little package, make a delicious refreshing snack or hors d’oeuvre.   You’ll need to make a trip to an Asian market for some of these ingredients, but a road trip to the Westbank’s Hong Kong Market will be an adventure you won’t forget.  

PEANUT SAUCE

2 1/2 Tbl tamari (or soy sauce)
1 tsp sesame oil
3 Tbl water
1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
3 tsp German mustard (Creole works too)
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp ginger, minced
2 tsp honey
1 tsp crushed red chile flakes

SPRING ROLLS

2 oz rice sticky noodles
16 pcs 21-25 shrimp, cooked, peeled
1 cup grated carrot
1 cup julienned peeled seeded cucumber
6 large leaf red lettuce
2 Tbl mint leaves, chopped
2 Tbl basil leaves, chopped
2 Tbl cilantro, chopped
8 spring roll wrappers 

Combine all ingredients for peanut sauce, set aside.  (Peanut sauce can also be purchased ready to eat at market.) Soak rice sticky noodles in very hot water for 15 minutes, until soft.  Quickly dip wrapper in hot water.  Wrapper will feel rubbery.  Lay flat on chopping board and layer small amounts of each ingredient in one corner of wrapper.  Fold corners on left and right in, diaper style, then fold corner closest to you over, and roll. This may take a little practice, but the end result tastes delicious and is worth the effort.  Place in dish on damp paper towels.  Cover with damp paper towels and store in refrigerator for 1 hour before serving.   Makes 8 Rolls     Enjoy!

Recipe to Share

by Sam Poché

Green Mango Salad

1 lb green mangos, julienned (approx 2 or 3 depending on size)
2 limes, rind and juiced
2 Tbl sugar
2 Tbl nuoc cham
2 green Thai chilies, seeded, finely sliced (OK to use cayenne pepper )
1 bunch cilantro, stalks removed, finely chopped
1/4 tsp salt 

Don’t use ripened  mangos for this salad.  The crunchy texture of the green mango is what gives this simple salad the sought-after tart flavor that is desired.  Peel, halve and stone the mangoes.  Slice them into julienne strips.  Mix together lime juice, shaved rind, sugar and nuoc cham.  Add mango strips with the chilies and cilantro. Add salt to taste and let stand at least 30 minutes.  Delicious served cold or at room temperature.  Serves 4

Recipe to Share

by Tom McGinn

Artichoke Casserole

3 cans artichoke hearts (drained & cut into small pieces)
4 oz artichoke liquid (from the can)
1 1/2 cups Italian bread crumbs
8 oz parmesan cheese
6 oz olive oil (start with 4 oz and drizzle as needed)
3 to 4 toes of garlic 

Place garlic and cheese into food processor and chop until fine.  Add bread crumbs, olive oil and artichoke liquid.  Run processor until everything is mixed well.  Put cut up artichoke hearts & mixture into greased baking dish and mix by hand. Spread the mixture & put thin layer of sliced butter or margarine on top. Bake in 350-degree oven for 45 to 60 minutes.  

The Thorn Tree’s Tale

by Steve Swain

Many a tourist and some of you have asked me about the curious thorn tree that grows to one side of my front door on Bourbon Street. It may be hard to believe, considering its size, but I grew it from a seed I planted in 1988.

You French Quarter veterans might remember Larry, now passed away, who lived in the Valentine House at 1209 Bourbon Street. We called it the Valentine House because of the striking combinations of pink, red and lavender (but mostly pink!) paint that graced the Victorian fa?ade of that painted lady camelback. In contrast to that sweetheart whimsy of a house, a spindly volunteer thorn tree with vibrant, glossy green leaves emerged from beneath the stoop. Some stray seed had lodged in that unlikely spot and grew to become the exotic, if prickly, sentinel at the very edge of the Valentine stoop. The tree was much admired for its strange beauty and provided quite a conversation piece for Mr. Larry.

However, that very placement of the seed proved to be its fatal undoing. Because the seed had found only a small crack in the masonry in which to germinate, the tree never developed a sufficiently strong trunk to support the head. A windstorm toppled the thorn tree with a clean break at the very base. The tree was removed and was not allowed to re-sprout.

I was lamenting the disaster to a neighbor at 1120 Bourbon Street, who promptly informed me that the mother thorn tree, covered with seedpods, was in his patio. I quickly procured several seeds and the rest is history.

The mother tree is no more, but mine is grown up almost to the top of my second story, though I trim it often. The Texas ebony, a close relation of the Mexican ebony, grows on the gulf coast of southern Texas and Mexico. Each spring and early summer the top is covered with puffy white flowers, similar to the mimosa style, which exude a strong, sweet licorice scent, attracting a bevy of honeybees. The tree is now covered with seedpods and vicious thorns, which discourage fence hopping. I just think of it as an organic glass shard wall topper. By the way, since those days, the former Valentine House has been repainted a very quiet, understated color.

Patio Patter

• Curious Minds want to know who went where, and who is doing what!
• Please keep us abreast at patiopatter@gmail.com

We have exciting news from KIPP McDonogh No. 15.

According to the Times-Picayune:

"Gary Robichaux, principal of KIPP McDonogh No. 15 School for the Creative Arts, will leave KIPP New Orleans to become the state-run Orleans school district's deputy chief academic officer, a senior position. Robichaux, 45, will take charge of schools serving kindergarten through eighth grade. Heidi Campbell, a former assistant principal for creative arts and instruction at KIPP McDonogh 15, will take over for Robichaux at KIPP McDonogh 15. Campbell completed the KIPP principal training program at Stanford University this summer."

Congratulations to both!

Also, while we're on the subject of French Quarter schools, we welcome Dominican Sister Bernadette Mathieson, the new principal at the Cathedral Academy.

Several members including John & Karen Murphy just returned from a trip with The Royal Order of the Obituary Cocktail to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

Don & Betty Kern just returned from a leisurely exotic trip to Russia.

Dr. Mary Jo Wright was recently awarded The Spirit Award by the American Cancer Society.