New Orleans! Page 7

  “So with the money from tonight’s gig and the list of reservations we’ve got for the coming weeks, we’ll have no problem getting you the rent we owe,” Virgil was saying.

  “That’s terrific, Virgil, really,” Charlie said between bites of alligator tail. “I’m so thrilled!” The two men shook hands, and then Virgil walked toward Alfie and Emilia. Alfie thought he seemed more relieved and happy than he had the whole time they’d been there.

  Just then Jules hurried over as well. “Ready to start the next set?” he asked Virgil.

  “Yep. I was just coming to see if Alfie wanted to join us for a couple of songs on the drums.”

  “Me?” Alfie wasn’t sure he’d heard Virgil right.

  “Yes, you!” Virgil laughed. “Teddy told me you were learning. What do you say?”

  Alfie’s cheeks were warm. “Uh, I don’t know. I mean, I’m really just starting to learn . . .”

  Emilia nudged his arm. “You can do it! I’ve seen you drumming with forks, sticks, spoons, anything you can find lately!”

  “Come on, little man.” Jules put his arm around Alfie’s shoulder and led him toward the stage. “Sam will show you an easy rhythm you can hold.”

  Alfie’s heart beat fast in his chest as he sat on Sam’s drum stool. Sam had shown him the beat and let him practice a few times, giving him some pointers. Virgil had just switched off the recorded music they put on during the break and stood in front of the microphone. Alfie strained to see out into the crowd—the hot lights were very bright. He could see Emilia standing front and center, waving frantically. That made him feel better.

  “Thanks again for coming out tonight, everyone. And thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Ellsworth for the wonderful party!” Virgil said. The audience clapped and cheered.

  “Please continue to enjoy the food made by La Salle Royale’s new chef, the one and only Delphine! We’ve got a bunch more music to play for y’all, so I hope you’re ready to start dancing. Oh, and one last thing before we get going, we also have a special guest drummer up here to do a couple of songs with us, so please give a warm welcome to our friend Alfredo Bertolizzi!”

  Alfie smiled and waved his drumsticks as the crowd clapped and whistled. He liked hearing his full name amplified across the club. Maybe he would use Alfredo as his musician name. Virgil counted out “one, two, three, four,” and the band began to play. Alfie’s nervousness melted away as he drummed the beat and started getting into the music.

  He played three songs and then Sam appeared to take his place. “You did great!” Sam told him. Alfie walked across the stage, shaking hands with the La Salle kids as he went. He’d never felt happier, or more proud of himself.

  When he hopped off the edge of the stage, Emilia threw her arms around him in a big hug, and he actually let her. “You were amazing!” she cried.

  They made their way over to the kitchen and pushed the door open. Rex and Delphine grinned at Alfie.

  “Way to go!” Rex shouted. “That was awesome!”

  “You two get on over here and grab a piece of this Doberge cake before it all disappears,” Delphine said. She handed them each a big slice of cake covered in glossy chocolate frosting. The yellow cake had at least eight chocolate layers in between, if Alfie had counted correctly.

  “I made it as a special thank-you to y’all for helping me remember how much I love filling people’s stomachs and souls with my cooking.”

  “Thank you, Delphine,” Emilia and Alfie said before digging into their cake. They wandered back out to the club to hear the band play.

  “This is like the best birthday cake times a hundred,” Alfie said, taking another bite of the rich-but-fluffy goodness.

  “Remember that chocolate cake Dad tried to make as a surprise for my tenth birthday?” Emilia said.

  Alfie laughed. “I still can’t believe the fire department didn’t show up—there was so much smoke in the kitchen!”

  “It was supposed to bake for thirty minutes and because of a smudge of batter on the recipe page, Dad thought it said an hour and thirty minutes!” Emilia said.

  “I’ll never forget the look on Dad’s face after the smoke cleared,” said Alfie.

  “That cake was so burned it looked like coal!” Emilia added.

  “Mom had to save the day by picking up a cake at Sweet Life Bakery,” Alfie remembered. “It was good, but it wasn’t as good as this.”

  “Yeah, this is the best cake ever.” Emilia scraped the rest of the chocolate frosting from her plate.

  The band was going into their final song of the night. Alfie caught Nanette’s and Teddy’s eyes as they played and waved to them onstage. He popped the last bite of cake into his mouth. Just then, he felt his world shift a little bit. He gave one last look around the club at all the laughing, dancing, eating, and very happy people before . . .

  . . . He was suddenly back in his kitchen at home, standing next to Zia Donatella. She was just finishing up her bowl of gumbo, as if nothing had happened and no time had passed. But Alfie only needed to see Emilia’s face to know that yes, something had happened—again.

  “You know, I was thinking—” Zia started to say.

  “Wait!” Alfie cried. “How long were we gone?” It was all so crazy. Seconds ago they were in a jazz club in New Orleans—now they were back.

  Zia cocked her head to one side and said, “Che vuoi dire? What do you mean?”

  “Ziiiaaa . . . ,” Emilia said, drawing out her name.

  Zia had the most innocent look on her face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Alfie laughed and shook his head. Zia was impossible! Someday he’d figure it out. But for now, he guessed he’d just keep on enjoying the adventures.

  “Anyway,” Zia said, “I was thinking about our conversation during the picnic today—of all the different places we all want to visit. Maybe we need to start making a list.”

  “Good idea!” Alfie said. He had more ideas than he could count.

  “There is so much to see and do in your own country and in mine. Italy is mi casa, my home,” Zia continued. “But there is always something new I can discover there.”

  “I want to see the Colosseum in Rome,” Emilia said.

  “I want to go boating on Lake Como,” Alfie said.

  “See? Esattamente, exactly!” said Zia. “And I want to visit San Francisco, and your dad wants to go mountain biking in the Rockies.”

  “That does sound pretty awesome,” Alfie said.

  “So much to see and do,” Zia repeated. “And so important to take time and really understand what makes each place special.”

  “But that’s the problem,” said Alfie. “There are so many places here in the US and around the world. How will we ever see—and taste—it all?”

  Zia smiled with a hint of magic in her eyes. “We’ll just have to take it one city at a time. Now, let me think—what should be primeiro on the list?”

  A Note from Giada

  When I think of New Orleans, I hear trumpets blaring and see people dancing through the streets with bright beads dangling from beautiful wrought iron balconies. I think of a colorful city that has almost every type of architecture imaginable, from Creole cottages to grand mansions, from the French Quarter to skyscrapers reaching up into the clouds. This city is steeped in so much history that it’s impossible not to turn a corner and run into a story about its past.

  The real reason I love New Orleans? It is a melting pot not only of cultures but of foods and tastes. It’s what makes New Orleans one of the top food destinations in the whole world. There is a pride carried throughout the city for its mixed culture that is directly reflected in the food—and that’s why you can’t find this food anywhere but New Orleans, like beignets, gumbo, or étouffée. It kind of reminds me of Italy in that way, which I love.

  Visit New Orleans hun
gry, ready to dance through the streets, and with a desire to learn about its history. Each time I go, it’s like the very first time!

  A Note from Giada

  When I think of New Orleans, I hear trumpets blaring and see people dancing through the streets with bright beads dangling from beautiful wrought iron balconies. I think of a colorful city that has almost every type of architecture imaginable, from Creole cottages to grand mansions, from the French Quarter to skyscrapers reaching up into the clouds. This city is steeped in so much history that it’s impossible not to turn a corner and run into a story about its past.

  The real reason I love New Orleans? It is a melting pot not only of cultures but of foods and tastes. It’s what makes New Orleans one of the top food destinations in the whole world. There is a pride carried throughout the city for its mixed culture that is directly reflected in the food—and that’s why you can’t find this food anywhere but New Orleans, like beignets, gumbo, or étouffée. It kind of reminds me of Italy in that way, which I love.

  Visit New Orleans hungry, ready to dance through the streets, and with a desire to learn about its history. Each time I go, it’s like the very first time!

  Zia’s Bananas Foster

  INGREDIENTS

  2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  2 bananas, cut into 1/2-inch slices

  1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  1 cup jarred dulce de leche (or your favorite caramel sauce)

  Vanilla ice cream, to serve

  Mini chocolate chips, to serve

  MAKES:

  6 servings

  PREP TIME:

  3 minutes

  COOKING TIME:

  5 minutes

  NOTE:

  Make sure you have a parent or adult help you make this recipe.

  DIRECTIONS:

  In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter until it begins to bubble. Add the bananas in a single layer and let cook for about 1 to 2 minutes or until they begin to brown on one side. Using a rubber spatula, flip the bananas over to slightly brown the other side.

  Sprinkle the bananas with the cinnamon, and cook for another 30 seconds, stirring occasionally. Add the dulce de leche and mix gently. Simmer for 1 minute. Allow the caramel mixture to cool slightly before spooning over vanilla ice cream and sprinkling with mini chocolate chips.

  A little bit of heaven!

  Zia’s Gumbo

  INGREDIENTS

  1/2 cup vegetable oil

  1/2 cup flour

  1 small onion, chopped

  2 stalks celery, chopped

  1 small red pepper, seeded and diced

  2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

  1 1/2 teaspoon salt

  1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  1/2 teaspoon ground thyme

  1/4 teaspoon allspice (optional)

  1 pound andouille sausage or spicy Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed

  3 cups chicken broth

  1 bay leaf

  MAKES:

  4 servings

  PREP TIME:

  10 minutes

  COOKING TIME:

  25 minutes

  NOTE:

  Make sure you have a parent or adult help you make this recipe.

  DIRECTIONS:

  In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly until it is a dark amber color (like roasted peanut butter), about 10 minutes. Add the onion and cook an additional 3 minutes or until soft. Add the celery, red pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, for another 2 minutes.

  Stir in salt, pepper, ground thyme, and allspice (if using). Add the sausage and break into 1/2-inch pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook until the sausage is brown, about 5 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth and add the bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and allow to cook, over medium-low heat, for 20 minutes, stirring every so often to prevent scorching. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Serve over rice or with crusty bread.

  You'll think you're in New Orleans!