It’s a warm breezy Saturday afternoon and I find myself walking through the beautiful historic St. Charles neighborhood of New Orleans. With this being my first trip to the “Big Easy,” I had a lot of preconceived ideas of what I thought it would be; based mostly on films that I had seen in the past. If you could dream about what you think New Orleans looks like, this would be it.
It is within this uptown section of “nawlins” that I met up with Grammy award winning musician and composer Terence Blanchard and his lovely wife Robin in their home. On any other occasion, I would have loved to just spend time talking about his music and the fact that he was instrumental in creating the soundtracks to some of my favorite movies: Eva’s Bayou, Sugar Hill, Malcolm X and Mo Better Blues. But today is all about the food.
Their home is very warm and inviting. Perfect for those summer and holiday dinner parties with family and friends. From the onset of the interview, it was clear that both were self proclaimed foodies. Like many couples, they share a lot favorites and love experiencing different types of food as well. But what I love about both of them is the need to keep it simple. Robin with a great bottle of red wine accompanied with bread and cheese while a simple meal for Terence is gumbo or fried oysters. On the previous night, Robin noted that dinner consisted of fried apples, smoked salmon, bagels with cream cheese, Belgium waffles and sausage topped off blueberry mojitos. Simple yet delicious.
They are lovers of all types of cuisines and know their limits, especially the fact that the combination of Italian and Creole food is just not as forgiving on their waistlines as they would like it to be. Terence’s busy schedule traveling in and out and around the country presents the perfect opportunity to taste food that can’t be found at home. “When I’m on the road, unless I have a specific craving for something, I always try to experience the culture where I am.” Terence also adds “we love tasting and sampling foods from other countries. But I have to say that my wife has broadened my world and she is not afraid to try something new so I usually will follow her lead. We love traveling the world and learning about other cultures, but we are always looking for our next favorite dish!”
Back at home, they enjoy creating the cuisines of world in their own kitchen that was renovated after moving in over a year ago. They took advice from Lea Chase, proprietor of the infamous Dookie Chase restaurant, about staying true to their personalities and creating a space that was inviting and comfortable. From the look of each room, they did just that.
While a personal chef is always appealing, the Blanchards like cooking for themselves and the experience that comes with it. In addition, as a frequent entertainer, Robin enjoys setting the menu as well as preparing all of the food. It is no thing for her to cook for 50 people but the key is to keep it fresh and simple.
What I thought would be a quick hour interview, turned into an afternoon of true southern hospitality. As I was leaving, I remembered the saying that everything you need and want is right in your backyard. And for Terence and Robin, this means no matter how much they may enjoy different foods while traveling around the world, it is food of their beloved New Orleans that wins hands down anytime.
To learn more about Terence Blanchard and upcoming performances, visit www.terenceblanchard.com.
Photos by Michael Foster
