Julia Reed – författare

"Reed recounts with humor [post Katrina] home-improvement nightmares in a story that is part ''Money Pitt'' and part love letter to her adopted home town." —Washington Post, Front Page FeatureAfter fifteen years of living like a vagabond on her reporter''s schedule, Julia Reed got married and bought a house in the historic Garden District of New Orleans. Four weeks after she moved in, Hurricane Katrina struck. Rich with sumptuous details and with the author''s trademark humor, The House on First Street is the chronicle of a remarkable and often hilarious homecoming, as well as a thoroughly original tribute to our country''s most original city."What emerges from a heartrending, soul-stirring, rib-tickling and palate-prickling banquet of details is why Ms. Reed cannot leave New Orleans: love. It''s an undeceived devotion to a place and particularity that is admirable, and almost astonishing, in our increasingly deracinated culture." —Wall Street Journal"Reed shares this sliver of her life with a light, conversational tone, and though somewhat tangential, she conveys the richness of pace and flavor of the Big Easy as life gets back to ''normal'' without pretense." —Christian Science Monitor"Reed is a breezy writer who nicely captures the despair and elation of seeing the city slowly come back to life." —Chicago Sun-Times"With her usual keen eye for the quirky and outrageous, Reed finds much to amuse the reader in this delightful volume." —Cokie Roberts, ABC and NPR News, author of Ladies of Liberty"With great literary panache and a throaty humor, Julia Reed captures the magical allure of the city, its food and its people . . . destined to be a classic." —Walter Issacson, bestselling author of Einstein and Elon Musk

Consummate hostess and lifestyle expert Julia Reed shares her favorite New Orleans recipes and ways to create parties that exude this city's famously warm hospitality.This follow-up to Julia's bestseller Julia Reed's South showcases her entertaining know-how and that of her noted chef friends--and her love of New Orleans. Held in a variety of venues, from courtyards to gracious interior spaces, the gatherings' menus include such dishes as grillades, grits, and seafood gumbo, and cocktails ranging from the traditional Sazerac to a Satsuma Margarita. Featured are an elegant holiday dinner, a crawfish boil, and a lunch under the live oaks. All are presented in luscious photographs and include tips on setting tables, arranging flowers, and crafting playlists to create a festive mood.Julia's introduction traces the evolution of New Orleans cuisine, from its Creole beginnings to the culinary contributions of other ethnic groups. Sidebars cover iconic watering holes and local specialties such as the po-boy and the muffuletta, as well as events ranging from Mardi Gras to raucous St. Patrick's Day. This enticing cookbook is the ultimate primer is for every party-giver and anyone interested in "laissez bons temps roulez."

Along the way, Reed discovers the perfect Pimm's Royale at the Ritz Paris, devours delicious chuletons in Madrid, and picks up tips from accomplished hostesses ranging from Pat Buckley to Pearl Bailey and, of course, her own mother. Reed writes about the bounty-and the burden-of a Southern garden in high summer, tosses salads in the English countryside, and shares C.Z. Guest's recipe for an especially zingy bullshot. She understands the necessity of a potent holiday punch and serves it up by the silver bowlful, but she is not immune to the slightly less refined charms of a blender full of frozen peach daiquiris or a garbage can full of yucca flats. And then there are the parties: shindigs ranging from sultry summer suppers and raucous dinners at home to a Plymouth-like Thanksgiving feast and an upscale St. Patrick's Day celebration. This delightful collection of essays by Julia Reed, a master storyteller with an inimitable voice and a limitless capacity for fun, will show you how to entertain guests with style, have a good time yourself, and always have that perfect pitcher of sangria ready at a moment's notice.