Iguess we all have both funny and

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1 Vote October 4 th sappho psalm by Toni J.P. Pizanie Psalmwrite@aol.com I had the pleasure of interviewing Judge Darryl Derbigny on his run for re-election to the Criminal District Court. Traveling around town for these interviews isn t always easy for me. Most of these men have offices downtown where parking is difficult and where they are most comfortable. Few are willing to drive out to Metairie to meet me at my home so that I can be comfortable. Judge Derbigny was one of the thoughtful who took time from his schedule to accommodate me. We sat in my kitchen over a pot of coffee and had a nice long visit. Derbigny, a native of the Seventh Ward, was elected to office in 2003 and has served New Orleans with pride and distinction. In 2008, he was considered one of the top three Judges in Docket Performance. Derbigny has served the city as New Orleans City Attorney from 1978 to From 1980 until 1984, he was the Managing Attorney for the New Orleans Legal Assistance Corp. He opened private practice from 1984 to 1989 before service in the Orleans Indigent Defender Program through Derbigny s service took him to Loyola Law School as a Clinical Professor and Ad Hoc Municipal Court Judge until 2003 when he was elected to the Criminal Court. The proud New Orleanian is the father of five adult sons. He is the seventh of nine children so a large family was natural for him. He is a graduate of Jesuit High School and Tulane University School of Law. He taught in the Orleans Parish Public School system. His college studies took him to New York City, Columbia University, and Europe, L Institut d Etudes Francaises d Avignon. Darryl Derbigny is another New Orleans success story. I found him to be personable and a delight to interview. On Gay issues, he rates 100%. Although he is a Roman Catholic, he believes in thinking for oneself. He believes in tolerance, love and acceptance. On abortion, he takes the stand that the decision is between the individual involved not the State. Government should not dictate. On Gay marriage, he says the government should stay out of the bedroom. It is about love and commitment, he said, not gender. On Gay adoption, he thinks that a stable and loving home is what is right for a child. The gender of the parents should not matter. I believe in the separation of church and state, he told me. He thinks of himself as a tolerant, liberal thinker. He is not affiliated with political groups that would try to force their views on him. His love of travel and education has taken Derbigny to many places where the culture of all people has been an important experience to developing his caring and strong character. He also loves languages and speaks Spanish as well as having a slight understanding of other languages. He brings this knowledge and life experience to criminal court as an aid to justice and fairness. He takes a progressive attitude toward incarceration. He believes strongly in the Drug Core Program introduced by Judge Cannizzaro to rehabilitate the young and non-violent. He speaks with jurors to learn what the average citizen wants and needs from their court system. Judge Derbigny believes in public debate on issues and has with the citizens of New Orleans made a study for the legalization of marijuana on social and financial grounds. Judge Derbigny is experienced and respected. But what is most important is that his integrity is unquestioned. He asks for your vote on October 4 th for re-election. He can be contacted through at campaign@judgederbigny.com. His web site for more information is or by calling Gustav Iguess we all have both funny and sad Gustav stories. I have a rather scary one but it was more from trying to help someone in need than from any storm. I also have a lot of great stories and I want to share a couple with you. As you know, Southern Decadence and hurricanes and my birthday fall one on top of the other most years. Gustav came and Southern Decadence went but my birthday was still a success with over a dozen calls from friends. Rip Naquin called to tell me that the Quarter had power and I should come down and spend the storm with them. I was grateful to know they were thinking of me. Your Orleans Parish State Representative Juan LaFonta called to make sure I was safe and invite Julie and me to sit at his table when he receives the award from the Forum for Equality. That was a great surprise and once again proves to me that he is a great and caring servant of the citizens of New Orleans. I don t live in his District anymore but he still cares. I asked Juan what was going on in Baton Rouge and he was not at all happy about the way State Reps were treated by Jindal. Reps were not allowed to take part in planning or given updated information on the happenings in their Districts. Juan said that some of the Baton Rouge crowd calls Jindal, Baby Jesus, because of his attitude towards himself. Julie Thompson called me from Austin where she and her family relocated for a week. Julie s daughter Karen lives in Austin and she never misses a chance to visit her grandsons. Paul Killgore called before leaving Sunday to assist his sister and her family in Baton Rouge. Randy Trahan spent four uncomfortable days at the Times-Picayune working but found time to check on me several times a day. And, of course, Many Stories, One Voice [continued on Main-18] MAIN~16 of 44 The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM Sept. 9-22, 2008 Official Southern Decadence Guide SouthernDecadence.COM

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3 Tailgating cookin' with auntie dee by Donnie Jay Photo GrahamStudioOne.COM Well the football season is upon us and it is time for tailgating whether it is at the game, before the game or just gathered together to watch the game. Here are some of my favorite things for a tailgate party. NO BAKE SNACK MIX 2 (8.75 ounce) packages of Bold Party Blend Chex Mix 1 (15 ounce) package raisins 1 (12 ounce) can honey-roasted peanuts 1 (7.5 ounce) package fish-shaped Cheddar cheese crackers Combine ingredients in a large bowl, chop chop by Rip & Marsha Naquin-Delain info@ambushmag.com New Orleans Restaurant Guide Bywater Restaurant, Deli & BBQ, 3162 Dauphine St., is noted for its gumbo, barbeque, pizza, sandwiches and specials. Hours are 11am-9pm Mon.-Fri., and 9am-9pm Sat. & Sun. Closed Wed. Call for additional info. MasterCard/ Visa accepted. Cafe Amelie, 912 Royal St., offers romantic courtyard or indoor dining along with both eclectic culinary creations and drinks. Serving lunch and dinner, Wed.- Sun. 11am-9pm, and Sun., brunch 10am- 3pm. Call for reservations or additional information. Clover Grill, 900 Bourbon St., is open 7 days and features breakfast including build your own omelettes. But let s not forget their fab burgers grilled right under a hub cap and then there s all those sandwiches, sides, desserts and shakes. Call or visit CloverGrill.COM. Country Club Restaurant, 634 Louisa St. Under the direction of new Chef Miles Prescott, you will find delightful menus offering French bistro cuisine including appetizers, soups, flatbreads, salads, sandwiches, wraps, entrees and desserts. Serving 7 days 11am-10pm. Call for additional information or visit TheCountryClubNewOrleans.COM. Krystal, 116 Bourbon at Canal, Open 24 hours, it's one of the best stops for fast food with tasty burgers, hot dogs and breakfast. Call for more info. Magazine Perks, 4332 Magazine, serves gourmet coffee, sandwiches, pastries, danish and cakes. Open 7 days 7am- 10pm. Call or visit MagazinePerks.COM. Marigny Perks, 2401 Burgundy, serves gourmet coffee, sandwiches, pastries, danish and cakes. Open 7 days 7am- 10pm. Call or visit mix well. Keep stored in an airtight container till ready to use. Yield: 15 ½ cups TURKEY, BACON AND HAVARTI SANDWICH 2 (7-inch) round loaves sourdough bread ½ cup balsamic vinaigrette 1 pound thinly sliced smoked deli turkey 2 jars (12 ounce) jars roasted red peppers 12 (1-ounce) slices Havarti cheese 8 fully cooked bacon slices Cut off top 2 inches of each sourdough loaf, reserving top; hollow out each loaf, leaving a 1-inch-shell. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons vinaigrette in each bread Mona Lisa Restaurant, 1212 Royal St., features Italian specialties including salads, pizzas, sandwiches and both lunch and dinner entrees. Lunch 11am-5pm Thurs.-Mon., Dinner 5pm-10pm 7 days. Call for info. NOLA Smoothies, 315 Decatur St., features smoothies, fresh juices, bubble tea, supplements and more. Two of the most popular smoothies are the Raspberry Cheesecake with raspberries, fat free cream cheese, honey, graham cracker, soy milk and whey protein, and the Bananas Foster with banana, brown sugar, low fat vanilla ice cream, isopure protein and soy protein. Open 7 days, Mon.-Sat. 10am-8pm and Sunday 10am-6pm. Call for delivery and information. Orleans Grapevine, 720 Orleans, is located in a beautifully renovated 1809 building offering a pleasant atmosphere, extensive wine list with over 350 selections and delicious food including prime steaks, lobster tails and rack of lamb. Serving dinner 5-11pm daily. Call for additional information. Petunias, A Restaurant, 817 St. Louis, is open daily 8am-10pm serving breakfast, brunch, lunch, crepes, po-boys, salads, gumbo, Cajun/Creole specialties and dinner. Call for more info. Quartermaster: The Nellie Deli, 1100 Bourbon St., was voted Restaurant/Deli of the Year once again and is open 24 hours 7 days. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, the deli offers free delivery. Call to order. Tomatillo's Restaurant, 437 Esplanade Ave., is open Tues., Wed. 11am- 10pm; Thurs.-Sun. 11am-11pm. The restaurant refers to itself as "A Mexican Joint" featuring appetizers, soups, salads, make your own combination plates, house specialties, burritos, desserts, and of course, specialty margaritas. Call for reservations. shell: layer each with ¼ pound of smoked turkey, ½ jar peppers, and 3 slices of the Havarti cheese. Repeat layers, and top each with four bacon slices. Drizzle each with 2 more tablespoons vinaigrette, and cover with reserved bread tops: press down firmly. Wrap each sandwich in plastic wrap. And chill at least one hour or up to eight hours before serving. Cut each sandwich into four wedges. Yield: Eight servings RED CABBAGE COLESLAW 1/3 cup pineapple juice ¼ cup sugar ¼ cup olive oil ¼ cup lime juice ¼ cup rice wine vinegar ½ teaspoon pepper 1/8 teaspoon hot sauce 1 large head red cabbage, finely shredded 1 small Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and chopped 1 large carrot, peeled and shredded 1 small purple onion, minced 6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled Whisk together the first eight ingredients in a large bowl until sugar dissolves. Add cabbage and the next three ingredients, tossing to coat well. Cover and chill at least one hour. Sprinkle with bacon before serving. Yield: eight to ten servings GRAPE TOMATOES WITH CAPERS 3 tablespoons small capers, drained 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 3 tablespoons olive oil ½ teaspoon pepper 2 pints grape tomatoes 6 large fresh basil leaves, shredded 3 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese Stir together the first five ingredients together. Rinse tomatoes, pat dry and place in a bowl. Drizzle the caper mixture over the tomatoes, tossing to coat. Let stand one hour. Sprinkle with basil leaves and cheese. Yield: six to eight servings ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE ¾ cup of butter, softened ¾ cup granulated sugar ¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar 2 large eggs 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons 1 teaspoon baking soda ¾ teaspoon salt 1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate morsels Beat butter and sugars at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until blended. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl; gradually add to mixture, beating well. Stir in morsels. Drop by tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for eight to fourteen minutes or until desired degree of doneness, Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: five dozen. VARIATIONS: PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE Decrease salt to ½ teaspoon. Add 1 cup creamy peanut butter with butter and sugars. Increase flour to 2 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons. Proceed as directed. (Dough will look a little moist.) PECAN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES Add 1 ½ cups chopped, toasted pecans with chocolate morsels. Proceed as directed. ALMOND TOFFEE CHOCOLATE Reduce chocolate morsels to 1 cup. Add ½ cup slivered toasted almonds and 1 cup toffee bits. Proceed as directed. MACADEMIA-WHITE CHOCOLATE Substitute white chocolate morsel for the semisweet chocolate chip morsels. Add 1 cup chopped Macadamia nuts. Proceed as directed. CRISPY CARAMEL CORN 1 cup sugar ½ cup butter ½ cup light corn syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon baking soda 2 (3 ounce) packages light butter microwave popcorn, popped 1 cup mixed nuts Stir together the first five ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove hot caramel from heat and stir in the baking soda. Place half the popcorn and nuts in each of two lightly greased shallow roasting pans. Pour hot caramel over popcorn mixture; stir well with a lightly greased spatula. Bake at 250 degrees for one hour, stirring every fifteen minutes. Spread on wax paper to cool, breaking apart large clumps as popcorn cools. Store in airtight containers. Yield: 16 cups You may contact me at donniejay@hotmail.com. sappho psalm...from Main-16 was postponed, and the national organizers checked on the local committee members. There were calls from New Jersey and New York, and everyone was concerned about how we were doing under the threat of Gustav and added a birthday wish for safety. Other than losing the contents of my refrigerator, having too much of my large Oak tree in pieces on the lawn, and having to eat my little birthday cake alone in the dark, this was not too bad as hurricanes and birthdays go. I lost five pounds; that s great. The house is OK. Freddie is still my sweetest and best companion. Most of my friends have returned safely to their homes here in New Orleans and Metairie. I have a lot to be thankful for. If there was a personal downside during the power outage, it was that there was no US Open coverage for several days. The TV came back just in time for the dynamic match between the Williams sisters. Today is another wonderful day of tennis, the sun is bright, the A/C is keeping me cool and I am planning for my trip to New Zealand in ten days. Could life be any better? MAIN~18 of 44 The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM Sept. 9-22, 2008 Official Southern Decadence Guide SouthernDecadence.COM

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5 big easy paparazzi Southern Decadence Susan Lucci s Eva, Rip, Nicklaus, John & Marsha at JohnPaul s still in town on SD Sunday doing the SD Bar Crawl LA s Freddy, Orlando s Randy & New Orleans' Shawn at Lafitte s on reopening day Paul & John fed numerous first responders & locals before, during and after Gustav at JohnPaul s Lafitte s brought Bill & David out for a cocktail Nicklaus joins Phoenix s Marty on the SD Bar Crawl on SD Sunday Marcos does the SD Bar Crawl SD Sunday at the Phoenix DJ, barback & showgirl Coca fills in at Lafitte s Frank, Stephen, Mike, Bill & Chuck reopen The Double Play Bessie Ann & Friendly Bar s Jim join JohnPaul s John on their arrival back in the city Big Daddy s Rusty, Bywater Restaurant s Mike & Quartermaster s Cricket grab a cold one at JohnPaul s Marty & Rene welcome you back to The Friendly Bar Dudley & Chris welcome you to Cutter s Hurricane Gustav Survivors ~ New Orleans Regina, Javier, Wendy & CW reopen with a fab BBQ for survivors at Starlight Bourbon Street a ghost town as Gustav approaches Tanya & Mike welcome all back to the city at 700 Club Pitty Pat & Wayne welcome you to Big Daddy s Manager Corey & bartender Jeff reopen Lafitte s on Tuesday after the storm SDGM XXXV Tittie Toulouse arrives back in the city at Starlight in her "parade that didn t happen wig" Stephen & Jeff pop in to Cafe Lafitte In Exile Princesse Stephaney & Coca do the first Drag Dingo following Gustav at Oz MAIN~20 of 44 The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM Sept. 9-22, 2008 Official Southern Decadence Guide SouthernDecadence.COM