Groundhog Day Louisiana Style: New Orleans T-Boy, Baton Rouge Boudreaux

The Swamp House at New Orleans Audubon Zoo that houses T-Boy Nutria, the Groundhog Day prognosticator - Image via Wikipedia

From Denny:  Groundhog Day contenders are popping up all over America.  Groundhogs are not native to Louisiana (because it's too hot) but we didn't allow a little factoid like that to stop us.  Louisiana likes its holidays so what effort was it to rustle up another creative idea than to draft the swamp rat nutria into the Groundhog Day?

Up in the northern part of America it's considered really bad news when a groundhog sees its shadow, foretelling another miserable six weeks of winter.  But here in Louisiana it means a spring that is shorter than usual.

A short spring means summer's grueling heat and drippy humidity will return sooner than desired.  So, you see, burrow-loving animals can come in handy to predict the weather both in the chilly North and the hottie Deep South.

Comfort Food From Louisiana: New Orleans Chef Sclafani Silver Medal Winner: Seared Scallops, Truffled Corn Pudding

Another scallop recipe by ulterior epicure via Flickr

Comfort Food From Louisiana: New Orleans Chef Sclafani Silver Medal Winner: Seared Scallops, Truffled Corn Pudding: "From Denny: President Obama is a huge fan of scallops, often ordering them when he dines out. Yeah, me too, as long as they are those huge honking ocean scallops! The beauty of scallops is they cook up quickly and are a light food for the summer heat.

This is one of the winning recipes from last week's New Orleans Wine and Food Experience (NOWFE), one of the top food and wine shows in America. The five-day event entertained a hungry and discriminating crowd in the Crescent City."