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Rome Colosseum: Underground, Arena & Forum VIP Access

January 2, 2013 By Leave a Comment
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Whether you’re on a quest to see the New 7 Wonders of the World, adventuring off your bucket list, or you’re taking a grand European tour, a VIP visit to Rome’s Colosseum and Forum sites should not be missed.  In particular, there’s a special experience that I highly recommend – visiting the Colosseum’s underground dungeon area, taking a stroll on arena floor (the “stage”), and seeing Rome from the Colosseum’s third tier. All of these special areas are kept under lock and key – but are accessible via special access…

I had the opportunity to meet up with Vincenzo, one of the fabulous Walks of Italy guides – and tagged alongside the VIP Access Colosseum and Forum Tour*. Walks of Italy’s small group VIP tour grants special access to otherwise off limit areas within the Colosseum and Forum areas, and I was lucky enough to be able to catch up with Vincenzo’s group.

Vincenzo is a true raconteur – a spirited storyteller who creates a lively and interactive environment. Vincenzo is simply charming, his knowledge and personality carry us through the day.

Escorted behind gated areas, I noticed we caught more than a few curious glimpses from the other tourists. I could literally feel their curiosity pique.  Where were we going? What kinds of treasured experiences were we going to encounter (that they would not)? How did we arrange for all of this, and, seriously, what’s behind all of that security?

In addition to the many hovering “Curious Georges”, I also noticed more than a handful of people try to sneak into the restricted access areas or voluntarily tag themselves along our tour (to be honest, I don’t blame them one bit. It would be heartbreaking to come all the way to Rome and then find out that a little advance planning could have made for an entirely different experience.  Luckily, Vincenzo and the Colosseum staff watch the group like a hawk, so the sneak-aboards aren’t too successful).

To give you a taste of the special access (but not to give the tour secrets away), here are some of the photos of the Colosseum underground tunnels and dungeon area.

The underground dungeon area provides a glimpse into the brilliance of its architectural design. As we walked through the underground dungeon, I wondered if this type of layout inspired today’s modern Cirque du Soleil shows (killing differences aside) — with tunnels, trap doors, and spaces for storing show props and house animals.

On the main level, we were able to experience the true “gladiator” experience.  The main platform is also a restricted access area.  Walking out onto the main deck alone provides a small glimpse into what it would have been like to be the gladiator with all of the Colesseum attendees watching your every move. It’s probably the closest that I’ll ever feel like a gladiator.

The tour continues into other special areas of the Colesseum and then winds its way through the vast Forum area.

Many thanks to Walks of Italy for providing an unforgettable experience – and to Vincenzo for being such an inspiring and entertaining raconteur!

In Italy, the customary way to wish someone “Happy Holidays” is “Buone Feste!” or “Tanti auguri!” and to say “Happy New Year!” is “Buon Capodanno!”

To celebrate the New Year, Walks of Italy has a special deal going on until March 1, 2013! Low Sodium Blog readers who book any Walks of Italy services can receive a 15% off discount off all Walks of Italy services through 2013 (the Walks of Italy services have to be booked/paid before March 1, 2013).

To take advantage of the discount, simply book online and enter discount code WALKSLOVESBLOGGERS into the appropriate field.

Enjoy Italy and “Buon Capodanno!”

*Disclaimer: Walks of Italy sponsored my VIP Access – Colosseum Underground, Arena & Forum Rome Tour; the opinions expressed/photos used in the above post are my own.

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The Pristine Sistine Chapel with Walks of Italy

December 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment
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Everyone, meet Jason Spiehler (left) and Stephen Oddo (right) – the co-founders of Walks of Italy, a sustainable travel company that provides high quality personal experiences and small group tours. We initially crossed travel paths with Jason and Stephen back in June, 2012 – Walks of Italy was a sponsor at TBEX (Travel Blog Exchange Conference).

Together with about 700 other travel bloggers – we descended upon Keystone, Colorado. After discovering that I would be traveling to Italy solo for a week (as part of my around-the-world adventure), Jason and Stephen kindly extended an invitation to walk with their Rome-based small group tour crew, to experience Italy as [in-the-know] Romans do.  Wow. What an amazing opportunity! Today’s post focuses on Vatican City*(coincidentally, a UNESCO World Heritage site).

This was my second time visiting Vatican City and it literally was a night and day experience – partly attributed to Walks of Italy’s Pristine Sistine tour itself, and partly due to the fact that I was able to compare my experience of pre-restoration (1993) to post restoration frescos. Time can be favorable under the right set of circumstances.

Walks of Italy calls their early morning tour the Pristine Sistine with good reason: it’s a special experience that grants small group access (up to 12 people per group) to the Sistine chapel – well before the general public are allowed to enter (i.e., the Vatican receives over 20,000 visitors daily).  The Pristine Sistine tour provides patrons a rare opportunity to walk freely inside of the chapel (and not feel like a sardine); the other significant benefit is that this is one of the few times that the Vatican allows guests to talk (quietly but) freely with their knowledgeable [Vatican approved] Walks of Italy guide inside the Chapel itself. The real-time explanation and interpretation of the frescos, along with having a remarkable amount of personal space makes a world of difference.  To me, this is the preferred way to visit the Sistine Chapel.

Inside the Sistine Chapel, I was in awe. The fresco restorations were simply incredible – literally, it is like comparing a black-and-white photo to a vividly colored one. Since we weren’t allowed to take any photos within the chapel itself, you can see the pre-and post-restoration work here (via Wikipedia).

If you visit later in the day, via regular public access, the Sistine Chapel experience is an entirely different animal. Packed to the brim, people stand nearly shoulder-to-shoulder; the temperature inside the chapel is much warmer (due to the sheer volume of people); the Vatican museum stewards constantly bark at the visitors in an effort to keep the chapel under control (there’s a no talking/photography policy within the chapel itself. I later walked through the Sistine Chapel and had to squeeze through sardine pit; it was a stark contrast to the “Pristine Sistine”).

Rich in art, history, and culture – it’s easy to spend days inside the walls of the Vatican.  The Pristine Sistine tour led us through the Vatican museums, Raphael rooms, and some other special gems (we can’t give all the secrets away).  Our tour wrapped up inside of St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest church in the world.

Inside, we saw Michelangelo’s Pieta (behind bulletproof glass – another sad “sign of the times”).

Tips on Visiting the Vatican:

  • Be sure to dress appropriately – dress code is strictly enforced for both men and women. (i.e.,  no shorts, bare shoulders, miniskirts/other revealing (or offensively marked) clothing).
  • Stay close to your guide, especially while inside St. Peter’s Basilica. It’s easy to lose your group while being in awe of the art and architecture (I temporarily lost my group, quite by accident, and nearly didn’t find them again).
  • Climbing to the top of the cupola at St. Peter’s Basilica is something everyone should do at least once (320 steps) in your lifetime.  The view from the top is simply stunning. There’s an elevator that provides rooftop access (but not the top of the cupola).  The Vatican charges additional access fees (note: this is not included in the Pristine Sistine Tour, but I highly recommend doing this – the view from the top is well worth the additional effort).
  • Warning: the Sistine Chapel is not immune to pickpockets , especially during peak visiting hours.  Having squeezed through the sardine pit myself, I could see how this is likely.

Special thanks to all of the folks at Walks of Italy for really amazing tour and Vatican experience!  The Pristine Sistine is one of those experiences that I’ll always remember!

*Disclaimer: Walks of Italy sponsored my Pristine Sistine Tour; the opinions expressed/photos used in the above post are my own.

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Acropolis Photos and Link to Sue’s Delicious Greek Potato Salad Recipe

August 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment
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Today’s post includes some of my favorite Acropolis photos and a link to Sue’s wonderful low sodium Greek Potato Salad.

We recently toured with some folks who mentioned that they let their stomachs choose their travel destinations.  If this is the case, Greece is surely on the top of our list!  We highly recommend making Sue’s Delicious Greek Potato Salad Recipe – or continue to scroll down and feed your wanderlust with our Acropolis photos.  We hit a rare day, with not many tourists around!

(P.S. my on-the-road, on-the-fly cropping job does not do Sue’s delicious salad justice!)

Next stop on our Greek festival is the Acropolis (Athens, Greece).

If you hit it early in the morning (or travel during low season as we often do), you might luck out and have an opportunity to wander around the Acropolis virtually tourist free.  It’s quite an experience to have [almost] the entire place to yourself, actually.

Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Athens, Greece

Sometimes referred to as “the “Herodeon”, its’ still very much a working structure. You can buy tickets to shows via Greek Festival* [but guaranteed, the joint won't be empty, as pictured above].

Parthenon - backside view (Acropolis without other tourists, can you imagine? It was simply sublime)

Old Temple of Athena / Erechtheion (Acropolis) Athens, Greece

*we have no affiliation with this site

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Temple of Poseidon at Soúnio, Greece; Plaki Recipe Link & Athens Accommodation

August 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment
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Temple of Poseidon at Soúnio, Greece

First Stop, the Temple of Poseidon at Soúnio [also spelled Sounion].

Soúnio is a quick day trip from central Athens.  The scenery is just simply gorgeous, and extends the whole way down the coast.  The highway route has decent signage coming out of Athens, though if you’re not watching carefully towards the entrance to the Temple of Poseidon, the turnoff to the actual temple site can be easily missed.

On the way to Soúnio, Greece

Plaki Recipe – Sue Tweeton (Please Don’t Pass the Salt)

Greek island food – who needs to say anything more.  Here’s a link to Sue’s delicious low sodium  Plaki (Greek Baked Fish) Recipe

 Athens Area Accommodation Suggestion

While in Athens, we stayed in Vouliagmeni (about 20 minutes outside central Athens) at the Westin Astir Palace.  (And, no this is not an advertising plug – I’ve “earned” Starwood Lifetime Gold status [read: via my non blogging day job].  We tend to stay at Starwood properties when we’re on vacation because we can use our frequent guest points).

The Westin is close by to the suburb of Glyfada (read: good shopping and restaurants) and has a Nobu restaurant onsite (not low sodium, don’t worry, we didn’t eat there because we wanted to eat authentic Greek food).  Coincidentally, they have a great little shuttle bus so you’re not forced to drive into downtown Athens.

We often travel in the off season — so for us, Vouliagmeni provided us with the island feel without having to deal with the added plane segments (you can see the water view and the “island” feel in the background out our hotel window.  Another added bonus about staying in Vouliagmeni  – if you are at all concerned about potential disruption from the demonstrations or uprisings, you’d never guess that any civil unrest was going on all the way out there….) We highly recommend the Westin Astir Palace.

About Vouliagmeni / Renting Cars

Vouliagmeni is an exceptional “launching point”: it’s easily accessible from the airport and is just outside the city limits — far enough away from the daily “mosh” to allow you to feel like you’re on a Greek Island (and it’s mostly out of harms reach.)  The added bonus: you can squeeze in a little more practice time driving the rental car before you have to head into town and get completely crushed. (Just kidding.  Actually, driving around in Greece* wasn’t that bad...

…but having said this, Greece it is a country where I get the full insurance on the car (i.e., we make sure we have full comprehensive converge which includes personal liability insurance, because quite often the credit cards only cover the car and our US based car insurance package doesn’t extend personal liability benefits overseas.  This is a small but important gap that can be easily missed in the rush to get out of the car rental terminal).

 

 

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{Sneak Preview: Our Greek Culinary Odyssey}

July 20, 2012 By 1 Comment
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“Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns
driven time and again off course, once he had plundered
the hallowed heights of Troy…” – The Odyssey

We’ve got some fun news!  Over the coming month, we’ll be collaborating with some of our low sodium friends to celebrate a month-long Greek festival – delicious summertime recipes, travel stories, photos, and a really yummy Greek themed giveaway!

Just in case you want to jump start our Greek culinary adventure, consider picking up some fresh figs at your local farmer’s market.  Last summer, we created a quick-reference fig variety guide  Which Varieties? Fig-ure it out!

We also put together a really simple and elegant Fresh Figs, Mascarpone Cheese, Honey & Walnuts Recipe.

Keep posted, our next low sodium travel and food adventure is just around the corner…

Filed Under: Blog, Bytes to Digest, Will Travel For Food...

Wildlife & the Alpine Tundra in Bloom at Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

July 12, 2012 By 1 Comment
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Trail Ridge Road along Rocky Mountain National Park is simply one of the most spectacular drives.  Stop and hike up the Tundra Communities Trail (it’s one of the most amazing ecosystems I’ve ever visited).

On its surface, the alpine tundra is a biome of stark contrasts: barren landscape and rugged mountains.  Frozen winds dance across the desolate wilderness, howling with more ferocity than a pack of starving wolves.

For much of the year, the alpine tundra subjected to long and bitterly cold winters — snowfall and the snowpack can be heavy.  With an elevation starting at 11,000 feet, this is truly a land above the trees.

Then comes the early summer: the snowpack melts, revealing a layer of tiny layer of cushion plants. The harshly cold, bellowing winds persist.  To the naked and untrained eye, it would seem that nothing really lives here. But for those who linger a little longer or who get down on their hands and knees (read: stay on the trail), a rainbow of diversity exists. In early summer, the alpine’s flowers begin to bloom — if you look closely enough, you’ll see a discrete (and well masked) field of tiny, brilliant micro-flowers.

(for scale, see the fly resting on the lower left hand flower/corner)

Lichen, moss, and other small plants hug the ground, sheltering themselves from the fiercely cold winds — they have developed a high tolerance for extremely low temperatures.

Lanceleaf chiming bells

Their shallow and dense root systems drink from the melting snow. They are slow growing, making them vulnerable to uninvited (human) impact. They are entirely fragile.

It is truly one of the most magnificent achievements of vegetation adaptation…and if you’re going too fast, you could blink and miss it’s glory.

light pink (dwarf clover); Fuschia (alpine primrose) ; blue (alpine forget-me-not)

If you’re jazzed about camping, check out some of our favorite low sodium grilling/BBQ recipes and camping snacks & desserts!

 

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A Motley Crew of Cameras at Contigo

May 25, 2012 By 1 Comment
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On a peaceful Sunday morning, we found ourselves pulling up to the curb in a still-sleeping Noe Valley neighborhood.  Shopkeepers were just starting to open their doors to let the San Francisco sunlight stream in.  A mist of water freshened up the neighborhood, tiny sparkles of light shimmered against the flowers, plants and sidewalks creating mesmerizing fractal patterns.  During normal service hours, the Spanish and Catalan restaurant, Contigo, bursts with flavor and activity…but in the early hours of the morning, all was quiet on the western front. A stirring from the dark confines of the back room exposed some life – there he stood, our Rembrandt of food photography, Andrew Scrivani.  Andrew is widely known for shooting, styling, and writing about food at the New York Times.  Last weekend, the stars aligned and I booked myself into one his wayfaring workshops.

One by one, our small class of eight slowly straggled in; several professional food writers, the rest (of us) were enthusiastic food bloggers juggling day jobs (including one very stealthy, incognito food blogger who remains nameless on the web).  Collectively, we were united by a love for food.  For hours, Andrew imparted his wisdom – what elements make up a good food photo, equipment he uses, light angles create interesting compositions; throughout the morning he shared his knowledge, his incredible insight, and his life’s lessons learned.  Captivated, we soaked up every word.  Our questions kept him on his toes.  Next, we were set loose on the restaurant and the fun continued with a little one-on-one mentorship.  Together, Andrew and Contigo had set the stage; our inspiration shaped our composition and mood.

Like a shotgun that signals the start of a race, lunch was served and shutters began to fly. I navigate the jungle on a daily basis, so rather than heading directly into the race pack, I stood back, asked questions, and practiced.  As I focused my efforts on the “step-child” food subject  (a gooey, quite delicious, and somewhat awkward to shoot vegetarian curry-type of dish), I was reminded of a particularly applicable life’s lesson: the process of failure eventually leads to success.

Overall, my photography subjects and (as you can see my) outtakes were somewhat random, but the learning opportunity was immense.  To me, photography lessons provide a rare opportunity to peer into someone’s soul, to ask questions, and for a brief moment, share the consciousness of a true master artisan. No two people will ever see the world from the same vantage point – so to feel and experience life and art how a Rembrandt does…well, that enlightenment is priceless.   Most certainly for days and rare opportunities like these, it is all about the journey and not about the destination.

Inspired? You can follow Andrew’s personal blog, making SundaySauce, or (I highly recommend) catch up with him in person. He’ll be leading a half-day photography workshop at Foodista’s International Food Blogger’s Conference this August (24-26th) in Portland, Oregon.

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Granville Island, Vancouver Canada

May 17, 2012 By 1 Comment
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O Canada! Our home and native land!  This week I found myself unexpectedly landing in Vancouver, Canada (my old home).  Blessed with good weather,  I was able to snap some photos of my favorite places in and around the False Creek/Granville Island area.  If you find yourself in Vancouver this summer, I strongly recommend that you consider stopping by Granville Island.  It’s one of my favorite markets to source fresh and tasty food.  Today’s post is primarily pictorial.

Taking the aquabus is one of the my favorite ways to see and get around the harbor area.

Dragon boat practice

Entering the market area…
(I worked for one of the vendors in the market many years ago, while going to university.  This trip is always very nostalgic for me)

Fresh fruit and vegetables.

[Low Sodium] Spices and Herbs

Hands down, the Stock Market is one of my favorite soup kitchens.
(While they don’t claim to be no salt added, the delicious stocks are made with minimal salt).

Bridges – one of the best places to rest your tired soul and recharge (also one of the best water view/drink spots).

There are all sorts of artisan shops, food, bars and eateries.

Waterfront living.  Well, at least we can (drool and) dream…

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Sustainable Aquaculture: Carlsbad Aquafarm, Inc.

April 18, 2012 By Leave a Comment
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Ever wonder where these beautiful oysters actually come from?  We did.

The wonderful thing about food blogging is that it sparks our curiosity and leads us to explore foods and places located outside of our normal realm.  As many of you know, we cook and eat lot of global dishes– we’ve been inspired from our travels, having eaten and cooked our way around the world.  Much like our love for travel, interest spurs impetus – our stomachs act as our compass. Often, we consciously seek out new experiences; periodically, fate plays the role of our fairy godmother and new foods are found within arm’s reach.  Our reality is that once we return to Los Angeles, we source many of our recipe ingredients close to home; many are farmed in sustainable habitats, like Carlsbad Aquafarm’s Luna Oysters (you can read about how we initially discovered Luna oysters in our Thai inspired Curry Oyster Stew Recipe).

More curious, we wondered, what activities go into farming the fresh oysters that we buy?

On a mission, we headed down to Carlsbad Aquafarm for a private tour of their sustainable aquaculture operation – where they farm abalone, clams, mussels, oysters, and seaweed.  Additionally, they cultivate “live-feed”: micro and macro algae, copepods, amphipods, and brine shrimp.  This post is a primarily a photo tour that focuses on mussel and oyster cultivation (with a little narration).

Once onsite, we soon realized that there are a shocking number of  variables, inputs, and considerations when creating, cultivating, maintaining and growing an aquafarm operation. Let’s start with the food (doesn’t it always start with a hungry stomach?) The aquafarm develops and grows their own shellfish food (algae), as they are a fully sustainable operation:

[Oyster] larvae are cultured and replicated via an assisted hatchery process.

Small pieces of shell are later added to the larvae mix.  The larvae attach themselves to the tiny shell fragments; this helps to kick-start the next phase in the oysters’ metamorphosis.

Over time, the oyster larvae develop into baby oysters.

Small mollusks attach themselves to artificial strands; this helps to simulate mollusks growing in a more natural aquatic environment

Special protective netting is wrapped around the mollusks strands, helping to reduce predator attacks.

As seen below, periodically, mollusks are removed from the estuary and undergo simulated “environmental” conditions. Simulating natural environmental stress helps control the overall production yield.

There is a fine art to simulating natural or environmental stress. An activity, such as simulated tumbling, helps to mimic certain environmental conditions that would normally occur in the open water. Controlling or maximizing different growth variables helps to cultivate an optimal oyster meat to shell growth ratio.

The oysters are sorted by size, placed into trays, and returned to the estuary. The aquafarm repeats the environmental simulations a number of times until the oysters reach optimal market size.

Upon reaching maturity, the oysters are removed from the estuary, sorted by size and placed in new trays where they undergo a final filtering process.

As you can see, there are many trays, and harvesting mollusks is a rather involved process.

Oysters soaking —  undergoing the final cleaning/filtering process.

Perfection! These are ready for market.  (It’s probably a good thing that we didn’t bring our oyster knives, or we would have shucked and eaten our way through all of these oyster trays!!)

After spending an afternoon touring the Carlsbad facility and following the oyster lifecycle, we have a huge appreciation for all of the hard work that goes into sustainable aquaculture.  There’s a lot of science, (mussel, and a few oysters) behind these tasty mollusks!  Thanks again Rebecca, Kelly and the team @ Carlsbad Aquafarm!

(P.S. the Carlsbad Aquafarm, Inc. facility is not currently open to the public).

In appreciation to Carlsbad Aquafarm, we made a Curry Oyster Stew and gathered some low sodium oyster recipes together to tie together a whole oyster theme! Happy sustainable eating!

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Tracing New Orleans’ Origins of the Famous Muffuletta & Po’ Boy Sandwiches / How to Make The Perfect Low Sodium Po’Boy Sandwich

April 13, 2012 By 2 Comments
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Back in the day, before I started eating low sodium/heart healthy, a trip to New Orleans meant that I looked forward to eating two infamous sandwiches: the po’boy and the muffuletta.  Just thinking about these sandwiches used to make my mouth water.  In today’s post, we’re tracing the origins of these two famous New Orleans sandwiches, and we’ll walk you through a healthy version of one of them.

The po’boy is cornerstone of New Orleans cuisine made famous by Benny and Clovis Martin, two Acadian brothers and former street car conductors turned sandwich shop owners.  During a railway workers strike in 1929, the two brothers vowed to feed their former coworkers, gratis (free) – pledging “We are with you ’til h– –l freezes, and when it does, we will furnish blankets to keep you warm”.  Martin Brothers’ Coffee Stand & Restaurant gave out a lot of free sandwiches: the strike and the Martin’s pledge to stand by their former colleagues and feed the striking workers lasted for several months.  The striking railway workers quickly adopted the nickname, “poor boy” and whenever one approached the Martin Brothers’ sandwich shop, a local would holler out, “here comes another poor boy,” – or, po’ boy in New Orleans dialect.  The po’boy nickname quickly became synonymous with the actual (and formerly free) sandwich itself, and the name stuck.

Today, the po’boy is a complex submarine-like sandwich stacked with many different layers of culinary genius. Individually ingredient by ingredient, and in its entirety, biting into a hot po’ boy sandwich is an experience like no other.  The New Orleans po’ boy is notably distinguished by its use of “New Orleans French bread” — a crispy crust and a light, fluffy interior — French bread made most famous by a (Deidesheim) German immigrant, George Leidenheimer.  Leidenheimer founded his New Orleans’ institution, the Leidenheimer Baking Company, in 1896 — and it’s as they say, “good to the last crumb”.  And that’s just the first layer.

Between the bread, the po’ boy can include a plethora of goodies. Typical concoctions include breaded fried shrimp, catfish or oysters. The “combination” includes hot roast beef, ham, gravy and cheese. My favorites are the fried oyster or grilled chicken po’boy, dressed, easy on the mayo.  “Dressed” means added lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise.  As you can start to see, with all of these ingredients, the po’boy can easily be a heart-stopper – but we’ve found healthier ways to lighten the load (stay tuned).  You can get po’ boys with grilled chicken or fish, and vegetarian sandwiches. They’re made to order, so you can choose  healthier options.

By contrast, the muffulleta (pronounced “moo-foo-LET-ta”) is  just flat out scary.

Created in the early 1900s, Sicilian farmers working at the nearby farmer’s market would stop by the French Quarter’s Central Grocery Store and separately order salami, ham, cheese, olive salad and either Italian bread or a round muffuletta loaf for lunch.  Watching the farmers eat all of these ingredients separately and in a rather clumsy fashion, Salvatore Lupo, the store owner, envisioned a more efficient way to eat: slicing the muffuletta loaf horizontally and piling everything on. Voila — the muffuletta was born! It’s one of the most well known sandwiches in the French Quarter, with people lining up around the block just for a taste.

Here’s why the muffuletta scares me: each sandwich contains approximately 3170 calories, 231g of fat and 9880mg of sodium. Merely looking at one causes my blood pressure to soar. To be fair though, people seem to only eat a half or quarter of a sandwich, but a quarter of a muffuletta is still 2470mg of sodium. All I can say is when you’re in New Orleans, strongly consider resisting this temptation. It’s only a cold cut sandwich.

Having said all of this, just talking about New Orleans and po’ boys got us craving them. Before I knew it, Johanna was preparing her delicious low-sodium French bread and creating the delectable po’ boy sandwich seen in the photo (top).

So now, there’s no need to miss-out on this New Orleans classic!  Here’s how to do it without piling on the sodium:

1.  Bread –   If you feel ambitious (as we did), you can make your own low-sodium French bread.

 

2.  Inside: Pecan Crusted Cajun (Breaded) Oysters

 

3.Dressed. Add tomatoes, Celery Root (Celeriac and Radicchio) Remoulade, and (optionally) low sodium mayo:

4. Then imagine yourself sitting on the veranda at a Louisiana Plantation, eating your po’boy… drinking lemonade, and enjoying the good life. .. (better hop to it and get cooking!)

Laura Plantation

 

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