Patricia Gannon: Man’s best friend? It’s barbecue

Barbecue is not society fare, but it’s getting there. Its devotees endlessly debate the merits of low ’n’ slow, fundamentals and simplicity, discussing origins like appellations in a manner that would put a sommelier to shame.

At one level, barbecue is simple. It’s pork or beef. Defined as slow cooking at low heat using smoke rather than direct heat — not to be confused with plain grilling — things get complicated after that.

What wood (hickory is preferred, but there’s oak and pecan, also) what region (Memphis, Texas, Louisiana, North Carolina or Kansas City) and how best to smoke the competition in a country where finding a pit is as easy in New York as it is in New Orleans.

Like vintners, provenance is important and region is paramount.

History and knowledge count, too — for instance, how many generations has a single family been in the business? Then there’s whether to coleslaw or not to coleslaw, that is the question, and there lies the rub. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)

This is all before you even get to the sauce, the most identifiable feature of all.

Barbecue sauce is the signature and every man has his own secret recipe, usually a combination of ketchup, liquor, cola or beer and maybe some thyme.

Nor is the pit boss a visual that conjures up women. Truth be told, barbecue is a terribly masculine interest and always has been.

In fact, the origins of barbecue itself are lost in the mists of time, but can be theoretically traced to the moment the first cave man roasted meat over a low open fire and discovered it attracted both women and dogs.

Either one was useful.

Patricia Gannon covers society for The Acadiana Advocate. She can be reached at pgannon@cmaildrop.com or at pgannon@theadvocate.com.

Summertime, and the livin’ is easy

Particularly at Parc Lafayette, where River Ranch’s little sister held a food truck round-up amid the Mignon Faget, Armentor Jewelers and La Femme designer lingerie. It’s the culinary brainchild of E’s Kitchen owner Paul Ayo. “I was on the backside and didn’t face the street, hidden away in Parc Lafayette,” said Ayo. “So I asked the landlord if we could park a couple of food trucks to get some eyeballs on the store. It worked.” Those not cruising the Creuset at E’s chilled under the oaks with brisket tacos and more, including Stephen and Pam Domingue, Houstonite Christy Ferris, former Xanadu Queen Rickie Maloney, Patsy Nacol and Jennifer Nacol Perron. What we loved: Chef Gregory Smith and his Memphis-style pulled pork sandwich, the Blanc boutique bridal party choosing a dress barely 20 feet away, patriotic cutie pie Kennady Lawrence and Jackson Perron, clearly bored with society.

Born to be wild

So what if the society swans have flown town for the summer? Just open your own private club instead. Jennifer LeBlanc did just that, sending out a casual invitation for shrimp, sangria and song, the last courtesy of music man Charlie Rees. “Welcome to Jennifer LeBlanc’s living room,” said Rees, back in the U.S. briefly after playing Europe for the past few years. The founding member of Atchafalaya played his own material as well as the old anthems with repartee to match. “I’m not used to the audience paying attention while I play,” he laughed. Lucky guests included Univeristy of Louisiana at Lafayette marketing director Aaron Martin, neighbors Susan and Richard Landry, designer Raoul Blanco, former voice of the Cajuns Don Allen, Matt Halfaker, Sheryl and John Peré and a gentlemanly John Jennings. Among the highlights, and there were many: Landry’s impromptu rendition of “La Porte en Arrière” in French, Kaiser the German shepherd and Rees’s own combination of Steppenwolf and “Puff the Magic Dragon” — who knew? Don’t even try to top this one.

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Women and men have very different ideas when it comes to ladies’ lingerie, new …

AS if we needed it, we now have proof that men and women think very differently about lingerie.

A new survey reveals men do not disappoint on stereotype, opting for brightly-coloured undies, stockings and suspenders and plenty of flesh on show.

Women, on the other hand, prefer a more demure design, which looks good but feels comfortable and is flattering to their body shape.

The findings come in a new survey from lingerie maker Bluebella, who polled 1000 men and women.

The results likely explain why 76 per cent of women would rather their men didn’t buy them underwear.

Six in 10 men have an eye for detail, too, and say they are turned on by lace, cutouts, sequins and bows.

But the majority of women say they prefer smoother bras as they are more comfortable to wear.

The classic boudoir image of stockings and suspenders is still a hit with men as 78 per cent reveal that drives them wild. Yet, 54 per cent of females find them a faff to put on and wear.

But men and women agree on one thing – bra and pants should be the same colour or be colour co-ordinated.

The survey found the average woman buys five lingerie sets per year, spending around £200, with 67 per cent admitting they don’t give their partner’s preferences a second thought.

Instead, they focus on which style suits and enhances their figures best and is most practical to wear.

But it’s not all bad news for men, with 84 per cent of women owning a special “seduction” set that they bring out for special occasions or a new man.

Men like their other halves to flash plenty of flesh – 54 per cent choosing a revealing bra and 37 per cent favouring the skimpiest underwear. But it seems 62 per cent of ladies prefer to keep their posteriors covered with fuller briefs and 64 per cent say comfort is the most important consideration.

 

While 54 per cent of women admit they usually stick to black, white and flesh-toned pieces, 74 per cent of men want them to wear brighter colours, especially classic red.

Bluebella founder Emily Bendell said: “From these results, it seems that men associate lingerie with the delights underneath – so they like skimpy pieces, lace, sheer fabrics, plus obvious ties and bows that they can undo. Women want to combine comfort, adaptability and performance, as well as fabulous aesthetics.

“It’s interesting that 84 per cent of women keep a set of lingerie for special occasions.

“Great lingerie gives you an inner confidence at all times – not just in the bedroom but at work or at home, or when out with friends.”

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