The Gravy

If you are an ardent fan of Blackened Out Catfishing Corporation, then you probably know that we took the reigns of the Dining Out column in OffBeat Magazine back in September 2008. (Bonus points for anyone who remembers what restaurant we wrote about. Hint: onion rings.) What you should also know is that same in the same issue that kicked off our print media career, our OffBeat cohort Elsa Hahne began authoring The Gravy, a monthly series which marries New Orleans' two greatest loves: food and music.

Now, based on her monthly series, Elsa is set to publish The Gravy - In the Kitchen with New Orleans Musicians. In this full-color hardcover book, forty-four New Orleans musicians invite you into their kitchens to share their stories and recipes - from John Boutté's Glorious Oyster Pie to Creole Squash a la Big Al Carson. The introduction is written by none other Mac Rebbenack Jr. (better known as Dr. John) who gushes over the pleasure he derives from cracking open squirrel heads to feast on their brains.

Elsa has been working on this project for almost five years now, doing everything from interviews to photography, layout and design. For the last final push to publication, she needs a little help to cover some of the rather enormous printing cost, which at present is coming out of her own pocket. And so Elsa has turned to Kickstarter to help raise the funds to get The Gravy to print.

At the present time, Elsa is just about $1,400 short of her goal of $6,500. We implore our dear readers to contribute to this amazing project. If The Gravy turns a profit, Elsa has promised to pay the grant money she has received from Threadhead Cultural Foundation forward to the New Orleans Musicians' Clinic, which remains the only source of medical care for many local musicians without health insurance.

The Kickstarter campaign ends in 3 days. Let's make it happen.