Gumbo tales finding my place at the New Orleans table

As a direct result of reading this book, I have made my first gumbo (I even made a roux!) and find myself constantly lusting after po'boys and crawfish beignets. Eating a king cake is now on my unofficial to-do-someday list, and I'll be paying more attention to the flavor of my New Orleans iced coffee from Blue Bottle because they use actual chicory in it (hence the name).

It wasn't just the food porn that hooked me, though. The author's obvious love for her adopted city was just as wonderful to read about, and it makes me long to feel that way about a city of my own. Perhaps I should give New Orleans a try...