The Kitchen Witch - Life with Dee

One of my favorite little shops in the French Quarter of New Orleans is The Kitchen Witch. I’m a sucker for a bookstore, particularly one of those crowded, cozy types. Make it a bookstore specializing in cookbooks and I positively swoon.

I discovered this little gem on our first or second trip back to New Orleans after the storm. I don’t recall whether I bought anything or not but I do remember chatting with Philipe LaMancusa, one of the owners. He shared with me the legend that says if you walk barefoot in New Orleans you will one day live there. Well, needless to say, I shed my shoes for a short walk every time we visit. Phil, if I pick up something requiring antibiotics, I’m blaming you.

The Kitchen Witch specializes in rare, pre-owned, and out-of-print books on food and cooking. It’s truly an amazing collection and foodies like myself could easily spend an afternoon browsing. Especially with the jazz music of WWOZ which is always playing in the background and the friendly, helpful presence of the owners, Philipe and his partner, Debbie Lindsey. Oh, and their dogs, Rosie and Sophie.

As if all this weren’t enough, they also sell some vinyl records and artwork – Philipe’s and others. Food, music and art. Aren’t those the main ingredients which make life sweet?

Even though this charming little place looks as though it’s been there for decades, it’s actually fairly new. Despite what many thought to be risky business, Debbie and Philipe took out one of the first business permits issued after Hurricane Katrina and opened The Kitchen Witch only three months after the storm. It was a risk worth taking, however, and the unique shop is thriving.

During my most recent trip to New Orleans, I stopped by to see if they might have a certain cookbook I was interested in. On previous visits I had met Philipe but this time Debbie was overseeing the store. She helped me locate the book I wanted and was very helpful. I asked if I could take some photos of the shop and she was happy to let me do so. Pictures can’t quite capture the charm of The Kitchen Witch but you can perhaps get a taste of what it’s like:

I asked Debbie if I could take her picture and she graciously agreed. “Let me put on some lipstick first, though!”, she quipped. Her friendly, happy personality is evident in this photo, isn’t it?:

So, what was that cookbook I was looking for? Well, a few years ago I had checked out one of Paul Prudhomme’s cookbooks from our local library. It had some fantastic recipes in it, as well as numerous spice recipes. I recently went to check it out again and discovered that the library had gotten rid of it. I decided I needed to have my own copy. The Kitchen Witch had a new copy of it but Debbie mentioned that they also had a used one. It was missing the dust jacket:

But it was autographed:

I don’t buy cookbooks for their appearance – I actually cook from them – so I was thrilled to purchase the copy signed by Chef Paul Prudhomme himself.

If you are ever in New Orleans I highly recommend a visit to The Kitchen Witch. Tell them I sent you and then go take a short, barefoot walk (but NOT on Bourbon Street!).

You can read Philipe LaMancusa’s blog here. He and Debbie both write for Where Y’at magazine as well.

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