Nola Cooks

Valerie Turgeon was born in New Orleans and raised on the banks of Bayou Barataria in Lafitte. With her brother and sisters, she fished, caught crabs, and messed around in boats. Their family fare regularly included oysters, shrimp, redfish and trout, in recipes collected or created by their mother. Their family garden featured the creole staples of tomatoes, bell peppers and eggplant; figs, pomegranites, qumquats, lemons and grapefruit which grew in abundance, along with a grove of pecan trees. After college Valerie settled in New Orleans, where she now lives near City Park. She retired from a career in psychology in 2001 and turned her attention to fiber art. The community’s loss of family recipes from Katrina flood waters led Valerie to create a line of aprons featuring her mother’s recipes and her silk screen designs. Tea towels and market totes complete the line of kitchen software, Nola Cooks, which celebrates New Orleans local culture and cuisine.
These functional and decorative original works of art can be yours for a pittance, to brighten your kitchen or that of anyone who knows what it means to miss New Orleans.