Dear Smiley: My parents were from Avoyelles Parish but raised our family in Alexandria.
In the 1960s, my sister was dating an Air Force officer from New York, (later her husband), stationed at nearby England Air Force Base.
One afternoon he came by the house with a several big steaks, and told my mother that he would be back later for dinner. He said he wanted the family to enjoy the steaks.
When dinner was served, he found that my mother, who had never known the luxury of a grilled steak, had made a roux with a thick, brown gravy, cut the steaks up, and cooked them in the gravy. She served the dish over rice!
He had to confess that the steak was quite good — even though he had never eaten a steak cooked in gravy.
VIC COUVILLION
Hammond
Missing the boat
Dear Smiley: Your discussion about steaks brought back a not-so-fond memory.
Years ago, we went out to eat at a nice restaurant, and I ordered my favorite prime rib.
Orders were brought to the table as I reached for the gravy boat and poured lots of au jus on my beef. Just as I was about to take my first bite, the waitress returned with a second boat, full of gravy.
With a puzzled look, I took my first bite. I had saturated that beautiful slab of meat with Italian dressing. It tasted nothing at all like prime rib, nor did it taste like salad.
REGGIE BRAUD
Newtown Square, Pennsylvania
Dear Reggie: I've used bottled Italian dressing as a marinade for shish kebab beef. Of course, it wasn't nearly the quality of prime rib, so I feel your pain.
Thanks, Pistol Pete
Dear Smiley: Reading about the unveiling of the statue of Pistol Pete Maravich brought back memories.
When I interviewed for a coaching position at the Catholic school in Thibodaux, the brother who interviewed me asked if I could coach basketball.
I told him I had been cut three years in a row at my high school's basketball tryouts.
He was placing my folder on the rejection pile when I continued, "But I did go to LSU with Pistol Pete Maravich!"
"I think we can work with that," he said as he reopened my file.
So I owe my first job to Pistol Pete, and a willingness to learn to call bingo!
EDDIE COLE
Blairsville, Georgia
Traveling chest
Dear Smiley: In the late ’50s, when Floyd and I were falling in love, he gave me a cedar "hope chest" for things we might need for housekeeping (napkins, tablecloths, etc.). The chest went upstairs in my house.
When we broke up, it came downstairs and went to Floyd's house. Several months later it went back upstairs to my house. We broke up, and the chest was on the move downstairs again.
When we got married, the chest went upstairs to our apartment. We stayed there five months, then it went into our first house, where we lived 35 years. The next move was to Lafitte, where it remained for 46 years, surviving Hurricane Ida's flooding.
We hope someone will give it a good home, like it had for 61 years. Floyd and I celebrated our 61st anniversary July 2 with family and friends.
BEATRICE ROBIN
Lafitte
Accidental seafood
Dear Smiley: When I was stationed in Germany, my wife and I and our two daughters went camping along the coast of Spain.
We were in a restaurant, and noticed everyone was eating onion rings, so we were going to be smart and order fried onion rings in Spanish.
Well, the waiter brought out a sizzling platter of smothered onions and watched to see what we would do with it.
Swallowing my pride, I said no and pointed to the fried rings. He replied “Oh, calamari!"
STEVE BUTAUD
Lafayette