There are many different types of granulated sugars. Each of these sugars differs in crystal size depending upon how it has been processed, and this crystal size in turn determines its usage.

For instance, the type of sugar that you use most commonly in your home kitchen for baking and to sweeten your coffee and tea is granulated sugar. Food processors use extra-fine or fine sugar, which is smaller than granulated, because the smaller crystals are ideal for bulk handling and are not as prone to caking.
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About once a month I visit my favorite fast-food hamburger chain (I won’t tell you which one) and order the biggest cheeseburger on the menu with fries and a soft drink. Today, while on an errand to nearby Lafayette, La., I pulled into the drive-thru line, placed my order and was told they were out of cheese and fries. No onion rings either. I was told by the server that just about all the fast-food chains as well as local restaurants are having trouble restocking as many of their supplies came out of New Orleans. Now supplies are beginning to trickle in from Houston. Well, I really didn’t need the cheese, the fries, or onion rings.

After the past two weeks of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, this morning I decided to straighten out my desk that was covered with bits of paper with phone numbers of my colleagues, Red Cross numbers, and various other information, I came across a small book given to me last year by a friend who once lived in New Orleans but now resides in Austin, Texas.

Before I continue, I must tell you that my husband always chides me when our area is under a hurricane watch. He and I have a hurricane drill. He’s in charge of batteries, flashlights, fuel for the generator, battening down the boat and the outdoor furniture. I am in charge of gathering important papers, jugs of water, and non-perishable food. The food is what gets him laughing. Spam, Vienna sausage, canned corn beef, sardines and lots of crackers is what my mother always stashed away whenever a hurricane was within a 500-mile radius. That’s what I stock up as well. If the hurricane bypasses us, he kids me unmercifully about my supplies.
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According to the LSU AgCenter, Katrina brought a big blow to several Louisiana agricultural commodities. Sugarcane has been knocked down, milk producion has been interrupted and a fourth of the state’s nursery industry is in southeast Louisiana. Citrus, especially in Plaquemines Parish, has been devastated. The good news is that the rice harvest is almost completed in southwest Louisiana, but there is some damage to the north Louisiana rice fields. The cotton crop is considered good. The forestry industry, particularly in St. Tammany and Washington parishes, was greatly impacted. There has been some lost of cattle in the parishes south along the Mississippi River.

In and around the city of Lafayette, La., just about everyone is cooking to raise money for hurricane victims. In my hometown of St. Martinville, I followed the aroma of barbecued sausage to our local volunteer fire department. Large grills were fired up and area residents lined up to pay $5.00 for po’boys. Elsewhere I found big cauldrons of chicken and sausage gumbo simmering over butane burners. Locals queued up to buy small bowls at $2.00 per. Funds were being raised to help families who were displaced to Acadiana. Schools, civic groups, as well as local business owners are getting in the act. If nothing else, south Louisiana residents can be depeneded upon to feed those who need.

The seafood industry along the Louisiana and Mississippi Gulf Coasts has taken a beating from Hurricane Katrina. Warehouse operators and cold storage facilities in the Gulf ports were harmed as well, which will result in higher costs and cutting supplies.

Farmers in south Louisiana are making ready for la roulaison (sugar cane harvest) that will begin in the next few weeks. Since I was a child, I have anxiously looked forward to this time of year. I can’t wait to see the workers in the fields cutting the cane and then loading it onto wagons and trucks to be carried to the sugar mills. The mills will belch and smoke, sending a sweet acrid smell across the countryside.
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Each Monday morning I make a tour of my yard. While it’s not very large, it contains many of my favorite trees, bushes, herbs, and plants. This morning I noticed a few harbingers that fall is right around the corner. Leaves from the pecan trees are beginning to turn brown and falling to the ground. The leaves on the giant bald cypress trees are turning to a sienna color. I checked my sassafras tree near the bayou and it gave me food for thought.
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As you can imagine, all of us who live in safe areas (west of New Orleans) have been trying to house, feed, and otherwise take care of evacuees from New Orleans and the surrounding area. Because of the great influx of displaced people, many of our supermarkets were running out of supplies (water, paper products, ice, and such) but are now back in full swing. We continue to ask for your prayers and donations to Red Cross and other organizations that are trying to assist Hurricane Katrina evacuees.

To make the tomatoes, peel and seed them. Season very lightly with salt and black pepper. Toss in a large bowl with olive oil. Lay them on a parchment-lined sheet pan, and bake in a 200°F oven for 6 to 8 hours. Remove from the oven when sufficiently dried, and place in a sterilized canning jar. Fill with extra-virgin olive oil and use as you wish.