http://www.recfoodcooking.com

Gonna blame zxcvbob's thread for this one. Thanks, Bob. ;-)
--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:55:40 +0200, ChattyCathy
> wrote:

>http://www.recfoodcooking.com
>
>Gonna blame zxcvbob's thread for this one. Thanks, Bob. ;-)

I'll donate my hat to charity. I don't eat gumbo. I've been reading
the threads here and have yet to see anything to make me try one.

Lou

ChattyCathy wrote on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:55:40 +0200:

> http://www.recfoodcooking.com

> Gonna blame zxcvbob's thread for this one. Thanks, Bob. ;-)
> --
> Cheers
> Chatty Cathy

So far, I'm in the 100% who don't eat gumbo. I don't like brown rice
much anyway. Various colored rices, like black rice, are an interesting
change but it is usually harder to clean the pot.
--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

Lou Decruss wrote:

> On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:55:40 +0200, ChattyCathy
> > wrote:
>
>>http://www.recfoodcooking.com
>>
>>Gonna blame zxcvbob's thread for this one. Thanks, Bob. ;-)
>
> I'll donate my hat to charity.


Very nice of you Lou <g>


> I don't eat gumbo. I've been reading
> the threads here and have yet to see anything to make me try one.

Well, Christine Dabney and a few other r.f.c.-ers in chat told me how
good it can be so I just had to try it... IIRC, they had a (virtual)
gumbo cook-in in chat - but because of the time difference I was sound
asleep when most of the USA cooking/chatting was happening...

Anyway, I made a nice and easy chicken and sausage gumbo recipe shortly
thereafter (that Chris found for me too - gotta love her!)

This one to be exact:

http://recipes.egullet.org/recipes/r772.html

The whole family scarfed it down. My DH enjoyed it too - even tho' the
recipe involves using celery (which he tries to ignore when I bring it
into the house) <LOL>. Made it a couple of times now, great comfort
and/or winter food, IMHO.

The most boring part for me was making the dark brown roux on the
stove-top without burning it (because patience is *not* one of my many
virtues -har-de-har-har...) But I followed the instructions in the
recipe and got it right first time <Cathy pats herself on the back> as
it did indeed take me about 35-40 minutes of constant stirring to get
it to 'the color of a Hershey Bar'. I had a glass of wine instead of
the two beers that was suggested in the recipe tho'. Dunno if that
messed up the 'authenticity' of the gumbo or not - do I care? No. ;-)

BTW, I haven't tried making a dark roux in my MW yet, but apparently it
only takes about 10 minutes... I might even try it for the next gumbo I
make - if I screw it up, so what? - it's just some vegetable oil and
some flour.

I may even make some brown rice to go with it
--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

James Silverton wrote:

> ChattyCathy wrote on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:55:40 +0200:
>
>> http://www.recfoodcooking.com
>
>> Gonna blame zxcvbob's thread for this one. Thanks, Bob. ;-)
>
> So far, I'm in the 100% who don't eat gumbo. I don't like brown rice
> much anyway. Various colored rices, like black rice, are an
> interesting change but it is usually harder to clean the pot.

Hmmm - down to 21% at this point. Can I (maybe) convince you to try it?
You've always struck me as a foodie that will try anything (at least
once). Please, pretty please - with some sushi and/or sashimi on
top? ;-)

FWIW, I was more than pleasantly surprised as to just how good it could
be myself. But then again, I'll eat (most things) if they don't eat me
first.
--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

"ChattyCathy" > wrote in message
...
> James Silverton wrote:
>
>> ChattyCathy wrote on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:55:40 +0200:
>>
>>> http://www.recfoodcooking.com
>>
>>> Gonna blame zxcvbob's thread for this one. Thanks, Bob. ;-)
>>
>> So far, I'm in the 100% who don't eat gumbo. I don't like brown rice
>> much anyway. Various colored rices, like black rice, are an
>> interesting change but it is usually harder to clean the pot.
>
> Hmmm - down to 21% at this point. Can I (maybe) convince you to try it?
> You've always struck me as a foodie that will try anything (at least
> once). Please, pretty please - with some sushi and/or sashimi on
> top? ;-)
>
> FWIW, I was more than pleasantly surprised as to just how good it could
> be myself. But then again, I'll eat (most things) if they don't eat me
> first.
> --
> Cheers
> Chatty Cathy

Don't worry Cath, I eat (and cook) gumbo. Pretty darn good if you ask me.
I would sub brown rice for white, just to see if you could tell a
difference. I just made jambalaya on Saturday and it disappeared. I'm sure
the color of the rice wouldn't have made a hill of difference.
-ginny

ChattyCathy wrote on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:59:18 +0200:

>> ChattyCathy wrote on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:55:40 +0200:
>>
>>> http://www.recfoodcooking.com
>>
>>> Gonna blame zxcvbob's thread for this one. Thanks, Bob. ;-)
>>
>> So far, I'm in the 100% who don't eat gumbo. I don't like
>> brown rice much anyway. Various colored rices, like black
>> rice, are an interesting change but it is usually harder to
>> clean the pot.

> Hmmm - down to 21% at this point. Can I (maybe) convince you
> to try it? You've always struck me as a foodie that will try
> anything (at least once). Please, pretty please - with some
> sushi and/or sashimi on top? ;-)

> FWIW, I was more than pleasantly surprised as to just how good
> it could be myself. But then again, I'll eat (most things) if
> they don't eat me first.

OK, I promise I will try Gumbo next time I am in a Louisiana style
restaurant, preferably with other people so that I can pass it on if I
don't like it :-) I think I have mentioned before that I know perfectly
acceptable dishes can be made from okra. There are a number of Indian
ones. I've tried brown rice and you can keep it. If I want texture I'll
use some wild rice.

I seem to be in something of a minority around my neighborhood. When I
went to buy some yesterday, the local Safeway store had about 10
versions of brown rice and only one unmodified and un-parboiled type of
white long grain rice.
--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

Virginia Tadrzynski wrote:


>
> Don't worry Cath, I eat (and cook) gumbo. Pretty darn good if you ask
> me. I would sub brown rice for white, just to see if you could tell a
> difference. I just made jambalaya on Saturday and it disappeared.
> I'm sure the color of the rice wouldn't have made a hill of
> difference. -ginny

Now yer tawkin', ginny.
--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

ChattyCathy wrote:
> Lou Decruss wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:55:40 +0200, ChattyCathy
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> http://www.recfoodcooking.com
>>>
>>> Gonna blame zxcvbob's thread for this one. Thanks, Bob. ;-)
>> I'll donate my hat to charity.
>
>
> Very nice of you Lou <g>
>
>
>> I don't eat gumbo. I've been reading
>> the threads here and have yet to see anything to make me try one.
>
> Well, Christine Dabney and a few other r.f.c.-ers in chat told me how
> good it can be so I just had to try it... IIRC, they had a (virtual)
> gumbo cook-in in chat - but because of the time difference I was sound
> asleep when most of the USA cooking/chatting was happening...
>
> Anyway, I made a nice and easy chicken and sausage gumbo recipe shortly
> thereafter (that Chris found for me too - gotta love her!)
>
> This one to be exact:
>
> http://recipes.egullet.org/recipes/r772.html
>
[snip]

There's no okra in that recipe! You *can* leave it out, I guess, but
then the filé powder is *not* optional. You have to have one or the
other. (don't add both, but you can still have a bottle of filé on the
table, along with the S&P and Tabasco sauce.)

Here's my recipe. I don't really follow the recipe, but I look at it
occasionally when I make gumbo so I don't forget anything:

Bob's Turkey Gumbo
(adapted from a recipe in _Chile Pepper_ magazine)

2 large turkey legs
2 chicken bouillon cubes
3 quart water
2 lb. sliced okra
1/2 cup oil (divided)
1/2 cup flour
1 large bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 clove garlic
1 (20 ounce) can tomatoes
1-1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
1 large bay leaf
2 stalk celery
1 tsp each: cayenne, thyme, basil, black pepper
garlic powder (optional)

boil or pressure-cook the turkey, water, bouillon cubes, and bay leaf
until meat is tender. remove turkey legs from stock and allow to cool;
remove meat from bones, chop, set aside. break the bones and add back to
stock, with skin, gristle, etc. put on back burner to simmer. meanwhile,
saute okra in 1/4 cup oil in a heavy pot until all ropiness is gone
(about 1 hour). combine remaining 1/4 cup oil and flour in an iron
skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until flour is
chocolate brown. be careful not to burn it! add onions, celery, garlic
and bell pepper to the roux and saute until tender. add roux-vegetables
mixture to the okra, add tomatoes, meat, strained turkey stock, cayenne,
black pepper and thyme. add another bay leaf or two if you like bay
leaves. simmer, partially covered for half hour. add basil and salt,
simmer another 10 minutes. adjust seasoning with salt and/or garlic
powder, if needed. serve over long-grain white rice.

* * *

This time I used cut up roast turkey meat, and the stock was from
boiling the carcass and adding back in the dripping from the roaster. I
usually don't make a traditional roux, I roast a bunch of flour in the
oven until it looks like cocoa, then I store that in the pantry and use
it to make multiple batches of gumbo (it keeps forever.) I only had
about 1/3 cup of roasted flour, so I made some medium-dark roux using
1/4 cup of flour and a half cup of turkey fat, then added my roasted
flour later when I dumped everything together.

I also added a sliced smoked hotlink this time (I usually don't add any
sausage.) And I did the okra different; I simmered the okra in some of
the stock until it was soft (and snotty) then stirred vigorously to
break up the okra somewhat. I'm not sure yet if I like it as well this
way or not.

Best regards,
Bob

James Silverton wrote:

>
> OK, I promise I will try Gumbo next time I am in a Louisiana style
> restaurant, preferably with other people so that I can pass it on if I
> don't like it :-)

<g> Clever man.

> I think I have mentioned before that I know
> perfectly acceptable dishes can be made from okra.


See? I just knew you were a foodie!

> There are a number of Indian ones. I've tried brown rice and you can
> keep it.

Fair enough. I feel the same way about cabbage - but I too, have tried
it - more times than I care to remember...

--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

zxcvbob wrote:

> ChattyCathy wrote:

>>
>> This one to be exact:
>>
>> http://recipes.egullet.org/recipes/r772.html
>>
> [snip]
>
> There's no okra in that recipe! You *can* leave it out, I guess, but
> then the filé powder is *not* optional.

Sorry. I should have mentioned that I actually did add okra which is
usually available here, because I've never seen filé powder sold in
the local stupidmarkets where I shop.

> You have to have one or the
> other. (don't add both, but you can still have a bottle of filé on the
> table, along with the S&P and Tabasco sauce.)

Quite so. Chris and a few other r.f.c.-ers told me that too.

>
> Here's my recipe. I don't really follow the recipe, but I look at it
> occasionally when I make gumbo so I don't forget anything:
>
> Bob's Turkey Gumbo
> (adapted from a recipe in _Chile Pepper_ magazine)

<snipped for space>

Thanks again Bob. Gonna try this one too.
--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

l, not -l wrote:


> With regard to the roux; Alton Brown, on the Good Eats episode on
> Gumbo suggests making the roux in a cast iron skillet or dutch oven,
> in a 350F
> oven. I regularly do this and turn out a good roux without having to
> stand
> at the stove, stirring constantly. Equal amounts, by weight, of
> all-purpose flour and fat (not butter, except for lighter rouxs, pork
> fat is best); about 90 minutes at 350F for brick roux, stir about
> every 20 minutes, then keep an eye on the color during the 15 minutes
> or so in order to make sure you don't overdo it.

Ah, yes. I seem to recall you mentioned the above method before. Gotta
try that too.
>
> As to the authenticity of your gumbo based upon wine vs. beer drinking
> to pass the time; wine IS authentic, beer is an accomodation. We're
> talking French influenced cuisine, not German.

I won't argue with that.

--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

Lou Decruss wrote:

> On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:55:40 +0200, ChattyCathy
> > wrote:
>
> >http://www.recfoodcooking.com
> >
> >Gonna blame zxcvbob's thread for this one. Thanks, Bob. ;-)
>
> I'll donate my hat to charity. I don't eat gumbo. I've been reading
> the threads here and have yet to see anything to make me try one.
>


Oh man, Lou, gumbo is The Food Of The Gods...!!!


--
Best
Greg

ChattyCathy wrote:

> Lou Decruss wrote:
>
> > On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:55:40 +0200, ChattyCathy
> > > wrote:
> >
> >>http://www.recfoodcooking.com
> >>
> >>Gonna blame zxcvbob's thread for this one. Thanks, Bob. ;-)
> >
> > I'll donate my hat to charity.
>
>
> Very nice of you Lou <g>
>
>
> > I don't eat gumbo. I've been reading
> > the threads here and have yet to see anything to make me try one.
>
> Well, Christine Dabney and a few other r.f.c.-ers in chat told me how
> good it can be so I just had to try it... IIRC, they had a (virtual)
> gumbo cook-in in chat - but because of the time difference I was sound
> asleep when most of the USA cooking/chatting was happening...
>
> Anyway, I made a nice and easy chicken and sausage gumbo recipe shortly
> thereafter (that Chris found for me too - gotta love her!)
>
> This one to be exact:
>
> http://recipes.egullet.org/recipes/r772.html
>
> The whole family scarfed it down. My DH enjoyed it too - even tho' the
> recipe involves using celery (which he tries to ignore when I bring it
> into the house) <LOL>. Made it a couple of times now, great comfort
> and/or winter food, IMHO.


I am just commencing to make some this evening in the crockpot, we've got
some snow and cold weather due in Chicago soon, so it's a great cold weather
"tonic". It's a perfect crockpot dish...I'll put it on for around 8 - 10
hours on "low"...

I first made gumbo about 25 years ago, using the Paul Prudhomme recipe from
his then - new and enormously popular cookbook (it's on his website
IIRC)...I've made it so often I could make it in my sleep.

Next week (Tuesday, the 24th) is the start of Mardi Gras and my local bar
always has a bunch of gumbo for the celebration. One of the barkeeps and
his pals make huge amounts of really great gumbo (and also jambalayas,
etc.), they spend a lot of the time making the roux and cooking the
gumbo...I may make some potato salad to go along with it, potato salad is
the traditional accompaniment to gumbo (George Shirley and others have
posted about this).


> The most boring part for me was making the dark brown roux on the
> stove-top without burning it (because patience is *not* one of my many
> virtues -har-de-har-har...) But I followed the instructions in the
> recipe and got it right first time <Cathy pats herself on the back> as
> it did indeed take me about 35-40 minutes of constant stirring to get
> it to 'the color of a Hershey Bar'.


I find the experience of making roux to be a zen - like experience, yer mind
has to be *totally* concentrated on the task. It's therapeutic to me in
fact, as it forces one to focus and this clear the cobwebs outta yer head
(momentarily at least!)...


--
Best
Greg

James Silverton wrote:

> ChattyCathy wrote on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:55:40 +0200:
>
> > http://www.recfoodcooking.com
>
> > Gonna blame zxcvbob's thread for this one. Thanks, Bob. ;-)
> > --
> > Cheers
> > Chatty Cathy
>
> So far, I'm in the 100% who don't eat gumbo. I don't like brown rice
> much anyway. Various colored rices, like black rice, are an interesting
> change but it is usually harder to clean the pot.


I've come to prefer brown rice for everything, including gumbo. It's much
more flavorful and toothsome, and nutritionally is far preferable. White
rice is about as nutritionally empty a food as there is around...I now put
it in the same category as Wonder Bread.


--
Best
Greg

James Silverton wrote:

> OK, I promise I will try Gumbo next time I am in a Louisiana style
> restaurant, preferably with other people so that I can pass it on if I
> don't like it :-) I think I have mentioned before that I know perfectly
> acceptable dishes can be made from okra.


Thing is, if the gumbo cooks down enough the okra simply "dissolves" and is
not really all that detectable. Towards the end of cooking I'll throw in
some additional sliced okra as I like the texture of it...


--
Best
Greg

Gregory wrote on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:41:33 -0600:

>> ChattyCathy wrote on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:55:40 +0200:
>>
> >> http://www.recfoodcooking.com
>>
> >> Gonna blame zxcvbob's thread for this one. Thanks, Bob. ;-)
> >> --
> >> Cheers
> >> Chatty Cathy
>>
>> So far, I'm in the 100% who don't eat gumbo. I don't like
>> brown rice much anyway. Various colored rices, like black
>> rice, are an interesting change but it is usually harder to
>> clean the pot.

> I've come to prefer brown rice for everything, including
> gumbo. It's much more flavorful and toothsome, and
> nutritionally is far preferable. White rice is about as
> nutritionally empty a food as there is around...I now put it
> in the same category as Wonder Bread.


Rice is an accompaniment to real food. Once you start worrying about it,
it takes over. Fuggetabatit!
--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:25:30 -0600, "Gregory Morrow"
> wrote:

>
>Lou Decruss wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:55:40 +0200, ChattyCathy
>> > wrote:
>>
>> >http://www.recfoodcooking.com
>> >
>> >Gonna blame zxcvbob's thread for this one. Thanks, Bob. ;-)
>>
>> I'll donate my hat to charity. I don't eat gumbo. I've been reading
>> the threads here and have yet to see anything to make me try one.
>>
>
>
>Oh man, Lou, gumbo is The Food Of The Gods...!!!

Can't get past the okra. No biggie. I know how to make a few other
things.

Lou

Gregory Morrow wrote:
> James Silverton wrote:
>
>> OK, I promise I will try Gumbo next time I am in a Louisiana style
>> restaurant, preferably with other people so that I can pass it on if I
>> don't like it :-) I think I have mentioned before that I know perfectly
>> acceptable dishes can be made from okra.
>
>
> Thing is, if the gumbo cooks down enough the okra simply "dissolves" and is
> not really all that detectable. Towards the end of cooking I'll throw in
> some additional sliced okra as I like the texture of it...

That has been my experience with gumbo, the okra disappears unless you
add it at the end, like you mentioned. The okra does make for a nice,
thick gumbo, though.

A couple of weeks ago, my HD crashed and I lost all of my recipes. Waah,
waah! <sniffle> The day before I went on vacation, I picked up my
computer, they installed a new HD. It is nice to have my computer back,
even though it is "empty". lol

Becca