I have googled and googled - there are about 40 zillion gumbo recipes
out there. I get the general idea....roux, broth, andoullie (don't
think I spelled that right) some other meat (have seen ham, chicken,
shrimp) some have okra some not...all served over rice

anyone have a tried and true recipe? I am leaning toward a non-seafood
one since I have every type of meat except that in the house. I have
rice and okra....

I know I can just pick and choose - but never having made it before I am
just not sure what's gonna be good

Thanks in advance for your help..

Roberta

Roberta wrote:

> I have googled and googled - there are about 40 zillion gumbo recipes
> out there.
>
> anyone have a tried and true recipe?
> Roberta

They're all tried and true recipes! Pick one and do it.

Andy

Roberta wrote:
> I have googled and googled - there are about 40 zillion gumbo recipes
> out there. I get the general idea....roux, broth, andoullie (don't
> think I spelled that right) some other meat (have seen ham, chicken,
> shrimp) some have okra some not...all served over rice
>
> anyone have a tried and true recipe? I am leaning toward a non-seafood
> one since I have every type of meat except that in the house. I have
> rice and okra....
>
> I know I can just pick and choose - but never having made it before I am
> just not sure what's gonna be good
>
> Thanks in advance for your help..
>
> Roberta


Here's my tried 'n' true gumbo recipe. Feel free to make your own
substitutions and additions (like maybe a jar of oysters or some some
slice sausage links)

Bob's Turkey Gumbo
(adapted from a recipe in _Chile Pepper_ magazine, 1991)

2 large turkey legs
2 chicken bouillon cubes
3 quarts water
2 pounds 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 cloves garlic
1 (20 ounce) can tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste)
1 large bay leaf
2 stalks celery
1 teaspoon 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.

Best regards,
Bob

On Fri, 26 Aug 2005 18:45:51 -0500, zxcvbob
> wrote:
>
>Here's my tried 'n' true gumbo recipe. Feel free to make your own
>substitutions and additions (like maybe a jar of oysters or some some
>slice sausage links)
>
>Bob's Turkey Gumbo
>(adapted from a recipe in _Chile Pepper_ magazine, 1991)
>
>2 large turkey legs
>2 chicken bouillon cubes
>3 quarts water
>2 pounds 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 cloves garlic
>1 (20 ounce) can tomatoes
>1 1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste)
>1 large bay leaf
>2 stalks celery
>1 teaspoon each: cayenne, thyme, basil, black pepper
>garlic powder (optional)
>

>

Howdy,

No filé? And you call it gumbo...? <g>

All the best,
--
Kenneth

If you email... Please remove the "SPAMLESS."

Roberta wrote:

> anyone have a tried and true recipe? I am leaning toward a non-seafood
> one since I have every type of meat except that in the house. I have
> rice and okra....

I posted this a few years ago but i'll save you the trouble of
searching-

I think I have some thing that will work for you. I socialize with a
fair number of people from S.W.Louisiana and I do get enjoy their great
music and food. Their gumbos generally go something like this.

Creole chicken and sausage gumbo

2 young chickens (fryers)
4 quarts water
1 yellow onion
1 stick celery
3 bay leaves
pinch of thyme

Cut the chickens into pieces. Reserve the legs, thighs, wings, and
breasts. Take the backs, necks and giblets and other ingredients
and simmer in the water for 1 hour. Strain the stock, let the
chicken cool and then pick off the edible meat.

2 tbsp. fat or oil
1 to 2 lb. sausage of the smoked, cured semi-dry type. [The main
flavors are usually smoke and garlic. Polish types often substitute
well for Louisiana sausages.] Slice into bite size pieces.
the reserved chicken
2 yellow onions, chopped
2 bell (sweet green) peppers, chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
garlic to taste
1 cup Brown roux
reserved chicken stock
picked chicken meat
Cayenne pepper (or any hot dry chile) to taste
salt and pepper

Prepare roux ahead of time. I find it convenient to make large batches
and keep it in the refrigerator. (Bring to room temp. before using)
Anyway, to make roux use equal volumes of fat/oil. Heat the fat to
about 300 F. then stir in the flour using a whisk. Continue to stir
and cook until flour is a cocoa brown. Take off heat and continue to
stir a bit as it cools.

Back to the gumbo. Brown the chicken and sausage in the fat. Remove.
Soften the vegetables in the fat. Add the chicken stock and the
chicken. When the liquid is up to boiling add the roux and stir until
it is well mixed. Add s/p and cayenne to taste. The gumbo should
just have a bit of a tang to it; it should not be really "hot".
simmer for 1/2 hour. Add sausage. Simmer for 1/2 hour more and
you are ready to eat. Serve in soup bowls over 1 cup steamed white
rice.

D.M.

Andy wrote:

> Roberta wrote:
>
>> I have googled and googled - there are about 40 zillion gumbo recipes
>> out there.
>>
>> anyone have a tried and true recipe?
>> Roberta
>
> They're all tried and true recipes! Pick one and do it.
>
> Andy
>

This is a troll, you do realize? If it searched zillions of gumbos, it's
seen your recipe at least 10 million times.

DON'T FEED THE TROLLS.

--
Andy
http://tinyurl.com/dzl7h

Roberta wrote:
> I know I can just pick and choose - but never having made it before I
> am just not sure what's gonna be good
>
> Roberta

There you have it! No one was ever sure what gumbo was gonna be; the Cajuns
were true inventors of what the folks on alt.binaries.food call "musgovian"
cuisine - a.k.a., everything must go. That's sort of what gumbo means
It's basically just a thick vegetable stew with whatever meat you want (or
have) added to it, served over rice to stretch the meal.

I've had chicken gumbo, seafood gumbo, sausage gumbo, chicken/sausage gumbo,
and just plain vegetable gumbo. The word "gumbo" originated with African
slaves but was quickly adopted by Cajun & Creole cooks.

Okra thickens the stew but isn't necessary; I prefer to add it (and even use
frozen sliced okra! ha! Sue me). File powder (ground sassafras leaves)
added at the very end acts as an additional thickener and also adds a unique
taste (hence the phrase 'file gumbo'.)

Whatever you do will be fine as long as you have the roux down pat (stir,
stir, stir) and don't forget to saute in butter or bacon grease the holy
trinity of bell pepper, onion and celery... and to the stew add ground black
pepper, red (cayenne) pepper and white pepper.

Jill

On 2005-08-26, Roberta > wrote:

> anyone have a tried and true recipe?

I never get tired of providing this webpage:

http://www.gumbopages.com/food/soups/index.html

As I understand it, gumbos were made up of whatever is available,
whatever happens to be in the house. Learn the basics and create your
own.

nb

On Fri, 26 Aug 2005 18:48:26 -0400, Roberta wrote:

> I have googled and googled - there are about 40 zillion gumbo recipes
> out there. I get the general idea....roux, broth, andoullie (don't
> think I spelled that right) some other meat (have seen ham, chicken,
> shrimp) some have okra some not...all served over rice
>
> anyone have a tried and true recipe? I am leaning toward a non-seafood
> one since I have every type of meat except that in the house. I have
> rice and okra....
>
> I know I can just pick and choose - but never having made it before I am
> just not sure what's gonna be good
>
> Thanks in advance for your help..
>
> Roberta

From what I hear, the secret to gumbo is the roux. If you can do that
well, you can add whatever (within reason) you like to make gumbo.

PS: There are different styles of roux... so you have to figure that
out before you get onto the gumbo part. The one I know of is called
"Mississippi Mud" by some (but roux can be lighter). A friend's
mother made me a quart of roux years ago, so I was able to pig out on
my "own" gumbo as long as it lasted. YUM!

sf wrote:
> On Fri, 26 Aug 2005 18:48:26 -0400, Roberta wrote:
>
>
>> I have googled and googled - there are about 40 zillion gumbo recipes
>> out there. I get the general idea....roux, broth, andoullie (don't
>> think I spelled that right) some other meat (have seen ham, chicken,
>> shrimp) some have okra some not...all served over rice
>>
>> anyone have a tried and true recipe? I am leaning toward a non-seafood
>> one since I have every type of meat except that in the house. I have
>> rice and okra....
>>
>> I know I can just pick and choose - but never having made it before I am
>> just not sure what's gonna be good
>>
>> Thanks in advance for your help..
>>
>> Roberta
>
>
> From what I hear, the secret to gumbo is the roux. If you can do that
> well, you can add whatever (within reason) you like to make gumbo.
>
> PS: There are different styles of roux... so you have to figure that
> out before you get onto the gumbo part. The one I know of is called
> "Mississippi Mud" by some (but roux can be lighter). A friend's
> mother made me a quart of roux years ago, so I was able to pig out on
> my "own" gumbo as long as it lasted. YUM!


Roux I can do (and rhyme too *G*) I have never done the darker one- but
I plan to try for this...the shade of chocolate is what I am gathering
from websites etc...

Thank you

Roberta (in VA)

notbob wrote:
> On 2005-08-26, Roberta > wrote:
>
>
>>anyone have a tried and true recipe?
>
>
> I never get tired of providing this webpage:
>
> http://www.gumbopages.com/food/soups/index.html
>
> As I understand it, gumbos were made up of whatever is available,
> whatever happens to be in the house. Learn the basics and create your
> own.
>
> nb

I actually found that page - the shrimp heads in the stock sorta scared
me away lol

Thank you for the link...

It definatly will help me figure out how to make the gumbo..

Roberta (in VA)

jmcquown wrote:
> Roberta wrote:
>
>>I know I can just pick and choose - but never having made it before I
>>am just not sure what's gonna be good
>>
>>Roberta
>
>
> There you have it! No one was ever sure what gumbo was gonna be; the Cajuns
> were true inventors of what the folks on alt.binaries.food call "musgovian"
> cuisine - a.k.a., everything must go. That's sort of what gumbo means
> It's basically just a thick vegetable stew with whatever meat you want (or
> have) added to it, served over rice to stretch the meal.
>
> I've had chicken gumbo, seafood gumbo, sausage gumbo, chicken/sausage gumbo,
> and just plain vegetable gumbo. The word "gumbo" originated with African
> slaves but was quickly adopted by Cajun & Creole cooks.
>
> Okra thickens the stew but isn't necessary; I prefer to add it (and even use
> frozen sliced okra! ha! Sue me). File powder (ground sassafras leaves)
> added at the very end acts as an additional thickener and also adds a unique
> taste (hence the phrase 'file gumbo'.)
>
> Whatever you do will be fine as long as you have the roux down pat (stir,
> stir, stir) and don't forget to saute in butter or bacon grease the holy
> trinity of bell pepper, onion and celery... and to the stew add ground black
> pepper, red (cayenne) pepper and white pepper.
>
> Jill
>
>
Thank you don't know what file powder is - nor where to find it...I
think this time I will have to pass. I do, however, have okra. Mine is
frozen as well - I really have an aversion to the fresh stuff.. when I
was young my grandparent grew it, it's very very slimy. My Granddaddy
used to eat the stuff boiled with stewed tomatoes and Lord knows
what...it was so nasty looking!

Roberta (in VA)

Roberta wrote:
> jmcquown wrote:
>> Roberta wrote:
>>
>>> I know I can just pick and choose - but never having made it before
>>> I
>>> am just not sure what's gonna be good
>>>
>>> Roberta
>>
>>
>> There you have it! No one was ever sure what gumbo was gonna be;
>> the Cajuns were true inventors of what the folks on
>> alt.binaries.food call "musgovian" cuisine - a.k.a., everything must
>> go. That's sort of what gumbo means It's basically just a thick
>> vegetable stew with whatever meat you want (or have) added to it,
>> served over rice to stretch the meal.
>>
>> I've had chicken gumbo, seafood gumbo, sausage gumbo,
>> chicken/sausage gumbo, and just plain vegetable gumbo. The word
>> "gumbo" originated with African slaves but was quickly adopted by
>> Cajun & Creole cooks.
>>
>> Okra thickens the stew but isn't necessary; I prefer to add it (and
>> even use frozen sliced okra! ha! Sue me). File powder (ground
>> sassafras leaves) added at the very end acts as an additional
>> thickener and also adds a unique taste (hence the phrase 'file
>> gumbo'.)
>>
>> Whatever you do will be fine as long as you have the roux down pat
>> (stir, stir, stir) and don't forget to saute in butter or bacon
>> grease the holy trinity of bell pepper, onion and celery... and to
>> the stew add ground black pepper, red (cayenne) pepper and white
>> pepper.
>>
>> Jill
>>
>>
> Thank you don't know what file powder is - nor where to find
> it...I
> think this time I will have to pass. I do, however, have okra. Mine
> is frozen as well - I really have an aversion to the fresh stuff..
> when I
> was young my grandparent grew it, it's very very slimy. My Granddaddy
> used to eat the stuff boiled with stewed tomatoes and Lord knows
> what...it was so nasty looking!
>
> Roberta (in VA)

Oddly enough, you might find file powder by the seafood counter at the
grocery store. Zatarains sells it in jars. Link below

http://www.zatarain.com/products/pro...s/Gumbo_Fil%E9
or
http://tinyurl.co.uk/wlvf

Jill

"notbob" > wrote in message
...
> On 2005-08-26, Roberta > wrote:
>
>> anyone have a tried and true recipe?
>
> I never get tired of providing this webpage:
>
> http://www.gumbopages.com/food/soups/index.html
>
> As I understand it, gumbos were made up of whatever is available,
> whatever happens to be in the house. Learn the basics and create your
> own.
>
> nb

After reading "Sacramento Magic in a Small-Town Cafe" by Reinhart" p. 79-88,
he describes gumbo as being all in the roux. The lightest being a constant
stirring of 15 minutes and the darkest up to and no more than 45 minutes.
His roux recipe is 2-1/2 cups oil (either canola, peanut or safflower) and 1
cup unbleached all-purpose flour. THEN, you add the roux to the gumbo OR
soup stock, without getting lumps for which he gives tips.

He refers to Wynton Marsalis saying that blues in the root of all music as
"the roux is to the gumbo."

Dee Dee

"Roberta" > wrote in message
news:lLYPe.3212$dm.1077@lakeread03...
> jmcquown wrote:
>> Roberta wrote:
>>
>>>I know I can just pick and choose - but never having made it before I
>>>am just not sure what's gonna be good
>>>
>>>Roberta
>>
>>
>> There you have it! No one was ever sure what gumbo was gonna be; the
>> Cajuns
>> were true inventors of what the folks on alt.binaries.food call
>> "musgovian"
>> cuisine - a.k.a., everything must go. That's sort of what gumbo means
>> It's basically just a thick vegetable stew with whatever meat you want
>> (or
>> have) added to it, served over rice to stretch the meal.
>>
>> I've had chicken gumbo, seafood gumbo, sausage gumbo, chicken/sausage
>> gumbo,
>> and just plain vegetable gumbo. The word "gumbo" originated with African
>> slaves but was quickly adopted by Cajun & Creole cooks.
>>
>> Okra thickens the stew but isn't necessary; I prefer to add it (and even
>> use
>> frozen sliced okra! ha! Sue me). File powder (ground sassafras leaves)
>> added at the very end acts as an additional thickener and also adds a
>> unique
>> taste (hence the phrase 'file gumbo'.)
>>
>> Whatever you do will be fine as long as you have the roux down pat (stir,
>> stir, stir) and don't forget to saute in butter or bacon grease the holy
>> trinity of bell pepper, onion and celery... and to the stew add ground
>> black
>> pepper, red (cayenne) pepper and white pepper.
>>
>> Jill
>>
>>
> Thank you don't know what file powder is - nor where to find it...I
> think this time I will have to pass. I do, however, have okra. Mine is
> frozen as well - I really have an aversion to the fresh stuff.. when I was
> young my grandparent grew it, it's very very slimy. My Granddaddy used to
> eat the stuff boiled with stewed tomatoes and Lord knows what...it was so
> nasty looking!
>
> Roberta (in VA)

Penzy's sells file.
Yum, yum, okra, slimy & all.
Dee Dee
Shenandoah Valley, VA

On Sat, 27 Aug 2005 08:10:57 -0400, Roberta
> wrote:

>Thank you don't know what file powder is

Hello again,

It is actually finely ground sassafras leaves and has a
wonderful "smoky" taste and aroma...

All the best,
--
Kenneth

If you email... Please remove the "SPAMLESS."

On Sat 27 Aug 2005 08:48:06a, Kenneth wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> On Sat, 27 Aug 2005 08:10:57 -0400, Roberta
> > wrote:
>
>>Thank you don't know what file powder is
>
> Hello again,
>
> It is actually finely ground sassafras leaves and has a
> wonderful "smoky" taste and aroma...
>
> All the best,

CAUTION: Once file powder is added to gumbo or other dish, do not allow the
liquid to boil or it will get "stringy". File powder is used both for
flavoring and thickening.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four,
unless there are three other people.

On 2005-08-27, Roberta > wrote:

> I actually found that page - the shrimp heads in the stock sorta scared
> me away lol

When I don't have shrimp heads, which is most of the time, I use Knorr
shrimp bouillon cubes. Look for 'em in oriental markets or online.

nb

On Sat, 27 Aug 2005 08:10:57 -0400, Roberta wrote:

> Thank you don't know what file powder is - nor where to find it...I
> think this time I will have to pass.

Just ask when you're in the grocery store next time. I bet they have
it! The bottle I see most is around 3" tall and narrow, so it's easy
to miss.

On 2005-08-27, Dee Randall > wrote:

> he describes gumbo as being all in the roux. The lightest being a constant
> stirring of 15 minutes and the darkest up to and no more than 45 minutes.

I can't imagine anyone spending 15-45 mins making a simple roux. My
technique calls for a copper bottomed SS pan and a hi-temp silicon
spatula. I crank the heat right up under the smoking point and keep
that roux a-movin'. I can get a fudgesicle brown roux in about eight
minutes.

nb

notbob wrote:
>
> I can't imagine anyone spending 15-45 mins making a simple roux. My
> technique calls for a copper bottomed SS pan and a hi-temp silicon
> spatula. I crank the heat right up under the smoking point and keep
> that roux a-movin'. I can get a fudgesicle brown roux in about eight
> minutes.
>
That's livin' on the edge! For most people, though, the risk of
scorching at that high heat offsets the time savings. Safer to
moderate the heat a bit and spend more time stirring. -aem

notbob wrote:

> I can't imagine anyone spending 15-45 mins making a simple roux. My
> technique calls for a copper bottomed SS pan and a hi-temp silicon
> spatula. I crank the heat right up under the smoking point and keep
> that roux a-movin'. I can get a fudgesicle brown roux in about eight
> minutes.

Yep. I used to do it the slow way because that's how most recipes
specify it. Then I read "Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen" where
he does a dark roux in a few minutes. That's the way I do it now.
It's drop dead easy.

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com

On 27 Aug 2005 18:07:41 +0200, Wayne Boatwright
> wrote:

>On Sat 27 Aug 2005 08:48:06a, Kenneth wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>
>> On Sat, 27 Aug 2005 08:10:57 -0400, Roberta
>> > wrote:
>>
>>>Thank you don't know what file powder is
>>
>> Hello again,
>>
>> It is actually finely ground sassafras leaves and has a
>> wonderful "smoky" taste and aroma...
>>
>> All the best,
>
>CAUTION: Once file powder is added to gumbo or other dish, do not allow the
>liquid to boil or it will get "stringy". File powder is used both for
>flavoring and thickening.

Hi again,

You are right of course...

I neglected to mention that for a while, filé was
(amazingly) on the U.S. federal controlled substances list.
It all but disappeared from the shelves, but they woke up
and removed it from the list.

All the best,
--
Kenneth

If you email... Please remove the "SPAMLESS."

"Reg" > wrote in message
m...
> notbob wrote:
>
>> I can't imagine anyone spending 15-45 mins making a simple roux. My
>> technique calls for a copper bottomed SS pan and a hi-temp silicon
>> spatula. I crank the heat right up under the smoking point and keep
>> that roux a-movin'. I can get a fudgesicle brown roux in about eight
>> minutes.
>
> Yep. I used to do it the slow way because that's how most recipes
> specify it. Then I read "Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen" where
> he does a dark roux in a few minutes. That's the way I do it now.
> It's drop dead easy.
>
Reinhart's "Sacramental Magic...." (1994) book is a running narrative with
recipes, sort of like a travel book. This is what he says about Prudhome on
p. 80-81:
"What I did want to do was to top the previous year's menu by preparing the
greatest gumbo ever made. The key, I reasoned, was my new-found knowledge
of roux, gleaned from the writings of Paul Prudhomme and Justin Wilson."

I don't know what year the "Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen" book was
written. But there might have been a epiphany there for one of those cooks.
Dee Dee

Dee Randall wrote:

> I don't know what year the "Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen" book was
> written. But there might have been a epiphany there for one of those cooks.

It came out in 1984. It's the best I've ever read on the subject
of cajun and creole cooking. I like Justin Wilson too, but he's
a bit more traditional and not as technically sound, IMO.

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com

On 2005-08-27, Dee Randall > wrote:

> I don't know what year the "Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen" book was
> written. But there might have been a epiphany there for one of those cooks.
> Dee Dee

My edition was published in 1984.

nb

In article >,
"Dee Randall" > wrote:

> After reading "Sacramento Magic in a Small-Town Cafe" by Reinhart" p. 79-88,
> he describes gumbo as being all in the roux. The lightest being a constant
> stirring of 15 minutes and the darkest up to and no more than 45 minutes.
> His roux recipe is 2-1/2 cups oil (either canola, peanut or safflower) and 1
> cup unbleached all-purpose flour. THEN, you add the roux to the gumbo OR
> soup stock, without getting lumps for which he gives tips.
>
> He refers to Wynton Marsalis saying that blues in the root of all music as
> "the roux is to the gumbo."
>
> Dee Dee

I'm still basically a 45 min rouxer, using the cheapest veggie oil and
all purpose flour. I can do it in 15 to 20 minutes but if I turn my back
for just a moment it scorches and all is lost. I use only about 1/3 to
1/2 cup of oil to 1 cup of flour. I start with high heat and stir like
crazy until everything smoothes out. Then I turn it down to almost
simmer level (for the 45 min rough) or medium for the 20 minute job.

I made gumbo earlier this week (okra is available big time at our
farmer's market) and when I went to start the roux I was shocked to find
I only had about 1/2 cup of flour in the house. So I added about 1/4 cup
of massa harina (sp?) to the mix. Was real worried .... the massa was
gritty while the roux was under construction. I dumped the veggies in
the finished roux and tossed to coat them and then dumped the whole mess
in the broth (made from smoked turkey drumsticks). Ended up with a
pretty thick Gumbo! But the grittiness was gone.

I usually only provide file powder at the table. Throw the gumbo in your
bowl, add a heap of rice, sprinkle file powder over, pop a beer, enjoy.
And so it goes.

Regards,
Dave W.

--
Living in the Ozarks
For email, edu will do.

Regardless of what doesn't happen, there's always someone who knew it wouldn't.
R. Henry

On Sat, 27 Aug 2005 18:23:49 GMT, Reg >
wrote:

>It came out in 1984. It's the best I've ever read on the subject
>of cajun and creole cooking.

Howdy,

I remember a while ago seeing Chef Paul on the tube.

When he was asked to describe the difference between "Cajun"
and "Creole" he just started to stammer, eventually saying
that one was from "the country" and the other from "the
city."

It was a hoot...

All the best,
--
Kenneth

If you email... Please remove the "SPAMLESS."

Kenneth wrote:

> I remember a while ago seeing Chef Paul on the tube.
>
> When he was asked to describe the difference between "Cajun"
> and "Creole" he just started to stammer, eventually saying
> that one was from "the country" and the other from "the
> city."
>
> It was a hoot...

Heh. That's pretty much what he says in the book, too. But he
does go a bit more indepth, and there's not so much stammering
involved. OK, maybe a little...

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com

Kenneth wrote:
> On Sat, 27 Aug 2005 18:23:49 GMT, Reg >
> wrote:
>
>
>>It came out in 1984. It's the best I've ever read on the subject
>>of cajun and creole cooking.
>
>
> Howdy,
>
> I remember a while ago seeing Chef Paul on the tube.
>
> When he was asked to describe the difference between "Cajun"
> and "Creole" he just started to stammer, eventually saying
> that one was from "the country" and the other from "the
> city."
>
> It was a hoot...
>
> All the best,


I believe the Cajuns were mostly French-Canadians, with maybe a *little*
Cherokee (etc) mixed in for good measure. They were poor folks, and
tended to have more one-pot meals made with whatever fish or meat they
caught that day. The Creoles were a higher social class, and were
mixed-breed Cajun-Spanish-Black. Their cooking was more "continental",
and influenced by Spanish and classic French cooking, and an occasional
good measure of African. Have you ever noticed how much jambalaya
resembles paella? It is a creole dish. Gumbo is less well defined and
can be made in one big pot or skillet -- cajun.

Chef P. should have known that.

Best regards,
Bob

On 2005-08-28, zxcvbob > wrote:

> I believe the Cajuns were mostly French-Canadians, with maybe a *little*
> Cherokee (etc) mixed in for good measure. They were poor folks, and
> tended to have more one-pot meals made with whatever fish or meat they
> caught that day. The Creoles were a higher social class, and were
> mixed-breed Cajun-Spanish-Black. Their cooking was more "continental",
> and influenced by Spanish and classic French cooking, and an occasional
> good measure of African. Have you ever noticed how much jambalaya
> resembles paella? It is a creole dish. Gumbo is less well defined and
> can be made in one big pot or skillet -- cajun.

Some of the above is correct, some is not. It's a little more complex.

"The Cajuns are an ethnic group consisting essentially of the
descendants of Acadians who came from Nova Scotia to Louisiana as a
result of their refusal to swear allegiance to the British Crown. The
word "Cajun" is an Anglophone corruption of the French pronunciation
of the word acadien, after Acadia, the name of their ancestral region
in Nova Scotia; the name "Cajun" was applied to them by
English-speaking colonists when they settled in Louisiana."

"Cajuns are primarily the descendants of Acadian refugees; however
other groups have contributed to the modern Cajun population.
Non-Acadian French Creoles in rural areas were absorbed into Cajun
communities. Many Cajuns also have ancestors who were not French."

"Gumbo (from a Central Bantu (Africa) word meaning okra) is a spicy,
hearty stew or soup, found typically in the states on the Gulf of
Mexico in the United States, and very common in the southern part of
Louisiana."


These are just a few tibits from the extensive coverage on
http://en.wikipedia.org. There's a lot more and creole is not just a
USA tag, there being Alaskan, Filipino, and Latin American creoles.
There's also black cajun communities as well as white cajun
communities in the US. Regardless of all the confusion, I wouldn't
lose any sleep over it.

nb

On 2005-08-27, Reg > wrote:

> Yep. I used to do it the slow way because that's how most recipes
> specify it. Then I read "Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen" where
> he does a dark roux in a few minutes. That's the way I do it now.
> It's drop dead easy.

There's another technique which I learned originally. You take the
flour (dry) and brown it (pan toast) in a big skillet to the desired
color. Then make a basic fat/flour roux. It doesn't provide the same
flavor, but does give a nice brown color for an espagnole sauce.

nb

On Sat, 27 Aug 2005 13:55:05 -0400, Kenneth wrote:
>
> I neglected to mention that for a while, filé was
> (amazingly) on the U.S. federal controlled substances list.
> It all but disappeared from the shelves, but they woke up
> and removed it from the list.
>
I thought sasafrass root, not leaves were banned. I didn't miss filé
powder, but I did miss roots to brew tea.

On Sat 27 Aug 2005 11:09:11p, sf wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> On Sat, 27 Aug 2005 13:55:05 -0400, Kenneth wrote:
>>
>> I neglected to mention that for a while, filé was
>> (amazingly) on the U.S. federal controlled substances list.
>> It all but disappeared from the shelves, but they woke up
>> and removed it from the list.
>>
> I thought sasafrass root, not leaves were banned. I didn't miss filé
> powder, but I did miss roots to brew tea.
>

I think both were at different times. The root was banned a long time ago,
supposedly as a carcinogen. I remember my dad brewing sassafras tea for us
when I was a kid.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four,
unless there are three other people.

"Wayne Boatwright" > wrote in message
...
> On Sat 27 Aug 2005 11:09:11p, sf wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>
>> On Sat, 27 Aug 2005 13:55:05 -0400, Kenneth wrote:
>>>
>>> I neglected to mention that for a while, filé was
>>> (amazingly) on the U.S. federal controlled substances list.
>>> It all but disappeared from the shelves, but they woke up
>>> and removed it from the list.
>>>
>> I thought sasafrass root, not leaves were banned. I didn't miss filé
>> powder, but I did miss roots to brew tea.
>>
>
> I think both were at different times. The root was banned a long time
> ago,
> supposedly as a carcinogen. I remember my dad brewing sassafras tea for
> us
> when I was a kid.
>
> --
> Wayne Boatwright *¿*

In my household as a child (1935-1945) there was no such thing as tea, but
there was sassafras occasionally. It was a treat. And I can't remember if
it was something we had as a 'treatment' when we were sick. I do remember
catnip (tea) bringing me back from being almost dead. I had been very ill
for many days and within a day after being given catnip tea, I was up and
running.
Dee Dee

On Fri, 26 Aug 2005 18:48:26 -0400, Roberta wrote:

> I have googled and googled - gumbo???

NO OTHER THAN... Paul Prudhomme..

In article >,
Bubbabob > wrote:

> "Dave W." > wrote:
>
>
> >
> > I'm still basically a 45 min rouxer, using the cheapest veggie oil and
> > all purpose flour. I can do it in 15 to 20 minutes but if I turn my
> > back for just a moment it scorches and all is lost. I use only about
> > 1/3 to 1/2 cup of oil to 1 cup of flour. I start with high heat and
> > stir like crazy until everything smoothes out. Then I turn it down to
> > almost simmer level (for the 45 min rough) or medium for the 20 minute
> > job.

>
> I used to make all of my roux the hard way but since learning the tricks of
> microwave roux, never again. I can get a perfect dark roux in about 10
> minutes with less than a minute of that time spent stirring.
>
> It helps a lot if your microwave has proportional power control (AKA
> inverter control) as opposed to the cheap on-off type of regulation.

Yeah, and in my case it would help a lot if I had a microwave! 8^)

Regards,
Dave (stone age) W.

--
Living in the Ozarks
For email, edu will do.

Regardless of what doesn't happen, there's always someone who knew it wouldn't.
R. Henry

On Sun, 28 Aug 2005 08:28:32 -0400, Dee Randall wrote:

> I do remember
> catnip (tea) bringing me back from being almost dead. I had been very ill
> for many days and within a day after being given catnip tea, I was up and
> running.

Is there something you're not telling us, Dee? Hmmmm?

"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 28 Aug 2005 08:28:32 -0400, Dee Randall wrote:
>
>> I do remember
>> catnip (tea) bringing me back from being almost dead. I had been very
>> ill
>> for many days and within a day after being given catnip tea, I was up
>> and
>> running.
>
> Is there something you're not telling us, Dee? Hmmmm?

Yes, from that day forward, I've been purring -- tee hee!
Dee Dee

On Sun 28 Aug 2005 03:34:00p, Dee Randall wrote in rec.food.cooking:

>
> "sf" > wrote in message
> ...
>> On Sun, 28 Aug 2005 08:28:32 -0400, Dee Randall wrote:
>>
>>> I do remember
>>> catnip (tea) bringing me back from being almost dead. I had been very
>>> ill for many days and within a day after being given catnip tea, I was
>>> up and running.
>>
>> Is there something you're not telling us, Dee? Hmmmm?
>
> Yes, from that day forward, I've been purring -- tee hee!
> Dee Dee

hehehe! Better watch out for Dee when you say, "cat got your tongue?" :-)



--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four,
unless there are three other people.