Mayhaw Man

It would probably be less controversial in Mississippi than you think. We know where the food came from. We know who, historically, cooked it in white people's houses. We know where the original influences were in many of the foods that became common place. Although I can make the argument (and do in the Southern Foods thread) that the modern development of these foods (after 1900) was as much a poor peoples thing as it was a black thing. We cooked what was at hand and we made it taste good. Hungry people rarely argued about who came up with the recipe. Most of the South was rural and poor for the first half of the Twentieth Century (at least until WW2). A good place to review these types of discussions would be in the excellent Q and A that Joyce White did last year. There was a fair amount of discussion about this in Southern Foods-Is they or ain't they?

That would be gumbo z'herbe (some people call it Green Gumbo-both for the color and the content). I love that stuff. We make it at least once a month during the winter. Perfect with a big hunk of buttered cornbread.

Hey, it was 95 degrees today and the humidity is hovering around 80% AND we had about an inch of rain after dark. My tomato plants have had enough (they have valiantly provided a ton of those little creole devils this year, though. So I am not complaining). I had three groupings like this, of about a dozen plants each, and they all did well. These are slightly shaded so they lasted the longest (and yielded the least). I picked a bunch this afternoon. We had them sliced with salt, pepper, and a little really good balsamic vinegar along with 4 slabs of these babies Cooked over this (that's redfish on the grill, old picture) It's really hot and humid down here now. Steamy is not even a good word for it. Walking outside is more akin to taking a warm shower. I love it, but most people hate it.

Man! I forgot all about that place. My wife's families farm is in Sondheimer (don't look on a map, but it's right there) and we used to buy beer there all the time. THey had an incrdible selection, as the business is based on people driving across the bridge from Vicksburg and buying stuff that is not availablein Mississippi because many importers don't want to deal with MS arcane tax stamp law. Not enough volume in the whole state to make it worthwhile, although some of that has changed with the advent of Casinos all over the place. You can buy lottery tickets, tank up your car, and get tanked up at the same place. What a great state this is!

Konriko is th long grain of choice in Acadiana. I love it. I highly reccomend a stop by the mill if you get a chance. I was going to take Jason and Rachel there on our little drive, but lunch and some wooden chairs got in the way. Maybe next time. Here are the Crowley Rice Girls. The Rice Museum is in Crowley and is a pretty interesting spot as far as learning about the history of the Western Prairie and Acadiana (the Western Prairie is a name that is still used, held over from the days when Acadiana WAS the Western part of the Louisiana Purchase-before all of those pesky Texicans got into the act).

The following recipe for Seafood Gumbo (it appears in recipegullet, as well) is from My Mother's Cookbook. I have copied it verbatim, so there will be "some splainin' to do" as her directions automatically assume some that everybody reading the book learned how to cook from her and my grandmother. One of my SIL's claims that it is written in some kind of old Confederate Code that she does not have the key to. When I type this, it's funny how I hear her voice-the nice one, not the one that starts out with "Brooks!, Have you lost your mind?" Anyway- Brooksie's Seafood Gumbo 1 cup peanut oil 1 cup flour 8 ribs chopped celery 1 bunch green onions 1 green bell pepper 1 red bell pepper 5 cloves garlic 1/2 cup chopped flatleaf parsley 1 pound okra 2 tbls. peanut oil 4 quarts stock 1/2 cup worcestershire 1 tsp. Tabasco 1/2 cup tomato sauce 1 16 oz can Cento plum tomatoes 2 tbls. salt 1 thick slice ham, finely chopped 1/2 tsp. thyme 1/2 tsp. rosemary 1 lb. claw meat 4 lbs. gumbo shrimp 1 pint oysters 1 lb gumbo crabs 1 tsp. brown sugar lemon juice to taste Make medium dark roux with oil and flour. Add chopped vegetables to stop roux from burning Cover tightly and cook on medium for 45 minutes (don't scorch!) Fry sliced okra in the 2 tbls. oil until slightly brown Add okra to veg. mixture Add stock and all of the seasonings to the veg. Simmer for 2 1/2 hours Add chicken, shrimp, crabmeat, ham and simmer for 30 more minutes If using oysters add them 10 minutes before end of simmer Add brown sugar and lemon juice Serve in bowls with rice and sprinkle with Filet This takes alot of time, but it makes plenty and can be frozen in different size containers to pull out when you don't want to cook. Good on a cold winter's day when you have lots of time and money. It's not cheap. Good to cook the chicken for the stock (if you don't have stock in the freezer) and put it in the fridge overnight so the fat can be skimmed off the next day before use. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It seems like an awful lot of roux, but that what she uses and I have made this countless times and it works. This is actually better (as are many soups) the next day. The flavors come together overnight in the fridge. If you are doing a day ahead (I highly reccomend it-don't put the oysters in until the reheat). You can skip the 1/4'd gumbo crabs, but I love 'em. Enjoy. This is a very, very satisfying thing to make. Brooks

I started two months ago, I have lots of photographs and have loaded most of them into imagegullet, but have to get to work on the text. I'm working on it. I'm a busy guy this time of year.

You are exactly right. Jambalaya (at least the way that it's generally treated here, is kind of a replacement for casseroles in other parts of the country-once you get the methodology down, Jambo is not particularly difficult to make and is kind of an all purpose filler food. Gumbos, ettoufees, and creoles are much more delicate and take alot more practice to perfect ( I have been making Gumbo for thirty years and still do not always get results that satisfy me) the styles and nuances of the dishes.

Just for the record, this is a repeat from another thread concerning I20-but the answer really belongs here. If you have to stop in Monroe (my hometown, so I don't want to be overly critical here) there are a few places that I would reccomend, but not many-although these are really good and long established The Warehouse #1-a seafood place on the Ouachita River. Interesting building (old cotton warehouse) and really good food. Great place for drinks if you end up spending the night (if that's going to be the case, let me know-I can list some entertaining things to do, believe it or not). This was also the site of my first rest. job. I waited tables and bartended there for a long summer through the opening of the place. It was like a drug. I wanted more. Opening restaurants is hard work but a hell of alot of fun. Cascio's Seafood-Sicilian Italian Creole (yes, this is a real style-google on Mosca's and you can find a description of the cuisine style)-really good. Order Trout Tony-trust me on this one. Enoch's is a great bar owned by an old hippie cat named Doyle Jeeter. Good pub grub and sometimes great ive music from Southern Traveling acts. I saw the Black Crowes in Enoch's a very long time ago. Davebr is probably going to help you out with Shreveport. He lives there and owns a couple of restaurants in Shreveport. I have pm'd him for some recs.

When you leave Jackson, unless you want to stop in Vicksburg for a little gaming and some buffet, I reccomend that you set the cruise control and and drive through the Delta, into the piney woods on the other side of the Ouachita River, and on to Shreveport- If you have to stop in Monroe (my hometown, so I don't want to be overly critical here) there are a few places that I would reccomend, but not many-although these are really good and long established The Warehouse #1-a seafood place on the Ouachita River. Interesting building (old cotton warehouse) and really good food. Great place for drinks if you end up spending the night (if that's going to be the case, let me know-I can list some entertaining things to do, believe it or not). This was also the site of my first rest. job. I waited tables and bartended there for a long summer through the opening of the place. It was like a drug. I wanted more. Opening restaurants is hard work but a hell of alot of fun. Cascio's Seafood-Sicilian Italian Creole (yes, this is a real style-google on Mosca's and you can find a description of the cuisine style)-really good. Order Trout Tony-trust me on this one. Enoch's is a great bar owned by an old hippie cat named Doyle Jeeter. Good pub grub and sometimes great ive music from Southern Traveling acts. I saw the Black Crowes in Enoch's a very long time ago. Davebr is probably going to help you out with Shreveport. He lives there and owns a couple of restaurants in Shreveport. I have pm'd him for some recs.

In Jackson I would reccomend any of these: The Elite-I believe that this is the oldest restautant in Jackson-order lemon chess pie for dessert-it is awesome. Worth the stop. The White House-good Southern Fare Hal and Mal's-Hal and Mal's is also a brewpub (I built it). The food is great and the atmosphere is well, interesting. THe place is housed in an old commercial freight railroad building and is run by my friend and Bon Vivant Malcolm White and his brother Hal. They have live music at night and serve great food (lunch is an especially good deal). They have good tamales (Ray's Red Hots) and make sure that you order some "Come Back" sauce to go with your meal. THis is also the place that houses the bar where Jill Connor started the Sweet Potato Queen phenomenon. It is a very cool place, tell Malcoom I said hello. But do it after you pay, he might charge you extra if you do it in advance. Kids love this place as well. It is my boys favorite restaurant in the South. I think maybe because it is so big that nobody notices ill behaved children running wild and free. There is outdoor dining in a cool courtyard off of the pub, if the weather is not too hot.

She was on Tech TV on that Martin Whathisnames show. Very funny and suprisingly serious about the food.

The Waysider in Tuscaloosa is a very dependable spot in Tuscaloosa-just take the Cottondale/Coaling exit on the east side of town and go North. You can'[t miss it. It looks just like a restaurant/bar should have looked in about 1958.

Here is a description with photos of Chicken and Sausage Gumbo. I use all dark meat in this recipe and really lean sausage, but it is pretty adaptable. When I get home I will get the recipe into recipe gullet (I thought that I had already done that, but apparently not ) and a recipe for seafood gumbo as well. The seafood gumbo recipe is my mother's and it's really good, but you better get out your checkbook because it's not cheap. OTOH it makes alot so there will be plenty to put into the freezer. I will also include a recipe for Jambalaya, a couple for etoufee, and the best shrimp creole recipe I have ever had. Brooks

Brooksie's Seafood Gumbo Serves 24 as Soupor 18 as Main Dish. The following recipe for Seafood Gumbo (it appears in recipegullet, as well) is from My Mother's Cookbook. I have copied it verbatim, so there will be "some splainin' to do" as her directions automatically assume some that everybody reading the book learned how to cook from her and my grandmother. One of my SIL's claims that it is written in some kind of old Confederate Code that she does not have the key to. When I type this, it's funny how I hear her voice-the nice one, not the one that starts out with "Brooks!, Have you lost your mind?" This takes alot of time, but it makes plenty and can be frozen in different size containers to pull out when you don't want to cook. Good on a cold winter's day when you have lots of time and money. It's not cheap. Good to cook the chicken for the stock (if you don't have stock in the freezer) and put it in the fridge overnight so the fat can be skimmed off the next day before use. 1 c peanut oil 1 c flour 8 ribs chopped celery 1 bunch green onions 1 green bell pepper 1 red bell pepper 5 cloves garlic 1/2 c chopped flatleaf parsley 1 lb okra 2 tbls. peanut oil 4 qt stock 1/2 c worcestershire 1 tsp Tabasco 1/2 c tomato sauce 1 16 oz can Cento plum tomatoes 2 tbls. salt 1 thick slice ham, finely chopped 1/2 tsp thyme 1/2 tsp rosemary 1 lb claw meat 4 lb gumbo shrimp 1 pt oysters 1 lb gumbo crabs 1 tsp brown sugar lemon juice to taste Make medium dark roux with oil and flour. Add chopped vegetables to stop roux from burning Cover tightly and cook on medium for 45 minutes (don't scorch!) Fry sliced okra in the 2 tbls. oil until slightly brown Add okra to veg. mixture Add stock and all of the seasonings to the veg. Simmer for 2 1/2 hours Add chicken, shrimp, crabmeat, ham and simmer for 30 more minutes If using oysters add them 10 minutes before end of simmer Add brown sugar and lemon juice Serve in bowls with rice and sprinkle with Filet Keywords: Soup, Main Dish, Intermediate ( RG1080 )

Brooksie's Seafood Gumbo Serves 24 as Soupor 18 as Main Dish. The following recipe for Seafood Gumbo (it appears in recipegullet, as well) is from My Mother's Cookbook. I have copied it verbatim, so there will be "some splainin' to do" as her directions automatically assume some that everybody reading the book learned how to cook from her and my grandmother. One of my SIL's claims that it is written in some kind of old Confederate Code that she does not have the key to. When I type this, it's funny how I hear her voice-the nice one, not the one that starts out with "Brooks!, Have you lost your mind?" This takes alot of time, but it makes plenty and can be frozen in different size containers to pull out when you don't want to cook. Good on a cold winter's day when you have lots of time and money. It's not cheap. Good to cook the chicken for the stock (if you don't have stock in the freezer) and put it in the fridge overnight so the fat can be skimmed off the next day before use. 1 c peanut oil 1 c flour 8 ribs chopped celery 1 bunch green onions 1 green bell pepper 1 red bell pepper 5 cloves garlic 1/2 c chopped flatleaf parsley 1 lb okra 2 tbls. peanut oil 4 qt stock 1/2 c worcestershire 1 tsp Tabasco 1/2 c tomato sauce 1 16 oz can Cento plum tomatoes 2 tbls. salt 1 thick slice ham, finely chopped 1/2 tsp thyme 1/2 tsp rosemary 1 lb claw meat 4 lb gumbo shrimp 1 pt oysters 1 lb gumbo crabs 1 tsp brown sugar lemon juice to taste Make medium dark roux with oil and flour. Add chopped vegetables to stop roux from burning Cover tightly and cook on medium for 45 minutes (don't scorch!) Fry sliced okra in the 2 tbls. oil until slightly brown Add okra to veg. mixture Add stock and all of the seasonings to the veg. Simmer for 2 1/2 hours Add chicken, shrimp, crabmeat, ham and simmer for 30 more minutes If using oysters add them 10 minutes before end of simmer Add brown sugar and lemon juice Serve in bowls with rice and sprinkle with Filet Keywords: Soup, Main Dish, Intermediate ( RG1080 )

How bad is it? Really bad? The worst place in the world? Or just New Jersey?

I would sit and watch in silent admiration as you went about your many tasks.

I guess I don't understand. My whole kitchen is designed around a sitting area with comfortable chairs and a couch, plus some barstools and at every gathering all people end up there. I have a nice place, large and comfortable, but they always end up piled into the kitchen and I guess I like it that way. I'm going to be in the kithcen and as we have invited people over I want to be able to visit and avoid the feeling that I am in the kitchen in the restaurant and everybody else is in the front of house waiting on their meal. I did spend a fair amount of my early life working in large commercial kitchens and if you can't deal with direct conversations there, you will soon find yourself unemployed. edited to say: No. I don't need any help. I know just what I am doing and I am probably better at it than you. It's my kitchen. When I come to your house I am not going to help, so quit bothering me and have another Sazerac.

Good advice above. Especially about the stringy, fibrous vegetables. Don't do it. Just don't. You should be composting that stuff anyway. No shrimp shells. Ever. Yuck (my wife has had some difficulty remembering this-if she had to take the trap apart she would remember )

Dammit. I am going to stop putting stuff in recipe gullet and just let the recipes hang in the threads (much like I do non eGullet Amazon book links). Maggie, Marlene, or Rachel always seem to come along and fix them for me. The green onions (1/2 cup total) should be put 1/3 in the first layer with the basil, 1/3 with the second layer, and the remainder mixed in with the mayo (as it adds a little color). I am now going to go and edit the recipe to fix this obvious mistake . Hopefully I can figure out that process quicker than it took me to learn how to use the ingrediant whizard (or is it wizard? wither way it's great when you figure it out ).

Columns finished. Another Pulitzer will soon be on the way. And as promised, here is the recipe for tomato basil pie. It is listed in recipe gullet as Robin's Tomato Basil Pie (because it is my wife's, not mine ) I make this using the pate brisee recipe in Martha Stewarts Pie and Cakes, but when I am lazy (like today, as a matter of fact) I make it with pre made pie shells. I use a brand called Surefresh, sold locally here in IGA Grocery Stores. The crusts are great and after using them for a while, I finally read the ingredients and found out why-lard. It makes the lightest crust. Duh. Tomato Basil Pie 1 9" pie shell 5 Creole Tomatoes 1 tsp. Salt 2 tsp. Cracked Pepper 1/2 Cup Basil leaves 1/2 Cup Mozzerella Cheese 1/2 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese 1/2 Cup Sour Cream 1/2 Cup Mayonaise Pre Bake Shell Slice tomatoes (number depends on size and type-5 creoles usually gets the job done) and dry on paper towels Layer in this order 1/2 of the Tomatoes (salt and pepper them in the shell) Chopped green onions and 1/2 of the basil Repeat Layer on cheeses (use buffalo milk mozz if you can get it, regular mozz if not) Blend Sour Cream and mayo and layer on top Bake at 350F until the whole thing bubbles evenly (about 15-20 min) Let pie cool a bit and slice. Eat. For me, if summer could be canned, this is what it would taste like. And for another variation, some of you might enjoy this recipe Tomato Basil Pie with Andouille by Chef John Folse. It is good, but this is one of the few times that I think I like something better without sausage.

I am in the middle of a column right now and I will post it after lunch (I have the rest of this really hot, humid day off-heat index yesterday was 105 w/ 80% humidity and today is more of the same-need to sweat-come to Louisiana). Mindy-do you go to the Farmer's market regularly and have you seen Louisiana Chanterelles? I had some last night that came from the woods down the street and they were, in a word, wonderful. Amazing. Fabulous. Stupendous. I really thought that I had put that recipe in here somewhere, but I guess not. Give me a couple of hours and I will get on it. THanks, Brooks

Well, given the location of my apt. in the Quarter I would have to say that my "go to" take out place is Verti Mart. I don't ever get delivery as it is only about 15 steps from our door to theirs, but we do get take out quite a bit. I am crazy about their big, giant reubens-the brussel sprouts in cheese sauce, stuffed eggplant, spinach madeline, and they make really good po boys. They have the New York Times early, a decent selection of wine and liquor at pretty good prices, and the place is a great spot for people watching at 2 in the morning-as it is open 2 hours. We get Pizza Kitchen to go some. Mona's is a great place for take out. I am pretty sure that you will get some more answers on your question, as it is a good one and it is kind of hard for me to give much of an answer outside of the Quarter.

When I lived in Houston in the early 80's there was a guy named Marvin Zindler who used to do televised reports from restaurants that had some kind of inspection issues. He seemed particularly fond of showing rats running around dumpsters behind ethnic restaurants. So I suppose in Houston that they have been displaying results for a long time. Zindler is still around after 50 years in Houston TV, wig and all. Marvin's place in history is solid as he is the reporter portrayed breaking the big story in the "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas". I don't know if he does the restaurant reports anymore, but I kind of suspect he does.