hwilson41

"Pure" chili powder = ground chiles anchos? THW

You are spot on on that, it is not spicy at all if you have a taste for spicy food. Add 3 or 4 chopped pickled jalapeños and it's a whole new ballgame . THW

Hmmmmm, sounds like somewhere around Beaumont, Port Arthur, Anahuac area, right ? THW

Rotel's Tomatoes and Green Chilies is great for a quick and dirty chili for hot dogs or chili cheeseburgers when you don't want to do the full blown deal. Far, far better than the crap in the stores that is mostly fat and whatever they could scape up off the floor during cleaning . THW

I think because guacamole is more of a California thing than a Texas thing, possibly ← I beg to differ, my friend . I spent the first 26 years of my life in Fort Worth, and we always had guacamole with chili and also with enchiladas, cheese and chili. We always used the dark, rough skinned ones (Hass, aka "alligator pears") to make the real thing. And that is pure Tex Mex, dating back (at least) to the 1960s. THW Edited to correct dumb spelling mistakes. Hey, I'm on my second bourbon and water, so I have a good excuse .

Mayhaw, your Phillistine side is showing . THW

Jacob's andouille (that's where I order mine too) doesn't really have a "ground" texture. It's more like little chunks of ham, cut into small pieces and slammed together in the beef casing. Very, very good IMHO, and Mayhaw assured me that it is the "real" thing. We tried some Aidell's a week or so ago (I had run out of Jacob's), and for turkey and chicken sausage it's pretty damned good. Not chunky, not even very coarsely ground, and I'm not sure it was really smoked, but still not bad. THW

I know some of you folks are Texans, and I can't understand why nobody has mentioned guacamole. Hell, it's got all the basic food groups in it except beer . A "must have" (most of the time) when I make Texas chili. THW

Well, even though I've eaten gumbo most of my life (grew up in Texas), I'm still pretty low on the learning curve when it comes to making it. Based on advice from Mayhaw Man, I get my Andouille here . It is very, very good , and I just ordered a fresh batch today. It's not as spicy as I thought I remembered from the old days when I still lived in Texas, but that's probably just one more vestige of an aging mind . Anyway, thanks for the help. Sounds like I should just jump in and try it. After all, if you start out with shrimp, andouille, oysters and blue crab, how far wrong can you go ? Thanks again. THW

I'm by no means an authority because I'm asking plenty of my own question, but based on ingredients, I'd hazard a guess that you could make the roux, then throw in the trinity to cool it down and let that simmer a while. From there, you are no longer temperature-critical so you're out of the woods. Somebody more knowledgeable than I will correct me if I'm wrong I hope. THW

So if I were making a seafood gumbo, say shrimp and andouille, sans okra, I would use a roux? Spouseperson is not fond of okra, but we all love seafood. Actually, I might add oysters and crabs too . THW

I'm confused. I see no mention of a roux anywhere in the above shrimp and okra gumbo. Am I missing something, or is there not supposed to be any ? THW P.S. The okra gets big in Texas too .

Beautiful job, milady. Your husband is a lucky man, even if it did cost him a few bucks for cookware . Very, very nicely done. And you even managed to change his mind about leftovers. How much better could it get? THW

That would be your basic $300 pot roast, right ? I really think this demands very thorough pictures to document the occasion. Can't wait to see the end result. THW

I was amazed when I first noticed Mauviel's non-stick line. We don't own a single piece of non-stick cookware and do just fine. Must be aiming at those who don't know how to heat a skillet . THW

Marlene, there's some personal taste involved, but for me at least the short answer would be "yes" (higher sides). We have two of the 4 1/2 Qt LC and one of the 5 1/2 Qt (all round), and the 4 1/2ers get used more than any other single piece with the possible exception of the 12" cast iron skillet. They are great for braises, chili, pork or sausage with sauerkraut, boeuf bourguignon, red or black beans (with rice)...the list goes on and on. So I'd recommend either a round or oval oven with the higher sides. This one just looks like it will lead to frustration. THW

A brief update on the "Does Bourgeat make their own stuff?" question. I was chatting with Michael Harp yesterday while ordering the Falk Culinair curved sauteuse evasée and asked the same question I had asked earlier of the Mauviel dealer. Harp says Bourgeat makes nothing any more - all made for them by Mauviel. I'm inclined to take that as the definitive word, given that he talks regularly (apparently) with the owner of FC, who I'm sure knows who among his competitors makes what . THW

We have several of the LC ovens, and the 2 Qt round oven is quite handy for making a simple pilaf (rice, butter, homemade chicken stock, S&P). Makes enough to serve 4, and could be stretched to serve 6. THW Edited to correct dumb spelling .

My thanks to all for the helpful advice. There is nothing better than hearing from folks who have actually used a product, even if opinions differ. Precisely. I decided to split the difference and order the curved sauteuse evasée from FC and the splayed fait tout from Mauviel. While talking to the folks at BuyCopperCookware.com (aka Country French Antiques) I learned quite a bit from the owner. I have dealt with them before and been very pleased with the service and the prices (plus free shipping ). Mauviel apparently evaluates each piece and decides what the appropriate thickness should be, and Sam's observation above that the curved sauteuse is 2.0mm is spot on, and that is the only curved sauteuse they make. I also asked if Bourgeat still manufactured their own pieces, and the answer was "yes and no". Bourgeat still makes the heavy 2.5mm line themselves (called the Alliance Series, I think), but their lighter line with brass handles is now made for them by Mauviel. In any event, thanks again to all for the help. I'll report back after I've had some time to get used to the new cookware. THW

Thanks to all for the replies, all of which are helpful. Curiously, no one addressed the difference in finish between Bourgeat (polished, I assume?) and Falk, which is a brushed finish. Does this not matter significantly? FWIW, we don't polish the one piece of Mauviel we own all that often, although it's looking like it could use a little attention just now (I used it in making supper ). THW

My wife and I have a fair sized collection of Le Creuset, but most of the rest are just things picked up or gifted to us along the way. While I love the LC and it is unsurpassed for the purposes it is intended for, I'm looking to add some more heat efficient pieces to the collection, and SLK's excellent treatise on cookware has persuaded me to spend the bucks for copper. So, the questions are these: 1. Falk Culinair vs Mauviel? FC is a bit more expensive, so just how much is it worth to have copper that is easy to polish? We have a large Mauviel fry pan, and it doesn't get polished all that often (it also gets used quite a bit, although far less than my beloved ancient cast iron skillet). So maybe this depends on just how anal the user is. 2. I think the first two pieces I'd like to buy are variations on the sauce pan theme. Either a fait tout like this or what FC calls a sauciere (aka curved sauteuse evasée) like this . Anybody with experience with either/both of these please offer opinions, recommendations, etc. And feel free to try to dissuade me from copper if you think there are better alternatives. TIA. THW

You know, I don't know... the heat would depend both on the type of chile used as well as the level of that particular batch of peppers. The only Texas chili that I am familiar with is "tex mex", meaning there are beans and meat involved, as well as other spices. Andrea http://tenacity.net ← Now that I think about it, that was probably a pretty dumb question . There are more recipes for Texas chili than for almost anything else I can think of, amd most of them are lousy . Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to figure out is whether NM Red will knock your head off or just leave you with a pleasing glow in the stomach. Hell, this is still a dumb question. Forget I asked , and thanks for the great blog. THW

Obviously a splendid companion. I'm sure you appreciate her...as you should . THW

Might I suggest that we all harken back to the so called "French Paradox"? In France, they eat more fat than we do, and have fewer heart problems. They also drink a lot more red wine. That's all you know, and all you need to know . THW P.S. Two glasses would be a minimum for me most days, but then I'm not in training for the Olympics either .

Great blog Andrea. I'm a native Texan, and your descriptions of green and red chili are making me think how great a bowl of Texas Red with a fried egg on top would taste about now . Just to chip a bit of my ignorance away, can you compare the NM Red to Texas Red? Hotter? Milder? Different flavor (I assume) from the NM Reds? Keep them cards and letters comin' girl . THW