Smithy

YES! YES! YES! YES! (I'll have what he's having!) ←

A truly ripe navel orange, fresh off the tree. Peel it and watch the oils from the rind spurt mini-rainbows in the morning light. Glory in the sunlight just peeking into the valleys of the Sierra Nevada, off in the distance. Be thankful that there's no fog, so you can see those mountains, and no need for fog that morning because the night was warm. Take a section and savor it: juicy, tart, sweet, full. Who needs candy? Weep that this flavor can't reach the grocery stores, so more people might know how an orange is supposed to taste. Or maybe, just maybe, it's the sharper tarter sweetness of a satsuma mandarin, much shorter period of ripeness on the tree. Which do I prefer? I've never known. Or maybe the first walnuts and pecans of the season. Avocado, hashed and mashed, with lemon and Spike. (I know, it's a seasoned salt. Tough.) Fresh baked bread, sliced, oozing with butter. Barbecued steak, medium rare, smoky from the grill, marbled with smoky fat. Melts in your mouth. Homemade peach ice cream. Or plum ice cream. Or nectarine ice cream. Freshly made lemonade.

I hope someone answers your question. It was Eula Mae's Cajun Kitchen (cookbook) that got me started on the whole question of what makes food Cajun. She's the cook for the family there at Avery Island, and apparently has been for just about forever.

I've had quail, but never the eggs. Do they taste different than chicken eggs, or are they just smaller (and prettier in the shell)? The sorrel discussion is so timely for me! I'm trying to use my sorrel before it all freezes for the winter, and had been planning to post a question asking what people do with it. My favorite recipe for its use comes from Judi Rodgers' Zuni Cafe Cookbook. She has a chard-and-onion panade recipe with a sorrel variation. It's a favorite dish at our house. Basically it's sliced onions, cooked down until almost caramelized, layered with leaves of sorrel and chunks of bread that have been tossed with olive oil and seasonings, then chicken broth poured into the casserole and the whole lot cooked. It puffs up beautifully and tastes terrific, and the sorrel's unfortunate army drab color doesn't matter a whit. The color of cooked sorrel generally puts me off, so I'm always on the lookout for recipes that will disguise the appearance while preserving the flavor. I make a sorrel sauce for use over pecan-crusted salmon (I forget whose recipe) and it's very tasty but looks horrid. Another dish for turning the lights down low. I actually took my first meal photo this weekend, and I'm now in a position to appreciate your photos even more than before. Your comment about how difficult it was to photograph your meal made me grimace in appreciation. Great job this week, youse two!

Ha, I did that to myself! At some ripe young age - I'll say I was around 9 - I STOLE A PIECE OF BUBBLEGUM from the local grocery store. Nobody suspected. It bothered me terribly, though, because I'd certainly had all the lessons taught to me, and was old enough to have a conscience (although obviously not old enough to have spine enough to fess up right then). Years later - let's say I was 13 - I slid 2 pennies to the checkout clerk without a word of explanation. She probably thought I was tipping her! At any rate, that blot on my soul was enough to put me on the straight and narrow.

Bavila and Fist Fulla Roux, thank you for the extra information and the resources! I'm so pleased at all the information that's coming my way, both from the practical aspect and the historical perspective! Tonight I made a chickpea stew with "Cajun" (from Northern Minnesota, but I like the seasonings) sausage and the trinity (red peppers instead or green) and lard for the fat, just as an excuse to see what it's like, and smoked paprika. Came out darned good, but a bit on the thin side, and I thought "that's why they start with, 'make a roux'! " Fist, I'm glad you've outgrown your cultural embarrassment. I think the diversity of this country is one of its strengths - at least, it should be (recent electoral events make me wonder) - and without it, this country really will degenerate into a tiresome unending series of suburban strip malls. Thanks, everyone, for terrific and thoughtful answers! I'd love to read more! For instance: Why not fresh hot peppers? Why only pepper sauce? ...and by the way, I'm glad to hear it doesn't have to be blisteringly hot. The pepper heat in most of the "authentic" recipes I've tried has overwhelmed most of the other flavors. Maybe that's just the author's preference.

I almost bought one of those some years back, and didn't, for reasons that escape me now. I must not have been collecting cookbooks with gay abandon at the time. Shame, eh?

This thread is really becoming a nice resource for new recipes... ← It sure is! I started out tonight to make Carlovski's chickpea mash, but got sidetracked by a discussion on Cajun food over in the Louisiana subforum. The result was quite nice, but I don't know what you'd call it: it's influenced by what I read on the Cajun discussion, and by a Cuban stew recipe a friend gave me some years back, and by this general discussion here. With that much confusion I think I'll call it my own recipe. Anyway, if anyone's interested, here's what I did and how it came out: lard for fat (because I wanted to see what it's like), cooked some onions with lots of smoked paprika, added chopped garlic, the sausage, and after those had cooked a while added chopped celery & carrots, sliced roasted red peppers, some chickpea broth, and a beef bouillion cube. Simmered until done. It was still a bit thin. I bet that's why those Cajun recipes start with "make a roux". Mighty tasty, though. I managed to make my husband envious with the description, and he's off in Florida enjoying fresh sea food. (Maybe he was just being polite. ) If you look closely you can see the skins that slipped off the beans in the stew. I didn't bother turning the lights down. I'd like to know about moughrabbia!

I grew up in California and learned them as garbanzo beans. Cans out here in Minnesota may be labeled as either. Overseas I've only heard them called chickpeas (in English), so I assume the name 'garbanzo' is from Spanish influence.

Oh, that first one is me all right, except it was a sheet full of cookies. Not only did I burn myself twice, but cookes went flying all over the kitchen. The tongs, now, that's a new one. Thanks for a great picture!

Are Crabby Joe's and/or The Oyster Pub places you'd particularly recommend for out-of-towners? Are there others that are especially good? My husband s headed that way even as I write, and he wants seafood. Doesn't have to be fancy, just has to be good, with good beer available. Chain restaurants need not apply. He'd love to hear recommendations from locals.

That is precisely what frightened me off for years! Now I think I might be able to handle it -

Wow! Thank you all for your thoughtful comments. You've managed to evoke a history and economy and their influence on a cuisine in a way that's never come clear to me before, in addition to answering my original question. And for anyone who wants to add something, I'm eager to read it! In the meantime I have a follow-up question: I'd like to know more about this layering of flavors by treating the same ingredients in different ways! Do you have some recipes you can point to? Or should I go check out a copy of Prudhomme's book? That sounds really interesting! Wish I could be more articulate about this, but I'm busy fending kittens off the keyboard.xxxxanyway, more responses welcome! Nancy

Boy, that does bring back memories. My uncle and cousins used to dive for abalone, way back when, and occasionally "treat" us with the meat. I can't say I liked it all that well; I remember it being very tough, but it may be they didn't know how to cook it and it may be my tastes weren't sophisticated enough. I was small then and preferred beefsteak to any other food in the world ... well, except perhaps for oranges and tangerines off the tree. I haven't thought about how rare those shells must be now. I'm pretty sure I still have one lying around somewhere, and I'm just as sure that I let a bunch go years ago. If I can find one, I'll treasure it as a rarity. Thanks for the suggestion, andie.

Ah, now that sounds promising. I like the idea of having some of it set into its own dispenser, ready to hand. Thanks for that, too. I have to say I'm not keen on green peppers most of the time; would I be thrown off the planet with red peppers instead? Let the good times roll, indeed! Think I'm off to get fresh chili powder (my husband lets it sit around forever) and try something like this tonight! On some shrimp, perhaps?

Other than some spices I suppose are sprinkled on the chicken breast prior to cooking, what the hell makes this "cajun"? ← Well, and that might be where I've been going wrong. I can sure let the good times roll while I'm eating something like that, but it hasn't seemed distinctive!

First of all, I should explain that I've never been to Louisiana, so my idea of Louisiana food started with the "French Quarter" in Disneyland lo, these many decades ago, and has branched off into more variety since then. (How many fritters can one young woman eat? Lots at the time, as I recall, but no longer.) I've had some marvelous stuff made with Andouille sausage. Loved it. Didn't think much more about it. A year or so ago an acquaintance from Louisiana sent my husband a "thank you" package that included several boxes of Zatarain's mixes. We loved them, especially the Red Beans and Rice mix, and were delighted to learn that they can be had here in northern Minnesota. It's easy, fast, and tasty, and has become a staple in our cupboard. However, we're starting to realize that it's also very salty. I bet there's something better. I began trying recipes from Eula May's Cajun Kitchen. Nice stories. Recipes okay. Main flavor seems to be "hot". Surely there's more to it than that? That leads to my question, offered here with some hesitation because y'all will KNOW I'm a total parvenue, but how else will I learn: what defines Cajun food? In particular, if you want a Cajun slant on something, what spices do you use? Is it really just hot sauce? I keep expecting more complexity. Certainly, good Andouille sausage implies more complexity. I keep thinking sweet and hot, or savory and hot, or...or what? Or is it not the spices, as such, but more the ambience and combinations? Help me learn here, folks!

Welcome, Kanishka! I have to say, I'm clueless about Burmese food, and don't know what they use to "sour" things, so I can't answer your question. I'll ask a question instead: what are the typical souring agents in that cuisine? Lemon? Tamarind? If nobody else here answers, I will also suggest that you might have better luck asking this question either on the DC Forum, since you've been talking Burmese food there, or the Asian Forum, based on location. I'm not trying to scare you off, by any means! But if nobody here has ideas for you on this question, I don't want you to feel ignored. Again, welcome! And good luck finding answers!

Now why didn't I think of that?

Funny, I was just thinking along these lines this afternoon when a 3-1/2 hour road trip was foisted on me on the way out the door. I did NOT want to do that trip. I DID want to go home. On the way, on the trip, I devoured a small bag of vinegar-and-salt potato chips. They were vile. I should add that I love real vinegar on real chips (what we true Americans would call French Fries), but somehow it doesn't translate onto packaged potato chips. At least, not onto these packaged potato chips. They really were vile, but in a perversely pleasurable sort of way. Did I stop before the bag was finished? No. Did I dig into the next bag I'd brought along? Again, no. I think I'll leave them back at the office next Monday, for the other vultures. I spent a good deal more of my resentful road trip thinking about the fact that I've successfully lost weight merely by eating only what I really, really like...but then, there are these perverse pleasure moments. Why? I ask myself, why? I can almost feel my thighs swelling lovingly into a tighter grip with my pant legs this evening. Wouldn't it have been better to wait until I could get home to my leftover potato gratin and steak with mushrooms? Or even the leftover Hallowe'en candy? Then again, there's the counterpoint, that may go nearer the mark of the original question, and has a certain Zen quality to it: if you can't get the good stuff, shouldn't you enjoy what you get? I think that was the whole point of the Steven Stills song... Nancy "love the one you're with" Smith

I think those thoughts when I look on eBay at the collectible kitchen gadgets. An amazing number of sellers have no clue what a china hat is for, or how a tomato press is supposed to work, and their descriptions are hilarious. I've seen some very strange labels attached to Wearever citrus juicers, too. Edited to add: I'd really need at least $15,000 to add on to the kitchen so I could fit in more gadgets. At present, $5000 would buy my much-needed range hood but I'd have no place to put the vent outlet!

That is the hand-held type I mentioned that people often use the wrong way. The citrus has to go into it cut side down and when pressed it turns the fruit inside out and extracts the most juice. I saw someone on a Food TV show using one the wrong way, putting the cut side up, which looks like it would fit, but it doesn't work as well and the juice squirts out the sides instead of through the holes in the bottom. ← At last, a mystery explained. I've always wondered how the heck one of those squeezers would turn the fruit inside out, but since I swear by my Wear-ever juicer (like the one you recommend, Andie) I've never had to find out. If I'd ever tried one I'd have done exactly as you described the TV guy doing, with the same results.

Late to jump on the bookwagon, I know, but I've been fairly cowed by the prospect of adding my meager 42-book total to a list that includes 1,000+ book collections. Mind you, that's 42 and counting... ← Well, we all had to start somewhere! What's amazing to me is that it was only a few years ago that I had, oh, 5 cookbooks to my name. Now the shelves are bulging. Don't worry, Mooshmouse, this thread will lead you into temptation - er, I mean, inspire you!

Well, here's an update. After a week the peppers were indeed beginning to change color, and after 2 they'd gone a much duller green. I didn't get around to taking a photo until after 3 weeks. The light was different but the photos still clearly shows the color change if you compare it to my first photo. Here they are: Last night I opened the smaller jar and tried one. Ooh, I like these! The stuffed peppers were sweet and tart - there was some salt, a little heat from the dried chile, and a sweet tartness both from the vinegar and the peppers themselves. The nut stuffing tasted great. I think next time I may try either salted dry roasted peanuts or, for a completely different taste, walnuts. When the jar is empty, I'm going to have some fine-tasting olive oil. The peppers are still a bit crunchy and tended to crack when I sliced them. Will they keep getting softer? Thanks for the recipe, Elie! Nancy Edited for spelling, and to add: at least some of that oil will be used as a dipping oil. Wow, I can hardly wait to get home to some good bread.

Oh man, while I was asking about the moussaka, little ms. foodie was posting her dinner. It's over an hour to lunch time and I'm already hungry for dinner. With all these gorgeous dinners and writeups and photos, one could easily go without cookbooks if one so desired!