fifi

Lately I have seen more instances of a request for water automatically answered with a pricey bottle. I am not a water purist. In all except the most extreme circumstances tap water is just fine, thank you. I have now learned to specify that I just want plain tap water. However, it does kind of p*** me off that I even have to ask for water. I am not at all sure about this but I think there is a law here in Texas that, if you request water, it has to be provided at no charge.

Jon... You are correct about the water thingy. Yes... The discs require a pretty well sealed space. In such a drawer, I have kept tender salad greens at least three times as long as without the discs. The Evert Fresh bags do have the catalyst impregnated in the plastic and the plastic breathes. So, in a way, they do act somewhat like the discs. But, they are not as dependent on a well sealed space. They also, because of breathability, prevent some of the moisture and condensation build-up. (I have to make a disclaimer here, though somewhat removed. My nephew has done lawyering for the guy that invented the Evert Fresh bags.)

I don't have a recipe but I think you need to know that I was in a total incapacitation event because I first read the title and then your post as BouRdain. As in Tony...

That is the ultimate solution to the problem of prodigious amounts of produce. That reminded me of the suggestion I made one time on the long running gardening thread. One of the posters was wondering what to do with prodgious amounts of basil. I suggested getting a lamb and feeding it up. But, if your excess produce is turnips, I just might pass.

I have seen what looks to be "fresh masa" at Fiesta of late. It is more common around the holidays but I have seen it other times as well. I am wondering if it is really traditional fresh masa or if it is just reconstituted masa harina masquerading as fresh masa. I agree with what Robb said about the "industrial tortillas" invading Mexico. With the exception of having the extraordinary privilege of getting my chops on the real thing for a time, I don't find the typical tortillas in Mexico much better than here.

Don't forget about the Evert Fresh bags. They really do work. There are also these little green disc things that I have gotten at Bed Bath & Beyond. You put the discs into the crisper drawer. They are particularly effective with lettuces and other greens. (No, I can't remember the name of them.) They do the same thing. They all have a catalyst that does away with the ethylene gas that causes veggies and fruits to ripen on the way to rotting. Forgotten cabbage==>cooler to the dumpster. EEEW!

I use it sometimes. It is absolutely authentic and certainly not a sin. In fact, it is a pretty common ingredient on the table in Louisiana restaurants. If it isn't on the table, you just ask. If they don't have any, leave. The purpose is mainly to add thickening and texture. If you don't know already, file is ground up sassafras leaves. It doesn't really have a strong flavor and certainly not like sassafras. (Root beer gumbo? ) In the really dark gumbos, the flour has lost most of its thickening power and the gumbo is on the thin side. You don't add it to the pot and cook it in because it can get kind of slimy.

I don't do this often, usually only for big events, but when I have a lot of produce to deal with, I put the Igloo coolers to use. If you have those available they work quite well. I put those blue gel packs that you put in the freezer in there to add cooling. I put extra gel packs in the freezer to rotate them out.

Now that you mention it, the scarcity of crawfish tails in gumbo is strange. I have seen it in restaurants but only rarely. I even made some one time when I had "access" to large bags of peeled tails. As I recall, I probably only did that once and found that they just didn't add that much to the dish. I prefer the etouffee preparation since the flavor seems to come through better. I really don't know why this is the case. Maybe when MM recovers from the wrath of the gods, he can enlighten us on this critical issue.

Nope... No farm raised... No imports. I will take mine from the Gulf or bay, thank you very much. I am lucky enough to know my sources (all less than 5 miles or so from where I live) so I can pick and choose. The bay boats don't stay out so those are typically "fresh off the boat". It depends on the season. Out of season, I do not hesitate to pick up IFF Gulf shrimp. I don't know much at all about your area but here are some strategies for getting to know what is available: Find out what commercial fisheries are active in your area. Your state dept of wildlife and fisheries or some such will probably have a lot of information on their website. Armed with that information, search out seafood markets around harbors where the boats come in. Talk to the market folks about where they get their stuff. Go there on a slow day in the middle of the week and they will probably talk your arm off. If you frequent any popular local seafood "joints" ask them where they get their seafood. Again, if you go at a slow time, the chef or manager may be willing to share.

Brooks is correct about the frozen shrimp thing. Actually, Instant Flash Frozen (IFF) shrimp is a better product than "fresh". Many years ago, I used to grade shrimp for FDA. As IFF was becoming more common on the boats, the quality of the shrimp was showing a marked improvement. We, of course, tested this hypothesis with a scientifically developed method of flash cooking with garlic and butter in the autoclave. IFF is not the same as putting shrimp into your freezer. When they say flash, they mean flash. I forget the temperature but it is way below zero. I also forget the time involved between the net and the flash freezer but it is really really fast. This method does not allow time for ice crystals to form in the flesh and affect the texture. What you get when you thaw the shrimp is what you would pretty much get if you were on the boat with pot in hand as the net is hauled in. As I think about it, I think Mayhaw Man is right about the gumbo crabs being just the halves of the bodies, no legs. I will bet that leaving the legs on was a family thing. As kids, we liked to suck on them and fiddle with getting the little bit of meat out. I am now starting to suspect that that was Grandma's way of keeping the kids quiet for a while.

Yeah, Susan. That is what we do for just eating crabs. But this is for gumbo. You really don't want all of that schmutz in there. Then there is the problem of what you would do with it at the table. Cleaning a crab that has been dunked in gumbo is not very practical. The typical procedure, when gumbo crabs are involved, are to fish them out, put them on the rim of your bowl or on a plate and let some of the gumbo "drain" off. Then you lick the remainder off and proceed to crack them and pick them while you have another beer. Actually, for boiled or steamed crabs, I have come to prefer doing the cleaned ones. I have done them both ways and just developed that personal preference. If I am doing the catching, we usually kill them with an ice pick and clean them on the spot. The shells and schmutz go back into the water to feed more crabs. (The buggers are cannibals.) That was something my grandfather started doing many years ago at the bay compound when I was a kid. He was sort of a conservationist before that was cool. It was also a mortal sin to keep a female crab. He also gave each kid a "crab stick". If your crab wasn't the same measurement, point to point, as your stick, you had to throw it back.

I don't see MM around so I will continue. The crabs are dead and cleaned. Here in Texas, gumbo crabs are usually sold cut in half lengthwise with the legs and claws still on. Sometimes the claws are off. I guess I had better also tell you that the shrimp are peeled. BTW... There are NO stupid questions. Ask away. That is how you get to gumbo Nirvana. Dana... You are so correct about the potato salad analogy. Funny thing is, about the only really bad gumbo I have had has always been in restaurants. (Think underseasoned, can't find the roux, more rice than substance, rubbery seafood, grisley chicken, mealy or mushy sausage.) And at some pretty high toned places too. Come to think of it, I could say the same thing about potato salad.

I second the motion to have everything ready. I actually wrote up that chicken & sausage gumbo recipe because Jason and Rachel had commented on a couple of the restaurant threads about how good the dark gumbo is and how difficult that is to do. My dark gumbo looks like the really dark stuff at Upperline. Besides, I owed Jason big time for some really great suggestions for Mirlitons. I set out to document what I have been doing for years and had been taught many years before. I actually made a pot of dark gumbo and made audio notes into my iPaq as I went so I wouldn't miss anything that I do as a matter of habit. In reality, I make many different styles of gumbo, but the dark is the family favorite. Actually, gumbo is pretty formulaic but variations in the ingredients make it an endlessly fascinating dish: roux (anywhere from about peanut butter colored to Hershey Bar dark) trinity (typical ratio is 2 parts onion, 1 part each pepper and celery, but it can vary) stock (or water in a pinch) meat (fowl, sausage, any variety of seafood in various combinations, game) Then you get to the usual additions and tweaks: okra (some like, it some don't) tomatoes (can be controversial but is found in more western parts where a Spanish Creole influence shows up) other seasonings (cayenne is pretty universal but other additives are not unusual: bay leaves, thyme, worchestershire, favorite hot sauce, etc.) Once you get "into" gumbo, it is really a lot of fun... "Here is what I have. I wonder if it would make a good gumbo?" The whole idea is to take common ingredients, what you have on hand, and make something uncommonly delicious. Not a bad plan.

Roux is, to me at least, the definitive flavor component of gumbo. As the style of gumbo gets darker, the thickening power decreases. The really dark stuff, like in my recipe that I linked to, doesn't thicken much at all. That is why there is usually a bottle of file powder on the table. (file = powdered sassafras leaves, added at the table instead of cooked in so it doesn't get slimy, and, BTW, it is pronounced feelay) The more medium rouxs are typically used for seafood. I usually suggest that novices NOT try to do the really dark roux on their first try. You need to get familiar with your stove and develop your technique (details, details, details) before you try to take it that far. I think there is something that happens to the flavor of the trinity (onion, pepper, celery) when it hits that hot roux. I also delude myself that the cayenne is also affected. That is why I season the trinity with the cayenne before it is added to the pot. I substituted poblanos one time in a small batch just out of curiosity. I didn't particularly care for it. It was like someone singing off key. About as far as I deviate from the traditional trinity is to add some red bell pepper. It looks pretty in a lighter seafood gumbo. Oh... one other thing. Make sure that whatever stock you use is cool and not hot. Add it a little at a time at first. Otherwise you will have a hell of a time ever getting it to mix and will have really gross brown blobs floating around. Stick with a neutral oil and AP flour. Funny story... I was on and off the phone with a friend, talking him through a pot of gumbo. He called back and said, "My roux doesn't smell delicious like yours. It actually smells really gross. What did I do wrong?" After many questions and speculations, I am still mystified when he finally fessed up that he had used extra virgin olive oil and whole wheat flour to make it more "healthy". Emeril has an amazing beef fricassee recipe in Louisiana Real and Rustic that gets its unique flavor from quenching a dark roux with the cubes of beef.

Gumbo is traditionally served over white rice. (Mayhaw Man got all high falutin' in his presentation. Looks pretty, though.) The same can be said for etouffe. But I have had it served "neat", more like a thick bisque. I like the rice because a typical etouffe is pretty rich. Jambalaya has the rice cooked as a part of the dish. Where was this Jambalaya Jam? If it all tasted the same, those folks have no imagination. Hell... I have never made it twice in my own kitchen where it tasted the same. The rice is typically long grain white rice. Both in Louisiana and here in Texas I have always used Mahatma. I think MM has a brand that he gets in Louisiana that he likes but I don't remember it. Some Basmati and Texmati is slipping in and it is good but I tend to stay with the traditional plain rice. You might also want to check out some of the threads in the Louisiana Forum. GUMBO Jambalaya

I fall into the edible and integral garnish only category, if you please. Though I will try to dress up a serving platter for a special occasion. For dishes, I fall into the plain white and lots of clear glass category as well. But I will pay attention to final arrangement for special occasions. For example, a birthday dinner for a friend had a white LeCreuset individual gratin dish of Coquille St. Jaques to one side of the plate with asparagus carefully arranged at the side. The slices of French bread on the bread plate were also "arranged". I also paid attention to the arrangement of all of the pieces on the table for four. I don't pay attention to such things that often. I also cook a lot of stews and braises and those are a real challenge. I have been known to use little individual porcelain pots on the plate with something on the side. Last time I did this it was a pot of chili with a mango salsa off to the side presented in a bib lettuce cup. That was pretty. I don't think of anything like that as "garnishing", though so I guess I don't. One thing that does amaze me to the point of standing and gawking is the elaborate food carving that I have seen in some Thai and other oriental buffet presentations. I really love looking at that stuff, knowing that I could never achieve anything that beautiful.

Ah Ha! My brain woke up. The shop I was thinking of in Houston is DeFalco's and it is on Stella Link. (Well... that is at least in a 10 mile radius of where I thought they were. ) They do mail order.

Sooo... We are finally going to get Mayhaw Man to finally give up his recipes. I did put in my Chicken & Sausage Gumbo recipe which is a little different style than MM's. It does give some tips if you are after achieving that ridiculousy dark roux that this style represents. All styles are insanely delicious so anyone venturing into gumbo-land should be willing to experiment. I can't wait to see that seafood gumbo recipe.

The Houston Chronicle - Food Cookbook offers visual, culinary history of Tex-Mex As we might expect, Janice Schindeler has caught up with the latest buzz about Robb's book. Chef Dad And... In keeping with the theme for this weekend, we have a discussion about dad's in the kitchen. This is a trend that I see increasing among my acquaintances and i think it is great. But, should Dad cook on his day? Well, maybe. The Houston Chronicle - Dining Up and down at Barcino Alison is not altogether happy at the latest tapaville. I may be persuaded to travel for this chicken. Great story. I want this chicken. The Houston Press - Dining Robb on the pleasures of BYOB. Spotted Cock OK... Readjust your brain to food. Then, prepare to be confused about this dish.

I am late to this party. I have always wanted to make the pineapple vinegar that I have had in southern Mexico. Does anyone know how to do that? I need to find a vinegar jar. (Elie... The I-can't-remember-the name-of-to-save-me home brew shop, on Bissonnet I think, has vinegar mothers. Is that how you say that? )

I haven't been to Gaido's Pelican Room but, at about the only two other Houston area venues that require "jacket" (Brennan's and Tony's), I have been comfortable in "business dressy". I can't imagine any more than that for Galveston. Frankly, I am surprised that there are any "jacket required" venues in Galveston. I will be curious to see if the food at the Good Old Gaido's rates a "jacket required" rating.

Oh my... I do love the packaged salad greens. As much as I love to cook, for some inexplicable reason I hate... HATE, HATE, HATE... to make salad. I know. It makes no sense. If it weren't for those little bags of vegetable matter, I would never make a salad for myself. And, if I bought all of the heads of stuff to provide the variety, I would have a mountain of salad stuff that couldn't be eaten before it rots even if I had a pet cow.

I think I will take a contrary position here. I live alone. I can make a case for some of the "convenience" items but not necessarily for convenience. If I can pick up one shish kebab, take it home and run it under the broiler, I have a dinner at a pretty decent price. If I bought the ingredients in the sizes/amounts available, I would have enough to make several shish kebabs. Yes, I could put them in the freezer. But I may not be in the mood for a shish kebab for another six months. The ones in the freezer will succumb to freezer burn and get thrown out. No economy there. As to the little bag of cauliflower... Well, one person can't eat a head of cauliflower. (Exception noted for roasted cauliflower. ) I think you see where I am going here.

Tostitos Gold is my new standard for the Jaymes quick method for chilaquiles. (I searched for the discussions about that and the references are scattered all over the place.) If you don't know... chilaquiles is a tortilla casserole using the chips, salsa, some broth and fresh cheese, typically. The Gold are heavy enough to retain a good texture in the final dish. For a salsa standby, I still like Pace, *ducks* but that La Victoria green stuff in the jar is mighty tasty. Herdez ain't bad, either.