fifi

Now that you mention it, my mom had the first Talk About Good. That was her favorite.

Many thanks to the gracious Bob Bowen for sharing that truly excellent recipe. I have a confession to make. The first time I made it, I didn't grind the cumin seeds but added them whole. I thought it was odd at the time. Then I went back read it again and . . . OOPS! Anyway, on eating the chili, the seeds actually get tender and you get these pleasant bursts of cumin. I haven't ground them since. If you like cumin, it is a happy accident. I have now used that same concept in other recipes.

I am beginning to wonder if chili is one of those things that continue to evolve. Things changed as to what we ate chili with and on and what we started putting on it. Here is my experience, all in Houston, and to the best of my recollection which may not be all that good. 50s - Chili was purist. If you got beans they were on the side. The most you might do to it was give it a shot of hot sauce. In restaurants it was most often served with Saltines. At home, mom would make cornbread. In either case, salads on the side were some sort of simple icegerg lettuce affair. 60s - As the Frito pie caught on and we started dumping chili onto Fritos and adding cheese, shredded cheese started showing up to put on your bowl. Maybe in the mid to late 60s was when avocado started showing up in the salad side as well. 70s - New Mexico influences start creeping in. I start seeing more green chiles in the stew and the occasional splash of sour cream sneaks in. Tortillas and tortilla chips are becoming more common. 80s on - Change accelerates. We start adding more toppings as we discover that tradition from the regions of Mexico beyond the border where all sorts of things are on offer for posoles and other stews. Guacamole is becoming a common, almost ubiquitous, option. Then we start mucking with the chili itself even more. I think that along the way, cornbread was always more common at home but it did start becoming more common in restaurants somewhere along the way. The only problem is, that was in the chains that started popping up and it was usually sweet muffins or some other form. Ewwww! All of the above may be pure bull cookies but is my recollection of chili in Houston. All I can say is that it is all good. And I am sure it changes basis where you are. For instance, I suspect that as you go east from Houston, folks may have been putting chili on rice for a very long time.

I was going to add Marcelle Bienvenu's Who's your mama, are you Catholic, and can you make a roux?: A family album cookbook . . . Then I notice that Amazon has copies available from $190 (US)! I nearly fell on the floor. This is for a plastic spined roughly 100 page paperback. I am in shock. Marcelle collaborated with Emeril on the book that Brooks listed. This small book is a treasure as you get an inside look into Marcelle's family history and traditions along with the great recipes. If you can find it at a reasonable price it is worth getting if only for the stories. I endorse Emeril's book wholeheartedly.

I thought the garbanzos were the ultimate sin. They do call it Cincinatti don't they? Anyway, it is pretty in the bowl and it tastes good.

Thanks for bumping this up and welcome to the Society ChefSwartz. As so often happens, I was thinking about finding out how to do this but had not had a chance to search yet. I bought some particularly fine dried shitakes at the Asian market not long ago and was thinking about a ground mushroom "crust." The more I played around with them while still sealed in their bag, I was wondering how to do this. I have a DeLonghi convection oven that has a dehydration setting. I was recently successful at drying some tangerine peel. If I slice the mushrooms or maybe even grate them, would putting them in the dehydrator get them to a texture that can be ground in the spice grinder? Also, since you aren't rinsing them, what about grit? Is that a problem?

*happy dance* I am so glad it worked for you. I have found that method useful for other casserole type items that have crispies on the top like bread crumbs.

Mayhaw Man, can you tell us when Folse's book is coming out? My Amex card is twitching. I can't wait. Since I learned most of my Cajun repertoire by mucking around with friends that know what they are doing, I really don't have much in the way of books. But, I will say that everything I have cooked out of Emeril's Louisiana Real and Rustic has been spot on and delicious. It has been a reliable companion when I want to check on basics like proportions. Anything by Marcel Bienvenu has got to be good. She collaborated with Emeril on the above mentioned book. That is how I got "acquainted" with her. I have what I think is her first book, Who's Your Mama, Are You Catholic, and Can You Make a Roux. It is a delightful glimpse into her family culture and traditions besides having some good recipes. New question . . . I think it may have been mentioned up-thread but I have to ask, have you ever used fish or been served gumbo with fish in it? I made one once. Why would I do that? Well, as usual, there is a story here. While on a weekend offshore trip way out in the Gulf of Mexico, we landed a tuna . . . a 600 pound tuna! We were able to keep him because we had a large fish bag and a lot of ice on board. We gutted him (that was quite an operation ) and stuffed him with ice and added more ice to the bag. So we get to the dock on Sunday afternoon and proceeded to look at each other dumbly, "Now what?" When we got to the house, we called a fellow fishy friend that was at his "fishing camp" in Grande Isle, LA. He knows what to do with fish. He suggested taking some steaks off the tail section. For the rest of it, we were instructed to cut the rest of it into slabs no more than an inch thick. Get a big pot like a stock pot and squeeze two or three lemons in there and simmer the pieces until just opaque. (Kills enzymes so it will store longer.) Then package it for the freezer. Luckily another friend brought over his vacuum sealing machine. It was a commercial model since he had had a catering business at one time. We finished up at 2:00am. (We also made a vow to never again boat a fish that big. The next time Charlie bit the bait, he could count on being released. You cannot imagine how much meat is in a fish that big. And the size of those steaks! ) You would not think that we would run out of ways to fix the tuna but we were getting close. (It was excellent, BTW.) One day I decided to do a gumbo. I used sausage and about 1/2 by 1 inch chunks of the tuna, adding toward the end as you would shrimp. The fish held together and it was actually delicious. Another time at a friend's house, he made some from chunks of a big King Mackeral he had caught. It was pretty tasty as well.

Until I tried "Work In Progress Chili" the following recipe was the family favorite. I saw the original in Southern Lining some years ago and tweaked it as usual. This is the final version that "stuck." I have even mixed up the spice mixture and mailed it to my son or daughter since, unless you have an extensive spice cabinet it would cost a bloody fortune. I have since heard that chili of this type is called Cincinatti Chili. Soes anyone know if that is true? It certainly isn't Texas Style . . . whatever that is. My dad always swore by the Pedernales Chili recipe that was supposed to be favored at the LBJ ranch. Interestingly enough, the recipe is published in the LBJ Library site here. Bodacious Chili Adapted from the recipe in Southern Living 2 lbs chuck in ½” cubes 2 large onions, chopped 3 stalks celery cut in 1” pieces 1 large red bell pepper, chopped 4 jalapenos, seeded and diced 1 cup mushrooms, sliced (Portobellos are really good) 4 cloves garlic, minced 3 T olive oil Start meat in oil and when beginning to brown add other ingredients. Continue to cook on medium high until vegetables begin to cook. Stir in: 3 T cocoa 3 T ancho chili powder 1 t cayenne or arbol (optional) 1 t ground cumin 2 t cumin seeds 2 t dried Mexican oregano 2 t paprika 1 t ground tumeric ½ t salt 1 t ground cardamom 1 t ground pepper 1 T molasses 3/4 cup red wine 2 cans chopped tomatoes 1 can drained kidney beans 1 can drained garbanzos Simmer covered for 1 ½ hours.

I completely forgot to mention the garnishes. Those can get really fun. One day, I was playing with my new KitchenAid food processor. Using the large shredder blade I shredded up some cabbage and radish. Taking a rif off of how posole is often served in Mexico, I put in on my bowl of Huevos del Toro's "Work in Progress Chili" and it was wonderful. By the way, that chili recipe is the best.

I have schlepped andouille home from several suppliers and, with a very few exceptions that I don't remember, they were all good. I have started seeing the "big names" as in Emeril and Aidell in the grocery stores and they may be marketing outside of the southeast. I didn't think theirs was coarse ground enough although the seasoning was ok. One thing I like about andouille is the texture the coarse grind gets after simmering for a while. Another major brand that might be more widely available is, surprisingly enough, Tony Chachere's. I found that at the not so big local Kroger of all places. It was also surprisingly good.

On the search for sheet pans . . . I finally found some. Granted, these are half sheets to fit in a home oven so I can't speak for the full sheets. They are heavy aluminum and come from the restaurant supply place. A half sheet pan costs all of $5.48 (US) if I remember right. (Hmmm . . . might be off topic here. ) I have shoved them into an oven as hot as 450 degrees F and have never had one warp.

I agree with your approach. It is a salsa where it really gets to me. If it is a minor seasoning note in a curry, stew or something with fat in it I can deal with it or sometimes ignore it. There is this current flurry of grilled fish with some sort of salsa on top with lots of cilantro. I always wonder who thought that was a good idea. I am guessing here but I think we call it cilantro in the US because that is what they call it in Mexico. Someone may have a better explanation.

I go a couple of ways with this. Chili, iron skillet cornbread, salad (We like a simple green salad with mandarin orange sections, red onion and a simple vinaigrette.) Chili, Saltines, salad (This time around a chopped lettuce salad, you have to use some iceberg for it to come out, whatever other veggies float the boat and a tasty dressing of whatever sort.) Sometimes we substitute a salsa for the vegetable kingdom portion of the meal. The current favorite is a mango and black bean version that is heavy on the mango. I don't usually add beans to my chili so the salsas with beans work out.

I guess you figured it out first Fifi. Indeed something was "off". ← I have to admit that when it passed 6 months I was starting to waiver. There were whispers of "only in New York" in my brain. I'll bet the proprietors had more than a few chuckles along the way. Oh well, he who laughs last.

Most herbs and spices I like fine when used in appropriate amounts. There is one, though, that I can only tolerate a teeny tiny bit . . . cilantro. I think we discussed some time ago that the reaction to cilantro may be genetic. My kids have the same reaction. We say it tastes like soap with a nasty musky edge and a metallic twange. My sister and nephew say it tastes bright, fresh and green. Go figure. I think that Fat Guy's reaction to rosemary could happen to any of us if absolutely assaulted by a strong flavor like rosemary. (What were they thinking? The visual of a chia pet turkey has me laughing out loud.) I have to be careful about sage. I really like it in moderation but somehow I know that there is a line that must not be crossed.

A wise post indeed, chrisamirault. There are some great safety tips here and they should be recognized. But if we get so risk averse that we won't make gumbo, well . . . we should go back to our caves and gnaw on that raw haunch. Like frying turkeys, it can be done safely as long as you know what you are dealing with.

Oh my. That pairing of the granite and floor tiles is lovely. You are making me think about granite tiles for my kitchen counters. What it the cost per square foot?

That is exactly what we did. The guys were over for the weekend and we had had gumbo the day before. This was served with biscuits . . . oh my. I find jarred roux on the very bottom shelf in the spice area of the grocery. I use it. It is darned handy when you aren't prepared to go whole hog with making your own and quenching veggies and such. You can still make a darned fine gumbo using it as you would any other thickener.

I have followed this topic with great interest. I may have posted this before but here goes anyway. Over the holidays, my daughter and I spent a week or so with my son in Chicago. One of our holiday activities was to join him at the food bank where he volunteers weekly. The drill was, the clients filled out a sheet requesting items from the list of what was available that week. We, being newbies, had the task of filling the market baskets for their eventual check-out. I was impressed with the quality of the food available. I would say that 90% of it was fresh or frozen but well chosen. I started playing this head game of what I could do with a particular order, keeping in mind all kinds of limitations in cooking facilities and equipment. I still found that I could use my cooking experience to make those groceries go really far. It was a fun game. And I was itching to regale the recipients with suggestions but I had no knowledge of their circumstances and I was not on my turf. Now, what to do with that? I started wondering if something as simple as a handout with suggestions on what to do with what was available that week might not be a start. When I say handout, I mean a one page really simple thing. It has to assume that the facilities will be really basic or a little less. Perhaps that is something we could do. If we could get a list of typical offerings of the food banks in our areas, eG folks could contribute ideas that could end up with a page or two of instructions. Think of contributing how to make that chicken into three meals. That is just one idea. Will that reach everyone? No. Will it reach those who have other problems like illiteracy? No. Will it reach the folks with no utilities? No. But, we have a wake up saying where I work when we try to start trying to do too much at once: "We aren't going to solve World Hunger." *irony* The message being that you can't do everything at once and you can get into being paralyzed into doing nothing by not being able to do it all. You have to start somewhere. Having seen the wonder that is eGCI, I have no doubt that this incredible gathering of talent and experience will come up with something good.

I am beginning to wonder how much of the symptoms of giving up the all day coffee habit has to do with hydration. Are you substituting something else? About 20 years ago I got up close and personal with kidney stones. I mean record breaking, medical history museum type kidney stones. After recovering from the surgery, that was enough of an incentive to take up water drinking. Since then, I drink water all day long. At home, I have my big water mugs that go with me everywhere. At work, I don't even go to a meeting without my big water bottle. I have been off and on coffee drinking over the years, from a cup always at hand to maybe one or two cups in the morning only. I have never noticed headaches or any other effect when I abruptly go off coffee for whatever reason. This is totally non-scientific and anecdotal but I am wondering if the consistent background water consumption has anything to do with it. I am sure that the well documented effects of caffeine and the variability of individuals has a lot to do with it but there may be something to the hydration aspect.

Then by all means, go for it Kristin. I have a link up-thread to a recipe but I am sure that a little googling will get you an assortment. It will be great to see someone with enough dedication to make their own sausage. A rare treat indeed. Please do smoke it and record for us here. Heads up kiddos! I found the Mayhaw Man Gumbo Odyssey. It was in his blog HERE. It starts with a post that includes the amazing incredible magic gumbo pot. Enjoy. edit to add: On rereading this thread, I just noticed that Mayhaw Man already linked to his blog. Oh well . . . It doesn't hurt to do it twice.

I never thought about adding fennel to potato leek soup. What a great idea. I love fennel and potato soup. Sounds like a match made in heaven. I have learned something new. As you might know, I have been working on doing better at cooking for one. Yes, I could make a regular pot of soup, typically pretty big, and freeze it. The problem is, right now I don't have freezer space galore. Also, I do something once and usually move on. It is the rare recipe that becomes a permanent and oft repeated part of my repertoire, like the mushroom soup for example. I get a kick out of getting creative and trying something new. Now, even if I had freezer room to spare, I get inhibited by the little guy on my right shoulder whispering "You really need to eat up some of that stuff you have in the freezer." But I have this great idea, I whine. Then the left shoulder sitter says "To hell with what is in the freezer, let's have some fun." I think I have come up with a better way for me. Shoot for a maximum of 4 cups of soup in a batch. That is what I ended up with when I made the chicken soup up-thread. I had some when I made it, had some for lunch today, and there is one more serving in the fridge. That is about my tolerance level for eating the same thing within the space of a week. Luckily, most soup recipes can be cut down without harm. So, now I will be making soup with more abandon since I am getting comfortable with cutting down a recipe and not putting all of that emotional baggage into the freezer. This thread is to blame for my epiphany. Yes! I can make less soup!

I think the language has moved on. Gumbo originated as the African word for okra, often used in the stew we now call gumbo. Okra use dropped off and gumbo came to mean the roux based stew that most of us are familiar with. Then the term gumbo came to be incorporated into other stew style dishes, like Gumbo Z'herbes, that may or may not contain roux. Since I am stuck in the 60s when I learned from an elderly and very tradtional lady, to me it is not a gumbo unless it has a roux. It may be a delicious seafood stew, fricassee or whatever, but not gumbo. But that is just me. Later in life I came to hear about, and be served some oddities (to me) like potato salad on the side. Then, just five years ago, I heard another one. A friend that grew up in Houma told me about the family and local tradition of poaching eggs in bubbling gumbo. The egg is served on a mound of rice and the gumbo spooned around. That was news to me. Goes to show you that you can learn something new every day.

FistFullaRoux's roux recommendations are right on. And, as to the characteristics of Vermillion Parish Style, please elaborate. One of the fascinating characteristics of gumbo is the regional (and micro-regional) differences. I would hope that we can explore that here. They are all good, all "authentic" and certainly none of them are wrong. If you know the regionality of your recipe, please share. Another note . . . I often add thyme, maybe oregano. It depends on my mood and what I have hauled out of the fridge to make gumbo. I actually only make that basic recipe once or twice a year when the kids are here and they have fits if I vary. ("And, mom, DON"T **** with the recipe!") Otherwise, anything goes, including the roux.