fifi

Houston area here also. I have seen a huge difference in that past 10 or 15 years. The chain markets are getting a bit better. I even found beef neck bones for stock at the Kroger last week. That was a surprise. Even 10 years ago, it used to be that you really did have to find a carneceria or other small market to get stock makings. The new larger HEBs (owners of the famous Central Market) are expanding the butcher shop and produce selections. Between Fiesta Mart and Hong Kong Market I think you could probably find just about anything. You know that a store is serious about its meat department when you look in the case and a pig's head says howdy. The produce is outstanding at these places, both for price and quality. There are still some local mom & pops but these are usually of the ethnic type. I know that here is a pretty good Indian market here in mass suburbia. We also have a Cajun market. West Houston is particularly blessed with big new Fiestas and Hong Kongs. Now I just wish they would move south. I gripe a lot about Houston not having a vibrant farmer's market scene. We have a couple of starter's, but once you move outside of the loop your options start to shrink. I really don't care about the organic end of it, but I would like to find more seasonal, locally grown regional varieties of produce, fresh field peas for instance.

That is a very perceptive comment about home cooks versus restaurants. Keeping in mind that the origin of gumbo (and other dishes in this topic) is the story of using what you have to make something as delicious and filling as you can . . . I have no proof, but I will bet that most of the famous restaurant varieties of gumbo originated with someone's Auntie's (pronounced Ahn-tee's) version being scaled up and standardized. And I will not-so-modestly admit that many of my gumbos, based on what is fresh and at hand, put a lot of the famous restaurant versions to shame. But then, they have to standardize to meet the expectations of the clientelle so they are working with a handicap. The smaller mom and pop cafes and such may do a much better job over the long haul. There was a cafe in LaPlace Louisiana many years ago that was owned by a relative of my Gumbo Goddess. If you ordered gumbo, you never knew what you were going to get. The menu just said "Gumbo." On repeated visits, you could experience a range of styles and ingredients that was just amazing.

Tonight, I did a variation of the mushroom soup recipe that I posted here. It isn't cold here but I wanted mushroom soup and HEB had mushrooms on sale last weekend. I also made a killer batch of beef stock over the weekend so that prompted the variation. This is one of those recipes that the kids ask for when they are in town and if I vary it, they have hissy fits. But, they aren't here, soooo . . . After the shallots and garlic are sauted and softened, I added about 1/4 cup of red wine and cooked it down. (I was wishing I had a good brandy.) I substituted 2 cups of double strength beef stock for the 2 cups milk and chicken base. I stuck with the favorite smoked Gouda and it seems a good fit. Everything else in the recipe is the same, with another variation: I normally slice the mushrooms because I like the toothsome slices of mushroom to chew on. Well, I was feeling a bit lazy this evening and didn't relish the idea of all of that mincing, slicing and grating. I got out the favorite toy, the Kitchen Aid food processor. I used the large grater disc to take care of the shallots and garlic. Then I switched to the julienne blade that I just bought and just ran those mushrooms through there. Then I switched back to the grater blade for the cheese since it was already going to need to be washed. Now I know why I love this toy. The texture is lovely. There are gibbles of mushroom and little "sticks" as well. It is very pleasant and took less time to sweat the mushrooms. Anyway, the final result is a bit lighter than the original and very beefy. I still wouldn't call it a light soup but it is sure good.

Congratulations on the gratin. *happy dance* Those are getting hard to find.

Marlene, that last batch looks particularly lovely. I made a batch of beef last weekend, taking advantage of our unseasonably low temps to chill it on the balcony overnight to remove the fat. I would normally have reduced it to glace de viande but I lost patience and got it to about 2:1 before I gave up and put it up into jars for the freezer. My thinking on this is that I can reduce to a glace in smaller amounts relatively quickly if I want that for some veggies or whatever. Now I am wondering about the wisdom of that approach. I have limited freezer space in this apartment fridge upper freezer. Hmmm . . . Mother always said "Patience is a virtue." They had mushrooms on sale at the local HEB. Maybe I will use up a couple of the larger jars for some mushroom soup.

I am going to refer you to this post upthread. Yes, there is tremendous variation. All of it good.

I also made split pea soup last week and am munching on the remains. I went to the deli counter of my grocery and got a slab of the smokiest ham that they had to offer. Echoing Rachel's lament, it wasn't smoky enough for my taste. I think I need to fire up the smoker and do some chickens. I will then make some smoked chicken stock for use in such situations.

Thank you for starting this topic! A few weeks ago, I needed to buy sage to make the turkey confit. I, too, realized how ignorant I am about this herb. I also ended up buying the Dalmation sage. How that plant is connected to spotted dogs, I haven't a clue. And what the heck is "rubbed sage?" How do you rub a sage plant? And what about those purple sage plants used in the landscaping around here? Are they edible? I know that I enjoy it in sausage. And I occasionally bump into it in "poultry seasoning" when I make cornbread dressing. And how about that word sausage, anyway? Oh dear . . . I am only adding questions. I hope someone here has answers.

Here on the Gulf Coast, we get low temperatures so seldom that I often forget about the "outdoor fridge." Due to this topic, the 16 quart stock pot full of beef stock is now sitting on the balconey to chill so I can defat it. It is 36 degrees F out there. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Otherwise, I would have had to clean out the indoor fridge.

It is 46 and I am putting on my woolies. I have to admit that I am a cold weather wimp. What can I say. I was raised in the Gulf Coast. Susan, you should know about the frostbite demon. I still have a scar on my hand from an unintentional contact with a cooling coil in a blast freezer maybe 30 years ago. I really can't relate to having the whole landscape a blast freezer, even though I did spend Christmas in Chicago. I am really interested in smoking in the cold. My son, in Chicago, is interested. If you don't "carnita", please report.

Well, while the word "gumbo" used to refer to the pod known as okra, the language has moved on. Okra is certainly a part of some gumbos but not all by any means.

Chef, thank you for joining us. First, let me say that I have never been to Italy but I intend to correct that omission soon. My grown daughter spent a couple of weeks in the Tuscany region last year. Her reports on the food are an inspiration to plan a trip. Basis her experience, I have the following question: Why would anyone want to "elevate" Italian cuisine to some perceived "upper" level? As far as I can see, one of the charms of Italian cuisine is the connection with the basics and excellent ingredients. I guess that I am saying that one of my expectations for my first trip to Italy is that I will find an exalted version of "home cooking." Perhaps that is the "signature" of Italian cuisine and it should not try to emulate what is going on in the rest of the world but build upon its strengths. I realize that my comments here may be controversial but I anticipate your response and perhaps a bit of education prior to my adventure.

Uh . . . I'm not sure that there is such a thing as a "proper" gumbo. The whole reason for gumbo is to make something delicious out of what you have. If it is tasty and you like it, it is a success.

I have never seen Coquina Chowder in a restaurant. We got our recipe from the Euell Gibbons book. As far as I know, no one collects them commercially. This is a definite DIY project. After you have collected a couple of buckets full, you steam them and collect the juice. It is wonderfully sweet and "clammy."

One time, I made a thick pea mixture into patties with finely diced ham and fried them. They were just ok. Notice I said "one time."

Not so fast, Ronnie. Over on the soup thread I did the same thing. I made soup. Don't do potatoes and peas. I am sure you can come up with something better.

andiesenji comes up with yet another terrific web site. That one is definitely well done and in my favorites list now.

Heh heh . . . In my recipe for the very dark gumbo, I call it "South of I-10 Style." I learned about gumbos at the side of a dear lady in LaPlace many years ago, when I-10 was being built, and that is what she called it. She cooked just about every style but favored the dark. I got the potato salad concept from a friend that was raised in Houma. Another odd tradition, his mother gets the really dark gumbo bubbling and poaches eggs in it!

Boy. You guys are really committed. I did this . . . once. Then I did a side by side comparison with Chaudoc canned and couldn't see that it was worth it. Now, if I lived in Hawaii and had a coconut palm in my yard, that might be a different story. I am really suspicious of the quality of the coconuts we get here in the US. I can't tell you how many I have picked up a coconut, and upon shaking, don't hear any sloshing at all. If you can find them with the husks intact, that might be a different matter.

I had the same problem with crockpots. My old one pooped out and would not do anything other than low. The first new one was way too hot. I returned it. The next one is ok but not great. As the mass cooks down, it gets hot spots. I finally resorted to the Le Creuset in the oven. I am also in the market for another, simple, high/low crockpot.

That is a great photo series, peter. Many thanks for that. I am thinking that 30 hours on low for the duration is not unreasonable. I have never done it on low for the full process but it does compute. And, after all, you don't have to really do anything so who cares if it takes as long as it takes. Your final product looks great.

Actually, that light fixture is really cool. Will you be augmenting your cooking with outdoor cooking activities? I mean, the weather isn't all that cold where you are.

Great idea! My sister is in the last stages of destruction of one of these. I wonder how it would be with sweet potatoes? Someone on one of the other threads had done sweet potatoes with a chipotle "sauce" that could be dynamite with that combo.

I now have a true mystery. Up-thread a bit I mentioned that I was going to use the liquid from the paprika turkey thighs to make a small pot of soup. I had about two cups of onions and liquid. I added some diced russet potato and frozen small peas. (I was in a pea mood.) That should be pretty straight forward and the paprika turkey thighs were such a success (especially for someone that doesn't particularly like turkey) that I figured I couldn't go wrong. Luckily, I tasted before adding the last scraps of turkey meat. Not bad but not good either. It tasted like canned soup! What's up with that? I used the last of the turkey in a quesadilla.

That berry thing sounds wonderful. Let us not forget that gratins do not have to have obscene amounts of butterfats. The technique lends itself to concoctions that respond to a bit of caramelization. I put the following recipe in the old RecipeGullet and have gotten good feedback. (Patience. RecipeGullet will be back.) Eggplant Gratin I invented this dish after having mastered potato gratin dauphinoise and searching for other uses for my fabulous oval Le Creuset gratin dish. You can use other dishes of similar size to cook this but the cast iron does make for great caramelization. 1 medium eggplant 1 large red onion Herbs (fresh or dried basil and thyme, fennel seeds or others of your choice) 1 14 oz. can chopped tomato (I like to use the finely diced) 1-pound link of sausage (kielbasa or other smoked garlic sausage is good) Preheat oven to 325 and place a rack in the lower position. Spray the gratin dish with cooking spray. Peel the eggplant. Cut in half lengthwise and slice into ¼ inch half round slices. Cut the onion in half lengthwise and slice into ¼ inch half round slices. Layer into the dish in rows, overlapping pieces and rows by ½ and alternating eggplant with onion. Sprinkle lightly with salt and add herbs to your taste. Drain the tomato and distribute over the eggplant and onion layer. Slice the sausage in ¼ inch rounds and distribute evenly over the dish. Bake on the lower rack of the oven for 1 to 1 ½ hours or until the sausage has a crisp upper layer and the eggplant and onion are thoroughly cooked and beginning to caramelize. Allow to cool slightly and lift squares with a spatula to serve. Notes: Omit the sausage and serve as a vegetable side dish. You may want to use some of the liquid from the tomatoes for this version and add a little olive oil. Add other ingredients such as sliced garlic, dollops of pesto or sun dried tomato sauce. Red pepper flakes add a nice note. Sliced colored bell peppers could be added. (I wouldn’t use green ones.) Sliced fennel is a good fit. Mushrooms are another idea. You could substitute squash for the eggplant and have a whole new direction. It may have to cook longer depending upon how much water is in the squash. Consider this recipe as an example of a technique. Slice and layer whatever you have on hand. The main considerations are the liquid content, depth of the whole dish and cooking time. You want to concentrate the flavors. This dish makes a great pressed sandwich. Split French or Italian bread lengthwise. Remove some of the crumb. Brush the surfaces if you wish with olive oil. Fill with the gratin mixture and press. Slice to serve.