eG Foodblog: PopsicleToze (2011) - Honeysuckles and Huckleberries... F

[PopsicleToze]

Rhonda, forgive me if you mentioned this earlier, when we were talking about red beans & rice...but a question just popped into my head about the technique for this dish.

I've seen (and have) a lot of recipes that call for "pickled pork" to be added to it. It can be made, of course, but it seems like a whole ton of trouble for what seems to be essentially a flavoring.

I guess I have 2 questions actually, or 2 parts of the same one. First off, do you use it/make it when you do RB&R? If you do, do you think it's an essential part of the flavor? And a 3rd part/question, it seems, is it a product you can buy commercially in your neck of the woods, as you would the andouille?

Great question. There are people who swear by pickled pork and are the first to say that RB&R ain't RB&R without it! Celeste mentioned earlier that one of the best pots of beans she ever had was make with pickled pork. So for Q1, no, it's not my thing, and I don't use it. Q2, yes, you can absolutely buy this product commercially at just about any grocery store. Here are pictures from a local market:

If you want to try it, it's not something that would be hard to make. Click here for a sample recipe from Alton Brown.

[PopsicleToze]

Now, let's go to the jambalaya benefit we had today. First, however, remember that picture that I posted initially?

That's my late (great) Uncle Jesse making jambalaya. When I put together our family cookbook, Aunt Bernice submitted their recipe for jambalaya. This was her comment for the book:

This jambalaya recipe is the one we use. We always used a wood fire in the past, but they now use gas burners—and just follow the same pattern. Jessie did not even learn to use the gas, which is the best and coolest (literally) way to go. Both boys (Tommy and Bo) use gas. We broke the recipe down so anyone can use “as desired.” (Bo uses more seasonings than the rest of us.) We also started off with 50 pounds of chicken, because there is a lot of waste when you clean them.

Now, off we go to the benefit...

[heidih]

5o pounds of chicken! This should be good.

[PopsicleToze]

The community benefit center is just a small organization with about 25 or 30 members comprised mostly of people who have known one another their entire lives. The old-timers cook the jambalaya. You can watch, and you can stir (under their direction), but you can *not* cook the jambalaya!

When I drive up, I go straight to the back, and the first person I saw was PeeWee (yeah, I know... but it sounds too awkward to say "Mr. PeeWee). He gave me a hug and then saw my camera and said, "So, you're cooking for your blog this week? Well, did you tell them that I cook the best jambalaya around these parts?" Yes, sir, I sure did! In this picture, he's teaching a "youngster" how to make jambalaya.

Here they are stirring the meat. Each pot has 20 pounds of Mahatma long grain rice, 40 pounds of chicken (Aunt Bernice increased the chicken to 50 pounds because she said there was a lot of waste, but she used whole chickens that she cut and cleaned; we buy chicken already cut and cleaned), 10 pounds of boston butt (cubed), 10 pounds of Manda pork sausage (cut into 1-inch rounds), 16 pounds of yellow onions, 16 large green bell peppers...

And here is Mr. Doel; he is a character!

Here are the white beans that will be served with the jambalaya. For a home meal, we would have baked beans (takes too long to be efficient at the benefits) and cole slaw (doesn't hold up well sitting around in the heat after the plates are made).

I thought you might want to take a look at the paddles used to stir the pots. They are about 4-feet long.

Here is a picture of an old iron stove that's in the serving building because it does get a little chilly in the fall. I told you earlier that the benefits stop for the season in September, but that was incorrect. They stop in October, and, yes, we do use this old iron stove. Wood is heated in it to keep us warm.

Here are some cupcakes that will be used for today's meal. The desserts vary for each benefit. The family that's sponsoring the benefit is in charge of the desserts. Note that there is no frosting. That's because the frosting gets too hot sitting around, and it's messy to serve, too.

Here is an old-timey cash register that houses the money. The cash register itself doesn't work, but it still opens and closes and has the components inside to properly house the money into denominations so that it's easy to make change.

The serving room's ceiling is lined with ceiling fans. In the summertime, the heat would be unbearable without them.

And that's how we make jambalaya!

[PopsicleToze]

Wow! I want that for dinner tonight. I love the neighborly help that you describe. And how utterly LA-ish to help AND have fun AND feast while doing it.

Thank you, Miss Kim! You are welcome here any time!

[PopsicleToze]

I've got round steak boiling now to become vaca frita tomorrow (flank steak is canonical, but round works just fine, too). If I'd read this before I started it, it might have become steak and gravy. I can't think how long it's been since I made that!

It's been a pleasure visiting with you! Call me anytime you are in the area!

[PopsicleToze]

Really, your blog hit home with me...loved every minute.

Need. Fresh. Crawfish. Now.

Thank you for all that you did --I know it's a ton of work, but you really invited us all into your home and made us feel like one of your own!

You were an absolute pleasure to have visit! Anytime...

[PopsicleToze]

Thanks so much for sharing your Louisiana with us. It makes me long even more for the bayous and the people. That was the other thing I've noticed when I've been in New Orleans. Along with never having a bad meal, I never met a person who wasn't warm, friendly and welcoming. Much like you !

You would definitely fit in around here! Thank you soooo much; you definitely brought smiles to my face all week!!

[PopsicleToze]

Thank you, everyone, for allowing me into your homes. I thoroughly enjoyed the blog experience. I didn't make it to everything on my list, but that's always the case. It was great seeing old friends drop by and meeting new friends. Celeste, thanks for the help!

[PopsicleToze]

AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR LITTLE BLOG

HAPPY COOKING!

[Genkinaonna]

Thanks so much for all your hard work and pictures this week. And I LOVED the crawfish hole picture, I learned something new, and it wasn't even (directly) food related. That's why these blogs are so great!

: )

[PopsicleToze]

Yours truly,

Edited March 26, 2011 by PopsicleToze (log)

[heidih]

That is the most awesome place- if every community had one our world would be uplifted. Love the diamond plate custom pot covers- are they locally made? The paddles are a thing of beauty. I just finished "The Spice Necklace" and she talked about the big paddles used to stir large pots of food for community gatherings in the Caribbean!

Great blog, great part of the country, and great food - thank you!!!!!!!!!!!

[Shelby]

Yours truly,

You're beautiful!!!

OMG my mom and step dad will love reading this last part. They've been reading along and loving it, I'm sure.

Isn't it funny how the men-folk are in charge of the cooking there? If you think about it, Cajun cookin' is very forward thinking.

[Pierogi]

Thanks so much for all your hard work and pictures this week. And I LOVED the crawfish hole picture, I learned something new, and it wasn't even (directly) food related. That's why these blogs are so great!

: )

OMG, I wanted to comment on that crawfish hole as well. I was always under the impression they lived in the swamp, under water ! What a trip.

You're beautiful!!!

I second that. Lovely blue eyes.

[llc45]

Thanks so much for a wonderful blog. I too was in awe of the crawfish hole. Never would have guessed. You have put New Orleans on my list of must get back to in the two years list. Please rest now - I can't believe how much you did this week!

[janeer]

What a wonderful tribute to a region this blog has been. And I learned so much. Honestly, who knew crawfish were in a HOLE?? I thought they were fished like shrimp! Thank you so much.

[kayb]

Thoroughly enjoyed your blog. Now you've got me craving crawfish; got to get out this week and see what I can find in the markets!

[Peter the eater]

Great stuff! Thanks for being so informative and entertaining all week.

In return, here's

as sung by a friend of mine and his dad.

[Darienne]

I loved the blog, PT. I loved the song, Peter.

But I still don't want to eat crawfish.

[PopsicleToze]

Love the diamond plate custom pot covers- are they locally made? The paddles are a thing of beauty.

Thanks, Heidi! I've never asked about the pot covers. However, one of the guys owns a fabrication shop, so it's a pretty good bet that he made them.

[PopsicleToze]

Isn't it funny how the men-folk are in charge of the cooking there? If you think about it, Cajun cookin' is very forward thinking.

ROFL! Yeah, and they even wash those old pots too because they're too heavy for us to deal with.

Thanks for everything!

[PopsicleToze]

Thanks so much for all your hard work and pictures this week. And I LOVED the crawfish hole picture, I learned something new, and it wasn't even (directly) food related. That's why these blogs are so great!

: )

You're welcome! I'm go glad that you liked it!

[PopsicleToze]

OMG, I wanted to comment on that crawfish hole as well. I was always under the impression they lived in the swamp, under water ! What a trip.

We don't dig them out of the ground or anything. They're not underground all of the time; they come out in spring, and that's when we catch them eat them! Also, when it gets to hot, the little creatures will bo back underground. Therefore, we have a very short window of time when it's crawfish season. Click here for interesting article on crawfish farming.

Thanks again, and I will see you in the eG forums!

[PopsicleToze]

Thanks so much for a wonderful blog. I too was in awe of the crawfish hole. Never would have guessed. You have put New Orleans on my list of must get back to in the two years list. Please rest now - I can't believe how much you did this week!

Call me when you get here, and that's for being such a nice part of the blog!