Y'all Are Shamelessly Remiss!

[wesza]

For a ham product we usually use a smoked ham hock. Unfortunately, I doubt that is readily available in the windy city. A friend of mine starts with minced tasso which is quite good as well. Also for sausage I recommend the Hilshire farms smoked sausage. While its overly processed, it is somewhat smokey which adds to the flavor. As a variation on the creamy theme you could also get a small portion of beans going before the bulk goes in. Lately I find that cooking the beans over high heat actually helps keep them from sticking. The rolling boil just keeps everything in the pot moving around. At some point you need to go low though or it will stick. ch

Saturnbar:

The "Windy City" actually has some of the best Smoked Ham Hocks in the USA as well as excellent Sausage products.

Check out "Bobaks" for Ham Hocks, Double smoked, or the " Double Smoked Hunters Bacon" and any house made Sausages. They also have a excellent Restaurant/Deli at the Main Store. You'll be surprised to learn that they send Smoked Goods all over the place including New Orleans. There are several Smoked Ham varieties and other items that are similar to what you may be looking for or they may suggest where it's available.

Irwin

[robyn]

I use colored peppers all the time instead of green. My wife doesn't like them much so I tend to replace them with something else. The bell peppers are the important part, not so much the color. In Gumbo the colors add a lot to the visuals as well as the flavor and I use them by choice most of the time (unless the price is stupid, which it often is. In the summer and fall I have them in my garden so price really isn't an issue.

Personally I love green bell peppers, but it seems as though many people don't.

Costco has bags of colored peppers - red - yellow - orange - 2 of each. $6.99. Also boxes of colored mini peppers (they make nice circle cuts) - $3.99. They're very fresh and usually last a couple of weeks in the refrigerator. So if you're anywhere near a Costco....

Robyn

[Mayhaw Man]

Robyn,

We don't have Costco, but we do have Sam's. They have the same deal on the peppers and I have stopped buying them anywhere else. It kinda makes you wonder how the grocery can get a buck and a half a pop for small yellows and reds.

Actually, I don't buy alot of produce there as I have a really good veg stand in my little town and a great farmers market 2X weekly, but I do buy peppers and a few other things that I use regularly as the price is kinda hard to beat.

[robyn]

Robyn,

We don't have Costco, but we do have Sam's. They have the same deal on the peppers and I have stopped buying them anywhere else. It kinda makes you wonder how the grocery can get a buck and a half a pop for small yellows and reds. 

Actually, I don't buy alot of produce there as I have a really good veg stand in my little town and a great farmers market 2X weekly, but I do buy peppers and a few other things that I use regularly as the price is kinda hard to beat.

I don't buy a lot of produce there either - because it's kind of hard for 2 people to work their way through 10 pounds of potatoes or 6 heads of lettuce. On the other hand - some of the things are so good and inexpensive (like the peppers) - that I'll buy them - and if I have to throw away 1/3 - so be it. By the way - I can't remember what thread it was - maybe the Costco thread - someone mentioned the small tomatoes at Costco (not cherry or grape - but smaller than regular size). Bought a package - and they're great. I've been thinking up ways to use them (I'm at the bottom of the recipe pile by tomorrow - BLTs). Robyn

[Mayhaw Man]

Robyn,

Make this delicious Tomato Basil Pie with all of those extra toms. You'll be glad you did. (you can replace the crawfish tails with shrimp, or even scallops if you can get them) This is a great recipe and kind of has Springtime written all over it. Since you are cooking for two you can do them as tarts and freeze what you don't eat. THis recipe freezes really well.

[robyn]

Robyn,

Make this delicious Tomato Basil Pie with all of those extra toms. You'll be glad you did. (you can replace the crawfish tails with shrimp, or even scallops if you can get them) This is a great recipe and kind of has Springtime written all over it. Since you are cooking for two you can do them as tarts and freeze what you don't eat. THis recipe freezes really well.

This looks like a great recipe (and how did you know I have a leftover pie shell from the holidays!). I'll be planting all my basil plants in about 2 weeks - I usually trim off the tops after planting - and that would be a perfect time to make this for the first time. Robyn