Toronto is gloomy. I think it is safe to say that I have not seen the sun for days, perhaps even weeks, Would you believe that this picture was taken on a lunch break? It does not help that now that the leaves have fallen, you can fully see into the cemetery in my back yard. So gloomy. It is times like this that your Jewish, blonde, Manitoban friend craves the comforts of the South. Now I know that based on the descriptors I have chosen for myself, feeling at home in the southern states of the US sounds a bit out of left field. But let me tell you, there is nothing more comforting than sipping on a sweet tea, and slurping up your gumbo while listening to some jazz in the French Quarter (if you don't mind shvitzing like a chazer, that is). At this point I hope everyone is reading this post with the southern drawl that I am writing it with. And if my description of a perfect outing in New Orleans does not quite get you in the mood for southern comforts, perhaps this serenade will help: Click here! And so while yesterday was no Mardi Gras (just a regular ol' Tuesday), I put on my beads, took off my touque, and grabbed my gumbo pot. Time for some soul food. Made-For-My-Kosher-Kitchen Gumbo For those of you who are not weirdly obsessed with southern cooking, let me quickly explain what Gumbo is. Gumbo originated in Creole Louisiana and is a very strongly flavoured, thickened soup. Gumbo recipes differ from restaurant-restaurant and house-house but it always contains a thickener (the creole version features filet powder, but the French take uses a roux), the trinity of vegetables, protein, and rice. While gumbo commonly features Andouille Sausage and shellfish, I have opted for a vegetarian version featuring another New Orleans favourite: red beans. Now if there was one thing I learned in New Orleans, it is the importance of a roux. A roux is a mixture of equal parts fat and flour cooked down slowly until it turns a deep brown colour. This cooked flour will not only thicken your soups and other dishes, but it will add a nutty, rich flavour. Ok, lesson time is over. Time to Cook. Ingredients - 4 tbsp flour - 4 tbsp vegetable oil - Vegetable Trinity [2 celery stalks, 1 white onion, 1 green bell pepper) Diced - 3 cloves of garlic, diced - 2 cups veg/chicken stock - 1 can of red beans - 1 can of black beans - 1 cup of canned tomatoes - Okra, sliced - Cajun Seasoning to taste (you can buy a Cajun mix at most stores; if not, use this recipe from Food Network) - Salt and pepper to taste Begin by making your roux. Combine the flour and oil in a deep pot, on medium heat. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until it goes from soupy and white to thick and toasted. For gumbo, it is recommended to get a dark roux. If you can multitask, you can cook up your trinity and garlic while stirring your roux. If however, you like to make sure you are doing each part correctly, and not have the smoke detector go off, it is okay to complete your roux and then take it off the heat. Cook up your trinity on medium-high heat with a bit of salt and pepper to taste. Once your vegetables have softened, you can stir them into your roux. Top this mixture with the stock, the beans, and a hefty dose of seasoning. In the end I added about 3 tbsp, but I enjoy spice. Cover your pot and let this simmer. In order to add a touch more substance to this gumbo I thought that okra would be a nice touch! I realize that many of us do not know what okra is or what to look for in the store, so here is a look for y'all: Simply trim the top and bottom and toss this into your gumbo! After about 45 minutes of simmering I decided that it was time to get eating. I know a proper southerner would have spent hours putting her gumbo together, but I just couldn't wait! Pour your Gumbo over some Jasmine rice and top with chopped parsley and green onions (and lots of hot sauce). Et Voila! Actually, on second thought- this meal looked pretty empty. So I made the necessary adjustments by putting together a 5-minute cornbread. MUCH better! So while it may still be snowing outside in dreary Toronto, I have the warmth of Louisiana in my belly. |
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