Tuesday, January 27, 2015

New Orleans by proxy



Perhaps because I watched the final episode of Treme. Perhaps because I then watched Skeleton Key (a guilty pleasure favorite of mine)...but I have been missing New Orleans lately. I had planned to make a New Orleans-inspired or truly Southern meal every Sunday beginning a few weeks back. I thought it'd be nice to harken to where we are from every week (instead of just being focused on budget budget budget) but my work schedule changed and I generally got derailed. So, last night while the hubs was at school, I hunkered down and made well- the recipe is called "Gumbolaya". It is like a tremendously delicious Louisiana-inspired stew served over rice. I pulled out my grandmother's cast iron and baked cornbread and y'all!!!! It was all terribly terribly (damn) good!

Now before y'all say you don't like that kind of food, it wasn't spicy (unless you want it to be-which I do- but if you don't you can use regular sweet sausage instead of spicy). And because y'all know I can only follow a recipe for five minutes before doing my own thing, I added a lot more parsley, garlic and cilantro than told to (and no shrimp because of budgets, baby). I also added a whisper of sugar which made a big difference and kept everything from getting a too acidic. Also, don't skimp on the okra if you think you don't like it. It adds a irreplaceable earthiness to it and is a must, not a suggestion!

Well, without further ado, here is the yummiest recipe I've made in a minute!




Recipe here. But I have to admit (and one day I'll have the foresight to prove it to you) my version was prettier, though admittedly less Bon Appetit-y. 

Do y'all have any special weekly meal traditions in your house or with your family? The world (sadly) doesn't run the same way as it did for our grandparents but I always loved the idea of a weekly family meal involving ham, biscuits, fried chicken and green beans. You know- a Southern classic. That'll probably be happening sooner rather than later for my little family unit!

I'd love to hear what y'all do and are up to! I hope you have a truly wonderful day!

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