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| Gumbo |
Gumbo is a type of spicy stew typical of Louisiana and South Carolina cuisines, but also consumed frequently on the Gulf of Mexico. The hearty dish consists basically of two ingredients: broth and rice. While this may sound boring and limited, gumbo is actually a dish with an extremely large variety of flavors and consistencies, depending on how the broth is made.
The main varieties of gumbo broth include seafood, chicken, red meats (including sausages), and pork. A vegetarian variety also exists, and it was created for consumption primarily during Lent. Instead of meat, vegetarian gumbo is made using mashed greens that have been thickened with a roux, a mixture of butter and wheat flour.
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
1 pound okra, chopped (optional; use for thicker Gumbo)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 pound cubed beef stew meat (optional)
4 cups water
4 cups dark beer
1 (16 ounce) can whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 pinch ground black pepper
1 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 Crab, cut in half
1 pound medium shrimp - peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 lemon
Direction:
In a large pan cook, onions, celery and okra, stirring constantly until golden brown. Add garlic last as it will burn and taste bad. Set aside.
In a large heavy bottomed stock pot over medium-high heat, combine 1/4 cup of butter and flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until the roux becomes chocolate brown. Stir in the vegetable mixture, and stew meat. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are tender, and meat is evenly brown. Mix in Beer, water, tomatoes and sugar. Season with parsley, thyme, bay leaves, salt, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Add shrimp, crab and andouille to stock pot. Stir in hot pepper sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Remove seeds from lemon and squeeze juice into stock pot. Simmer an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaves, sprinkle with file powder, and serve with white rice.
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| Basic White Bread |
I love bread. Especially when I have spent all day making it. It just builds the anticipation. I love the way that the house smells when I bake bread. I can not wait to get that oven open and slice a little piece of Heaven.
Are you the same way? Homemade bread just taste so much better than the stuff you buy at the store and even if the process is a little bit time consuming, it is totally worth it.
This is a basic recipe for making simple white bread that you can use as it is or integrate it with other ingredients and make different kinds/flavors of bread like cinnamon bread or chocolate chips bread. Just have fun with it!
Ingredients:
2 cup bread flour (VERY important that you have the right flour!!)
1 package of instant yeast
3/4 cup lukewarm water
1/4 cup milk
1- 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1- 1/2 tbsp butter
Directions:
In a bowl of your electric mixer place yeast and dissolve it in 3/4 cup lukewarm (not hot because you will scorch the yeast; not cold, it will not activate the yeast) water. Let is sit for about 5-10 min. (This is HIGHLY important, because if the yeast does not dissolve completely, your bread WILL NOT RISE). In a sauce pan combine salt, sugar and butter. Add milk and heat over low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolve. Cool to lukewarm. Add milk/yeast mixture to the yeast and water. Add in flour. Turn your electric mixer to low speed and with the dough hook mix for about 5-6 min or until you get a soft and sticky dough. (If you don’t have a mixer just knead the dough by hand) Placed dough in a greased bowl, cover with a warm towel (get a towel wet, ring it out, microwave about 30-40 seconds) and let rise for about 2 hours or until doubled in size. (I usually set it above the fridge). Now punch dough down and on a slightly floured surface roll it out into a long rectangular. Starting at a short side, roll the dough all the way to the other side. Place roll in a greased loaf pan. Cover again with a warm towel and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size. Bake at 200 C for about 30 min.
Remove from pan immediatelly and let it cool down before slicing it. Enjoy with fresh homemade butter.
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| Butter |
I got this recipe from Emeril Lagasse on the food network, and got to test it with a class of kindergartners at Thanksgiving time. (They used baby food jars, which actually is a great way to freeze and store leftover butter until you are ready to use it.) Making butter is so incredibly easy to make and just as delicious as store bought, if not better. If you haven’t done this yet, go out today and buy a pint of heavy cream, and then spend 10 minutes to make your own butter. It’s incredibly simple to do, and it tastes wonderful! I love the fact that I can control the salt content in this, so I don't feel as guilty when I'm eating it! Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 pint heavy cream
Salt (optional)
Directions:
Find a large jar with a tight-fitting lid that will hold the cream about half full. Refrigerate the jar for at least 1 hour. Pour the cream into the cold jar. Tightly secure the lid and shake as hard as possible until chunks of butter start to form, 15 to 30 minutes. Pour into a strainer set over a bowl. The chunks in the strainer are butter, and the liquid in the bowl is buttermilk.
Pour the buttermilk into a clean container, cover, refrigerate, and reserve for another use. Turn the butter into a clean bowl and cover with very cold water. Pour into a strainer, discarding the liquid. Continue rinsing the butter with very cold water until the water runs clear. (The cloudy water is buttermilk which will make the butter turn sour.) When the butter is clean, work with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to press out any remaining liquid. Discard this liquid. If desired, add salt to the butter. (Salted butter will keep longer.)
Transfer the butter to a clean container for keeping, pressing with a wooden spoon or spatula to dispense any air bubbles. Refrigerate until ready to use.
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| Latka Gravas |
I was first introduced to potato pancakes, or latka gravas, as a child. My family got invited to celebrate Hanukkah with a neighbor of ours and it was a wonderful experience. One thing I still remember to this day is the latka that she made. This is a traditional potato pancake recipe, and is a wonderful comfort food. Serve with applesauce and sour cream for a light appetizer, or with roast chicken for a hearty meal.
Ingredients:
4 large potatoes
1 yellow onion
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (you can use more flour if the mixture seems too wet.)
ground black pepper to taste
2 cups vegetable oil for frying
Sour Cream (Optional)
Applesauce (Optional)
Directions
Finely grate potatoes with onion into a large bowl. Drain off any excess liquid.
Mix in egg, salt, and black pepper. Add enough flour to make mixture thick, about 2 to 4 tablespoons all together. Turn oven to low, about 200 degrees. Heat 1/4 inch oil in the bottom of a heavy skillet over medium high heat. Drop two or three 1/4 cup mounds into hot oil, and flatten to make 1/2 inch thick pancakes. Fry, turning once, until golden brown. Transfer to paper towel lined plates to drain, and keep warm in low oven until serving time. Repeat until all potato mixture is used.
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| Ceviche |
Ceviche is a very popular party food in the Latin community. Every Latin woman that I have ever met has their own version of this delicious meal. In the end though, it is still made from fish and either lime or lemon juice. It is not a form of sushi, though. Sushi is raw fish and other sea creatures, and this is not raw in any way. The reason that it is not raw is because the acidity in the lemon juice "cooks" the meat. You know that it is cooked and ready to be consumed because the meat turns white and is no longer pink. I love how healthy this dish is, and how simple it is to make.Ceviche can be made from all kinds of different fishes and shellfish, depending on your own personal taste. They might have slightly different recipes for it in Mexico or in Peru, possibly by adding more ingredients, but this recipe is the basic one and the one that will be found in Central America. Ceviche is eaten in restaurants and at parties, but you can go ahead and make your own, now that I'm giving you the recipe....especially if you have the urge to have some.
Ingredients:
Any amount of white fish you would like to use (I make about a half-gallon at a time because people will eat it up quickly)
Chopped/diced onion (one cup for every three cups of fish you make)
Chopped/diced red and green peppers (one-half cup of each) for a festive color
Hot sauce (only if desired) picante
Salt and Pepper to taste
Lime juice, enough to entirely cover the fish completely
A glass or ceramic bowl or large jar
A box of your favorite saltine crackers for enjoying the ceviche
Instructions:
Chop the white fish into small squares and put into the bowl or container you have prepared for this. A round pyrex bowl is perfect.
Add the onion, the green and red peppers (you could also use yellow) Add the hot sauce (picante) to taste.
Cover everything well with the lime juice. It should cover the fish by at least 1/4". Cover the bowl with a clean dishtowel or cover. Leave on the kitchen counter overnight, or until the fish is the color white. 6-8 hours is about right.
The fish will have cooked in the lime juice. If it is too watery, just pour some of the lime juice out. Refrigerate until cold. When it is cold, it is ready to be served. It will last for about a week.
This is a great diet food, and you can also make shrimp ceviche, too. Just substitute the shrimp for the fish.
Eat by placing a bit of the mixture on a cracker, and enjoy with your favorite drink.
