The CookingBites Cookalong: Gumbo

ElizabethB said:
Not native to the U.S. Brought in to raise for fur. They got out of control. Very destructive creatures.

We have many species of plants, warm blooded creatures, fish and insects that are not indigenous. Some were introduced intentionally others arrived accidentally on cargo ships. All are detrimental. Some even dangerous.
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Did you put some giant salvinia in your "green" gumbo? That stuff has taken over Lake Lake Bistineau. Over here in North Texas, we are dealing with Zebra Muscles. I wish we could make some food out of them.

CD
 
ElizabethB said:
IDK about the rest of you but there are many dishes that I prepare with little thought to weights and measures. Add some of this and some of that. This challenge has forced me to really pay attention. Surprise - the process has awakened my taste buds to the subtle changes in the flavor and texture as I add ingredients. I taste more frequently and really appreciate the development of the flavor with the addition of each ingredient. I keep in mind those of you who have never tasted Gumbo. I keep thinking "How can I describe the subtly of each ingredient?" It is like trying to describe a color to a person who has been blind from birth. There is no point of reference.

My kitchen smells divine. The color of the gumbo is kind of freaking me out. :hyper: The flavor is there. Still have ingredients to add.
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I'm going to make a green herb gumbo too - I'm fascinated to try it. I'm going to make it vegan if possible and use some type of beans for added protein.

Trying to describe taste is indeed a challenge and I face it every time I write the introduction to a recipe.
 
Still debating if I will get around to making gumbo. I have Paul Prudhomme's book, Louisiana Kitchen, with seven Cajun gumbo recipes in it. I'd be most like to make the seafood Andouille one (adding okra). He does have a shrimp, andouille and okra one - but I want to expand beyond shrimp (which in my new territory only seems to be sourced from sewage farms in Indochina).

I grew up on okra. I can handle the slime.

Down the road, I'll try a vegetarian gumbo, but I want to try this first - so the veggie one will certainly be after this challenge is over.
 
Mountain Cat said:
Still debating if I will get around to making gumbo. I have Paul Prudhomme's book, Louisiana Kitchen, with seven Cajun gumbo recipes in it. I'd be most like to make the seafood Andouille one (adding okra). He does have a shrimp, andouille and okra one - but I want to expand beyond shrimp (which in my new territory only seems to be sourced from sewage farms in Indochina).

I grew up on okra. I can handle the slime.

Down the road, I'll try a vegetarian gumbo, but I want to try this first - so the veggie one will certainly be after this challenge is over.
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That is the one I'll be making next.
 
morning glory said:
I'm going to make a green herb gumbo too - I'm fascinated to try it. I'm going to make it vegan if possible and use some type of beans for added protein.

Trying to describe taste is indeed a challenge and I face it every time I write the introduction to a recipe.
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Describing the taste of gumbo is hard. You can't say, "It tastes just like (fill in the blank), because it doesn't taste just like anything else.

CD
 
Mountain Cat said:
Still debating if I will get around to making gumbo. I have Paul Prudhomme's book, Louisiana Kitchen, with seven Cajun gumbo recipes in it. I'd be most like to make the seafood Andouille one (adding okra). He does have a shrimp, andouille and okra one - but I want to expand beyond shrimp (which in my new territory only seems to be sourced from sewage farms in Indochina).

I grew up on okra. I can handle the slime.

Down the road, I'll try a vegetarian gumbo, but I want to try this first - so the veggie one will certainly be after this challenge is over.
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Living somewhat near the Gulf coast, I can get good frozen, wild caught Gulf shrimp. It costs a lot more, but like you said, it wasn't farm raised in sewage.

BTW, most wild caught shrimp (at least in the USA) are frozen right off the boat, so they work just fine. Try to buy frozen shrimp with the shells still on. It is more work for the cook, but the shells really protect the meat while frozen. You will get a better texture than you would with shelled then frozen shrimp.

CD
 
caseydog said:
Try to buy frozen shrimp with the shells still on. It is more work for the cook, but the shells really protect the meat while frozen. You will get a better texture than you would with shelled then frozen shrimp.
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Absolutely - I'm assuming you mean frozen raw? Plus, you can make seafood stock from the shells (which is what I did in the seafood gumbo I made earlier), although in that case the prawns were fresh.
 
morning glory said:
:ohmy: Are they frozen ones? I would have thought there might be more seafood in your neck of the woods - Massachusetts has a coastline, doesn't it?
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I don't think Massachusetts has much of a shrimp population. Great clams!

morning glory said:
Absolutely - I'm assuming you mean frozen raw? Plus, you can make seafood stock from the shells (which is what I did in the seafood gumbo I made earlier), although in that case the prawns were fresh.
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Yes, they go from alive to frozen in a short period of time. And yes, the shells are great for making seafood stock.

CD
 
caseydog said:
I don't think Massachusetts has much of a shrimp population. Great clams!
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My lack of knowledge - although the one part of USA I have ever been to was Boston and I went to the coast and remember some sort of seafood shack. It was a long time ago and I was only there for 4 days. I can't recall what I ate in the seafood place.
I can only remember the burger I ate in Boston - I wanted to eat a real American burger.
 
morning glory said:
:ohmy: Are they frozen ones? I would have thought there might be more seafood in your neck of the woods - Massachusetts has a coastline, doesn't it?
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I would have so thought!

I am on the western side of the state. The eastern side has that glorious coastline. We do get some seafood here, but they don't typically source seafood well here on this side. I usually have to have a reason to go back to my old stomping grounds in Connecticut to get good seafood. (Yes. the seafood itself could be reason enough - but 4 hours round trip? No.)

Shrimp isn't native to Massachusetts, but occasionally I can find wild caught Rhode Island red shrimp - which are awesome. There's not much demand for those, however, and they are very seasonal - most of the year they roam too far out and deep to be caught.

Boston has GREAT seafood! It's a bit further away than my old home in Connecticut, and has worse traffic. The only reason I'd go into Boston area is to meet up with VERY good friends.
 
Mountain Cat said:
I would have so thought!

I am on the western side of the state. The eastern side has that glorious coastline. We do get some seafood here, but they don't typically source seafood well here on this side. I usually have to have a reason to go back to my old stomping grounds in Connecticut to get good seafood. (Yes. the seafood itself could be reason enough - but 4 hours round trip? No.)

Shrimp isn't native to Massachusetts, but occasionally I can find wild caught Rhode Island red shrimp - which are awesome. There's not much demand for those, however, and they are very seasonal - most of the year they roam too far out and deep to be caught.

Boston has GREAT seafood! It's a bit further away than my old home in Connecticut, and has worse traffic. The only reason I'd go into Boston area is to meet up with VERY good friends.
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I have customers near New Haven. If I'm there in the summer, you can find me at a dockside bar eating clams with a side of cold beer.

CD
 
I've been looking at gumbo z'herbes recipes and have noticed a lot of them don't use a roux, which to me makes them more like soupy greens. I did find one though using a roux and only 1 or 2 meats that makes a lot less than one ElizabethB 's used. It's actually a totally vegetarian/vegan one, though they did mention adding andouille or tasso if you aren't making it for Lent.
 
medtran49 said:
I've been looking at gumbo z'herbes recipes and have noticed a lot of them don't use a roux, which to me makes them more like soupy greens. I did find one though using a roux and only 1 or 2 meats that makes a lot less than one ElizabethB 's used. It's actually a totally vegetarian/vegan one, though they did mention adding andouille or tasso if you aren't making it for Lent.
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I'm definitely using a roux - it wouldn't be gumbo without!
 
I think most of the work is in finding out you forgot to buy several of the important things, and don't really want to drive back into town to pick them up! (That's my viewpoint right now, living where I do.)

And, while still recuperating from Kat's sudden death, it still just seems too involved for me. BUT this will pass.

And is why I'm still not up for attempting my own gumbo just yet.
 
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