National Gumbo Day

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Chef Diane

Goodbye joe, me gotta go down the bayou

Me gotta go, pole the pirogue down the bayou

My yvonne, sweetest one, me oh my oh

Son of a gun, we gonna have big fun on the bayou

Well, jambalaya an a crawfish pie an a file gumbo

cause tonight Im gonna see my ma cher amio

Pick guitar, fill fruit jar an be gay-o

Son of a gun, we gonna have big fun on the bayou

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This is a song by Hank Williams, and every time I hear it it makes me think of fall weather and a big pot of Gumbo.  Gumbo is a cajun dish from Louisiana.  It’s one of their specialty dishes like New England Clam Chowder is to Maine, or Chili is to Texas.  Gumbo is not only used to describe this tasty dish, but also the consistency of the mud on the roads you drive through.  Gumbo is a seafood soup or stew.  It can be made with shrimp and sausage, or chicken and crab, or any other meat you care to use.  Some people put chicken bones and all in it, others put crab legs in the shell in it.  I prefer to use shelled shrimp and Smokey hollow sausage.  I don’t want to have to dip stuff out and shell it or take out bones when I eat.  Below is my grandmother's Gumbo recipe.  The most important part is the Roux.  A roux is the mixture of shortening and flour used to make the base.  It has the consistency of gravy.  This recipe calls for 2 TBSP or shorting, but you will need more.  You want the roux to be liquid like, not too loose, but not thick either.  And you have to brown it until it’s almost black.  This will take about 15 to 20 minutes, or you can buy roux in a bottle (if you want to cheat) Once the roux is made, the rest is simple...just add to a pot and let it cook.  Gumbo is even better the next day.  Then serve it in a bowl full of rice, with crackers or cornbread.  It will fill you up and warm up your insides!

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Today is National Gumbo day, so try this or your own recipe, and serve some to your family for supper.  You will have big Fun!!

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Gumbo

Ingredients:

2/3 C Flour	3-4 pods Garlic
2 TBS Shortening	2 tsp. File’
1 Can Rotel Tomatoes	salt& pepper
1 Pk. Okra	1 lb. Sausage
1 lrg. Onion	3 lbs. shrimp
2 stalks celery

Directions:

Brown flour and shortening until real dark, almost black add more shortening if needed...to make a paste – add onions, garlic, and celery and sauté. Spread roux to sides and put okra in center and add Rotel tomatoes. Stir until okra loses its slick. Let cook 15-20 minutes and add sausage. Put mixture into 2 quarts of boiling water and add shrimp. Let cook 20 minutes then add file’. (optional)  Serve over rice.

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Bratwurst Day

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By Diane Forrest

I have always loved to sing, and so I love movies that include singing.  One of my favorite moves are the Sister Act Movies where Whoopi Goldberg plays a nun who encourages singing.  In Sister Act 2, there is a really great line about the convent menu.

"Sister Mary Robert: The only thing the chef knows how to cook is German sausage.

Sister Mary Lazarus: Day after day, liverwurst, bratwurst, beerwurst...

Sister Mary Patrick: It's the worst.

For some reason this quote has always stuck in my head.  I have never tried bratwurst, until this past march.  I have had plenty of sausage, but never any brats.   In March, we celebrated my father's birthday, and my son went shopping for his birthday dinner.  He grilled some hamburgers, brats, and corn as seen in the above picture.  I have to admit they were very good.  In fact, I almost didn't even want a hamburger!

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Today is Bratwurst Day. The name of this sausage is the compound form of two German words—“brat” which means “fry” and “wurst” which means “sausage.”  Bratwursts originated in Germany and have been around since the 14th century. These sausages are generally made from pork, veal, or beef and are usually grilled or fried. Often times, they are served in rolls or buns. Many preparations of bratwurst exist worldwide. For example, in the United States, they are commonly eaten with brown mustard, ketchup, and onions.

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In Sheboygan, Wisconsin, they have hosted a Bratwurst Day since 1953.  Bratwurst Day is a huge festival with music, a parade, flea market, a circus, and, naturally, brats, served by the thousands. The local Jaycees Club sponsors the event to celebrate the area's German heritage and to promote their town as the Bratwurst Capital of the World. "A true brat lover knows there's only one way to enjoy a Sheboygan brat," says Mary Lou Haen, past president of the Jaycees in Sheboygan. "It's called 'a double with the works.'" Two grilled brats are served on a Sheboygan hard roll (that's a special bun rolled in cornmeal and baked to crusty, tender perfection) with pickles, ketchup, onions, and stone-ground mustard.

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So today, on Bratwurst day, why not grill some for your friends and family…and don't forget the beer.