Charm of the Carolines

Boudreaux's Zydeco Stomp Gumbo Ya-Ya

Speaking of Sassafras on yesterday's post, I couldn't help myself but share the best recipe for gumbo with you. No,it's not original to middle Tennessee. It's a Texas-cajun version I found years ago and tweaked it to be my own. For example, the original doesn't call for okra. Can it be Gumbo without okra? Okra thickens gumbo, to me it wouldn't be the same without it. Also the original doesn't call for file', gumbo must have file'. The original recipe calls for red, hot chile peppers in addition to the Rotel. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be in pain when I eat.

The original version is simply called Boudreaux's Zydeco Stomp Gumbo. I added the YaYa!

Try my version and let me know if it's not the best gumbo you've every had!

Boudreaux's Zydeco Stomp Gumbo Ya-Ya

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - chopped

1/2 pound kielbasa, sliced

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons minced garlic

3 quarts chicken broth

1 can or bottle beer

6 stalks celery, diced

4 roma tomatoes, diced

1 sweet valdalia onion, sliced

1 small bag frozen okra (without breading)

1 (10 ounce) can Rotel -diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, with liquid

1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 cup Cajun seasoning

2 Tablespoons file'

1 pound shrimp, peeled, cleaned and deveined

Tabasco sauce, to taste

 

Directions:

Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat, and cook chicken until no longer pink and juices run clear.

Stir in sausage, and cook until evenly browned. Drain chicken and sausage, and set aside.

In a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, blend olive oil and flour to create a roux. Stir constantly until browned and bubbly. Mix in garlic, and cook about 1 minute.

Gradually stir chicken broth and beer into the roux mixture. Bring to a boil, and mix in celery, tomatoes, sweet onion, diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, okra, parsley, File' and Cajun seasoning.

Reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 40 minutes, stirring often.

Mix chicken, sausage, and shrimp into the broth mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes.

Serve gumbo over prepared white rice.

Some of my Favorite things - February 2010

Oprah isn't the only one with a few favorite things. Julie Andrews isn't the only one to sing about them. Since I'm working in Washington, DC, and don't have much extra time for writing,  I thought I'd leave you today's post in pictures.

Some of my Favorite Things...

Writing a marvelous tale,

Homemade chicken and dumplins,  

A Room with a View... one of my favorite movies,

 

Crocus popping their little heads out of the snow... Spring is right around the corner!

More books than I can possibly read, 

Hattie McDaniel in the role of Mammy, Gone with the Wind, 1939 

MAC Lip Glass in the color "Underage,"

My favorite chocolate snack... Mint Moon Pies... taste like Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies, but they can be purchased year round.

 
Journaling... because a little mystery is a good thing. Not every thought I have ends up on this blog.

Coca-Cola in a tall glass bottle and any Vargas-esque ads from the 1940s,

Flannel Jammies and puppies, especially basset puppies,

A vintage kitchen, fully stocked and ready for cooking,
 

 
Mary Jane's Farm magazine, 

Ronald Reagan,  

 
Homefront... the best TV show ever! 

 

 
 
Jeremiah 29:11 "I will bless you with a future filled with hope--a future of success, not of suffering."  

What are your favorite things?

"Southerners talk music!"

"Southerners talk music!"  ~ Mark Twain

Having been born and raised in the south, I'm not only aware of our unique accents but also our colorful expressions. Forgive me if some of these aren't only used in the south, but I bet most of them are.

Some of my favorites:

Bless his lil' pea-pickin' heart. ("Bless his heart" excuses you to say just about anything... a classic!)

Flat as a flitter.

Full as a tick.

Livin' in high cotton. Also, Livin' high on the hog.

If you can't run with the big dogs, then stay on the porch.

That dog won't hunt. Or "That bucket don't hold water." (an unbelievably tall tale)

"I'm gonna jerk a knot in your tail!" (Thank goodness I haven't heard this one personally in a while.)

High falutin' or actin' above her raisin'. (puttin on airs)

I'm fixin' to! (getting ready)

Want a Coke? What kind do you want?

What are your favorite Southern expressions?

Belle Luce

Mom and Dad are thrilled. Another well-known country music celebrity has moved "next door." By that I mean the neighborhood across the street and only then is the estate accessed through this neighborhood; it's really not a part of it.

Kenny Chesney has purchased Belle Luce in Franklin, TN.

It is a bit of Tuscany in Tennessee. Bella Luce is a gated 30-acre private estate with beautiful views. The five-bedroom home has a kitchen with fireplace, a theater with stadium seating, billiards room and exercise room. One particularly nice feature is the tall lookout tower. The grounds also include a six-car garage and an infinity-edged pool. The new home is enhanced with older details including 150-year-old bricks and reclaimed walnut floors. Graceful arches and a secluded courtyard with a fountain enhance the tranquil style.

We'll have to make a pie to welcome him to the neighborhood.

 

Indigo Bunting

Many years ago I interviewed for a marketing job with Acuity Marketing, then located in the home of owner Rick Dreeves. Rick has a lovely home on the side of big hill in the woods west of Franklin. During the interview an Indigo Bunting flew by the picture window in his office and I completely lost focus. Never before have I seen a more beautiful bird!

The Indigo Bunting is a small finch with brilliant, almost iridescent, blue plumage. It's crown is a darker blue, almost purple. They prefer habitats that include brushy slopes, abandoned farmlands, old pastures and fields grown to scrub, woodland clearings, and forest edges adjacent to fields. No wonder they love middle Tennessee.

(photo credit: Susie Neel)

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