Tuesday, March 3, 2009
A LITTLE GUMBO HISTORY
Gumbo is a Louisiana soup or stew, which reflects and blends the rich cuisine of regional Indian, French, Spanish, and African cultures. The word "gumbo" is derived from various Bantu dialects (Southern & Central Africa) terms for okra (i.e. quin gumbo, grugombo, gumbo, gombo, ngombo and first appeared in print in 1805 (The word GUMBO is one of very few African language words brought over by slaves which have entered the English language. Some of the others are goober or goober pea (peanut) also of Bantu dialect origin, Yam from West Africa and cooter (turtle) of Bantu and Mandingo origin. Gumbo has been called the greatest contribution of Louisiana kitchens to American cuisine. Gumbo is one of foods that led to the development of African American cuisine. If you have any question or clarification or maybe your family has a recipe you would like me to add, I would love comments this will help me create a place were you would enjoy returning to.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
HIGHLIGHTS OF MARCH BLOG
Oh my it’s March already we are definitely marching through this year. It’s still a little chilly out side, how about some Gumbo. There are a lot of step to make a great Gumbo, this month there are only two recipes, my mothers in law Gumbo recipe and my fathers Gumbo recipes. I will go over the process step by step over this month so check back often and you to will be cookin’ up the best Gumbo on the West Coast. To make a great Gumbo you need to know how to make the roux it is the base for all Gumbo’s. There are no hard and fast rules for making gumbo beyond the basic roux, okra or filé powder, and your imagination. Gumbo is one such recipe give it a try.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Featuring Frederick Douglass
This is Black History Month and I would like to share some of the inspiration stories of African American that has encourages myself, families, friends and other individuals to follow their dreams and achieve their goals.
Frederick Douglass known as the “father of Civil Rights movement,” for his impassioned arguments against slavery. Frederick Douglass spoke with such clarity and precision that many could not believe that he was a self-educated former slave.
As a child, Douglass bribed Caucasian boys on the docks of Baltimore to teach him to read. His quest for knowledge was so strong that he eventually amassed a personal library of more than 10,000 volumes.
Escaping from slavery in 1838, Douglass became a zealous fighter for human rights, including women’s rights. After Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Douglass dedicated himself to organizing African American military units to fight for the Union. For his significant contributions to his country, Frederick Douglass was later rewarded with diplomatic post in Haiti and the Dominican Republic
Frederick Douglass known as the “father of Civil Rights movement,” for his impassioned arguments against slavery. Frederick Douglass spoke with such clarity and precision that many could not believe that he was a self-educated former slave.
As a child, Douglass bribed Caucasian boys on the docks of Baltimore to teach him to read. His quest for knowledge was so strong that he eventually amassed a personal library of more than 10,000 volumes.
Escaping from slavery in 1838, Douglass became a zealous fighter for human rights, including women’s rights. After Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Douglass dedicated himself to organizing African American military units to fight for the Union. For his significant contributions to his country, Frederick Douglass was later rewarded with diplomatic post in Haiti and the Dominican Republic
Thursday, February 12, 2009
WHAT’S ON HAND VEGETABLE SOUP
Here is a simple recipe for chunky vegetable soup using ingredients that you have on hand. This is easy to make and can be served as a starter or as a main course. Don’t worry if you don’t have every vegetable listed; this soup recipe is very flexible. Use whatever you have on hand.
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons oil
8 cups water or vegetable stock
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 sweet potato or rutabaga, diced
1 white potato, diced
1 cup green beans, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup fresh peas
1 cup chopped cabbage, kale, collards, or other green
1 tablespoon fresh or 1 teaspoon dried herbs (thyme, rosemary, tarragon, savory, etc.)
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
salt and black pepper to taste
Place onion, celery, carrots, and oil in large soup pot. Sauté 10 minutes over medium heat until onions are soft.
Add water or stock, garlic, potatoes, beans, and vegetables. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer 20 to 30 minutes until potatoes are tender.
Add remaining ingredients except parsley, and seasonings. Simmer 10 minutes until vegetables are tender.
Remove from heat. Stir in parsley. Season with salt and black pepper.
Don’t forget the corn bread.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Here is a simple recipe for chunky vegetable soup using ingredients that you have on hand. This is easy to make and can be served as a starter or as a main course. Don’t worry if you don’t have every vegetable listed; this soup recipe is very flexible. Use whatever you have on hand.
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons oil
8 cups water or vegetable stock
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 sweet potato or rutabaga, diced
1 white potato, diced
1 cup green beans, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup fresh peas
1 cup chopped cabbage, kale, collards, or other green
1 tablespoon fresh or 1 teaspoon dried herbs (thyme, rosemary, tarragon, savory, etc.)
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
salt and black pepper to taste
Place onion, celery, carrots, and oil in large soup pot. Sauté 10 minutes over medium heat until onions are soft.
Add water or stock, garlic, potatoes, beans, and vegetables. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer 20 to 30 minutes until potatoes are tender.
Add remaining ingredients except parsley, and seasonings. Simmer 10 minutes until vegetables are tender.
Remove from heat. Stir in parsley. Season with salt and black pepper.
Don’t forget the corn bread.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
WHAT'S COOKIN' (Oxtail Stew)
Tired of people asking you what are oxtails? Oxtails aren’t really from the tail of an ox, they are beef steer's tail and have a delicious rich and distinctive flavor and excellent for stew. Like most stews, oxtail stew is best slow cooked for several hours. My father remembers when he was growing up and eating oxtails. He said it was considered a special dish for dinner because it was beef. Ox tail cost pennies a pound and you would need 3 or 4 pounds to make a meal. Now they are considered choice cut- hard to come by and expensive. He figures that the "government" finally caught on that it was soul food and they drove the prices up on the beef tails, just like what happen to pork when it received the name soul food.
OXTAIL STEW
INGREDIENTS
1 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
2 cubes beef bouillon
10 cups water
6 whole black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup oil
3 pounds beef oxtail
1 large onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup cornstarch dissolved in ½ cup water
DIRECTIONS
1. Place celery, garlic, tomato paste, bouillon cubes, and water into a large Dutch oven; stir until the tomato paste has dissolved. Add peppercorns and bay leaves, place over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oxtail and cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove oxtail from hot oil and place into Dutch oven. Pour out all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the skillet, reduce heat to medium, and cook the onion until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes; add to oxtail.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 2 1/2 hours. Season with salt and pepper, recover, and continue to cook until the oxtail is tender, but not falling off of the bone, about 30 minutes.
4. Remove oxtail pieces and place into a serving dish. Dutch oven and return to a simmer. Thicken with cornstarch dissolved in water, simmer for 1 minute until thickened and clear. Pour sauce over the oxtail.
Note
Oxtail should be ready when a knife slices easily through the meat. It should not be overcooked otherwise it will fall off the bones and go stringy - and if not cooked long enough it will not come off the bones easily enough. I normally find 4 hours cooking is just perfect.
Like most soul food, sitting overnight in the refrigerator, then rehearing for dinner the next day they are even better, this is what we call good eat’n.
OXTAIL STEW
INGREDIENTS
1 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
2 cubes beef bouillon
10 cups water
6 whole black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup oil
3 pounds beef oxtail
1 large onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup cornstarch dissolved in ½ cup water
DIRECTIONS
1. Place celery, garlic, tomato paste, bouillon cubes, and water into a large Dutch oven; stir until the tomato paste has dissolved. Add peppercorns and bay leaves, place over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oxtail and cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove oxtail from hot oil and place into Dutch oven. Pour out all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the skillet, reduce heat to medium, and cook the onion until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes; add to oxtail.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 2 1/2 hours. Season with salt and pepper, recover, and continue to cook until the oxtail is tender, but not falling off of the bone, about 30 minutes.
4. Remove oxtail pieces and place into a serving dish. Dutch oven and return to a simmer. Thicken with cornstarch dissolved in water, simmer for 1 minute until thickened and clear. Pour sauce over the oxtail.
Note
Oxtail should be ready when a knife slices easily through the meat. It should not be overcooked otherwise it will fall off the bones and go stringy - and if not cooked long enough it will not come off the bones easily enough. I normally find 4 hours cooking is just perfect.
Like most soul food, sitting overnight in the refrigerator, then rehearing for dinner the next day they are even better, this is what we call good eat’n.
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