Jumbo Gumbo

Kevin and I braved the near-riot Market Basket yesterday. Pre-snowstorm. We hadn't shopped at Market Basket in a while because the near-riot conditions are enough to make a person drink. But yesterday was ridiculous!

Here's what happened in Aisle 3: The people from Aisle 2 and the people from the deli counter converged on Aisle 3. Someone dropped a 5lb bag of sugar so two employees were on the scene to clean it up. A floor stocker was there with a huge dolly restocking the quickly emptying shelves. Instead of asking for help, a 5' tall man tried to reach the top box of 6-pack Cup O'Noodles which sent the top box flying off the shelf, its corner landing on some woman's head. Did I mention *all those people* from Aisle 2 and the deli counter? To make this scenario even more vivid, the aisles are very narrow and everyone abides by this unspoken rule that you always enter the store on the right where Aisle 1 is.

Kevin hates shopping at Market Basket, but I happen to like the chaos. It's a weird ebb and flow that does sometimes fall apart but in the end you walk out with this strange sense of satisfaction that you survived yet another Market Basket trip.

And you can't beat those low prices! Someone in internetland said she hated how gross it is in Market Basket. I disagree. It's not gross. It's just not new and fancy and covered in pretty product displays like the bigger supermarkets. I couldn't give a rat's ass about the look of a supermarket. If the products are the exact same and within its expiration date, I can sacrifice the false comfort aesthetics provide for a lot of savings.

:~~:

Jumbo Gumbo

1/2 cup olive oil and 1/2 cup garlic oil
1 cup flour
3-4 chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
1 lb andouille sausage, chopped *
3 qts chicken broth
6 stalks celery, chopped
2 onions, chopped
1/4 c Cajun seasoning **
1 bunch parsley

FYI, this yields a lot of gumbo. 8-10 servings, easily.

* If you can't find andouille sausage, smoked sausage will work. But I highly recommend andouille. It's spicier.












** You can make your own Cajun seasoning by combining 2 T salt, 2 t ground cayenne pepper, 1 t ground white pepper, 1 t ground black pepper, 1 t paprika, 1 t onion powder, 1 t garlic powder. This yields 1/4 cup

Put chicken and sausage in a pot and cover it with water. Boil until chicken is cooked, about 15-20 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a Dutch oven on medium heat, mix oils and flour until it forms a roux. Stir constantly for 20-25 minutes until the roux is penny-colored. As any rajun Cajun will tell you, stirring the sauce until it's a deep brown color is the key to a successful gumbo.












When the desired color is reached, add chicken stock, chicken, sausage, onions, celery, cajun seasoning and parsley. Let simmer for 30 minutes. Add parsley and simmer for another 15 minutes.

Serve over hot, cooked rice.

"Can you believe she brought hummus?"

Coming up with something to bring to a holiday party can be so stressful. On the one hand you want to bring something festive while showing your friends how much you care. On the other hand, there's just *no time*!

Here's 5 easy crowd pleasers to bring to any holiday gathering if time is running out:

1. Assorted cheeses, olives, and crackers
2. Shrimp cocktail
3. White bean dip (White beans, garlic, red pepper flakes, olive oil, salt. Throw in a blender and mix.)
4. Spiced nuts (Combine 2 T melted butter, 1 c pecan halves, 1 c whole almonds, 1 c dry-roasted unsalted peanuts, 1 T Worcestershire sauce, 1 t chili powder, 1/2 t garlic salt, and 1/4 t cayenne pepper.)
5. Holiday Punch (2-48 oz. cans pineapple juice, 1-40 oz. bottle cranberry juice, 2L soda water or seltzer, 2 pints strawberry, raspberry or lime sherbet, a pitcher to put it in. Add 1 shot of Vodka per glass and add punch. Or skip the sauce altogether. It tastes damn good without it.)

As an added bonus, here's 5 things you should NEVER bring to a holiday party:
1. Hummus - I know we all eat it, but c'mon! It's the holidays, people!
2. Bagels
3. Jarred salsa
4. Pizza from Dominos
5. An insatiable appetite to drink alcohol

If all else fails, thank your lucky stars if there's a Trader Joe's nearby.

Top Chef

Ginger Bear didn't win Top Chef honors lastnight, but it doesn't really matter. The masses will be filling up his restaurant to taste Kevin Gillespie's spin on Southern comfort food, while others may need a food dictionary and a second mortgage to try Top Chef winner Michael Voltaggio's wildly imaginative dishes.

I prefer Kevin's approach to cooking, one I hope to acquire over the years - If you take the time to learn all you can about what's locally available and use those ingredients to create food from your heart, you'll win everytime.

Mike's food, on the other hand, felt like an extension of his insane drive to be the best rather than cooking for the love of cooking. And it showed in his joking but serious answer to the question, "Why should you be crowned Top Chef?"

"Because I don't want my brother to win."

:~~:

Lastnight I made a casserole that reeks of a 1980's working single mom cleaning out the fridge. Although it doesn't come close to the goals I hope to achieve, something about it was both comforting and satisfying. Added bonus, I didn't leave the kitchen a wreck for Kevin to clean up after.

Salsa Chicken Rice Casserole
3-4 chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
4 stalks celery, chopped - I'm only guessing it was 4 stocks. I was down to the heart of the celery and used it all up.
1 onion, chopped
2 t coriander or cumin
1 T chili powder
1 t salt
1 T lime juice
1 16 oz can whole tomatoes w/ juice
1 1/2 c rice
1 c shredded cheddar

If you have a jar of salsa, put it in a large bowl and skip to step 2.

1. In a large bowl combine tomatoes (cut up the tomatoes), lime juice, salt, chili powder, coriander and onion so that it resembles a salsa.

2. Add the cans of soup and chopped celery. Mix well.

3. In a 9"x13" pan, add chicken, top with salsa mixture and finish it with a layer of cheese. Cover with foil paper. Bake in a 425 oven for an hour.

Eat that, Voltaggio!

Kitchenette

I have a small kitchen.

It's so small, in fact, that it houses a fridge and a stove so tiny that I thought it was custom-made for little people. Also, my kitchen is laid out oddly. Imagine the letter T where the stove and the sink is laid out along the vertical side; the fridge and a small countertop is laid out horizontally. The stove and sink area is so narrow that if my husband Kevin is washing dishes, I can't get past him to get to the stove. And the floorspace along the horizontal side cannot hold more than four people.

Yet somehow I make it work. When I think of all the wonderful dishes that came out of my grandma's even-smaller kitchen, I have to constantly remind myself that big, fancy kitchens are a luxury, not a necessity.

I also have a big appetite.

Simply, I love food. Simple food. Made from ingredients and shortcuts that most people commonly use. Accessibility is the key to success in my kitchen. Kevin and I work 9-5, Monday through Friday just like everyone else. Coming home from work tired and unmotivated to do anything else besides watch TV and hop on Facebook, my hope is to use this blog as a means of motivation and inspiration to create wholesome dishes that are quick and easy to make.

I don't always make the most nutritious meals. But it always tastes good.