A Day In The Life Of A Cat

Gumbo

Ever had gumbo? I know some of you would not touch the stuff, but the rest of you seem like you might be the gumbo "kind". Here are two recipes. The first one is for true gumbo. This is how they make it in the heart of gumbo country. The second recipe is....well...for those of you who don't like to cook or just are into good fast food.

Traditional Gumbo

roux*
1 cup celery
1 cup onion
thyme to taste
bay leaf
habanero pepper to taste
1 cup chopped carrots
2 cups andouille sausage
1-1/2 cup tomatoes
1 jar clam juice
1 can chicken stock
Seafood of choice (clams, shrimp, crab, crawfish, etc.)

Add celery and onion to a pre-prepared roux. Sauye. Add remaining ingredients, cook for an hour,then add seafood of choice and heat through.

* roux--a mixture of flour and fat cooked together and used as a thickening agent. Mix two tablespoons of flour with two tablespoons of oil in a sauce pan over very low heat. Stir mixture at all times until it turns a milk chocolate color (can take up to 15 min). That's your roux.

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Simple Gumbo

roux* (see above)
1 can okra
2 cups kielbasa (hot)
2 cans shrimp
1 can chicken soup with rice
1 can chicken gumbo

Preparation:

Mix ingredients and heat through. Enjoy.