Bayou Blue in Colorado Springs

As my mood drops with the temperature on the thermometer, I figured I’d better find some way to get myself through the winter with my sanity in tact. I always hated to hear people who had moved to South Louisiana from wherever complain about the heat in the summer. I’d always wonder to myself why these people would move to the bayou only to complain about the weather. Now that I am in the same situation, albeit reversed, I have a whole new empathy for those folks! I’m determined not to be one of them, however, so I have a plan. . .

I am inspired by a couple of random events from the last few days. The memory test during the Breast Cancer Awareness motorcycle ride last Saturday renewed my appreciation for the little things. It’s easy to say “it’s the little things” that make life interesting, but when you’re trying to get somewhere, the little things can become anything from a distraction to a nuisance. So, I was reminded by the random questions during the ride about how many small things I overlook that I encounter everyday that has the potential to change my whole outlook on the day.

The second thing that inspired me was a featured blog on the website that I go to to do these blog posts. The name of the blog is “Three Beautiful Things.” The author lives in the UK and does short little posts on 3 things everyday that brightened her day. Man, if this poor girl in that miserable British weather can find three things everyday that brings a smile to her face, then I definitely have the wrong attitude about my winter blues here in Colorado!

Which brings me back to the topic of this post, something that made me feel good.

Yesterday’s weather was cold, overcast, and drizzly all day (which we got a repeat of today, only colder). I had a vaguely pissed off feeling until the afternoon (it’s supposed to be Fall for crying out loud!), then I had a craving for the perfect comfort food for this weather – gumbo! Food is such an amazing thing. Think how much your mood can be affected by what you eat! I don’t need to say anymore than two words for most of you to understand what I’m talking about. . . chocolate and/or coffee!! Maybe it’s the smells also, but nothing can conjure up happy, warm feelings like your favorite comfort foods. For me, cold weather means cornbread for breakfast with coffee-milk (in a mug, not poured over the cornbread like my mom and sister eat it!), gumbo and potato salad, and my mom’s homemade bread!

So, I pulled out my last stashes of gulf coast shrimp and crab meat from home out of the freezer and made a seafood gumbo. I have to confess that I’ve never mastered the art of roux-making, so I cheat and use the instant stuff. Thank God for Toni Chachere’s!! I have this great cookbook that my Mama (pronounced maw maw) Daigle gave to me back in 1990 (for Christmas according to the inscription!) titled “Pour les Manger du Monger de leau Bleu.” I’m not sure of the exact translation, but maybe when my mom & dad get back from their road trip next week, one of them will post a comment with the translation. This cookbook was published in 1980 by the St. Louis Ladies Alter Society of Bayou Blue. This thing is a classic I tell you. I have a memory of it on the shelf of every kitchen I ever went in growing up! It was obviously meant for the locals because the directions for the gumbo recipe simply states “make a roux.” You have to go to the stew recipes for a vague explanation of how to make a roux. . .

“heat cooking oil slightly and add flour. Overheated oil curdles flour. Brown flour over medium heat, stirring often.”

This description in no way captures the essence of how central a roux is to Cajun cooking and how very hard it is to make the perfectly colored and textured roux! Some would call it an art! Also central to Cajun cooking is the chopped onion/green bell pepper/celery medley. Nothing brings a rush of bayou memories to my psyche like the smell of this combination “cooking down” in a kitchen. I took a picture of it so you could see that it’s nothing spectacular color-wise, but it sure is the backbone to the flavor of home for me.

A funny thing about Cajun cooking where I’m from – each bayou or town has it’s own little twist on some central recipes. Take a jumbalaya for instance. It’s a pretty simple brown rice dish on Bayou Blue. Now, if you go to some other bayous in South Louisiana, their jambalyas are red because they add tomato sauce. A small twist that changes the whole taste of the dish and makes it either familiar or just not quite right depending on where you’re from. I don’t recall ever seeing a red gumbo on any bayou in Louisiana, but for some reason every place I’ve seen it outside of Louisiana seems to have tomatoes in it. Hmm, wonder where they got their recipes. . .

OK, back to the gumbo in question. This is my momma’s recipe, though modified to use the instant roux mix. It’s a basic gumbo recipe and the meat ingredients can be switched up depending on what you have available. If shrimp season was good, you'd use seafood. If not, you'd use chicken and sausage.

¼ cup cooking oil and 6 level Tbsp flour (if you’re making the roux from scratch)
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
10 cups cool water
1 lb. shrimp
½ - 1 lb. peeled crab meat

Make a roux.
Cook down (sautee) vegetables until soft.
Add water (and instant roux mix if you’re cheating!)
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add shrimp and crab meat and return to simmer for 15 minutes.
Serve piping hot over rice.

I prefer sticky rice because that’s the way my Mama used to make it.

Wow, this ended up being a really long post on the one thing that brightened my day! You see, it really is the little things!