Prog Chefs Unite!!!

Chicken and Sausage Filé gumbo is a simmerin' on the stove and will go for the next few hours. Funny thing about food and how it can conjur up memories, though. I constantly keep thinking about my dad because the last time I made this dish was for him and my mom about a year before he passed away. The man loved his gumbo and keep thinking how much he'd want to come up and have this tonight.

E

Sure, Angelo. I quickly browned a whole cut up chicken and set it aside. I then made a rue with about a half a cup of vegetable oil and a half a cup of all purpose flour and wisked them together. As Emeril says, this is an important step because you want the rue to get pretty brown (like peanut butter). Once I got it to where I wanted it I added diced onion, celery, and green pepper (I also added some red bell pepper) and cooked that for about 5 minutes. I then added about 4 minced garlic, 6 cups of chicken stock, a little thyme, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper, and some bay leaf. I put in a little creole seasoning, too. I then put the chicken back in, cut up some polish kelbasa (I didn't have any andouille sausage, which is what I REALLY wanted) and simmered if for about 3 hours. I served it over steamed basmati rice and made some cheddar cheese cornbread to go along with it.

I hope that's everything. Let me know if you have questions.

E

E-Dub wrote: Sure, Angelo. I quickly browned a whole cut up chicken and set it aside. I then made a rue with about a half a cup of vegetable oil and a half a cup of all purpose flour and wisked them together. As Emeril says, this is an important step because you want the rue to get pretty brown (like peanut butter). Once I got it to where I wanted it I added diced onion, celery, and green pepper (I also added some red bell pepper) and cooked that for about 5 minutes. I then added about 4 minced garlic, 6 cups of chicken stock, a little thyme, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper, and some bay leaf. I put in a little creole seasoning, too. I then put the chicken back in, cut up some polish kelbasa (I didn't have any andouille sausage, which is what I REALLY wanted) and simmered if for about 3 hours. I served it over steamed basmati rice and made some cheddar cheese cornbread to go along with it. I hope that's everything. Let me know if you have questions. E

This is really making my mouth water.  I'll need to try this sometime.

picked the blackberries in my backyard and made pie... it was just fantastic; two-thirds cup sugar to two cups fresh blackberries, a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt. Mash a bit but leave some berries intact, let marinate, dump in pie shell (I used frozen pie shell dough, they're quite good actually) and place second shell on top. Put in 400 degree oven till crust is light golden brown. Remove and sprinkle top with sugar, let cool ten minutes.




Edited by Atavachron - August 01 2007 at 01:53

^ yes, still about half on the vine that are unpickable (it was a small pie )... I'm thinking blackberry/peach could be quite nice next time

mmm, like Dutch cakes too - we don't usually put fresh fruit into cakes in the UK

darqdean wrote: mmm, like Dutch cakes too - we don't usually put fresh fruit into cakes in the UK

Well, you'd be surprised what we put in cakes... blueberries, red berries, currants and raisins, cannabis, .....

Unfortunately, in Italy berries (with the sole exception of strawberries) are not easy to find, and they tend to be expensive. Frozen berries are a very good option for cakes or puddings, but of course they are not the best choice for putting on top of a cake as decoration (as in cheesecake). However, if you have access to fresh berries (though it works well with frozen too), here's a recipe for a delicious dessert - a cross between a trifle and a tiramisù.

Line a bowl with sliced sponge cake, or, even better, with ladyfingers, and moisten them with liqueur, sweet wine or fruit juice, or a mixture of the above. At home I have a variety of fruit liqueurs, which I use on their own or mixed with dessert wines (Marsala is great, as are sherry or port). Take care not to soak them completely, or they will end up dissolving. Then add a layer of berries, fresh or frozen - strawberries and raspberries are delicious, but any others will do. Finally, mix some cream cheese or mascarpone (I prefer the former) with sugar, a couple of eggs, grated lemon and orange rind, and possibly some of the liqueur or wine you have used to moisten the biscuits. Electric beaters give excellent results. Spread the mixture over the berries, and chill for several hours, or even overnight. If you wish, you can decorate with berries and whipped cream, or leave as it is. A clear glass bowl will allow you to see the layers, which look quite pretty.

A variation of the topping involves the use of creamy yogurt (vanilla-flavoured is great) and honey as an additional sweetener, and no eggs. In both cases, the results are delicious, and leftovers are quite unlikely!

Sometimes simple is best.  Just grilled some steaks with some vegetables from my father-in-law's garden.  I charred the outside of some red cubanelle peppers, then my wife peeled the skins and just put them in olive oil with some salt and pepper.  Absolutely outstanding.  Served with some fresh garden tomatoes.

Tomato soup and Grilled Cheese for lunch. Yep. I make a MEAN lunch .