Saturday, September 12, 2009

Full Metal Jacket Saturday: The Gumbo Edition

We've got a nice, gentle rain settling in for the day. So relaxing! Perfect day to curl up with a good book, but it's not meant to be. I've got chores to do and gumbo to make. I promised The Teenager I'd make gumbo for him today. This will require a quick trip to the store for a bell pepper, an onion, and some shrimp; the andouille and chicken are already in the freezer, as is the okra. Since I have a roux to make, I'd better get on with the Saturday linkage:

Little Miss Attila has the big question for Megan McArdle and makes the point that "if all doctors are working off of the same rate sheet, there’s no incentive to be nice. And when someone is looking after my body, I want the niceness. I prefer the decent bedside manner." Bingo.

Stacy McCain is keeping up with the ACORN story. He knows the father of the young lady that played the prostitute in the undercover video, Hannah Giles. It's with the click-over just to see the kick-ass shot of Hannah's younger sister with a wild boar. He's got a follow up post here.

Protein wisdom writes on the ACORN investigation, as does The Daley Gator.

Fausta also comments on the ACORN investigation, as does Liberty Belle where you can also see her personal photos from the Flight 93 memorial. The final memorial wasn't in place at the time, but the photos are moving any way.

Doug Ross has some neat pictures and info on the U.S.S. Independence, one guaranteed "to give pirates stomach cramps."

Fishersville Mike has some thoughts about ObamaCare and demographics and shoving back.

Professor Jacobson has some thoughts about Joe Wilson and Obama's non-plan for health care reform and says, "Maybe the problem in Washington is not that politicians in the House of Representatives are too frank, but that they are servile to their party leadership and not free to speak their minds." Amen.

Pundette's Friday News Dump isn't like an Obama News Dump; she caught me up on things my busy week obfuscated.

Donald Douglas was thinking about GWB on 9/11 and posted on what Bush was up to yesterday.

The Sundries Shack ponders on today's 9/12 March and awaits with anticipation! Michelle does too, and links to live stream video!

Wyblog reports on the shocking, ("shocking, I tell you!") report that Obamacare will increase your insurance premiums! Who KNEW?!

My Bossier has the story of our local Dine 'n Dash Darling who skipped out on her Posada's dinner tab leaving her marijuana and ID behind; she lost her Miss Teen USA crown but now she's Miss October and hopes to be the next Pamela Anderson.

I'm envious of what Carolyn Tackett is doing today and can't wait for her report!

Yukio has The Most Thorough Analysis of Obama's speech to Congress.

Troglopundit is having the same problem I am having this week. My only excuse is that I had to go back to my real job and can't update full time like I can in the summer. We'll just count our blessings, Trog.

And finally, a shout out to Carol at No Sheeples Here! who has been highlighting 9/11 victims all week. Carol is a real class act and has done a super fine job with her blog this week. Please, check it out.





4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good looking gumbo!

Recipe please!

__t_i_m_o_t_h_y__m_u_r_r_a_y__

Pat Austin Becker said...

I don't ever use a recipe! But basically, I boil & debone a chicken; I keep the stock to use in the gumbo. Then I make a roux - equal parts flour and oil, depending on how many you're feeding. I usually do 1 cup each, but if I want lots of leftovers or am feeding a crowd I'll do 2 cups each.

I make the roux - takes about 45 minutes, stirring constantly over medium low heat. When it looks right (about the color of melted chocolate) I add a chopped onion, a chopped bell pepper and chopped celery. This is chopped before you start the roux. Once that roux gets cooking, you don't quit stirring!

Stir that stuff in, let it cook, stirring now and again, for oh, I guess 10 or 12 minutes. Throw some chopped garlic in there too. Then I slowly, slowly stir in the stock, a ladle at a time. Let it cook in, add another ladle. Stir it in. This takes a little while. I'll add some Tabasco and some red pepper, as needed.

Throw some chopped okra in there. You can add whatever meat you want - seafood, chicken, sausage (andouille!), whatever.

Let simmer a while, stirring every so often to keep the roux from breaking.

It's pretty easy. I probably made it sound more complicated than it is, but I've never used a recipe. My mom taught me to make the roux and that's the only trick. I burned a few when I was learning!

Anonymous said...

You gotta post that comment on your blog!

Glad to hear you are of the "slow cook" camp in roux making---makes all the difference..I name my roux's by the number of beers I drink making them...sound like you have a mighty fine 3 beer roux going right there!


Seriously, post the recipe! its good fun.


Thank you for the blog; it is so heartening to see everyday Americans making a difference.



Cordially,

t.

Anonymous said...

p.s.

I have a fricasee I have been eating all week that is fantastic.

Basically a gumbo, but the roux is blonde-to-chestnut in color....hard to explain, but it is GOOD!


Cheap too.

Cordially,

t.