So… I have a new book out today! It’s a short story, about a dog named Gumbo, an out-of-work chef named Jake, and Natalie, a girl who’s just about to open her own restaurant. The perfect recipe for love, right?
In case you aren’t sure, check out these reviews on Goodreads. Now, if you want to, go ahead and stop reading, so you can down load the book from Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Or heck, straight from my publisher’s website.
Or, you can finish reading my blog post first, THEN turn off your computer and the rest of the world so that you can fully enjoy Love Gumbo in all its glory. It won’t take long. It’s part of Liquid Silver’s Afternoon Delight collection, a short story meant to be enjoyed in, you guessed it, an afternoon.
Does the title make you think of food? Specifically, southern food? How about good, old fashioned, homemade gumbo? I’m not going to lie: I’m married to a wanna-be chef. In truth, he could be a legit chef. He could be Jake. He’s that good. With the gumbo, I mean. Want proof? How about his recipe for homemade gumbo? Well, it’s not his, really. He’s from the north, after all. But he took a couple of recipes from Ralph & Kakoo, A Taste of Louisiana Cookbook, and he made them his own.
When the hubs makes gumbo, he starts with the roux from Dave’s Chicken Gumbo (page 253):
1 3/4 cups cooking oil mixed with 2 1/2 cups flour. Stir over fire until dark brown (by stir, I mean, do not stop stirring. If you need a break, shout for someone to relieve you.)
Once the roux is ready to go, the hubs likes to get creative. Usually, he makes a seafood gumbo, so flips to page 263, and follows this recipe:
3 lbs fresh shrimp
2 pints oysters
2 lbs lump crabmeat (go for the real deal; you know, the stuff that doesn’t start with a “k”)
2 cups bell pepper – chopped
8 cups onion – chopped
3 cups celery – chopped
3 Tbsp garlic – chopped
3 (14 oz) cans whole tomatoes with juice (hand-squeezed)
1 (8 oz) Can tomato sauce
3 Tbsp salt
3 Tbsp black pepper
2 tsp red pepper
1 gallon water
3/4 parsley – chopped
1 cup green onion – chopped
After the roux is made, add onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are limp; being careful not to burn. Add hand squeezed tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt and both peppers. Cook and stir until well blended. Add water and cook 50 minutes. Turn fire off. Let sit until ready to serve. Just before serving, bring to a light bubble. If too thick, add more water. Add shrimp. Cook 10 minutes. Add parsley, green onions, oysters and crabmeat. Cook 5 minutes more. It is important not to overcook the seafood. Serve immediately.
We (my family, neighbors, and any friends who have been lucky enough to indulge in this recipe), enjoy this gumbo with fresh crusty bread and a hearty salad. It’s perfect for birthday parties, Super Bowl parties, card parties, or any occasion, really. Just be sure to invite lots of guests. Otherwise, you’ll be eating gumbo for days!
Now that you’re nice and full and the kitchen is clean, don’t forget: Download Love Gumbo today, so that you can kick back, relax, and enjoy a read that is every bit as good as that gumbo you just ate!
Like this blog post? There’s more where this one came from. Every week, I’ll have something new up here. And if that isn’t enough, I also blog over on the #writingwenches blog. Still can’t get enough? Well, I have plenty of books you can read!
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