New Orleans : Seafood Gumbo

As I devote this month on food blogging, I am reminded of good food around the world that I came across thru recommendations from friends, from travel sites or just stumbling upon those corner shops in some random city streets.

In the recent years of travelling, I have been pre-occupied by finding the best food the city can offer. I used to collect mugs and memorabilias, I still do occasionally, but one thing that makes travel more memorable are the food the city, the country can offer. 

Soup base, stews, bouillabaisse, porridge and congee (lugaw) are my all-time favorite home cook food.  So naturally, when I first tasted gumbo, I felt at home.

Creole gumbo is a dish from southern Louisiana (LA). Local and African blends plus influences from French, Spanish, Italian, German, and Portuguese cooking gave birth to what we call now as Creole Gumbo. Today, Gumbo is the official state cuisine of LA.

Main ingredients are the roux, file powder, okra, seafood (meat, sausages as alternatives), cayenne pepper and celery.  The hardest part is making the roux, the French base made of flour and butter. If you overcook the roux, it will change the flavor of the gumbo and best to re-do a new batch of flour and butter.

Simplified steps: 1. Make the Roux 2. Add the stock 3. Add the veggie 4. Add the seafood (meat) 5. Add seasoning 6. Add rice 7. Serve the Gumbo

So on your next visit to LA, don't leave the state without trying the home made rural creole cuisine (not the urban creole cuisine as it mainly for tourist) which are usually hidden in the bayous and swamps of the old creole Parishes.

http://www.amazon.com/La-Cuisine-Creole-Cooking-America/dp/1429090111

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lafcadio_Hearn