it is cold outside

And i am doing a Cajun style gumbo.
I do not have access to the dried sassafras leaves that make up the Cajun file used often, but the taste is very on point!

Gumbo - Cajun style

5 Bay leaves

1 tablespoon Sage Leaf

2 cups celery, chopped

2 onions, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper

1 table spoon basil, chopped

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt (add more to taste)

2 cups chicken stock

32 oz of canned whole peeled tomatoes

2 cups okra, chopped

2 cups chicken, diced

1 lb Andouille sausage, sliced

Bacon fat to coat the pot

water to maintain liquid

flour and butter to make roux

begin to sauté the onions with pepper, salt and paprika on medium high heat.

When they become translucent add, garlic, celery, peppers and okra.

Take bay leaves and sage leaves and boil then in a separate pot with water or chicken stock for 5 minutes to extract flavor, strain and add to main pot.

Add all the remaining ingredients and bring the liquid level up to 2 quarts.

Continue simmering for several hours (minimum 2 hours, but more is good!)

Add roux to thicken slightly and serve over rice

Christmas time

Okay i call it this, but call it whatever you want.
I bake this one time of the year and i bake goodies that people rave over.
This is a traditional recipe

Kourambiethes

· 1 pound softened sweet (unsalted) butter (do not clarify for firmer cookies)
· 1/2 cup granulated sugar
· 1 tablespoon Orange zest or candied rinds (reduce sugar by 1/8th cup if you use candied rinds) chopped fine
· 1 tablespoon lemon zest
· 1 & 1/2 cup well chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds or a mix)
· 2 teaspoons orange flavor
· 1-teaspoon anise flavor
· 1 tablespoon orange juice or water
· 4+ cups flour (for cookies that are more cake-like (my mother suggestion), use 2½ cups cake flour and 2 cups regular flour – this also required more flour than the original, regular flour recipe to get the correct consistency of the mixture)
· 1 egg
· Powdered sugar

Whip the butter 30 seconds then add sugar and beat till fluffy.
Add egg and continue to whip.
Change to a beater bar (not wire Wisk)
Add zest or rinds, nuts, orange and anise flavor and mix
Add flour and then add water.
Continue to beat until the mixture begins to “ball” into clumps. (Sometimes I need to add more flour)
You may shape the cookie, keep in balls or “squash down”. Your choice.
They should be place with 1/2 inch between.
Roll into balls and place on a baking tray and cook for 20 minutes at 350º F. The cookies will be tan and have the edges just brown.
They must cool before removing from tray (but not cold).
Place on tray and cover with powdered sugar.
Eat at room temperature.

in the midst of problems, something really good!

So earlier this week i had a major computer melt down and one of the issues was the backup drive died and took a lot of information with it.
That included all my own recipes...
SO undaunted i went for cooking my pork ribs, inside because outside was just nasty!
My restaurant savvy friend gave me a a greater than 9.5 out of 10, which almost never happens.

Here is my recipe:

Pork Ribs in the oven

(when grilling is not going to work)

dry rub ratios: put on pork for up to 24 hours before cooking

·       4 raw sugar

·       2 apple wood smoked salt

·       2 paprika

·       1 dry chipolte peppers

·       2 dry ginger

·       1 dry minced orange zest

·       1 cumin

·       1 garlic-parsley powder mix

Wet rub (or just buy Lawry's Baja chipolte marinade and add orange juice and sugar)

·       1/2 cup of lime juice

·       1 - 4 oz can of tomato paste

·       2 finely minced chipolte peppers

·       1 teaspoon garlic

·       1/2 minced onion

·       1 tablespoon raw or brown sugar

·       1 cup orange juice

Mix well and then blend until smooth.

This is poured over the pork ribs before cooking.

Cooking:

·       the prepared ribs are placed in a baking pan and wrapped tight with foil

·       initial oven temperature is 220 F for 5 hours

·       raise temperature to 275 for an additional 2 hours

·       uncover, pour off wet marinade and fat into a sauce pan

·       broil ribs for 10 minutes

·        add 2 tablespoons sugar to the sauce

     ·   reduce sauce on the stove top and serve on the side

These are NOT competition ribs as the meat falls of the bone,

but, oh, they are so good!