This summer saw my first trip to Bluesfest. It was a memorable experience, and one of the best acts I saw was The Sauce Boss. The Sauce Boss is something you just have to see to believe, because it’s so much fun. He plays and cooks Gumbo for the crowd. How could I not love this. Blues and Food - two of my favourite things.
So in the coming weeks I’d been planning to make my own Gumbo. I set out to read some online recipes, and combine what cooking skills I have to devise my perfect gumbo. The first step was to empty my fridge and freezer, so that I’d have the space for all that Gumbo. There’s no point to making Gumbo unless you make enough to feed an army, so you have to plan for leftovers, or have a party to consume it.
The next stumbling block I encountered were the aliens. Well, no actually, it was the File Powder. File Powder is made from dried, ground sassafras leaves, and I’m told it’s essential to making Gumbo. In fact you can’t call it Gumbo unless you have File Powder, and having enormous respect for cooks, chefs, foodies, and food as culture, I agree. The point being, I couldn’t find any. I looked all over the downtown core, and there was nothing. In the end I found an online-store that specializes in Chillies, and they have some, but you have to order online.
So I was going to post a recipe for Gumbo today, but I can’t, because without the File Powder I can’t even start. In the meantime, here is an old recipe for Italian Sausage. It’s a good cheap, and lean option, and very tasty. It’s a great habit to get into, making your own sausage. I like to know what goes into it. The store bought stuff? Who knows what's in there.
In the meantime, I wait for my File Powder order to go through the system, and for two bottles to be mailed to me. Let the Gumbo countdown begin...
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