Day 60: Everything But The Kitchen Sink Gumbo...

It finally happened.  After two attempts, and a short wait for the key ingredient (File Powder) to come in through the mail, I’ve finally managed to put together what I think is a great Gumbo.

Now first off, I should mention a few things about Gumbo.  If we cast off the mystery, philosophy, and near-religion surrounding Gumbo, it helps to look at this as a stew.  So other than some key ingredients, you can add whatever you want, and still call it Gumbo.

The key ingredients?  File Powder.  File Powder is made from dried, ground sassafras leaves.  You can’t call it Gumbo without it, plain and simple.  The other thing, is the Trinity.  The basis for Cajun cooking is the trinity, which consists of equal parts onion, celery and bell pepper.  The third ingredient, is a good roux.  Roux is a mixture of oil and flour, cooked and used as a thickening agent.  Anyone who has made gravy from scratch will be familiar with this process.

Where do I get File Powder?  The only place I found was Chily Chilies in the East end of Ottawa.  They are an online store, so if it’s a bit out of your way to get to, they can mail you the goods.

Once you’re familiar with the process, and you have the three key ingredients listed above, you can make your own Gumbo using anything you want.  So have some friends over, crack open some beers, play some blues and have some fun making a whole big pile of Gumbo.

Enjoy...