Thursday, May 12, 2016

The art of living...

Gumbo to Geaux

Gumbo is a stew that originated in southern Louisiana during the 18th century. It consists primarily of a strongly-flavored stock, meat or shellfish, a thickener, and the Cajun holy trinity of vegetables, namely celery, bell peppers, and onions. Gumbo is often categorized by the type of thickener used, the vegetable okra, the Choctaw spice filé powder (dried and ground sassafras leaves), or roux, the French base made of flour and fat. The dish likely derived its name from either a word from the Creole Bantu language for okra(ki ngombo) or the Choctaw word for filé (kombo).

Matters little as to the origin, it exist. The mixture, the blending and the magic spell placed in  the roux creates a fais do-do on the taste buds.  The magic of the Roux, made from cooking together a roughly equal proportions of flour and fat. The length of cooking time determines the final flavor and texture, since the longer the roux is cooked before being added to the gumbo, the darker it becomes. A very dark roux provides a much thinner sauce with a more intense flavor than a light roux.

I view Google+ much like a gumbo. The stock of all humanity, flavored by the spices of culture, the meat of experience and the thickener of our beliefs. For me, give me a bowl of dark roux. Give me a gathering of those that have been cooked just a little longer by life. Seems they have been sprinkled by filé' powder along the way that makes them more flavorful.

Many are still stirring their pot and looking for a holy trinity, a new ingredient to define their dish they share. How does one prepare that perfect gumbo unless they know what it taste like. I do admire the effort as they place their bowl of delight on our table to sample. The ingredients are all the same but the flavors so distinct.

The secret in the flavor my friends is not in the ingredients but in the roux. The darker the roux the more flavor. Cook it slow, stir it, stir it, and pull it off the fire just before it scorches. Simple really, for the cook knew the darker the roux the more people it would feed. If hungry friends just happened to drop by in need, all you have to do is add more water and another heaping of rice.

Give me those that see life as a bowl of really good gumbo. Simple, complex in flavor and a dark roux of kindness to share with a friend in need...Doc


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