For the Love of Un-Simple Things: Chicken and Smoked Sausage Gumbo

Just a little love for laborious cooking projects.

The older I get, the more I appreciate the un-simple things. Sure, I admire the shining brilliance of singularly perfect foods — like the best summer tomatoes or a properly aged steak — but I'm far more interested in dishes that combine dozens of components into a complex and bewildering whole. I speak of Mexican moles, feisty Thai salads, balanced Indian curries, and, of course, a certain C...

New Orleans (Faraway, So Close): The Sad Tale of File Gumbo

I can't remember exactly where the conversation began, or why we suddenly started talking about New Orleans, but for about 5 minutes last Friday Night I waxed poetic about the Crescent City.  My interest has been explored before , but apparently my chatter seemed especially interesting that night.  I suppose I could have been because my friend Hal had never been, and I took umbrage. ...

Shrimp Etouffee: How to Waste Time Happily

I just watched Emeril make shrimp etouffee in about 10 minutes.  I’m sure some of that time was saved thanks to the precut vegetables, pre-made stock, and carefully placed commercial breaks.  But it was still a little disconcerting to see him whip up a slow moving dish with such manic energy.  He made it look quick and easy, which can't be said about this one.  Not only does this version...

The Long Lazy Road to Grillades

I have been meaning to get around to this earlier: I really like the food blog New Orleans Cuisine .   I have no real connection to New Orleans outside of a dead great aunt and gorgeous visit a month before that storm came when my girlfriend and I flirted with the idea of staying.  But that's really it.  I listen to Louis Armstrong occasionally.  I've heard of Juvenile.  But I do lov...