Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Welcome to the September #SoupSwappers event. Wendy of  A Day in the Life on the Farm  started this group and I'm always grateful to have a few more recipes to try. This month, Sneha of   Sneha's Recipe  is hosting and the bloggers are sharing spicy soup recipes  Here's the line-up of spicy deliciousness... Cajun Gumbo with Chicken, Andouille, and Shrimp + 2018 Maricool Muscadet by Culinary Adventures with Camilla Fire Roasted Hatch Chili and Corn Soup by Magical Ingredients Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup  by A Day in the Life on the Farm Make-Ahead Spicy Oktoberfest Meatball Stew by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice Sambrasam by Sneha's Recipe  Sausage, Vegetable, and Bean Soup by Karen’s Kitchen Stories   In the Bowl While confusion abounds about the difference between Cajun and Creole, I found that Cajun gumbo is characterized by a deeply hued roux without tomatoes. I...

It's hard to believe that it's almost the middle of April...and we, at least here in California, have been on shelter-in-place orders for almost a month. Nothing like time on my hands - thank you, shelter-in-place orders! - to get me going back through my drafts folder to update and publish posts! Thankfully one of those posts fit perfectly with this month's #EattheWorld challenge. I love when that happens. You'll just have to ignore the fact that the kids are about 4 or 5  years younger in these photos. Welcome to our April #EattheWorld project, being spearheaded by Evelyne of  CulturEatz . Here's  her challenge . This month she said, "This month our destination is Senegal, a nation with a rich history of traditional African culture and French influence." Before we get to my recipe, here are the others' Senegal recipes Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Café Touba (Senegalese Spiced Coffee)   Culinary Adventures with Camilla: The Kitchen Elves...

Here we are at the February 2020 Soup Saturday Swappers event. Wendy of  A Day in the Life on the Farm  started this event and, every month, I get a new array of soup recipes to put in my to-try pile. This month, Sue of  Palatable Pastime  is hosting and writes: Let's help celebrate Mardis Gras (falls on 2.25 this year)  by  posting a favorite gumbo recipe." Here's the line-up of gumbo recipes from the #SoupSwappers... Chili Gumbo by Karen of Karen's Kitchen Stories Comparing Cajun and Creole Gumbos, Our Family Favorite, and a Wine Pairing by Cam of Culinary Adventures with Camilla Green Gumbo by Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm New Orleans Style Gumbo by Rebekah of Making Miracles Shrimp and Okra Gumbo  by Sue of Palatable Pastime Vegan Gumbo by Sneha of Sneha's Recipe Comparing Cajun and Creole Gumbos I'll be honest: the difference between Cajun and Creole has been a mystery to me for years. So, I decided to use this eve...

As another main dish for his Cajun dinner party, D wanted to make gumbo. Or rather, he wanted his buddies to help cook the gumbo. I had so much fun watching these boys make their way around the market and the kitchen.  Note: For authentic gumbo, you should add filé. I didn't have that, but it was delicious anyway! Ingredients  serves 8 to 10 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs 8 C water 4 T butter 2 T olive oil 1/2 C gluten-free flour 1 C onion, diced 1 C celery, diced 1 C green bell pepper, diced 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed 1 C diced tomato 4 C okra, cut into coins 1 pound cooked andouille or other smoky sausage, sliced into thick coins 2 bay leaves 1 t fresh thyme 2 t Worchestershire sauce 1 T Cajun seasoning 1 t paprika 1 t hot sauce (our homemade hot sauce ) or more, if desired 1 t filé powder, optional cooked rice for serving Procedure Place chicken thighs in a large pot and cover them with water by 1". Bring ...

I sauteed diced onions in a pat of butter and a splash of olive oil.  Then I added cubes of chicken and pancetta and cooked them completely. Next I added all the seafood (a combination of fish, oysters, mussels, octopus, shrimp, and squid), a can of tomatoes, red wine, a few saffron threads, a couple of bay leaves, two crushed tepin chilis, ground ancho chili powder, and ground cumin. Finally, I brought that pot to a boil, reduced the heat, added sliced okra, and simmered till everything was completely cooked.  Before serving I stirred in cooked brown rice and topped it all with rough-chopped parsley. Laissez les bon temps rouler!

In honor of Mardi Gras, I searched for traditional recipes for gumbo...only to discover that there is no canonical recipe for gumbo. It seems there are as many recipes for gumbo as there are cooks!  The only two constants in a gumbo: variety and okra. The term 'gumbo' likely comes from an African dialect whose word for okra is ki ngombo .  Gumbos can have meat, seafood, just about anything.  In Mark Huntsman's "The History of Gumbo" he refers to written mentions of using muskrat and owl in gumbo recipes.  I embraced the unlimited potential of ingredients and opted for a combination of fish, chicken, pancetta, oysters, mussels, octopus, shrimp, and squid...and lots of okra!