This weekend we celebrated the combo Mothers’ Day/My sister Rachel’s 17th birthday with another crawfish boil.

The birthday girl:

The gifts, sunflowers for Mama and the rings were what we got Rach, the painting and cupcake pendants in the last photo were made by Rach for Mom:

Other family members, including my other sister Hannah who believes tiaras should be everyday attire:

My parents’ garden(s) are always good fodder for photos:

I know I still need to get pictures of all the stuff we bought at IKEA while in Dallas, we have just been so slow about getting it all situated. Hopefully I will have them up soon though.

So Sunday morning my Daddy and sister drive down south to pick some up and, mein Gott, were they good.

Mom’s kitty Julius wasn’t so sure about this. We thought for sure he would at least try to play with it, but one poke on the nose was enough for him to lose all interest.

One word of caution: You do not want crawfish spice in your eyes, peel with care.

Even so, it was a beautiful day, and great eating and fun was had by all.

By the way, in case you couldn’t tell, my sisters are insane.

And Happy April’s Fool Day!

For my part, if it didn’t start with a roux, it ain’t gumbo. It’s soup. I don’t want any okra or tomatoes or filé and I want my roux dark. And the only thing I want with it is rice and saltines, or maybe bread if I am feeling adventuresome.

The following is a variation on my late grandmother’s recipe.

CHICKEN GUMBO WITH SAUSAGE

1 whole chicken
pound or so of sausage, I used Doucet’s smoked sausage, but any smoked sausage or andouille will do
onion
green bell pepper
celery
garlic
green onions
1 cup flour
1 cup vegetable oil
parsley
thyme
salt
black pepper
rice
saltine crackers

I realize that most of this doesn’t have quantities, but honestly I wouldn’t know what to put down. I would rather put nothing and put something and it be wrong. In my defense, my grandma’s recipe didn’t even have an ingredient list.

In a large stock or soup pot, boil chicken until tender; reserve broth. Cool and remove from bone.

Slice sausage, brown in skillet. I like to reserve the resulting grease and browned bits to saute the vegetables in.

Chop vegetables. In the same skillet you browned the sausage in, saute the onion, celery, and bell pepper (aka the holy trinity, amen) until soft, adding in the garlic at the end so as not to burn it.*

Measure out the reserved chicken broth so that it amounts to roughly 4 quarts, adding water if needed. I also like to strain it once though a flour sack cloth, especially if I am adding sausage. Return it to your stock pot.

In a skillet (I use a cast iron), start warming your vegetable oil on medium-low heat. When it is warm but not hot, add in the flour. Stir constantly until it becomes a dark, chocolate brown. Keep a close eye on it at all times, if you notice black flecks, it’s burned and you will have to start it over. Also, be extremely careful when making a roux, they don’t call it Cajun Napalm for nothing.

When your roux is the desired color, VERY CAREFULLY (it will splatter and sputter) ladle in some of your chicken broth (may take a couple ladle fulls) to your skillet to help cool it down enough, so that it doesn’t go too crazy when you add it to your broth. Add roux to broth, and stir, putting your stock pot back on the heat if it hasn’t been.

Add vegetables, parsley, thyme, salt and black pepper and simmer for 1 hour (Don’t bother trying to taste test it at this stage, you will think you have messed something up). Add in chopped green onions and simmer 30 more mins. Add chicken and sausage.

While chicken and sausage are heating, cook rice according to package directions (I also always rinse it first).

When rice is ready and chicken and sausage are heated, serve gumbo over rice with saltines.

NOTE: This is feed my husband and I for several days. However, it is even better the next day and freezes well.

*Many people, my grandmother included, saute their vegetables directly in roux. I have always been too chicken to do it myself. If I ever burnt my roux, that would mean not only starting the roux over but having wasted all those vegetables.

Charlie Browns, boiled cookies, chocolate oatmeal cookies, so many names for such a quick and easy tidbit. This is one of those treats that my grandma and my mom made for us many, many times when I was a child.

Charlie Browns
2 cups sugar
2 TBSP cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1 stick oleo (margarine or butter)
2 1/2 cups oatmeal
1/2 cup peanut butter (The Husband likes chunky)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil. Boil one minute — exactly one minute — no more, no less. Remove from heat and add oatmeal, peanut butter and vanilla. Mix well and drop by heaping teaspoon onto wax paper or parchment. Let sit until set and cool. Eat.

Sunday we drove over to my parents’ house for supper. I am sure that if I had written this Monday I would have all kind of witty anecdotes to share but unfortunately it’s Thursday now and having been cleaning house in preparation for The Husband being on vacation next week (and therefore nothing getting accomplished probably), I am devoid of anecdote at the moment. Apparently I still retain the ability to craft one hell of a run-on sentence however. I did get some pictures to chronicle the day, so I think I will let them speak for themselves this time.

INGREDIENTS
Pickled Red Onion and Jalapeños
1 red onion (about 12 ounces), halved lengthwise, cut thinly crosswise
5 whole small jalapeños
2 cups seasoned rice vinegar
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
Baja Cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon (packed) finely grated lime peel
pinch of salt
Tomatillo Salsa Verde
12 oz tomatillos,* husked, stemmed, divided
4 green onions, white and green parts separated
1 jalapeño chile
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 1/4 cups (packed) fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon (or more) fresh lime juice
Fish
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
3 teaspoons coarse kosher salt, divided
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 pounds skinless halibut, sea bass, or striped bass fillets, cut into 1/2×1/2-inch strips
16 corn tortillas
2 cups self-rising flour
Vegetable oil (for frying)
Fresh Salsa
Guacamole

DIRECTIONS
1. For pickled red onion and jalapeños: place onion and jalapeños in heatproof medium bowl. Mix vinegar, lime juice, and salt in small saucepan. Bring just to boil, stirring until salt dissolves. Pour over onion and jalapeños. Let stand at room temperature at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours. Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
2. For baja cream: whisk all ingredients in small bowl. Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

3. For tomatillo salsa verde: preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly oil roasting pan.
4. Char half of tomatillos, white parts of green onions, and jalapeño directly over gas flame or in broiler. Transfer charred vegetables to prepared roasting pan. Add remaining tomatillos and garlic cloves to pan. Roast until all vegetables are soft, about 12 minutes. Cool.
5. Stem and seed jalapeño. Place all roasted vegetables, green onion tops, cilantro, and 1 tablespoon lime juice in blender. Puree until smooth, stopping to push vegetables down into blades several times. Transfer to medium bowl. Season with salt and more lime juice, if desired.

6. For fish: mix buttermilk, cilantro, pepper sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, and lime juice in large bowl. Add fish; toss. Cover; chill at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.
7. Preheat oven to 300°F. Wrap tortillas in foil; place in oven to warm.
8. Whisk flour and remaining 2 teaspoons salt in medium bowl. Add enough oil to large skillet to reach depth of 1 inch. Heat oil until thermometer registers 350°F.
9. Working in batches, remove fish from marinade and dredge in flour. Carefully add fish to skillet, cover partially, and fry until golden brown, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes. Transfer to paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain, then transfer to oven to keep warm.

10. Set up buffet with all taco fixings, along with fresh salsa and guacamole.

Serve 6-8.

Recipe from Bon Appetit via yumsugar

Rosemary Bread

2 tablespoon yeast
2 tablespoon sugar
2 cup warm water
5 cups flour
2 teaspoon salt
about 2 tablespoons dried rosemary
2 tablespoons butter

Bring water to a boil. Using a coffee filter as a tea bag, steep rosemary in water. Allow to cool to lukewarm, approx. 90-100°.*

Place yeast, sugar, and water in a large bowl or food processor. Allow to become bubbly. Mix in butter, salt, and 4 cups of flours. Add in approx, 1 Tbs of contents of teabag (more or less to taste).

Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes by hand, adding more flour as necessary.

Oil a large bowl, place dough in bowl, turning once to coat well. Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap and a towel. Let rise until double, about an hour.

Punch down dough and divide into quarters. Let rest 5 minutes.

Lightly oil/grease a cookie sheet (or pan of your choice). Shape dough into round loaves and lightly rub the remaining rosemary over the tops of the loaves.

Let rise again until double, about 45 minutes, again covering with plastic wrap and towel. Preheat over to 375�.

Bake 15-20 minutes until lightly brown.

Remove from oven, brushing with butter if desired. Enjoy.

*Honestly, I just test it with my hand.