Louis Armstrong was known to sign his correspondence, “Red beans and ricely yours.”
The line, “I’ve told you once, I’ve told you twice. We go together like red beans and rice” comes from Big Legged Woman by Freddie King.
A Creole Mirepoix is the same as what we in New Orleans call the Holy Trinity (equal parts onion, celery and green pepper). A French Mirepoix is two parts onion, one part carrots and one part celery).
Gumbo is a variation of the word “quingombo,” a West African word for okra.
DO YOU KNOW BEANS
about beans?
To clean cast iron, just wipe out the pan, rinse it with water, dry it on the stove over high heat, and give it a quick polish with lard or canola oil.
In 1885, the Creole Cookery Book called gumbo making an “occult science.”
A lot of Louisianians sprinkle filé power on their gumbo and their potato salad. Some even use it to make ice cream.
A gumbo crab is a raw crab that has been broken down. The top shell, gills, and back flap have been removed and the crab has usually been frozen. For extra flavor, the eggs have been left in.
étouffée means “smothered.”
