Fat Tuesday

Today I’m starting what I hope will be my second regular section entitled “Fat Tuesday” which will follow my culinary misadventures. I’ve always loved food. Just look at me. At some point I came to the realization that someone was preparing the wonderful things I was eating, and with a little effort, I could create such saliva inducing delights, or so I thought.

It took me several months in high school to master the art of the grill cheese. From there I moved on to soggy hashbrowns and scorched eggs. This was followed in college by experiments in an alfredo sauce that often transmuted from semi-liquid to solid from the time it went from pan to plate. My wife will gladly tell you of Italian sausage and red sauce creations that were heavy on the fat.

To my great credit, and my wife’s chagrin, none of these malfunctions deterred my confidence in my culinary skills. After great experimentation, extensive failure, moderate cost, and plenty of elbow grease expended scrubbing pans, I have become a passable house cook. This, in my mind, gives me free license to wander into any culinary experimentation that gathers my wimsy.

My most frequent fascination in cooking is spicy creations that tend to Mexican and Cajun roughly. This again has led to some decent outcomes as well as raised questions in my general competence. In creating a chipotle chicken sandwich, the recipe called for 2 canned chipotle peppers to be chopped and added to a mayo based sauce. I was confused. These are tiny little peppers and that is a lot of sauce I’m adding them to. That can’t be right. Maybe they mean 2 cans of chipotle peppers. But that seems absurd, 2 cans IS too many. I split the difference and went with one can, I think about 12 peppers.

Needless to say, the sauce was hot… very hot… burn your mouth and gullet and sear the stomach lining hot. But I will not be deterred. My wife chastised me for my mistake. “Nonsense, these sandwiches are delicious, I just like my food more spicy than you.” I wolfed down 3-4 of these sandwiches to prove my point. My wife shook her head. My brain nodded in agreement. Whatever, you two don’t know anything, I’m a great cook. Somehow, my sister-in-law jumped on the spicy bandwagon and managed to eat two of the sandwiches without suffering internal burns that I was aware of. Bless her heart, and stomach.

Ah, but I soldier on, and I have put forth delectable edibles that all have enjoyed. Seriously. With that, I will share with you my first fan favorite from the spicy realm, a Jambalaya that I have pieced together from several other recipes. I don’t know what type of Jambalaya it is, as I have read there are several types. It is spicy, but you can generally turn it down by (1) easing up on the cayenne or (2) finding a calmer andouille sausage. What I enjoy even more is that it keeps well in the fridge and is almost better the second and third day. Without further delay I present Jambalaya. (I don’t call it Ryan’s because as I said I’ve mostly pieced it together from other recipes).

2 Yellow Onions – diced

1 Green Pepper – diced

2-3 Garlic Cloves – minced

1 Cup Green Onions – chopped

1 lbs. Andouille Sausage – sliced

½ lbs. Ham – diced (I recommend the off-the-bone ham for best taste. You can also substitute chicken for a less salty flavor.)

1 Bay Leaf

½ tsp. Thyme

½ tsp. Cumin

¼ tsp. Cloves

¼ tsp. All-Spice

¾ tsp. Cayenne Pepper

¼ tsp. Oregano

¼ tsp. Chili Pepper

½ Quart Diced Tomatores

1 lbs. Raw Shrimp (The smaller shrimp work better for re-heating, but the large shrimp make for a better presentation.)

1 and ½ Cup Chicken Stock

1 Cup Beef Stock

(These are not firm measurements. Adjust to the rice cooking process.)

1 and ½ to 2 Cups of White Rice

In a large pot:

-Sautee vegetables in olive oil.

-Add sausage and ham and continue to sautee.

-Add spices and continue cooking until meat lightly browned.

-Add tomatoes and shrimp and continue to cook.

-Add beef and chicken stock and bring to a boil.

-Add rice and boil 20-30 minutes or until rice is to your liking.

-Serve topped with green onions and sour cream.

Serves 6-8 people