Gumbo to Going Home & Perriwinkle Ponderosa putts under Par!!!!!

“All change is a miracle to contemplate, but it is a miracle which is taking place every instant.”
― Henry David Thoreau

February 22^nd, 2012

Song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjFaenf1T-Y  by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

It's a dirty brown with a slightly iron oxide look to it, faintly smells like a smoldering pile of Autumn Oak leaves and taste like the cinnamon from great grandma's spice rack that has managed to be passed down through 3 generations - stale as a mo'fo . . . this is the coffee I've been drinking here at my Mamma's in Marco Island . . . and it will not be sorely missed! I’ve been up since 4am, the luggage is packed, ticket confirmed and I’m as ready as I’m ever going to be to set-off for a 42 degree Wisconsin Winter . . .  and that's considered to be subtropical by Cheesehead standards!

Yesterday, I rounded out a rather late start to the day at the The Links Golf Course with my Momma & subsequently paired up with two very pleasant strangers, Rich & June.  June reminded me of a more plump, older version of Jane of “the Jetsons” and Rich . . . . well, Rich was just your typical Marco Island part-time resident, the two hailing from Cleveland, Ohio.  I hadn’t golfed in 3 years and despite owning a set of clubs in back in California; I’ve probably played the non-contact sport all of 10 times in the last 15 years.  A brought an Adam Sandler attitude to the course . . . this disturbed my Mom and several Seniors but I have to admit – I whacked the hell out of that ball and even birdied the 7^th hole (that’s 1 less than par, par is the ideal amount of stokes to sink the ball into the hole).  I putted like shit most of the ways and my chip shot was rather oblique, but all things considered I had a good time and although nearly killing the party of four playing in front of us – I managed to miss pegging them by a few yards each time.

The Evenings festivities included a sunset walk t the beach, an over-priced grouper filet from “Cocomo’s” washed down with some four dollar “gut rot tequila” margaritas on the rocks (plus one martini, a bloody mary and more korbel on the rocks) and an enjoyable time whooping my Mother Mary Cleo & Master Dan at “Hand & Foot.”  Then the usually nestling up with “Sonny the Bunny” (the dog) and my Jack Reamer played novel before attempting to bury my exhaustion into a deep, relaxing state of unconsciousness.  That failed.  Insomnia yet again won over my need for sleep and I finally gave in & brewed that miserable excuse for a pot of coffee at 4am.

 

Who knows if I’ll actually survive the flight to Milwaukee?  The plane is likely to be an outdated, hand-me-down puddle jumper.  My head is snapping towards the floor.  A good indictation that I should pack up my labtop and lay horizontal for a few.   I’ll touch up this blog tomorrow night whence my capillaries are less constricted.

With Culinary Blessings,

                Chef Scotty

Gumbo – THIS IS NOT COMPLETE, will touch up manana

Ingredients

• 1 chicken, skin removed & shredded
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 pound sausage of your choice, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 or 2 smoked ham hocks
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 5 tablespoons margarine
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 8 cloves garlic minced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 3 stalks celery chopped
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 bunch flat leaf parsley, stems and leaves, coarsely chopped, plus chopped leaves for garnish
• 4 cups hot water
• 5 beef bouillon cubes
• 1 (14-ounce can) stewed tomatoes with juice
• 2 cups frozen sliced okra
• 4 green onions, sliced, white and green parts
• 1/2 pound small shrimp, peeled, deveined and cooked

Directions

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until browned on both sides and remove. Add the sausage and cook until browned, then remove. Sprinkle the flour over the oil, add 2 tablespoons of margarine and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until brown, about 10 minutes. Let the roux cool.

Return the Dutch oven to low heat and melt the remaining 3 tablespoons margarine. Add the onion, garlic, green pepper and celery and cook for 10 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, to taste and the 1/4 bunch parsley. Cook, while stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Add 4 cups hot water and bouillon cubes, whisking constantly. Add the chicken and sausage. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes. Add tomatoes and okra. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Just before serving add the green onions, shrimp and chopped parsley.