Sausage Gumbo

Sausage Gumbo

In the 1980's I spent a lot of time in New Orleans and enjoyed the food, the music and the history. The dishes of New Orleans reflect the varied and interesting cultures that form the history of the last three centuries. Of these dishes gumbo may be the most popular. Typically, a gumbo features seafood, chicken or sausage. The dark color of a gumbo comes from the "roux," the liquid base made from heating the cooking oil to a burning temperature and adding flour while stirring vigorously. This can be a dangerous and noisy venture, particularly if you have fire alarm sensors in the building, or in nearby buildings. I always set off all fire alarms in the house. I now achieve the same dark coloring by using the darkest oatmeal stout beer as the liquid base. Using dark beer instead of the authentic "roux" liquid would be a very Australian solution.

  The following is a non-authentic sausage gumbo recipe.

1 16-oz. can of red beans with 3 teaspoons of chili powder. If you can get the Taylor's Gourmet Chili package that includes a can of red beans and a small can of chili, get it.

3 12-oz. bottles of stout beer or 2 16 oz. cans of chicken broth.

1 8-oz. packet of New Orleans style red beans and rice - Zatarians and Uncle Ben make these.

1 16-oz. can of diced Italian style tomatoes.

1 can of Campbell's condensed soup. I prefer green peas and bacon.

1lb. of polish sausage - your preference - beef, pork or turkey.

6 slices of peppered bacon.

1/2 cup olive oil.

1 diced onion.

1 diced green pepper.

2 cups of diced celery.

1 teaspoon of creole seasoning, Zatarian's is great.

1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce.

1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder.

Brown the peppered bacon in 1-inch pieces in the olive oil. Then lightly brown the sausage cut into 1/2- inch slices. Saute the onions.

Combine all the ingredients in a dutch oven and slow cook for at least two hours. Add more dark stout beer to keep a thick soup consistency. Serve in a soup bowl with a tablespoon of sour cream sprinkled with diced green onions. Adding a cup of diced green onions to the basic ingredients is a good addition.


The following is a history summary from a Gwynedd-Mercy College web site.

The Cajun and Creole foods of the city and south Louisiana are living examples of people adapting to their new surroundings and neighbors. Creole literally means “the first born in a new colony”. Therefore, the first-born children of the French, Spanish, German, and others who settled the area were considered Creole. However, most who consider themselves Creole today are descendants of  those exiled from Haiti and Santa Domingue following the Haitian slave revolt of 1804. Over ten thousand French, Free People of Color, and slaves came to New Orleans in 1809, doubling its population and adding another layer of culture that changed its food to a more Caribbean and French cuisine that included beans, rice, richer soups and sauces made with roux, the tomato, and slower cooking methods. This was combined with sausages from the Germans, spices and rice from the Spanish, and desserts and pastries from the Italians. 




If you want to feel close to the history of New Orleans, spend some time in the above-ground cemetery in the French Quarter. In my time in New Orleans I also became very aware of another reality, once you start exploring outside traditional tourist areas - the crime. In the 1980s I was serious but not necessarily good at marathon running. As I was about to head out late for a run one afternoon, a local friend gave me a lecture about the crime and his opinion that some of the police were a part of the crime problem. During the rest of the week I did a lot of miles in the confines of the roof top of the New Orleans Hilton.

Guam Spam Delight

Guam Spam Delight

No matter where I went in the world I found the equivalent of Spam canned "mystery meat." In Australia growing up, the meat was marketed as "Camp Pie" or "Luncheon Meat." Cans of Spam were in most homes on Guam along with canned vegetables. Given the high frequency of earthquakes and typhoons, such food reserves were a necessity. The following is a basic Chamorro family recipe. This tasty and economical recipe is not reserved for emergencies. It is served often as a basic quick meal.

        
        1     can Spam cut into half inch pieces
        1     can diced  tomatoes. I use a can of Italian spiced tomatoes  

        1     drained can cut green beans 

        1     cup diced onions
        1     8 oz. can of button or sliced mushrooms

        1     cup of diced green peppers
        1/4  cup barbecue sauce

        1     half teaspoon salt

        1     half teaspoon pepper

        1     teaspoon garlic powder

First brown the Spam with olive oil. Then add onions and green peppers to the pan. Add barbecue sauce and stir well. Add diced tomatoes and green beans. Add seasonings. Cook on low heat for five minutes. This dish is often served with rice. 

As might be expected, Spam dishes have a range of options. One option is to make a sandwich with the first part of the recipe. When the Spam has browned, the onions have sauteed, add green peppers, mushrooms and a 1/4 cup of Barbecue Sauce ( I use Outback Al's Sauce) and simmer for a few minutes while stirring. Take a hot dog bun or "deli" roll, the bigger the better, and add several tablespoons of the mixture and serve. It makes quite a meal. One popular meal uses a toasted deli roll served "open face" with available vegetables. In this picture the meal includes: the open toasted roll with butter or mayonnaise with two heaped tablespoons of the Spam mixture, a heaped tablespoon of mashed Australian pumpkin (sweet "blue" winter squash in the USA) and a tablespoon of mint flavored peas. Mashed potato is not that common in tropical climates. Mashed yams, sweet potato, or "Australian pumpkin" are more common. Typically, the yams are steamed (or microwaved) until soft, then the pulp is scooped out. Butter and or olive oil is added, then mashed and seasoned with salt and pepper. Some add other spices, including Italian spices. Mint peas involve adding a half cup of mint sauce before cooking a can of peas undrained. Mint sauce is available in most places and is often served with lamb, but it is great with other foods. In some places mint grows so well it is considered a pest. To make mint sauce, take three cups of washed, finely chopped mint leaves with stems removed, add a cup of wine vinegar or malt vinegar and a tablespoon of sugar. Some add a little olive oil and a tablespoon of lemon or lime juice. Bring mixture to a boil for a few seconds and bottle. Let sit for a week before using.

The following is a comment from Martha Stewart describing what Australians call the pumpkin:                                                                                                                                                     "Queensland Blue" is an Australian squash with jade-green skin and smooth deep-orange flesh, whose high sugar content makes it perfect for pumpkin pie. Packed with vitamin A, winter squash is versatile and nutritious."               

              A very tasty and portable meal can be made by wrapping two tablespoons of the cooked Spam mixture with a tortilla and then wrapping the tortilla in foil. The sandwich made with a "deli" bun does not travel well and becomes quite mushy after a few hours.

           There are Spanish influences in the Chamorro foods and language, which is to be expected, given that Guam and other Mariana islands were claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1565. The Chamorro people were believed to have arrived from Southeast Asia as early as 2,000 B.C. Spanish galleons can be found under the clear waters of Guam. Historical reports state that in the Spanish occupation the Chamorro population of 200,000 was reduced to 5,000 by fighting and disease. The survivors were mostly women and children. Guam was sold by Spain to the United States for 20 million dollars in 1899.

ANZAC Biscuits (Cookies)

ANZAC Biscuits

Most Australians use the word "biscuit" where Americans use the word "cookie." ANZAC biscuits have a long and valued history going back to World War 1. These are such a family favorite that I always double the following recipe ingredients.

3/4 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon treacle or molasses

1/4 lb. butter

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup of flaked (grated) sweetened coconut

1 cup of oatmeal

3/4 cup of plain flour

2 tablespoons boiling water

Place all ingredients except the oatmeal and flour in a saucepan and stir slowly while bringing to a gentle boil. Remove from the stove, add flour and oatmeal and stir well until there are no flakes of white coconut visible. Place large heaped tablespoons of dough 3-4 inches apart on the greased pan. Bake at 275 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for at least 20 minutes before removing from the pan.

These Anzac Biscuits are very versatile. Mix equal parts of fresh or drained canned fruit, vanilla yogurt, and the crumbled ANZAC Biscuits. Place a bowl of each and allow individuals to prepare their own in a desert dish or in a glass.

 Initially these biscuits were sent to ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) troops who landed at Gallipoli, Turkey, on April 25th, 1915. This military campaign was a terrible defeat with massive loss of life on both sides. The fallen Australian soldiers of all wars are commemorated on ANZAC Day, April 25th every year.

One historical report stated:

In April, 1915 a landing on the Gallipoli Penninsula attempted to secure the shores and silence the Turkish guns. Trouble brewed from the beginning. Amphibious operations were a new and unperfected form of warfare leading to poor communications, troop deployment and supply. The Turks entrenched themselves on the high ground, pouring artillery and machine gun fire down upon the hapless Australian, New Zealand, Irish, French and British troops below. The battleground soon resembled that of the Western Front - both sides peering at each other from fortified trenches, forced to spill their precious blood in futile frontal attacks on well defended positions. Casualties were high - approximately 252,000 or 52% for the British/French while the Ottoman Turks suffered about 300,000 casualties or a rate of 60%. The failed campaign gained little and badly tarnished british commander Winston Churchill's reputation.

Chicken Keleguen

Chicken Keleguen

Chicken Keleguen can be a main dish, often served with rice. It is always served cold and is the creation of the Chamorro people of the Northern Mariana Islands in the Western Pacific. Originally the dish mixed diced, cooked chicken, fresh shredded coconut, lemon juice and finely diced very hot red peppers. The following recipe is one of several and my favorite. It is  based on a family recipe from Guam.

2 lbs. or four cups of diced chicken. The chicken can be fresh or leftover BBQ or roasted chicken.

2 TBS of Soy sauce

2 TBS of rice vinegar

2 bundles of green onions - well washed and finely chopped.

1 cup of thick unsweetened coconut milk - shake can well

4 level teaspoons of ground ginger paste

1/2 cup of lemon or lime juice

1 teaspoon pepper and 2 teaspoons of salt

1 cup of fresh mild salsa - any prefer the hot salsa

 A. Left-over cooked and seasoned chicken.

If chicken you are using leftover chicken already seasoned and cooked, dice into small half inch pieces.

 B. Uncooked and unseasoned chicken.

When using uncooked chicken breasts cut the chicken into 1 inch squares and marinate for at least an hour; 24 hours would be better. I use Outback Al's Sauce as the marinade. A marinade of even parts of Soy, rice vinegar, and lemon juice is common. Dice the chicken into one inch pieces, brown in a frying pan with four tablespoons of olive oil.

Allow the chicken to cool and dice the chicken into smaller half inch pieces.

When the chicken is cooked and diced, mix all ingredients together. Mix well until the coconut milk,  and other ingredients are well blended. Place the mixture in the refrigerator for at least an hour or preferably overnight. Mix the dish well again before serving cold.

Over the years I spent time on most of the Northern Mariana Islands, including a year on Guam. On these beautiful tropical islands, things were rarely dull. Earthquakes and typhoons are expected. In recent years earthquakes have been common with magnitudes from 5.0 to 8.7. In 1975 I experienced a modest 6.2 earthquake as I tried to keep my balance on the shaking ground with a child under each arm  while dodging the coconuts. I came to appreciate the resilience of the Guam people when Super Typhoon June hit Guam in June 1975 with sustained winds of 185 mph. At that time this was the lowest barometric pressure ever recorded.

Chicken Keleguen and a companion dish, Red Rice, was present at all christening and funeral celebrations. Civic and business communication are decisions were often carried out at these celebrations. Two of my appointments with the governor were set up to take place at christenings. The funerals were far too common particularly among middle age males. One recent scientific report states:

       Guam's indigenous Chamorro people historically had a high incidence of a neurological disease with similarities to Lou Gehrig's, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. Called ALS-PDC (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-Parkinsonian dementia complex), the disease's symptoms range from muscle weakness and paralysis to dementia. The rate of ALS-PDC has been as much as 100 times higher in Guam's Chamorro people than in the continental U.S. 

In the years I worked on Guam, the Island was, in many ways, a matriarchal society. With the loss of so many middle age men, the women quietly and effectively provided leadership in family, social, and business arenas. In one long term planning meeting for the island school system, I was one of three males  on the 25 person committee.

I was offered on-campus university housing, but chose to live in a small Chamorro family compound with four houses with a shared garden, chickens and several pigs. The patriarch of the family did die of ALS-PDC while I was there.