Gumbo!

I'm making it today using the Zatarain's gumbo mix box instead of a homemade roux (I don't mind, I like Zatarain's). My gumbo today has bacon, chicken thigh meat, andouille sausage, and shrimp in it, along with okra, red bell peppers, celery, white onion, and green onion. Chicken meat, sausage, and shrimp all heated up and browned in leftover chicken fat in the oven. Added to the liquid: Louisiana hot sauce, Better than Bouillon chicken base, Better Than Bouillon lobseter base.

I know it's not cold weather yet, but it was a rainy day. If you haven't made gumbo in a while, think about it!

A $1 slice of cheese pizza from some semi sketchy place near Penn Station.

I didn't make any but I have a half dozen restaurants in town that make a passable gumbo. Still too warm, though. We'll be in the 80's for another month or two yet. But you've got me thinking about it.

Wow, nothing like gumbo (or its cousin jambalaya) on a cold winter day. I just can't warm up to the idea (groan) on a day on which our weather more closely resembles Baton Rouge than the usual central Ohio norm.

We've been in the low 90s and 85% RH for the past 5-6 days, and I'm kind of focused on cold foods at the moment. But I'll remember your recommendation of Zatarain's mix as an alternative to homemade roux (which is something I don't do a reliably good job of in any event).

Those semi sketchy places have saved me time and time again when I've been drunk in the City :D

Especially at 3 a.m.

Sushi.

On Monday I'll cook up a big pasta dish, a whole box of pasta, four chorizo sausages with the casing removed, jar of Prego and some ketchup and spices and then I put it in tupperware. I heat up some for dinner each weeknight...saves me a lot of time.

Soy/bourbon/lime marinated and grilled flank steak medium rare. Splenda cheesecake.

Yesterday was chicken...

https://d17hzt093e92mf.cloudfront.ne...74-1h2j4ul.JPG

Red beans and rice, cornbread, and a glass of milk.

Leftover Lou Malnati's pepperoni and green pepper deep dish with extra tomato sauce. (I've been doing low carbs for two months, then a cruise, now one last "fling" before behaving myself again. :))

Mediocre sushi and okay pot stickers via GrubHub. Didn't feel like finding a nearby restaurant.

Yesterday I cut up a bunch of Montreal smoked sausage, added some vodka sauce and a box of penne pasta and put it in the fridge. So tonight I microwaved some and enjoyed it with shredded Parmesan and bread.

We are having Ina Garten's Weeknight Bolognese on this cold winter night. I highly recommend this dish for anyone to try. It's a favorite in our house!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/i...se-recipe.html