Farewell from Durham Cookout

 

 

I'm so backlogged on my posts -- I still have no wifi in my house yet.  You know how they say, "everything is bigger in Texas"?  Well everything is slower in Louisiana.  The driving, the streetcars, the service anywhere.  And setting up my cable/internet.  And don't try to rush them.. because then they get aggravated.  What I've learned so far, take a deep breath, grab a beer, and chill the eff out.  Patience is a virtue, or something.

But this was my farewell cookout in Durham at JP's house -- all of our mutual friends (well, his grad school friends that I came to love) were there.. and Coops!  Cookouts became quite a regular thing over there.. and I'm really going to miss them, and all the wonderful Durham people I've met!  Here are some highlights from the cookout.

Mardi Gras Feast!

In the spirit of Mardi Gras, I decided to have a very New Orleans-type dinner for JP and friends.  On the menu:
-Gumbo
-Blackened Catfish
-Cornbread
-Black beans and rice
-Salad
-and of course -- King Cake

I did the main dishes, both of which (of course) I've never made before.. but I was up for the challenge.

Onto the gumbo: (and I'm sure you can sub shrimp, more hearty veggies for a different/healthier route.. but it is Fat Tuesday, after all.)

[adapted from Gumbo Ya-Ya from Ms. B's Bistro, New Orleans]


Start with a roux.  This is the base for your gumbo, and is essential.  
-heat 2 sticks of butter (1 cup) until it's melted
-add 2 cups of flour (all purpose)
Stir this frequently at about medium heat until it becomes a medium brown in color (I started off too low of a temp, but it'll take about 45 min or so.. find some good tunes and take this time to clean the kitchen while watching the pot -- if you're me that is haha)

-Add onions, peppers, and celery.  (I used the cheapest option for me, flash frozen mixture of all 3 which was labeled for this exact purpose -- adding to a roux).  about 3-4 cups of all total
note, the recipe recommends 1 red bell pepper diced, 1 green pepper diced, 1 medium onion diced, and 1 medium celery stick diced.. but the bag is essentially the same thing.

-Let them simmer on medium for about 5 minutes to soften them up
-Whisk in the chicken stock, and bring it all to a boil
-Add 1 TBL Creole Seasoning, 1 tsp ground black pepper, 1 tsp crushed red pepper, 1 tsp chili pepper, 1 tsp thyme, and a big scoop of garlic
-Lower the temp and let it simmer for about 45 minutes


-In the meantime, take a roasted chicken (whole foods has them for about the same price as reg grocery stores.. but they're organic here!) and pull the meat off it (you'll need about half the chicken, but you can freeze the rest to use in a casserole.. or chicken salad)
-Saute the andouille sausage (about a pound) and discard the oil/fat


-Once it's almost done simmering, add the chicken and sausage for another 15 minutes or so.. and then let it cool down just a bit


I forgot to take a picture of the finished product.. but, I still have leftovers, so I will make sure to snap a pic of that to show ya'll.  It was delicious!


And now for the catfish (and who knew, I'd like catfish?)
[adapted from Gourmet mag]


-Start with about 1 fillet or so per person (in my case, 3; whole foods)
-Combine the following spices:  2 big scoops of paprika (I don't really measure when it comes to meat rubs), 2 good shakes of oregano, same amount of thyme, a dash (or two) of cayenne pepper, a scoop of salt, a scoop of sugar (regular sized spoons used), and a few turns of the black pepper grinder
-Rub it on both sides of the catfish

-Heat (medium) the pan with some butter, add a scoop of garlic and saute that in the pan for about 2-3 minutes.
-Add the fillets and cook on each side for about 4 minutes (or until it gets flaky)

 

-Remove from heat, garnish with lemon.. and it's all done!

 

Additions:

Cornbread, from Scotty

 

Black beans and rice, from JP

Salad from JV and wine/spirits from Taj (not pictured).


And the King Cake was delicious.. even the 2nd time around!  Can't wait to do it again next year in NOLA!

Poor and Hungry.

This probably describes the majority of my friends at this stage in our lives. We want to eat healthy, we're broke, and we're always starving. Us in a nutshell when it comes to nourishment.

Earlier in the year, when it came to the days when I could barely afford to feed my dog, I'd stick to the basics. (I tend to be a little bourgeois when it comes to Coop -- Iam's organic is the way to go, even though my dad insists the Sam's Club (Costco, same thing) "Old Yeller" food is just fine. This coming from the man who used to buy his jeans at Sam's Club.. err.)

PB&J. Chef Boyardee. Cereal. Those were staples of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The meals of a 10-year-old. Since the habits I get now are the majority of the ones I will keep for the rest of my life, I need to start eating like a grown-up. Even though I'm living off a research tech's paycheck (poor, thanks Duke).

Here's something even the hippies like S$ can try (no microwaving!):

Experiment: Turkey Tacos

These are a snap, and the majority of it you can buy in larger quantities and keep in the fridge. On my way home from work, I swung by Whole Foods and picked up some ground turkey (cheap!). Dark meat is more flavorful, but the white meat is a little leaner. It's all pretty lean to begin with, so I splurged on calories. If you're making a lot to eat as leftovers, try half dark and half white.

Then pick up the avocados and use them the SAME day. Here's my mistake below. I was so stoked for fresh guacamole, and then saw this: Gross. They rot so fast.

And onto the good stuff:
About 10 minutes before you begin, set the oven to warm and put some tortillas between 2 oven safe plates. This way, they'll warm without drying out. If they're stiff (as sometimes the whole foods ones are), add a sprinkle of water.

Brown the turkey, add some taco seasoning from the packet (99 cents -- and you don't have to use it all), and remove any of the grease from it once you're done.

Then, since I found out I love corn (I wasn't much of a veggie eater as a kid), I added a few handfuls of the frozen Trader Joe's roasted corn to the mix. Let that warm up, and then we're all done!

Assemble as you wish -- cheese, salsa, beans? Delicious. Easy. Cheap. Check to all.


And a good wine pairing:


What's the difference between a pink wine and a rose? Pink is a combo of red and white wines. Rose is a result of the process -- they keep the skins on the grapes (done in red wines) for only part of the wine making process, then they remove them in later steps (done in the beginning for white wines typically) producing the pink color. Who knew? (via the lesson I learned at whole foods.)

I'm sick.

It's been about a week of this incessant coughing.. and it's not letting up. I guess I've been over coughing all day long. Since last Thursday.

What else I'm over? It's been about a year in the "real world", and here's what do I know.

-I don't like a lot of types people. Very few do I really enjoy their company enough to want to hang out with. Picky, I guess.. at least with my friends.. err. But be clear, I'm a super nice person. Great sport. And always down for a good time. And my friends are top tier in every way.

-I hate innately lazy people. I don't get it.

-People are usually inconsiderate of others.. I used to think it was the opposite. I know I got sick because a coworker walks around all day coughing into midair. No attempt at covering their mouth. Even the gallon of hand sanitizer I have used this month can save me now. Swine flu, people. I probably have it now.

-Everyone does not have common sense.. even if they are in medical school. It kills me. Before I work with you, if you don't have it.. find it. And yes, there are dumb questions. I won't answer them.

-A lot of people are haters. I've met young ones, old ones. They're all the same. And they get on my nerves. Grab some confidence from somewhere and stop checking for me.

What I do love since I've began working:
-Living on my own. People say it's lonely.. it's not. Get a dog if it is (hence Cooper.. which was more of a guard dog since I live in Durham Hood). I don't share anything with anyone. Watch what I want to watch.. well you get the idea. Wouldn't trade it. Living alone until I get married (or if I ever live in a city where living alone requires a trust fund, a la S$).

-Free nights and weekends. Mostly.

-Seeing my friends as adults, and having adult friends.

-Being able to say that I'm not in college, with a scoff.

-Independence for the most part in my work day.. scheduling it how I want. Eating lunch when I want. Blogging on my lunch break.

-All around, being a pseudo-adult. I'm saving my full-fledged status when I'm in med school living in a city where I probably know no one.

-And this handsome guy (sorry for the gratuitous pic of my dog.. can't help it!):