Jazz and Jambalaya - Guide to Ecstasy

It’s been two years since I have been to New Orleans Jazz fest. My love for jazz goes long back when I was in college and used to roam around with my huge discman, playing - ‘Hold me close and hold me fast, The magic spell you cast, This is la vie en rose’ - by Louis Armstrong. I have even mentioned Jazz a few times in this blog too with my cocktail recipes, the Mulled Wine etc. New Orleans has this history of people coming and going. Let it be French, Spanish or African. But thanks to this process of people passing by this city, New Orleans gave birth to a lot of new things. African workers found comfort in music after a hard days work. They used to sit in groups, sing and play instruments and create music - they were creating Jazz. This city has been celebrating this festival since 1970s. But there is a reason why a lot of people pass by this city - its port. Now if you are in a city with one of the largest ports in America, you can expect this ‘port’ on your plate.

People pass by but leave their cuisines behind. New Orleans has a mashup of various cuisines and Jambalaya proves this right. Jambalaya is a popular rice dish, especially at family get together or events like this. Even huge quantity of it is simple to make. The best part is that you can play around from seafood, sausages to red or white meat, or mixture of all. There is a small story behind the recipe. Many years ago, a traveler arrived at New Orleans, in an inn, long after the dinner time. He asked the cook to throw in the available ingredients and this gave birth to the famous Jambalaya recipe, which is a staple of New Orleans. Jazz fest begins on April 24, 2014 and this combination of Jazz and Jambalaya might be too overwhelming for you.

Ingredients:-

1 Bay Leaf,

1 chopped Onion,

2 cups cooked Rice,

1/2 teaspoon Thyme,

1 cup Chicken Broth,

2 teaspoons Oregano,

1 teaspoon Hot Sauce,

1 stalk chopped Celery,

1 pound diced Chicken,

1/2 pound diced Sausage,

28 ounce canned Tomatoes,

1 chopped Red Bell Pepper,

2 teaspoons Cajun Seasoning,

1 pound cooked thawed Shrimps.

Preparation Method:-

1. Take a slow cooker. Combine in it, chicken, sausage, chicken broth, tomatoes, onion, pepper and celery.
2. Now add in bay leaves, thyme, oregano, Cajun seasoning and hot sauce of your choice. I prefer red hot sauce.
3. Cover it up. Cook on high for 3 hours. Stir in thawed shrimps. Cover and cook until the shrimps are heated thoroughly. This will take around 5 minutes.
4. Spoon the mixture over cooked rice. Serve hot!
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Enjoy the Jazz Music!

Dish of the Day - Tomato Bredie

Africa is so very tantalizing that a mere mention of the continent fills your mind with adventurous safaris, rugged trekking expeditions, relaxing on the golden beach, mummies of ancient Egypt, crude cultures, all in all a paradise for travelers. During the medieval period, grand cities of Fez, Marrakech and Timbuktu were of utmost importance and can be adored even today. Nevertheless the journey would be incomplete if you do not explore the great African cuisine. And here we’re gonna talk about one of the most savored African dish, named Tomato Bredie.

Bredie originally comes from Malaysian origin but its varied flavors are widely loved in Africa. It is basically traditional stew with a perfect blend of meat and vegetables. Bredie has ample of variations such as green bean bredie, cabbage bredie and tomato bredie. Tomato Bredie is unique in itself. It contains meat and vegetables that serve as the best platter for nutritions plus spices that make the royal dish even more delectable. Tomato Bredie is the most famous version of this specialty.

Ingredients:-

1 tablespoon vegetable oil,

3 1/2 pounds chopped lamb,

2 tablespoons cake flour,

1 large chopped onion,

2 1/4 pounds fresh chopped tomatoes,

1 teaspoon salt,

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper,

6 whole white peppercorns,

2 bay leaves,

1 teaspoon brown sugar,

1 tablespoon white vinegar,

1 dash Worcestershire sauce,

1 cube beef bouillon cube,

2 quartered medium potatoes

Preparation Method:-

1. Take a heavy saucepan. Add some oil and keep it over medium high. Coat meat in flour. Cook until brown.

2. Add onion till they turn brown. Now add tomatoes and mix well. Stir in bay leaves, brown sugar, vinegar, salt, black pepper, white peppercorns, Worcestershire sauce and beef bouillon cube.

3. Cover it and simmer for 1 1/4 hours. Keep stirring. The stew must not stick to the bottom of the saucepan. Now add potatoes and cook over low heat for 45 minutes. 

 

4. Our dish is ready to be served. It complements well with steam rice.

Enjoy the luscious treat!!