Land of Cotton – Day 3-5: Cooking and stuff

It seems that Natchitoches is famous for meat pies.   So, I had to have one.

Land of Cotton - Day 3-5: Cooking and stuff

And what would a trip to these parts be without an enormous bowl of gumbo.

I am still not sure what gumbo is, but it was pretty tasty.

Land of Cotton - Day 3-5: Cooking and stuff

This town was established in 1715.  Apparently missionaries came down the river from my native place and worked first in the northern part of Louisiana.

Land of Cotton - Day 3-5: Cooking and stuff

The river front.   It isn’t actually a river.  It is a lake that is formed from the extremely long “ox bow” cut off from a nearby river.
Land of Cotton - Day 3-5: Cooking and stuff

During the stay, I turned some mushrooms and onions and spinach and cheese and a few other things not shown,…
Land of Cotton - Day 3-5: Cooking and stuff
Land of Cotton - Day 3-5: Cooking and stuff  Land of Cotton - Day 3-5: Cooking and stuff

We made due with a not perfect cut of meat that had to be … adapted by force.  No skewers or string, so I split some chopsticks.

Land of Cotton - Day 3-5: Cooking and stuff

… into these.

Land of Cotton - Day 3-5: Cooking and stuff

Land of Cotton - Day 3-5: Cooking and stuff

The Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, once the Cathedral of this now-titular diocese.

Land of Cotton - Day 3-5: Cooking and stuff

And, just for fun.

Land of Cotton - Day 3-5: Cooking and stuff

And….

Land of Cotton - Day 3-5: Cooking and stuff

No, I don’t think I will.

It’s off to the north for me today.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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6 Comments

  1. robtbrown says:

    The meat pies down there can be delicious.

    Gumbo (okra) is a stew using okra with peppers, onions, and celery. Sometimes file’ is used. The aforementioned is cooked in stock. Chicken, sausage, or shrimp–or some combo of them–is added. Then it’s cooked for hours. Except for the base, there is a lot of freedom in how it’s done.

    When the Knights would have a function, they would use a big pot over an outside flame, stirring with a ladle.

  2. We cook a lot of gumbo, yummy. It is the roux that gives gumbo that special flavor no mater if it is seafood or chicken gumbo. Did you try any boudin?

  3. Acanthaster says:

    That fortune cookie seems to be saying – “Say the Black, Do the Red!!” (Pay attention to the cues…tone down what you’re adding in). I think it’s on your side, Father Z. :)

  4. acricketchirps says:

    The butter & flour in a good gumbo would be slowly coaxed to a deep chocolate color (and arms burnt) before any of that other stuff happens. Shrimp are added at the very end–also, at my house, fresh oysters at the very very end.

    But waddoou-eyeno — from the Canadian prairie provinces?

  5. JGavin says:

    OK, where can I get that poster?

  6. letchitsa1 says:

    Haha…love the heresy meme. It only leaves out “and translated into English”.

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