Free Republic

NATIONAL GUMBO DAY | OCTOBER 12 On October 12th, the menu spotlights National Gumbo Day for food holidays. This heavily seasoned, stew-like dish fills us up on chilly fall days. #NationalGumboDay Originating in southern Louisiana during the 18th century, Gumbo typically consists of strongly-flavored stock with meat or shellfish, a thickener, and seasoned vegetables. The seasoned vegetables may include celery, bell peppers, and onions. In Cajun cuisine, the trio is known as the "holy trinity." Most people serve Gumbo over rice. Gumbo also falls into different categories based on the following types of thickener used: African vegetable okra Choctaw spice...

When researchers discover fossils of species that are new to science it’s only natural that they attempt to find a place for them in the colossal tree of life, matching them up with related species that may even exist today. A newly-discovered species of ancient creature is pushing that practice to its absolute limit. Tiny fossils discovered in both Colombia and the United States reveal the existence of a pint-sized marine animal that lived some 90 million years ago. It’s being called a crab, but the researchers who discovered it are quick to point out how dramatically different it is...

<p>Sensing an opportunity to show that they can be just as angry about their classic dishes as Italians, Louisianians experienced a collective meltdown after a recipe video for “healthy” gumbo went viral. Posted by a Disney internet account, the offending video was perhaps meant to corrupt innocent youth as it attributed the recipe to Princess Tiana of the popular New Orleans–set The Princess and the Frog — giving it a veneer of legitimacy.</p>

Will Smith broke his silence this morning about the controversy surrounding his wife’s Oscar boycott, saying that he also won’t be attending this year’s ceremony because he believes that Hollywood is ‘going in the wrong direction’ when it comes to diversity. The 47-year-old star of Concussion sat down with ABC’s Robin Roberts on Good Morning America to share his thoughts on this year’s overwhelmingly white Academy Award nominations, and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s videotaped call to action ‘I think that diversity is the American superpower. That's why we're great,’ he told Roberts.

Everybody in Louisiana has a gumbo recipe. I was deeply offended when Bon Appetit magazine did a profile on college tailgating using the LSU v. Ole Miss game from last year. Their gumbo recipe used carrots and oregano. That is horrifying. The trinity is simple: onion, bell pepper, and celery. Carrots do not play a part in it. Neither does oregano. Below is my recipe. I make it when the weather turns cool and keep making it through Mardi Gras. If you want a seafood gumbo, leave out the chicken and sausage. Do everything else in the recipe. Before adding...

"Jambalaya" is one of the world's greatest songs. What could possibly make it better? Bagpipes! I record my songs under the stage name of Hopalong Ginsberg. Slings and Arrows was already registered with ASCAP. That's not a joke.

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (AP) -- Police say a fight over gumbo spices ended with the fatal stabbing of a Florida restaurant worker and former Florida State mascot. Panama City police say 33-year-old Caleb Joshua Halley was working at Buddy's Seafood Market last Tuesday when he and a co-worker, 26-year-old Orlando Thompson, began arguing about how much spice to add to the restaurant's gumbo.

There are so many different variations of gumbo, but this one is tried and true!

Bush's inaction leaves New Orleans mired Dear President Bush, don't be afraid to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty when you address New Orleans today. You might be shocked by what you don't see. Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Big Easy two years ago today, wiped out whole neighborhoods, killed 1,800 in the region and threatened the spirit of a city that made its mark by its improvised music -- and its laid-back way of life. But much of that has changed. Federal spending on Gulf Coast repairs has exceeded $114 billion, and we hear you're seeking...

Cyril Neville boarded Amtrak's City of New Orleans train with a full head of steam. He joined singer-songwriter Arlo Guthrie earlier this month for the first leg of a 12-day journey from Chicago to New Orleans, playing concerts along the way to raise funds for victims of Hurricane Katrina. Neville, however, won't be on the train when it rolls into his old hometown. He won't be going home at all. Neville, 56, percussionist-vocalist and youngest member of the Neville Brothers -- the first family of New Orleans music -- has vowed not to return to New Orleans. During a heartfelt...

#1:#2:#3:

KAPLAN, La. HERE in the land of drive-through daiquiri joints and truck-stop casinos, you often eat better in grocery stores, butcher shops and cafes than you do in restaurants. There are exceptions, of course, but in Acadiana, as a rule, the more rudimentary the surroundings, the more genuine the grub. Bare bulbs, in other words, are what you look for, not recessed lighting, paper napkins, not linen. Another thing: the best Cajun cooking isn't blisteringly hot, contrary to popular belief. It's not about incinerating fish and meat. The guardians of regional tradition produce rich, slowly simmered soups and stews, more...