Summer Gumbo

I’m not Acadian. I just want to cook like I come from seven generations of Gumbo cooks.

I think I finally cracked it — Louisiana friends, you be the judge.

I needed to learn to make a roux without burning it — and I think I found a cheat. But honestly, the secret is to slow down, cook and eat and drink and play music and dance in the kitchen at the same time. There is no “technique” to gumbo except the flow, and like all great meals, everything means more when it plays together. I wish you were here right now so we could make it together!

My recipe looks like a lot of ingredients, and a lot of steps. But the ingredients are just a fun shop. And the thing about the steps, is that there’s time to dawdle between each one, so you don’t have to memorize anything ahead of time. A child could do it, in fact, get busy teaching your children and grandchildren this recipe, so you can just sit back and boss them while you sip on your lemonade.