Waste not, want not. In my case: waste not, waist more.
I just returned from the pub, which had more Katrina refugees than is normal. They heard about this gumbo, and felt a bit homesick. They had no gumbo tonight, only the stories of gumbo past.
They also had some conversation with the gumbo's cook, and also talked with at least one NOLA refugee who swore upon the gumbo.
One of them asked me why I would do such a thing, and what drew me to NOLA. I told her about the NOLA benefit I had organized, and what we accomplished. The next time I had some time off from work with no other obligations, we were there.
We fell in love with the French quarter, not surprisingly. The first time we went, the cooking school was closed. That only meant we should try again at some later date. Our continued efforts were well rewarded, hence the gumbo and various other creole recipes. More info on that, but only if requested.
The other question was why I would drag free food into the pub. I do have ulteriour motives. I am planning a Mardi Gras party the likes of which Roanoke has never seen. I need to get the food right, so I need opinions. It is traditional to start this planning on Ash Wednesday, so I am behind schedule. The gumbo is good, so I should move on to either the jambalaya or the pralines.
Cheers!
- A