It’s Mardi Gras time! I love flipping through the old Gourmet Mags to get the creative juices flowing. The vintage graphics and old school cuisine are always inspiring – somehow modern and current, while maintaining that retro vibe. I love to take the ingredient list and add a “culinary update”, but traditional flavors are traditional for a reason. I also love that if you are ever looking info on the food etymology of a subject-say, gumbo or Mardi Gras check the February issues of any of your favorite magazines!
This issue, Gourmet February 1957, does not disappoint. There is a complete story on Mardis Gras and Chef Diat writes about crepes and beignets. An article titled, Song of the Soup Kettle features the history of and several recipes for gumbo! The beautifully written stories are little research projects with a few recipes at the end. For example: “Okra came to New Orleans with the African slaves. In Angola, the Africans called the plant kingombo. Shortened to gombo then gumbo, the name now refers loosely to any mixture thickened with okra or file.” Love it!
Also shared in the article was a Southern proverb; “A big man can tote a heavy load, and a good gumbo can ‘most carry a dinner”. The Creole Gumbo recipe sounds awesome with chicken and 3 dozen oysters! Though the shrimp gumbo or the gumbo z’herbes sounds good too. It seems appropriate to cook up a kettle of gumbo this time of year and I will pick up the ingredients at the farmers market Sunday, for a dinner party next week. Yum!
Gumbo Z’Herbes
1 pound pickled pork, cubed
1 ham bone
1 bunch turnip greens
1 bunch mustard greens
1 bunch beet tops
2 pounds spinach
1 head lettuce
8 leaves cabbage
12 sprigs parsley
6 scallions
4 sprigs thyme
2T butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 onions, diced
2T flour
2T vinegar
1 hot red pepper, seeded
salt and pepper
Simmer pork and ham bone in water to cover for about 1 hour. In a separate kettle simmer greens and herbs in very little water (or stock) for about 20 minutes. Remove and chop finely (maybe chop first?), reserving liquid. Sautee onions and garlic in butter, add flour to make a little roux. Add everything together and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Recipe from the February Gourmet 1957. Harry Marinsky cover art. Educated at RISD, he was a well known artist and magazine art director. He donated a collection of his works to Parsons.
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