Never Forget Where You Come From

My closest and dearest friend moved to New York City in 2007 (wow, I cannot believe it has been that long) and tonight on the phone we were reminissing about South Louisiana and the culture that exists in that area.  It took me leaving to appreciate the culture and way of life there, but that being said - I don't have a desire to move back. Visiting is fine, but I don't want to go back.

This past Saturday I gave a presentation for my Public Speaking class and I gave them a crash course in a signature South Louisiana dish, Jambalaya.  My recipe was passed down to me from my Dad and is a Cajun dish.  I particularly like this dish because it just relies on the purity of the ingredients, no added broth, etc. And it isn't watery like a lot of jambalaya recipes.  Here it is:

CAJUN JAMBALAYA

1 – Green Bell Pepper
2 – Cloves Garlic
1 – Stalk Celery
1 – Sweet Onion
1 – Tablespoon Butter
2 – pounds chicken
2 – Pounds Sausage
3 – Cups Rice
3 ½ - Tbsp Louisiana Hot Sauce
3 ½ - Tbsp Worchestershire Sauce
Tony Cachere’s, Black Pepper & Salt
¼ - Cup Green Onions

Directions:

- Chop up bell pepper, garlic, celery and onionwith butter, about 5 minutes.
- Add chicken and sausage. Cook through.
- Add rice and 4 cups water. Stir.
- Add Louisiana Hot Sauce & Worcestershire. Add Pepper & Salt to taste. Stir.
- Cook until done (about 45 minutes – 1 hour), green onions when there is approximately 20 minutes remaining.
**Cook Covered!**