Good morning everyone and welcome to Tuesday’s Morning Open Thread.
Morning Open Thread is a daily, copyrighted post from a host of editors and guest writers. We support our community, invite and share ideas, and encourage thoughtful, respectful dialogue in an open forum.
I’ve come to think of this post as one where you come for the music and stay for the conversation—so feel free to drop a note.
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There is considerable debate about where jambalaya—the dish and the word—originated, but, that aside, it has distinct and obvious roots in West and Central Africa, the Valencian area of Spain, and the Provençal region of what is present-day France. Jambalaya, a relatively recent addition to any culinary lexicon, is now a well-established (fairly standard) dish in both Creole and Cajun cooking. If you aren’t familiar with it, think paella with tomato in the place of the saffron.
My father cooked jambalaya fairly regularly when I was a child—a relatively cheap dish to prepare, especially where the main ingredients were local and inexpensive. Where I grew up (nearer the gulf coast), jambalaya tends to be of the brown variety, as opposed to the red type that was (and still is) favored in the region around New Orleans. I learned how to make this dish alongside my father, though I would swear he made it slightly different every time; after all these years, I still haven’t matched his in taste. But I’ll keep trying.
The recipe below isn’t exactly how I make my jambalaya (everyone has their own twists and secrete something or another), but it’s close and pretty good for the uninitiated.
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Be well, be kind, and appreciate the love you have in your life.
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What's on your mind this morning?
