still yet another version of cajun stew ...

i have been making this concoction since 1985. and if i am not producing it for consumption in a restaurant or venue where it needs to be consistently the same every time, IT ISN'T! that is what i like about it most, it is totally convertible to whatever my mood may be, what i have on hand, or what is available (but really try your best to get the okra in there, it makes a big difference to the viscosity of the dish).

sometimes i moisten it up with stock and cream and then shuck oysters and clams into and eat it like a soup with a big chunk of garlic bread. at other times i put it on pasta or rice, and then at other times i use it for a sauce to garnish blackened fish or meat, preferably baby lamb chops (topped with a nice soft chevre and jalapeno chili jelly). and many times i simply stuff a big baked potato with it.

sometimes i dice everything very small, and other times i cut the pieces very large, and still at other times i puree it. sometimes i will flambe the veggies with pernod before adding the tomatoes and other wet ingredients, and, as i said before, i like to lighten it up with heavy cream. a good dollop of pesto is nice to finish it off, or simply a fresh grating of a good parmesan or grana cheese. cheddar will suffice if that is all i have.

the bottom line - this stuff is bullet proof, all purpose, all weather, anything goes cuisine. i think the only thing i have not put it on is breakfast cereal.

here is a slide show of me making a huge batch that i latter bagged up and froze (note the very handy thai style funnel shown in the last pictures - awesome gadget if you can find it). on this particular day i used chicken thigh meat and chorizo sausages. i think that no matter what is used, poultry, meat or seafood - you gots to have a good sausage in there to impart its special character to the mix.

like many tomato based foods this stew does well in the deep freeze, and it actually improves if not left for too long to hang out waiting to be defrosted and consumed.

following the slide show is the recipe for the cajun spice that i season it with.

this spice is also good for blackening ANYTHING, and also makes a great dash to put on some fresh popcorn along with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese. right, fusion popcorn. note: have a lot of napkins handy.

you will notice in the slide show a picture of the spices used that day. the bag of taco seasoning contains many of the same spices and so i used it that day in lieu of the full compliment shown in the recipe below. whatever you choose to do, i am sure it will be just fine if you have most of the spices and herbs listed. experiment and come up with your own blend. i have recently gotten into adding chicken masala spice to do a sort of quick tikka with it. i blacken the meat or fish with the cajun/masala combo and then use a prepared curry sauce to moisten the dish.

as promised here is the spice and dry herb proportions to prepare a massive amount of cajun spice blend. i use this stuff for everything, so i make a lot at one time. i usually prepare the list in the right column, the one on the left is for when i am working in a restaurant. this is a great item to bag or bottle up and give to friends, i have met few people who do not like it.

Cajun Spice Blend

Onion Powder	50	Grams	25
Garlic Powder	50	Grams	25
Paprika Powder	50	Grams	25
USA Chili Powder	100	Grams	50
White Pepper	35	Grams	17
Black Pepper	20	Grams	10
Cayenne Pepper	30	Grams	15
Salt	20	Grams	10
Basil Leaf	10	Grams	5
Thyme Leaf	10	Grams	5
Mustard Powder	10	Grams	5
Cumin Powder	25	Grams	12

store it in air tight containers or tightly sealed plastic bags.

KEEP IT DRY!

the best food court in the city could very well be at siam paragon now

i had to go to the bank today, sunday, and unlike most other cities, bangkok is very civilized and user friendly. banks have full service branches in the local malls and they're open 7 days a week, and usually from the moment the malls open, until the doors shut. where else can this be done? nowhere as far as i know.

so after i finished my banking i decided to have lunch. i was in siam paragon one of bangkok's newest, largest, and swankiest malls. on the ground floor you will find all the banking and all the food. miles of it. simply awesome to behold. every cuisine, country and taste is represented. i would think that there is not one thing you could think of, from anywhere in the world, that would not be there, unless it is an endangered species, or on re-call by the fda.

i took a cruise through the food court to see what was on for today and a beautiful bowl of duck leg and chinese egg noodle soup caught my eye. so i got my food court debit card from the cashier and ordered a bowl with one extra thigh just for good measure. total cost 200 baht, or $6.00 usd. i was in such a hurry to eat that i forgot to take the picture until i was half way through it, sorry. but i think you'll get the idea.

the duck was falling off the bone when the girl went to slice it, and the noodles were a perfect al dente, just as i like them. tossed with a bit of toasted garlic, mild chili paste and a small spoon of soya, it was as, i always hope to say, simplicity and elegance.

after having my bowl of soup i was in the mood for a pastry and an espresso, so i cruised across to the french patisserie lenotre. there are a few of them in bkk, but this one seems to have the best assortment, and it is all the freshest. most likely because they are doing way more business than the others do.

i had my favorite, mille-fueille. it looks so plain and as if there is nothing to it, but if i could make one half as good as lenotre, i would be very pleased with myself, and a hell of lot pudgier than i am. typically the cream in these things anywhere else gets a tough skin on it and tastes like the bag or the box the mix came in, and the pastry is either soggy or to hard. lenotre seems to have solved both of these problems (i can not imagine having one made buy the chef who taught the locals how to do it - that would be pure heaven no doubt). i took a quick stab at the top and my fork easily pierced through the crispy light leaf of puff. i then turned the fork on it's side to cut off a mouthful. it simply went straight through and the cream, although it smooshed just a tad, held its own and did not squirt out the sides. a truly miraculous feat of patisserie.

upon lifting this treat to my mouth i could smell its subtle aroma and the pleasure that awaited. i placed it on my tongue and i could feel the cream simply melting on touch. perfect taste and not too sweet like so many of the bake shops in this town (and across asia for that matter). the pastry was flaky, and it too began to melt as i savored the moment. just like the soup, it was all gone in a flash. i cleared my throat with half of a double espresso (i was quite surprised when they told me the beans come from bon cafe , thank god they weren't from starbucks), popped the perfect pistachio meringue cookie in, and then finished it all off with the remaining half of my double. total cost for that, 251 baht or $7.60 usd. i remember paying that much for 2 hard-as-nails-dry-like-sand cookies in nyc just a year ago.

all in all, a great 2 course lunch, and a great trip to paragon mall.

some really low quality video clips i took at pargon when it had first opened.

i only had a little nikon cool pix s1, which is what i use to take all of these images and videos.

small, easy to use, easy to transfer to pc, and the software works quite well too.

i simply keep it on my belt in a nylon holster.