June 27 - Sunday

Well, sorry about yesterday. I was tired. Still not sleeping well.

But, I was inspired yesterday. Yesterday evening. DJ is back home, I missed his ego!

I started watching HBO's "Treme". I watched season one on Video On Demand. And with DJ's return, I decided to share Sunday Dinner with Mom & Dad.


On the menu, Red Beans and Rice, Sausage, Homemade Mac & Cheese, Fried Chicken Gizzards and Cheesey Garlic Biscuits.

I am using a variation of Louis Armstrong's Recipe and Emril Lagasse's Red Beans and Rice.

Did you know there is a difference between Red Beans and Red Kidney Beans? Me neither. Red Beans are from the Caribbean, they are smaller and smoother than Red Kidney Beans. I did find Red Beans and that's we are having today.

So anyway, the recipe I have concocted includes adding a small pork butt roast, but all I could find was the pork sirloin and shoulder roast. So I chose the sirloin.

I soaked the red beans overnight in cold water, and cooked the roast last night. I cooked the roast with a large onion and a garlic clove till it was tender. About an 2 hours in my 5 qt cast iron dutch oven on top of the stove, medium heat. Let it cool and then left it in the frig over night (in a refrigerator bowl with lid).

This morning I drained and washed the beans, put them in my 7qt cast iron dutch oven, and boiled for 1 and half hours with a 1/2 pound of sliced salted pork (I removed the rind).

After the 1 and half hours I added the pork roast, cooked another half hour and added 1 chopped stalk of celery, 1 cup of chopped green onions, 1 serrano pepper (deseeded) chopped finely, 1 glove of finely chopped garlic. After another 1/2 hour I added 1 and half tablespoons of Tony's Cajun Seasoning.

PERFECT!

The rest is cooking as usual. I will leave the Red Beans on low until time to eat. Cook the rice ( I use Jasmine Rice) about 11:30.

Chicken Gizzards! Love 'em or hate 'em...doesn't seem to be an inbetween. I clean an trim mine up to bite size pieces, soak in an egg and milk (evaporated) and then shake in a flour and Tony's mixture. Then fry in oil. Ta Da! I use the drippings to make a cream gravy, for dunking and rice.

My Mac & Cheese recipe comes from the 1961ed of The Modern Family Cookbook by Meta Given. My mother has the 1942ed that belonged to my great grandmother (Big Momma), Emma Rabun McCullough. Good food is timeless! The Cheese Biscuit recipe is in there too, I just add the garlic powder to the flour.

Now, chances are my Dad won't try the beans, nor will he eat the gizzards. So, I got him covered with the sausage. I like the Holmes Smokehouse brand and today it's Pecan Smoked Jalapeno Sausage.

Gotta get back to the kitchen....

3:04pm...I am soooo full! I have leftovers for a couple of days and sent Mom & Dad home with leftovers. We never even made it to the Mac & Cheese! Dad loved the sausage, so I sent him home with a fresh package all his very own. I have lunch for a couple of days and will probably make cornbread for tomorrow night's leftovers. I imagine DJ will have some Mac & Cheese for lunch tomorow.
Don't forget! True Blood tonight on HBO!