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A Ruined Reputation

Edit:  Thanks to everyone who sent links or offered to mail me the roux.  As soon as I realized we liked it, I had checked online and the shipping costs are more than I’m willing to pay.  I understand that the weight and insurance make it expensive and it isn’t that the retailers are charging too much.  I can make my own roux til I get more when I’m back in Louisiana so I’m not going to order it!

On Lime Green Kitchen:

Pumpkin Bars – real simple, real good!  No comments on the shiny cake pan, ok?  (Last time I had a shiny cookie sheet, several of you gave me a hard time about it.)  🙂

This weekend, I did a horrible thing . . well, I cheated!  My very spoiled son is still aggravated with me.

When I was home last week, I ate at my friends’ house . . Roger and Eileen.  Roger is the cook and he’s such a good cook.  We had gumbo and it was so good.  He told me he uses storebought roux.  NO!  Say it isn’t so, Roger!  Yep, he uses this . . Savoie’s Dark Roux:

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Of course, I brought some home.  Over the weekend I made gumbo.  I told no one my dirty little secret.

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We ate.  I asked “On a scale of 1 – 10, how’s the gumbo?”  Vince said “11-1/2”.  Chad knew I’d done something different . . but he only knew because I wouldn’t have asked that question otherwise.  I confessed!  Chad was mad . . really . . he was upset.  I explained to him that Roger uses storebought roux.  If Roger can use it . . surely it’s ok for me to use it.  No!  He said “It tastes fine but it’s just the idea that it isn’t authentic homemade!”  Is that spoiled or what?

My opinion . . it was really good . . really good.  Now . . what if you can’t get Savoie’s Roux where you live?  Join the crowd!  I can’t either.   I wish I’d bought enough to last me til I go back home again.  Any of you Louisiana folks heading to Missouri any time soon?

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Comments

  1. Hope things are settled down in your house today. In recent months/years, we have had to modify our whole way of cooking due to scares such as the one you had yesterday with Vince. It’s really crappy to get to an age where you can afford to eat like you want, BUT you then find out that what you want to eat (and can now afford with no trouble as often as you’d like) is causing you some health issues. *sigh* NOT FUN at all as I love creamed dishes, cheeses, eggs, beef…….oh, well……guess complaining does no good, huh?

  2. Just you wait until he gets married. You will quickly learn to sleep with one eye open.
    Because chances are that she will not be able to live up to “My mom bake all of our bread from scratch., etc.”

  3. Oh Judy… sure hope that boy of yours is going to be a scientist and work on perfecting cloning… or you’ll need to teach him to cook so he can fend for himself – because he’ll have a hard time finding a mate to equal you in the kitchen.

    Maybe you need to adopt the Las Vegas attitude… what happens in the kitchen… stays in the kitchen!

  4. When my husband was diagnosed with cancer and given 3-6 months, we lived each day as if he were dying. He lived exactly a year and each day was special. That was the best year of our 30 year marriage. I hope that is true for you and Vince. Life is too unpredictable to take any day for granted! No matter what his or your doctors say treat each other special. It leaves such wonderful memories to survive on.

  5. Yep, sounds like Chad is just a tad spoiled. I’m going to have to make those pumpkin bars.

  6. Too funny! I use that brand myself whenever I don’t have the time to make my own. Really speeds things up and it tastes just like mine.

    I only have one jar left….but I’m headed to NO the end of December so I’ll be stocking up on that and lots of my other got to haves!

  7. I caught Don and Gail using that when I was in Louisiana. It surprised me, but it was just one step out of the equation and the meal was ready more quickly. Just think of it as a modern convenience, just like the “icebox” and dishwasher!

  8. I think Chad needs to learn to make gumbo from scratch so he’ll have an appreciation for the time and work involved. He’s going to have a hard time finding a wife that can cook like you! Can you get the roux shipped to you?

    • This was my thought exactly: have *him* make it from absolute scratch!

  9. Don’t you buy that! As my mother used to tell me, ‘when you have your own kitchen, you can do it any way you want!’

  10. I saw that when we were in NO last spring. Didn’t buy any.

    I did put some Slap Ya Mama in my clam chowder last night. DH said it was the best I ever made. And yes, I did make a roux – in bacon grease! Need to unplug these arteries today!

    Chad is spoiled. My kids were. My DH sure is. Both my boys are great cooks. In fact, Todd does most of the cooking as Laura does not enjoy cooking. I still get the calls on “how do I make ….”. A future bride will probably be working and not have the time to fix a meal for dinner like Chad has always been used to. It is nice in retirement to have the morning to get things started, and cook enough to freeze to have at a later date.

    You are a great wife and mom!

    Marilyn (IQuiltToo)

  12. Judy, I agree with Chad–it’s not the same, but it works and it tastes good. I keep it in my pantry and if I were coming to Missouri, I would gladly bring some. However, if you check out the Savoie’s website, they will ship it to your door.
    Maybe it’s time for Chad to stand at the stove stirring a roux until it’s just that perfect shade of dark brown?????
    Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

    Loretta in Louisiana

  13. My son would have said the same thing . I tell him that he will have a
    hard time finding a special someone because I am a
    dinosaur.

  14. Gold Star for Vince for saying it was 11 1/2. The man’s a keeper! I don’t think Chad would have figured anything was different if you did not ask – next time just hide the jar in the bottom of the trash!!! Cheers! Evelyn

  15. Judy, Judy, Judy. When are you going to learn–never tell all your secrets. Just smile and say “glad you enjoyed it.”

    Hope Vince is better today and that you got some rest.

    Hugs.

  16. I don’t know. I think Chad can only fuss if he actually does the cooking. Had you not asked the question my guess is he wouldn’t have know the difference (until you ran out).

  17. Maybe you can buy it on the Internet. Have you had time to check yet? Seems like you can buy just about anything on the Internet.

    How’s Vince doing? Any news yet on why he felt like he did? Sure hope it turns out to be nothing too serious.

  18. YES! I love it! Judy, that’s what I’ve been using for years! I can’t seem to make a good roux, so I use that one. We’re headed to Shreveport for Christmas. I’ll pick you up a couple of jars if you want. 😀

    Hugs,
    Melinda

  19. Store-bought roux?! I never even heard of such a thing – will have to look for it when I’m in the south again. Or look online! 🙂

  21. Oh my – I hope the future Mrs. Chad will do an apprenticeship with you for a few years before he pops the question. He’s going to be very hard to please!

  22. so glad that you found a great roux, and that others have found a source for you to have it all the time. If it tastes as good as yors does, then it must be fabulous!

  23. There are a couple places online where you can buy this –

    http://www.cajunwholesale.com $3.40 each light or dark

    http://www.simplycajun.com/ $5.49 each Looked like dark only

    http://www.cajungrocer.com This site had $3.50 and $5.75 for 16 ounce or 32 ounce respectively. But they also sell seafood gumbo – my favorite – and get this –

    They have their own blog – with recipes !!

    http://www.cajungrocer.com/blog/

    Now I can’t wait for Thanksgiving to be over so I can try this out !

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