Good evening, all.

I hope you're doing well.

Getting back into the swing of things this past week.

Have an obligation in about half an hour, but wanted to say hello and hang out for a bit.

As for treats… lemon bars sound really good right now, actually.

>>23584

Yeah he is! Boundless energy.

Makes me wish I could throw down in the kitchen right now. Rally bakes are always fun.

>>23592

Aaaaand recipe stolen.

Much thanks.

Gonna post a favorite recipe either later tonight or tomorrow.

Hope y'all like Southern food, kek.

>>23601

You got it, man.

Hope all is well on your end.

>>23608

Specialty? Getting there, slowly but surely.

Enough to impress the born-and-raised, so I'll take it lol

>>23609

Doing alright. Back to the regular schedule, almost.

Normie recon has been stellar compared to the microcosm of idiots from the past couple of months.

All good overall.

>>23610

Good to see you as well.

Days here are pretty nice, and looking nicer by the minute.

Hope things are well on your end.

Speaking of nice days, POTUS has a gorgeous sky in the background.

America the Beautiful, indeed.

>>23635

Good to see you.

For clarification, it is not a matter of qualification.

Any Anon who volunteers can bake; if and when you wish to volunteer, please do so.

Feel free to stick around if you'd like to learn how.

All the same, I hope you're having a good evening.

Gotta go for now, all.

Prior social obligation.

Very glad to see you, as always.

Hope to hit the kitchen proper some time this coming week.

God bless you all.

I hope you all have a great evening.

>>23600

As promised, a recipe… classic gumbo.

Technically, you can find variations of this recipe anywhere, and all credits go to Toups, Wilson, and Prudhomme for their influences on this dish and Southern cuisine in general. That said, this is a Cajun-approved variation.

First, get a Dutch oven or any big-ass pot, and a wooden spoon.

Second, start making this early in the day, ideally around noon.

Third,

Prep the following:

4 lbs chicken thighs, seasoned with salt, pepper, thyme and cayenne, baked at 400°F under a low broiler until golden brown, with all juices retained

1-2 lbs smoked sausage, andouille preferred, cut into bite-size pieces

1 cup grapeseed oil

1 cup flour

x2 of the following list, all finely diced:

• 1 onion

• 1 bell pepper

• 2 ribs of celery

• 1 jalapeño

1 head of garlic, all cloves peeled and minced

4 bay leaves

1 tsp thyme

Half a bottle of an amber or light beer, lager preferred, nothing dark like a stout or funky like a Belgian, and for the love of Christ, no IPAs. Think higher end of cheap /lower end of craft lagers (Yuengling ideal)

5 cups chicken/vegetable stock, crawfish boil leftover stock ideally

The following are added to taste:

1 tsp salt

Black pepper (from a grinder until you have to switch grip twice)

0.5 tsp cayenne

1 tsp smoked paprika

Procedure:

1. Get the chicken ready as described above. You can knock that out either before or during the more committed Step 1, your call.

2. Pour the grapeseed oil and flour into the Dutch oven over medium heat and make a dark roux. You will be stirring constantly, so have that beer on hand so you can drink it to the halfway point. Your roux should have the color of a milk chocolate bar, the consistency of wet sand, and be thick enough to leave a clear streak of ceramic when you scrape the bottom of the pot. If you burn it, start over at a lower heat. The thickness and color are key here, so if you want to spend an hour stirring at lower heat, or if you can bang it out in 20 minutes at high heat, it's up to you.

3. Once your roux is perfect, add 1 retinue of your x2 vegetable mixture and a pinch of salt to the roux and stir for one minute while you enjoy the aroma of wholesome Southern cooking. Ramp the heat a bit if your veggies aren't softening. After that minute, add all the minced garlic, bay leaves, and the tsp of thyme and cook for another 30 seconds, constantly stirring.

4. Deglaze the pot with your half-beer; get every bit of fond (brown hard scrapey bits) off the bottom of the pot. Stir until simmering, then add your stock and stir until it simmers again.

5. Add your salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, chicken thighs (and all the retained cooked fat and liquid), sausage, and the second helping of the x2 vegetables. This'll be a full pot, so don't skimp on good hardware. Bring the whole deal to a simmer, avoiding boiling, then lower the stove to the lowest possible heat and cover the pot.

6. Let sit on minimum heat for at least 3 hours and no more than 6 hours (yes, time can fuck this up). During this time, stir every 30 minutes.

Congratulations, you just made a gumbo.

Serve over rice, cornbread, or mac'n'cheese (best combination).

This recipe scales linearly up to at least a triple batch.

You can sub in any meat (that breaks down well when slow-cooking) or sausage as you like, maintaining weight proportions.

Enjoy, friends.