Jambalaya

Well, it looks like I have at least one reader of Kevin Eats. I was pleased to read an e-mail from a friend of mine that suggested I cook some Creole/Cajun dishes. I have made a few Cajun meals with the help of others, but don't choose to make Southern cuisine often enough. Since he recommended, I tried it.

The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of Cajun food is jambalaya. I actually love jambalaya with chicken, sausage, shrimp or other sea food. Tonight, I decided to combine smoked sausage and shrimp with this delicious rice dish.

I didn't have all of the necessary supplies, so I made a trip to Dick's Fresh Market and picked up three jalapenos peppers, a red pepper, a green pepper, smoked sausage and frozen shrimp (tail-off). I also added an onion from home.

I chopped the vegetables and sauteed them in a frying pan with olive oil, black pepper and garlic. I started a saucepan with long grain rice while the vegetables cooked. I could have opted for instant rice, but I was looking for the sticky-kind of rice that takes a little extra time to prepare. I boiled 2 cups of water and one tablespoon of butter before adding one cup of rice. Then, the rice stood on low heat for approximately 15 minutes.

When the vegetables were almost done, I added some Jalapenos sauce (from Trader Joe's), paprika and chili powder. This was needed, but very well could have been considered a mistake, too. At this major turning point, the meal took on a completely different direction.

Before adding the "heat," this was on track to be another great home cooked meal. It did turn out great, but the spiciness made it a true ethnic experience. I never knew I had it in me to cook something that was this spicy!

Once I stirred the rice into the vegetables, it looked like we were on Bourbon Street. In fact, I'm sure this could have passed as an original Bourbon Street meal. It was that hot, fragrant and aesthetically pleasing. It was spicy, too! Seriously.

The texture of the rice was perfect and the sausage had a hint of sweetness, but the Jalapenos provided a kick that took control of the entire dish. I thoroughly enjoyed the heat. After three bites I started sweating and soon after that, my eyes started to water. Liz could only handle seven bites. She said it was great, but much too spicy for her taste. We were left with only one option...call Joe.

I called one of my best friends, Joe Cudd. He is master eater and he loves spicy food. I interrupted him while he was preparing a Power Point presentation about Jazz Dance. I told him he needed to leave his house immediately to come over and try this jambalaya. I said it was that good and that spicy. He said, "I'll be over in two shakes of tail," and he was (classic Joe).

It was nice to see Joe and he enjoyed seeing Isaiah, too. However, he was not as stung by the heat that the jambalaya produced. He said it was "not too spicy" and that he was expecting it to be hotter. Oh well, I guess every one's palate is different. It was hot (to some degree), but it was also very, very good. I will make it again, but use less hot sauce and probably only one jalapeno pepper.

Ingredients:
1 yellow onion
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
3 Jalapeno peppers
8 ounces smoked sausage
14 ounces shrimp (tail-off)
1 cup long grain rice (uncooked)

Music: David Crowder Band - Come Thou Fount
Weather: 51-degrees, cloudy