When we were in New Orleans we took a cooking class at the New Orleans School of Cooking. We watched gumbo being assembled while a pot of red beans simmered on a nearby stove burner. Banjo Man loves red beans and has tried many times to make them successfully.
There have been ups and downs.
Last week I took the recipe from the class and attempted to make something that would impress my husband (who was coughing and deaf). I even ordered the Camelia-brand red kidney beans from Amazon.
How did it go? Well, they looked good bubbling beautifully in the pot. But when I tasted them they were way too salty. WAY too salty. Where had I gone wrong?
I used “Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning” instead of “Joe’s Stuff Seasoning”. Not a good decision.
So…what to do…
I added more water, more chicken broth.
I splashed in lime juice, then lemon juice.
Then I tried adding slurries of corn starch and water.
Tablespoons of sugar.
More water.
After all this, my beans were barely semi-edible and served over white rice they were okay. Sort of.
The next day I put them back on the stove with slices of raw potato and more liquid. That helped and we ate red beans and rice for two more days.
I will share the recipe once I’ve figured out the proper seasoning. More research is required and maybe another Amazon order, this time of “Joe’s Stuff”.
Wish me luck.
is there any more pie? 
Oh my!
One of Rob’s favorite dishes is red beans and rice but I think his ingredients are more simple.
I know raw potatoes are supposed to help absorb salt so sounds like it helped the bean flavor also.
Ken is becoming a sight eater. If it looks strange it must taste strange.
I bit on FACTOR prepared meals. Don’t!!! It is a subscription which I didn’t pay attention to. So, I received box 2. I went on the internet and cancelled. I thought. Box 3 arrived. I called and cancelled.. They do not have a return policy of course. Ken can’t stand them unless I am desperate. So, I eat one if he has a Little King sandwich on the way home from his errands. He postpones his errands until late afternoon so I am rather sure he will go to Little Kings or The Ice House to watch one of 25 TV sets and lots of games.
We got a break in the weather today. 41 for a high. I am using the deck as my extra freezer and FACTOR boxes are well insulated and have 1/3”frozen sheets inside so I will keep those from the 3 boxes frozen and extend my freezer capacity.
I am trying to pare down big time on all of the stuff in this place as Sili is coming when I have my knee replacement Febr 14. She does not tolerate “stuff’. So, I am cleaning out drawers and cupboards.
Which I need to do anyway. It’s called ‘readiness’.
I had a bottom back tooth pulled yesterday so am trying to stay tight with the pain meds. No apparent cavity but infection underneath. Had to pay our part up front. $1081. When I asked about our insurance she said that was the estimate after insurance paid. My dentist sent me to an Oral Surgeon. As it happens, his grandfather gave Ken his first sales job in Crete. Small world.
Love you.
Marge