Gumbo on your mind? Have your fill Saturday at Taste of Gumbo, Etc., one of Port Arthur’s most beloved events. This Saturday, Feb. 11. Rotary Club of Port Arthur will do it again. You know the drill. Your $10 ticket will allow you to taste gumbo and other treats from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Robert A. “Bob” Bowers Civic Center. Proceeds go toward Rotary causes. You’ll get to shop vendor booths as well, Janie Johnson, club president, said.
Jumbo Gumbo at Mardi Gras
Call it a dare, a challenge or a friendly competition. The Mardi Gras Jumbo Gumbo Cook-Off is calling for you and your spices to jump in. Sign up your entry for this Mardi Gras of Southeast Texas event offering bragging rights, cash prizes and trophies on Saturday, Feb. 25. Judging and public sampling will be at 1 p.m. Saturday. I hope you see me there (tasting, not cooking). Call the Mardi Gras Store at 721-8717 to start boiling.
Super Bowl play-by-play
I happened to be in Houston on Super Bowl weekend, but it was just a coincidence. I’m all about the parties, food and commercials. The game is beyond me. That’s just the way it is.
I can’t resist sharing some game weekend highlights I enjoyed:
Friday: Weighed in successfully at Weight Watchers, fortified myself in the car with nuts and a chocolate I’d been saving for this moment and proceeded to Winnie. There I secured another amazing boudain ball at the Texaco and delivered a copy of the Culinary Thrill Seeking Column mentioning this delicacy.
Montrose called me to LaGrange, because I thought I heard celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain filmed there. I asked around and got “the story” that he didn’t quite do that, but thoroughly enjoyed a seafood cocktail under portrait of Marvin Zindler and his dog.
Later I walked into my aunt’s home to the aroma of tamale pie, a family tradition.
Saturday: Jalapeno jelly on English muffins and boudain fueled me until I snacked on garlic flavored in-shell peanuts from an Asian market. That afternoon I was back in the Golden Triangle for a friend’s annual tapas party. Artichoke dip, Limoncello bread pudding and some crazy kettle chips baked with brown sugar and cream cheese were among highlights.
Sunday started with pecan coffee and a tiny bite of locally-sourced white chocolate bread pudding served with egg before church.
Ribs for lunch were flavored with seasoning designed for crawfish. Why not?
A chicken in the crockpot simmered with vegetables and a jar of Indian butter sauce that had looking at me from the pantry for too long.
We wrapped up with much of a bag of Hatch popcorn a friend got me from H-E-B. She knows I love peppers. I shook a little cayenne over it for good measure and called it a game.
If you have foodie news to share, contact Darragh at darraghcastillo@icloud.com