Good evening welcome to our series sharing Food Holidays: October 12th, 2021. David wanted me to ask you if you would like to have a bowl of Gumbo with him and a slice of Pumpkin Pie while Charlie and I sit this Holiday out because we don’t care for Gumbo or Pumpkin Pie.
Five Facts Gumbo:
- Gumbo is the official cuisine of the State of Louisiana.
- There are different varieties of Gumbo based on the type of thickener used.
- Creole Gumbo contains Shellfish and Tomatoes whereas Cajun Gumbo is spicier with Shellfish or Chicken.
- Gumbo may have flavors rooted in Native American, African, Caribbean, Spanish, and French cuisines.
- No one is certain behind Gumbos origin; the oldest mention is by French explorer C.C. Robin on the Acadian coast in 1803.
National Gumbo Day is celebrated on October 12. It’s a time to appreciate this heavily seasoned, savory state dish of Louisiana. Although, gumbo is a perfect bit of indulgence any day, anywhere! Gumbo typically consists of strongly-flavored stock with meat or shellfish, a thickener, and seasoned vegetables. The seasoned vegetables may include celery, bell peppers, and onions. In the Cajun cuisine, the trio is known as the “holy trinity. Most people serve gumbo over rice. Curl up on the couch and savor the flavors on National Gumbo Day, or enjoy with family and friends.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL GUMBO DAY
As is common with the lesser-known Holidays, diligent research doesn’t reveal the first instance or true origins of National Gumbo Day but we do know that since 1989, the city of New Iberia, Louisiana has held a widely publicized yearly Championship Gumbo Cook Off every October, a festival that injects two million dollars annually into the local economy, though the contest was cancelled in 2020 due to Pandemic concerns.
Let’s start with the meaning of “Gumbo.” A certain amount of ambiguity survives to this day, because one of the main ingredients, Okra, is translated in the Niger-Congo languages spoken by slaves of the time as “quingombo,” while another main ingredient, filé, in the tongues of the Native American Choctaw peoples of the region, is pronounced “kombo.” So, like the American Hamburger, no one can claim credit for Gumbo’s origin,
What makes Gumbo such a big deal? Its historical significance to Louisiana goes back to the beginning of the 19th Century when English settlers arrived in the area and took note of the rich, hearty, Stew-like — and spicy! — dish. Gumbo has never lost its momentum as a staple of Louisiana Cuisine. Gumbo is the “official food” of Louisiana, and we would be hard-pressed to find a restaurant in the region that didn’t have Gumbo on the menu.
Also, Gumbo is not just a dish for commoners. In 1972, to commemorate the passing of Louisiana Senator Allen Ellender, the Senate’s Cafeteria added Creole Gumbo to its menu as a permanent fixture. At its essence, there are two versions of Gumbo, one originating with the Cajun people (from “Acadian,” a Canadian designation), and the other with the Creoles who had settled the region from France and Spain along with an enslaved African contingent.
Gumbos from both camps start with a roux — a French-style mixture of Flour and fat — and may contain the Vegetable Okra, Beef, Fowl or Sausage, the “holy trinity” of Vegetables, pungent spices like “filé”, and whatever the chef throws in to make the batch big enough for a crowd.
NATIONAL GUMBO DAY ACTIVITIES
- Enjoy a bowl of Gumbo prepared with professionalism and love. We challenge you to find that perfect bowl. As you digest, make a note to repeat the celebration next October 12.
- Whether or not you’re a good cook in the kitchen, National Gumbo Day is the perfect time to try your hand at the right combination of base, spices, Veggies, and protein. If you’re in Louisiana, enter the contest!
- Share what you’ve learned, what you’ve tasted, and what you want to know about Gumbo, using the hashtag #nationalgumboday.
5 FACTS ABOUT OKRA
- Internationally, Okra is often referred to as “Ladies’ Fingers.”
- The earliest written records reveal that Okra was first cultivated in Abyssinia (modern-day Ethiopia) in the 12th century.
- One reason that its so efficient to grow okra in the Southern United States is that it’s a cousin of the Cotton Plant, both members of the Mallow (Malvaceae) family that respond well to the climate.
- Okra seeds, which of course have been around as long as Okra itself, have commonly been ground up and used to brew a hot beverage like Coffee — but with no caffeine.
- Okra’s earliest arrivals to the New World (New Orleans, Dutch Guinea, Brazil) were due to the transatlantic slave trade, carried by ships with human cargo.
WHY PEOPLELOVE NATIONAL GUMBO DAY:
- Gumbo is a dish with Spanish, French, African, Native American, German, and Caribbean influences, all in one hearty meal.
- Who would have thought that one Culinary dish could be connected to such a wealth of History, spanning continents? Gumbo is, and on National Gumbo Day, pick up a spoon and join in.
- There’s even a tradition in New Orleans, the “courir de Mardi Gras,” where local men go door-to-door begging for gumbo ingredients, and then cook the gumbo in the square that night.
Pumpkin Pie Day
Pumpkin Pie Day celebrates Pumpkin Pie, a national favorite in the United States and is a traditional North American sweet dessert, eaten during the fall and early winter, especially for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Thanksgiving and Christmas are the two Holidays when most Pumpkin Pies are eaten by Americans.
Many people around the world might think of this Gourd as being used for savory dishes including Soups or Pasta, Pumpkin is delicious when doctored up to be eaten in the form of a dessert. Thus, the reason for Pumpkin Pie Day!
History of Pumpkin Pie Day
Pumpkin has become an international symbol of Harvest time, and is often featured at Halloween in the form of Jack-o-lanterns and other Autumn decorations. The Pumpkin can be used for \more than simply carving. The Pumpkin has a whole host of options for use in recipes–and it’s \ nutritious food.
Pumpkin Pie made from the Gourd consists of a Pumpkin-based Custard, ranging in color from orange to brown. The Pie is baked in a single pastry shell, and does not normally contain a top crust. Pumpkin Pie is generally flavored with Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Cloves or Ginger–a combination \ which is often referred to as “pumpkin pie spice”, the inspiration for the famous Coffee drink.
Pumpkin Pie is often made from canned Pumpkin or packaged Pumpkin Pie filling (spices included) but can also be made from freshly harvested and cooked Pumpkin. Pumpkin Pie is a seasonal product available in bakeries and grocery stores in the USA, although it might be possible to find Pumpkin Pie year-round in some places.
The History of the Pumpkin Pie is a little fuzzy, but its origins seem to date back approximately 400 years. This was in the early 1600s, when settlers in the New World may have used the Gourds to make some sort of Pie. Although they probably didn’t use Crusts and likely were not as sweet as they are today, they might have been flavored with Honey or certain spices.
Americans claim Pumpkin Pie as their tradition, one of the first known recipes for Pumpkin Pie with a Crust can be found in French and English cookbooks dating back to the late 1600s. It took another hundred years or so before Pumpkin Pie resembling what we know it as today would appear in an American cookbook, American Cookery, by an American Orphan written by Amelia Simmons.
Pumpkin Pie Day can be celebrated by anyone, all throughout the world!
How to Celebrate Pumpkin Pie Day
Celebrating this Holiday is a delight, because it coincides with what many people around the world celebrate as Christmas Day, a perfect day to a slice of pumpkin pie. For others ideas to celebrate Pumpkin Pie Day, look below.
Eat Pumpkin Pie
During this time of year, Pumpkin Pies can be found in bakeries and grocery stores around the US and other places. It’s a popular Holiday, it might be a good idea to order Pies ahead from a favorite bakery, to make sure they’re available for the celebration. Whether eaten with Whipped Cream or a scoop of Ice Cream on top, Pumpkin Pie is a tasty treat!
Compete for the World’s Biggest Pumpkin Pie
If you are interested in earning a Guinness World Record? Perhaps the title of World’s Largest Pumpkin Pie could be challenged. The current record was set in 2010 by those at the New Bremen Pumpkinfest in New Bremen, Ohio. It contained almost 2800 Eggs, more than 1200 pounds of canned Pumpkin and 14 pounds of Cinnamon. The final result was a Pie weighing almost 3700 pounds and measuring 20 feet in diameter. Now that’s a Pumpkin Pie!
Prepare a Pumpkin Pie
Freshly baked Pumpkin Pie is delicious. It’s not to terribly difficult for someone who knows their way around the kitchen to create. Why not try a hand at making a pumpkin Pie at home in celebration.
Ingredients
Pumpkin:
- 1 medium sugar pumpkin (about 3 pounds)
- Canola oil, for oiling pumpkin
Easy Pie Crust:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for flouring
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup (11 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Filling:
- One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Remove the stem from the Pumpkin. Scrape out the insides. Discard the seeds. Cut the pumpkin in half. Lay the pieces cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet lined with Aluminum Foil. Rub Canola Oil all over the skin and bake until fork-tender, about 1 hour. Let cool.
Pie Crust: While the Pumpkin is cooking, make the crust. In a large bowl, combine Flour and Salt. Add in Butter and work into the dough with a fork until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in just enough cold Water (4 to 5 tablespoons) with a fork just until the Flour is moistened. Divide the Dough in half, shape each half into a ball and flatten slightly. Wrap one ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate for another use.
Roll out the remaining Dough ball on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch round. Transfer to a 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Fold the overhangs under and crimp decoratively. Pierce the dough all over with a fork. Chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Line the Crust with foil, fill with dried Beans or Pie weights and bake until the sides are set, about 12 minutes. Remove the foil and Beans. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
Filling: Scoop out the pulp from the roasted Pumpkin and puree in a food processor until smooth (you should have about 4 cups). Add the Condensed Milk, Cream, Cornstarch, Molasses, Canola Oil, Cinnamon, Ginger, Salt and Eggs and combine thoroughly.
Pour the filling into the crust and bake until the filling is set in the center, about 1 hour. Transfer the pie to a rack and cool for 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
