Gumbo is a staple here, especially this time of year: Lent. Even though I'm a Baptist some Catholic and Episcopalian traditions really stick-especially to my ribs (and butt!). Www.gumbocity.com is a great site to discover what it's all about. Then hop over to www.jfolse.com for a great chicken & sausage gumbo recipe. As most people know, he's our resident Cajun (complete with accent!) chef. You can also order his products online.
Another good site is www.emerils.com. He' s a Yankee but he's got our cooking down pat. Click on "gumbo"and off you go. My favorite is always seafood gumbo.
Now a word about grits. It's something we eat for breakfast-never use instant. Use the real ones. Serve with lots of butter and a little salt. A real treat is cheese grits. Down here we eat shrimp & grits. Don't curl up your lip: it's great-all in the seasoning!
BUT: the true meaning of grits:
Girls Raised In The South