The only thing more New Orleans than a dented pot of gumbo simmering on the back burner is arguing
about the right way to make it. With a heritage claiming both French and West African roots, gumbo is a t
hick stew served over rice and made with a roux (a mixture of butter and flour) and a wide variety of ingre
dients such as celery, peppers, okra, onions chicken, sausage and/or seafood. With so many options, every family perfected its own treasured recipes, which leads to impassioned debate on which one is best. Even so, gumbo does more to bring us together than divide us, as queen of Creole cuisine Chef Leah Chase said, “There’ve been a lot of problems solved in that dining room over a bowl of gumbo.’d
