Cuban Style Creole Shrimp from Gumbo Love by Lucy Buffet

I will admit right upfront that I have never had gumbo. Even when the hubby and I were in New Orleans for three weeks I never tried it. So you might wonder why I chose to review a cookbook called Gumbo Love – well, this beautiful book that was sent to me at no charge is not just about gumbo! It is full of recipes that celebrate Gulf Coast cooking; seafood for the most part but there are also some yummy looking barbecue recipes. Read on to learn about the book and check out a recipe I adapted.

Table of Contents

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About Gumbo Love:

Since she was a young girl, Lucy Buffett has believed in the power of gumbo-the stirring, the transformation of the roux, the simple ingredients cooking up into something much better than just the sum of its parts. It’s only fitting that she signs her name with “Gumbo Love” and that she makes a living feeding people the most delicious, soul-satisfying food.

Her new cookbook, GUMBO LOVE, is a labor of love and includes recipes from all over the Gulf Coast. The dishes incorporate Caribbean, Cajun, Cuban, Mexican, Old Florida, and Creole influences. Lucy proves through her collection of recipes that the Gulf Coast has its own distinct flavors and traditions that make it a coastal destination year after year. And with some of the best seafood and produce the country has to offer, the Gulf Coast-beyond just New Orleans-has a vibrant cuisine and culture, making it a treasured culinary destination in its own right.

Lucy combines over one hundred new recipes with old favorites. She lives by her mother’s philosophy: “Life is short-eat dessert first,” so the very first chapter is filled with delectable sweets like Classic Southern Pound Cake with Strawberries, Buttermilk Orange Chess Pie, and Salted Butterscotch Blondies.

Since you can’t live on dessert alone, you’ll find Gulf Coast favorites from Tailgate Shrimp and Crab Dip to Lucy’s Signature Summer Seafood Gumbo, and Crab and Corn Fritters, along with dozens of other seafood appetizers and main dishes. And if you tire of seafood, Lucy shares her family favorites like Daddy’s Fried Chicken, Beer-Braised Beef Brisket, Southern Fried Creamed Corn, and Greens and Grits.

Incorporating stories from Lucy’s childhood growing up in Mobile, Alabama, adventures traveling the seas as a cook, time spent working as a chef in New Orleans, and her philosophy of relaxation, gratitude, and seizing the day, this cookbook entertains and inspires as it serves up recipe after recipe, each tastier than the last.

**You can purchase Gumbo Love* at Amazon.com**

About the Author:

Lucy “LuLu” Buffett cooked her way from coast to coast before returning home to Alabama to open a modest little bayside gumbo and burger joint that doubled as a bait shop. Now, she is the successful restaurateur of two locations of LuLu’s in Gulf Shores, Alabama, and Destin, Florida, where she serves over a million guests a year. Her adventures-culinary and otherwise-inspired her to write LuLu’s Kitchen (formerly self-published as Crazy Sista Cooking), and now Gumbo Love.

Learn more at lucybuffett.com

My Opinion:

Let me just note that it is hard to not love a cookbook that starts with the dessert section. Ms. Buffett’s theory is life is sweet – eat dessert first. I am in agreement with this. The desserts are homey and in some cases old family recipes. There is nothing ground breaking here – just good, old fashioned Southern desserts. The only out of the box appearance is the floating island. An old timey, found at fancy restaurants kind of treat.

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The author also provides a mainstay seasoning mix that shows up in many of the successive recipes. You can make it up to keep it on hand or substitute a commercial type mix. There are the standard types of chapters; starters, main dishes, soups, salads but the recipes are all geared towards Southern tastes – there is a complete chapter on fried foods. I found them interesting and easy to follow.

There are interesting introductions to each recipe and gorgeous photos throughout the book. This is a great book to add to a cookbook library to add a regional spin on cooking.

Rating:

4.5

Cuban Style Shrimp Creole

Serves 2

1 tsp unsalted butter
1 TBS olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 15 oz can of tomatoes, crushed
1 TBS tomato paste
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp creole seasoning (I used a Moroccan spice blend)
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 TBS granulated sugar
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
couple of shakes of hot sauce (or more to taste)
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup ale
1 lb shrimp, deveined
parsley

Cuban Honey Yellow Rice
Cooked in a pressure cooker
2 cups Jasmine rice
2 cups chicken stock
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup honey

Add the butter and the oil to a large saute pan over medium heat.

When the butter has melted add the onion and cook until the onion just starts to soften. Add the garlic and cook just until the garlic starts to turn golden.
Add the crushed tomatoes and stir.

Add the tomato paste and stir it in thoroughly.

Add the thyme, oregano, basil, seasoning basil, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, sea salt and pepper. Stir in and let simmer for a few minutes.
Add the ale and simmer for about 30 minutes to let the flavors come together.

Turn off the heat and add the shrimp.

Cover and let sit for 10 minutes.

To make the Cuban Honey Yellow Rice.
(in an pressure cooker)
add the rice, chicken stock, turmeric, salt and honey to the instant pot. Stir well to make sure the honey dissolves and disperses.
Set the pressure cooker for white rice.
It will be done in about 12 minutes

Serve the shrimp and sauce over the rice and sprinkle with the parsley

How Was It?

I will admit that I made this more for the hubby than for myself. These are not flavor profiles that I really care for. That doesn’t mean that I didn’t have a taste.

I did. It had a delightful amount of heat that was perfect with the sweet shrimp. The herbs and spices came together for a richly flavored sauce that paired beautifully with the rice. The mild honey flavor was a welcome contrast to the heat in the main dish. The hubby loved it – so that was what was most important to me.

The recipe in the cookbook is slightly different from what I show here – a few different ingredient used and some not used at all but I think I’ve brought the main flavor of the dish with my adaptation.