Louisiana Red Bean & Rice

For my first recipe to try, I decided to go with the first recipe I ever collected.  It was one that my father jotted down for me while watching a TV program one day. To give you an idea on how long I have been collection recipes but never getting around to trying them, this recipe is at least 10 years old.  My dad passed away 9 1/2 years ago.  The recipe is in my dad's handwriting, which you may be able to see in the picture, is somewhat haphazardly written down.  It is also missing some key information; oh, like how long to cook it for.  Unfortunately, it is difficult to ask a dead man to fill in the blanks. This is one of the reasons why the blog is named what it is.

Once I figured out that notes like "cantonsauce" meant can of tomato sauce, and "cyane pod" meant cayenne pepper, I realized I had most of the ingredients already.  Alright!  Don't have to do a lot of running around with a 4 month old.  All I just needed to find "salted piece of pork" and we should be good to go...right?  Nope.  Apparently, this is not a common item. Long story short, not being able to find a salted piece of pork, the last butcher recommended that I use chucks of bacon instead.  This way it would still give the flavor as the salted pork, but not be as salty and the bacon could be eaten with the meal.  So with a $1.80 worth of butcher type bacon, I was on my way back home to start.

I started chopping, mixing, etc.  Then I got to the part of the recipe that read "2 1/2 QT cold".  Was not sure what that meant.  After a short bit, I thought it probably meant cold water.  So I added 2 1/2 quarts of cold water to the crock pot.  Now my yummy-to-be meal looked more like soup [insert puzzled look on face here].  Well, I already mixed it together. No going back now. 

My dad's note said to cook on "low".  As I go to look at the clock to figure out my answer to my husband's daily question of "what time will dinner be ready?", I gasped at the fact that it was already 3:00 p.m.  We have now changed that cook on low to high (or better know as fast as you can).  Heck, maybe some of that "extra" water will boil off (yeah right..I do know better).

Fast forward three and half hours later, the kitchen smells nice.  My first official taster (a.k.a my husband) and I were ready to try Recipe Roulette's first recipe.  Well, I had to use a slotted spoon to get the goodies out as it still looked like soup.  Once that was done, it started to resemble what I thought the dish should look like. Side note, as I went to make the rice in the rice maker, it broke.  My first recipe roulette is off to such a good start.

Anywho, chow down time!  Review: It wasn't bad but very bland; not very Louisiana style.  It wouldn't happen to be all that water now would it? :P  After going back for seconds, I started to think that my dad's note of "2 1/2 QT cold" had not a thing to do with water and more to do with what size crock pot it should have been cooked in.  Not sure, but again, hard to ask a dead man about that.  I think that I will be doing a "take two" on this recipe minus the water as I think it has potential.  Here is the "reworked" recipe if you want to try it in the meantime:

• 1 pound of red beans; soaked overnight (I used a can of Goya red beans)
• Piece of Salted Pork (I used butcher's bacon; next time I think I might use Canadian bacon)
• 2 onions, chopped (I used frozed chopped onions)
• 1 bell pepper, chopped (that I did use fresh)
• 3 ribs of celeray
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced (that is what the jar of miced garlic is for)
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 2 teaspoons of vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon of all spice
• 1/8 teaspoon of cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
• 1/8 teaspoon of pepper
• 1 8 oz can of tomato sauce

Place all ingredents in crock pot.  Cook on low for 7-8 hours.  Serve over rice. Serve with corn bread.