Saturday, April 24, 2010

OKRA!

I have recently been part of an ongoing long-distance discussion about okra.  Okra...originally from West Africa (probably Ethiopia) and a major ingredient in many southern dishes.  It can be cooked in a variety of ways, but deep fry it to avoid the slimy goo. If you cook it for a long time, like in a gumbo, the sliminess is minimized and it is a very effective thickener.  Some people like it pickled...but I am not one of them.  Give me fried okra or none at all.  Although southerners tend to think of it as "ours" okra is used internationally in all types of cuisine. 

I don't know if okra cupcakes have been attempted before, but here is what I think one would look like. 










4 comments:

LILY J> said...

Go Cupcake Kween...yes I now can swallow an Okra with you............wish I could take one with me and share a cafe with you on the Sqaure(Cafe Du Monde)!!!! Freeze me an Avatar and Okra for my return...LOVe YA!!!!
and I agree the only other way to swallow these Lady Fingers...is DOUBLE_DIPPED, Fried, with TONS of Ketchup. LOL!

les said...

Hey, CK! (for those of you not blessed to have lived in the South, "Hey" is Hello)
I agree that fried okra is indeed a delicacy. However okra gumbo and stewed okra are delicious as well, and don't have to be slimy. By adding an acidic ingredient like tomatoes you de-slime your dish. I know I'll never convince you and Lily J. of this, but it's true. By the way... is that a Visualize Whirled Peas cupcake? ;-)

Lundy said...

Thanks for the okra support MacThrill...I have okra issues from childhood because my mother would sneak okra pods into our peas and butterbeans (like we wouldn't notice the slime). I do think gumbo would not be gumbo without the okra and I like the flavor it adds, but I admit that I pick out the pods from my bowl. Maybe I can find an okra therapist to overcome my slime issues!

Lundy said...

BTW MacThrill...I have a Visualize Whirled Peas bumper sticker.