Mamma Rich's Red Beans & Rice

1 lb. Dried red beans (look over for dirt & bad ones)
4 Qt. water
3/4 Cup Chopped Celery
3/4 Cup Onion
3/4 Cup Green Pepper
2 Cloves minced garlic
1/2 Cup margarine
2 Tsp. Salt
2 Tbsp. Paprika
2 Bay Leaves
1 Tsp. Thyme
1/2 Tsp. Oregano
1/2 Tsp. Cayenne (Ground Red) Pepper
1 lb. Smoked Sausage cut into pieces

Soak beans in water overnight, then drain.  Bring to boil in 4 Quarts of water and then simmer for 1-2 hours or until beans begin to be done.  Add everything but sausage and simmer at least 1 hour.  Bake sausage at 350 for 20-25 minutes.  Drain and add to beans.  Cook another 30 minutes before serving.

The beans can be slowed down or speeded up depending on how much time you have.  The main thing is to get them done before you add the other stuff.  Some beans just take longer to cook.  Stirring them helps thicken the juice.

Plain rice - two times as much water as rice.  Add 1/2 Tsp. Salt per cup of rice and a little margarine to keep it from sticking.

Kim Ashley's Gumbo

Boil 2 chicken thighs and 2 breasts in approximately 8 cups of water.  Remove skins and bones.  Return cooked meat to water.

Dice:  1 bunch green onions with tops
         1 large green pepper
         4-5 stalks celery
         1/2 medium onion
         4 cloves garlic

Roux #1:  1 Tbsp. Crisco to approximately 4 tbsp. flour to make roux.  Brown in skillet until caramel colored, then add vegetables and sauté in roux until it becomes chocolate brown in color.  Add to water and chicken.

Add:  1/2 - 1 package of sausage
         1 Tsp. salt
         1 Tsp. gumbo file
         1/2 Tsp. black pepper
         1/2 Tsp. marjoram

Roux #2: In clean skillet on 400°, brown 1 - 1 1/2 cup flour until chocolate brown, stirring at 15 min, 15 min, 15 min, 5 min, 5 min, and 5 min to prevent burning or uneven browning.  Add to water to reach desired thickness.

Chris Bray's addendum:

I generally add more chicken to the gumbo, plus sometimes a cube or three of chicken bullion.  I also tend to add more vegetables, including (of course) okra and occasionally mushrooms, carrots, yellow and red bell peppers, for a little variety.  Don't forget the stewed tomatoes either.  8 cups isn't enough water…I usually make a lot of gumbo, for me and about 30 close friends.

I also tend to add more spices, including Tony C's Creole seasoning, and a lot more gumbo file, black pepper, and of course more garlic.  You can never have too much fresh garlic.

Kim kept her gumbo pretty mild, because Jon couldn't handle spicy foods.