Shrimp Creole (6 cups) 6/69
My Grandparents loved their children. Driving around to prospective colleges as well as visiting their kids around the country were adventures they talked about for a long time, even to me. They took my mom, in 1975, to look at schools in California. Having to drive down Telegraph Ave to check out UC Berkeley really bummed them out… But Mills College in east Oakland had a good reputation, a good fence, and was all female. It was the way my Mom was able to come to California and still be doing the right thing. Her older brother, my Uncle Paul, went to Tulane in New Orleans. His fate later took him to the Air Force Academy where he found his love and purpose. His stint at Tulane though gave my Grandma and Granddad a love for New Orleans they never would have had without him as a catalyst.
My Granddad grew up in Chicago during the big band times and into the jazz era. He was a man of his time in many ways, but he always had the impact of the music he was lucky enough to hear live in clubs during the 40s-50s jazz scene. There is one night in New Orleans that he told me of, which began at Andre’s on Bourbon St. He and Grandma became friends with the server and were invited to a back alley club (they had no idea where they were going or where they had been afterword) where they had the time of their lives. There was a woman on the piano that knew every song known to man and they spent the night singing and dancing. It was a moment in time and story which would be shared for their entire lives.
It was awesome to find this recipe! It may have been scribed many years before they got to experience NOLA, but they gave it a chance. Tomato is a controversial ingredient in Creole cooking. It sure worked with this dish tonight though! And we replaced the tabasco with Crystal hot sauce. Thanks for the VFG meal again Nona Mae.
Shrimp Creole (6 cups) 6/69
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup celery
½ cup green pepper
2 clove garlic minced
3 tbsp salad oil
1 lb can tomatoes
1 8 oz. can tomato paste
1 ½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp tabasco
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp water
1 ½ lbs cleaned raw shrimp
Directions:
Cook onion, celery, green pepper, and garlic in oil until tender. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and seasonings. Bring to boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Blend cornstarch and water and stir into tomato mixture. Add shrimp, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
