Someone gave Jan and me a bunch of "gumbo file'".  What the heck is that? 
What do we do with it?  The person who gave it to us said it's the critical
ingredient in gumbo.  I think I may never have had gumbo.  Can it be made
vegetarian?  Inquiring minds want to know!  Thanks!!

6 responses total.

Sumac, powdered fruits I think.  Acidic, has been used to make a lemonade type
drink.  Sumac is related to cashews and other members of the Rhus family, as
are mangos.  It may also act as a thickener, anyone know more?  Sumac is used
in the red version of the Middle Eastern spice mixture made primarily from
thyme and sesame seeds (zaatar), it makes it a bit sour.
I will check the web and report back.

I was wrong, it is not sumac but powdered sassafras leaf.  Sassafras root tea
tastes like root beer (the bark smells nice too).
Definitely vegetarian.

Use file when the recipe does not include okra.  Either one can be used to
thicken gumbo, but they are not used together.  

Gumbo usually includes chicken and/or shrimp and/or sausage.  I think the
flavors would be fine without the meats, although I'd warn anyone who was
expecting Louisiana gumbo that it wasn't the same thing at all.  The shrimp
and sausage, in particular, add flavors that would be obviously missing in
a vegetarian concoction.

Hm.  Marinated tempeh makes a good substitute for shrimp or sausage in a dryer
dish, but I have the impression that gumbo is soupy, so I don't think
marinated tempeh would work for that.  Hm.  <valerie continues contemplating>

Dried tofu is chewy.

No no, I mean a dish like a casserole is less soupy than gumbo.  In a
casserole, marinated tempeh would hang on to the flavor of its marinade.  In
something soupy, the flavor of the marinade would wash into the rest of the
soup, away from the tempeh.

Response not possible - You must register and login before posting.

- Backtalk version 1.3.30 - Copyright 1996-2006, Jan Wolter and Steve Weiss