Gumbo is a Louisiana favorite. No Mardi Gras season would be complete without the thick soup. Containing a combination of vegetables and meat or seafood, gumbo must be thick and must have rice.

There are two matzo ball camps: those that like them heavy and leaden at the bottom of a bowl and those that like them light and fluffy–these are the latter, and in my mind, the better ones.

If you can’t find matzo meal, pulse a few pieces of matzo in your food processor until it is a coarse powder. If you can’t find matzo, well, you obviously do not live in New York City.

July 26^th marks Independence Day for the people of the Republic of Liberia. Aided by the American Colonization Society, Liberia was colonized by freed Blacks and slaves in 1822.

Here at the MCCN we champion events that combine both food and charity. On May 8, 2010 the inaugural Brothers Who Can Cook pre-Mother’s Day Love Affair will take place in Baltimore, MD. Touted as an expression of love, the event promises to pamper attendees with food, live music, poetry, and comedy. The event will benefit the Ujimma Rising Mentoring Project and Baltimore’s homeless. Recently, MCCN’S food history editor Catrina Sally interviewed the program’s Chief Visionary Officer Bri Ward (Ujimma Masani). Here’s what he shared:

Ingredients:

• 1 pound beef boneless chuck
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 cups 1-inch pieces peeled sweet potatoes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic 2 whole cloves
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1 large onion — cut into eighths
• 1 28oz can Italian-style pear-shaped tomatoes — undrained
• 8 dried apricots — cut in half
• chopped fresh parsley

There are two matzo ball camps: those that like them heavy and leaden at the bottom of a bowl and those that like them light and fluffy–these are the latter, and in my mind, the better ones.

If you can’t find matzo meal, pulse a few pieces of matzo in your food processor until it is a coarse powder. If you can’t find matzo, well, you obviously do not live in New York City.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium sweet yellow pepper, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2-1/2 cups cubed cooked turkey
• 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

INGREDIENTS

• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon snipped fresh cilantro
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 tablespoons margarine or butter
• 1 14-ounce can chicken broth
• 1 15-ounce can pumpkin
• 1 cup milk
• 1 8-ounce package frozen, peeled, cooked shrimp, thawed
• Fresh shrimp in shells, peeled, deveined, and cooked (optional)
• Plain low-fat yogurt or dairy sour cream (optional)
• Snipped fresh chives (optional)

Fall is a fickle season: hot one day, cool the next; too toasty for lentils and/or stews, too cool for gazpacho. This time of year we welcome soups back like dear old friends on our table. So celebrate the season with a great fall soup.