It’s Chili, Chowder, or Stew Saturday – Crawfish Chili

This week’s It’s Chili, Chowder, or Stew Saturday is a recipe for Crawfish Chili. Nothing like some Crawfish to kick up your Chili! Ground Beef, Shrimp, and Spices makeup this week's recipe. The recipe is from one of my favorite sites, the CooksRecipes website. At the CooksRecipes website you'll find a huge selection of recipes to please everyone so check it out today! Enjoy and Make 2019 a Healthy One!  https://www.cooksrecipes.com/index.html

Crawfish Chili
Adding crawfish to the mix makes this chili as Louisianan as it gets.

Recipe Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef

2 pounds crayfish
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried mint
1 tablespoon dried parsley
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups water
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup chopped onion

Cooking Directions:
Brown ground beef in a saucepan. Add crayfish, minced garlic, salt, soy sauce, cayenne pepper, mint, dried parsley, chili powder, tomato sauce, white wine, water, lemon juice, and chopped onions. Simmer for 2 hours, or until tender.
Makes 16 servings.
https://www.cooksrecipes.com/soup/crawfish_chili_recipe.html

Soup Special of the Day.......Cajun Gumbo

This week's Soup Special of the Day is a Gumbo, but just not any Gumbo a Cajun Gumbo! Made Chicken Thighs, Crab Meat, Shrimp, Crawfish, Oysters, and more! Everyone leaving the table will be smiling! The recipe comes from one of my favorite recipe sites, the CooksRecipes website. The Cooks site has a huge selection of recipes to please all tastes, diets, or cuisines so check it out today! Enjoy and Eat Healthy in 2018!  https://www.cooksrecipes.com/index.html

Cajun Gumbo
Gumbo combines ingredients and culinary practices of several cultures, including French, Spanish, German, West African and Choctaw. The dish is the official cuisine of the state of Louisiana.

Recipe Ingredients:
4 pounds chicken thighs
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28-ounce) can tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth or water
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 dried bay leaf
1 (10-ounce) package frozen sliced okra
1 1/2 pounds crabmeat, shrimp, crawfish, lobster and/or surimi
1 (10-ounce) jar medium oysters, drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Cooking Directions:
1 - Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2 - Place chicken thighs in a single layer on a shallow baking pan and season with salt and pepper. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until done. Remove chicken from pan and set aside to cool. Deglaze pan with a little water, scraping the bottom to remove any browned bits and pour pan juices into a fat separator and set aside. When chicken is cool enough to handle, pick meat and discard skin and bones.
3 - Meanwhile, heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add onion and green pepper and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in flour, reduce heat to low and cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add garlic, and cook for 2 more minutes, or until fragrant. Stir in tomatoes (undrained), chicken broth, red pepper flakes, thyme and bay leaf. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened. Cover and and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken, pan juices (discard fat) and okra. Return to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in crab, oysters and parsley. Cook gently 5 to 10 minutes or until oysters begin to curl and crab is thoroughly warmed (if using shrimp, shrimp should be pink and opaque throughout). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over rice in soup bowls.

Makes 4 servings.
https://www.cooksrecipes.com/soup/cajun_gumbo_recipe.html

One of America's Favorites - Cajun Cuisine

Po' boy sandwiches 

Cajun cuisine (French: Cuisine cadienne, [kɥizin kadʒæ̃n]) is a style of cooking named for the French-speaking Acadian people deported by the British from Acadia in Canada to the Acadiana region of Louisiana. It is what could be called a rustic cuisine; locally available ingredients predominate and preparation is simple.

An authentic Cajun meal is usually a three-pot affair, with one pot dedicated to the main dish, one dedicated to steamed rice, special made sausages, or some seafood dish, and the third containing whatever vegetable is plentiful or available. Shrimp and pork sausage are staple meats used in a variety of dishes.

The aromatic vegetables green bell pepper (poivron), onion, and celery are called the holy trinity by Cajun chefs in Cajun and Louisiana Creole cuisines. Roughly diced and combined in cooking, the method is similar to the use of the mirepoix in traditional French cuisine which blends roughly diced onion, celery and carrot. Characteristic aromatics for the Creole version may also include parsley, bay leaf, green onions, dried cayenne pepper, and dried black pepper.


Around 1755, Acadians were forced out of their settlements by the British, and as a result, they migrated in 1755 in what was called le Grand Dérangement, eventually settling in Southern Louisiana. Due to the extreme change in climate, Acadians were unable to cook their original dishes. Soon, their former culinary traditions were lost, and so, these other meals developed to become what is now considered classic Cajun cuisine traditions  (not to be confused with the more modern concept associated with Prudhomme's style). Up through the 20th century, the meals were not elaborate but instead, rather basic. The public's false perception of "Cajun" cuisine was based on Prudhomme's style of Cajun cooking, which was spicy, flavorful, and not true to the classic form of the cuisine. Cajun and Creole label have been mistaken to be the same, but the origins of Creole cooking began in New Orleans, and Cajun cooking came 40 years after the establishment of New Orleans down south on the bayou. Today, most restaurants serve dishes that consist of Cajun styles, which Paul Prudhomme dubbed "Louisiana cooking".In home-cooking, these individual styles are still kept separate. However, there are fewer and fewer people cooking the classic Cajun dishes that would have been eaten by the original settlers.


Primary Cajun Dishes Favorites
Boudin is a type of sausage made from pork, pork liver, rice, garlic, green onions and other spices. It

Boudin that has been smoked

is widely available by the link or pound from butcher shops. Boudin is typically stuffed in a natural casing and has a softer consistency than other, better-known sausage varieties. It is usually served with side dishes such as rice dressing, maque choux or bread. Boudin balls are commonly served in southern Louisiana restaurants and are made by taking the boudin out of the case and frying it in spherical form.

Gumbo - High on the list of favorites of Cajun cooking are the soups called gumbos. Contrary to non-Cajun or Continental beliefs, gumbo does not mean simply "everything in the pot". Gumbo

Seafood gumbo

exemplifies the influence of French, Spanish, African and Native American food cultures on Cajun cuisine. The name originally meant okra, a word brought to the region from western Africa. Okra which can be one of the principal ingredients in gumbo recipes is used as a thickening agent and for its distinct vegetable flavor. Many claim that Gumbo is a "Cajun" dish, but Gumbo was established long before the Acadian arrival. Its early existence came via the early French Creole culture In New Orleans, Louisiana, where French, Spanish and Africans frequented and also influenced by later waves of Italian, German and Irish settlers.

A filé gumbo is thickened with dried sassafras leaves after the stew has finished cooking, a practice borrowed from the Choctaw Indians. The backbone of a gumbo is roux of which there are two variations: Cajun, a golden brown roux, and Creole, a dark roux, which is made of flour, toasted until well-browned, and fat or oil. The classic gumbo is made with chicken and the Cajun sausage called andouille, pronounced {ahn-doo-wee}, but the ingredients vary according to what is available.

Jambalaya - Another classic Cajun dish is jambalaya. The only certain thing that can be said about a jambalaya is that it contains rice, some sort of meat (such as chicken or beef), seafood (such as shrimp or crawfish) or almost anything else. Usually, however, one will find green peppers, onions, celery, tomatoes and hot chili peppers. Anything else is optional. This is also a great pre-Acadian dish, established by the Spanish in Louisiana.

Rice and gravy - Rice and gravy dishes are a staple of Cajun cuisine and is usually a brown gravy based on pan drippings, which are deglazed and simmered with extra seasonings and served over steamed or boiled rice. The dish is traditionally made from cheaper cuts of meat and cooked in a cast iron pot, typically for an extended time period in order to let the tough cuts of meat become tender. Beef, pork, chicken or any of a large variety of game meats are used for its preparation. Popular local varieties include hamburger steak, smothered rabbit, turkey necks, and chicken fricassee.


Cajun Cuisine Food as an event
Crawfish boil

Louisiana-style crawfish boil
The crawfish boil is a celebratory event where Cajuns boil crawfish, potatoes, onions and corn in

Louisiana-style crawfish boil

large pots over propane cookers. Lemons and small muslin bags containing a mixture of bay leaves, mustard seeds, cayenne pepper and other spices, commonly known as "crab boil" or "crawfish boil" are added to the water for seasoning. The results are then dumped onto large, newspaper-draped tables and in some areas covered in Creole / Cajun spice blends, such as REX, Zatarain's, Louisiana Fish Fry or Tony Chachere's. Also, Cocktail sauce, mayonnaise and hot sauce are sometimes used. The seafood is scooped onto large trays or plates and eaten by hand. During times when crawfish are not abundant, shrimp and crabs are prepared and served in the same manner.

Attendees are encouraged to "suck the head" of a crawfish by separating the abdomen of the crustacean and sucking out the abdominal fat/juices.

Often, newcomers to the crawfish boil or those unfamiliar with the traditions are jokingly warned "not to eat the dead ones". This comes from the common belief that when live crawfish are boiled, their tails curl beneath themselves, but when dead crawfish are boiled, their tails are straight and limp. Seafood boils with crabs and shrimp are also popular.

Family Boucherie

A traditional "boucherie" near Eunice
The traditional Cajun outdoor food event hosted by a farmer in the rural areas of the Acadiana.

Cornbread is a staple Cajun starch.

Family and friends of the farmer gather to socialize, play games, dance, drink, and have a copious meal consisting of hog and other dishes. Men have the task of slaughtering a hog, cutting it into usable parts, and cooking the main pork dishes while women have the task of making boudin.

Cochon de Lait
Similar to a family boucherie, the cochon de lait is a food event that revolves around pork but does not need to be hosted by a farmer. Traditionally, a suckling pig was purchased for the event, but in modern cochon de laits, adult pigs are used. Unlike the family boucherie, a hog is not butchered by the hosts and there are generally not as many guests or activities. The host and male guests have the task of roasting the pig while female guests bring side dishes.

Rural Mardi Gras
The traditional Cajun Mardi Gras (see: Courir de Mardi Gras) is a Mardi Gras celebration in rural Cajun Parishes. The tradition originated in the 18th century with the Cajuns of Louisiana, but it was abandoned in the early 20th century because of unwelcome violence associated with the event. In the early 1950s the tradition was revived in Mamou in Evangeline Parish.

The event revolves around male maskers on horseback who ride into the countryside to collect food ingredients for the party later on. They entertain householders with Cajun music, dancing, and festive antics in return for the ingredients. The preferred ingredient is a live chicken in which the householder throws the chicken to allow the maskers to chase it down (symbolizing a hunt), but other ingredients include rice, sausage, vegetables, or frozen chicken. Unlike other Cajun events, men take no part in cooking the main course for the party, and women prepare the chicken and ingredients for the gumbo.

Once the festivities begin, the Cajun community members eat and dance to Cajun music until midnight, as the beginning of Lent.

Seafood of the Week - Seafood Boil

Boiled crawfish.

Seafood boil is the generic term for any number of different kinds of social events in which shellfish is the central element. Regional variations dictate the kinds of seafood, the accompaniments and side dishes, and the preparation techniques (boiling, steaming, baking, or raw). In some cases, a boil may be sponsored by a community organization as a fund-raiser or a mixer. In this way, they are like a fish fry, barbecue, or church potluck supper. But boils are also held by individuals for their friends and family for weekend get-togethers and on the summer holidays of Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. There are also companies that can cater a boil for large and small events. While boils and bakes are traditionally associated with coastal regions of the United States, there are notable exceptions. For example, the Fiesta Oyster Bake (San Antonio) began in 1916 as an alumni fund raiser for St. Mary's University. It is now attended by over 70,000 people during its two day run and is a major music and cultural event in the city.






Louisiana

Shrimp, crab, and crawfish boils can be found across southern Louisiana and the Gulf South. But it is the crawfish boil that is most closely associated with the region. The Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival has been named one of the top 10 food events by USA Today and is a showcase for Cajun music and culture. Major crawfish boils are held by churches and other organizations as fundraisers throughout the spring. Tulane University holds an annual "Crawfest" in April, and the University of New Orleans holds an annual crawfish boil for all students at the end of the spring semester (Students unwinding on Crawfish and Unprecedented Fun—SUCAUF). Smaller events can be found in backyards and parks throughout April, May, and June. Locals traditionally eat crawfish, as well as crabs, without tools such as shell crackers or picks.
One reason for the popularity of crawfish may be price. During the height of the season (late spring) the price may be less than a $1.50/pound retail for live crawfish (2006) with crawfish prices currently being around $.99/pound. Shrimp and crab are higher valued cash crops, and can be a less affordable option for larger groups.

A boil is usually done in a large pot (60 to 80 quarts) fitted with a strainer and heated by propane. However, some traditionalists see no need for a strainer and make use of a net or a wire mesh scoop. Seasonings include crab boil packets, cayenne pepper, hot sauce, salt, lemons, and bay leaf. Ears of corn, new potatoes, onions, and heads of garlic are usually included in shrimp and crawfish boils. Some people will add smoked sausage links and/or mushrooms. When cooking crawfish there is a debate over whether or not the crawfish must first be purged by covering them with clear water and a generous amount of salt for a few minutes. Advocates argue that this forces the crawfish to rid their bodies of impurities. Others argue that it does not work and is an unnecessary step. A "Boil Master" is in charge of making sure the ingredients go into the pot in the proper sequence and controls the timing of the steps. There is no right or wrong when seasoning a crawfish boil and many experienced boilers simply go by feel although there are some guidelines to follow and a great deal of opinions on how a boiled crawfish should be seasoned. Many recipes call for a short boil followed by a period of soaking with the heat turned off. The contents of the pot are removed, drained, and then dumped onto a newspaper covered table. Sometimes, crawfish may be dumped into the traditional watercraft in which crawfishermen have historically used to traverse the bayous and swamps; a pirogue. Bottles of hot sauce, lemons and melted butter are usually available, along with cocktail sauce at a shrimp boil. Some families like to use Italian salad dressing or ketchup, or a mixture of both.
Howard Mitcham and his Guild of Chimney Sweepers (named in honor of a dinner that Charles Lamb hosted for the London sweeps) hosted a shrimp boil every year for French Quarter bohemians during the 1950s and 1960s. He notes, "At our last big party we boiled 400 pounds of shrimp and 400 fat crabs for 200 guests and we drank eight thirty-gallon kegs of beer. For music we had Kid Thomas and his Algiers Stompers, the famous old gut-bucket jazz group from Preservation Hall, and the Olympia Funeral Marching Band". The Chimney Sweepers technique was to use new thirty-gallon galvanized garbage cans, filled one third full of water and brought to a boil with seasonings. The shrimp were divided into 25 pound batches and stuffed into new pillow cases and tied off. Twenty-five pounds of shrimp took about 25 minutes to cook. One batch came out and the next went in.

Shrimp boil, also known as Lowcountry Frogmore Stew

Georgia and South Carolina

There are two kinds of social gatherings in coastal Georgia and South Carolina that revolve around shellfish. One is very much like a Louisiana boil, usually involving shrimp, corn on the cob, sausage, and red potatoes and is considered part of Lowcountry cuisine. Known variously as Frogmore Stew, Beaufort Stew, a Beaufort boil, a Lowcountry boil, or a tidewater boil, they tend be a bit milder than their Louisiana Cajun and Creole cousins. For example, it is not unusual for a Lowcountry recipe to call for a mixture of hot and mild crab boil seasonings (e.g., Zatarain's and Old Bay), whereas a Cajun recipe may start with crab boil packets and add large amounts of cayenne pepper and hot sauce. While shrimp are most often used, crabs and/or crawfish may be included if available. This is also a bit different from a Louisiana boil, which usually involves just one kind of shellfish.
Frogmore is name of a community in the middle of St. Helena Island, near Beaufort, South Carolina. Although there are many versions of this dish around, the name Frogmore Stew was coined in the 1960s by Richard Gay, one of the owners of Gay Fish Company, circa 1948, on St. Helena Island. Frogmore Stew became far more well-known after is was featured on the cover of Gourmet Magazine in the 1980s, and is enjoyed by all, with this name, to this day. In 2005, The Travel Channel featured Richard's brother, Charles Gay, cooking Frogmore Stew in its popular program Taste of America with Mark DeCarlo.
The origins of the Low Country Boil go farther back to the cuisine of the Gullah/Geechee peoples of the Sea Islands along the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina. Africans in the slave trade often brought with them not only cooking influences from their homeland, but Spanish and French cooking influences as well. Meals for large gatherings of people would have to be made as quickly as possible with readily-available foods. The boil was a quick and easy way to prepare all the foods at once.
The most well attended function to feature Frogmore Stew occurs in July at the 10 day Beaufort Water Festival (in the 54 years of the festival it has grown to be the largest totally volunteer run festival on the south eastern coast), the event feeds 2,400, the recipe includes 1,200 lbs of shrimp, 2,400 ears of corn, 600 lbs of sausage, 72 oz of seafood seasoning and is served with 350 lbs of coleslaw, 250 gal of iced tea, 2,400 rolls and 90 watermelons.
The other kind of event is the Oyster Roast. Sheet metal or a fine mesh grill is placed over hot coals. Oysters are piled onto the grill (after having the mud washed off their shells). Wet burlap sacks are draped over the shells and the oysters are half grilled and half steamed. A shovel is used to scoop them onto nearby tables (plywood sheets on sawhorses works as well as anything). The shells have popped open (and are still hot), but the oysters are attached and just need a little coaxing to come free. This is particularly popular in the winter (the 'R' months, being the months in which oysters may be harvested in South Carolina.) when the oysters are good and a hot fire keeps the coastal chill at bay.
Both of these events are often large social functions in which a neighborhood, family, or friends gather for fellowship. Music, drinking, and dancing, especially the Carolina shag, are also common at these events. The most famous example of such a function takes place in Columbia, South Carolina, in late November prior to the in-state Clemson and South Carolina football game, on South Waccamaw Street.






Chesapeake Bay

The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary system in North America and provides an abundance of blue crab, Chincoteague oysters, and clams. It is located at the boundary between the South and Mid-Atlantic states and shares culinary traditions with both. Crab houses (also known as Crab shacks) serve freshly steamed crabs and are found along both shores of the bay.
The Maryland Crab Feast ("Crab Boil" is not a phrase used in Maryland) is a popular event for small groups of friends. Despite the name, the cooking technique is actually steaming. Crab pots have a raised bottom that keeps a fitted basket above the liquid. A couple of inches of beer (or water) mixed with vinegar is brought to a boil. The crabs are placed in the basket and sprinkled liberally with a seasoning mix (usually Old Bay), and then placed in the steamer. Twenty minutes later the bright red crabs are pulled up and turned out onto trays or platters. Tables are covered with layers of brown paper and wooden mallets and serrated knives are made available for cracking claws and picking out meat. Typical side dishes are cole slaw and corn on the cob.







New England

In New England, a clam bake is traditionally done on a beach. A pit is dug in the sand and lined with stones. A fire is built on top of the stones from driftwood. Once the fire dies down, seafood is placed on the stones and covered with seaweed and a canvas tarp. The residual heat from the stones along with steam from the moisture of the seaweed combines to cook the food. While lobster is often featured at clam bakes, some authors suggest that in practice, lobster will not be fully cooked by the time the stones have lost most of their heat.
An alternative to the labor-intensive bake is the New England Clam Boil. Like other regions, corn, potatoes, and sausage are popular additions. Recipes from the region suggest that little or no seasonings are added. Beer is often used as the boiling liquid.

Seafood of the Week - Crayfish

Northern kōura, Paranephrops planifrons

Crayfish – also called crawfish, crawdads, freshwater lobsters, or mudbugs – are freshwater crustaceans resembling small lobsters, to which they are related; taxonomically, they are members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea. They breathe through feather-like gills and are found in bodies of water that do not freeze to the bottom. They are mostly found in brooks and streams where there is fresh water running, and which have shelter against predators. Most crayfish cannot tolerate polluted water, although some species such as the invasive Procambarus clarkii are hardier. Crayfish feed on living and dead animals and plants.





The name "crayfish" comes from the Old French word escrevisse (Modern French écrevisse). The word has been modified to "crayfish" by association with "fish" (folk etymology). The largely American variant "crawfish" is similarly derived.
Some kinds of crayfish are known locally as lobsters, crawdads, mudbugs, and yabbies. In the Eastern United States, "crayfish" is more common in the north, while "crawdad" is heard more in central and southwestern regions, and "crawfish" further south, although there are considerable overlaps.
The study of crayfish is called astacology.





In Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, the term crayfish or cray generally refers to a saltwater spiny lobster, of the genus Jasus that is indigenous to much of southern Oceania, while the freshwater species are usually called yabby or kōura, from the indigenous Australian and Māori names for the animal respectively, or by other names specific to each species. An exception is the freshwater Murray crayfish, which belongs to the family Parastacidae and is found on Australia's Murray River.
In Singapore, the term crayfish typically refers to Thenus orientalis, a seawater crustacean from the slipper lobster family. True crayfish are not native to Singapore, but are commonly found as pets, or as an invasive species (Cherax quadricarinatus) in the many water catchment areas, and are alternatively known as freshwater lobsters.





The body of a decapod crustacean, such as a crab, lobster, or prawn, is made up of twenty body segments grouped into two main body parts, the cephalothorax and the abdomen. Each segment may possess one pair of appendages, although in various groups these may be reduced or missing. On average, crayfish grow to 6.9 in. (17.5 centimeters) in in length, but some grow larger.

Astacidae: Austropotamobius pallipes

There are three families of crayfish, two in the Northern Hemisphere and one in the Southern Hemisphere. The Southern-Hemisphere (Gondwana-distributed) family Parastacidae lives in South America, Madagascar and Australasia, and is distinguished by the lack of the first pair of pleopods. Of the other two families, members of the Astacidae live in western Eurasia and western North America and members of the family Cambaridae live in eastern Asia and eastern North America.
Madagascar has an endemic genus, Astacoides, containing seven species.
Europe is home to seven species of crayfish in the genera Astacus and Austropotamobius.
Cambaroides is native to Japan and eastern mainland Asia.





The greatest diversity of crayfish species is found in southeastern North America, with over 330 species in nine genera, all in the family Cambaridae. A further genus of astacid crayfish is found in the Pacific Northwest and the headwaters of some rivers east of the Continental Divide. Many crayfish are also found in lowland areas where the water is abundant in calcium, and oxygen rises from underground springs.
Crayfish were introduced purposely into a few Arizona reservoirs and other bodies of water decades ago, primarily as a food source for sport fish. They have since dispersed beyond those original sites.





Australasia has over 100 species in a dozen genera. Many of the better-known Australian crayfish are of the genus Cherax, and include the marron (now believed to be two species, Cherax tenuimanus and C. cainii), red-claw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus), common yabby (Cherax destructor) and western yabby (Cherax preissii). The marron are some of the largest crayfish in the world. They grow up to several pounds in size. C. tenuimanus is critically endangered, while other large Australasian crayfish are threatened or endangered.
Australia is home to the world's two largest freshwater crayfish – the Tasmanian giant freshwater crayfish Astacopsis gouldi, which can achieve a mass of up to 11 lb (5 kilograms)  and is found in the rivers of northern Tasmania, and the Murray crayfish Euastacus armatus, which can reach 4.4 LB (2 kilograms) and is found in much of the southern Murray-Darling basin.
The two species of Paranephrops are endemic to New Zealand, where they are known by the Māori name kōura.

Crawfish Boil

Crayfish are eaten worldwide. Like other edible crustaceans, only a small portion of the body of a crayfish is edible. In most prepared dishes, such as soups, bisques and étouffées, only the tail portion is served. At crawfish boils or other meals where the entire body of the crayfish is presented, other portions, such as the claw meat, may be eaten. Like all crustaceans, crayfish are not kosher because they are aquatic animals that do not have both fins and scales. They are therefore not eaten by observant Jews.
As of 2005, Louisiana supplies 95% of the crayfish harvested in the US. In 1987, Louisiana produced 90% of the crayfish harvested in the world, 70% of which were consumed locally. In 2007, the Louisiana crawfish harvest was about 54,800 tons, almost all of it from aquaculture. About 70%–80% of crayfish produced in Louisiana are Procambarus clarkii (red swamp crawfish), with the remaining 20%–30% being Procambarus zonangulus (white river crawfish).





Crayfish are commonly sold and used as bait, either live or with only the tail meat, and are good at attracting channel catfish, largemouth bass, pike and muskellunge. Sometimes the claws are removed so that the crayfish don't stop fish from biting the hook. Crayfish easily fall off the hook, so casting should be slow.
The result of using crayfish as bait has led to various ecological problems at times. According to a report prepared by Illinois State University, on the Fox River and Des Plaines River watershed, "The rusty crayfish (used as bait) has been dumped into the water and its survivors outcompete the native clearwater crayfish". This situation has been repeated elsewhere, as the crayfish bait eliminates native species.
The use of crayfish as bait has been cited as one of the ways zebra mussels have spread to different waterways, as members of this invasive species are known to attach themselves to crayfish.

Shrimp, Scallop, Crawfish Gumbo

Today’s Menu: Shrimp, Scallop, Crawfish Gumbo

Gumbo for dinner tonight! If you want a quick but yet delicious and thick Gumbo you’ll have to try  Luzianne Gumbo Dinner Kit. It contains a packet that contains the Rice, Vegetables, Seasoning, and Roux Mix. I added Shrimp, Crawfish, Scallops, Potatoes, and Mini Carrots. It was the first time I used Crawfish. I purchased it when I ordered the Gator Meat from the Cajun Grocer on line the other day. The Crawfish Tail fit right in with the Shrimp and Scallops. It came out delicious! The Seafood and the Roux too good!  Plus a lot leftover to freeze and have later. I left the recipe and Gumbo description at the end of the post. We had a side of Aunt Millie's Light Whole Grain Bread to go along with the Gumbo and soak up some of that wonderful Roux. For dessert later a Jello Sugar Free Chocolate Pudding topped with Cool Whip Free.

Ingredients

1 Pound of Shrimp, Crawfish, and Sea Scallops

2 Small Russet Potatoes (Diced)

10 or more Mini Carrots

6 Cups of Water

2 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Pepper, Sea Salt for seasoning

1 Box of Luzianne Gumbo Dinner Kit

*Dice the Russet Potatoes and microwave for 4 minutes to soften

*In a 4-5 Quart pot,bring water and Olive Oil to a boil

*Add Luzianne Gumbo while stirring

*Empty half of the Red Pepper Packet into the Gumbo. Put remainder aside.

*Reduce Heat , Cover and simmer for 18 minutes. Meanwhile cut the Sea Scallops in half, peel the raw Shrimp.

*Taste, and if desired, add remaining Red Pepper from packet and Sea Salt. Add the Shrimp, Scallops, Crawfish, Mini carrots and Potatoes. Cover and continue to simmer for 7 more minutes.

Luzianne Gumbo Dinner Kit

Description:
 Gumbo is a thick Cajun "soup," containing any combination of vegetables, meats, poultry or seafood and served over rice. Just add chicken, seafood or meat to complete a full meal for your entire family in less than 30 minutes.

Ingredients:
Rice, Red and Green Bell Peppers, Modified Food Starch, Flour, Onion, Natural Flavors, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Paprika, Salt, Monosodium Glutamate, Celery, Garlic Spices, Red Pepper, Sugar, Carmel Color, Sodium Sulfite As A Preservative.

Directions:
You can turn ordinary chicken, meat or seafood into exciting meals easily with Luzianne Cajun and Creole Dinners. Each Dinner is a blend of rice, authentic Cajun or Creole seasonings and chipped vegetables. All you do is add your own chicken, meat, or seafood, simmer for 25 minutes and serve. There's a separate red pepper packet to add Cajun spice to suit your taste.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1/5 box (45.4 g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 160Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1.0g2%
Saturated Fat 0.0g0%
Sodium 760mg32%
Total Carbohydrates 33.0g11%
Dietary Fiber 1.0g4%
Sugars 3.0g
Protein 4.0g