Jambalaya Joy

A few weeks ago I took a trip to the Deep South by finding myself in the lower cafeteria.  There I discovered that Jambalaya was on the menu.  I could almost hear the zydeco music playing as I smelled the aroma of Cajun spices drifting up from my dish.

For those readers who are unfamiliar with Jambalaya, the word itself is Creole for “jumbled,” which pretty much explains the ingredients in this dish.  Rice, green peppers, celery, onions, Andouille sausage, parsley, tomatoes, Cajun spices, and whatever meat happens to be available, whether it be alligator, shrimp, or chicken.  In this instance I was slightly disappointed to find that it was chicken (not that I don’t like chicken, but rather because I have always wanted to try alligator), but I was still excited about having some good Southern food.  The jumbled ingredients are slowly stewed and stirred in a large pot, preferably cast-iron, until they form a thick casserole-like dish which is then served hot.

I found the VIU jambalaya to be flawlessly seasoned, with pieces of Andouille sausage, chicken, and vegetables that made me feel blissfully happy.  Happy enough to make me want to go home and re-create the dish.  Well, almost. I did find two very large pieces of boiled chicken skin in the gumbo which I am confident were not part of the recipe.  That aside, I loved everything else about it and am now hunting down my own jambalaya recipe, some zydeco music, and a store that sells alligator meat.

On a side note, I would like to acknowledge one culinary student in particular for his fabulous customer service recently.  On one occasion, while I was ordering lunch, I noticed that one cook was going out of his way to be fast, friendly, and very courteous to all of his customers.  Many years ago this kind of behavior was the norm, but in this day and age of DIY yogurt bars and self-serve gas stations, this kind of customer service is a rarity.  Special recognition goes to student chef Cameron for his great attitude in such a high-stress occupation.  Gordon Ramsay could learn a lot from Cameron’s first-rate example.