24
MY
ROUSES
EVERYDAY
NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2013
W
hen people ask about my
“Gumbo Throwdown” with
Bobby Flay on the Food
Network, usually, they want to know, “
Was
it really a
surprise
?”
In early 2007, I got a phone call from
someone identifying himself as a producer
for the Food Network. He explained that
a new show was in development about the
iconic foods of America’s cities and that
he’d heard in New Orleans, I was known
for my gumbo. “The name of the show is
America Eats,” he explained.
This immediately piqued my curiosity.
I had already appeared on the History
Channel’s show, “America Eats”, so I asked
the producer why the Food Network would
use that same name for their new show.
Defensively he answered, “Well, maybe
that’s not the most creative name — but
that’s the name of the show!
”
From that
moment on, I had my suspicions I was not
getting the full story.
The network scheduled the two-day shoot
on Holy Thursday and Good Friday, an odd
choice for such an intensely Catholic town.
I pointed out how challenging filming
could be during Holy Week, but agreed to
participate anyway.
The “stand and stir” segment, when I
demonstrated my gumbo alone on camera
was taped on Thursday. On Friday, I was to
asked to assemble a group of fifty “gumbo
eaters” willing to talk about our iconic dish.
Family, neighbors, local food folks — even
Leah Chase came to be part of the event. As
I began to stir my roux, I caught a glimpse
of someone walking up from behind and
turned to discover Bobby Flay.
Honestly, before I was on a throwdown, I
had never watched one on TV. That’s how
Bobby and I got off to a bad start. When he
said, “Poppy, I heard you make a pretty good
gumbo. Are you up for a throwdown?” I
didn’t realize he was referring to his famous
Food Network show, so I asked, “A what?”
“A THROWDOWN!” he answered. “Do
you mean like a contest?” He nodded his
head, and our throwdown was on!
Right away, I knew Bobby was in trouble
when he began his roux with butter.
Louisiana cooks know that butter burns
before the roux reaches the chocolate brown
color responsible for gumbo’s flavor, color
and thickness.
When I asked if crabs were going in his
gumbo, Bobby proudly showed me his
lump crabmeat. I asked where it was from
and when he answered, “Baltimore” — I
knew the “Iron Chef ” was in trouble!
Then, remembering it was Good Friday, I
had to ask, “Bobby, are you putting any meat
in your gumbo?” “I’ve got this beautiful,
andouille” he said as he showed off a long,
thick sausage link.
“Who’s going to eat Bobby Flay’s gumbo
with meat in it on Good Friday?” I
questioned the crowd. “But no one told
me it was going to be Good Friday,” he
complained. Leah Chase stood up, pointed
at him and declared, “Bobby Flay, if you put
meat in your gumbo on Good Friday, God
will strike you dead!” With that, he put the
sausage away.
Dale Curry, former food editor of the
Times-Picayune and Jay Forman from New
Orleans Magazine were the Throwdown’s
judges. Bobby Flay served them a light,
golden brown gumbo garnished with fried
okra and shrimp HEADS with no rice!
I’d describe it as a lovely seafood soup, but
not a gumbo! As soon as I was declared
the gumbo throwdown champion, Bobby
Flay disappeared as swiftly as he had first
appeared.
The Food Network replays my Gumbo
Throwdown again and again and my
championship gumbo is now acclaimed
from coast to coast. My advice for Bobby
Flay is - stick to the “grilling and chilling”
and leave the roux making to us!
My Gumbo Throwdown
with
Bobby Flay
Food writer and personality Poppy Tooker is the
host and producer of Louisiana Eats! She is also
the author of Madame Begue’s Recipes of Old New
Orleans Creole Cookery and the new cookbook
Louisiana Eats! Both books are available at local
bookstores and online.
About the Writer
by
Poppy Tooker +
photo by
Frank Aymami
